The purpose of meditation is to still the fluctuations of the mind, to bring a cessation of thoughts. Anyone who has tried to do this knows exactly how difficult it is to accomplish. Everything we eat produces chemical effects on the body and the mind. Some foods are downright injurious in their effect, some are stimulating, and others are calming. It is this last group of foods that we want to eat from to assist our efforts in meditation. To eat from the other two groups will create unnecessary difficulties for ourselves, or even completely sabotage us. The effect of these different foods on the body and mind holds true for everyone, whether you practice a Christian, Buddhist, Hindu or some other form of meditation.All foods fall into one of three categories. They will be either materializing, energizing or spiritualizing in nature. This means they will have either a heavy, stultifying and downward pulling effect on the body and mind, an energizing, stimulating and activating effect, or a calming, quieting and uplifting effect. If you are trying to meditate you don't want your mind pulled toward matter, or stimulated into more activity. You want your body to become calm and still, and your mind to be quiet, internalized and free from mental activity.Materializing foods are: all animal products such as beef, pork (and to a lesser extent fish and fowl and lamb), all alcoholic beverages, any food that is old, decaying or rotten, or processed into nutritional worthlessness. (The Sanskrit yogic term for this class of foods is tamasic.)Energizing foods are: foods that are bitter, sour, salty, excessively hot, burning, pungent, harsh, eggs, fish, fowl and lamb. (The Sanskrit yogic term for this class of foods is rajasic.)Calming, spiritualizing foods are: fresh fruits and vegetables in their raw form (and to a lesser extent if lightly cooked), whole grains and legumes, fresh dairy products, nuts, natural sweets such as honey and dates, small amounts of fats from vegetable or dairy sources only. (The Sanskrit yogic term for this class of foods is sattvic.)Another requisite for the spiritualizing foods listed above to be beneficial is that they be consumed the way nature made them, not consumed after man processes, pasteurizes, heats, freezes, denatures, fortifies, packages and otherwise mutilates them into unrecognizability.Since you are serious about meditating deeply, get serious about strengthening your efforts with a daily diet that will purify, calm, invigorate and spiritualize your mind, and every cell in your body and brain. The fight against restlessness and delusion is a difficult one. Arm yourself for the battle with the powerful weapon of a proper diet.