For many practitioners of yoga, it's hard to completely separate the discipline from other aspects of their lives, such as nutrition. For these people, getting the full benefits of the not only involves the exercises and stress-relieving meditations of yoga, but also developing a nutrition plan that follows some of the same principles.
Combining yoga and nutrition is not a new development. Yoga instructors have been touting the benefits of proper nutrition for years. But it has become part of a new awareness recently thank to scientific studies that back up the claims regarding diet that yogis have been espousing for centuries, namely that nutrition is a big part of the quest for balance between the mind, body and spirit.
As we've said, combining yoga and nutrition is not a new development. There is, in fact, an entire discipline of yoga called Anna Yoga that concerns food and its influence on health and fitness. Yet while some of the specific details about what constitutes healthy eating may vary among the different branches of yoga, many of the most important aspects are the same: modest, reasonable portions of foods that are high in nutrients and low in toxins is the way to go. These include lots of fruits, vegetables and whole grains. This is a diet that yoga practitioners have been subsisting on for centuries but the doctors of today have just recently began to suggest.
In yoga, there are three classifications of food: Rajasik, Tamsik and Satvik. Rajasik (food of the king) is food that is overly processed or seasoned. Candy, processed foods and beverages and alcohol are classified as Rajasik foods. Tamsik foods are elaborately prepared foods that are high in sodium and usually highly spiced. Lastly, Satvik foods are consumed in as close to their original state as possible - fresh vegetables and fresh fruit that, if they are cooked, are done so with only a light coating of seasoning to keep most or all of their nutritional value. Satvik food is considered the basis of an ideal diet by yoga practitioners.
Satvik foods are, therefore, easily digested and have exceptional nutritional value. When eaten in conjunction with the performance of the health benefits of yoga, Satvik foods are considered an important part of a well-conditioned mind and body.
Within the Satvik plan are basic nutritional theories that are useful even if one is not a regular practitioner of yoga.
One of the main concepts of nutrition and yoga is that the food used be as fresh as possible. Fresh fruits and vegetables and the enzymes they contain are favorable over frozen or canned foods, where the canning process has taken out many of the vitamins and minerals of the food. In addition, some instructors recommend eating a large portion of the fruits and vegetables raw to absorbe more of their nutritional value.
Green vegetables are held in special regard by many yogis, who consider vegetables such as broccoli, spinach, lettuce and cabbage to have the highest nutrients and life force. Yogis also consider fruit to be full of the "life force" and highly nutritious. The natural sugars in fruit, they say, can provide a fast and nutrition sources of energy minus the harmful toxins.
While many yoga practitioners shy away from meat (including fish and poultry), it is not entirely off the list for everyone involved in yoga However, yoga instructors recommend moderation in taking in meat as it may contain toxins such as lactic acid, fat, cholesterol and other chemicals that can slow the growth of muscles gained from the practice of yoga.
Finally, the way in which the food is prepared for consumption is also one of the keys to nutrition for yoga practitioners. Yoga experts recommend that you eat your meals slowly to give your body time to absorb all of the benefits and nutrients contained within. And the exercises in the practice of yoga, many yoga experts believe, actually helps the body absorb more of the nutrients from the food you consume.
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