Satvik Food: Nutrition for Your Soul

Satvik is ahimsic (non-violent) in nature. Therefore, in principle, satvik food is that which is prepared without harming living organisms. It is food that is cooked according to the law of nature; it is sown, cut, cooked and consumed after sunrise and before sunset.

It includes crops that are sown, harvested, transported, sold and cooked with peace and compassion. The word satvik also means 'positive future'. Positive thinking has a lot to do with the food that we eat and how it acts on the body. It promotes the idea that the DNA of every cell is activated with the thoughts that run in your mind during the act of cooking, eating and digesting. Therefore, satvik food is first offered to the Almighty. It is also important to thank the source from where the food is procured and the person who has cooked and served it.

If the saying, "we are what we eat" is true, then satvik food is definitely the way to be. The term satvik has attained a fashionable connotation in recent times. But literally, it means 'perfectly balanced.' When applied to food, it helps in achieving the perfect harmony of mind, body and spirit.

The Bible, Quran, Gita and the ancient scriptures of Buddhism and Jainism advocate the practice of eating food that is pure. According to these holy books, pure food lights up the lamps of wisdom and increases longevity. Following a satvik diet requires a little planning but has many benefits, the most important being that it increases your immunity. This kind of food keeps the mind pure and calm, generates equilibrium and help in energizing the entire being. And when you make a conscious decision to eat satvik food, it has a positive impact on your intellect. Everything within and around you becomes highly exhilarating.

Numerous facts have been learnt about nutrition in the last few decades and these have all pointed towards the satvik way of eating. Since more life forces are activated in our body with fresh foods, our perspective, motivation, inspiration, consciousness and joy expand widely beyond our imagination. Eat organic food that includes plenty of fruits, dry fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds. Combine it with organic cold press virgin oils and organic butter. Get your protein intake from organic dairy or sprouted pulses and legumes. Flavor and season your food with rock salt, sea salt and lemon with minimum usage of condiments and spices. Let the juices and the flavor of the vegetables be experienced. This is what satvik eating is all about.

You can satisfy your sweet tooth with desserts made from natural sugars of organic honey, jaggery and dry fruits. Of course, people world over cannot convert to satvik food overnight, nor is that a desirable situation. Each individual makes choices that best define who she is or he is. However, satvik food is as much about an attitude towards food as much as the ingredients in it. It is all about respecting what nature has given you.