For as long as mankind has had its spiritual practices, be it prayer, meditation, yoga and the like, it has always accompanied them with dietary guidelines aimed at supporting and allowing the best possible results of these practices. This goes back to the dietary code given to the people of Israel (as described in the Bible), down to the Vinaya code of the Buddhist order, the dietary restrictions given to yoga practitioners in India and the special diets given by the Shamans in the Amazon, among others. It was known for millennia by the great sages of all traditions that what you eat will directly affect your state of mind and the depth of your spiritual practice.

In the Yoga tradition of India, for example, foods were categorized into three groups according to the three Gunas (or tendencies) that exist in the universe:

1. Tamas
   The heavy, dulling foods causing inertia and laziness in the mind and body, lack of energy and sleepiness. These include meat, old and rotten food, and mushrooms among others.
   
   
2. Rajas
   Fiery, stimulating foods that will cause agitation of the mind, many thoughts and restlessness in the body. These include hot spices such as chili and black pepper, garlic, onions, coffee and other stimulating foods.
   
   
3. Sattva
   The pure, pristine force acting as a balance between the two others and allowing peace of mind, tranquility and optimal conditions in the body/mind for deep, still and profound meditation practice. This food will be clean of any unwanted chemicals, cooked with care and love, not spiced, wholesome, sweet tasting and light on digestion.

This is a Sanskrit term used in the context of Yoga practice, but I would like to apply it here in a much wider perspective in my view of a balanced and harmonious diet. It is my personal experience, practicing meditation for several years and spending quite a lot of time in silent meditation retreats around the world, that the food I consumed during these days of deep practice directly affected the quality of the thoughts I encountered, the level of energy I had in my body to sustain alertness throughout the day and finally the depth of meditative state that I managed to achieve as a result of the practice. Generally, meditation retreats worldwide cater to a vegetarian diet, considering the fact that most spiritual practitioners in the west avoid eating meat. But still, this does not mean any vegetarian or vegan food will be conducive to our meditation practice.

In order to maintain sufficient levels of energy throughout a long day of practice, at least two meals a day should include a whole grain, providing the brain with a sufficient amount of energy in the form of complex carbohydrate, allowing for a gradual breakdown of the sugars in the body and sustenance of one’s energy levels for many hours. This is the wiser alternative to serving white rice, bread, pasta or any other refined grain, causing the energy level to fluctuate rapidly and creating fatigue by the late afternoon, a time when many practitioners testify they have a hard time concentrating or keeping awake during meditations. The same applies to over-eating and consuming large amounts of protein in the form of meat or legumes.

A great introduction into a field of food awareness is a new Spirit Science video series: