Whatever your lifestyle, your way of doing sports, or your dietary beliefs, eating well is important when doing yoga. Indeed, while 2.8 million French people practice Yoga on a regular or occasional basis, practicing yoga has become a real emotional release, and a real physical activity in itself , which allows us to let off steam, while making a greeting. in the sun and breathing exercises.
Kundalini yoga, prenatal yoga, yoga nidra, ayurveda, dynamic yoga, group classes, iyengar yoga, there are all kinds of yoga, one or the other necessarily corresponding to one or the other of us. But overall, all of them require a certain physical form , whether it’s muscle building or just dynamic meditation. A real effort that during a yoga session may require special nutrients .
But then what are the dietary rules when doing yoga? Is there a special diet to follow? Let’s see it right away!
Why think about our diet?
When practicing yoga, eating is as important as many things. It is enough simply to become aware that we ingest food, and that these are essential to make our body work, and improve our well-being capital. Yes, we are what we eat, as they say, and to do this, it is important to know how to think about our plate, balance the flavors, the nutrients and remove certain elements from our dishes.
Because yes, a healthy mind in a healthy body is not necessarily a cliché, and thinking that the food we eat can transform us is often a proven fact. Thus, thinking, in full awareness, what we eat, knowing how to combine flavors and different textures, providing our body with the right nutrients, without neglecting pleasure , here are some small ways to understand cooking and yoga. But, in reality, why think of all that? For many reasons:
- To adopt an ecological and more responsible approach,
- By conviction, like vegetarianism,
- To lose weight,
- To respect certain traditions or religions,
- To make the most of the benefits of sport,
- To realize that you know how to take care of your body,
- To practice mindfulness,
- And many others !
Thus, it will be understood, the culture of yoga inspires enormously , when it comes to knowing how to eat, but especially knowing how to eat “well”. Because many are the pillars that make us realize that a plate is also and above all a supply of nutrients, whether good or bad. Let’s play !
The top 10 recipes for yogi!
Before giving you a top 10 recipes for yogi , it is good to know and understand why to do it. Indeed, between yoga internship, effects on the spine, work on the mind, or even deep breathing, yoga is a complete discipline, which works many parts of our metabolism. It is therefore essential to make it work well , so as to be as efficient as possible in what you do.
To do this, a few recipes full of energy, fiber, protein and vitamins can be useful for the proper functioning of our sports bodies. Because yes, what could be more stimulating than being in shape and succeeding in your yoga postures like a champion? There are different ways of looking at yogic food, but like most people, we’re going to break it down into two parts: vegetarian and non-vegetarian.
For the vegetarian , we will think of:
- Lentil soup with cumin, good and robust at the same time,
- Vegetable curry, to spice up your taste buds,
- Roasted sweet potatoes, for a boost of energy,
- Eggplant dumplings, tasty and more original,
- The mixture of legumes and vegetables, quite simply,
- The bean salad with buckwheat, surprising and consistent,
- The buckwheat noodle maki, which will make us travel through the taste buds.
Of course, all this will be seasoned to your liking , depending on whether you want your dish more or less spicy, with coriander or not, etc. If with all this and a regular practice of yoga postures lyon , we do badly stretching and other forms of yoga, I don’t know what to do!
Regarding non-vegetarian recipes , to make the most of the benefits of yoga, we will think of:
- The fish carpaccio, fresh and full of good proteins,
- Vegetable pâté with a little chicken, a maximum dose of protein from all sides,
- the crumbled tuna bruschetta, tasty without being greasy.
In short, all these recipes are ways to understand yoga and nutrition in the best possible way, and refocus our chakras on ourselves, in full consciousness.
Where to work yoga paris ?
The main principles of nutrition in yoga culture!
Yoga is one of these complete disciplines, which anyone can practice if they control their concentration, their flexibility and their body in general well enough. Thus, the main principles of food in yoga culture follow this dynamic, and show a practice of yoga as a physical exercise that requires linking body , mind and spirit.
It is then necessary, for the yogi that we are, to master the balance . As in yoga exercises, balance is important. Balance of flavors, textures, products in general, all this in a perfect sequence, and total mindfulness. Because yes, this last point is very important when it comes to measuring what we are ingesting. Hence the importance for some of vegetarianism, locavorism, or raw food.
From this then follows a preponderance of silence, as a motor to apprehend one’s food and link the values of yoga to it. Indeed, what could be better than truly savoring what you are eating, in a perspective of mindfulness, concentration, even meditation. Doing yoga in Nantes is an art!
Finally, the little budding yogi that we are will have to choose our food carefully , whether it is organic, fresh, local, or even vegetarian ingredients. Improved physical condition, for yoga exercises and letting go performed in the best possible way.
What is the yoga diet?
Serenity, letting go, present moment, inner peace, do these terms speak to you? Luckily, they are also common with a yogic diet , and show us what the yoga diet is all about . Yes, even if it is a question of eating in such a way that it is beneficial for a yoga class, we must not neglect health, as well as our food preferences.
The yoga diet is also close to certain values, starting with vegetarianism which, if it advocates global non – violence and non-animal suffering, is a pillar of yogic food for many, and shows a rather strong, almost militant, discipline.
We can also mention raw food which is a rather particular way of eating. Indeed, while favoring fresh food, if possible organic and seasonal, raw food only includes food… raw! And yes, here, no cooking is accepted, so as to apprehend the food and its taste as best as possible, in the purest way. A kind of copy of the practice of yoga, between serenity and the present moment.
All this will be carried out in full awareness, because, like yogic movements, food must be the most anchored in the present moment , by developing flavors, tastes and principles that boost the form. and involvement in a series of postures.
Finally, let’s also mention the “Paleo” diet , which could from time to time be similar to yoga, or at least suitable for some yogis. This is about getting back to the basics, the Paleolithic origins, and consuming only what you really need, without refined sugars, without most cereals, etc. A regime that is sometimes a little strict, but which has the merit of making yoga interesting for many of us.
Knowing how to use mindfulness in yogic eating
It’s a fact, most of the time, we are not aware enough of what we eat and what we put in our meals. A bunch of coriander, a few pieces of grated ginger, garlic, everything has a taste, everything goes together, and you have to know how to make it. A bit like when you practice yoga postures, the important thing is to know how to coordinate well, and to become aware of your body.
Here, the principle is the same, and we don’t have any aches the next day, the main thing is to know what we are going to put in our mouth and, more broadly, in our body, so as to make it hold a whole day. From this perspective, it is therefore also important to observe what we eat, when we eat it . At such a time, I eat more meat than usual, why, how, do I want to fix it, etc?
Each change and each meal brings with it its share of small questions, observations to be made, and awareness to be raised, at their level of course. This nourishment of the mental body is a real engine. Engine of form, engine of health, but also more generally engine of life. Because for many people, what you eat is a constituent of your mental health, in addition to forging your physical health, which yoga involves.
Yoga is a complete discipline , which works the whole body, so it is important that the pillars of the diet related to it go well with it . This is of course the case of mindfulness, which will give food a much more spiritual perspective, in addition to the nutritional vision. Yoga for children, traditional yoga, raja yoga, yoga sutra, everything is good for eating well!
Mastering the balance in the yoga diet
Just like in sports practice, yogic nutrition favors balance . But what is balance? Quite simply, it’s about the balance of flavors, which will also materialize in the gym or during group classes in kundalini yoga, stretching, or even iyengar yoga. But not only !
Indeed, when preparing a dish for yourself or for others, it is important, following this pillar, to know how to associate tastes , of course, but also textures, colors, and nutrients to bring to our body. Something to feel better about just looking at your plate!
The balance also lies in the way he eats. It is essential not to restrict yourself too much or not to stuff yourself at certain times, but to be as regular as possible in your caloric and nutritional intake. A bit like when you master balance in yoga! In the long term, we must therefore not seek to be as efficient as possible, to provide a minimum of ingredients or a maximum of calories to our body.
Thus, our well-being capital will be favored by this temperance and this vision of life which, without a doubt, will make us aware that eating is also an art, and almost a sport! Between sun salutation, breathing exercises, and vital energy, welcome to the yogic diet!
What to eat before and after a yoga workout?
Whether it’s a beginner’s class or an advanced class, a yoga teacher often makes us sweat, think, meditate, in short, live what! A yoga class is not always a bubble of softness and rest, far from it. It is therefore a question of knowing how to apprehend a session , whatever the time of day, and how to end it well, always in connection with our plate. So what to eat before and after a yoga workout?
Before a session , we often have to try to fill the energy drops that we may have during and after, while trying to stay light . So let’s favor foods rich in fiber , hearty fruits, which will also provide quick sugar, so as to have energy to spare for the course to come.
After a session, it is more on the protein intake that we will have to focus our eating behavior, and do not hesitate to eat white meat, legumes, always accompanied by vitamins thanks, for example, to good vegetables. greens.
The main thing, in this kind of approach, is to know and realize that we must hydrate ourselves, whatever the time of day, whatever our feeling of thirst, whatever our desire for water. Before, it helps to prepare the body for yoga class, and after, it allows cells to regenerate much more easily than by being dry.
Thus, by developing an adapted behavior , it is possible to have a diet worthy of a true yogi, between vitamins, fibers, proteins, under an often more responsible approach. More responsible for the body, for the planet, but also for our body. And let’s not forget that food, like yoga, is also and above all to link the body, the mind, and the spirit! So, ready to do sun salutations? Because we do!
Yoga and diet: silence as a tool
In this perspective of mindfulness, yoga also develops a small technique, according to which one would eat in silence . Called “Muna”, and characteristic of mental food, this way of looking at things is akin to a much more first-degree view of food, almost as if it were sacred.
Indeed, in order to stabilize the mind, to harmonize and to be more in tune with oneself, we will therefore recommend becoming aware of food in a religious silence, which will also allow us to find ourselves alone with oneself. A way of concentrating not on what the food will produce in the future, but on what it produces at the very moment when we eat it, when we ingest it.
Yoga is also about letting go of your movements, ultimate concentration on what you are doing, and only looking at the movements you are performing. , a bit like in a bubble after all.
Choosing the right foods when doing yoga
This silence is often associated with carefully selected and consumed products . For example, a yogic food will be quite charged in “prana” (food of the vital energy), and the local products will be the typical example. In addition, you can also focus your choice on the rawest foods possible, so as to better appreciate the real taste.
Moreover, in parallel with this precise choice of the ingredients that we will ingest, chewing them is a significant point, when it comes to linking yoga to the act of eating. Because yes, what better than to become aware of the foods that we have chosen than to chew them well. Repetition creates the awareness that eating is not only giving life to your body, but also participating in the life of your mind.
It is also important, like the Okinawa diet, to moderate your food intake , to qualify your meals in quantity, in favor of quality. Yogic eating is based on the principle that eating is a real act, almost a process, and overloading your plates would then be counterproductive. We must then give our body time to assimilate everything it has just ingested, whether it be nutrients, flavors or quantities.
Finally, let’s also take inspiration from vegetarian cuisine which, by definition, advocates non-violence (animal), therefore non-suffering in itself. An approach and a way of thinking that can be interesting, and favor the positions of all those who wish to eat well, also from an ethical point of view. Yes, yoga is a rich discipline, which also combines a real perspective of awareness, and vegetarianism can testify to this.
Yoga therefore seems to be a real engine for knowing how to eat . If yogic food does not exist in itself, it has the merit of having created a real approach, which advocates food as a driving force , and food as an act in itself . An act that we think about, which suggests that everything, from yoga postures to stretching, through the sequence of exercises, goes through our plate.
Food and yoga: eating according to the seasons
According to Ayurveda, the medicine attached to the practice of yoga, every yogi should follow the cycle of the seasons when it comes to diet . It is then necessary to adapt to the fruits and vegetables given by nature to eat properly. The diet therefore varies throughout the year and it is unthinkable to eat the same thing in January and August. This seasonal routine is called Ritoucharya .
By following this tradition, yogis choose to follow the three Ayurvedic seasons. These correspond to the three doshas. To help you cook your meals, here are some tips:
- The Vata season : from mid-October to mid-March. This period corresponds more or less to winter and must therefore consist of hot dishes such as soups, a favorite dish of yogis in winter).
- The Kapha season : from mid-March to mid-June. In the spring, the diet is lighter and the dishes contain much less fat. We prepare dishes in the oven in particular.
- The Pitta season : from mid-June to mid-October. In summer, fresh fruit and other foods that can be eaten raw are yours.
Eating according to the seasons is also a way of respecting nature , an important precept for most yogis. Not using products or other techniques to grow fruits and vegetables that could not grow otherwise is the best way to eat healthy and in harmony with the environment.
This way of choosing foods also allows you to choose foods rich in “prana” . For yogis, food transmits energies when ingested. This is why it is better to choose local foods and produced in a natural way so as not to ingest foods with bad energy (such as animal suffering for meat).
What are the foods recommended by yoga?
By doing yoga, some people decide to follow the rules of the Ayurvedic tradition to the letter. In this tradition, there are three qualities of food. This is the guna theory .
Foods can then be sattvic, rajasic or tamasic . They are classified according to their effects on the mind, the body and the virtues they possess.
Sattvic foods are neutral , light, and balancing foods. In this category we can count vegetables and fruits in general, clarified butter, legumes (lentils for example) as well as whole grains.
Tamasic foods are negative foods , rather heavy or with bad ethics. This is particularly the case with meat, onions or even garlic. These are the foods to avoid in meals.
Finally, Radjasic foods are foods that give energy and are rather positive. It can be coffee, chilli, salt or others.
To accompany these three categories of food, another classification has arrived, that of the six flavors. Also established by Ayurveda, this classification helps to balance meals. The flavors are called the six Rasas. Each dish should contain a little of each of these six flavors:
- Sour food : Lemon, yogurt, vinaigrette sauce, etc.
- Bitter food : It must be integrated in small quantities. It can be endives for example.
- Spicy food : Red pepper, pepper, fresh ginger, spices must be used in a good dosage so as not to ingest too much.
- Harsh foods : Green vegetables in general (spinach, cabbage, broccoli, etc.), beans and legumes in general.
- Salty foods : Use the natural salt in foods or add a pinch of salt.
- Sweet food : Cook foods that are naturally sweet like fruit or sweet foods like rice or sweet potatoes. Added sugar is obviously to be avoided as much as possible.
Yoga and Cooking: Eating at the Right Temperature
As you will have understood, following a diet based on the Ayurvedic tradition means finding the right balance on your plate. This balance must also be found in the temperature of the food you eat. Although it is sometimes tempting, it is better to avoid eating too hot or too cold .
Ice cream is therefore not very recommended, although once in a while it is of course possible to crack. Just like soups that are too hot, they must be cooled before eating. Just wait a few minutes for a good moderate temperature to set in.
Eating too hot or too cold can be bad for your stomach and therefore your overall health .
But in Asian medicine, eating too hot or too cold also refers to food . A hot food can for example be pepper. By eating this type of food, the body warms up and can even sweat.
Cold vegetables are more vegetables or water fruits such as watermelon, cucumber, seaweed, red fruits, etc.
Again, it’s all about finding the right balance in order to avoid stomach upset, diarrhea, etc.
Know the food incompatibilities to eat like a yogi
To avoid bloating, a yogi must respect and know the food incompatibilities. Indeed, certain foods should not be eaten at the same time, at the risk of having some digestive problems.
This is how milk or even honey should be eaten away from meals so as not to coat the food and therefore slow down digestion. This is for example the case of milk cereals in the morning. This habit makes digestion difficult since the cereals are then compacted and stuck together with the milk.
Fruit should also be given special attention. These are digested much faster than the rest of the food. By eating them at the end of the meal, these fruits will be stored while waiting for the rest to be digested. It is therefore preferable to keep the fruit as a snack for a snack, for example .
Also, be careful not to eat too many starches at once or to mix cooked and raw foods in the same dish.
Take the time to leave an empty stomach
Ayurvedic medicine is clear: to eat well, you have to listen to yourself. Each person does not have the same needs in terms of food and does not always have the same hunger as his neighbour. However, in our society, we always tend to fill our plates well until you’re done.
However, this practice is far from being the best for our body according to Asian tradition. According to nutrition specialists, if you feel stuck and heavy at the end of a meal, it’s because you’ve eaten too much and your digestion will be difficult.
You must therefore learn to dose your plate according to your appetite and do not forget to leave a vacuum in your stomach from time to time. This allows him to breathe and regenerate. A still active stomach will be sick more often.
So no more snacking sessions between meals and at any time. The best thing is to have a full meal at noon , in order to give the stomach time to digest all this, and to have a lighter meal in the evening.
Fasting is also highly recommended to let your body breathe . The stomach thus has plenty of time to digest properly. So it can be a partial fast from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day. You can therefore consider leaving the evening meal or breakfast aside. Of course, fasting can pose some risks, and it’s best to follow up with a nutrition specialist.
It is also highly recommended to leave two hours between a meal and a yoga class so as not to rush the stomach by bending it during the asanas.
Yoga culture: Stay hydrated when you eat
To do yoga or simply for your daily health, drinking water is important. But beware ! It is not a question of drinking three liters during the meal! Drinking too much water when eating weighs down the stomach. The best thing is to provide an infusion at the end of the meal .
Drinking tea before a yoga session is also a very good idea to gain flexibility and succeed in all the positions of the yoga class as it should.
Hydration is important for the body to circulate blood more easily . But the body also needs water to renew itself. Water is indeed a very important component of our body.
Conclusion: Being in agreement with your beliefs in the yoga culture
This is why in terms of food, the Ayurvedic tradition encourages each yogi to choose these foods in full awareness according to his convictions and his personal needs to better manage the balance of the body .
There is therefore not just one way of doing things, but as many ways of eating as there are people. First of all, you have to be in tune with yourself while of course paying attention to your health.
