Satvic food: Here's all you need to know about what it is and the dos and don'ts

Satvic food is considered to be healing food as it is easy to digest hence, when we eat it, our body has to spend less time digesting and can spend more time healing. According to experts, by switching to a Satvic diet and lifestyle, we can fully cure any chronic disease without any medicines but the benefits of Satvic food are believed to go far beyond the physical body.

In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Subah Saraf, Co-Founder of Satvic Movement, shared, “As we keep eating Satvic food, even our thoughts change. It brings mental clarity, calmness and humility. We elevate to a higher consciousness of fearlessness. We become closer to Mother Nature and God. There are a few principals of Satvic Food - first of all, the food you eat must be living and natural i.e., plant-based, nothing processed, tinned or bottled. Second, anything you make must not be fried or subtracted of its natural elements. And prominently a portion must be rich with water concentrate, like fruits, vegetables and leaves.”

She advised, “While following a satvic lifestyle and food habits one must not eat a meal that is cooked and kept for more than three hours. This refers to every food that is packed, preserved or frozen as they are not living and fresh food items.” Elaborating upon the same, Nutritionist Poonam Duneja said, “On the basis of the ideals of ahimsa and simple living, satvic foods are essentially vegetarian, prepared using only wholesome, organic, plant-based and dairy produce, strictly avoiding all animal meat. These comprise fruits, nuts, vegetables, seeds, milk, legumes and various other naturally derived bounty. It is based on the traditional custom of cooking and eating food since time immemorial claiming its magnificent wellness incentives, from promoting digestion, increasing metabolism, improving immune functions, enriching skin, hair wellness and keeping a calm mind.”

She added that Ayurveda categorises food ingredients into three different attributes or gunas - namely sattva, rajas and tamas and explained:

1. It focuses on preparing only the required amount of food, eating everything in moderation and avoid wastage of dishes. It also recommends steering clear of processed, canned products and to opt for freshly cooked foods at all times of the day, the satvic diet uses only raw ingredients – by plants grown organically, ripened, seasonal harvest, without harming any animals, as well as how food should be cooked – showing the following kind qualities of appreciation, care and kindness for all living beings. Nevertheless, the satvic diet is not actually bland and subtle in taste. It in fact consists of all the six flavours, namely sweet, bitter, salty, sour, spicy and astringent.

2. Since the satvic diet consists of pure organic food, plant produce and no animal products, it is easy on stomach, reduces bloating, acidity, constipation, irritability, gut sensitivity, inflammation and helps in detoxification.

3. Fresh organic fruits and ripe vegetables, dairy products, nuts, dry fruits, seeds, whole grains, oils and non meat based foods that are grown without pesticides, fertilizers, hormones, and other chemical additives, instead grown in pure natural soils and environment. This natural way of growing adds life force to the foods making them more beneficial to body and mind.

According to Sajeev Nair, Founder and Chairman of Vieroots Wellness Solutions, satvic foods are supposed to generate favorable biochemical and neurochemical reactions in the body. He said, “While we have 60 to 70 trillion cells in our body, there are more than 100 trillion micro organisms living within your body. I think Satvik food should be the one which takes care of these microbiota also.”