Yoga Diet

Yoga Diet - The Three Gunas

The Yoga Diet is one the Five Principles of Yoga. You will soon notice that eating properly will aid your health and make you feel fit and cleaner. The Yoga Diet is a perfect complement to Yoga Exercise. Despite the fact that the Yoga Diet is not a diet in the common sense of the word, you will probably lose considerable weight by just eating only healthy foods. Even if you do not want to become a vegetarian, following these basic Yoga Diet rules as it will make you feel so much better.

In the unmanifested universe, energy has three qualities, known as

1. Gunas, that exist together in equilibrium
2. Sattva (purity); Rajas (activity, passion, the process of change)
3. Tamas (darkness, inertia).

Once energy takes form, one quality of the three predominates. Thus on an apple tree, some fruits are ripe (sattvic), some are ripening (rajastic) and some are overripe (tamastic). But no matter what quality prevails, an element of each of the other two will always be present as well - parts of the apple will be in all the different stages. The Three Gunas encompass all existence, all actions.

Sattvic Food

* the purest diet
* the most suitable one for any serious student of Yoga.
* nourishes the body and maintains it in a peaceful state.
* calms and purifies the mind, enabling it to function at its maximum potential.
* leads to true health; a peaceful mind in control of a fit body, with a balanced flow of energy between them.

Sattvic foods include:

* cereals
* wholemeal bread
* fresh fruit and vegetables
* pure fruit juices
* milk
* butter and cheese
* legumes
* nuts
* seeds
* sprouted seeds
* honey and herb teas

Rajastic Food

* very hot, bitter, sour, dry or salty food
* destroys the mind-body equilibrium, feeding the body at the expense of the mind
* too much Rajastic food will over-stimulate the body and excite the passions, making the mind restless and uncontrollable
* eating in a hurry is also considered rajastic

Rajastic foods include:

* hot substances, such as sharp spices or strong herbs
* stimulants such as coffee and teas
* fish
* eggs
* salt and chocolate

Tamastic Food

* A Tamastic 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* Prana, or energy is withdrawn, powers of reasoning become clouded and a sense of inertia sets in.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 and greed.
* Overeating is also considered tamastic.

Tamastic food includes:

* meat
* alcohol
* tobacco
* onions
* garlic
* fermented foods such as vinegar
* stale overripe substances

Warning: The Yoga Diet is not rocket science. It is just about including more healthy food options in your diet. However, if you feel unsure on how to proceed or you have a medical condition which prevents you from radically changing your Diet, please consult a physician first before changing any of your food patterns.

瑜伽的特殊食物观：食物的三种属性 悦性、变性、惰性食物）

饮食在瑜伽体系中占有决定性的地位，因为食品的种类会直接影响人的身体和精神状况，了解食物的属性再食用，可以让您的心灵更澄净，身体更健康。　　

依照食物对身心灵的影响，瑜伽将食物分为悦性食物、变性食物和惰性食物。平常应该多吃悦性食物。

悦性、变性和惰性食物

“悦性、变性和惰性食物”的理论是从何而来的呢？瑜伽理论这样说：“瑜伽视宇宙为一体,万事万物都是宇宙本体的显示，所有万物的内在都存在着宇宙运行的势能。”

所谓宇宙运行势能有三种：悦性力量、变性力量和惰性力量。悦性力量赋予万物富有生机，变性力量赋予万物不定善变，惰性力量赋予万物慵懒怠惰与死亡，此 三种力量对宇宙本体束缚而造成精细粗钝不同的万物。因此所有事物中，这三种力量以不同的比例存在着。所以瑜伽里根据食物中所含的悦性力量、变性力量和惰性 力量的多寡及人类食用后对身、心、灵的影响，将食物分为悦性食物、变性食物、惰性食物。

因此在瑜伽的概念下，教练建议我们在选择食物时：

　　１、多吃悦性食物，少吃变性食物，不吃惰性食物。
　　２、多吃含叶绿素的蔬果。
　　３、尽可能的选择意识发展比较低的物种为食物。
　　４、要宰杀已有意识或意识尚未发展的动物之前，先考虑一下不杀取这些动物时，自己的生命是否也能健康的生活。

食物的分类并非一成不变, 悦性食物、变性食物、惰性食物的分类并非一成不变的，会随着气候、个人身体状况而变的，比如气候寒冷的地方，变性食物就会变为悦性食物，惰性食物就会变为变性食物。　　

悦性食物

瑜伽观念：富有悦性力量的食物称之为悦性食物，食用后极易消化，在体内不易堆积尿酸及毒素，消化后在身上产生的能量使身体变得健康轻松和精力充沛，身心变得愉悦、自律、快乐，同时产生博爱、希望和怜悯的胸怀，让心灵处于平和与稳定。

食物种类：悦性食物包括所有谷类，如米、麦、面、玉米、麦包卷、麦包、糕、不含蛋小西点、大麦、燕麦、水果、大多数的蔬菜、牛奶、乳类制品、豆类、坚果、大豆制品，如豆腐、豆浆、温和的香料。

变性食物

瑜伽观念：富有变性力量的食物称为变性食物，食用后会使人心变得好动，若食用过多，会使人变得过分积极、烦躁不安、甚至产生憎恨、嫉妒、沮丧、恨怒、恐惧等情绪而失去镇静平和。

食物种类：变性食物包括有咖啡、浓茶、泡菜、海带、白萝卜、酱油、强烈脓肿的调味品、可可、可口可乐、汽水。

惰性食物

瑜伽观念：富有惰性力量的食物称之为惰性食物，食用后在身上产生的能量，使人嗜睡、昏沉、不安，身体易生倦怠，生病，身心变得粗鲁，产生慵懒和不可遏止的欲望，缺乏生命力和开创力。

食物种类：惰性食物包括所有的肉类、鱼、蛋、洋葱、菇类、芥末、蒜、麻醉性饮料、酒、烟、麻醉品。陈腐的食物、放置过久的食物也会变为惰性食物。