The Ayahuasca Diet and Master Plant Dietas
Updated: Oct 28
Breaking down the differences and similarities between a master plant dieta and the standard ayahuasca diet.
DIET VS DIETA
One of the most common questions we get from guests preparing for their retreat is what they can and can't eat before drinking ayahuasca. And honestly, it's understandable why there's so much confusion!
A quick internet search for "ayahuasca diet" will turn up a long list of restrictions: NO SEX, NO SALT, NO SUGAR, NO OIL, NO MEAT, NO SPICES. Keep searching, and you'll find even more things you're supposed to avoid, like coffee, caffeine, avocados, bananas, fermented foods, and dairy. Depending on where you look, the list can seem almost endless.
So, what's actually necessary when preparing for an ayahuasca ceremony, and where do all these restrictions come from? Do you really need to abstain from sex? What about alcohol, salt, or your morning cup of coffee?
Much of the confusion comes from mixing together two very different practices: the ayahuasca diet and the traditional master plant dieta. There are medical considerations of the ayahuasca diet, including MAOI-related food restrictions and pharmaceutical interactions, and then there are spiritual elements of a traditional dieta, such as fasting, sexual abstinence, and other forms of sacrifice and discipline.
Over time, these different guidelines have become blended into one all-encompassing, and often intimidating, "ayahuasca diet." While the two practices share some similarities, they serve different purposes and have different requirements. Unfortunately, the terms have become so interchangeable that it's often difficult to tell them apart.
But don't worry, I'm here to break it all down and clear up the confusion!
Let's take a closer look at where these guidelines come from and what they actually mean for someone preparing to drink ayahuasca.
WHAT IS A DIETA?
Let’s start by exploring what a shamanic dieta is. A dieta is a sacred agreement with a master plant for a predetermined number of days (usually 7 – 30) with an extremely rigid set of dietary and spiritual restrictions that are followed under the guidance of a maestro (ayahuasquero, curandero, shaman). We must understand that master plants are different and separate from ayahuasca. They are teachers of the Amazon that have been recognized for their unique properties and their ability to heal.
Within traditional Amazonian healing practices, these plants are worked with for many purposes, including teaching, developing spiritual protection, learning icaros (traditional healing songs), and addressing physical, emotional, and spiritual ailments. Ayahuasca is usually used in addition to the master plant but it is not a requirement.
The exact restrictions of the dieta will depend on the maestro’s tradition as well as which plant you are dieting.
Some dietas require extended periods of isolation and silence, while others incorporate fasting or additional restrictions. Although the specific requirements vary depending on the plant and the maestro's lineage, abstinence from sexual activity (including masturbation), salt, sugar, oils, and spices are among the most common restrictions.
Most dietas also require no vegetables or fruits (although some dietary exceptions are made for certain root vegetables or fruits like green plantain or tomato), no toothpaste, and no perfumes /cosmetics or other toiletries are permitted. A typical dieta meal is white rice, hard-boiled egg, boiled potato, and river fish. You eat that and only that for the entirety of your dieta.
The dietary restrictions and periods of fasting are not only for physical cleansing but to clean the spirit and the soul. There is also fasting from electronics and other stimuli. Most of the time, dietas are done deep in the jungle without electricity or phone service. The dietas create a sensitivity of the individual spirit to receive and communicate with the spirits of the plants. This is how we gain protectors, defenders, and allies. These spirits can then be called on by the shaman/curandero during a ceremony to initiate healing.
During a dieta, you consume preparations of the master plant as directed by your maestro. Depending on the tradition, ayahuasca ceremonies may also be incorporated into the dieta. In our lineage, these ceremonies are an important part of the practice, helping us deepen our connection with the master plant and explore its teachings.
The ayahuasca ceremonies enhance your connection to the master plant allowing you to learn free from other stimuli or distractions. There is much that can be gained from a master plant dieta. It is how ayahuasqueros develop their strength and power.
The dieta requires unwavering commitment because the consequences of breaking a dieta once it has started are profound. The dieta is ended with the reintroduction of foods that were sacrificed. In our lineage, it is a spoonful of salt, garlic, and hot pepper followed by a spoonful of sugar and a slice of lime.
THE CONSEQUENCES OF BREAKING A DIETA
Within traditional Amazonian healing practices, breaking a dieta is taken very seriously. A dieta is understood as a sacred agreement with the master plant, and failing to honor that agreement is believed to have profound spiritual and energetic consequences. The degree of these consequences can be difficult to grasp but the punishment of breaking the dieta is real and severe.
In the tradition we've studied, breaking a dieta is believed to leave an individual spiritually vulnerable, with consequences that can manifest in many areas of life. These may include physical illness, emotional disturbances, relationship problems, financial difficulties, or a period of what we might simply describe as "bad luck."
Traditionally, a maestro may prescribe another dieta to address the consequences of a broken agreement. In some lineages, this involves repeating the original dieta for twice the duration.
This is one of the reasons a master plant dieta should never be undertaken casually. It requires preparation, discipline, and a genuine commitment to the process.
WHO DOES DIETAS AND WHY?
If you have participated in multiple ayahuasca sessions and are feeling called to deepen your relationship with the plants or are feeling called to work with ayahuasca as a facilitator, a master plant dieta is the next step.
Master plant dietas are done by students learning the healing ways of the plants and deepening their knowledge of the shamanic path. Many times, these students are visited by the plant spirits during ayahuasca visions and are called to work with them directly, or a maestro will prescribe a dieta to a student. Master plant dietas are also used by those who are sick and are seeking to heal specific diseases or illnesses.
SO WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE DIETA AND THE DIET?
The standard ayahuasca diet is a less strict adaptation of the ‘dieta’ restrictions. Most retreat centers in the Amazon use salt, oil, spices, and sugar when cooking for the regular retreat participants and even provide coffee/caffeinated teas. It is completely okay to continue to consume those things before your retreat.
It is true that if you were to adhere to a strict diet free of salt, sugar, oils, vegetables, etc. it could make you more sensitive to the experience, however as retreat leaders, we need to have realistic expectations about what is possible (and probable) for our clients to adopt into their lives, especially those in the West.
The cultural aspect must be considered. Many of the elements of spiritual sacrifice and discipline are fulfilled by making modifications to lifestyle and diet before the retreat. So much of the western world is fueled by fast food, pre-made meals, alcohol, caffeine, and sugar. By removing red meat, dairy, and alcohol we can really bring awareness to what we consume and that shift can result in significant changes in our physical and spiritual energy. The most important thing is that you approach the experience with respect.
MEDICAL INTERACTIONS AND THE MAOI DIET
The ayahuasca diet also includes medical considerations regarding foods and prescription drugs that are contraindicated with ayahuasca.
Ayahuasca contains compounds called harmala alkaloids, primarily harmine and harmaline, which act as reversible inhibitors of monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A). These compounds are what allow DMT to become orally active.
Traditional prescription MAOIs can have dangerous interactions with foods high in tyramine, a naturally occurring compound found in certain aged and fermented foods. When tyramine isn't properly broken down, it can cause a potentially dangerous increase in blood pressure.
However, the MAO inhibitors found in ayahuasca are reversible and short-acting, meaning the risk of these dietary interactions is generally much lower than with older, irreversible prescription MAOIs.
This doesn't mean food interactions are impossible, but it does mean that many of the extremely restrictive MAOI food lists circulating online are not necessarily applicable to ayahuasca in the same way. Avoiding large amounts of highly tyramine-rich foods around ceremony remains a sensible precaution.
Then there are pharmaceutical and recreational drug interactions which can be extremely serious, even deadly, so it’s extremely important these guidelines are taken seriously and that you disclose your medical history to the facilitators.
Of much greater concern are potential interactions between ayahuasca and prescription medications, over-the-counter drugs, supplements, and recreational substances. Certain antidepressants, particularly those affecting serotonin, as well as stimulants, other MAO inhibitors, and medications such as dextromethorphan, can pose serious risks when combined with ayahuasca. Other medications and medical conditions also require individual evaluation.
These interactions can potentially lead to serious complications, including serotonin toxicity or dangerous changes in blood pressure. Anyone taking medication should consult a qualified medical professional before considering ayahuasca and should never stop prescribed medication without medical supervision.
Never withhold any medical information that could affect your safety during a retreat because you are scared you will not be accepted for a retreat. Lying about medical history does not only affect you, but also the retreat center and all the other participants who will have to live through a potentially traumatic medical emergency while under the effects of the medicine.
THE BOTTOM LINE
The ayahuasca diet and master plant dietas are two very different and separate concepts. Master plant dietas require complete commitment and discipline, while the ayahuasca diet is more flexible and will look a little different for everyone, depending on each individual's current lifestyle and the recommendations of the retreat facility.
Moderate amounts of caffeine, salts, sugars, oils, and spices are all typically perfectly fine to continue to consume before your retreat.
What's most important is following appropriate medical safety precautions and approaching the experience with awareness and intention.
Be aware of what you are putting into your body and your mind (that includes phones, Tv, podcasts, books, relationships, etc.) Very simply, you just need to approach the ayahuasca experience with a great deal of reverence.
Focus on nourishing your body, being mindful of what you consume, and creating space for reflection. More than following an endless list of restrictions, the intention is to approach the experience with respect, awareness, and reverence.
