How Food affects the Mind (Sattvic, Rajasic and Tamasic Food)
How Food affects the Mind (Sattvic, Rajasic and Tamasic Food)
Food not only nourishes the body, it affects the mind and consciousness as well. As our physical constitution is characterized by different proportions of Vata, Pitta, and Kapha, we also have a mental constitution determined by the sattva, rajas, and tamas. These three qualities are universal and equally necessary to maintain our psychological balance.
Sattvic qualities imply essence, reality, consciousness, purity, creativity, and clarity of perception. People in whom sattva predominate are loving, compassionate, and pure – minded. They tend to have positive behavior, and love for all beings. They do not become upset or angry easily. They look fresh, alert, aware, and full of luster and are recognized for their wisdom, happiness, and joy. Satvic individuals do not get mental fatigue, although they work hard mentally, so they need only four to five hours of sleep. See also: “Features of Sattvic Person”
Rajas leads to the life of sensual enjoyment, pleasure and pain, effort and restlessness. People in whom rajasic qualities predominate tend to be egoistic, ambitious, aggressive, proud, and competitive and have a tendency to control others. They work hard and like power, prestige, and position and are perfectionists. They suffer from a fear of failure, tend to be angry and jealous and to have few moments of joy. Rajasic individuals are quickly drained of mental energy; they require 8 hours of sleep.
[sociallocker]Tamas is darkness, inertia, heaviness, and tendency toward materialism. Individuals dominated by tamas tend toward depression, laziness, excessive sleep, eating, drinking, and sex. They may be greedy, possessive, attached, irritable, and uncaring toward others. A little mental work tires them easily; they sleep more than 8 hours a night (Kids leave in Kapha period of life no matter what their inborn constitution is, that’s why they sleep longer).
How we respond to events and circumstances depends on the specific balance of sattva, rajas and tamas in our mind. The basic nature of the mind is creative or sattvic, with just enough rajas and tamas to bring desires to fruition. It is vital for health and happiness to keep this balance for our life to move in a progressive direction. Sattvic mind lends itself toward calm, clear, creative thinking that allows one to easily find effective solutions to life’s problems. Then we need the lesser qualities of rajas to implement these solutions and tamas to bring these activities to an end when the problem has actually been solved.
Too much rajas or tamas distort the natural balance of the mind and have a negative impact on our lives. Unfortunately, the Westerns eat tremendous amounts of rajasic and tamasic foods and very little fresh unprocessed sattvic foods. From an Ayurvedic perspective, there is a connection between how we are eating and how we are acting, our levels of violence, crime, and depression.
Unlike our physical constitution, which is hard to change, our mental attitude greatly depends on the food we eat on a daily basis, thus it is possible for us to choose between consciousness, agitation, or inertia. We do so by choosing the right food.Sattvic food not automatically fits for all doshas, some can be too heavy for Vata, too sour for Pitta, or too mucous provoking for Kapha. See also “The Food list for Vata, Pitta and Kapha” to pick food that will pacify your dosha along with satisfying your mental constitution.
Sattvic foods support sattva; they help the mind become clear and stay focused.
Here is an alphabetic list of sattvic foods:
* – in moderation; **- in excess.
Alfalfa sprouts, almonds, amaranth, anise, apple, apricot, artichoke, arugula*, asparagus, banana (ripe), barley, basmati rice, beans (azuki, black, broad, fava, green, lima*, mung, navy*, pinto, tepary), bean sprouts (all), bee pollen, berberies, blackberries, blueberries, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, buckwheat, butter, buttermilk (fresh), cabbage (cooked), cantaloupe, cardamom, carob, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chard, cheese (freshly made), cherry, coconut, collards, corn (fresh), cornmeal, cranberries, cream (sweet), cucumber, currant, dates (fresh), fennel, figs (fresh and dried),fruit juices (freshly made), ghee (clarified butter), grapefruit (sweet), grapes, honey (raw unheated), honeydew melon, kale, kohlrabi, lentils (black, tan), lettuce, licorice, mango (ripe), maple syrup, Mother’s milk, milk (fresh, raw, pure), millet, mung dahl, mustard greens, nectarines, nuts (Brazil, cashew, chestnuts, macadamia, peanuts, pine, pecans, walnuts), oats, oranges (sweet), okra, papaya, paneer (Indian cheese), parsley, parsnip, peaches, peas (black eye, green), persimmon, pineapple (sweet), plum, pomegranate, prunes, pumpkin, quinoa, raisins, raspberries, rice, rose hips, rutabaga, sesame seeds, saffron, sorghum, soy lecithin, spinach, strawberries, sugar cane (raw), summer squash, sunflower seeds, sweet potatoes, tangerines (sweet), turnip, watercress, watermelon, wheat, wild rice, winter squash, yams, yogurt (fresh), zucchini.
Rajasic foods generate more fire, outward motion, creativity, aggression, and passion.
Any canned, sweetened fruit, all fermented food, all bottled fruit juices are rajasic. Sattvic food can be turned into rajasic when eaten too hot, too cold, or too spicy. Here is an alphabetic list of other rajasic foods:
Avocado, beans (garbanzo, kidney), black pepper corn, brewer’s yeast, buttermilk (not freshly made), cabbage (raw), cacao, cheese (hard, cottage), chili, chocolate, coffee, dates (dried), eggplant, guava, grapefruit (sour), kefir ( not freshly made), lemon, lentils (red), lime, malt syrup, mango (unripe), molasses, olives, peanut oil, peanuts (salty), peppers, pickles, peas (green dried**), pine apple (sour), pistachios (salted), potatoes, radish, red beets, rhubarb, rice bran syrup, salt (all kinds), sour cream, sugar (white, brown, date, fructose, jaggery), sugar cane juice, tea (green and black), tomatoes, vinegar, yogurt (not freshly made).
Tamasic foods increase inner darkness and confusion. They slow us down, depress us and enhance inertia.
Tamasic foods include all fast food, fried food, frozen food, microwaved food, processed food, left over night food, alcohol, all drugs, and chemicals. Even sattvic and rajasic food become tamasic if eaten not fresh. Here is an alphabetic list of other tamasic foods:
Alcohol, beef, chicken, drugs, eggs (all parts), fish, fowl, garlic, goat, ice cream, lamb, lard, leeks, margarine, not fresh milk ( homogenized, pasteurized, powdered), mushrooms, onion (raw, cooked, green), pop corn, pork, rabbit, black radish, shallots, shellfish, soy beans, turkey, venison.
The basic nature of the mind is creative or sattvic, with just enough rajas and tamas to bring desires to fruition. That means that the base of our diet should consist of fresh or freshly prepared grains, vegetables and fruits, nuts, seeds, beans, milk, ghee and butter in moderation, cold pressed oils and natural sweeteners. We need just a small amount of rajasic foods to stimulate creativity and outward motion. Tamasic food can be helpful when an excess of rajas is present. If the mind is hyper and ungrounded – some tamasic food can be eaten to promote stability. Freshly made steamed mushrooms or onions although tamasic are a healthier choice than a frozen steak, which has been fried, re chilled and microwaved.
NB: Some food categories can be, and are disputed. Especially often are discussed garlic, onion, eggs, and soy.
TODAY’S TIP: Don’t let this new information overwhelm you. Take small steps to choose more and more sattvic foods from your Vata, Pitta or Kapha food list every day. As soon as your body gets rid of toxins you will intuitively choose the food that is good for you. See also What it meas to eat fresh; Vegan eating in A-da; Myth about Vegetaranism and Anemia, Sattvic, Rajasic and Tamasic life.[/sociallocker]
To: Webmaster
From:
Jeegar
[email protected]
Message:
You have mentioned Soya as satvik food. But acccording to ayurveda
prolonged consumption of soya bean causes imbalance in our body and is
referred as tamasic food.
No qualified ayurveidc doctor or ayurvedic veds
recommends soya beans.
Pls clarify how you have included soya bean as satvik food.
Dear Jeegar,
Thanks for your inquiry.
The fact that soy beans are hard to digest for Vata and partly for Kapha
types doesn’t make them tamasic. My article says that one should find
sattvic food in the food list appropriate for her/his dosha.
Soy beans are probably the most disputed point among Ayurvedic
nutritionists with variations from wonderful to awful. Some authors (e.g.
Vasant Lad) consider them rajasic since they are gas forming when poorly
prepared and eaten either not in accordance with you constitution or not
fresh cooked.
Some authors believe they are sattvic since soy beans meet the definition
of sattvic food: calming and strengthening for the mind and body.
I chose the opinion of Amadea Morningstar who considered soy beans sattvic
because she is a practicing nutritionist. That means she has been
consulting her patients for more than 20 years and can tell the impact of
soy on them.
I’ve never seen an Ayurvedic author saying soy beans are tamasic unless
they are frozen, micro waved, processed, or left over night.
Regards.
Larisa.
Dear Larisa
I have spoken to many practioner of original ayurveda (not the fake one’s)
over here in India. They say that Soya is food of horse and not suitable for
human beings. They never recommend soya and also advice their patients to
avoid soya.
Best Regards
Jeegar Shah
Dear Jeegar,
Thank you for your opinion. I appreciate your advice a lot.
I admire Vedic knowledge as given to all mankind without any specific
location. I think that Ayurveda is not about eating food that is common in
India. It is about understanding the energy of food. Some stuff that is or
is not recommended in Indian climate may work differently in colder
countries and vice versa. Cheese for example (not paneer but real
fermented cheese). Ayurvedic practitioners in the West recommend cheese,
but as far as I know it is not that popular in India. Is it true? We here
in colder climate need more heat produced from fermented foods and beans
(including soy).
And a word about horses. Do you believe that the whole Japanese nation is
consisting of horses? Soy is their national meal.
I am very thankful to you for the feedback.
Are you practicing Ayurveda or just following it in your life?
Regards. Larisa.
Dear Larisa
I don’t follow Ayurveda.
I do interact with lots of Ayurvedic doctors and Veds.
I follow Jainism.
According to Jainism food is not for its energy but for spirituality.
Which ever food harms you spiritually is tamasic.
We are basically grain eaters. We consume lots of grains , selected
vegetables and fruits.
There are some specific grains , fruits and vegetables which can be consumed
during specific seasons only.
Also important is the time of eating the food during the day. If not
consumed at proper time than the food becomes tamasic.
There are lots of things to be said about food in Jainism. Infact Jainism is
very vast topic and covers all the points related to life and death.
If you are interested than we can share lots of things , which will help in
expanding our knowledge.
Best Regards
Jeegar Shah
Hi,Jeegar,
That’s very interesting what you are saying.
You probably follow your diet and life style in generations. I am just
learning how to stay healthy physically and spiritually. I was happy to
discover Ayurveda and adjust my diet and daily routine to it. Again, most
books you can find here are written by Westerners or Indians who live
here.
In my diet I quit eating meat, fish and eggs. I eat grains every day:
rice, wheat, oats; and legumes: mung, lentils, and beans. I personally do
not like soy beans :). I eat a lot of cow products (milk, yogurt, paneer,
cheese, sour cream, butter, and Ghee).
Western Ayurvedic doctors do not pay attention at time when certain food
is eaten. That’s a shame.I just recently discovered an author who stress
the importance of eating food at proper time. It is a Russian doctor who
studied Ayurveda in India. I follow his recommendations and eat as
following: in the morning paneer with soaked raisins, soaked almonds and
fresh fruits (mango, pear, banana) or berries (blueberries or raspberries)
and drink chai. At lunch (12 to 1:30) grains and beans with steamed
vegetables (carrots, cabbage, squash, spinach,califlower). In the evening
I eat steamed vegetables or nothing. Before bed – a cup of hot milk with
some sugar and nutmeg. I also love honey and all nuts.
I have some questions to you.
1. What milk products do you eat if any and when.
2. Is there any difference in men’s and women’s diet?
3. Do you fast? If yes, on what?
Thanks in advance.
Larisa.
Dear Larisa
Thanks for your mail.
I reply to your questions:
1. What milk products do you eat if any and when.
I consume milk (full fat, not low fat or pasteurized), yogurt or curd made
from the same milk at home, butter milk ,Ghee and paneer(occasionally).
Milk: Morning. Who can have milk at any time , but not with fruits or pulses
Yogurt or curd or butter milk: In afternoon after finishing the lunch and
cleaning the mouth properly. In evening, I avoid yogurt but prefer butter
milk.
Ghee: we have ghee with rotis, khakras , khichadi, in sheera and many other
dishes
Please take care that milk and yogurt should not be taken with fruits,
pusles and dals. As far as possible warm the yogurt before consuming.
Consume only the yogurt which is prepared overnight.
2. Is there any difference in men’s and women’s diet?
Normal diet is same. But taht are some seasonal dishes which are prepared
separately for women and Men. And of course there are some special diets for
women during pregnancy and lactation.
3. Do you fast? If yes, on what?
We do fast. There are many types of fast like whole day and night without
food and water, whole day and night with only boiled water during day time,
Have only one meal in day and nothing else, have one meal only during day
that to one of boiled pulses and grains, and many others. There are many
days in a year in which one has to fast. But specially in monsoon season
when it rains heavily over here and also during change of seasons form
summer to winter and winter to summer. Than there are some specifica days in
month when you can fast.
Most important thing is eat only after sunrise and before sun set.
For food health important thing apart from food is spirutuality. You
thinking , your actions and your intentions do play a important part in
maintaing good health. As we say never hurt anybody by your thoughts or by
your action or by your words.
I hope I have answered your queires. If you have any questions you can write
to me.
Frankly speaking I am not an expert on these things, it is only whatever
little I know , I share with people.
Best Regards
Jeegar Shah
Hi,Jeegar,
Thank you for your detailed answer. Yes, I agree that the way you think
greatly influences all aspects of us.
About diet:
I also consume full milk. Most the time it is availible to buy raw. I boil
it and prepare paneer or butter milk at home. I also prepare lassi.
Being raised in Russian Christian tradition I observe fast. In fact there
are 200 days during a year with different kind of lent. Every Wednesday
and Friday it is lent without animal food and milk. 40 days at Christmas
(half the time fish is allowed) and 49 days of strick fast on Easter. And
another two shorter lents in summer.
I try to incorporate Ayurvedic diet into Russian-European-American food
and am very happy with the results.
Did I understand correctly that it is unhealthy to eat after the sunset
all the year long?
I also would like to ask what spices you use?
Thanks again. Larisa.
Soy as a food has many drawbacks. Nowadays it is almost all GMO. But even if it is “Organic” it has many anti-nutrient properties. It is best consumed fermented (Miso, Tempeh, Natto). For more on this visit the Weston Price site or do a search on problems with Soy. http://www.westonaprice.org/soy-alert/
High levels of phytic acid in soy reduce assimilation of calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and zinc. Phytic acid in soy is not neutralized by ordinary preparation methods such as soaking, sprouting and long, slow cooking. High phytate diets have caused growth problems in children.
Trypsin inhibitors in soy interfere with protein digestion and may cause pancreatic disorders. In test animals soy containing trypsin inhibitors caused stunted growth.
Soy phytoestrogens disrupt endocrine function and have the potential to cause infertility and to promote breast cancer in adult women.
Soy phytoestrogens are potent antithyroid agents that cause hypothyroidism and may cause thyroid cancer. In infants, consumption of soy formula has been linked to autoimmune thyroid disease.
Vitamin B12 analogs in soy are not absorbed and actually increase the body’s requirement for B12.
Soy foods increase the body’s requirement for vitamin D.
Fragile proteins are denatured during high temperature processing to make soy protein isolate and textured vegetable protein.
Processing of soy protein results in the formation of toxic lysinoalanine and highly carcinogenic nitrosamines.
Free glutamic acid or MSG, a potent neurotoxin, is formed during soy food processing and additional amounts are added to many soy foods.
Soy foods contain high levels of aluminum which is toxic to the nervous system and the kidneys.
By the way, there are many “awake” ones who consume meat (eg the Dalai Lama). When one sees that Everything is consciousness, and that plants are every bit as sentient as animals, the perspective on food consumption changes.
While I basically follow an Ayurvedic diet, I find that being open (not fanatical) is an important part of healthy eating.
Robert
Hi Robert,
In my article I do not advocate soybeans, soy refers to tamasic food that “increases inner darkness and confusion. Such food slows us down, depresses us and enhances inertia”
Meat, fast food, fried food, frozen food, microwaved food, processed food, food left over night , alcohol, all drugs, and chemicals belong to tamasic food as well.
Soy is not a substitute for meat. I eat no meat or soy but plenty of dairy. See more about non-animal protein in my article “Non Animal Protein”.
The last thing I’d like to mention is that healthy living means not only physical well being but peace of mind and ability for compassion. One can never have peace of mind while consuming products of violence.
Best wishes.
Larisa.