| I recently spent a week at a Sivananda Ashram in Grass Valley, California. It was an amazing experience, and I am trying to bring as much of the ashram lifestyle into my daily habits as I can: waking up at 5:30am, meditating first thing in the morning, then pranayama, then asanas, then food, etc. However, there is one issue about the diet, which I am confused about.
At the ashram, we ate only twice per day, and it was always strictly vegetarian. It was a tough adjustment for me. Surprisingly, I had an enormous amount of energy during the day in spite of sleeping only five hours per night. This much is wonderful. But what I do not like is that I lost three pounds during the week. I am already a very skinny person, with very little body fat. Is it healthy for me to eat so little?
Uptill now, I have been trying my hardest to gain weight and put on some muscle. And all the nutritional guides I've read strongly advise eating five times a day, while shovelling as much meat down my throat as possible -- the exact diet which the ashram strongly criticized. I now understand that meat is very tamasic and thus should be avoided. But how can I reconcile a sparse vegetarian diet with my desire to put on some muscle? Is there a way? Is this why all the yogis I see are so skinny? How can I determine what the optimal diet is for me?
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| strazin - 2007-08-16 7:34 PM
I recently spent a week at a Sivananda Ashram in Grass Valley, California. It was an amazing experience, and I am trying to bring as much of the ashram lifestyle into my daily habits as I can: waking up at 5:30am, meditating first thing in the morning, then pranayama, then asanas, then food, etc. However, there is one issue about the diet, which I am confused about.
====> That is fantastic. You are lucky.
At the ashram, we ate only twice per day, and it was always strictly vegetarian. It was a tough adjustment for me. Surprisingly, I had an enormous amount of energy during the day in spite of sleeping only five hours per night. This much is wonderful. But what I do not like is that I lost three pounds during the week. I am already a very skinny person, with very little body fat. Is it healthy for me to eat so little?
===> Body and body mass is required for doing some work with that body. As long as your are able to do whatever you want with that body, think or large does not make any different. Healthy does not mean more muscle. Healthy means healthy, NON - Sick.
Uptill now, I have been trying my hardest to gain weight and put on some muscle. And all the nutritional guides I've read strongly advise eating five times a day, while shovelling as much meat down my throat as possible -- the exact diet which the ashram strongly criticized. I now understand that meat is very tamasic and thus should be avoided. But how can I reconcile a sparse vegetarian diet with my desire to put on some muscle?
===> You should ask this question to the source of your Vegetarianism. If they can not answer, write to me.
Is there a way? Is this why all the yogis I see are so skinny?
===> Partially, Yes. Yogis are not necessarily supposed to look big and muscular. But, that does not mean they should not be muscular.
How can I determine what the optimal diet is for me?
After eating such a diet you should feel satisfied in general, during work and at other times, for a prolonged time, say 6 months at least.
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| As was mentioned above, what works for one might not work for another. I personally follow what's called a Calorie Restriction program. I eat 1500-1600 kcals/day but monitor my nutrition (vitamins and minerals), very closely with a software program. As to the number of times to eat per day, go with what feels right for you. The books that claim you should eat 5 or 6 times per day do so with the idea of keeping the metabolism running fast (not something you want if you want to gain weight or for longevity which is my goal). To gain weight include plenty of protein in your diet, preferably from whole foods but may be supplemented with drinks like Whey protein powders.
Hope this helps.
Jim Pilrose
BTW, If you would like more information regarding the Calorie Restriction program, you can find it here www.calorie-restriction.org
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Optimal diet
