“Your diet is a bank account. Good food choices are good investments.”

Bethenny Frankel

According to Ayurved, which is an age-old science, whatever we eat affects our body and mind. It affects our thoughts and behaviour. Among the types of foods there is a mention of Tamasic food a lot, but what is tamasic food?

Tamasic food is the most unhealthy type for our body and mind. It is considered unsuitable for people as it makes you inefficient, lousy, lazy and slow. It also decreases your ability to adapt to changes. 

If punctuality is an issue with you, have you ever thought of changing your diet? If not, then now is the time as tamasic food affects your moods and thinking is interrupted making the person confused and dull which affects punctuality for sure. It leads to many diseases like fatigue and inefficiency. 

Tamasic food list

Foods like alcohol, onion, garlic, and meat are tamasic food examples. Fermented foods like vinegar, bread and cakes or pastries or stake and not correctly ripped (overripe and underripe), rotten foods are also Tamasic in nature. 

 Are you prone to using the microwave a lot? Is it an example of Tamasic food?

It is adversely affecting your health. Microwaved food is also Tamasic apart from the disadvantages of microwaves on your body in general. Processed food, preserved in the form of canned food or frozen food, drugs and tobacco also fall under the same category.

Have you ever wondered that you want to run but the next moment you feel too lazy to do it? Mentally you are ready and full of energy but physically not at all prepared to use any energy. This state of mind is tamasic in nature. 

What is Tamasic?

Inertia is the epitome of the guna or characteristics, in this case, it is the Tamasic guna. Naturally, the food we eat represents who we are. This type of food lacks energy and therefore, makes the mind sluggish. Basically, what you eat, you become.

Ah, let me tell you that it is not always about the food but the way you eat it will also end up making it tamasic. For instance, overeating and consuming more than required turns the food tamasic.

Creativity is the default setting of the mind. Ayurveda claims that the tamasic diet causes mental stagnation, which worsens both physical and mental deterioration. A person will age more quickly if they consume mostly Tamasic food. Additionally, this kind of diet causes strong mood swings, insecurity, irritation, and cravings. A tamasic individual typically struggles to maintain composure around other people. He sleeps more than 8 hours every night and gets tired easily.

However, everything is not bad with Tamasic food. The good news is that, like with everything else, eating tamasic foods in moderation can offer stability. This quality is useful in stressful or painful situations because it helps dull the senses so your body can heal.

Other instances in which tamasic meals can provide comfort include harsh weather, physically demanding employment, etc. The Tamas element anchors you to resilience in such circumstances. Keep Tamasic meals to a minimum, though, if you want to live a light, stress-free life with minimal labour.