ESSENCE OF BEING
ESSENCE OF BEING
Full Dieta Guide: Mindful Cooking & Eating
Introduction
For as long as I’ve walked with this medicine, one thing has always been clear:
What we carry into ceremony matters. Not only our intentions, our questions, or our pain - but also the food, the substances, and the habits we place into this body each day.
This body is the vehicle we move through life with. It carries us through every experience, and it deserves to be prepared with the same care we offer our mind and heart.
When the body is heavy with processed foods, stimulants, or medicines that cannot be safely combined, our clarity is clouded. When the body is light, nourished, and steady, awareness can shine more freely.
The word dieta comes from Indigenous Amazonian traditions, where food, silence, and simplicity were part of opening to the plants. While this guide does not attempt to copy those traditions, it honours the same truth: when we live simply, we create space for clarity.
Dieta is not about rules or restrictions. It is about awareness:
Awareness of what we put into our body.
Awareness of cravings and patterns.
Awareness of how much energy digestion demands - up to 30% of what we eat - and how much is freed when meals are lighter.
Awareness of how often food and substances are used to numb what we do not want to feel.
Every meal, every choice, becomes part of the practice. Eating lightly is not punishment. Fasting before the ceremony is not deprivation. These are ways of honouring the body, conserving energy, and creating the conditions for awareness to be seen more fully.
And this goes beyond food. Some medications and herbs cannot be safely combined with Ayahuasca. This is not superstition - it is chemistry. Mixing certain drugs with the natural MAOIs in the medicine can be dangerous, even life-threatening.
This is why part of this guide is dedicated to clarity around medications and safety - not to frighten, but to protect.
The dieta is also a time to prepare the mind and heart. Silence, journaling, breath, and time in nature - these simple practices help us slow down and see ourselves more clearly. They make space for awareness to enter everyday life, not just ceremony.
This is not a book of restrictions. It is a companion for these days. A way of holding your body with care, your mind with gentleness, and your whole being with presence.
Eating With Awareness
Why Food Matters
Food is one of our most intimate relationships. Every single day we invite it into our bodies.
Often this happens without attention -eating on the move, while distracted, or to soothe what has nothing to do with hunger.
But food is not just fuel. It is a teacher.
The body speaks constantly: heavy, light, energised, drained. Most of us have learned to override these signals - using caffeine to push through, sugar to soothe, alcohol to numb.
Over time, this dulls our connection to ourselves.
The dieta is an invitation to listen again.
When food is light and clean, digestion uses less energy. When food is heavy or processed, digestion pulls resources that could be used for clarity and healing.
Eating simply frees energy not just for the body, but for awareness itself.
This clarity in the body supports clarity of thought and steadiness of emotion. Dieta, then, is not separate from the deeper work - it is already part of it.
Reflection invitation: After your next meal, pause for a moment. Does your body feel light and spacious, or heavy and dull? What do you notice in your mind?
Diet & The Mind
What we eat shapes more than the body - it shapes the mind and nervous system.
Stimulants like caffeine make the mind restless, less able to settle.
Sugar spikes and crashes mirror emotional highs and lows, leaving us irritable or foggy.
Heavy foods can leave us dull, sluggish, and unavailable for awareness.
Simple, nourishing meals support steadiness, focus, and calm.
Every craving is an opportunity to meet yourself. A pull toward sugar may cover sadness.
A reach for heaviness may be a way to ground. Meeting these impulses with curiosity - not judgment - creates space for awareness.
Personal note: When I first gave up coffee for dieta, I realised just how much agitation had become normal in my system. Within a week of eating simply, my mind felt calmer and more spacious.
Diet is not just preparation. It is practice. Each meal, each choice, becomes a ceremony of awareness.
Reflection invitation: When a craving arises, pause and ask - what feeling might be beneath this?
What to Avoid
Part of dieta is letting go - not as punishment, but as protection and preparation.
Ayahuasca contains natural compounds called MAOIs (monoamine oxidase inhibitors). These change how the body processes certain chemicals. If foods high in tyramine are eaten while MAOIs are active, it can cause dangerous spikes in blood pressure.
This is not superstition. It is chemistry.
Foods and Substances to Avoid
Red meat and pork – heavy, slow to digest; pork carries toxins and tyramine.
Aged or fermented foods – cheese, soy sauce, miso, vinegar, sauerkraut, kimchi, beer, wine. Unsafe with MAOIs.
Processed meats – bacon, ham, sausages, cured or smoked meats. High in tyramine.
Dairy – milk, cream, butter, yoghurt, cheese. Heavy and mucus-forming; aged cheeses especially unsafe.
Caffeine and alcohol – overstimulate or depress the nervous system.
Refined sugar and sweets – create spikes and crashes, clouding awareness.
Very salty or spicy foods – strain digestion and scatter attention.
Artificial additives – packaged snacks, fast food, chemical flavourings. Weigh down the body and disturb the mind.
Why This Matters
Avoiding these foods:
Keeps the body safe while MAOIs are active.
Frees energy for awareness instead of digestion.
Reveals patterns - cravings, attachments, and habits become visible.
Even within days, many people notice a shift: lighter body, clearer mind, more space inside. This is the state in which ceremony begins to unfold.
Reflection invitation: Notice which foods you miss most. What feelings arise when you let them go?
What to Eat
The dieta is not about deprivation. It is about simplicity and nourishment. The aim is to choose foods that keep the body steady and the mind clear.
Grains and Starches
Brown rice, quinoa, millet, buckwheat, oats, sweet potatoes, pumpkin.
Grounding, steady energy without heaviness.
Vegetables
Courgette, broccoli, carrots, green beans, kale, spinach, pumpkin, beetroot.
Cleansing vitality, best prepared simply.
Fruits
Apples, pears, papaya, mango, bananas (not overripe), berries, melon.
Hydrating and naturally sweet. Papaya supports digestion, apples cleanse gently. Avoid citrus and highly acidic fruits.
Plant Proteins
Lentils, chickpeas, mung beans, plain tofu, unsalted nuts and seeds.
Provide strength and stability without heaviness.
Light Animal Protein (optional)
Organic eggs, white fish (cod, haddock, sole).
Clean, light protein if not fully vegan.
Liquids and Extras
Coconut water – hydrating, mineral-rich.
Herbal teas – chamomile, peppermint, rooibos, ginger.
Plant milks – almond, coconut, or oat (unsweetened).
Fresh herbs – parsley, coriander, basil (used lightly).
Reflection invitation: After a simple meal, notice the quality of your thoughts. Are they faster or slower, scattered or steady?
How to use this Plan
Now that you know the foods that support this preparation, here is a simple rhythm you can lean on. This plan is not about rigid structure - it is about making nourishment effortless, so your energy can be directed toward awareness.
The Rhythm of Eating
Rotate, don’t repeat. Cycle through a small set of recipes to keep variety without overwhelming your digestion.
Eat until satisfied. Not stuffed, not starved - steadiness matters more than restriction.
Cook with presence. Chop slowly, stir mindfully, taste as you go. The food carries the energy you bring to it.
Snacks are optional. If genuine hunger arises, choose something simple and light.
A Simple 5-Day Cycle
Repeat this cycle four times to carry you through the preparation period.
Day 1 – Porridge • Lentil Soup • Steamed Fish • Apple & Seeds
Day 2 – Quinoa Papaya Bowl • Quinoa Chickpea Salad • Mung Bean Stew • Flapjack
Day 3 – Banana Pancakes • Sweet Potato + Broccoli (+Egg) • Tofu Bowl • Energy Bites
Day 4 – Oat & Berry Bowl • Lentil Soup + Salad • White Fish + Pumpkin • Baked Apple
Day 5 – Porridge + Banana • Quinoa Salad • Mung Bean Stew • Seeds + Coconut Water
After Day 5, return to Day 1.
The 10 Core Recipes
Porridge – Oats with plant milk or water, topped with fruit or seeds. Warm, grounding, and gentle.
Quinoa Papaya Bowl – Cooling, hydrating, supportive for digestion.
Banana Oat Pancakes – Comforting, simple, without heaviness.
Lentil Soup – Protein-rich, warming, easy to digest.
Quinoa Salad – Light but satisfying with chickpeas and herbs.
Sweet Potato Mash – Grounding, soothing, nourishing.
Steamed White Fish – Clean protein for those including animal foods.
Mung Bean Stew – Gentle protein, highly digestible.
Tofu Bowl – Strength without heaviness.
Apple & Seeds – Balances sweetness with steady energy.
Healthy Snacks & Desserts
Homemade flapjacks – oats, banana, almond butter, seeds.
Baked apples with cinnamon – soothing and warming.
Energy bites – oats, almond butter, seeds, dates.
Oat & berry bowl – oats soaked with chia and berries, indulgent yet light.
Shopping List
Keep it simple: many ingredients repeat across meals, so you won’t need endless variety.
Grains & Starches
Brown rice • Quinoa • Oats • Buckwheat • Millet • Sweet potatoes • Pumpkin
Vegetables
Carrots • Courgettes • Broccoli • Kale • Spinach • Green beans • Beetroot • Cucumber • Mild tomatoes
Fruits
Apples • Pears • Papaya • Mango • Bananas (not overripe) • Berries • Melon
Proteins
Red lentils • Mung beans • Chickpeas • Tofu (plain) • Organic eggs (optional) • White fish (cod, haddock, sole)
Extras
Plenish oat milk • Unsweetened almond/coconut milk • Coconut water • Pumpkin seeds • Chia seeds • Sunflower seeds • Almond butter (100% nuts) • Fresh herbs (parsley, coriander, basil) • Coconut aminos (optional)
Fasting & Eating Rhythm
Balance is key. Fasting has its place in preparation, but only in small, intentional windows.
Why Fasting Matters
On ceremony day, an empty stomach keeps the body safe and the medicine clear.
A light breakfast, then fasting 4–6 hours before, is enough.
Why Longer Fasts Are Not Helpful
They deplete energy, leaving you weak.
They stress the nervous system, raising cortisol and restlessness.
They create unnecessary strain alongside MAOIs.
The Middle Path
Before ceremony – eat lightly, then stop 4–6 hours before.
During preparation – eat clean, simple meals. Enough to feel steady, not heavy.
Fasting here is not deprivation. It is respect - for your body, your process, and the medicine itself.
Reflection invitation: Notice the difference between hunger in the body and craving in the mind. How do you experience each?
Mindful Cooking & Eating
Cooking and eating can be automatic - or they can be mindful. In dieta, every step can become practice.
Preparing Food with Awareness
Before you cook, pause. One breath, one intention: “I am nourishing my body for clarity.” Wash and chop slowly, noticing texture and sound. Let cooking be simple and steady.
Personal note: I used to rush through chopping, treating it as a task. When I slowed down, matched my breath to the rhythm of the knife, cooking itself became a form of meditation.
Eating Slowly, Tasting Fully
When food is ready, pause again. Notice colour, scent, warmth. Eat slowly. Put the utensil down between bites. Taste fully. Stop at “enough,” not “stuffed.” Each bite is part of the work.
Gratitude and Presence
Gratitude arises naturally when we pay attention. Before eating: “Thank you for the conditions that made this food possible.” After eating: hand on belly, one breath: “Received.”
Even the simplest bowl of rice can become practice when met this way.
Reflection invitation: During your next meal, see if gratitude arises naturally when you slow down. What shifts inside when you really taste?
Closing Note
The dieta is not just preparation - it is already part of the ceremony.
When you eat lightly, you notice more. When you pause before a craving, you meet yourself. When you cook and eat with presence, food becomes a practice of awareness.
These days are not about rules. They are about relationship - with food, with body, with mind, with yourself.
Approached this way, dieta becomes more than diet. It becomes part of Essence of Being: a way of meeting life directly, with clarity, steadiness, and care.