What Is a Sattvic Diet?

A sattvic diet includes foods that are light and healthy. In Ayurvedic practice, sattvic foods are thought to increase energy, happiness, calmness, and mental clarity. In practice, that means eating things that are vegetarian, nutritious, fresh, and tasty.

Sattva.

This is the highest guna, representing balance and harmony. This is the ideal state.

Rajas.

This guna represents activity and movement. Too much rajas leads to stress, overstimulation, and overexcitement.

Tamas.

This is the base guna. It's associated with pessimism, weakness, and laziness.

When following a "yoga diet," also called a yogic diet, you typically eat more sattvic foods. Many experts recommend listening to what your body needs and eating those foods, so this may look different for different people, depending on how closely you follow it.

Many people believe that a yogic diet should be made of non-harming foods, or those that minimize harm to yourself or other living creatures. In line with this principle, many people who follow a yogic diet will choose to be vegetarian or vegan.