Sattvic diet - avoiding onions & garlic

[Guest guest]

Dear brothers & sisters

 

I am attending an all day yoga event tomorrow & need to take a dish to

share that conforms to the sattvic diet. Since it is so cold (in

England) I thought I would make some soup to share.

 

Looking through many recipes, I am now wondering why onions & garlic

are to be avoided. I know they are considered to be rajasic or tamasic

& are considered to be detrimental to meditation, but do we have any

proof of this? These same sources applaud the use of ghee - which is

something I would never put in my body, unless I was planning a heart

attack! I have also heard the story about onions, garlic & red lentils

coming from the body of a dead cow.... Im not sure about this either??

(So if I cannot use red lentils, which lentils can I use?)

 

I also understand the sattvic diet promotes the use of dairy foods, yet

advises against 'artificial food processing.' The dairy industry is one

of the most ruthless, animal cruel, artificial, food processing

industries we have. Cows milk is meant for baby cows, but we force our

dairy cows to produce gallons of milk for our own gratification. We

also pump their feeds with hormones & other chemicals, before we

extract the milk at force, causing unfair stress & harsh treatment to

the cow. So is this really in accordance with the principles of a

sattvic diet? Most people cannot just have a cow living beside them,

eating nothing but organic food & grass, in order to produce pure milk

extracted in a gentle & loving way.

 

Does anyone here live on a sattvic diet? I would love to hear your

thoughts & experiences whilst I try & get my head around this

interesting subject.

 

With love

 

Farah

[Guest guest]

, " janfarah_strongspirit "

<janfarah_strongspirit wrote:

> Looking through many recipes, I am now wondering why onions & garlic

> are to be avoided. I know they are considered to be rajasic or

tamasic

 

 

Dear Farah,

 

Vaishnav sect of hinduism normally stress on sattvic diet. Yoga

disciplines also talk of sattvic food as it may help in proper

dissipation of energies. Onion and garlic, are said to increase

sexual urges, hence are avoided. although as per Ayurveda garlic is

the best for checking cholestrol and heart ailments (shantnu will

perhaps write more on this as he has good knowledge of ayurveda)

 

Cow is the only animal, which produces tripple the milk needed for the

calf. If calf is satisfied with 2 kilo milk, a cow will produce 5-6

kilos...the extra for the owner's children.

 

In old days the traditional cowherds, would never starve the calf,

they would let the calf drink milk, then take milk for them and left

some again for calf to drink if he felt hungry.

 

In India this tradition is still alive more or less, as there is still

no mechanisation of dairy. The milk is still taken out with hands,by

patting the animal. My gradfather had a cow and i saw from childhood

how these cows were treated with respect and love. You will not

believe, when all the grandchildren would go to grandpa's house, the

cow would give more milk always....that z why hindus consider cow as

mother.

 

Now moderanisation has spoilt all the traditions and that z why cows

are revolting against humanity through foot and mouth diseases etc.

 

I dont think in this Kaliyuga we can be so strict as per the

scriptures....we should observe as far as possible. If we go strictly

by logics, we cant even eat plants as they also have life and they

also feel pains etc.

 

Particularly in the beginning days of sadhna one should be a

little strict with diet...once on the path we can relax a

little...just by eating onions and garlics no one is going to hell as

they are simply vegetables.

 

since there are different paths in hinduism, and each have their

own system of thought, diet and sadhna, one' sect's ideas may not be

taken as supreme.

 

so my moto is try to have sattvic food... maximum possible...but no

need to die for it.

 

AUM

 

(I am a strict vegetarian and dont even eat eggs and

cakes/pastries...despite living in many countries)

[Guest guest]

What to eat and not to eat is a complex question(for Sadhaks!), and a

simple " onions are bad, milk is good " type of approach wont help.

Onions increase Rajas, which is proably what you need if you live in

cold climates.

 

Rather than blindly following rules, you should find what your

Ayurvedic Dosha is( you will find many websites that can do this for

you). Your diet should be accoridng to your Ayurvedic type.

 

Ayurveda has 3 doshas- Vata(air element), Pitta(fire element) &

Kapha(Earth element). All diseases are caused by imbalance of these

elements. People have 1 of these 3 predominant, so they get qualities

of that dosha.

 

For example Vata types are like Air- Usually tall, thin, cant make up

their mind, intelligent Professor types. Pitta types are aggressive,

ambitious, disciplined(like fire). Kapha types are slow, careful but

strong people, like Earth element.

 

But its not so simple, as most people are a mixture of these(with 1

guna main, other subordinate). Also your mental dosha maybe different

from physical. So mentally, you maybe Vata- always thinking new ideas,

jumping here to there, but physically Kapha- your body doesnt like

much movement & is lazy.

 

The diet you choose has to be in accordance to your type, and also

where you live. If you are a Pitta type- onions are bad for you as

they increase Rajagun & associated qualities like anger, passion,

which Pitta types already have too much of. But if you are a Pitta

type living in a very cold country, your natural Pitta dosha will be

weak, & eating onions maybe good for you.

 

Garlic esp, is considered a super hot(hot here means it increases our

inner fire). As such it can imbalance our internal system. In

fact, garlic is used as a medicine in Ayurveda for people whose

internal fire is weak, or whose Pitta Dosha is suppressed.

 

This is more true in India, people who live in cold climates should be

able to eat it now & then.

 

Onions & garlic are still better than Meat & alcohol, which are Tamsic

foods.

 

This is a very complex topic. Luckily, there are many good websites

that will tell your dosha(after asking you questions about your body,

personality etc). They will also recommend a diet for you.

[Sundeepan]

Hi Farah,

 

I live on a sattvic diet. I found that after I switched from the normal diet in my household, there was an almost immediate change in my temperament, mental ability and health. The normal diet in my house hold was Indian cuisine with a touch of Bengali cooking, which consists of heavy use of different types of Saag. Also consisted of Meats and poultry with the exception of beef and pork which we never ate.

 

I strongly recommend a sattvic diet. It brings peace of mind and prepares one for proper practice of yog and devotion, another plus of not using meats, onion and garlic is that one wont smell foul. I remember that after I started a sattvic diet, when I was around people who ate meats, garlics and onions I used to smell it just by standing next to them. It was not pleasant.

 

Ghee is very healthy. Although Ghee consists mostly of fat it reduces cholestorol as well as LDL in blood plasma. Ghee also lacks hydrogenated oils which butter or margarine contains. Ghee has been used for thousands of years by people of India. So putting the right amount of Ghee in your body is ok. One drop of ghee is healthier than one drop of regular olive oil.

[Sundeepan]

And as far as Dairy is considered, in many places in India the calf first feeds from the mother cow, the left over is then used by humans. The Cow produces enough milk for its calf and the humans depending on the Cow. In "Modern" western cultures (I have put modern in quotes for a reason which I am not going to get into at this moment), with the industrialization of dairy, the milk has become tamasic. Most of the cows are fed bad things, including remains of other cows as well as plastic hay. But many "Organic" dairy farms do not practice this treachery. I live in TX where there are several "Organic" dairy farms that first provide milk to the calves and the rest is packaged for human consumption.

 

In this "modern" world of the Kali Yug one must be careful of what they eat. I try to eat the simplest possible foods as a sacrifice.