Our alimentation
We studied together lately what Ayurveda is broadly. We now talk about food, different types of food according to Ayurveda. Based on the result of nutrients on the body, there are 3 categories of food that themselves correspond to three elements that make up the matter. They are found in each food and they affect not only the body but also the mind. They are called the three Gunas : Sattva element or the living, the Raja element or energy, movement. The Tama element or earth, mass, inertia.
Sattvic food is natural and easy to digest. It creates energy and corresponds to the living, to the organic. The human being that fed himself mainly with organic food stays in good shape and stay away from inertia, laziness, of cell death. It is considered, according to Ayurveda, the following as sattvic foods : dairy products, fresh and dried fruits, seasonal vegetables, whole grains, cereals and sprouted pulses, ginger, spices (except pepper), honey and raw sugar.
Rajastic food is not easy to digest and produces gas and an overflow of energy. It leaves the person agitated. It is particularly suitable for people with a physical job or when the winter is very cold and long. We find the following foods as tamasic : meat, eggs, fish, soy, chickpeas, chili and pepper, and the onion and garlic. So the family of hot food, in the sense that they produce heat during digestion and therefore throughout the body.
The tamasic food is the one called "dead", it means food devoid of good property or food kept more than 24 hours as in the food industry and even frozen products. This is a category very tough to digest and does not produce energy for the body or for the mind and corresponds to a state of inertia. the aliments are : tea, coffee, chocolate, white sugar, iodized salt, refined flour, biscuits, bread, refined grains, industrial products like jam sauces or sodas, food reheated also and those cooked in oil at high temperatures. All these foods are not organic and do not provide nutrients but toxins.
It is therefore better to consider food as alive or dead and adapt it with the daily activity. The tamasic food is of course to avoid completely, but sometimes this is not a big deal. Be aware that, very small quantity of proteins is enough to be healthy, and oil or fat is essential for proper functioning of the body. Also, it's very important to keep in mind that every kind of food eaten leaves traces in the body. Eating should be primarily a pleasant time and a quiet time, dedicated fully to the body.