Nutrition and yoga
Yoga is a discipline that encompasses the entire aspect of your
life. It is not just a few asanas, breathing practices, and meditation.
It is rather a way of life. The Ashtanga yoga lays down rules and
observations for the yoga practitioner. Though all these rules and
observations may not be practical today but a few things cannot be
neglected. The Patanjali Yoga Sutra gives an account of what is to be
done while practicing yoga and what should be avoided. One of the very
important aspects in yoga, which is neglected in this modern era, is
food/diet. It is aptly said that you are what you eat. Without
proper food the yoga practice will not bear the desired fruit. The yogic diet described below is not only
good for yoga practice but also good for runners.
The Yogic Diet: The yogis in
India were people who had given up everything in life. They were
practicing yoga to achieve enlightenment. Their goal was a very lofty one and
the material way of life was given up. So, obviously they did not have a
lot of food available to them. The religious aspect forbade eating of
meats. This worked in their favor when practicing advanced yogasanas and
Pranayam, Mudras, Bandha and meditation. The idea was to eat food as
little as was available and yet make the body tough enough that it could
withstand hunger, starvation, and hot or cold climatic conditions. So,
fruits and milk were the choice of the yogis. Some went with rice,
yogurt, and clarified butter. At times they would go without food or eat
leaves from trees. They preferred this simple diet which was adequate for
their yoga practice.
Today, we are all spoiled for choice. Do we really need
all that food? Once you start your yoga practice you will realize
the futility of eating all the junk food and that simpler your diet, the better it is for your stomach and your overall
well being. Thus the first thing you
could do is give up or reduce meat consumption. Add fruits, vegetables,
and salads for beginners. Once you get into advanced practices, you can
switch to rice with clarified butter (ghee) and yogurt. These will make an amazing difference in your practice
and your well being. The lightness that ensues is highly satisfying and
remarkable.
Is this yogic diet good
for runners: I feel the yogic diet
is perfect for runners too. Fruits,
vegetables, and salads have high vitamins and minerals and so these can be a
good choice. Long distance runners can
opt for rice, clarified ghee and yogurt.
Rice is a good source of carbohydrates and provide fuel for runners,
especially long distance. Ghee is
another source of energy and contrary to belief, if taken in moderation and
with exercise, helps to reduce weight.
Another addition to runner’s diet could be yogurt, which is an excellent
source of protein and calcium and helps to aid digestion by helping good
bacteria to grow in the gut. Apart from
the above, coconut water could be an excellent source of natural electrolytes. It acts as a natural sports drink. In conclusion, it is definitely good for
runners and is at par with any lean meat diet you can come up with. Given below are some more advantages of a yogic
diet.
Advantages of a Yogic Diet:
1. Lightness: As explained above, lightness is your
friend. This diet will help you achieve lightness in your entire
body. This will aid in doing asanas. The byproducts of heavy foods
like meat, fat, oil, butter etc., are gas, bloating, upset stomachs. So
it is better to avoid such foods to better your yoga practice. When you practice asanas, it first gets rid
of gross impurities that are accumulated in the body. It brings about a
balance in vat, pitta, and kapha, i.e. air, fire, and water which constitute
the human body, as per Ayurveda. This balancing act results in good
health.
2.
High levels of energy and
activity: Ever had the feeling of heaviness after eating meats or too
much food. Heavy foods make us lethargic. Modern studies have shown
that eating less is good for your health. As per the ancient Ayurvedic
system of India we should fill 3/4th of our stomachs with food
and water and leave the rest for air/gas. The aim of a yogic diet is in
line with the Ayurvedic principles. Practice
a yogic diet and you will remain energetic and active. Moreover, you will
be alert. You will feel like you can do more and yet more.
3.
Weight Control:
Light diets aid in weight control. Today, the choices of foods are unlimited
and we have started calling ourselves foodies. Consequently, we are
seeing an increasing weight problem in the population. A yogic diet will
help reduce weight and your efforts towards weight reduction will bear fruit
faster.
4.
Getting rid of diseases:
It is said that 80% of the medical conditions are caused due to digestive
issues. Eating too much leads to overworking of the kidneys and it
affects their function in the long run. Accumulation of cholesterol leads
to blockages in the heart. People develop arrhythmias, myocardial
infarctions, coronary artery disease and heart attacks. Then we have
diabetes, stroke, etc. So, if we take care of our food habits and eat a
yogic diet most of our issues will vanish in the next 6 months to a year.
5.
Aids in getting up
early: This is a fact that light foods at night will help you sleep
better and help you rise early. Robin Sharma, the author of ‘The monk who
sold his Ferrari’, says one should not eat after 7 o’clock. So, if we are
finished with our dinner by 7, we have enough time to digest the food before we
go to bed, say about 10 p.m. Eating less at night coupled with going
early to bed can help you get up early and you can do your favorite physical
activity. This, in turn, again helps to reduce weight.
Thus a yogic diet, which as described above is a light diet
consisting of fruits, vegetables, rice, yogurt, clarified butter, is a must if
you would like to lose weight or practice yoga or both. This simple diet
can help the world in eliminating many diseases and let people live a healthy
and meaningful life.
