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FOOD AND BODY

Food body is a first step for you to tune into your body and figure out for yourself what suits you best. It opens up the opportunity to experience the true joy of eating, and the possibility for our food to be something more than just a means of physical sustenance.

 

Sadhguru: “What you call as ‘my body’ is just an accumulation of the food you eat. So, what kind of food you eat should depend not on your values and ethics or on what you think about it, but on what the body wants. Food is about the body. If you are aware enough, if you just touch a piece of food, you will know how this food would behave in your system."

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Above all, the food you eat is life. Other forms of life are giving up their life to sustain us. If you eat with enormous gratitude for all the living things which give up their life to sustain your life, food will behave in a very different way within you.”

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To understand and eat  intelligently means to supply your body with a fuel which is designed for so it functions at it's best. The way you eat not only decides your physical health it decides the very way you think, feel and experience life.

 

If you consume some food and your body feels energetic, agile and healthy then you are eating the right kind of food. If you need caffeine, nicotine or a nap just to make it throughout the day then you should know you are not putting the right kind of food into your system. 

 

Below are three lists as a general guidelines to how food affect your body's energies and overall health. 

POSITIVE FOOD

fruits, vegetable, greens, salads 

honey (do not put it into a hot or boiling water)

ash gourd/winter melon (very high in pranic energy)

ground nuts (better soaked   in water over night), coconut

spices (in moderation)

raw food in general

NEUTRAL

tomatoes, potatoes

if eaten in large quantities, then neutral food can also have some negative effects

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NEGATIVE

coffee, tea , caffeine and other nervous   stimulants and drugs, alcohol

eggplant, onion, peppers, garlic, chilly

confectionery, processed food, canned food

meats and meaty products

milk, dairy products 

 

General guidelines to Pranic diet

 

1)  Following guidelines is not a diet as such. It is simply a way of eating so we don't just fill our stomachs with calories, but enhance our bodies with life energies coming from another form be it a piece of fruit, seed or even just a glass of water. In yoga we look at eating as a union of two forms becoming one which is a goal of yoga itself. Also note that everyone’s body is a unique construct and people with specific health issues should consult a physician before making any changes in diet or food intake.

 

 

2)  In general, we recommend 50% of your food to be raw another 50% to be cooked. This may vary according to your situation. Once again this is just a general guideline. 

 

 

3)  VEGetarian vs. NON-VEGetarian -  if you want to grow beyond body and mind and brake the limitations of both, eating vegetarian food only is almost a rule. If not completely avoiding non vegetarian food then at least significantly reducing it will have a great impact not just on your health but also on reaping maximum benefits from the yogic practices we teach. If you must eat non-vegetarian food, fish would be best. It is easily digestible with very high nutritional value.

 

 

4)  Adults over 35 years of age are recommended to eat twice a day only. Children and physically active individuals can eat more often. Eating the variety of unrefined grains and legumes will provide the body with energy, fiber, antioxidants, and minerals. Unhealthy carbs (or bad carbs) foods such as white flour, refined sugar, and white rice that have been stripped of all bran, fiber, and nutrients. Unhealthy carbs digest quickly and cause spikes in blood sugar levels and energy. Groundnuts must be soaked for a minimum of six hours in water, which takes away certain aspects called pitta in Ayurveda. If they are eaten without first soaking them, they could cause rashes and nausea.

 

 

5)  Eliminate saturated fats, found primarily in animal sources including red meat and whole milk dairy products.Trans fats, found in vegetable shortenings, some margarine, crackers, candies, cookies, snack foods, fried foods, baked goods, and other processed foods made with partially hydrogenated vegetable oils. 

 

 

6)  TEA/COFFEE are nervous stimulants. Nervous stimulants create a sense of energy for a short while, after which the body’s energy levels drop. Consuming too much of nervous stimulants destroys stamina in the long run and affects the body’s ability to store energy. Consumption of caffeine has also been related to reduced creativity.

 

 

7)  GARLIC/ONION - Garlic is powerful medicine when used as is necessary. But if garlic is taken in everyday food, it can cause a lot of damage. Onion is also harmful to the body if taken regularly. Even our eyes begin to water when we cut onions!

 

 

8)  MILK - Only children below three years of age have the necessary enzymes to digest milk completely. Except in a few regions of the globe, milk is mostly indigestible for a majority of adults worldwide. The undigested milk is mucus-forming and causes lethargy. Milk is also traditionally believed to be a good source of calcium. But there are several other good sources of calcium, notably whole grains.

 

 

9)  ALCOHOL and other intoxicants have very rapid negative effects on your energies and health. If consumed on regular basis, meditating will simply not happen and doing your sadhana (spiritual practices) will only be a struggle. 

 

 

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