by Bipin Baloni,
Contributing Author, Conscious Reminder
Summary: It is rightly said when your diet is not proper the medicine won’t work, and when the diet is correct, one doesn’t need any medicine. Ayurveda and yoga highly emphasizes on the kind of food we eat. Explore the blog and know about top superfoods to incorporate in your diet to improve your yoga practice and stay healthy.
“A healthy outside starts from the inside.”- Robert Urich
We often hear or read the phrase – ‘Eat like a Yogi’. But how many of us put that into practice? Every meal or every food we eat is the opportunity to nourish our body as well as mind.
Whether you’re practicing relaxing Restorative or Hatha yoga or going all intense with Power or Bikram yoga, a healthy diet is required for both energy and focus, which you need the most during a yoga session. It is very much required, and it is important to have your diet balanced, filling, proper and of course nutritious.
A right diet and the food choices we make not only impact our well being, but also help to improve our yoga practice. Support your yoga with diet, and these top five superfoods surely induces stamina, energy, vitality, endurance, and hence improves your yoga practice.
#1 Add some colors to your Plate – Fruits and Vegetables
Colors bring positivity, and adding the same in your food makes your health good. Fresh fruits and leafy greens are the solutions to eat right with hue.
From Kale to collards to arugula to mustards to spinach, the greens are brimming with iron, vitamins C, E and K, fiber, calcium and much more. Green veggies boost the benefits of the yoga practice and support the improvement it requires.
Eat a raw salad or sautéed as side slide, make soups, have a smoothie or can go for Matcha green tea, and you even can have Broccoli. Similarly, red-colored veggies are also very much required for good health like Beetroots.
On the other hand, having a bowl of fresh fruits or fresh fruit salad is also healthy. You can grab berries, watermelon, avocado, pineapple and banana to feel light and fuller at the same time. Having water dense fruits is also recommended and sipping on coconut water is a bonus to your health.
#2 Raw Cacao- Because Chocolates are always better
You must be surely feeling better after reading this that chocolate is a superfood. For better health and enhanced yoga practice, raw cacao is amazing and is the main ingredient in chocolate.
Raw Cacao is loaded with antioxidants, flavonoids, and magnesium that help to fight with diseases, reduce the risk of a heart condition and emotional health.
Yoga is designed to help people live longer, healthier and better, and it seems raw cacao is here to support. One can eat dark chocolate or chocolate almond milk but in moderation.
#3 Healthy can be Tasty too- Grains, Lentils, and Cereals
Add the flavors of grains, lentils, and cereals into your daily diet. Lentils are often called the fountain of youth crediting to its anti-aging benefits. Lentils and Dal is a common Indian dish and should be consumed to avail of iron and protein.
This helps in re-energizing the body and makes us practice yoga in a much better way. On the other hand, cereals and grains need to be included in your daily meal as well. You can have quinoa, porridge, oats, multi-grain bread, and tortillas, etc.
Add turmeric, spices and lemon juice to make these dishes tastier and healthier, as spices and lemon juice are also amazing ingredients to be called super food.
#4 Have a Crunch- Nuts and Seeds
Nuts and seeds are again filling and loaded with nutrients. Consuming it in moderation strengthens and re-energizes the body and improves focus. Incorporate nuts and seeds including:
- Chia Seeds – A powerhouse of omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, magnesium, calcium, and antioxidants. Chai seeds reduce inflammation, keeps the heart healthy and bones strong as well as regulates bowel functioning. Add these amazing seeds into smoothies, salads or have it with yogurt.
- Almonds – Listing down the benefits of almonds will surely take a whole day. Almonds are good for bone health, stimulate immune system function, reduce inflammation, boost blood circulation, etc. Consume almond milk or soak overnight in water and eat in the morning. You can also add almonds in salad or desserts or smoothies.
You can use nut butter or peanut butter and spread it on multigrain bread for a healthy and filling breakfast.
#5 Dairy Products
Dairy products are loaded with goodness, and we all love to consume them in one form or the other. Say yes to yogurt and milk and consume it at the right time.
If you have lactose intolerance, then tofu is the great substitute. There are plenty of ways to consume both yogurt and milk in unique forms each and every day.
Incorporate these superfoods into your daily meals and see the improvement in your yoga practice. Always eat healthy to stay fit inside and out.
Author bio: Bipin Baloni is a passionate Yogi, Yoga Teacher and a Traveller in India. He organize 200 hour yoga teacher training in Rishikesh. Bipin Baloni conducts Yoga Teacher Training in India in different cities. He loves writing and reading books related to yoga, health, nature and the Himalayas. https://www.rishikulyogshala.org/
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