Indra Devi's dietary rules. First female yoga teacher to live to 103

Who better to turn to for advice on nutrition and longevity than someone who has lived a long life? Such was the first woman yoga teacher Indra Devi – she traveled halfway around the world, bringing her teachings to the world, met with the USSR leadership, taught Hollywood divas, wrote books. And she was born in Russia.

Zhenya Peterson at birth

The future first lady of yoga was born in 1899 in Riga in the family of a Swedish bank clerk Vasily Peterson and Russian noblewoman Alexandra Labunskaya, an actress in the theater Nezlobin. The parents named their daughter Zhenya.

Smart little girl prophesied a great future. She graduated from school with a gold medal and entered the theater school Komissarzhevsky in Moscow. There on her eyes for the first time came across a book about Indian spiritual practices, which ignited a spark of knowledge in Geneva.

During the Civil War Eugenia emigrated to Germany and entered the theater troupe. In 1926, the girl was taken to Holland for a convention of the Theosophical Society, where she became acquainted with Yogi Krishnamurti and new practices. At first everything was perceived as nothing more than an exotic experience, and from vegetarian food Peterson turned up her nose. But then she heard a yogi singing ancient sacred hymns in Sanskrit, and she was lost.

I thought I heard a forgotten call, familiar but distant. From that day on, everything in me turned upside down. That week at camp was a turning point in my life.

First trip to India and a new life

In 1927, the girl was in India for the first time – she traveled through the country, absorbing the local customs and culture. Zhenya returned to Europe as a new man: she broke off her engagement to a rich fiancé, sold her property and went back to India.

In 1930 Zhenya Peterson became Indra Devi. This pseudonym she chose on the set of the Indian movie. She married an employee of the Czech consulate, became a socialite, but was burdened with an idle lifestyle.

One day Indra fell ill, and no doctor could not understand what kind of unknown disease. The girl became very well, her face turned gray and wrinkles appeared. She was advised to seek help from yogis, and she went to the famous guru Sri Krishnamacharya as a disciple. He was reluctant to deal with the woman at first, but later accepted her for training.

Indra had no indulgences: strict vegetarian diet, rising at dawn, ascetic lifestyle and discipline. Little by little, the guru began to respect the foreigner and began to teach her his secrets personally. Then he blessed her to become a guru herself.

And so Indra began her journey. She opened schools in China, USA, Mexico, South America and USSR, knew 12 languages and wrote several books on classical yoga. In one of them Devi told about the principles of nutrition, which she followed all her life. The woman died of old age when she was 103 years old.

Indra Devi’s dietary rules

Indra considered moderation and naturalness as the main basis of proper nutrition. Food is needed to sustain vitality, not gluttony. If the body is not able to digest the right food and it ends up in the form of toxins, it eventually leads to disease. Devi herself ate little, limiting herself to 1-2 meals a day. She ate fruits, nuts, dried fruits, rice, vegetable soups and juices. Indra was a vegetarian, so she did not give up dairy, fermented milk products, cheese and eggs.

About water

You should not drink water with ice or drink it while eating, it harms digestion. You can consume liquids half an hour or 2-3 hours after a meal. You should drink a glass of fresh water at room temperature (you can add lemon) in the morning on an empty stomach and before going to bed. A day should drink 5-8 glasses in small sips, because fluid deficiency leads to constipation, liver and kidney dysfunction.

To “revitalize” boiled water, it is necessary to pour it several times from one container to another. Then the liquid will be energized and will give an invigorating effect.

About other drinks

Fruit juices are less useful than fruits. When preparing vegetable juices, it is better to add some green haulm to them. Alcohol, tea, coffee, cocoa and chocolate contain caffeine and theobromine. Indra considers these substances as doping and does not recommend their consumption. You can drink chicory instead of coffee.

Milk is not a liquid but a food. To avoid stomach upset, you should drink it in small sips.
It is useful to drink water left after cooking vegetables. It can also be used to prepare soups or gravies.

About starch

It is necessary to carefully chew food, especially rich in starch, otherwise it will not be converted into glucose and will settle in the stomach for a long time. At one meal, you can eat only one dish containing starch. If you are concerned about strong peristalsis, it is recommended that you plan your menu so that starch and protein are not consumed together. Especially if we are talking about sulfur-containing foods: peas, regular and cauliflower, eggs, turnips and others.

About digestibility

Food is only what the body is able to digest, so it is necessary to carefully approach its choice. To understand what diet is the most correct for you personally, you need to experiment.

About the way the food is prepared

Stale or toasted bread is healthier than fresh bread. It is necessary to refuse “degreased”, that is, specially processed products: canned food, white flour, refined sugar, etc. The amount of sweets, baked goods and vinegar is better to reduce.

Vegetable haulm can be used in the preparation of soups. The haulm of beets should first be scalded with boiling water. When the soup is ready, the bunch of haulm should be taken out and discarded. Vegetables are best steamed or cooked in a small amount of water.

About fats

Fatty fried food is digested even slower than fatty food. Fat leaves the stomach last, carbohydrates first, followed by protein.

All animal fats raise cholesterol levels, which means our bodies don’t need them, according to Indra. The least cholesterol is found in milk, cottage cheese and fish, the most in egg yolk and liver.
Foods rich in animal fats are dangerous because the high percentage of fat and low percentage of protein interfere with the action of enzymes. Both animal and vegetable fats become increasingly inedible with repeated heating.

On the relationship to food

It’s not enough to eat the right food, you must also follow the rules of eating. Food should be taken slowly, enjoy it, do it in a pleasant environment in the company of friends.

If you are nervous, irritated or angry, food will cause toxic changes in the body. In such a state, it is better not to eat at all. You should also avoid unpleasant conversations over a meal and immediately before it – this can harm not only digestion, but also the entire body. The meal should bring joy. The most important thing is your attitude to food at the moment of its reception.