Tuesday, February 19, 2013

SATTVIC, RAJASIC AND TAMASIC FOODS


SATTVIC, RAJASIC AND TAMASIC FOODS

Ayurveda refers to the gunas to restore and maintain balance. They are the aspects present in
Nature. The gunas are sattva, rajas, and tamas. Sattva is equilibrium or balance, rajas is
activity, and tamas is inertia. The qualities we consume are reflected in our body and mind.

Sattvic foods


Sattvic foods are pure and balancing. They are fresh foods with little, if any processing.
Sattvic foods that are suitable for your constitution digest easily. Ideally one would eat foods
to balance their dosha, choosing primarily from sattvic foods. They provide strength, vitality,
and increased energy.
Adzuki beans
Almonds
Amaranth
Apples
Apricots
Artichokes
Arugula (small amounts)
Asparagus
Bananas
Barley
Basmati rice
Bean sprouts (all kinds)
Beets
Black beans
Blackberries
Black-eyed peas
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Dates (fresh)
Endive
Escarole
Fava beans
Figs (fresh or dried)
Filberts
Flowers (edible and sweet)
Fruit juices (fresh)
Ghee
Grapefruits
Grapes
Green beans
Honeydew melon
Jerusalem artichokes
Kale
Kohlrabi
Lentils (black or tan)
Lettuce
Pineapple (sweet)
Pine nuts
Pinto beans
Plums (sweet or sour)
Pomegranates
Prunes
Pumpkins
Quinoa
Raisins
Raspberries
Rice
Rutabaga
Sesame seeds (hulled or
unhulled)
Soybeans Soymilk (fresh)
Spinach
Strawberries
Sugar cane (raw)
Buckwheat
Buttermilk (fresh)
Cabbage (red or green)
Cantaloupe
Carob
Carrots
Cashew nuts
Cauliflower
Celery
Chard
Cherries (sweet or sour)
Chestnuts
Chinese cabbage
Coconut
Cornmeal
Cranberries
Cucumbers
Lima beans (small
amounts)
Loganberries
Macadamia nuts
Mangoes
Maple syrup
Milk (fresh, raw, and pure)
Millet
Mother’s milk
Mung beans (whole)
Mung dhal (split)
Mustard greens
Oats (steel cut or berries)
Oranges (sweet)
Papayas
Parsnips
Peaches
Pecans
Summer squash
Sunflower seeds
Sweet potatoes
Tangerines (sweet)
Teff
Turnips
Walnuts (English or black)
Watercress
Watermelon
Wheat
Wild rice
Winter squash
Yacon
Yams
Yogurt (freshly made)
Zucchini

Rajasic foods

Rajasic foods are stimulating and can cause physical and mental stress. Eating rajasic foods
overexcites the body and mind and encourages circulatory and nervous system disorders.
These foods create imbalance in the mind, body, and spirit connection resulting in a restless,
overactive mind.

Aged cheeses
Avocado
Cottage cheese
Dried dates
Egg
Eggplant
Fermented food (all)
Bottled fruit juices
Garbanzo beans
Garlic
Guava
Ice cream
Kidney beans
Lime
Lemon
Red lentils
Molasses
Olives
Onions (all kinds)
Peanuts
Peanut oil
Pepper
Pickles
Potatoes
Pumpkin seeds
Radishes
Salt (all kinds)
Sour cream
Soy milk (commercial)
Sugar (all kinds)
Tomatoes
Vinegar
Yogurt (not freshly made)

Tamasic foods

Tamasic foods are impure, rotten, or dead and produce feelings of heaviness and lethargy.
Eating tamasic foods makes a person dull and lethargic, lacking motivation and purpose.

Alcohol Animal meat (beef,
chicken, fish, fowl, goat,
lamb, pork, rabbit
shellfish, turkey, venison)
Fried foods
Frozen foods
Leeks
Leftovers
Margarine
Microwaved food
Food with preservatives
Mushrooms (all kinds)






 Peace  love  harmony

WHAT IS A SATTVIC DIET?

A Life Enhancing Diet to Balance the Mind

"Food is a dynamic force which interacts with the human on the physical body level, the mind emotional level, and also the energetic and spiritual level. The study of nutrition is the study of the interaction with and assimilation of the dynamic forces of food by the dynamic forces of our total being." ~ Gabriel Cousens, M.D., Spiritual Nutrition and The Rainbow Diet?

WHAT IS A SATTVIC DIET?

In Ayurveda the emphasize is on a Sattvic diet for healthy living, particularly for keeping our minds clear, happy and at peace. The original Sattvic diet was devised for the development of higher consciousness.

Sattvic foods are foods that are abundant in Prana- the universal life-force that gives life to all sentient beings in both plant and animal kingdoms. a Sattvic diet means not only vegetarian food, but food rich in Prana 'life-force like organic fresh fruits and vegetables. it requires avoiding canned and processed food, and foods prepared with chemical fertilizers or sprays. It also means properly prepared fresh foods. Foods prepared with lots of love will add to their Sattvic quality.

The ancient Ayurvedic criteria for foods to be considered Sattvic were quite simple: foods were grown organically on good rich fertile soil; foods were to be of attractive appearance, and be harvested at the correct time of year. Foods should be whole foods full of life-force and enzymes and be as close as possible as they are in their natural fresh state.

Today, we need to add to these criteria for Sattva several other modern concerns. Sattvi foods should be grown without pesticides, herbicides, chemical fertilizers, hormones, irradiation or anything unnatural. Modern use of refinement processes and chemical additives, besides actually adding substances to our foods, depletes foods of their Prana 'life-force' and hence renders them heavy, impotent and lifeless.

Sattic foods are nutritive vegetarian foods like organic nuts, seeds, whole grains and oily fruits and vegetables that help build the brain tissue and develop Ojas.

The Three Gunas


In the unmanifested Universe, energy has three qualities, known as Gunas, that exist together in equilibrium: Sattva (purity); Rajas (activity, passion, the process of change); and Tamas (darkness, inertia). Once energy takes form, one quality of the three predominates. Thus on an apple tree, some of the fruit is ripe (Sattvic), some ripening (rajasic) and some overripe (tamasic). But no matter which quality prevails, an Element of each of the other two will always be present as well. Most of an individual apple will be ripe, but part will be rotten, even if the naked eye cannot see it, and part will be in the process of changing from one state to the other. The three Gunas encompass all existence, all actions. If a man commits a robbery, the action is basically rajasic but the decision to rob and the motive may be predominantly tamasic, rajasic or Sattvic, according to the situation. In all people one of the three Gunas has superior strength and is reflected in all they do and think. Only in enlightenment are the Gunas completely transcended.

Ancient Rishis have said you take on the karma of the animal you eat
When you eat meat you are ingesting all the stress hormones released when that animal was killed. The hormones released at death are present in the flesh when you eat it. At a cellular level, your body is getting the message that you are dying.

One goal and effect of Ayurveda and following a spiritual path is to raise our vibrational levels
Meat has a very low vibration. On a continuum of lower vibrations, fish, chicken, lamb, beef, and finally pork have increasingly lower vibrations and their energy is very dark, dense and congested. Through the centuries it has been observed that vegetarians have a more refined etheric body and brighter aura. A vegetarian whose etheric body is brighter and healthier will generally heal at much faster rate than those who are not vegetarian.

Ayurvedic Principles


Everything on Earth has a primary quality (Guna). Anything we hear, smell, see, taste or touch may be classified into the categories of Sattvic, Rajasic or Tamasic.

BALANCING THE EMOTIONAL BODY WITH FOOD
In Ayurveda a dietary system was developed by the ancient Masters and Sages thousands of years in working with the mind to help support an individual on a spiritual path that perfected the ancient forms of Yoga and Meditation. It is also the foundation of many healing arts. It has a rich tradition that has been taught, practiced and passed onto many cultures over the world.
Ayurveda or Sattvic foods all have one thing in common: they are high in Prana (the universal life force). More specifically, Sattvic foods are natural, organically grown, and as unrefined as possible. Modern food processing takes the Prana out of many foods and makes them heavy, impotent, and lifeless- or simply "dead food."

Mind balance in Ayurveda means modifying the mind from Tamasic or Rajasic to Sattvic state. Choosing those foods and activities that are Sattvic in nature in preference to those that are Rajasic or Tamasic does that. With consistent and dedicated attention to diet, environment and sensory experiences, total mind balance can be achieved.

It often takes discipline and effort to become Sattvic, but the peace of mind, health, strength and immunity that is obtained from this state of mind makes it worthwhile. However, some rajas and tamas qualities are still required for action and motivation to achieve our goals and inaction, sleep or relaxation (tamas).

There are three types of foods categorized by their primal essence or nature:


Tamasic Foods

Dark, and dull. A tamasic diet benefits neither the mind nor the body. Prana, or energy, is withdrawn, powers of reasoning become clouded and a sense of inertia sets in. The body's resistance to disease is destroyed and the mind filled with dark emotions, such as anger, jealousy and greed.
Tamasic foods include meat, poultry, fish, eggs, alcohol and other intoxicants including drugs. Foods that are over-processed, no longer fresh, and/or difficult to digest are Tamasic. Foods that are prepared unconsciously or while the preparer is angry or in a negative mood are also considered Tamasic. If you are interested in vital health and spiritual growth it is best to avoid these foods. Tamasic items include meat, alcohol, tobacco, onions, garlic, fermented foods, such as vinegar, and stale left over food, contaminated or overripe substances. Overeating is also regarded as tamasic. Tamasic is the unhealthiest food of all.

Rajasic Foods

Rajas signifies the "can do" kind of energy. It is the energy, which we need to accomplish, create, and achieve. It represents worldly power and the sex drive. A Rajasic diet is good for "householders" who aspire to maintain a meditative mind but need to live and work in the world as well. It has been recommended by the ancient Rishis teachers that a combination of Sattvic and Rajasic foods for those who practice demanding disciplines such as endurance athletics, martial arts and Kundalini Yoga. They destroy the mind-body equilibrium, feeding the body at the expense of the mind.
Foods that are very hot, bitter, sour, dry, or salty are rajasic. Too much rajasic food will over stimulate the body and excite strong emotional qualities and passions, making the mind restless and uncontrollable. Rajasic foods include hot substances, such as sharp spices or strong herbs, stimulants, like coffee and tea, meat of animals and fish, eggs, salt and chocolate. Many of the ground foods are Rajasic. Eating in a hurry is also considered rajasic.

Sattvic Foods

Sattvic means pure essence. This is the purest diet for a consciously spiritual and healthy life. It nourishes the body and maintains it in a peaceful state. According to Ayurveda, this is the best diet for physical strength, a good mind, good health, and longevity. And it calms and purifies the mind, enabling it to function at its maximum potential. A Sattvic diet thus leads to true health: a peaceful mind in control of a fit body, with a balanced flow of energy between them. They are known to have a very cleansing effect on the body. A Sattvic diet is excellent for those individuals who desire to live a quiet, peaceful and meditative life. Sattvic foods comprise the diet of many sages, yogis and spiritual teachers. These foods are supposed to produce calmness and nobility among men. Eating fruits and vegetables increases one's magnetism. From what we understand today about diets we are sure that ancient Essenes and Rishis masters saints had a very good idea about food in general and their effect on the body and thinking pattern of man. Expression of the soul is dependent on the body, and the body is dependant on food.

The Sattvic diet consists of light, soothing, easily digested food. Sattvic signifies the etheric qualities and includes foods such as fruits and vegetables, especially sun foods and ground foods. Many Sattvic foods are sun foods are those that grow one meter or more above the ground. They have a quickening and lightening effect on the body's nervous and digestive systems. Ground foods are those foods that grow within one meter of the ground. They draw energy from the earth and are high in nutrients. Sattvic foods include sprouted whole grains, fresh fruit, land and sea vegetables, pure fruit juices, nut and seed milk and cheese, legumes, nuts, seeds, sprouted seeds, honey, and herb teas. Sattvic foods are those foods which do not agitate your stomach at all. According to the diet, the best foods are those that are fresh, which have a balance of all the six tastes and are consumed in moderate portions.

Becoming Sattvic


One should focus on work, self-improvement and intellectual or spiritual pursuits. Maintaining a positive nature, demonstrating generosity, kindness, openness, fairness (equality) and forgiveness also increases Sattva Guna. In addition spiritual inclination, faith and belief in the Great Spirit or God, engaging in selfless service or charitable activities help to become Sattvic.

Nature's Sattvic Foods


Fruits

Apples, Kiwi, Prunes, Apricots, Loquat, Tangerines, Bananas, Lychee, Pomegranate, Cantaloupe, Mango, Papaya, Cherries, Melons, Nectarines, Cranberry, Honeydew, Oranges, Grapefruits, Watermelon, Pineapples, Grapes, Peaches, Plums, Guava, Pears, Persimmon

Vegetables

Artichokes, Eggplant, Lettuce, Beets, Mustard, Greens, Asparagus, Daikon, Onions, Endive, Fennel, Maitake, Parsnips, Bok Choy, Peas, Broccoli, Green Beans, Potatoes, Brussels Sprouts, Kale, Radishes, Cabbage, Leeks, Lima Beans, Shallots, Carrots, Celery, Spinach, Cauliflower, Chard, Chanterelles, Sprouts, Corn, Squash, Shitake, Mushrooms, Watercress, Turnips, Yams

Sprouted Whole Grains

Amaranth, Barley, Buckwheat, Bulgur, Millet, Quinoa, Rice:Basmati, Brown and Wild Rice.

Oils

Olive, Safflower, Sesame, Sunflower, Garbanzo, Lentils, Mung.

Spices

Asafoetida (hing), Coriander, Basil, Cumin, Nutmeg, Black Pepper, Fennel seed, Parsley, Cardamom, Fenugreek, Turmeric, Cinnamon, Cloves, Ginger

Nut/Seed

Brazil nuts, Pumpkin seeds, Sunflower seeds, Walnuts

Milks & Cheese

Seed milk, Hemp milk, Almond or other nut milk

Sweetners

Cane juice, Raw honey, Stevia, Fruit Juices, Maple Syrup


It takes time for the effects of dietary changes to manifest on the mind. Changing our diet may not impact our psychology overnight, but in a period of months can affect it significantly.




 Peace  love  harmony

How a sattvic diet purifies the mind

  
How a sattvic diet purifies the mind 
by Jiva Ayurveda

We all know how anger, fear and hatred damage us internally – the impact of positive and negative emotions and attitudes on health has been analyzed and explored by modern medical science to expose surprising clinical results. For example, a study conducted in domestic arguments pointed out that couples that fight frequently damage not only their relationship, but also their health. Scientists at the University of California found that arguing with the spouse numbs the reflexes of the immune system.

The impact of depression and anxiety on heart disease and other physical illnesses is well-documented. The Archives of Internal Medicine recently published a study that shows people suffering  from depression had more than 70% greater risk of suffering heart attacks and other cardiac problems. The profound nature of the mind-body link has only been superficially considered by modern medicine. However, it is already clear that mental health is an essential aspect of physical health.

Thus the basis of Ayurvedic nutrition and lifestyle guidance is not  only to balance the doshas, but also to increase sattvic  temperament. This includes avoiding conflict, aggression, hostility and other negative emotions that adversely affect physical and mental health. Such a lifestyle is stress-resistant - it is serene, peaceful, patient and tolerant and avoids extremes of emotions. Sattvic   people are positive, generous, kind, open, fair and forgiving. They  look at life as a productive, learning experience.

The main factors involved relate to diet, lifestyle and emotions. In terms of diet, eat freshly prepared food, eat more plant-based foods and decrease the consumption of alcohol, caffeine, processed food and meat. Lifestyle should be balanced between work, family and social concerns with light exercise and regular routines to minimize stress. As for emotions, conflict aggression and hostility should be minimized and a positive and optimistic outlook adopted. Meditation  is recommended to help you detach from and balance the emotions.

A sattvic attitude not only benefits the individual, but also  contributes to a more peaceful and productive community. Starting on an individual level by adopting Ayurvedic principles in your  lifestyle can work towards peace and harmony in your family and community. Regardless of your faith, ethnic or economic  background, modifying your diet, and developing sattvic qualities may seem a small step  but it is one in the right direction. The impact on your health,  attitude and peace of mind will be remarkable.

Sunday, February 10, 2013

THE YOGA OF NUTRITION by Aivanhov, Omraam Mikhael



 THE YOGA OF NUTRITION
 by Aivanhov, Omraam Mikhael

Have you ever stopped to think about the power of the elements contained in food, or about the fact that, when it comes to getting you back on your feet again, a meal is always far more effective than any thought or emotion or effort of the will?The unknown power of food
You consider food to be important only on the level of your instincts, you don’t think it has any importance on the level of your intellectual or conscious life, and yet it is the only thing capable of restoring health and energy. Thanks to the food you eat you can continue to act, to speak, to feel and to think.

Initiates have always devoted a considerable proportion of their time to research concerning nutrition. They have found that food, which is prepared with unutterable wisdom in the laboratories of the Lord, contains magic elements capable not only of preserving or restoring both our physical and our psychic health, but also of revealing great wonders to us. But if we wish to benefit from these magic elements we must first know the conditions we have to fulfil.

No one can fail to recognize that the question of food is in the forefront of everyone’s preoccupations. It is the very first problem that has to be taken care of: this is what men and women work for every day of their lives. Indeed, this is what they even go to war for: many wars and revolutions have had no other cause than that of food! But this attitude towards food is simply an instinct which human beings have in common with animals: they have not yet understood the spiritual importance of the act of eating. In fact they have no notion of how to eat. Watch people during a meal and you will see that they absorb their food mechanically, unconsciously. They swallow everything without chewing it; their heads and their hearts are seething with chaotic ideas and emotions, and often enough they even quarrel amongst themselves while they are eating. No wonder they make themselves ill: all their functions are upset; nothing works as it should any more, neither digestion nor secretions nor the elimination of toxic wastes.

Thousands of people make themselves ill in this way without an inkling that their problems are caused by the way they eat. You only need to observe what takes place in many families: before a meal no one has anything to say to the others, they are all busy reading or listening to the radio or doing their own little job. But as soon as it is time to eat, they all have some story to tell or even some old score to settle, and the meal is spent in talking, arguing and quarrelling. After a meal of that kind they feel sluggish and sleepy and need a rest, or even a nap, and those who have to go back to work do so without zest or enthusiasm. Whereas someone who knows how to eat correctly is clear-headed and alert after a meal.
How we should eat
Perhaps you are now wondering how you should eat. Well, let me talk to you about how an Initiate considers this question of eating. With a view to giving himself the best possible conditions in which to receive the elements that have been put into his food in Nature’s laboratories, an Initiate begins by meditating and by tuning in to his Creator: he does not engage in conversation. He eats in silence.
How silence can help 
You must not think that silence during meals is simply an old monastic habit: a sage, an Initiate eats in silence. And he chews his first mouthful consciously and for as long as possible, until, even without his having to swallow, it has all disappeared. Your frame of mind when you take your first mouthful is extremely important because it is this first step which triggers the inner mechanism. You have to prepare yourself beforehand, therefore, and make sure of having the best possible conditions. Never forget that the most important moment in every action is the beginning, for it is the beginning which sets the tone and releases forces which will continue to be active throughout the action. If you are in a harmonious frame of mind at the beginning, the remainder of your action will also be harmonious.

It is important to eat slowly and to chew your food well because, as you know, this is good for the digestion. But there is another reason, as well, and that is that the mouth, which is the first organ to receive food, is also the most important laboratory in the cycle of nutrition, because it is the most spiritual. On a subtler level, the mouth acts as a veritable stomach, absorbing the etheric particles and the finer, more powerful energies from food, whilst the coarser materials are sent on to the stomach.
How food can nourish the subtle bodies
The mouth contains some highly perfected devices in the form of glands on and under the tongue, whose task is to extract the etheric particles from food. I’m sure you have all had this experience often: there you were, so hungry you were almost unconscious, and then you began to eat. With the first few bites, long before your food has been digested, you begin to feel better and more energetic. How can it happen so fast? It is because, thanks to the work that goes on in your mouth, your organism has already absorbed the energies and etheric elements needed to nourish the nervous system. Even before the stomach has received the food, the nervous system has been fed.

It should not surprise you to hear that etheric particles can be extracted from food. A fruit, for example, consists of solid, liquid, gaseous and etheric matter. Everyone is familiar with solid and liquid matter. Fewer bother about the perfume, which is already subtler and belongs to the realm of air. As for the etheric dimension of a fruit, which is related to its colour and, especially, to its life, this is something which is totally unknown and neglected. And yet it is of the utmost importance, for it is by means of the etheric particles in his food that man nourishes his subtle bodies.

Since man possesses not only a physical body but also other, subtler bodies (the etheric, astral, mental, causal, buddhic and atmic bodies) in which reside his psychic and spiritual functions, the question arises of how to nourish these subtle bodies for, owing to his ignorance, they are often left without food. He knows, more or less, what he should give his physical body (I say ‘more or less’ because most people eat meat which is very injurious to their physical and psychic health), but he has no idea what he should give his other bodies: the etheric or vital body; the astral body, which is the seat of feelings and emotions; the mental body, which is the seat of the intellect, and, even more remote, the bodies of his higher Self.
The etheric body
As I mentioned, you must chew your food well, but chewing principally benefits the physical body. For the benefit of the etheric body you must breathe correctly. Just as air revives a flame (you all know that if you blow on glowing embers you can get a flame), similarly if you take a few deep breaths during your meal you will get better combustion. Digestion, after all, like breathing and thinking, is a question of combustion. The only difference is in the degree of heat and the purity of the matter being burned in each case. While you are eating, therefore, you should pause from time to time to take a deep breath and the improved combustion which results will enable the etheric body to extract the subtler particles from your food. And as the etheric body is the vehicle of vitality, memory and sensorial perception, you can only benefit from its development.
The astral body
The astral body, on the other hand, feeds on emotions, elements of still subtler matter than etheric particles. If you pause for a few moments to consider your food with love, your astral body will be ready to extract something even more precious than etheric particles from it, and when it is nourished by these elements it is capable of kindling very elevated feelings in you: feelings of love for the whole world and a deep sense of happiness, peace and harmony with Nature.

Unfortunately, human beings are losing this sense of oneness with Nature more and more: they no longer feel the protection, the solicitude, love and friendship of the objects around them, of trees, mountains or the stars. They are anxious and troubled and even at home, even when they’re asleep at night, they have a vague sense of being threatened. This is a purely subjective impression for, in fact, they are in no particular danger, but something within them is disintegrating, and they no longer feel the protection of Mother Nature because their astral bodies have not received the nourishment they need.

Give your astral body the food it needs and you will experience an indescribable sensation of well-being which will incite you to manifest yourself in generosity and good will, and when something important has to be settled, you will find that you can deal with it in a conciliatory spirit, with understanding and generosity.
The mental body
In order to nourish his mental body, an Initiate fixes his mind on his food; he even closes his eyes so as to concentrate more deeply. And since he envisages food as a manifestation of the Godhead, he endeavours to study every aspect of it: where it comes from, what it contains, the qualities and virtues which correspond to particular types of food, and the entities that have had a part in preparing it (for invisible entities are constantly at work in every plant and every tree). With his mind absorbed in these thoughts, his food provides him with elements superior, even, to those of the astral plane. Clarity of thought and a profound understanding of life and of the world are born of meals taken in these conditions. When an Initiate leaves the table after such a meal, his powers of comprehension are so enhanced, so luminous, that he is capable of undertaking the most demanding mental tasks.

Most people imagine that it is sufficient to read, study and think in order to develop one’s mental capacities. But that is not so: study and reflection are indispensable but they are not enough. If the mental body is to become strong and capable of prolonged effort, it too must be nourished by our meals. We have to be quite clear about this: as the astral and mental bodies are the vehicles, respectively, of emotion and thought, we must give them the kind of nourishment they need if we are to be capable of assuming our responsibilities in the emotional and intellectual domains.
The higher bodies
Over and above his etheric, astral and mental bodies, man possesses other, even more spiritual bodies : the causal, buddhic, and atmic bodies, seats of reason, the soul and the spirit, respectively. These three bodies also need nourishment and you can give them the food they need when you let feelings of gratitude towards the Creator flood into your heart. A grateful heart (which is also becoming more and more rare amongst men) will open the gates of Heaven, and the greatest possible blessings will be showered on you. When this happens the whole of creation will be unveiled before your eyes: you will see, you will feel, you will live! Gratitude is capable of changing crude matter into light and joy, and you must learn how to use it.

Once you know how to nourish your three higher bodies, the subtle particles that you extract from your food will be distributed throughout your being, to the brain, the solar plexus and all your organs. Then you will begin to realize that you have other needs and other joys of a higher kind, and you will see all kinds of possibilities opening up before you.
From The yoga of nutrition by Omraam Mikhael Aivanhov, © Prosveta SA 1990.

Peace love harmony