Yogic Diet - You Are What You Eat
IN ANCIENT TIMES, BEFORE THE DEVELOPMENT of modern science, food was considered medicine. The principles of healthful eating were commonly known, and the hidden properties of common foods and herbs were used to purify, correct imbalances and heal. There is a trend back to understanding of these principles. Today, the term "you are what you eat," is becoming more accepted. Today we understand that each time we eat food, we are creating our future selves.
WHAT ABOUT EATING MEAT?
Aside from the moral implications of eating meat (Yogi Bhajan playfully states; "Vegetarians don't eat anything that had a mother."), let's consider meat-eating strictly from a health point of view. Meats are a concentrated animal protein. When an animal dies, its proteins coagulate within a few hours. They undergo a proccess called autoputrefaction in which the original substance begins to break down and decay, releasing various toxins. When you eat meat, it cannot be completely broken down in the upper digestive tract, and so the process of decay and release of toxins continues in the colon. These toxins can initially be absorbed by the liver, but eventually even the liver can't handle them, and the body becomes polluted. Vegetable proteins, by comparison, do not undergo autoputrefaction. Their main residue is cellulose, which is inert.
Meat is among the most acid-producing foods. It leaves a residue of uric acid in the bloodstream. Acidic blood is an ideal environment for the development of cancer. Uric acid is a toxin that makes is harder to reach the higher, clearer meditative states because it is an irritant in the bloodstream.
Meat is also the greatest source of cholestrol, which contributes to heart disease, hardening of the arteries, and senility. Most animals which are raised for their meat today are fed a variety of chemicals and hormones to make them grow faster and bigger.
Meat takes three days to pass through the human system. For Optimum health, men need to digest food within 24 hours; women 18 hours. Joanne Baker, Yoga Teacher Dorset is practically a Vegan herself and teaches Yoga Classes Parkstone.
DAIRY PRODUCTS
Mucous keeps the breathing passages lubricated and protects the membranes. When you practice Kundalini Yoga with Breath of Fire, it tends to eliminate mucous. Therefore, you want to replenish the system with a certain amount of mucous which dairy products can stimulate. If you are allergic to cow products, try soy or goat substitutes. Everyone is unique. Find out what works for you.
DIET ACCORDING TO AYURVEDA
Ayurveda is a vast science of life which recognizes that health is a state of balance between the body, mind, and consciousness, as well as a state of inner balance between vata, pitta, and kapha. It recognizes that food is medicine, and uses this principle as one of the many ways of restoring health.
THREE TYPES OF FOOD
Sun Foods; grow more than three feet above the ground. They absorb the maximum energy from the sun and the least from the earth. These are etheric foods that elevate consciousness, and have a quickening, lightening effect on the body and nervous system. Examples: fruits, nuts, avocados, dates, coconuts.
Ground Foods; grow within three feet above the ground. They have more energy from the earth, less from the sun, and are high in nutrients and are a great cleanser. Examples; beans, rice, breads, and green vegetables.
Earth Foods; grow below the ground. They have great energy fron the earth, and sun energy indirectly. They have healing properties, and great energy for worldly business or hard work. Examples; root foods, potatoes, turnips, beets, garlic, ginger, onions.
NUTRITIOUS AND SUSTAINING FOODS
Foods can be categorized as nutritious foods and sustaining foods. Nutritious foods give you energy and strength. Whole, fresh and natural foods possess nutrients that are more easily assimilated by your body than canned, frozen or processed equivalents.
Sustaining foods are those that heal the body and keep it well. Yogic tradition emphasizes on sustaining foods. The sustaining value of food is based on a combination of its nutritional content, texture, taste, aroma, preparation, and the specific effect on the body.
If your diet consists of foods which are both nutritious and sustaining, and you are careful to eat only what you can digest, then you have laid the groundwork for a healthy and happy life.
RAW AND COOKED FOOD
Eating raw food is essential because of the powerful effect of roughage on the intestines, as well as the retention of vitamins and minerals. However, some of the minerals and metals in vegetables, though plentiful in raw form, are locked into large molecules so that they are unavailable for our nourishment unless cooked. There, yogic dietary theory proposes a sensible approach to eating a balance between raw and cooked foods.
More information on types of healthy foods and recipe tips can be found on the following pages: 'Foods for Health and Eating' and 'Recipes'.
