Food
In this part we’re going to talk about food that can help us grow in our yoga and meditation path.
Most of the people, who are practicing yoga and meditation, they are on vegetarian or vegan diet. Different food gives different effect to body and mind. In yoga we’re trying to eat food that help us to have bright mind and clean energy, conscious understanding of what happens inside us and outside us, so we try to keep our body and mind clean.
Vegetarian diet – plant food and dairy food without meat, without fish, without eggs and products from them.
Vegan diet – only plant based food, excluding all products that have at least some relation to animals.
There are a lot of various recommendations what food to eat, various recipes so please try to find for yourself what food recommendations will give the best result for you. In this page you will find some suggestions that can inspire you to add new natural products to your plate.
Principles of Vegetarian Diet
So why don’t vegetarians eat meat and animal products? It turns out that this choice is based on a number of reasons.
– Ethical considerations. Not all people consider animals as a food unit. Many do not like this perception. After all, every living being has the right to life. Just as a sane, highly organized being has no right to deprive someone of life for the sake of its own satisfaction.
– Maintaining or restoring the health of the body. The fact is that there is not much benefit in eating meat. Especially if you take the modern principles of raising animals and the subsequent processing of meat. Eating foods treated with antibiotics and flavored with genetically modified elements is not only harmful, but also dangerous. And even clean, self-grown meat does not bring health benefits. Bad cholesterol and oversaturation with fatty acids lead to diseases of the cardiovascular system and other ailments.
– Caring for the health of the spirit. People who choose the path of yoga and other oriental practices believe that eating meat literally “clogs” the funnels for exchange with energy flows. It is believed that food affects the health of the spirit, fate, life after death. Meat is a product that harms not only the physical, but also the spiritual body.
– The issue of environmental conservation. Many people care not only about their own health, but also do not forget about the world around them. Would anyone argue with the fact that livestock farming causes enormous damage to the ecosystem? For reasons of concern for the environment, many people refuse animal products and switch to a vegetarian and vegan diet.
– The law of karma. A person who is at least a little familiar with the definition of karma and its laws knows that by involving himself in a vicious cycle of violence and pain, he will inevitably pay for these actions.
Valuable food list for our body and mind
In order to avoid the development of serious diseases, as well as in order to raise the general immunity system, we need to go to the store for healthy products:
1) Avocado: the calorie content of this fruit is about 240 kcal. It contains a large amount of polyunsaturated fats, which are simply necessary to maintain the beauty of the skin and hair.
This is a unique fruit also because it absolutely does not cause allergic reactions, which means that it can be safely introduced into the child’s diet. Also, avocado boasts a high content of copper, iron, riboflavin (vitamin B2), vitamin A and trace elements. Since avocados are not a shortage in the domestic market, you should try to consume it at least a couple of times a week.
2) Flaxseed oil: not very pleasant in taste, but priceless in terms of benefits! With proper storage (only in the refrigerator, open for no more than thirty days), linseed oil saturates our body with fatty acids: Omega-3, Omega-9, Omega-6.
Flaxseed oil is a great alternative to fish. To maintain the balance of these acids in the body, you need to consume one tablespoon of the product per day.
3) Sea kale, nori: an irreplaceable source of iodine, micro and macro elements, vitamins B and C, and selenium. Nori is a seaweed that is extremely rich in the above substances, which means that you simply have to treat yourself to rolls once a week!
4) Mushrooms: the purest protein, accompanied by a rare amino acid – valine. Mushrooms are unique in that the iron they contain is completely devoid of phytic acids. For example, 200 g of chanterelles easily replace the body’s daily need for iron.
5) Tofu Cheese: Complete protein of the highest concentration (8.3 per 100 g). Tofu cheese can be a wonderful and savory ingredient for absolutely any dish.
6) Whole-grain types of bread: the purest fiber and magnesium, as well as B vitamins. Eating bread from whole-grain flour gives a huge charge of vivacity, strength and energy.
7) Various types of cereals: oatmeal, pearl barley, brown rice, buckwheat and many others will help make up for the lack of fats, carbohydrates and fiber in the body. You can cook soups with their addition, make cereals and even cutlets.
8) Protein peas – chickpeas: the name speaks for itself. It is a leader in the content of proteins and micro and macro elements necessary for the body. All dishes with the addition of chickpeas are extremely satisfying.
9) Peanuts and walnuts: contain high concentrations of trace elements, fats and proteins. They can be used as a healthy snack, as well as an additional ingredient for main dishes and salads.
Beans, lentils, peas: contain easily digestible protein in large quantities, in addition, they are very rich in zinc.
10) Greens: celery, parsley, dill, basil, cilantro – a source of all types of trace elements, fiber, zinc, iron, amino acids. In addition to additional ingredients for main dishes, they will be an excellent basis for various smoothies.
11) Poppy, flax, sunflower and sesame seeds: pure vitamins, calcium, potassium and trace elements. The perfect accompaniment to all types of homemade cakes.
12) All types of vegetables: different varieties of cabbage, carrots, zucchini, pumpkin, eggplant, corn, tomato – all these are essential trace elements, fiber, vitamins for a complete and healthy diet.
Good nutrition can ensure full growth and development in childhood, support the vital activity for adults, improve health and become effective natural prevention of various diseases. If you strictly follow the rules and eat only natural and healthy foods and at the same time pay attention to physical exercises, you can reduce the risk of developing such chronic and complex diseases as hypertension, oncology, diabetes, obesity, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and cardiovascular system.
Natural and healthy food
– Legumes: beans, soybeans, chickpeas, lentils, peas.
– Cereal crops: rye, millet, buckwheat, wheat, rice, barley, couscous, bulgur.
– Nuts: coconuts, pine nuts, pecans, pistachios, cashews, walnuts, peanuts, hazelnuts, almonds.
– All types of vegetable oils: linseed, sunflower, olive.
– Mushrooms (In yoga we do not recommend to eat)
– Marine products such as: brown algae (wakame, hijiki, kelp, lima), red algae (dals, rodimia, – carrageenan, porphyra), green algae (monostroma, umi budo, spirulina, ulva).
– Non-gelatin sweets based on agar-agar or pectin.
– Vegetables: potatoes, zucchini, carrots, squash, celery, radishes, spinach.
– Spices: ginger, cinnamon, marjoram, fennel, basil, coriander, cardamom, pepper, cumin, turmeric, anise, vanilla, barberry, oregano, mustard.
– For breakfast, cereals filled with cedar milk are very useful.
– Fruits/dried fruits.
– Soy.
– Bread made from coarse flour.
Be sure to pay attention not only to what you eat, but also to what you drink! Try to use as much clean water as possible, preferably of natural origin, make cranberry juice, lemon water, completely give up carbonated drinks. Drinking alcohol is out of the question! Watch your diet, it must be correct and balanced, only then you will be able to maintain order in your body, helping it cope with daily stress in a rather difficult environmental situation.
Which product is acidic and which is alkaline
Foods to Avoid
Meat – Strong oxidizing effect
Fish – Strong oxidizing effect
Salo – Medium oxidizing effect
Eggs – Strong oxidizing effect
Seafood (oysters, shellfish, mussels, shrimp, etc.) – Strong oxidizing effect
Hard cheese – Medium oxidizing effect
Soft cheese – Low oxidizing effect
Sour cream, cream, butter – Medium oxidizing effect
Store bought or stale honey – Medium oxidizing effect
Pasteurized milk – Medium oxidizing effect
Alcohol – Strong oxidizing effect
Coffee – Strong oxidizing effect
Cocoa – Medium oxidizing effect
Black tea – Medium oxidizing effect
Refined sugar and sweets containing it – Strong oxidizing effect
Commercial juices (most often contain preservatives and sugar) – Strong oxidizing effect
Cereals (excluding buckwheat and millet) – Medium/low oxidizing effect
Yeast flour products – Medium oxidizing effect
Peanut – Strong oxidizing effect
Walnut – Strong oxidizing effect
Cashew – Medium oxidizing effect
Seeds, sunflower oil – Low oxidizing effect
Stewed, boiled vegetables – Medium/low oxidizing effect
Fried vegetables – Strong oxidizing effect
Jam – Strong oxidizing effect
Unripe fruit – Medium oxidizing effect
Dried legumes (peas, chickpeas, lentils, beans, etc.) – Medium oxidizing effect
There are lot of controversial information regarding which product is acidic and which is alkaline. There is more or less consensus only regarding meat, eggs, fish, alcohol, coffee, sugar and refined foods. By including this list in your diet, you lower your body’s Ph level. And there is a lot of other information about the dangers of these products, in addition to the effect on the acid-base balance.
Ph Boosting Foods
Fresh fruits, ripe fruits – Strong alkalizing effect
Fresh berries, ripe berries – Strong alkalizing effect
Fresh vegetables – Strong alkalizing effect
Prunes – Strong alkalizing effect
Dates – Strong alkalizing effect
Raisins – Strong alkalizing effect
Fig – Strong alkalizing effect
Fresh legumes (peas, chickpeas, lentils, beans, etc.) – Medium alkalizing effect
Some grains (amaranth, wild rice, quinoa, millet, buckwheat) – Moderate alkalizing effect
Fresh honey – Slight alkalizing effect
Lemon, lemon water (no sugar) – Strong alkalizing effect
Olive oil, olives – Medium alkalizing effect
Linseed oil, flax – Medium alkalizing effect
This is a list of the most popular foods that have an alkalizing effect on the body. But, despite different information, regarding the alkaline reaction, the consensus only on fresh and ripe fruits, berries and vegetables. One of the most alkalizing foods is lemon, but only if consumed without sugar. Drinking lemon juice or lemon water is one of the fastest ways to raise your body’s Ph through nutrition.
Data on the alkaline and acidic effects of various products on the body are very arbitrary. They may be erroneous or inaccurate. Therefore, this information should be checked on your own experience.
Eating wisely, including a variety of foods in your daily diet, thereby providing the body with everything you need – macro- and microelements + vitamins, you can really significantly increase your vitality and improve your well-being, and even heal from a number of diseases, especially those associated with the digestive organs, the gastrointestinal tract.
This is purely due to diet, because your body is no longer forced to work at full speed, trying to digest and dispose of heavy food. The load on the gastrointestinal tract naturally decreases, the intake of significant amounts of plant foods helps in the cleansing processes, and at the end you have the long-awaited result in the form of normalization of weight and blood pressure, the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases decreases, the level of dangerous cholesterol in the blood falls, the vessels are cleansed – in a word, diseases leave the body. Everything is simple, and at the same time, without resorting to the help of doctors.
Also yogis do not use drugs, alcohol, tobacco, coffee, black tea (with coffein), green tea (with coffein). They all damage kidney, nervous system, brains and causes damage to human health.
Remove sugar and products filled with sugar because they damages teeth and body metabolic balance. Sugar it is reason of oncology diseases.
Yogis do not recommend to eat onion and garlic (at least very often), because in Ayurveda it’s stated as a medicine plants.
Also try to eat more natural and less processed food.
The best time to eat food – when you want to eat. In the morning usually we don’t want to eat so it’s better to wait for natural need for food.
Chew as many times as possible. When you chew food very good, then your stomach can work a little bit easier and you will save more energy for other needs.
We do not live to eat. We eat to live. Please remember, that food – it is only one part of our spiritual growth. Try to develop yourself from all sides.
Try to choose natural products, and let food be your medicine.
Good luck!
Translated from OUM.RU
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