What is a Satvic diet
A Satvic diet mostly consists of food that is straight from mother nature with minimal human interference. That implies, complete elimination of packaged food, processed/refined food, dairy products, meat, oil, sugar and harsh spices. Also, no onion or garlic because they are tamasik in nature.
The diet includes food that has life inside it, food that is juicy, fatty, wholesome and pleasing to the heart. Fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and whole grains are the major part of it.
Satvic food is easily digestible, and hence our body spends less time in digestion and the rest of the time in healing any ailments or issues that we are enduring.
Satvic movement
Satvic Movement is a non-profit health education platform that provides holistic knowledge about health, imparted by our Vedas & scriptures. This ancient Vedic knowledge is carefully translated to easily adaptable lifestyle choices for this modern era.
Subah Jain, the founder of the Satvic movement is a health educator, who helps people heal chronic diseases only through food without any medication. She has a bright smile, a charming personality and is very well versed in the process of healing the body with the Satvic diet.
The basic idea of this detox diet plan is to fast for 16hrs and only eat during the 8hrs window (intermittent fasting). You start your day with a detox drink like coconut water or any green vegetable juice. During the 8hrs you can have a big bowl of fruits for breakfast, a one-grain meal for lunch and a soup or salad for dinner.
My experience during the 10 days of Satvic Diet
I have stumbled upon a video about the detox diet of the Satvic movement a few months ago and it was very thought-provoking. However, I didn’t have any particular problem at that time and so I went along with life as usual.
As they say, Health is not valued until sickness comes, I didn’t realize the power of a good diet until I suffered from chronic back pain for 4 weeks straight and no medicine could help me.
locked down at home in itself was depressing and the sharp pain in my back amplified it. Although I had never been a fan of strict diets, I decided to give this a try, going by my instinct.
I was so optimistic about this diet that the cure already started psychologically, I guess. As per The food book by Satvic movement, I bought all the ingredients needed for the diet plan.
Day 1
I started my first day with a detox drink (simple coconut water), followed by a big bowl of fruits for breakfast at 11 AM.
Subsequently, I prepared spinach corn curry without oil or any other spices as per the recipe and had 2 beetroot rotis along with it. I honestly had no expectations of the taste but it took me by surprise. The curry tasted so good, and that is the first time I could savour the unique taste of each vegetable. All the masalas that we throw in, overpower the authentic flavours of vegetables.
Although I was hungry around 5 PM, I stuck to the plan, by keeping myself busy. At 7 PM, I had a creamy and delicious pumpkin soup, which was the last meal of my day.
Day 2
On day 2, I felt a bit flimsy and lethargic in the morning, maybe because my body was not used to a 16 hr fast. Anyways, I stood on my ground and continued with my diet plan. I made an exotic looking smoothie bowl for breakfast, topped it with some nuts and seeds and it was truly scrumptious. Never relished the taste of fruits so much.
Day 3
I woke up feeling light and energetic on day 3. Even after walking for 4 to 5 km, I had no sign of weakness or laziness, although I only had soup for dinner before 16 hrs. I was even more motivated to continue the diet.
The cooking process was much easier than conventional cooking. Though I spent a bit more time cutting vegetables, cooking happened seamlessly. Overall, it was less time and effort consuming.
Day 5
After religiously following the Satvic diet for 5 days, I lost 1 kg, though weight loss was not my plan. I was more productive than usual and the lockdown gloom faded away along with my back pain.
And then comes the spoilsport, the weekend. Ordering food at least once during the weekends had become a ritual for the past few months, to make those days special in some way. All kinds of food cravings hit me, but I bravely resisted them. Yes, bravely, because it takes a lot more than you would think.
Your skin is glowing. what are you doing? Asked one of my friends after a week. I could feel that my body was thanking me for doing this and I was genuinely proud of myself.
With that motivation, the next week went like a breeze. By then I got used to the diet and I only felt hungry as per the plan. I slept more peacefully than ever, my stomach was never bloated and my energy levels were always high. Additionally, I started practising yoga for an hour every day and that was a salutary add-on to my body and mind.
I also made occasional Satvic desserts as per the book, so that the diet won’t get too mundane, that I give up.
Frankly, breaking a coconut every day was a painful task as most of the recipes had coconut in them, but it was worth it. On the whole, during the 10 days, I have consumed as many vegetables and fruits as I would usually consume in a month.
Day 11
And then comes the next weekend, when I couldn’t resist having a pizza. But I didn’t feel that bad, as I usually feel after eating a pizza. I was not that guilty. I felt like my tastebuds deserved a pizza after such clean eating for days. Pizza is pizza right! And that is how I broke my diet.
However, I have decided I will not keep myself craving spicy food and sugary desserts. But at the same time, I will not let my body suffer by giving in to all those cravings. I have to find a balance.
And thereby, I decided I will follow a Satvic diet as my daily routine for weekdays. And maybe 1 day during the weekend I’ll give in to my cravings. However, I strongly intend to make it my lifestyle in the upcoming days.
Keeping this experience in mind, I recommend all of you to give Satvic diet a try and then decide by yourself if you want to make it your lifestyle or not.
PS: Don’t mind the pictures, I am a terrible photographer.
Wholistic You 