Such foods include water, fruit, cereal, most vegetables, beans, nuts, grains, milk and milk derivatives ( butter, ghee, cream, yogurt), and honey.
The traditional sattvic diet
Although it has been suggested that one can arrive at the sattvic diet through trial and error, it can be most helpful to consider the general characteristics of the sattvic diet, which traditionally is described as pure foods that are rich in prana.Organic foods are therefore recommended for both their purity and vitality.[citation needed] The food should be fresh and freshly prepared. Leftovers are decidedly tamasic.Pure, sattvic food needs to be chewed carefully and eaten in modest portions. Overeating is tamasic. The food should be enjoyed for its inherent taste and quality, rather than the spices and seasonings that are added. Too much salt and spice has a rajasic effect.
Fresh,fruits
Most fruits are considered sattvic. Sometimes yogis go on fruit fasts, where they avoid all foods except fruit and fruit juices, when doing a special sadhana (advanced practice) or have undertaken a vow. Fruit is also considered symbolic of generosity and spirituality and is often exchanged as an offering or a gift. Dried fruits known as triphala are used to keep the digestive system operating optimally.Fresh, dairy
Yogic and Ayurdevic philosophy holds that fresh, high quality dairy foods have beneficial sattvic qualities. Milk, butter, clarified butter (ghee), cheese (paneer), whey and yogurt (especially lassi) are all recommended.Nuts, seeds, and oils
Fresh nuts and seeds that have not been overly roasted and salted are good additions to the sattvic diet in small portions. Some choices are almonds (especially when peeled and soaked in water overnight), coconut, pine nuts, walnuts, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds and flax seeds. Oils should be of good quality and cold-pressed. Some choices are olive oil, sesame oil and flax oilVegetables
Most mild, vegetables are considered sattvic. Pungent vegetables like hot peppers, garlic and onion are excluded, as are gas-forming vegetables such as mushrooms(mushrooms are not vegetables but fungi) and potatoes. They are considered rajasic and tamasic respectively. Sometimes the shortcomings of these foods can be overcome by careful preparation. A practice is to drink freshly made vegetable juices for their prana, live enzymes, and easy absorption.Whole grains
Whole grains provide nourishment. Some include organic rice, whole wheat, spelt, oatmeal and barley. Sometimes the grains are lightly roasted before cooking to remove some of their heavy quality. Yeasted breads are not recommended, unless toasted. Wheat and other grains can be sprouted before cooking as well. Some preparations are kicharee (basmati rice cooked with split mung beans, ghee and mild spices), kheer (rice cooked with milk and sweetened), chapatis (non-leavened whole wheat flat bread), porridge (sometimes made very watery and cooked with herbs), and “Bible” bread (sprouted grain bread). Sometimes yogis will fast from grains during special practices.Legumes
Split mung beans, yellow split peas, organic tofu, bean sprouts, lentils, and aduki beans are considered sattvic if well prepared. In general, the smaller the bean, the easier to digest. Preparations include splitting, peeling, grinding, soaking, sprouting, cooking and spicing. Legumes combined with whole grains offer a complete protein combination.Sweeteners
Some yogis use raw honey (often in combination with dairy) and raw sugar (not refined). In some traditions, sugar and/or honey are excluded from the diet.Spices
Sattvic spices are mild spices including basil, cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, fennel, fenugreek, fresh ginger and turmeric. Rajasic spices like black pepper, red pepper and garlic are normally excluded, but are sometimes used in small amounts, both to clear channels blocked by mucus and to counter tamas.Sattvic herbs
Other herbs are used to directly support sattva in the mind and in meditation. These include ashwagandha, bacopa, calamus, gotu kola, gingko, jatamansi, purnarnava, shatavari, saffron, shankhapushpi, tulsi and rose.Stimulant foods
Stimulant foods, also called mutative foods, mutable foods or rajasic foods, are foods which often provoke mental restlessness. They are not completely beneficial, nor are they harmful, to body or mind. Foods that cannot be categorized as either sentient or static, are classified in this food group.They help to create aggressive and dominating thoughts to emerge, especially towards others. Helps create a huge ego. As in, when someone wants to be the best in the clan and will keep everyone down to advance.
Stimulant foods energize and develop the manipura (navel) chakra and body but do not promote advancement in the higher chakras.
Such foods include: coffee, tea, cola drinks, chocolate, hot spices, salt.
Static foods
Static foods or tamasic foods are foods whose consumption, according to Yoga, are harmful to either mind or body. Harm to mind includes anything that will lead to a duller, less refined, state of consciousness. Bodily harm includes any foods that will cause detrimental stress to any physical organ directly or indirectly (via any physical imbalance).They are however sometimes necessary during times of great physical stress and pain. They help dull the pain, so that the body can repair itself. They also help lower consciousness so that the physical body can repair itself. Indeed, they can perhaps be called necessary in times of war or great distress.
Static foods stimulate and strengthen the lower two chakras, but will not assist in beneficial development of the higher chakras. In fact they are usually detrimental to the advancement of the higher chakras.
Static foods include: meat, fish (food), egg, onion, scallion, leek, mushroom, garlic, alcoholic beverage,opium, stale food.
Scriptural references
In Patanjali's Yoga sutra, the section on niyama there is a word called tapas. Tapas here includes ahara niyama - right food but in limited quantity. So, niyama which is a personal discipline includes regulation of food habits.In other texts like Hatha Yoga Pradipika, before the author talks about pranayama, proper food habits are insisted upon.
