The way to a man's heart is still through his stomach, but the old saying has taken on a second meaning. “The food you eat can endanger your health, so protect it by following a yogic diet”.

MITAHARA is the diet suggested in yogic texts. Mitahara means limited and controlled diet. The yogic books mention that one should always eat vegetarian food up to 75% of one's need, and leave the rest of the 25% empty. In some other yogic books, it is suggested that one should fill only 50% with vegetarian food, 25% liquid or water, and the remaining 25% should be left empty. That means, after a meal, one should always feel light, fresh and comfortable.

As per the yogic diet, one should eat more carbohydrates, less protein and very little fat (60% + 25% + 15% respectively). Often people feel that in a vegetarian diet, they may not be getting enough nutrition, but tests and experience have revealed that this is not so. Secondly, it has been proven that meat eaters have less endurance (A research by Irving Fisher). All over the world, people are turning to a vegetarian diet.

To maintain the balance between acid and alkaline, it is necessary to follow a Satvic diet, meaning 80% or more alkaline food and 20% acidic food. For example dairy products, certain fruits and nuts, vegetables, etc. Acidic bodies are more prone to diseases and sickness. It is said in Holy book Geeta, “That What We Eat We Are." As per the other traditional yogic diet, it has been divided into three groups: 1) Satvic food 2) Rajasic food 3) Tamasic food.

1) Satvic food: Food in this group is very healthy, light, vegetarian, and does not create any problems for our systems. When there are no problems in the systems, the body and mind remain calm, quiet and peaceful. For example, milk and its products, all green and leafy vegetables, all fruits, nuts, seeds, grains, cereals, pulses etc. are in this category. Because of Satvic food, our energy level and temperament remain perfectly balanced. We feel good, positive, healthy and happy. Satvic food should not be over cooked.

2) Rajasic food: This is the food normally eaten by the common man. Food in this category stimulates, agitates, excites and makes us feel passionate towards everything, making our energy level high. For example, garlic, onions, chillies, spices, pickles, tea, coffee, cold drinks, etc. Frankly speaking, certain things from this category can be eaten occasionally, but not too often.

3) Tamasic food: This is the food, which one should definitely not eat. It makes us lazy, dull, negative etc. Mostly, all the health problems are due to this food. For example, food that is hot and spicy, fried, junk, stale, putrid, fermented, frozen, preserved (from the fridge); red meat, organs, shell fish, tobacco, alcohol, drugs etc. This food makes our energy level under-active.

Since the time humans came onto this planet, they were eating fruits, vegetables, roots, leaves etc. Slowly, they learnt how to kill animals for two reasons: to protect themselves, and to eat them. Therefore, humans are inherently vegetarians, and their systems are made for a vegetarian diet. Here, we must remember what Swamy Vivekananda has said: “Pure food leads to a pure mind, and in pure mind, there is a constant memory of God”. Therefore, what we eat we become.

All the health problems are due to wrong food habits. If we are aware and notice the body signals, we can minimize many health problems. One should eat what suits his or her system. For example, after eating tamasic or rajasic food, you will notice throughout its journey in your body, you have some problem or the other. For example, if you eat too hot (spicy) food, it burns in your mouth and in your stomach, and next day while passing stool.

We now know about what we should eat, and how and when will follow. It is simple when we feel hungry, we feel the natural urge to eat. But it is advisable to discipline us by eating at a regular time. For example, when we have an appointment with someone at a particular time and that person is not there, we get disturbed. Similarly, our systems get disturbed too when we don't eat on a regular timing. In the same way, we should try to maintain the amount of food we eat. Otherwise, we sometimes get constipation or loose motions or gases or acidity. For example, if you are used to working at a 9 to 5 job, and your boss wants you to stay for longer hours, you don't like it. In the same way, our systems don't like the change in quantity of food.

We should also maintain the quality of our food, the way we should maintain the quality of our life. For example, if you are used to traveling by an AC car, but are forced to travel by non-a.c. bus or train, you don't enjoy it. In the same way, our body systems don't enjoy any abrupt change in our daily food intake. Our metabolic rate gets disturbed due to the changes in our diet, or a “seesaw” diet. This is very bad for our health. You may follow this : eat breakfast like a King, lunch like a Prince and dinner like a pauper.

Last but not the least, we should eat in a happy, calm and quiet mood, and enjoy whatever is on the plate. Of course, it should be vegetarian, and prepared with maximum care, love and hygiene. The food should be cooked well, but not over cooked. Eat slowly, and chew your food (32 times) properly, so that your systems do not have trouble digesting it. If we chew more, we get more digestive juices from our mouth and glands, which helps in proper digestion. Never remain hungry for long hours. Eat at least three times a day, but not more than four times. You can have breakfast between 7.00 a.m. and 8.00 a.m., which may consist of milk, fruits, sprouts, or cereals (anything healthy). Lunch time should be between 12.00 noon to 2.00 p.m., obviously, it should be mitahara, which may consist of one or two dry, small, thin chapattis, [brown bread/whole grain bread], one serving of rice [brown, unpolished] one or two servings of dal [pulses, lentils], lots of cooked vegetables and salads or fruits.

You may have some snacks around 4.00 p.m. or 5.00 p.m. like a fruit, one serving of soup or juice or salad, etc. Dinner time should be between 7.00p.m. and 9.00 p.m., which may consist of food items similar to lunch, with some variations as per the liking, or you can divide rice and chapatti [wheat, bazra, jwar, corn, soyabean and ragi (nachani)] for morning and evening. Try to balance your food intake in 24 hrs. Make sure there is at least a two hour gap between meals and sleep. Same gap should be maintained between exercise and sleep. Make sure what you eat suits your systems, as we are all made differently and notice the body signals differently. Intake of fruits and green vegetables is a must because of impurities in the air, water and food. Even stress level is very high; therefore to flush out the toxins from the body, the fruits & vegetables work like antioxidants.

I would like my readers to experiment my suggestions as above and see how much better they feel. Before trying out this suggested diet, you may try some cleansing process (kriya) or fasting, or water therapy so that the toxins, mucous, etc. will be less in the body. More than 50% of disease and health problems are due to wrong food habits. What we eat, we are or garbage in garbage out is very true. So remember two words SATVIK & MITAHAR are the YOGIC DIET.

By Ravi M. Dixit, Kaivalyadhama