The document discusses the importance of diet according to Ayurveda and yoga. It states that diet is the first of the three pillars of health and plays a role in sustaining the body and mind, growth and development, disease prevention and treatment. It describes the three types of diet in the Bhagavad Gita - sattvic, rajasic, and tamasic. It emphasizes the importance of a sattvic, moderate diet in yoga practice and maintaining spiritual progress. It provides guidelines for yogic diet including consuming lightly cooked, sweet and nourishing foods in moderation. It lists foods that should be included or avoided on a yogic diet.

1. Dr. Jasminkumar Viramgami
Reader & H.O.D.,
Dept. of Swasthavritta,
Govt. Akhandanand Ayurved College, Ahmedabad, Gujarat

2. Importance of Diet
• 1st among 3 upastambha
• Sustenance of Body & Mind
• For Growth & Development
• Prevention of Diseases
• Curative role in Diseases

3. • અન્ન એવો ઓડકાર
• જેવુ અન્ન, એવુું મન
आहारसंभवंवस्तु रोगश्च आहारसंभव: (च)
हहताशी स्यात मिताशी स्यात, कालभोजी
जजतेंहिय: (च)
न रागाद नापि अपवज्ञानाद आहारानोियोजयेत।
िरीक्ष्य हहति अशननयाद देहोहह आहारसंभव:॥
(च)

4. 3 Types of Diet as per Geeta
Satvik diet: Milk, fruits, cereals, butter, tomatoes,
cheese, spinach etc.
• They render the mind pure.
Rajasik diet: Fish, eggs, meat, etc.,
• They excite the passionate nature of man.
Tamasik diet: Beef, onions, garlic, etc.
• They fill the mind with inertia and anger.

5. Imp of Satvik Diet
• delicious, plain, substantial and agreeable
• increase vitality, energy, vigour, health and joy
• Food plays a very important role in exciting
the senses and passions.
• diet should be such as can maintain physical
efficiency and good health.

6. Imp of Diet in Yoga Practice
• Diet that is beneficial to the practice of Yoga
and spiritual progress can be termed ‘Yogic
Diet’.
• Diet has intimate connection with the mind.
• mind is formed out of the subtlest portion of
food.
• “Food when consumed becomes threefold, the
gross particles become excreta, the middling
ones flesh and the fine ones the mind.”

7. in the Chhandogya Upanishad:
आहारशुद्धौ सत्वशुद््धिः सत्वशुद्धौ ध्रूवौस्िृनतिः।
स्िृनतलाभे सववग्रजथिनां पवप्रिोक्षिः॥
By the purity of food, follows the purification of
the inner nature,
on the purity of the inner nature the memory
becomes firm
and on the strengthening of memory follows the
loosening of all ties
and the wise get liberation thereby.

8. Mitahara (moderate diet)
Hit Bhuk, Mit Bhuk, Ashaka bhuk...
• He who takes moderate diet, he who has
regulated his diet can become a Yogi.
• “Yoga is not for him who eats too much, nor who
abstains to food, nor who is too much addicted to
sleep, nor even to wakefulness. Yoga kill out all
pain from him who is regulated in eating and
amusement, regulated in performing actions,
regulated in sleeping and waking”
(Gita, VI: 16,17)

9. Imp of Mitahara
• (Gh.S. 5/16)
He, who practices yoga without moderation of diet,
incurs various diseases and achieves no success.
• (HYP. 1/57)
One who is brahmachari, takes moderate and pure food,
is regular and intent on yoga; and detached from
sensual experience becomes master after a year.

10. What is Mitahara?
(HYP. 1/58)
As per Hatha yoga Pradipika, Mitahara is…
• agreeable and sweet food,
• leaving one fourth of the stomach free
• eaten as an offering to please Shiva.

11. As per Gheranda Samhita….
(Gh.S. 5/21)
• Pure, sweet and snigdha food
• fill the half stomach.
• leaving other half of stomach empty
• Eating such food with pleasure
is called moderate diet.

12. Mitahara means…
• satvik, light food which is easy to digest.
• With attitude that it is nourishing the body so
that process of spiritual evolution can continue .
• Food not be taken for sensual delight, but to
sustain the vehicle of the atma (that is body).
• Everything you eat should be considered as an
offering from the Supreme Being.
• This eradicates the sense of ego.
• eating should be considered as part of practice.

13. Consumable Diets in Yoga
• (HYP. 1/63)
• (Gh.S. 5/29)
• Nourishing, sweet and snigdha food
• mixed with ghee and milk;
• nourish the dhatus (basic body constituents)
• pleasing and suitable.
• Easily digestible, agreeable foods

14. • A yogi's diet should be simple and plain.
• food which suits the individual body
metabolism
• which makes one feel healthy, mentally
content and stable.
• Anything which destroys their natural balance
should not be taken.

15. Some classical examples of yogic diet
• (HYP. 1/62)
• wheat, rice, barley, good grains,
• mung and such pulses,
• milk, ghee, sugar, butter, pure water
• sharkara, honey, shunthi, patola fruit, five
vegetables.
'five vegetables'
• balasaka, kalasaka, patolapatraka, vastuka and
himalochika.
(Gh.S.5:20)

16. A yogi should eat
• rice, barley, wheat,
• mudga, masa, chanak etc.
• these should be cleaned, white and free from
chaff. (Gh.S. 5/17)

17. Prohibited Diets in yogic practice
• (HYP. 1/60)
• Unhealthy diet,
• which is heated repeatedly,
• dry (devoid of natural oil),
• excessively salty or acidic,
• stale
• too much vegetables.

18. • (Gh.S. 5/30)
avoid
• hard to digest,
• sinful or putrid food,
• very hot or cold food,
• stale food as well very much exciting foods.

19. • (HYP. 1/59)
• bitter, sour, pungent, salty, very hot,
• green vegetables (other than those ordained),
• sour gruel, oil, sesame and mustard,
• alcohol, fish, flesh foods,
• curds, buttermilk,
• horse gram, fruit of jujube, oil cakes,
asafoetida and garlic.

20. Prohibitions for the beginner
(Gh.S. 5)
• much travelling, company of women, and warming
himself by fire.
• fresh butter, ghee, milk, gud, sugar and sugercane,
• ripe banana, coconut, pomegranates, dates,
grapes, lavali fruit, amalaki
• and everything that contains acidic juices.

21. Other Prohibitions
• (HYP. 1/61)
• avoid Fire, women and long pilgrimages
• Bad company,
• bathing in the early morning,
• fasting
• tasks which produce pain in the body should
be avoided.

22. (Gh.S. 5/31)
• avoid early morning baths,
• anything that gives pain to the body
• fasting,
• eating only once a day, or not eating at all.
• But he may remain without food for 3 hours.

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