1. Food and Meditation
Foods for meditation, Are they related? Food plays an important role in our mental and emotional balance. In fact, there is a direct relationship between the foods we consume and the level of our mental awareness. In this article, we want to review Foods for meditation.
Sticking to a healthy diet not only improves brain functionality but also provides us with a healthy body for meditation. In order to have a high-quality meditation, a healthy body is essential because consuming healthy foods enable you to have a calm and alert mind. For example, when you are preparing for meditation, have you experienced getting bombarded with millions of different thoughts or you are free from distractions? This is because of the food.
Be careful that unhealthy eating habits and lack of enough rest can cause serious health problems and stop your meditative activities. In the following, we will discuss Ayurvedic traditions and introduce foods that improve your body’s performance and can affect the quality of your meditation.
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2. What is Ayurveda?
Ayurveda is an ancient Indian healing method. The philosophy of Ayurveda (the science of life and longevity) consists of a series of treatments including medicinal plants, dietary changes, meditation, aromatherapy, massage, and yoga movements to maintain or restore health.
Food in Ayurvedic tradition is classified into three groups tamas, rajas, and Sattva. It is said that the first two groups disturb the balance of the mind as well as fill the mind with negative emotions. Ayurveda is one of the good foods for meditation.
3. Tamas and Tamasic
In Sanskrit literature, the word Tamas refers to “darkness”. Tamas can be described as lazy, depressed, inactivity, and dull as well. For example, those over whom Tamas dominates are greedy and dull and tend to have psychological blockages.
4. Which Foods Are in a Tamasic Diet?
Tamasic products such as alcohol, meat, processed food, tobacco, fertilized eggs, and pasties dull the mind and cause a feeling of heaviness after consumption. A Tamasic diet causes body destruction because of unhealthiness.
Tamasic foods include beef, pork, lamb, alcohol, cheese, garlic, onions, and mushrooms. Also, we can consider avocados, watermelons, brown rice, and black beans as Tamasic food.
It should be mentioned that overeating of them can cause serious problems for both body and mind.
5. Rajas and Rajasic
Rajas are contrasted with the quality of Tamas.
Rajas food includes coffee which overstimulates mental restlessness and aggression is harmful to the mind as well.
6. Sattvic food
Among these three food groups, sattvic foods are the most spiritual diet which is considered to be natural and pure.
7. What is the sattvic diet?
The meaning of the “sattvic” is purity and clarity. The following list shows the Sttavic foods:
- Beans and legumes
- Nuts and seeds
- Herbs
- Humane dairy products or vegan substitutes
- Fruits and vegetables
- Oils (cold-pressed)
- Water
- Natural sweeteners
- Whole grains
8. How to prepare the Sttavic food
These are some tips to bear in mind when preparing sattvic food:
In order to get nutrients from various sources, food should be combined. It is forbidden to consume canned as well as processed foods in any form. The food should be eaten slowly and chewed properly. The seasonal foods and foods which are ripened and grow naturally are a priority
9. How to make Sattvic food recipes
There are various sattvic recipes suggested by nutritionists all around the world based on a medicinal system from over 5000 years ago. Nutritious ingredients which include fresh products and nuts are building blocks of this diet. Following this diet bring several physical and mental health benefits to people who use it. A healthy brain means a healthy mind and this would lead to a better meditation experience. As Ayurvedic principles are the basis of the Sattvic diet amount of animal-based foods such as eggs, meats and fish is considerably low in this diet than for some plant-based foods such as onion and garlic. Best Sattvic food recipes are vegan, ayurvedic, and gluten-free. There are some cookbooks where you can find these recipes in order to know how to buy and prepare foods in the most effective way for the body to absorb protein, vitamins, and minerals. The cooking method is also important to avoid potential side effects of the food.
10. A 3-day Sattvic diet
Having a menu for the Sattvic diet is imperative for anyone who wants to stick to this diet. So, in this regard, a 3-day program is suggested to make this diet part of a daily routine. Day 1 includes sprouted quinoa porridge with almond milk, berries, flaxseed, and unsweetened coconut for breakfast. chickpea and vegetable bowl with tahini dressing can be eaten for lunch, and mung bean, tofu, and wild rice stew are proper options for dinner. Turning to day 2, grass-fed yogurt with berries, walnuts, and cinnamon are great options for Breakfast. Salads with fresh vegetables, tofu, lentils, and paneer cheese can be consumed for lunch, and chickpea and vegetable coconut curry are for the other meal. Last day, oatmeal with stewed peaches and cashew butter is considered as breakfast, for Lunch quinoa salad with sweet potatoes, bean sprouts, and kale is suggested. On this day mango rice with chickpeas and coconut milk are approved meals for dinner.
Other diets such as the WFPB diet, Vegetarian diets, and Mediterranean diets were introduced as alternatives to the Sattvic diet which come with their advantages and disadvantages.
11. Having these Foods assist you to experience a Better Meditation
Considering the hectic and stressful lifestyle of this modern world we are going through at home, school, and workplace, Meditation is proved to be one of the most effective ways to relieve stress and stay calm. These below-mentioned foods can specifically help you to meditate better and make the most out of your meditation activity.
- Yogurt
A conducted research showed that probiotic yogurt can help to improve the immune system and decrease blood pressure by changing gut bacteria. Fresh yogurt or even frozen yogurt can also enhance brain function and influence concentration, two factors that are necessary for meditation.
Tea
Meditation originated in china and as tea is one of the historical traditional drinks in china, it is widely used in meditation because of its positive effect on mental activity. Caffeine which can be found in tea helps us to stay alert and awake; in addition to, calming properties on nerves and helping to concentrate. This leads to more efficient and effective mental activity in meditation.
- Milk
Despite some claims on the usefulness of milk for our body organs, its healing effect on muscle spasms in case of feeling tense because of potassium containment is scientifically approved.
Milk is also a rich source of Vitamin B2 and B12 which help to have good sleep at night. This is vital for any activity involving the brain. Chocolate milk can also be used.
- Tomatoes
Lowering your stress is essential in meditation. Vitamin C is one of the vitamins that can help to control stress, and as tomatoes contain plenty of vitamin C, it can be considered as an effective supplement to enrich the level of this vitamin in our body. Less stress means a lower chance of depression as according to a conducted study people who ate this vegetable more than 6 times a week are significantly less prone to develop depression.
- Nuts
Nuts such as pistachios, almonds, and walnuts are great sources of antioxidant Vitamin E and zinc which are considered beneficial for boosting the immune system. They are also rich in B-Vitamins helping to prevent depression and stress. Problem-solving skills which are critical in meditation are shown to be improved by eating nuts.
