Yogic Diet

Although I would never tell anyone to  only eat certain foods, you may find as I have,  that over  time,  you begin to find yourself being drawn to certain foods and avoiding others. As you practice your yoga and become generally more aware you may begin to find that you are satisfied with less food and feel that foods containing chemicals and additives just don't feel as though they belong in your body.
I found over time that my appetite for animal products had begun to dwindle away, there was no feeling of deprivation and I did not feel as though I was denying  my self anything, the change just came about naturally.
Many people who smoke, drink heavily or take drugs recreationally, find that they have cut down or even stopped without setting out to discipline themselves. This isn't suddenly going to happen overnight because you are attending a weekly yoga class!  But if you let your yoga into your life you may be amazed at the effects.

The following is a guide to the Yogic Diet, don't force your self to bring about many dramatic changes to your diet all at once you will only resent it.

The Yogic Diet  classifies foods in to three groups.

Rajasic
These are the foods which over stimulate both body and mind, they cause both physical and mental stress and encourage nervous tendencies. These foods bring about a restless state and disturb balance of mind.
Very spicy or salty foods, refined sugar, soft drinks, many ready- prepared foods and snacks, onions, garlic, tea coffee and chocolate.

Tamasic

These foods are to be avoided in the yogic diet as they can produce feelings of dullness and lethargy.
Meat, fish, eggs, and alcohol are tamasic. Other items include stale or preserved foods and mushrooms as they are grown in the dark!

Sattvic

These foods calm the mind and sharpen the intellect. They are pure, wholesome and naturally delicious. A Sattvic diet is digested easily and supplies the body with energy, vitality and strength.  
Fresh and dried fruits, pure fruit juices, lightly cooked or raw vegetables, salads, grains, nuts, seeds, whole meal bread, honey, fresh herbs, herbal teas and dairy products. (due to modern factory farming methods only organic milk can be classed as truly sattvic. and with the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers the same is true of other produce)

'Eat to live, don't live to eat.'