Our first recipe is from Acharya Hersh Khetarpal. It is a simple yet hearty barley and vegetable soup. Enjoy!

Serving size: 6
Prep & cooking time: Less than 1 hour

Ingredients:
1 carrot
1/2 of a large onion
1 zuccini
1/4 cauliflower head
1 broccoli head
4 medium tomatoes
1/2 cup uncooked barley
1/2 inch of ginger
1 tablespoon basil
1 tablespoon oregano
1 tablespoon thyme
1 tablespoon rosemary
1 clove garlic
2 tablespoons of olive oil
Salt to taste

Directions:
1. Chop all the vegetables into large chunky pieces.
1. In a large saucepan or stock pot, fry the onions and ginger with 2 tablespoons of olive oil on high heat for 2-3 minutes.
3. Add the chopped vegetables and continue to saute for 5 minutes.
3. Wash the uncooked barley, and then add it to the saucepan.
4. Add the spices (basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, garlic) and salt to taste.
5. Add 6 cups of water, let it boil and then lower heat to simmer until vegetables are tender (30 minutes).

Serve hot with fresh black pepper on top (to taste). Each time Hersh makes it, she uses different vegetables. So this is just a basic recipe and you can alter it however you wish. If you try out this recipe, please drop a line in the comments section to let us know how it turns out!

Sattvic foods are more easily digestible and are not fat laden nor protein dense as in animal products; therefore, the sattvic diet is primarily lacto-vegetarian.  This type of diet leads to a greater clarity and equanimity of mind while also being more beneficial to the body.

Sattvic foods include:

• Whole-grain cereals which do not contain sugar and additives
• Dairy products, such as milk, cheese, ghee, butter, yogurt, kefir, and cream
• Dried peas and lentils
• Fresh vegetables, especially green, leafy vegetables
• Fresh fruits
• Whole Grains
• Legumes (the smaller the bean, the easier to digest)
• Raw Nuts and Seeds
• Herbal teas
• Raw Honey
• Fresh fruit juices
• Fresh vegetable juices
• Sprouts
• Whole grain bread, no sugar or additives
• Oils – Olive, Flax, Coconut, Sesame, Sunflower, Safflower
• Mild spices, including ginger and turmeric
• Lightly steamed foods
• Raw foods
• Lightly cooked foods
• Alkaline foods
• Properly combined foods (Certain foods do not digest well when eaten with other foods)

Rajasic and tamasic foods are to be avoided due to their affects on the body and mind. They leave us sluggish and agitated. These foods include:

• Sugar-laden foods
• Foods with preservatives and chemicals
• Spicy foods
• Red hot peppers
• Black pepper
• Garlic
• Onion
• Mushrooms
• Potatoes
• Coffee and non-Herbal Tea
• Fish and meat
• Chocolate
• Frozen foods
• Canned foods
• Microwaved foods
• Overcooked foods
• Acidic foods
• Refined foods (such as white flour, white rice, sugar, etc.)
• Improperly combined foods

These lists are not all inclusive, by any means; but are meant to give you a good idea of which foods constitute a sattvic diet and which ones constitute a rajasic and tamasic diet.

Pure sattvic foods need to be chewed carefully and eaten in modest portions.  Overeating is definitely tamasic.  The food should be enjoyed for its inherent taste and quality rather than for the spices and seasonings that are added.  Too much salt and spice has a rajasic effect.  Leftovers are decidedly tamasic.

The more we embrace these sattvic principles, the more helpful they will be in enhancing our practice of yoga, both physical as well as spiritual.