Friends,
The food we take is also very important in determining our progress especially in the advanced stages. Please post the foods that you consume everyday.
I recently turned into vegetarian from a hardcore non-veg diet. Earlier whenever i tried i used to break off immdeatly, but this time after 8 months of AYP, it was easy to maintain.
Other than that i dont have any specific foods that i eat. i generally eat all vegetarian stuff. i heard milk & milk products are recommended.
God might not always give you what you WANT, but he will always give you what you NEED
Pretty much everyday I enjoy eating apples with granola and yogurt. It is my favorite meal of the day. I have taken an all veg diet for the past 3 years and previous to that I ate chicken and fish off and on since early childhood. As well as eating the apple meal, I try to eat some sort of greens (spinich or other), tofurkey kilbasa, mushrooms, different squashes, only whole grain bread or sprouted grain bread, whole grain pasta, organic rice, and the list goes on. altely I started taking whey protein because I have been lifting weights and running, but eating foods without undergoing a severe refining process seems to work with me. I am sure that my diet can ever become better, but all I need is new ideas.
Ever trying to attain the bliss of oneness
Hi Near,
Since my teenage years, my diet has changed gradually over time. First, I stopped eating meat, then I dropped chicken, eventually I settled on a vegetarian diet that included fish. I think one day the fish may go to, I am not sure. Some types of fish already have but not all.
I noticed that over the course of many years, I slowly made healthier and healthier choices. It’s hard to explain why, I always valued a healthy diet but slowly things simply became unpalatable to me and those things were (fortunately), foods that had healthier alternatives. I found that eating well made me feel better over the long term and started to avoid things which I knew didn’t make me feel good. So if I look where I am today, it would seem to be in the “hyper-anal” category of healthy eating to most, but it was a gradual process overall, so very easy to sustain.
What do I eat or avoid eating? No meats, I avoid processed food as much as possible, no sugar based drinks or candy. I aim for organic food as much as possible or foods in which I trust the process that brought them to the shelves. Lot’s of fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, raw nuts, I probably look for uncooked as much as possible. I dropped milk about 2 years ago and think the soy-milk I drink is on its way out too, as soon as I find a viable alternative.
I hope this helps,
A
Hi Melissa,
Thanks for this, two questions though:
a- what do I soak them overnight in, water as well?
b- what the heck is stevia???
I could google it, but it’s probably more fun to ask you!
A
Stevia is a sugar substitute, as is {vegetable glycerin}.<------- VERY sweet & delicious. Why do you need to give up soy milk? Just curious, as I drink lots of it. I’ve been a vegetarian for almost 20 yrs, altho now I eat fish occasionally. I originally gave up meat for moral reasons, but the health benefits became apparent very quickly. Dairy has been harder to give up, and I do cheat occasionally, but always regret it. Clogs the system! I eat a lot of eggs for protein, but have heard that for yogic purposes, I should give them up. Anyone have thoughts on eggs?
m
Thanks Meg/ Melissa for your replies.
Meg, it seems that you and I have pretty similar diets. My reasons started off as moral too and eventually health reasons became my primary motivator.
In regards to the soy milk, I have heard, but not done first hand research, that by the end of the processing it’s not great for you. I’m pretty picky about ingredients so I buy organic soy milk but am yet to find one that doesn’t contain natural flavors and/ or stuff like silicon dioxide etc. Natural flavors or artificial flavors as I am sure you are aware, are essentially synonymous terms. Natural vanilla flavor for example, would have a list of ingredients that would take over two minutes to read. Eric Shlosser does an excellent job describing the flavor manufacturing industry in his book “Fast Food Nation”.
Melissa, just to add to how to quit eating meat etc. I think what you focus on is key. If you focus on how great it tastes, you are not likely to succeed, if you focus on how crappy it makes you feel or all the health benefits you will reap, it becomes a lot easier. This is how I have always done it.
A
>>Melissa, just to add to how to quit eating meat etc. I think what you focus on is key. If you focus on how great it tastes, you are not likely to succeed, if you focus on how crappy it makes you feel or all the health benefits you will reap, it becomes a lot easier. This is how I have always done it.
Anthem makes a really good argument here. I loved the taste of meat when I gave it up, and now, when i smell BBQing animal flesh, it is pure bliss. (consciousness). 
But I wouldn’t eat it, b’c I know how lethargic and stupid it makes me, and there are SO many excellent substitutes available.
The thing that put me over the carnivorous edge was spending a summer in Texas (which I don’t recommend). Meat was served wtih each and every meal, and it really got to me. That, combined with reading about the nightmarish treatment of animals waiting to be slaughtered, put me off meat for good. Chickens are no exception. If you want to quit, but are lacking the motivation, read some of the literature that PETA puts out. But then, I’m a hypocrite, as I sometimes eat fish. (I tried the vegan thing, but got pretty weak). Some people need extra protein.
Melissa - next time you crave a burger, try a boca burger! Sometimes what we really crave is the bun and ketchup, or the taste of BBQ sauce. What we put it on isn’t as important as you might think!
meg
I eat as wide a variety of food as is palatable. I have tried vegetarian diets for years at a time and it hasn’t been for me.
One consistant tendency of mine over the years has been impatience with people on food trips. I realize that food effects our bodies and conciousness but personally I find that many people in spiritual or self improvement or health circles tend to obsess on what they eat or especially what they don’t eat too much for my taste. No offense to those of you for whom diet is very important, its just my personal quirk.
>>One consistant tendency of mine over the years has been impatience with people on food trips.
Victor - I completely agree. I would never suggest that anyone “should” eat as I do, and I will happily sit across the table from someone eating a dripping steak, as long as I’m not forced to share. When it’s appropriate, however, I do have my opinions. BTW, I’m sort of turned off by PETA, so just b’c I mentioned them doesn’t mean that I agree with everything they say and do.
I’d still like to hear some opinions on eggs. I remember hearing something about them being particularly bad for yogic practices, but don’t remember the source. Anyone . . .?
m
Soy is not what you think it is…Here’s some of the other side. 
Go here http://www.soyonlineservice.co.nz/
Rob
Actually there are some traditions or practitioners (if I remember correctly, aghoras) who do spiritual practices and eat meat as their MAIN food.
Infact it is recommended in many traditions that you take meat during kundalini awakening. During kundalini you are asked to keep eating every few hours without keeping the stomach empty any moment.
But in general, light vegetarian diet helps. AYP recommends light and nutritious. Not too light to be nutritious and not too nutritious to be light. I somehow feel vegetarian diet definitely helps in spiritual progress.
I also want to hear from somebody regarding eggs and their effect on yoga
The reason many people fail in spirituality is that they try but make no attempt - Anonymous
I turned lacto-ovo-vegetarian about 4 years ago, in order to consciously co-operate with the forces of evolution to allow deeper experience of meditation. I stopped eating eggs completely 3 weeks ago, because I was initiated into an advanced meditation system called Ananda Gandha, which also allows us to practice as healers, and eggs are contraindicated. Energetically speaking, eggs are rajasic, meaning they excite the passions. They can hinder the smooth flow of energy by causing undue disturbance in the nervous system, especially when it has become refined through intense sadhana.
I also completely avoid onions and garlic, because they are tamasic, or cause mental inertia and sluggishness, much like meat or alcohol. In reference to the fact about aghoris and meat, or even the fact that some famous saints of India, like Ramakrishna, ate meat (and even smoked), once one is established in pure consciousness, nothing matters, but initially, these things help. It is good not to be too concerned with diet, as someone pointed out - the body can take in a lot of prana through yogic practices.
Milk is good, energetically vegetarian, and sattvic (pure, nutritious and spiritually uplifting). In fact, during advanced practice of meditation, yogis subsist on only rice cooked with milk and rock candy (sugar). Milk is cooling to the system, when kundalini awakening can cause much heat to arise.
Soya foods can depress the thyroid function,maybe rice milk would be more usefull to the body,just a thought
Hello Antarananda
>>
I avoid garlic and onions because they are tamasic, or cause mental inertia and sluggishness, much like meat or alcohol
Some time ago on the older forum I brought up a topic where I questioned whether it was correct that garlic is ‘tamasic’ (I’d ask the same of onions, but I was focussing on garlic).
There is no doubt about it — ‘the tradition’ says that it is tamasic. But I was asking if the tradition is mistaken.
But considering what I have found myself, and the way people responded, I don’t believe garlic is tamasic, at least not at all in the sense of causing mental inertia and sluggishness. I believe it is totally compatible with good meditation.
I believe garlic stands falsely accused in the Yoga tradition.
-D
Hi:
I drink home made almond milk, I eat soaked sunflower seeds with my fruit, I take Udo’s choice oil blend and fish oil for the brain. I also take a liquid vitamin called Complete + dietary supplement it is made out of fruits and vegetable. Furthermore I take chlorella and sometime spirulina. Occasionally I have a salad or lightly cooked vegetable soup (home made of course). My body is doing well on these foods. I’m not sure if it would be enough for other bodies.
love
My understanding about garlic and onions is that they are stimulating (irritating) to the sexual organs and therefore make practice of celibacy more challanging. That seems to be the main reason that it is traditionally avoided. Otherwise it is very good for health. If you are not a firm celibate then I would not worry at all about garlic or onions
And even if you are a firm celibate, maybe find out for yourself if the garlic stimulates you sexually. Because it does not do that for everyone.
milk(dairy) and rice induce the body to produce mucus. so they could close a little the airway system, making the breathing process a bit annoying when meditating.
I met a vegetarian that had turned to crudist (no yoga and no meditation, only music), and she saw that her feeling and her sense about events and persons had sharpened.
also for this topic, i have receive this info from to distinct sources.
a friend of mine and i some time ago drank yage, and hallucinogen that is used as a healing and seeing tool by aboriginal indians. she went back to Leticia, Amazonia and met another taita(shaman), and she asked him that she wanted to learn to use yage(thast is like beacoming a shaman) and the man told her to stop consumin salt or cristal sugar for at least one moon(month), and see the results for herself (like do that and we will talk again, because you will see something different about reality). she told me that, and of course that diet is a very hard thing to do. you start tasting the real flavor of food.she never tried.
the second source was another musician that has a pretty good energy, and strenght (emotional, social, fisical) and also has been relating to magic and the shamans way of learning. i had forgotten what my “former” friend told about the taita and the salt and sugar. he told me that he had tried the month with out salt, but that he couldnt resist. he said in words that your understanding changes and you start to “know” why things happen, like you know why that bird just happens to pass, or why are the waves fo the ocean like that. is like a constat deja vu. he never heard that about sugar, but that things had changed withou taking salt cristals.
i´ve been triying to slow down the salt, now i cook with out salt, and is very hard to eat rice or beans with out it. i loved cheese but all that has salt added to it. and in this to weeks with very little ammounts of salt, i have been feeling neigther nothing “different” good or bad.
does anyone knows something about this practices?
in lakesh
Hi Noche! Thanks for your post. Very interesting. I didn’t know that by eliminating salt/sugar our systems could become purified to the point that we may have metaphysical insights. I’ve eliminated both in the past for health reasons, and it was indeed very difficult at first, as there is salt and sugar in most everything we eat. But after I kept at it for a while (a few weeks), I felt fantastic. There was a presence of mind and a physical clarity that I’d never before experienced. But no insights as to why a bird flew overhead. 
If you’ve gone 2 weeks without salt, I encourage you to keep at it for a while longer, as it does seem to take a significant amount of time to notice the effects. You’re probably drinking lots of water; also try some cleansing teas, like Pao D’Arco. This particular tree is mold-resistant and has many health benefits.
Hari Om
Hello Meg,
I have been trimming down my salt intake for some time now (years) just due to better health…yet the occasional potato chip/cracker has it in there. Yet I do not desire salt. I do not ‘season’ anything with salt. No point to be made, just a habit I have eliminated.
I find it curious that we in the west think salt 'n pepper are the ingredients for seasoning… I have been using fennel, dill, cumen, paprika, tumeric, mustard powder, etc. etc. for some time now e.g. approx 10 to 15 herbs in a shaker I cook with and add to my food.
My goal is to get the ‘6 tastes’ Ayurveda suggests in ones diet. Again, not advocating any thing just sharing. Those six tastes (you probably already know) :
Bitter, sweet, salty, pungent, astringent, sour. When in balance, we are in balance (I am not in balance in the winter months…been trying for years and keep trying). In the USA we are seen world-wide as over weight ( the fat American’s). We tend to favor sweet, sour and salty. We miss the balance, the other 3 tastes. One Great taste is that of Ghee which stimulates Ojas in us. Ojas is linked to higher states of consciousness. I am a ghee user for a while.
Peace,
Frank In San Diego