As you can see, Yoga philosophers throughout the ages have recommended the lactovegetarian diet as most suitable for building health and creating a bright, stable frame of mind. In today’s terms, the Yoga diet is best described as a modified lactovegetarian diet, plant based with the addition of dairy products and a few unfertilized eggs. My teacher Rama said that historically Yogis avoided eggs because they were only available from the wild and therefore were usually fertilized. He saw no reason to avoid eggs from modern supermarkets, which are all unfertilized and as acceptable. However, modern dietary guidelines urge restraint due to the high cholesterol content; after all, one jumbo egg may contain more than one entire day’s recommended maximum intake of 300 mg cholesterol.

Moving Toward a Vegetarian Diet

Some experts claim that the easiest path to success is a total and abrupt change, but we feel that for most people, a more gradual approach is needed. My students seem to experience less disruption to their lives by changing just a few habits at a time. If you are considering changing your diet, try these suggestions:

• Cut back on junk food. Please keep in mind that although a grilled American cheese sandwich on white bread with a side of French fries is technically vegetarian, that is not the sort of diet we are talking about here! Try replacing junk with nutritious substitutes: fruit juice for sodas, whole grain cookies for those made with refined flour, roasted soy beans instead of peanuts, baked chips instead of fried, and so on.
• Increase the number of servings of whole grain cereals, breads, and starchy vegetables such as potatoes, corn, and winter squash. These foods provide the feeling of "fullness" that signals us we have had enough. Their complex carbohydrates fuel our bodies and minds for many hours.
  
• Add more fruits and vegetables. Nine out of ten Americans do not eat the recommended number of servings of these vitamin-, mineral-, and fiber-rich foods. Focus on dark green leafy vegetables such as kale, mustard and turnip greens, and Chinese cabbage. The cruciferous vegetables — cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts — are cancer preventers. Go for darker fruits such as mangoes, melons, and apricots, as well as dried fruits, to maximize your nutritional intake.
  
• Replace meat, poultry, and fish entrees with legumes (peas, beans, and lentils), including soy products such as tofu, fortified soy milk, and soy-based meat substitutes such as bacon, burgers, hot dogs, sausages, and sandwich slices. All these are low- to no-fat alternatives to high-fat meat, fish, and poultry.
  
• Use fat-free or low-fat dairy products as often as you can. Milk, yogurt, ricotta, and cottage cheese are all available in low-fat or fat-free varieties. Try the new fat-free alternatives to sour cream, cream cheese, half-and-half, and even hard cheeses such as cheddar. I am still looking for a hard cheese substitute with full flavor, but the fat-free products now available are adequate for some cooking uses such as cheese sauce or a grated topping for a baked dish.