When we talk about fitness and nutrition, it is not always about losing or gaining weight. Some people set the goal of maintaining a healthy and active life even after having a toned or fit body. If you eat well and do some exercise for an hour in a day, then you will be active throughout the day or during every task. Not only your body, but your mind and soul will also feel healthy. It is important to remain focused and give a high level of performance consistently in your daily tasks.
Today, people get easily stressed due to work pressure and various other issues. As a result of that, they lose concentration and lead to an unbalanced life. In this case, yoga is something that has proven effects on giving a peaceful mind as well as life. But to get the full benefits, exercises and stress-relieving meditations of yoga are not enough. Involving and developing a nutrition plan plays a vital role in getting the desired results.
As we all know, the combination of performing yoga and providing nutrition to the body has been working like a miracle for centuries. Yogis believed in this combination and reaped great results. With the scientific reports on nutrition and healthy foods, a new awareness has been spread in recent years that back up the ideas. Even various yoga instructors instruct people to include nutrition for gaining harmony between spirit, mind, and body.
Discipline of Yoga
The entire discipline of yoga concerns food and its influence on health and fitness, and this discipline is called “Anna Yoga”. When it is about what constitutes healthy eating, some specific details may vary among different branches of yoga. Well, most aspects are the same in which modest and reasonable portions of foods high in nutrients and low in toxin are advised to eat. In this type of nutritional diet, lots of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are included. It has existed among yoga practitioners for decades. But now, doctors have begun to understand the benefits of yoga and nutrition, and encouraging this combination.
Classifications of Food in Yoga
Food has been classified into three categories including Rajasik, Tamsik, and Satvik in Yoga.
Rajasik: It translates as “food of king”. This is the kind of food that is highly processed or includes a lot of seasonings. Sugary beverages, candy, packaged foods, alcohol, etc. belong to this food category. These edibles often provoke mental restlessness. They neither provide benefits to body and mind nor completely harmful.
Tamsik: Foods that are elaborately prepared high in sodium and usually highly spiced are Tamsik. Meat, onion, vinegar, bread, cakes, pastries, garlic mushrooms, even leftovers, stale food, etc. also fall in this category.
Satvik: They are consumed in as close to their original state as possible. Fresh vegetables and fresh fruits are examples of this food category. Yoga practitioners consider Satvik food as the basis of an ideal diet. If vegetables are cooked for eating, only a light coating of seasoning is applied so that the food does not lose its nutritional value. The best thing about these foods is that they are easily digested and rich in exceptional nutritional value.
It is believed that Satvik food plays a vital role in providing nutrition and results in a well-conditioned mind and body if eaten with the performance of the health benefits of yoga. If you are not a regular practitioner of yoga, basic nutritional theories within the Satvik plan are still useful.
Nutrition in Fruits and Vegetables
As already stated, that food is consumed in fresh as state as possible offers more nutritional value. It is because vegetables and fruits contain various vitamins and healthy enzymes. You can’t get the same nutrients from frozen or canned foods as the packaging process often time causes loss of health benefits of foods. It is advisable by various instructors to eat a large portion of fruits or raw vegetables to absorb more nutrients. You can make them Satvik by applying light seasoning on raw vegetables at home or go for some trusted food delivery services, available here to rely on, which can provide you with fresh food in no time. After ordering your meal, you will receive it shortly and enjoy fresh food along with nutritional values.
Among raw vegetables, green and leafy ones are held in special regard by yogis. Vegetables like spinach, lettuce, cabbage, and broccoli contain the highest nutrients and energy for a whole day. When it comes to fruits, yogis consider them full of life force and rich in nutrition because the natural sugar of fruits provides a human body with fast and nutritious sources of energy without any harmful toxins.
No Non-Vegetarian in Yoga
You may have heard that most people involved in Yoga, and even those not involved, do not consume non-veg food such as meat, fish, or poultry. This is because they consider this food as Tamsik which results in heaviness and inactivity. Some yoga practitioners eat meat, fish, etc. but also recommend moderation in taking this kind of food. These foods contain lactic acid, fat, cholesterol, and other toxins that can overpower the practice of yoga by slowing down the growth of muscles gained. It is not necessary to be a vegetarian to start yoga. But it is recommended to eat Satvik food if you want to go deep into this practice.
Ways to extract more nutrients from food
· One of the most effective keys to extracting nutrition is how the food is prepared for consumption. If you deep fry your food or use excessive spices, then it can harm your body. Instead of frying, boiling would be good.
· Apart from this, many instructors and practitioners suggest eating slowly helps the body to gain more nutrients contained in the meal.
· There are some exercises in the practice of yoga that help the body to absorb more of the nutrients from the food you consume.
So, that’s how the combination of yoga, nutrition, and your body works together for a healthy and active lifestyle. Make a habit of practicing yoga and eating nutritious food every day and feel fantastic.
