Originally made for the Texas Yoga Retreat. A presentation based on historic vedic texts. How to live a sattvic, yogic life through nutrition. This was presented on Oct 22nd in Austin, Texas. Nina, a health planner and nutrition coach is also a certified Kripalu Yoga teacher for 15 years. Nina has woven the two fields of nutrition and yoga together into a fun, educational experience.

2. The Yoga of
Nutrition
by Nina Beucler Rebstock
Certified Health Planner, Nutrition Coach
Certified Kripalu Yoga Teacher
www.BigPictureLongLife.com
October 2011

3. Nutrition
The Science of Maintaining
Health and Creating
Vibrant Longevity
Thought is also “Food”

4. Tapas, Svādhyāya, and Iśvara-
Pranidhāna Are Kriyā-Yōga
• In Yogic Philosophy, Kriya yoga is comprised of:
•Tapas – Austerity of Sturdy Self-Discipline-Mental,
Moral and Physical
•Svādhyāya – Repitition of Sacred Mantras or Study
of Sacred Literature
•Iśavara – Pranidhāna – Complete Surrender to God

5. The Bhagavad Gītā

6. The Bhagavad Gita

7. The Gītā promotes a
Sattvic Life
•The Bhagavad Gita describes the sattvic diet as:
•Promoting life, virtue, strength, health, happiness
and satisfaction.
•Sattvic foods are easily digestible, savory, smooth,
and firm.
•Sattva is one of the three qualities of prakrti
responsible for clarity and lightness
•“When sattva predominates, the light of wisdom
shines through every gate of the body.” (BG 14:11)

8. Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra’s
 Kriyā yoga is the yoga of purifying action
 Yoga Sutra 1:1 states that yoga is defined as those
practices that lead to anuhāsanam, the governing
of one’s subtle nature
 Asattvic diet to supports these goals

9. The Three Gunas
 Sattva – means Essence, corresponds to Pitta
 Rajas - means Activity, corresponds to Vata
 Tamas – means Inertia, corresponds to Kapha

10. Āyurveda-The Three Dosas and Five Elements

11. Āyurvedic theory
 Build a healthy metabolic system
 Attain good digestion and proper excretion
 Exercise, yoga and meditation
 Use of medicinal herbs and foods

12. Nagarjuna
150-250 CE

13. What is a yogic diet?
The Bhagavad Gita says:
Sattvic food is considered ideal
Whatsoever you eat, eat in moderation
Educate yourself on proper nutrition, be sensitive to
your body, and see what foods work for you
Emphasize fresh vegetables and fruits.
Eat a mostly plant based diet

14. Ahīmsa
 Non violence to all sentient beings
 Ahimsā is a Yama : noninjury, consideration, love
 The Yamas are discilplines concerning our dealings
with society and the world
 The Niyamas are personal discipline
 All sattvic foods should be as a result of Ahimsā

16. It is the yogi/yogini’s goal
to rise above attachment
to both good and bad,
wrong and right.

17. 21st Century
Applying yogic principles now

18. Balance is the Key

19. Rajasic foods
 Are bitter, sour, salty, pungent, hot and dry
 Increase speed and excitement
 Foundation of motion, activity, and pain
 Examples: sattvic foods that have been fried in oil
or cooked too long, or foods eaten in excess.
Heavily spiced or salted food.

20. “When rajas predominates, a person runs
about pursuing selfish and greedy ends,
driven by restlessness and desire” (BG 14:12)
 Rajasic foods have the essence of stimulation
 Give us motivation
 In excess may cause excitation leading to negative
emotions
 Suggested to eat Rajasic when need energy
 Eating quickly is Rajasic

21. Examples of Rajasic
 Peppers, tomatoes, avocados, garlic/onion
 Eggs
 Coffee
 Salt
 Vinegar
 Pickles
 Chocolate

22. Tamasic
The foundation of ignorance, doubt, pessimism
Tamasic food
should be avoided!

24. Tamasic Foods
 Foods lacking in luster and life
 Excess creates weakness and inertia
 The most challenging to digest
 Dry, old, decaying unpalatable
 Strongly processed, canned or frozen food
 Consume a large amount of energy to digest

25. Avoid
 Fried foods
 Processed foods
 Margarine
 Fake sweeteners
 White sugar and white flour
 Cheese (processed and homogenized)
 Meat
 Drugs and alcohol

26. Sattvic Foods
 Sattva is defined as the quality of purity and
goodness
 Sattvic food gives life, strength, energy, courage
and self-determination
 Subtle nourishment for vitality and consciousness
 Full of prana

28. Sattvic Foods
 Savory, smooth, firm, light and pleasant
 Organic foods
 Prepared with love and awareness
 Easily digested – chew well
 Eat to only 75/80 % full, never more
 Eat quietly with reverence

29. Basic Sattvic Food
 Grains – 3-5 serving a day (whole)
 Legumes – 3-5 servings a day (organic)
 Vegtables – 4-5 servings a day (organic)
 Fruits – 4-5 servings a day (organic)
 Dairy – 2-3 servings a day (raw unpasteurized)
 Nuts and Seeds – 1-2 servings a day
 Oils – 1-2 servings a day (coconut/olive)
 Honey – 1-2 servings a day (raw/organic)

30. The Jagadguru Kripalu
Pyramid

31. Sattvic Herbs & Spices
Herbs
Ashwagandha,Calamus gotu kola,Gingko
Jatamansi,Purnarnave,Shatavari
Saffron,Tulsi (holy basil) ,Rose
Spices
Turmeric, cumin, cardamom
Coriander, fennel, fenugreek
Fresh ginger, cinnamon

32. “The persons having the sattvic essence are
endowed with memory, devotion, gratitude,
learned, pure, courageous, skillful, resolute,
free from anxiety, having well directed and
serious intellect and activities
and are engaged in virtuous acts.”
(Charak Samhita III-8:110)

33. “Never give up yoga. Never eat
unhealthy, heavy food. Always
practice pranayama.”
Sri Krishnamacharya
(Slōka 31, Yogān Jalaisāāram)

35. Stoking your
Digestive Fire
Different foods require
different enzymes to digest
Combining food properly
is essential!

37. Separating your foods
at mealtime
 Eat proteins and sugars at separate meals
 Eat starchy foods and sugars (fruits) separately
 Eat protein and acid foods separately
 Eat proteins and fats separately
 Melons should always be eaten alone
 Drink liquid before meals, not during, unless warm
tea such as tulsi tea

38. Proper combinations
 Eat protein with non starchy vegetables or ocean
vegetables
 Only one kind of protein per meal
 Eat grains and starchy vegetables with non starchy
or ocean vegetables
 Fats and oils combine with vegetables, grains, and
proteins
 Combine fermented dairy products with sour fruits,
seeds, nuts, and non-starchy vegetables

39. Food combining
continued
 Combine legumes with non-starchy or cultured
vegetables
 Cultured foods and drinks combine with everything
including fruit. Examples are:
a. cultured veges
b. raw kefir or yogurt
 Use good quality sea or mountain (rock) salt
 Hydrate with pure, filtered, un-bottled (plastic) water

40. Acid/Alkaline Balance
 The body should be 65% alkaline and 35% acid
 Alkali’s are soluble salts and acids are corrosive
agents
 A balanced condition helps us think, act and decide
well. Creates health and longevity.
 A balanced food plan also creates ph balance of
the blood
 Balanced ph helps prevent disease in the body

41. Acid-Alkaline Chart

42. Recommended
 The Bhagavad Gita Reading
 Patañjali’s Yoga Sutras
 Yoga Philosoophy of Patañjali, Swāmi
Hariharānanda Āranya
 The Practices of Yoga for Your Digestion, Swāmi
Satiyananda Saraswati
 The Body Ecology, Donna Gates
 The Second Brain, Michael D. Gershon, M.D.
 The Yogān Jalaisāāram, Krishnamacharia
 The Yoga of Nutrition, Omraam Mikhaël Aïvanhov

44. Nāmaste
Blessings for a long and joyous life!
by Nina Beucler Rebstock
Certified Health Planner, Nutrition Coach
Certified Kripalu Yoga Teacher
www.BigPictureLongLife.com