TO INCREASE SATTVA
To increase sattva, and enhance spiritual growth. Meat, poultry, fish, and eggs are considered rajasic and tamasic.
The yogic diet is based on sattvic foods, which means it is lacto-vegetarian. There are many benefits that come with eating only vegetarian food.
Maintaining a happy and healthy mind and body relies on eating fresh, nourishing food. A well-balanced vegetarian diet consisting of grains, vegetables, fruit, herbs, milk, ghee, and vegetable oils provides all the nourishment required. Vegetarianism has a positive impact on both the health of the individual and the world (see below).
Fresh, ripe foods are the best choices for a sattvic diet. Try to avoid canned food and frozen food. Meals should be freshly prepared, not processed.
Wherever possible, aim to:
• Shop organic—choose foods grown in fertile soil free from pesticides.
• Shop local—farmers’ markets and home-grown produce are ideal.
• Avoid supermarket produce that has been prepackaged and imported.
TO INCREASE SATTVA
To increase sattva, and enhance spiritual growth. Meat, poultry, fish, and eggs are considered rajasic and tamasic.
FOR NOURISHMENT
The farther away from the original source of energy—the sun—your food is, the less nourishing it is. Plant-based foods are lighter and easier to digest than meat, which is a burden on the digestive tract.
FOR GOOD HEALTH
According to scientific evidence, those with a balanced vegetarian diet have fewer chronic diseases—most notably, they have lower cholesterol, are less obese, and have a lower risk of heart disease.
THROUGH COMPASSION
Compassion, or nonviolence, toward all living beings is an important part of Ayurveda (see here). This includes animals.
TO FEED THE WORLD
The growing human population is putting pressure on the planet’s resources. The earth can provide enough food for everyone—if we all eat a vegetarian diet.
TO PROTECT THE EARTH
A vegetarian diet reduces the negative environmental impact of meat production, such as greenhouse gas emissions, water wastage, and water pollution.
MODERN FOOD PRODUCTION
Milk and butter contain the impressions of the animals they come from, such as the quality of their feed and their living conditions. Invest in the best you can afford.
High-quality products come from animals that enjoy the following living conditions:
• A natural habitat
• Space to move
• Good-quality feed
• Freedom to choose to eat those foods they need
• No hormone or antibiotic treatments
• Freedom from negative experiences, such as fear and stress
“May you all attain perfect health, longevity, and peace by living on a vegetarian diet, which is helpful for meditation and healthy living.”