In Pursuit Of Prana
"Prana"  the key word in yoga philosophy, translates as
"life force" and the study of yoga is devoted to gaining access to the
life force dormant in all of us and to assimilating life force
from outside the body. It is part of the belief of the Yoga community
that the way you look and feel is directly related to what you eat,
and therefore an eating pattern based on foods which 
"regenerate and impart vitality to the body with a minimum of
stress, and which will leave the mind clear and elevated"
has been composed.
Whole foods, and those that are planted, are believed to be a major
source of life force, and the yogi aims to incorporate this prana
into the body, at the same time providing an alternative to both
chemical additives and denatured foods.
The underlying theory behind the Yoga Foods Plan reflects
the entire yoga philosophy- the more life force the body assimilates,
the greater potential for health, vitality, mental clarity, serenity and self- awareness. Food can either regenerate the body, 
regulate the weight and elevate the mind, or sap that life force, add
excess poundage, and bring about premature aging and illness.
Eating foods closest to their native state,  with minimal destruction to their inherent life force has a  positive effect on physical and mental- well being.

What Foods  Are On A Yoga Diet ?
Natural foods which have been planted, such as vegetables, fruits,
herbs, nuts, grains,and legumes, plus certain dairy products.
Foods are consumed raw or lightly cooked without heavy seasoning and
sweetening, so the taste can be fully experienced.
Vegetables should always be fresh, and organically grown,if possible.
Frozen  vegetables can be used, but never canned.
At least one meal a day includes a raw salad, and one or more
servings of cooked vegetables is recommended. Steaming is the best method
of cooking, and all the liquid is conserved for soup or broth.
Bean and seed sprouts are used plentiful.
Since harsh spices can irritate the digestive system and are said to
agitate the mind- only sea salt, vegetable salts, herbs, garlic, onion, 
lemon, and soy sauce are used for seasonings.
Meat is excluded from the diet. Instead Yogi's eat legumes, nuts, grains,
avocado, yogurt and cheese to supply protein.
Dairy products that are low in fat- nonfat milk or raw milk, cottage cheese,
farmer cheese, ricotta and feta cheeses- are all part of the Yoga food diet.
Preferred cheeses are made with raw or goat's milk; certain other mild,
natural cheeses such as Swiss, Montery Jack, and cheddar, are permissible
in limited quantity. Fertilized eggs are thought to contain all life- supporting elements
but play a minor role in the yoga diet; The more orthodox Yogi, who follows
the Indian example, consumes neither eggs nor milk.
Whole grains are mixed with fruit or yogurt. dried fruits are stressed in place of candy.
Fruit and vegetable juices, vegetable broth and herb teas are a very important
part of the Yogi diet.

Eating this way, you would be eating an abundance of vitamins and minerals and
general low calories, and since food consumption is minimal and items rich in
calories are not part of the plan, you cannot help but lose weight.
Yoga foods are virtually free of saturated fat, cholesterol, and concentrated sugar,
all implications in heart ailments, diabetes, kidney disease, and many other maladies.
Food preparation is simple and straight forward, therefore meal planning is
not complicated nor time consuming.
Some agree that the costs of this diet, is in the same line as one with meat and prepared
foods,  Organic food costs more, but are offset by the prices of meat, and prepared foods,
that you would buy instead of. Also eliminated are the potential hazards of chemical
food additives.