Introduction - We Are What We Eat

We are what we eat. Our food decides the quality of our minds and our health of our bodies. This is what Indians have believed for centuries. Therefore, they divide all food into three categories: the Tamasika, the Rajasika and the Satvika. Tamas, a Sanskrit word, means darkness. Naturally, all Tamasika food is supposed to bring out the lowest, crass qualities of a human being. Meat, sharp and spicy food, sour food, strong smelling garlic and onions, liquor - all these are to be avoided by those who seek spiritual upliftment and good health.
Rajasika food is what most people eat their daily lives. They draw enough energy from it to carry on their daily work. But it is Satvika food which is truly the wise eat. Those who are seeking a disciplined intellect, an organized life and higher spirituality believe in the essence(Satva) of food and they eat lightly cooked vegetables, milk and milk products, fruits, honey, nuts etc.
A person who lives on Satvika food is said to have a luminous personality, sharp faculties and high spiritual values. Since the gains of the Satvik diet are so bountiful, it might be useful to enumerate someof the foods named under this category in ancient texts. Good quality rice with some of its bran, wheat, barley, maize, green gram, lentils, sugar, sugar cane, honey, sago, arrowroot, milk, yoghut, butter and ghee(clarified butter), tender coconut water, grapes, dates, raisins, figs, bananas, mangoes, apples, melons of all kinds, pomegranates, white pumpkin and variety of gourds are mentioned as wholesome. White pepper, rock salt, lemon juice, fresh ginger are used for flavouring Satvik food. The major taboos include garlic, onion, meat, fish, eggs, smoking of all kinds, liquor, narcotic drugs, sharp peppers, tamarind and sour,hot and spicy food.
The Indian propagators of the right diet also insist that even Satvik food must be eaten in moderation. A spiritual seeker, therefore must be Mitahari(a balanced eater) and Mitabhashi(a balanced speaker). The yogic requirement is that food should fill only one third of the stomach, water another third and air the last third. Only with disciplined food habits can a person achieve peace of mind and body