Sattvic, Rajasic and Tamasic Food

Nature of Sattvic Food

  • Sattvic foods are light and easy to digest
  • —They bring clarity and perception
  • —Sattvic food has the potential to unfolds love and compassion in the individual
  • —Sattvic food promotes the qualities of forgiveness and austerity

It gives a feeling of contentment

Examples of sattvic (high prana) foods

  • Fruit
  • Grains
  • Vegetables
  • Beans
  • Dairy
  • Meat
  • mango, pomegranate, coconut, figs, peaches, pears
  • rice, tapioca, blue corn
  • sweet potato, lettuce, parsley, sprouts, yellow sqaush
  • mung, yellow lentils, kidney, lima
  • organic milk, fresh homemade yoghurt
  • none

Nature of Rajasic Food

• Rajasic foods are hot, spicy and salty
• —They are irritants and stimulants
• —All morish or tempting foods come under the category of rajasic
• —Heavily spiced foods e.g. hot pickles and chutneys which can stimulate the senses
• —Rajasic foods make the mind more agitated and susceptible to temptation
• —The mind can become more rajasic, which means it tends towards anger, hate and manipulatio

Examples of rajasic (stimulating) foods

  • Fruit
  • Grains
  • Vegetables
  • Beans
  • Dairy
  • Meat
  • sour apples, apples, banana, guava
  • millet, corn, buckwheat
  • potato, nightshades, cauliflower, broccoli, spinach, tamarind, pickles, winter squash
  • red lentils, toor dal, adzuki
  • old sour milk, sour cream
  • fish, shrimp, chicken

Nature of Tamasic Food

• Tamasic food is heavy, dull and depressing
• —It induces sleep
• —Under this category comes dark meat, lamb, pork, beef, as well as thick cheese
• —Old and stale food is also tamasic
• —Only when too much of it is eaten, it causes the dulling effect.
• In moderation, tamasic food is considered as grounding and promotes stabilit

Examples of tamasic (heavy) foods

  • Fruit
  • Grains
  • Vegetables
  • Beans
  • Dairy
  • Meat
  • avocado, watermelon, plums, apricots
  • wheat, brown rice,
  • mushrooms, garlic, onion, pumpkin
  • urad dal, black, pinto, pink
  • cheese
  • beef, lamb, pork

Sattvic Way of Cooking

Foods to be avoided in sattvic cooking:
• —Canned food
• —Frozen food
• —Food with preservative added
• —Anything packaged

Foods to be encouraged in sattvic cooking:
• Lots of fresh, organic vegetables and other organic products
• —Only small portions (food should not be kept for more than 4 hours)

How to cook:
• Stir frying is best
• —Add your salts last so that is does not extract minerals and nutrients from the food – use organic rock salt
• —Who is doing the cooking? What is the state of mind of the person cooking? Our thoughts are energy….
• —Food cooked in India, mantras are chanted.
• —At least listen to good music, be joyful when you cook.
• —Understand that it is not the proteins, carbs, fat that are digested; it is the emotion with which you have cooked the food