Ayahuasca Diet, La Dieta

Spirit of The Vine

Ayahuasca,

Sacred Ceremony

Amazonian Basin Elders

Ancestral Traditions

Ayahuasca Brewing The Amazon Tena Ecuador by Aya de La Vid

The Ayahuasca Dieta:

Dietary

Behavioral Preparations

The ayahuasca dieta is a set of dietary and behavioral guidelines traditionally followed for days or weeks leading up to (and often following) a ceremony. Indigenous wisdom teaches that a clean body and mind help the spirit of ayahuasca work deeper within you. From a practical standpoint, these guidelines also serve to minimize risks (such as blood pressure spikes or emotional turbulence) and to prime you for the introspective journey. Here’s what a typical dieta entails:

Clean, Bland Diet: Eat simple, wholesome foods, especially in the 3–7 days before ceremony. Emphasize vegetables, fruits (not citrus, as some traditions avoid sour foods), whole grains, and light proteins like fish. Avoid spicy foods, excess oil/fat, and heavily processed or junk food. The idea is to reduce the workload on your digestive system and avoid any potential food-induced discomfort or reactions during the ceremony.
No Pork or Red Meat: Most ayahuasca traditions strictly forbid pork in the dieta (often for 2–4 weeks prior). Pork is considered energetically “heavy” and harder to digest. Red meat in general should be avoided or minimized at least 2 weeks prior. If meat is consumed, stick to small portions of chicken or fish, and even those ideally no less than a few days before. Many participants go vegetarian or vegan during the prep period.
Low Salt & Sugar: Use little to no salt and sugar in your food for at least a week prior. High sodium can affect blood pressure and fluid retention, while high sugar can spike blood glucose and energy swings. Your body should be in a stable, unstimulated state by ceremony day. Flavor foods with herbs (except hot peppers) or eat them plain to truly purify the palate.
Avoid Fermented Foods & Tyramine: Because MAOIs are involved, traditional guidance (and medical caution) suggests avoiding foods high in tyramine in the day or two before ceremony. This includes aged cheeses, fermented foods (like soy sauce, kimchi, kombucha), cured meats, and very ripe fruits. While the harmala alkaloids in ayahuasca are reversible MAO inhibitors (making dangerous hypertensive reactions *less* likely than with pharmaceutical MAOIs), it’s still wise to err on the side of caution.
No Dairy (Especially Aged): Many traditions cut out dairy during the dieta. Butter, milk, and especially aged cheeses are to be avoided. Fresh young cheese might be acceptable in some lineages, but to be safe, it’s best to skip dairy altogether for a week prior.
Abstinence from Sexual Activity: An often overlooked but important aspect: refrain from sexual intercourse, masturbation, or any exchange of sexual energy for at least a few days to a week before (some traditions say 2 weeks). The idea here is to conserve your vital energy (sometimes called “prana” or “life-force”) and maintain a clear mental focus. In Amazonian belief, sexual energy is powerful, and saving it helps amplify the connection with the medicine. Many also avoid sexual activity for a few days after the ceremony to continue the purification process.
Mindful Eating: As you follow the dieta, eat with intention. Chew slowly and give thanks for your food. This mindfulness itself is part of the preparation, training you to be present – a state that will greatly help during the ceremony. Overeating is discouraged; you want to come to the ceremony neither hungry nor with a heavy, full stomach.
Fasting (Day of Ceremony): On the day of the ceremony, it’s common to fast or eat very lightly. If your ceremony is at night, a light breakfast and possibly a plain lunch (such as plain oatmeal or steamed veggies) before noon is okay, and then fast for ~6-8 hours before drinking. Going into the ceremony with an empty stomach not only reduces the chances of vomiting food, it also symbolically represents entering the experience open and ready to receive. Always follow the specific instructions of your facilitators regarding day-of fasting.

These dietary rules might seem strict, but participants overwhelmingly report that following the dieta amplifies the clarity and depth of their ayahuasca journey. From a spiritual perspective, you are demonstrating commitment and respect; from a physical perspective, you’re removing toxins and irritants that could otherwise distract or block the effects. As one guide puts it, “the dieta empties you, so Mother Ayahuasca can fill you with what you need.”

Avoid;

Ayahuasca Contraindicates

Tyramine combined with a MAO-A may cause what is called a hypertensive Crisis. Ayahuasca Sacrement contains the vine Banisteriopsis caapi, the source of Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitor or MAOI.

Foods To Avoid,

High in Tyramine

Foods that are fermented, aged, cured and spoiled including:

Herring and anchovies
Meats that are prepared by spoiling, pickling, aging, smoking, fermenting, or marinating
Fermented dairy products such as sour cream, yogurt, and most cheeses
Fermented plant foods such as alcoholic beverages, soy sauce, soybean condiments, teriyaki sauce, tempeh, miso soup, sauerkraut, and kimchi
Chocolate, shrimp paste, broad (fava) beans, green bean pods, Italian flat (Romano) beans, snow peas, edamame, raisins, dates, pineapple, eggplants, figs, red plums, raspberries, peanuts and peanut butter, Brazil nuts, coconuts, processed meat, yeast, an array of cacti, and the holiday plant mistletoe.
**Note on meats: Meats such as pork and beef are not considered high in tyramine prepared fresh, however under an ayahuasca diet, these foods are not conducive to an effective ayahuasca experience.

Guidelines for Lowering Tyramine

Foods To Eat,

Low Tyramine Diet

All grains including breads, pasta, cereals low in sugar and rice
Some sources state that dairy of any kind is not acceptable with a low tyramine diet however other sources state that some dairy such as ricotta and cottage cheese is acceptable because these cheeses are not aged.
Eggs, beans, nuts (except the few mentioned above)
All fruits except bananas, raspberries, raisins, dates pineapple, figs, avocados and red plums
All vegetables except green beans, snow peas, edamame
Fish and chicken prepared by boiling or light saute"

"If you want to limit your tyramine intake,

follow these guidelines:

Use extra caution when selecting, storing, and preparing your food.
Eat fresh produce within two days of purchase if possible.
Read all food and drink labels carefully.
Avoid spoiled, aged, fermented, or pickled foods.
Don’t thaw foods at room temperature. Thaw in the refrigerator instead.
Eat canned or frozen foods, including produce, poultry and fish, right after opening.
Buy fresh poultry and fish and eat them the same day, or freeze them immediately.
Keep in mind that cooking will not lower tyramine content.
Use caution when you eat out because you don’t know how foods have been stored."