Useful Dietary Tips for yoga students.

Useful Dietary Guidelines for yoga students.

 What should I eat? This is very common question in the mind of beginner yoga students & equally important  question . As many of us practicing yoga for health point of view so it is natural to know what we should eat?, when to eat?, how to eat ?etc. Today I would like to share some thoughts on useful Dietary tips for yoga students. It will be helpful to reap maximum benefits of your  yoga practice & as well as enhance your  yoga practice.

Here I am not discussing about vegetarian – non vegetarian diet. I am simple suggestion some basic guidelines to cultivate proper eating habits. Here I would like to make it clear that vegetarian diet is help full to optimism benefits of yoga at various levels (physical, mental, emotional and spiritual) however it is not pre condition for beginning your yoga practice.  But I have seen many of my students after learning yoga they gives preference to vegetarian diet now.

 Today I am sharing some of the basic principles of eating .It seems funny but it is true also many of us do not take their meal properly. I was one of them. I used to read and eat same time or watching TV and consuming my meal same time. I also have bad habit to eat very fast.  But now I have changed it and have seen good result in my practice. So I am sharing few dietary  tips with you.

• Company: - If possible try to dine either alone or with people you genuinely like. Negative thoughts /emotions are not good while eating. Even the negative thoughts of cook while cooking OR with whom you are eating can affect your digestion. .  Your thoughts can be influenced by negative minded people so avoid those people company while eating If you are stressed or have anger do not eat at that particular moment/condition.
• Atmosphere: To enhance your eating experiences eat in quiet atmosphere; It really affects your digestion process and mood. Always eat in sitting position and avoid watching TV, reading or talking while chewing your meal. Try to pay attention on what you are eating and enjoy it.
• Speed: - Do not eat too fast or too slow. Give enough time yourself for chewing food & to mix saliva properly .Also enjoy the process of eating. Do not over eat .Leave one third to one quarter of your stomach empty to aid digestion.  Avoid taking another meal unless previous meal has been digested.
• Timing: - Eat at the same time every day. It optimized digestion process as body biological clock adjusts accordingly.  It is one of the difficult points I am facing due to my kids and family routine.

Note:-If you have class or practice in the evening kindly provide 3 to 4 hour gap between your meal and practice.

• Water:-You can have few sip of water during meal.(some people suggest do not take water  during meal) Avoid taking chilled water as it slow down digestive fire. Room temperature water is fine. Avoid any soft drinks during your meal.
• Rest:-Few minutes rest is advisable after meal Do not rush for another activity just after finishing your meal.remain quiet after eating. & say thanks to nature to provide you healthy nutritional food and also  to the person who cooked food for you. Lunch time you need to take rest after meal and after dinner you need to talk walk to digest food properly.

•  Six taste:- Ayurveda  (an ancient system of Indian medicine) recommend to eat all six tastes every day-sweet.sour,salty,pungent,bitter,and astringent – add these tastes in your regular food items.

• Choose Local harvest:- Eat fresh food according to season  with full of prana (energy).Try to buy local grown food as they have same air,water,sun, nutrients and sun light that you grow up. It also supports local economy and farmers. Frozen food or packed food need to be avoided as they does not have any prana(energy) value
• Heating/left over: -Avoid over heating/ re heating food. Reheating foods changes its quality and minimize nutritional value of food. Avoid leftover food also, as it develops Tamasic gunas. Cook only how much you can eat. Do not cook too much. Avoid wasting food.
• Yogurt, lassi ,buttermilk  etc should be avoided in the night time.

Note:-. This article is only about an awareness  that  how you can enjoy your food and gain maximum benefits for your food. this post  is inspired by ancient people's eating habits when they use to eat together  with family members and utilizes natural resources for their dietary supplements. i am not a dietitian or expert on food i am a yoga teacher and sharing my views on our eating habits.

 If you have any concern or wants to know about our yoga courses or activities please feel free to write me any time. 

Thank you  

•