Rules for Fasting and Miscellania

Standard for Ekādaśī Break-fasts

If you have observed a complete fast (without even water) you do not need to break it with grains. You can break it with caranamrita or fruit. But if you have observed Ekādaśī by eating fruit, vegetables, etc., then it should be broken on the following day by taking grains at the times mentioned herein.

Mahā-dvādaśi is observed like Ekādaśī.

Ekādaśī

The essence is to eat simply, once or twice, so that one can spend as much time as possible hearing, chanting and remembering Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. Never eat meat, fish, eggs, onions, garlic, carrots, red lentils (masūr-dal), green flat lentils, mushrooms or products thereof.

• Restricted foods on Ekādaśī:
• Tomatoes, eggplants, cauliflower, broccoli, bell peppers, beets, bitter melon (karela), loki, parmal, toroi, kunli, drumsticks, bindī (ladies' fingers) and banana flowers, radish, squash, olives.
• Peas, chickpeas and all types of beans, including products made from beans (e.g., papadams, tofu, tempeh)
• All leafy vegetables (e.g., spinach, salads, cabbages) and leafy herbs like parsley, coriander leaves, celery and curry leaves
• Grains (e.g., millet, barley, farina, pasta, rice, corn) and all types of flour made from grains and beans (e.g., rice flour, chickpea flour, urad dahl flour)
• Starches from corn or grains, and products made from or mixed with these starches like baking soda, baking powder, certain soft drinks with corn syrup, custard, certain yoghurts and puddings, certain varieties of cream and cottage cheese, certain sweets and candies, and tapioca balls
• Oils made from grains (e.g., corn oil, mustard oil, sesame oil) and products fried in these oils (e.g., fried nuts, potato chips and other fried snack foods)
• Honey, and sweets made with starches
• Spices used on Ekādaśī:Only black peppercorn (grind personally) and pure salt taken from a new and clean package
• Spices not used on Ekādaśī: hing (asofetida), sesame seeds, cumin, fenugreek, mustard, tamarind, fennel, cardamom, nutmeg, ginger and turmeric (fresh or not).
• Foods that can be taken all days of the year, including Ekādaśī and Cāturmāsya:
• All fresh fruits, all nuts and all oils made from nuts if it is pure.
• Potatoes, pumpkin, cucumber, lemon, avocado, coconut, buckwheat, all sugars
• All pure milk products (except yoghurt during the 2^nd month of Cāturmāsya and milk during the 3^rd month)
• For sannyāsīs, brahmacārīs and vānaprasthas: shaving head and cutting nails is to be done on full moon days

Cāturmāsya

• Restricted foods during the entire four months of Cāturmāsya:
• Eggplants, tomatoes, loki, parmal, urad dahl and honey
• Particular foods that are restricted during each of the four months:
• First month: No leafy vegetables, such as spinach, salads of all types, cabbages of all types, kale, leafy herbs like coriander, mint, parsley, curry and powdered leafy herbs and teas
• Second month: No yoghurt (if one requires it for health, it can be mixed with water)
• Third month: No milk (if required, it can be mixed with a drop of lemon juice)
• Fourth month: No mustard oil or sesame seeds

Purusottama Masa

• Restricted foods during the  month of Puruṣottama:
• Eggplants, tomatoes, loki, parmal, urad dahl, honey, mustard oil or sesame seeds
• No shaving for brahmacārīs and sannyāsīs