Are we influenced in our inner being by what we eat?
The answer is a resounding yes. Through the ages the great spiritual currents have directly related the influence of our diet with our ability to calm the mind and enter deep states of meditation.
The diet that you apply in our daily life influences our mental, physical and spiritual balance, in turn, our mental, physical and spiritual state influences the diet. It is a two-way phenomenon in which both what we eat has repercussions on the balance of mind, body and soul as well as our own balance and affects the decisions we make regarding food.
From the traditions of Yoga, emphasized in the Chandogya Upanishad, the message has been transmitted that "the mind is made of food." Teaching that food is divided into three parts: a gross part that becomes excrement, a middle part that becomes flesh or body and the other in subtle essence from which the mind and soul are formed. Ramana Maharshi, one of the most famous Sages of India, when asked about the most important step we could take on the path to meditation, answered without hesitation: to eat a pure vegetarian diet. Therefore, it is advisable to have a vegan diet, but it is not completely necessary, you can eat red meat once a week as recommended by the WHO (World Health Organization) and also eat other types of proteins such as white meat. In this sense, it is important that the piece is complete and not processed, which implies avoiding hamburgers or portions that contain a combination of meats.
In the Ayurvedic tradition, it speaks of the connection between our body, our mind (subtle body) and our soul (Atma), clearly contemplating the importance of food in all these aspects of the human being.
All these factors play a relevant role in the state of our balance in order to have a prosperous and happy life. As fruits, nuts, sprouts or sprouts, seeds, vegetables and grains grown naturally (organic), an ideal diet oriented towards the growth of consciousness and internal connection should predominantly contain pure whole foods (without additives or chemical pesticides ) mostly crude, the ideal crude vs. Cooked should be 80-20 and in any case always greater than 50% of the food in its natural state without cooking to avoid that the body feels attacked by foreign agents and its immune system generates Leukocytosis. The intake of pure beverages is also essential and in this aspect natural mineral water is the basis of a diet that seeks the path of consciousness.
The Sattvic diet promotes physical exercise, avoid junk food, excessively salty or spicy food, fried foods, microwave ovens, irradiated or overcooked foods, refined flour, in particular that of transgenic wheat, sugar. In the same way, control caffeinated beverages, alcoholic beverages, industrial juices and in some cases onion and garlic.
It is important to know that today's science has extensive information that supports with certainty the connection between our digestive system and the brain and heart. The so-called second brain or enteric nervous system, is one more proof of the connections between our digestive system and other organs of the body. Today we are already experimenting with so-called psychobiotics, which are essentially a mixture of probiotics with healthy bacteria that improve our mental health.
In short, the secret towards a positive path in meditation and towards the connection with our inner being and therefore with all living beings, part of a healthy diet, as described in the book "the power of food", in “The power of food. vital cuisine ”Food is the primary component of the path to inner peace but we must not forget that it is only one aspect among all the others mentioned above that are an important part of our healthy lifestyle.