How to Go Vegan: A Guide for Yogis

Yoga is more than just an exercise.

Yoga originated as a spiritual practice in ancient India and became part of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. At its core, Yoga is a philosophy of non-harm that teaches the importance of connection and harmony with those around us.

Read on to learn how to go vegan to support and expand your yoga experience:

Why Veganism is naturally part of Yoga
Types of food and their effects on the body and mind
1. Sattvic
2. Rajasic
3. Tamasic
Understand the philosophy of veganism and non-harm
How to move towards a plant-based diet
Easy recipe ingredients for meat swaps
Essential nutrients that the body
Vegan Sattvic vs Rajasic vs Tamasic foods

Why Veganism is naturally part of Yoga

One of the fundamental principles of yoga is "Ahimsa", which means nonviolence. When taken literally, it forbids harm or wrongdoing against living creatures. The other fundamental principles and universal vows of yoga also match the vegan philosophy.

Satya- Truthfulness, seeing things as they are and not what we want them to be
Asteya – Not stealing, not taking more than necessary from others
Brahmacarya – Moderation, self-control and the ability to overcome desire
Aparigraha – Detaching from unnecessary possessions, achievements, identity and relationships

Yoga is about seeing the world as it is and acting accordingly, with compassion for all.

There's no requirement in yoga to eat a plant-based diet or believe in veganism, but it's clear that ahimsa means practitioners should have compassion for all animals. Including those being farmed, killed or otherwise harmed for human use. Supporting animal agriculture is not in accordance with ahimsa since it causes harm. Humans can be happy and healthy on a plant-based diet, which also means that eating animal products goes against Asteya since it's not necessary.

Types of food

Bhagavad Gita is “the first book of yoga” and highlights compassion for all animals. It tells us there are three types of food.

Sattvic

Pure foods that promote mental clarity, harmony and balance. This includes fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds and herbs. These foods are believed to increase energy and boost overall health.

Rajasic

These are considered to be “stimulating” foods that increase energy levels but may bring restlessness, agitation, sickness, pain, and heaviness. They include foods that are spicy, sour, salty, or otherwise pungent, such as garlic, vinegar, chilli peppers, and caffeine. While not ideal, these foods are best consumed in moderation.

Tamasic

Heavy and mentally dulling foods can cause lethargy, mental fog, and lower energy levels. These include meat, fish, cheese, honey, eggs, and processed foods. Alcohol and fermented foods are also included here.

For yoga practitioners, the goal is to maintain mental clarity, harmony, and balance with the world around them. This can be achieved by primarily consuming sattvic foods, which also aligns with the fundamental principle of ahisma.

Vegan Philosophy

Vegan philosophy is often misunderstood. It believes all sentient animals have value and inherent rights, including the right to live without being exploited. As part of this, vegans adopt a lifestyle that aims to avoid unnecessary animal exploitation and reduce harm as much as possible. This means avoiding animal products, including leather, silk, wool, and more.

A vegan lifestyle means avoiding all harm

The core of vegan philosophy also matches the core of yoga philosophy. Veganism encourages compassion for all, people to look at the systems they give money to, not causing harm unnecessarily by taking something not needed, controlling your wants and desires, and detaching from things that cause harm. Sound familiar?

Moving towards a plant-based diet

A plant-based diet is much easier than it sounds. Swapping animal products for plants is simple but, it can take more thought for a while. Learning to eat in a new way can be a little bit stressful at first because it can feel so different.

Making swaps

Eating plant-based is pretty simple. You remove meat, fish, dairy, eggs and honey from your diet. While you can swap in processed meat replacement products, it's not a necessity. Doing this can make it easier since it reduces any feeling of 'missing out'. While it is quite easy to eat a vegan diet, it doesn't feel this way at first. It's often all about finding the right swap combinations.

There are healthy vegan options to replace meat

The right swap combination depends on what you want from a dish. Lentils are a great mince substitute in a Bolognese sauce for pasta and lasagne but don't have the same effect in a vegan beef casserole. The swaps won't taste the same unless you're using a very good vegan meat substitute.

Here are some good swaps to get you started:

Meat recipe swaps

Vegan meat substitutes
TVP (Textured vegetable protein)
Seitan
Soy Curls
Tofu
Tempeh
Mushrooms
Jackfruit

When correctly prepared, tofu, tempeh, and mushrooms are tasty swap options, but getting them right takes time. Processed meat substitutes are a good starting point and treat. It may be easier to purchase prepared and seasoned versions of tofu, tempeh and seitan. While seitan is the highest protein option, making it yourself can be a time-sink without even considering the time needed to learn how to flavour it correctly. It's good to know but not something you should worry about when first moving to a plant-based diet.

When we think of vegan, we often think of tofu

Jackfruit, while a relatively common meat substitute, is not a good choice from a nutritional standpoint. Being a fruit, it's not high in protein and may not be as filling as other options on the list. This information can help you make informed choices about your plant-based diet.

For fish, it's a little more tricky. The most common swaps are tofu, banana blossom and jackfruit due to their textures. Usually, nori/seaweed will be included in the recipe.

Eggs might be the most difficult one currently. Tofu scramble is a great alternative that's high in protein but there's currently no good substitute for any other way to eat eggs. There's no vegan boiled egg, fried egg, poached egg or pickled egg options yet. An omelette or quiche can be made with some recipe changes but there's nothing for a plain cooked egg.

Dairy is exceptionally easy with all kinds of of non-animal milk options. Vegetable oil-based margarine is easy to find, vegan yoghurt is everywhere and new vegan cheeses are constantly appearing. Vegan sweet treats like ice cream and chocolate are also common.

Honey might sound irreplaceable but that's not true. Dandelion honey is made from dandelion flowers instead while other sweeteners like agave syrup are equally good.

Essential Nutrients

The only essential nutrient that's very difficult to get without animal products is vitamin B12. It's for a different reason, though.

Vitamin B12 is made by a bacteria originally found living in soil, and consuming this bacteria through our food or water would give our bodies the B12 required to function. These days, we create B12 for commercial use in labs which is then turned into supplements with the biggest B12 supplement consumer being farm animals. The farm animals are given supplements because they cannot get them naturally due to the decline in soil health.

Supplementation is necessary on a vegan diet

Opting for a vitamin B12 supplement ensures a consistent and adequate intake of this essential nutrient on a daily basis. In contrast, obtaining B12 from animal products means we're essentially consuming second-hand supplements, with no guarantee of receiving the full amount of nutrients we need.

Calcium can be a concern but many foods are fortified with added calcium including bread, cereals and plant milks. Green leafy vegetables, almonds and some fruits are also naturally good sources of calcium. However, the big concern is calcium absorption. Getting enough vitamin D is essential since we struggle to absorb calcium without it. Sadly, most of us just don't get enough vitamin D from the sun and our diets. This is another one certain foods will be fortified with but it's not always enough.

Taking a multivitamin daily for vitamin D is something everyone (including meat eaters!) should be doing.

Iron

Iron is a valid concern. Heme iron found in animal products is easier to absorb than non-heme iron found in plants. This just means anyone on a plant-based diet needs to eat more foods rich in iron. It is possible to get enough iron-eating plants such as beans, nuts, leafy greens, seeds, quinoa, tofu and more.

Vegan Sattvic vs Rajasic vs Tamasic foods

The principles of the Bhagavad Gita still apply to veganism. While vegan foods are more likely to be sattvic or rajasic, there are still vegan tamasic foods.

Vegans still consume alcohol and fermented or processed food in varying amounts. Tempeh is fermented soybeans, and while highly nutritious, it would technically be classed as tamasic. However, it's not on the same level as a fermented or dry-aged meat product. Highly processed and refined foods like fake meats and vegan cheese might also be tasmic.

A plant-based diet is much more compatible overall, but it's not naturally perfect in accordance with yoga principles. It's still arguably better because it avoids as much ahimsa as reasonably possible.

Veganism fits squarely within the principles of yoga. While there's no requirement to live this way, it's pretty clear that living as kindly as possible is essential for practitioners. It brings us closer to balance and harmony with everyone we share our world with.