The Simplicity of the Ayahuasca Dieta

In the ayahuasca tradition, food is not just nourishment its part of the medicine. During dieta, we eat only two simple meals a day, completely free of salt, oil, and strong flavors. This simplicity helps unground the body, making it more energetically open to the plants.

Last night, after our tobacco purge, I had a light dinner of vegetable broth. This morning’s breakfast was an egg, rice, and shredded beets, while dinner included an egg, rice, yucca (a Peruvian root vegetable), and lentils.

With my added Ayahuma dieta, the meals may become even more minimal to strengthen my connection with the plant. Traditionally, shamans in isolation undergo dietas for six months or longer, sustaining themselves on nothing but rice, fish, and yucca.

Through this practice, the body becomes lighter, the mind quieter, and the spirit more attuned to the wisdom of the plants.