Select food that contains healthy proteins, carbs, sugars, fats, fibers, minerals and vitamins. Be inspired by the yogic principles of ahimsa, sattva and saucha.
Which ingredients are essential for us to eat?
It is recommended for everyone to have enough variety in their diet to ensure that you get sufficient nutrients into your body. Nutrients include fats, carbohydrates, fibers, proteins, vitamins, and minerals. When you eat, the ingredients determine how many calories you consume. Adjust this number of calories according to your lifestyle. If you’ve been active and burned a lot of calories, make sure to consume enough calories and muscle-repairing proteins through food, but not too much. In your diet, try to provide a healthy average number of calories, but other nutrients are also crucial. Variety also ensures an adequate intake of minerals and vitamins. Additionally, make sure to drink enough water. For a personalized diet, it’s best to consult your doctor or a dietitian, especially if you have certain intolerances or dietary preferences, such as wanting to live a vegetarian lifestyle!
The Yoga Diet imposes a shift from food that only contains calories to food that contains calories and fats, carbohydrates, fibers, proteins, vitamins, and minerals.
Are certain ingredients healthier than others?
Adjusting the number of calories to your lifestyle is essential for living healthily. Additionally, it is important to consume the better versions of all food groups.
Healthy carbohydrates provide fibers and sufficient sugars, and can mainly be found in whole grain products, fresh fruits and vegetables, legumes, and low-fat or soya milk and soya yogurt. Avoid fast food, alcohol, snacks, candy, soft drinks, and fruit juices.
Sattva also promotes fresh vegetables, whole grains and beans, mild healing spices, and other mildly sweet fruits and vegetables. Such a diet results into a calm heart and a clear mind.
We should shift from alcohol, soft drinks, snacks and fresh juices towards water and fresh bio fruits and vegetables to consume healthy carbohydrates. We should also shift from fastfood and white bread, rice and pasta towards whole grain ingredients.
Proteins are a sensitive topic, as beef, pork, eggs, and dairy (milk and yogurt) are very popular in Western countries, but these ingredients deliver too many saturated fats. Governments aim to organize a protein shift, moving toward more plant-based proteins and, to a lesser extent, poultry and fish. Plant-based proteins can be found in legumes, tofu, wheat and rye, potatoes, root vegetables, rice, nuts, and seeds. Humans are the only species in the world who consume dairy products, like milk, yoghurt and cheese so that explains why so many people suffer from lactose allergies. A healthy mix of chicken, fish, and plant-based proteins is recommended.
A traditional Yogi diet also bans meat and dairy products. Ahimsa is the idea that all living things are connected and that the world would be a better place if you do not harm living things.
We should shift from a predominantly meat-based proteins diet towards plant-based proteins and some portion of poultry and fish.
Healthy fats are unsaturated fats, found in fatty fish, nuts and peanuts, vegetable oils, avocados, olives, hummus, chia seeds, flaxseeds, sunflower seeds, and edamame.
We have to shift from saturated and meat-based fats towards unsatured fats that can be found in fish and in many vegetables, olives and seeds.
Also, avoid processed foods as much as possible and opt for fresh, organic, unprocessed foods, following the seasons.
A traditional Yoga diet would also not allow processed food and food contaminated with chemicals, since purity and cleanliness are two principles based on the Saucha practice.
A shift is necessary from processed food with chemicals towards fresh and bio food.
Why do so many people struggle with obesity and stomach diseases in Western countries?
Up until the nineteenth century, people did not have access to a wide variety of ingredients. In the twentieth century, people became more prosperous due to economic growth. Thanks to this prosperity and increased trade between continents, people suddenly had access to a large variety of ingredients, but also more to processed foods, which are harmful to health and lack good fibers. People also tend to eat too much to satisfy their hunger for longer periods. People with obesity often consume unhealthy ingredients such as alcohol, snacks, fast food, and soft drinks, which may briefly satisfy hunger but mainly introduce unhealthy sugars and fats into the body.
Tip for satisfying hunger and losing weight: If you suddenly crave one of these unhealthy ingredients, try eating some edamame beans, nuts, seeds, whole grain bread with salmon, a rice poke bowl, freshly cut vegetables or fruits, and drink water or vegetable soup instead.
Are all foods equally important for your energy levels (calories)?
Health organizations advise consuming at least 40% of your calories from carbohydrates and another 40% from proteins. So, it’s best to get less from fats