I was wondering what are some your favorite yogic foods. Foods that you would say are staples in your diet, that you eat almost everyday. I am trying to eat lighter and healthier. I’ve been doing the AYP way for a couple of years now, and my diet really hasnt changed much and its really bad!! I basically live off of pizza and fast food, which I know is not good. I even drink beer on Saturday nights. I do have a really physical job and get a lot of exercise. I am pretty thin. People tell me I need to eat more. Only if they knew.
Hi des,
yoga food is mostly ‘AVML’ - Asian Vegetarian, often complemented by some yoghurt dressing or drink (Lassi). But if you do manual work then you can keep it richer in protein than otherwise (beans, lentils, peas, soy etc.) and in slow carbohydrates like oats. It shall contain a lot of fruits/nuts and vegetables (fresh or gently cooked), they have a ‘first-row seat’ in the Prana chain. Prana on Earth comes from the sun, so the first-line collectors of it are trees, plants and algae (I also use wild plants wherever available). Unsurprisingly, fast food is at the opposite end of the chain - so your intent to quit pizza sounds very reasonable.
Keetcheri is a base dish where ingredients and proportions can be varied a lot: basmati rice, vegetables, some virgin vegetable oil, and lentils, mung beans or chickpeas. Many yoga schools sell cook books, or even yoga-cooking weekend courses. Most Indian restaurants also offer several good ‘AVML’ dishes.
Needless to say, the need for protein also depends on how consistent a man’s brahmacharya is.
Western food in general contains too much protein (and wrong sorts of it), hard fats, and refined carbohydrates (those deprive the body of vitamins, mainly B vitamins, in order to get metabolized).
Best of luck!
HathaTeacher
Diet here has evolved to the point where not much cooking is needed, nor are the fridge or other appliances any longer required.
My staple food is home-made muesli. This consists of:
Organic quick rolled oats
Himalayan Crystal Salt
Wild Walnuts
Organic Almonds
Organic Raisins
Then pour spring water and mix until mushy and eat…
I eat this almost everytime, everyday. Before such a meal I’d usually have a raw vegetable or fruit ie. carrots, apples, avocadoes, tomatoes etc… Something that’s likely to be rich in prana.
Sometimes I make a salad with some greens, avocadoes and tomatoes… Or if I really want to rebel and treat myself, I put the salad into an organic bread wrap, lol.