What is sattvic food? It is becoming a common question for those who want to switch to healthier options. Here’s more to it.
The foods we eat affect us on all levels—physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. One of the most important factors in making headway on the spiritual path of one’s choosing is diet. What is sattvic food? Sattvic is the most popular diet in India, especially among health-conscious people who practise yoga, pranayama, or Ayurvedic principles.

The Sanskrit word “Sattva,” from which “Sattvic” is derived, describes an energy that is both pure and powerful. Bhagavad Gita asserts that diet significantly impacts one’s state of mind, personality, and physical health. Eating Sattvic food cleanses the body and mind, as stated in the Chandogya Upanishad.

The Mahabharat includes the Bhagavad Gita, in which Krishna advises the Pandu Prince Arjuna on how to deal with stress and live a fulfilling life. How and what to eat to be strong and healthy is the subject of one chapter in the Gita. These three Gunas are present in every single thing in the universe, whether a living organism or a non-living one (including humans). Before we move on to what is sattvic food, lets explore all 3 types of food.

 

Three Types Of Food As Per Ayurveda

The balance of Gunas or a combination of qualities. A spiritual lifestyle emphasizes cultivating more Sattva Guna to realize greater well-being and stability.

Fresh fruits and vegetables, sprouts, honey, ghee, nuts, grains, pulses, lentils, ginger, jaggery, unrefined sugar, turmeric, black pepper, dhania, fresh herbs, milk and dairy products are all part of a Sattvic diet. Eating sattvic food helps you stay calm and healthy. This means they are in good mental and physical health.

Spices, onions, garlic, coffee, tea, sugar, deep-fried foods, instant energy-giving foods, and fast food are all known as “Rajasic diet” ingredients. Typical Rajasic fare features robust flavors and fiery heat. For the time being, this type of food provides instant energy. These foods cause bloating and indigestion because they slowly damage the digestive system. This causes us to feel stressed, lazy and irritated, which lowers our energy levels.

Third, a Tamasic diet consists of fast food, meat, eggs, frozen and reheated meals, booze, stale foods, and so on. Eating this makes you sluggish, careless, obese and incompetent.

Now that we have understood 3 types of food, let’s dive deep into what is sattvic food.

 

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What Is Sattvic Food?

Eating Sattvic foods will improve your health, nutrition, and digestion. Sattvic fare is completely organic because it uses only fresh, healthy ingredients. Because of the diet’s focus on whole, natural foods, followers report feeling calm and relaxed even after eating. Slowly incorporating Sattvic food into your diet and learning to cook a wide range of delicious dishes will have wonderful effects on your body, beginning with improved health, increased energy, and a more upbeat disposition.

Ingesting certain types of food can positively affect one’s mood and personality. The Chhndogya Upanishad emphasises sattvic foods because they contribute to mental clarity and purity. “ha huddhau sattva sambodhi” (7.26.2) Pure sattvic food is preferred by those with pure minds. All of us can benefit from a higher state of consciousness thanks to the sattva that these foods provide. Sattvic cuisine is prepared and consumed with a sincere attitude of thanksgiving and contentment.

A sattvic person is balanced: tranquil, peaceful, serene, friendly, full of energy, vitality, wellness, hope, ambitions, creative thinking, and balance. The sattvic food is a great way to lose weight and keep it off, so it’s a win-win. When cooked for too long, stored improperly, or fried, a sattvic dish can take on a tamasic quality.

Each of us possesses all three gunas, but the balance varies widely. It takes Rajas guna to get things done, Sattva to realize your dreams, and Tamas guna to relax and unwind. Increased Sattva guna is one of the goals of a yogic lifestyle, as it promotes a peaceful state of mind and a strong physical body.

Now that we have understood what is sattvic food, lets move further and explore list of sattvic and tamasic food.

[bctt tweet=”The Chhndogya Upanishad emphasises satvik foods because they contribute to mental clarity and purity. “ha huddhau sattva sambodhi” (7.26.2) Pure sattvic food is preferred by those with pure minds.” username=”paavanapp”]

 List of Sattvic Food

What is sattvic food? Here are some of the common Sattvic foods:

• Seasonal Fruits and vegetables
• Whole grains
• Pulses
• Sprouts
• Nut
• Seeds
• Honey
• Fresh basil
• Milk and dairy products

 

 

 Tamasic Foods List

Here are some of the common Tamasic foods:

• Foods prepared in a fast food restaurant
• Fast Food
• Fried foods
• Frozen and canned foods
• Microwaved foods
• Processed foods
• Stale food
• Alcoholic beverages
• Animal-based products

 

Benefits of Sattvic Food

The sattvic food is not something that can only be followed by yoga practitioners or people with strong spiritual practice. The sattvic food is crucial for achieving both mental and bodily harmony. Incorporating more Sattvic foods into your diet can help you in the following ways:

1. It helps the body fight off illness

Forty per cent of a Sattvic diet consists of raw vegetables and fruits in the form of salads, making it one of the healthiest diets. You can get all the vitamins, minerals, monounsaturated fats, dietary fiber, antioxidants, protein, and dietary fiber you need from eating natural, fresh foods. If you stick to this diet, your immune system will benefit, and you’ll be healthier overall.

2. Weight loss:

Lentils and sprouts are particularly helpful for weight loss if they are part of a daily diet of sattvic foods, such as a fresh salad made from seasonal vegetables and fruits. These foods are high in protein, vitamins, and minerals while low in carbohydrates and calories. Because it makes you feel full, it can help you avoid eating unhealthy snacks between meals. Evidence suggests a faster metabolic rate and less fat absorption can be achieved by eating more slowly. The high fiber content of Sattvic fare contributes to weight loss.

3. Strive for harmony between body and soul:

Many yoga and fitness enthusiasts follow the sattvic diet. A more adaptable body is a result of eating this food. A food is considered healthy if, after being eaten, it revitalizes the consumer both physically and mentally. On the other hand, if you eat something and then feel tired and listless, it isn’t a good fit for your system. Good nutrition is scientifically proven to improve physical and mental health and happiness.

4. Strengthens the digestive system:

Fresh, unprocessed foods are the only ones allowed on a sattvic diet. A minimum of 40% of our daily calories should come from raw foods like vegetables, sprouts, nuts, and fruits. That’s why we need to start including salads in our regular diet. Most of the vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber found in raw vegetables and fruits are destroyed during the cooking process. Consuming foods high in dietary fiber has been shown to facilitate digestion. In Ayurvedic tradition, one must chew one’s food at least twenty-four times before swallowing. This enhances digestion and aids in the full absorption of food’s nutrients.

5. It helps the body detox:

Feelings of fullness, headache, skin rash, fatigue, acne, or nausea are all indicators of toxicity in the body. If these symptoms persist despite dietary and detoxification efforts, consider making some changes. Incorporating sattvic foods into your diet will aid in the purification process. Incorporating sattvic foods into your diet will aid in the purification process. At least once a month, try going without food.

6. Stay Active:

Within a month of adopting a sattvic diet, you’ll begin to see the benefits of how your body looks and feels. In the morning, you won’t feel dizzy or sleepy but refreshed. Lighter and more limber than before, our body feels energised and buoyant. Your improved disposition has a noticeable effect on how hard you work. You’ll have more stamina and vitality if you stick to a sattvic diet.

Frequently Asked Questions

Question 1. What is sattvic food? Which foods are included in it?

Here are some of the common Sattvic foods:

• Seasonal Fruits and vegetables
• Whole grains
• Pulses
• Sprouts
• Nut
• Seeds
• Honey
• Fresh basil
• Milk and dairy products

 

Question 2. How do I start a sattvic diet?

Fresh, unprocessed foods are the only ones allowed on a sattvic diet. A minimum of 40% of our daily calories should come from raw foods like vegetables, sprouts, nuts, and fruits. That’s why we need to start including salads in our regular diet. Most of the vitamins, minerals, and dietary fibre found in raw vegetables and fruits are destroyed during the cooking process.

 

Question 3. What is a sattvic lifestyle?

The third guna, sattva, translates to “essence.” That which is good, pure, balanced, harmonious, positive, radiant, serene, and at peace is called sattva. The Sattvic diet is the yoga diet.