The Yogic Diet

The yogic diet  is primarily a sattvic diet that recommends eating whole, unprocessed foods, like fresh fruits and vegetables. Such a diet  promotes calm, clear, receptive, and a peaceful mind.  

 
 
An Alkaline start
Yogic diet includes a ritual of drinking lemon water on an empty stomach, which eliminates the toxic diet and acids. Moreover, the lemon water is extremely alkaline, detoxifies and wakes ups all organs. It is suggested that adding salt enhances its power.  
 
 
Plant-based
Yogic diet include food that is related to prana (life force). Food which has prana gives us physical and emotional strength. Raw food, as intended by nature, gives us all vitamins and minerals . On the other hand, heat from cooked food destroys its fibre, nutrients and enzymes. So are canned, frozen, microwaved, or highly processed foods.  
 

Fasting
Yogic diet include a regular practice of fasting and cleansing to maintain lightness and clarity. Yoga believes that accumulation of toxins breeds disease. This includes bad eating habits, exposure to chemicals, build-up of negative emotions leading to an imbalance of mind and body. Fasting helps to counter this by giving our digestive system a break. There are various ways of fasting: water fast, fruit fast, giving up one or two meals in a day.
 
 
Good fats

Yogic nutrition is incomplete without ghee, coconut oil and soaked nuts/seeds. The presence of fats in the body improves memory, neural conductivity and mental well-being.

 

 
Herbs Teas or herbs like turmeric, ginger, coriander, pepper, cinnamon, and cardamom are included in the yogic diet. They are anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial and detoxifying in nature. 
 
 
That said, part of the yogic diet practice is also developing awareness on what you eat. It is good to spend time learning the origins and properties of the food you buy. Most importantly, it is essential to listen to how your body reacts to the food you eat so that you will know if that food might serve you best in each moment.