The Best Food to Eat: Sattvic Food
Mascari, Brooke. June 2nd, 2024.
Ayurveda teaches that the best diet is one that keeps our mind clear and promotes the experience of bliss and higher consciousness. Not many know that food can instill this experience in our minds and bodies.
An excellent, balanced diet allows our body to digest food completely and extract a subtle substance known as ojas or “the vital nectar of life.”
Ojas is the essential life energy that enables our cells to “feel happy,” experiencing the cellular equivalence of bliss. Ojas is an ancient concept that has been verified by modern scientific study. This is one of the profound things about Ayurveda; these practices have been encouraged for over 5,000 years. Now, with the advancements in technology and science, we can see and verify how these practices are beneficial.
We now know that a single meal can radically change the brain’s biochemistry. As food is digested in the intestinal tract, molecules in the brain that regulate feelings of well-being (such as serotonin), increase or decrease in response.
Pure foods that the body can easily convert into ojas are referred to as sattvic – a Sanskrit term that means “imbued with goodness, truth, and balance.”
The foods considered most sattvic are:
• Milk (and raw milk)
• Rice
• Ghee (clarified butter)
• Sesame, almonds
• Fruits & fruit juices
• Sweet taste in general
Some Ayurvedic texts also include whole grains, mung beans, coconut, dates, and honey on this list. You do not need to eat these foods exclusively; just include them in your diet on a regular basis.
On a more general level, a sattvic diet focuses on:
• Light, soothing food that is easily digested
• Fresh produce emphasizing seasonal foods (organic and non-GMO are ideal)
• Spring water
• A balance of the six tastes (sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, and astringent) Sweet: Grounding, strengthening, nourishing. Sour: Cleansing, purifying. Salty: Balancing, regulating. Bitter: Detoxifying, mineralizing. Astringent: Anti-inflammatory, cooling. Pungent: Warming, stimulating (Try to include a small amount of each taste in every meal. It may be only a pinch of salt, a squeeze of lemon, or a slice of pepper but as long as the taste is present, the energetic puzzle will be complete).
• Moderate portions
• Food prepared and eating with mindfulness, love, and care
• And also foods that are the seven colors (Eating a multi-colored diet is a simple way to get a broad spectrum of nutritional support). Check out our article on the seven colors for further details.
Following these guidelines will help you create a diet that nurtures a peaceful mind, and physical and emotional well-being, and lead you to true health!
Love and Light on your journey to higher healing!
Sources:
*Sattvic food teaching is derived/learned from Chopra Global, LLC 2021 in Ayurveda Course teaching.
https://chopra.com/blogs/ayurveda/10-rules-for-an-ayurvedic-diet?_pos=1&_sid=7d9241c92&_ss=r