Ahh, the old adage “You are what you eat”, take a moment and feel into that one for a moment. 

If I’ve done my research properly this saying is routed back to a French lawyer who said, “Dis-moi ce que tu manges, je te dirai ce que tu es.”, or “Tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are”. Eloquently put, however, this concept actually has deep, ancient routes.

Every culture or lineage I can think of has its own version of nutrition, and concepts of the energetic qualities of food, many of which tie directly into spirituality. My personal interest in nutrition led me to study conventional dietetics in college (I didn’t continue there, but I digress), Ayurveda, Macrobiotics, the raw food movement, and vegan nutrition in a broader sense. 

While nutrition is an often controversial subject, I like to always bring it back to the question “how does this feel for me?” – I believe there is a common ground for us all in developing our bodily awareness and that is a big component to our wellbeing. This is not a linear process, and one that will highlight each of our unique natures’, an area which Ayurveda seems to have been ahead of the curve on.

Discovering Ayurveda’s way of categorizing basically anything that occurs in nature, including food, into energetic groups otherwise known as the Gunas, landed with me in a big way. This lineage has supported me in my goal of being an intuitive eater and releasing my former rigid ways. I honor that this may not be the same for everyone, but beyond diet, understanding these concepts may prove to be beneficial.

So, what are these Gunas, what do they represent, and how can we apply them to our diet? 

Gunas are described as “that which binds”, but can be thought of like qualities, or virtues used to describe all matter which exists in nature, as well as states of consciousness. Pretty rad system right? When applied to our diet, the Gunas guide us in understanding the energetics of food groups as well as ourselves, and from there supports us in discerning our own individual needs. 

The Gunas are described as follows:

Sattvic– represents purity, lightness, goodness, wellbeing, and harmony. A Sattvic diet is described as the most balanced way of eating, believed to be healing for all doshas and body types. 

The Sattvic food group includes fresh fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds, fresh dairy products, and certain herbs and spices. Cooking food from its fresh state, with care and loving-kindness is considered Sattvic. You may bake, steam, saute, or simmer, but be mindful to not overcook the food.

 Everything placed in the Sattvic category is believed to be calming, grounding, and producing a more harmonious state of consciousness. Of course, the preparation of the foods, and how they are eaten is of importance here as well. 

Rajasic– represents frenetic energy, heat, movement, passion, action, stress, anger. This group of foods includes spicy foods, onions, garlic, tea, coffee, chocolate, excessively sugary foods, and fried foods. Meals can become rajasic when they are overcooked, or overspiced, as well as being deep-fried. 

This group of foods can create an energizing effect on the body, helping it to spring into action, but, in excess, can lead to health ailments. Someone who tends to be Rajasic in nature (or simply in a phase where Rajas continue to present itself) should be aware and cautious when consuming foods in the Rajasic category to avoid imbalance. 

Tamasic– represents lethargy, exhaustion, heaviness, delusion, ignorance, destruction. This group of foods is referred to as ‘dead foods’ and includes meat, fish, eggs, stale foods (this includes frozen and reheated foods), excessively sugary or oily foods, alcohol, cigarettes, and processed foods containing preservatives. Cooking with stale, frozen, or reheated foods produces more Tamas.

When someone has an excess of Tamasic qualities present in their life, they are more likely to suffer from imbalances and health ailments when consuming Tamasic food. Tamas has its place, and should not be in any way considered a ‘bad’ quality as it is a necessary part of the spectrum. 

Because the Gunas represent a spectrum, where all parts of it are necessary for life, poo-pooing certain qualities isn’t realistic nor is it helpful. As the pendulum swings, our miraculous mind-body system will continue to look to claim equilibrium. After all, life is continuous movement, full of cycles and rhythms. 

My personal perspective is that a system such as Ayurveda provides context and guidance, which aids the process of increasing our awareness of self. This is definitely not the full picture here, Ayurveda is a complex system with many parts that provide insights, and I encourage anyone reading this to dive into different resources on this subject to gain a more holistic understanding. 

Questions I invite you to lightly consider:

~How do you relate to the Gunas, or in a general sense, the energetics present in life? 

~Is there another school of thought that supports you in increasing your awareness of self and wellbeing? 

If you are open to sharing, I’d love to hear about your direct experience in the comments below. Let’s elevate, together! 

With Love & Gratitude,
Kayla