Proper Diet – Vegetarian

Proper Diet is the next principle in the five basic principles of yoga. The most essential component of this principle is just picking Sattvic foods. What are Sattvic foods, and how do you eat them? They're not extremely spicy or fattening, they're entire (not processed or pre-packaged), they're fresh (think garden), and they're vegan. They're also in little amounts, with only 2-3 meals every day. The goal of a balanced yogic diet is to keep the body and mind healthy without resorting to emotional eating, overeating, or giving in to cravings.

The body needs fuel, which is provided by a proper diet. The yogic diet is Lacto vegetarian and consists of natural, unprocessed foods that are easy to digest and promote good health. The nutritional value of food is destroyed through processing, refining, and overcooking.

The subtle effects of food on the mind are taken into account in a yogic diet. Foods that quiet the mind are consumed, whereas foods that dull or stimulate the mind are avoided.

A vegetarian diet is also an expression of ahimsa (nonviolence), an important tenet to follow in the expansion of consciousness to higher levels.

"Eat to live, not live to eat," according to yogic philosophy, which means eating with regard for oneself and the earth as a whole.