What is yoga? Yoga is a holistic practice with its roots to spirituality that helps one to feel a connection with the spiritual world, natural world and with oneself. It is a workout that emphasizes harmony between body and mind through a series of breathing and stretching.
Benefits of Yoga
Yoga offers a plethora of benefits that help to relieve stress, tension, anxiety, alleviate pain and promote overall wellbeing. Holding a pose for an extended time helps to observe the emotions, thoughts and physical sensations as they arise. It provides a safe space to reconnect with the sensations of our body.
Yoga is lot about fitness, strength and nourishment. Different types of yoga postures exist, so one needs to figure out which postures are suitable for them. Experience of one style can be different from the other. But if you feel fatigue after a yoga session chances are there, that your body is lacking the nutrition it requires. Adapting a yogic diet with the right choice of nutrition will help your body to build energy during the sessions.
NUTRITION FOR THE YOGI
Minerals
When doing yoga swing poses; muscles draw oxygen from the bloodstream and iron plays an important role in facilitating the process. So, if the iron levels are low in the body, you might feel fatigue after the yoga asana. Poultry, shellfish, dark leafy greens and legumes like lentils, soybeans and kidney beans are loaded with iron. Magnesium is required generally for all types of workouts; especially for antigravity yoga swings. Brown rice, walnuts, beans, seaweed and cashews are a few foods rich in magnesium. Calcium is needed to build strong bones which is necessary when doing aerial yoga poses. Dairy products such as cheese and yogurt, sardines, tofu and dried fruits are a few items that are rich in calcium. Potassium helps in muscle relaxation and contraction and supports the body while doing intense antigravity yoga asana.
Vitamins
Body needs the right intake of vitamins to enhance your health and take your yoga practice to the next level. Vitamin D works together with calcium to improve bone density and helps in aerial yoga poses. Mushrooms, egg yolks, sardines cod liver oil and herring are rich sources of vitamin D. Vitamin B12 increases bone density and helps when engaging in yoga swing workouts. It is naturally present in foods of animal origin including; fish, meat eggs and dairy products.
Protein
Protein foods are broken down by the body as amino acids which work as the building blocks of muscles. Protein helps to refuel the body, so that you do not feel tired during or after the yoga sessions. Whey91 Protein Bars are a healthy and delicious addition to your protein goals. Each Whey91 Protein Bar is powered with 20gms of protein, which is equal to the amount of protein found in three boiled eggs or two bananas. It is also enriched with the benefits of Lactoferrin, an evolutionary ingredient which will also help boost your immunity.
Water
Water keeps the body hydrated and helps lubricate our body joints. During yoga sessions, we tend to push out body into holding challenging poses and increasing blood circulation. Sometimes we sweat when doing sun salutations that warm up the body, or when we hold a pose for a long time. If you do not drink enough water to keep your body hydrated, you may tend to feel ill after the yoga sessions. Drinking enough water will help you to relax deeper into each pose, while also keeping you feeling refreshed at the end of the session. If you do not like drinking water, try infusing it with fruits.
Carbohydrates
Avocados, peanuts, rice, potatoes and some fruits including mangoes, apples and figs etc. are rich in carbohydrates and will help to prevent fatigue during yoga sessions. Complex carbs along with good fats and sugars will stabilize your blood sugar levels and provide you with quick and sustainable energy. But not all carbohydrates are created equal, and foods like chips or muffins will spike and crash your blood sugar levels if they are taken without other macronutrients like protein. So, choose your carbs wisely.
So, yogis, now you know what nutrition to take to power up your yoga sessions.