 | Eat when you are hungry, not because it is time to eat
or the food looks/smells too tempting; allow the food you have eaten to be
fully digested before you eat the next meal. |
| Eat what you can digest easily |
| Chew your food thoroughly. Drink your solids, and eat
your fluids |
| If you eat one meal a day, you are a Yogi; If you eat
two meals a day, you are a Bhogi (one given to sensual enjoyment); If you eat
three meals a day, you are a Rogi (a sick person) |
| Recommended – light breakfast, full lunch, light dinner.
Avoid snacks in-between. Eat at least three hours before going to bed. |
| Change eating habits gradually |
| While eating, maintain your awareness on the food.
During a meal, avoid heated discussion, reading, watching TV or doing anything
else that can distract your attention from the food |
| Eat when the mind and body are calm and relaxed. Avoid
eating when you are agitated or angry |
| Eat Satvic food. Avoid Rajasik and Tamasik foods. Fresh
fruits, fresh vegetables, seeds, nuts, tofu, beans, dairy products, honey and
fruit and vegetable juices are considered satvic. Avoid putting toxins in the
body - caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, dope, drugs, uppers (e.g.,
cocaine), downers (e.g., sedatives) and most chemical preservatives in
packaged foods are toxic |
| Eat few varieties of foods with each meal. Try not to
mix raw food with cooked food. |
| Drink only small amounts of water, sipping occasionally,
with your meal. Avoid milk, soda, juice or any other drink. All drinks dilute
the digestive juices in the system and weaken the digestion. Drink fluids at
least a half hour before or after meals. |
| Occasional fasting cleanses the system of toxins |
| If you are trying to reduce weight, focus on positive
steps. Do not worry about being overweight |
| Regular yoga practice helps develop a positive attitude
and a strong willpower allowing you to make better food choices |
| Vegetarian sattvic diet (non-meat, low-fat and
high-fiber) is the recommended yoga diet |
| "If you want to eat more, eat less". The meaning is to avoid over-eating,
which will keep the body much healthier and allow one to live a longer life,
and over the course of those added years or decades one would consume more
food than in a life cut short by illness from habitual over-eating! |
