You can eat simple, clean, easy-to-digest food before an ayahuasca retreat. Think rice, quinoa, oats, potatoes, plantains, vegetables, fruit, lentils, beans if you digest them well, soups, herbal teas, and light meals without too much oil, salt, spice, sugar, or stimulation.
You do not need to starve yourself.
You do not need to become afraid of food.
The point is to arrive clear, nourished, and prepared. Not depleted.
At Camino al Sol, we work with traditional Colombian Yagé in the mountains of Antioquia, near Medellín. Preparation matters, but it should be grounded. Food is one part of the process. Medical screening, emotional readiness, rest, intention, and integration matter too.
This page is educational and does not replace medical advice. Do not stop or change medication without speaking with a qualified medical professional.
The short answer
Before an ayahuasca or Yagé retreat, eat mostly simple whole foods.
| Best choices | Reduce or avoid | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Rice, quinoa, oats, potatoes, plantains | Fried food and very fatty meals | Easier digestion |
| Vegetables, soups, light stews | Very spicy food | Less irritation before ceremony |
| Fresh fruit | Alcohol and recreational drugs | Safety, clarity, and screening |
| Lentils, beans, chickpeas if tolerated | Heavy red meat and processed meat | Lighter body load |
| Herbal tea and water | Too much coffee or caffeine | Nervous system steadiness |
| Simple plant-based meals | Excess sugar and ultra-processed food | More stable energy |
A useful rule:
Eat food your body already knows.
This is not the best week to experiment with extreme fasting, new supplements, intense detox protocols, or strange ingredients your stomach is not used to.
For more detailed preparation guidance and recipe ideas, you can also use our ceremony preparation app.
What the ayahuasca preparation diet is really for
People often search for “ayahuasca diet” and find long lists of restrictions. Some are rooted in Amazonian dieta traditions. Some are retreat-center rules. Some are copied from MAOI medication diets without enough context.
The practical goal is simpler.
Preparation food helps you:
- arrive with lighter digestion
- reduce unnecessary stimulation
- support sleep before ceremony
- avoid alcohol, drugs, and substances that can increase risk
- enter the retreat with more discipline and respect
- notice your habits before meeting the medicine
In Colombia, we usually speak of Yagé. The preparation is not only physical. It is also relational. How are you eating? How are you sleeping? What are you consuming through your phone, your conversations, your stress, and your habits?
Taita Diego says:
"To count to one hundred, you have to start with one. We must value the basics: life, family, food."
Food is one of those basics.
What to eat 3 to 7 days before retreat
You can start gently 3 to 7 days before arrival.
A strict approach is not always better. For many people, the best preparation is steady, clean, and realistic.
Good foods before an ayahuasca retreat include:
- rice
- quinoa
- oats
- potatoes
- sweet potatoes
- yuca
- plantains
- cooked vegetables
- leafy greens
- pumpkin or squash
- lentils
- beans, if you digest them well
- chickpeas
- fresh fruit
- avocado in moderate amounts
- vegetable soups
- simple broths
- herbal teas
- water with electrolytes if needed
Keep meals simple.
A plate of rice, lentils, vegetables, and avocado is enough. A bowl of oats with banana and cinnamon is enough. A vegetable soup with potato and herbs is enough.
You are not trying to impress the medicine with a perfect diet. You are preparing your body and attention.
Simple meal ideas before ayahuasca
Here are practical meals that work for most people.
Breakfast ideas
- Oats with banana, apple, or papaya
- Rice porridge with cinnamon
- Fruit with a small portion of oats
- Herbal tea with simple toast or arepa
- Boiled potatoes with avocado and herbs
Lunch ideas
- Rice with lentils and steamed vegetables
- Quinoa bowl with pumpkin, greens, and avocado
- Vegetable soup with potato or yuca
- Plantain with beans and salad
- Chickpea stew with rice
Dinner ideas
- Light vegetable soup
- Rice with cooked vegetables
- Baked potato or sweet potato with greens
- Simple lentil soup
- Steamed vegetables with quinoa
Dinner should usually be lighter than lunch, especially in the final days before ceremony.
Our ceremony preparation app includes preparation support and recipes you can use before retreat.
Foods and substances to avoid before ayahuasca
Different traditions and centers have different rules. At Camino al Sol, the main principle is responsibility.
Before ceremony, it is wise to avoid or strongly reduce:
- alcohol
- recreational drugs
- cannabis, unless discussed honestly during screening
- pork and heavy red meat
- processed meats
- fried food
- very spicy food
- excess salt
- excess sugar
- ultra-processed snacks
- energy drinks
- too much caffeine
- heavy dairy, if it affects your digestion
- large late-night meals
Many people also avoid fermented and aged foods such as aged cheese, cured meats, soy sauce, and strong fermented products. This is often connected to concerns around tyramine and MAOI interaction. Ayahuasca contains harmala alkaloids with MAOI-like activity, but the food risk is not the same as with many pharmaceutical irreversible MAOIs. Still, simple food is a sensible precaution before ceremony.
The bigger safety issue is not whether you ate a little salt.
The bigger issue is medication, drugs, heart health, psychiatric history, pregnancy, blood pressure, and whether the retreat has proper screening.
That is why every Camino al Sol applicant goes through screening before acceptance. Read more on our ayahuasca safety page.
What about coffee?
If you drink a lot of coffee, do not wait until ceremony day to suddenly stop. That can create headaches, irritability, fatigue, or anxiety.
A better approach is to reduce gradually.
For example:
- 5 to 7 days before: reduce quantity
- 2 to 3 days before: switch to half strength, tea, or no caffeine
- ceremony day: avoid caffeine unless your retreat team gives different guidance
If caffeine strongly affects your sleep or anxiety, reduce earlier.
The goal is not punishment. The goal is a steadier nervous system.
What to eat on ceremony day
Follow the instructions of your retreat center.
In general, ceremony-day food should be light. Many people eat breakfast and a simple lunch, then stop eating several hours before ceremony.
A common rhythm is:
- Morning: light breakfast
- Midday: simple lunch
- Afternoon: water or herbal tea
- Evening ceremony: no heavy meal beforehand
Good ceremony-day meals include:
- oats and fruit
- rice and vegetables
- vegetable soup
- potato or plantain with light vegetables
- small portions of simple food
Avoid arriving with a full stomach. Also avoid arriving weak, dizzy, or dehydrated.
If you have blood sugar issues, diabetes, pregnancy, eating disorder history, medication needs, or another health condition, do not improvise. Discuss it during screening.
A simple 3-day food plan
This is not a rule. It is a practical example.
3 days before ceremony
Breakfast: oats with banana
Lunch: rice, lentils, vegetables, avocado
Dinner: vegetable soup with potato
Focus: remove alcohol, drugs, fried foods, and heavy meals.
2 days before ceremony
Breakfast: fruit and oats
Lunch: quinoa, chickpeas, greens, pumpkin
Dinner: rice with cooked vegetables
Focus: reduce caffeine, sugar, excess salt, and late-night eating.
1 day before ceremony
Breakfast: oats or fruit
Lunch: rice, vegetables, lentils or simple soup
Dinner: very light meal, depending on retreat instructions
Focus: rest, hydration, and emotional steadiness.
Ceremony day
Breakfast: light and familiar
Lunch: simple and not too large
Afternoon: water or herbal tea
Evening: follow ceremony instructions
Focus: arrive grounded, not full, not depleted.
Common mistakes before an ayahuasca retreat
Mistake 1: Going too extreme
Some people try to fast, detox, cut everything, do intense exercise, stop caffeine suddenly, and sleep badly.
That is not preparation. That is stress.
Your body should feel supported, not punished.
Mistake 2: Hiding medication or substance use
Food rules do not replace screening.
Ayahuasca can interact with certain medications and substances, especially serotonergic medications and stimulants. Do not stop medication on your own. Be honest in your application and speak with a qualified medical professional.
Mistake 3: Eating “clean” but staying overstimulated
Preparation is not only food.
If you eat perfectly but spend all night scrolling, arguing, working intensely, or sleeping badly, your system is still overstimulated.
Reduce noise where possible.
Mistake 4: Trying new supplements
Avoid adding new herbs, supplements, nootropics, detox products, or plant extracts right before retreat unless approved by the retreat team and your clinician.
Natural does not automatically mean safe.
What we serve at Camino al Sol
Food at Camino al Sol is simple, retreat-appropriate, and designed to support the ceremonial process.
The exact menu can vary, but the orientation is clear:
- light
- nourishing
- mostly plant-based
- easy to digest
- aligned with preparation and ceremony rhythm
If you have allergies, medical dietary needs, or serious restrictions, mention them before arrival. Do not wait until the retreat begins.
For the full retreat context, you can explore our ayahuasca retreat near Medellín.
After ceremony: how to eat again
After ceremony, go gently.
Many people feel sensitive the next morning. Some are hungry. Some are not. Start simple.
Good post-ceremony foods include:
- fruit
- soup
- rice
- potatoes
- cooked vegetables
- herbal tea
- light plant-based meals
Avoid rushing straight back into alcohol, heavy food, cannabis, intense caffeine, or overstimulation. Integration begins in ordinary choices.
How you eat, speak, rest, work, and relate after ceremony matters. For more on the days and weeks after retreat, read our guide to integration.
Final guidance
Eat simply.
Avoid alcohol, drugs, heavy food, and unnecessary stimulation.
Do not obsess over perfection.
The deeper question is not only “What can I eat before ayahuasca?”
It is also:
Am I preparing with honesty?
Am I willing to be screened?
Am I arriving with respect?
Am I ready to take responsibility for what comes after?
If you feel called to sit with Yagé in a traditional Colombian setting, you can apply for screening. Applications are reviewed before acceptance. There is no instant booking.
