Sattvic Food

 

When people first learn about Ayurveda they are drawn in by the feeling of peace that surrounds everything about this ancient science. This peace is far different from the way much of the world operates these days, one that fluctuates between extremes of too-much-to-do-too-little-time and “vegging out” in front of the television with a dinner of microwaved leftovers.

Sattva in your life

Ayurveda was originally grounded in the idea that we can experience freedom from suffering by coming into harmony with the four pillars of health, which include:

Ahar: Eating foods that nourish our bodies and minds

Vihar: Living in alignment with nature's rhythms

Nidra: Appropriate sleep

Brahmacharya: Management of our energy, particularly sexual energy - both in our physical actions and in our minds.

We come into balance in these four areas of life by increasing sattva.  This guide aims to provide information on ahar - eating sattvic foods that connect you with your higher consciousness. Sattvic foods are grown with mindful practices (organic, non-GMO, ideally from your own garden). They digest easily and provide the strength and vitality you are meant to naturally have.

The three gunas

Ayurveda and Yoga are built on the philosophy of the three gunas: sattva, rajas and tamas. These concepts represent the qualities that are present in food, nature and actions, as well as our body and mind.

TAMAS

Tamas is inertia, darkness and dullness. When a seed is resting inert in the darkness of the earth, it is in a state of tamas.  When we sleep, it is tamas.

When tamas is dominant in our lives, there is heaviness, sleeping too much and eating leftovers, meat and deep-fried foods. It leads to lethargy, lack of purpose and depression.

RAJAS

Rajas is activity and movement. When a seedling cracks through the endosperm and pushes through the earth to reach the sun, it is in a state of rajas. 

When rajas is dominant in our lives, it looks like stimulation, stress and overexcitement. Too much rajas imbalances the body and mind, leading to anxiety, disturbed sleep and overindulgence.

SATTVA

Sattva is balanced and harmonious. When a seedling has turned into a beautiful flower, unfurling its petals to soak in the beauty of the sun, it is in a state of sattva.

When sattva is present, it looks like lightness and grounding, peace and serenity in the body and mind. This is our ideal state, one that defines true health.

Sattvic foods

Sattvic foods are balancing and harmonious, and they are plentiful; this is only a partial list to have you think about the qualities and how they make you feel. Sattvic foods can be loosely categorized as most fresh fruits and vegetables, most whole grains, legumes and nuts. How they are eaten, for example cooked versus raw, can make a difference in whether they add sattva or rajas to the mind and body. A vegetable may have all of the possibility of sattva but if it is eaten raw then it may be rajas for the body and mind.  Many fruits are also sattva for the body and mind when cooked lightly with ghee and spices. 

In all cases we are assuming food that is fresh, not genetically modified and without chemicals in the process of growing and delivery.

Fruits - apples, apricots, berries, dates (fresh), dragonfruit, feijjoa, figs, grapefruit, grapes with seeds, longons, lychee, kiwifruit, mangoes, melons, nectarine, oranges, peaches, pears, persimmon, pineapple, plums, pomegranates, prunes, starfruit, tangerines (sweet), raisins

Legumes -  adzuki beans, anasazi beans, black beans, black eyed peas, broad beans, brown lentils, cannellini beans, edamame beans, fava beans, green lentils, lima beans, mung beans, fresh snap peas, split mung beans, split peas

Nuts - almonds, brazil nuts, cashew nuts cooked, chestnuts, coconut, filberts, gingko, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, pine nuts, walnuts, pecans, pistachio, tahini, tiger nuts

Oils - almond oil, coconut oil, flaxseed oil, ghee, macadamia nut oil, mustard seed oil, sesame oil, olive oil

Other - honey, maple syrup, raw milk, raw sugar cane, watercress,  fresh wasabi, rose petals, lavender flowers, fresh almond milk, fresh rice milk, fresh coconut water

Spices -  anise, basil, black pepper, brown mustard seeds, cardamom, carob, cilantro, cinnamon, cumin, coriander, dill, fennel, ginger, mint, lemon grass, sesame seeds, sorrel, turmeric, vanilla bean

Vegetables - artichokes, asparagus, bamboo shoots, beets, bitter gourd, bok choy, broccoli, brussel sprouts, burdock, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celeriac, celery, corn, courgette (zucchini), cucumbers, daikon, fennel bulb, flowers (edible), green beans, dark leafy greens, jerusalem artichoke, kohlrabi, lotus root, okra, parsnips, snow peas, spinach, summer squash, sweet potatoes, turnips (sweet), yacon, yams

Whole grains - amaranth, barley, rice (high quality, basmati, jasmine…), buckwheat, cornmeal, farro, kamut, millet, oats, quinoa, rye, spelt, teff, wheat, wild rice, fresh pasta, fresh noodles