What Should You Eat Before And After Yoga?
Yoga And Diet:
If you want to succeed in your yoga practice, you need to fuel your body with the proper nutrients. Yoga will give you overall body strength, but without protein, your muscles will not develop and you will feel weak throughout your practice and daily life.
What To Eat Before a Yoga Class
- If you are attending an evening class, eat a small snack 60-90 minutes before class. Make sure you’ve eaten throughout the day, but this small snack will sustain you and give you the energy you need to push through after a long day.
- If you are going to a morning class, eat half a banana or a handful of berries at least 30+ minutes prior. If you are looking for a quick and easy pre-yoga breakfast, a protein shake is a good option or drink a glass of almond milk or juice to give you some sugar and calories for energy.
- Don’t eat a large meal prior to class. If your stomach is full, you will have a hard time engaging your core, poses will be harder to get into, and you risk getting an upset stomach. Make sure your last meal was at least one and half hour prior to class so your body has had a chance to digest, and choose something easy to digest.
- Drink at least 8 ounces of water 30 minutes before class
- Don’t drink a lot of caffeine prior to class
1. Avocados: Leads to proper functioning of muscles and cells in the human body. Besides, avocados are easy to digest and keep you full for quite some time. The healthy fat found in avocados helps reduce bad cholesterol.
2. Bananas: Available all round the year, are cheap, rich in nutrients and an ideal pre-workout snack. You can have it with salads or use it to make yummy smoothies.
3. Fruit Smoothies: Made at home can be the ideal pre-workout food, and that holds true also for yoga practitioners. Smoothies provide adequate nutrition and hydrate the body at the same time. You may use fruits like pineapple, apple, orange, melon, and kiwi, for example. Using fat-free yogurt will be a good idea to make healthy low-fat smoothies. It is better that you do not mix additional sugar while making smoothies. The natural sugar in fruits should suffice.
4. Apples: Are alkaline fruits and help counter acidity developing in the stomach. They also contain natural sugars and lots of fiber. Eating apples also keeps your body hydrated. The vitamin C in Apple gives your body an energy boost which is ideal before a workout.
5. Yogurt: Is delicious and can be eaten in a number of ways. You can have it alone or blend with fruits to make smoothies. Some people even take it with oats. Before going for a yoga session, simply take some low fat or zero fat yogurt. This will give you the energy you need!
6. Almonds: Eating raw almonds can give you just the energy boost you need before yoga classes. You can try eating soaked almonds. Do not opt for the salted variety available in the market at any cost. Organic, raw almonds are the best option for you. Almonds contain vitamin E, magnesium and healthy fats.
7. Raisins: Taste great and offer you energy in the forms of natural sugars.
8. Dried Fruit And Nut Bar: Ensure the bar does not have a calorie count exceeding 300. It will offer you enough energy for the session.
9. Berries: Are replete with vitamins and antioxidants. They are also rich in fiber. The natural sugar content in the fruits will keep you energized.
10. Oatmeal: Eating a bowl of oatmeal before you leave, is easy to digest and rich in fibers. If necessary, you can put in a spoon of yogurt in the bowl or drop a small amount of honey to add to the taste.
What to Eat After a Yoga Class
- Eat a nutritious meal after class.
- If it was a morning session, whip yourself up a two-egg omelet with fresh veggies like tomatoes and fresh fruit.
- If it was an evening class, make sure you are getting enough protein throughout the day so your muscles can repair and grow.
- Don’t eat cookies or any junk food. While sugar is actually an important thing to consume after working out (insulin aids in repairing muscles), you want to make sure you are consuming unrefined sugars, such as oatmeal. If you have a sugar craving, try a bowl of oatmeal with a drizzle of pure maple syrup, a handful of blueberries and a dash of cinnamon.
1. Water: While you will need to eat after practicing yoga, it is even more important to provide hydration to the body. You need to drink plenty of water. Plain water is the best option for this. However, for a variation, you may drink coconut water sometimes. It is also okay to add a few drops of lemon to the water for a shot of vitamin C!
2. Fresh Fruit Juice: You can enjoy a large glass of fresh fruit juice after returning from the yoga classes. It is okay to try different fruits each day for a variety. Do not use additional sugar.
3. Homemade Vegetable Soup: You have burnt a lot of calories at the yoga session and it is necessary that you offer the body with plenty of nutrients with calories like homemade vegetable soup. You can use carrots, celery, spinach or cabbages to make such soups. Pour in your favourite vegetables and add black pepper and ginger for flavour. Making soups at home is better than buying them readymade, ready to heat products sold in stores which often contain excess amounts of sodium.
4. Toast With Banana And Almond Butter: This is ideal when you need a good dose of nutrition without taking extra calories. Use whole grain toast and bake them lightly in the toaster or microwave. Spread a liberal amount of almond butter on the toast and top with banana slices. You get protein, healthy fats and fiber in this snack.
5. Whole-Grain Toast With Scrambled Egg Whites: If you practice yoga in the daytime, this can be a great post workout snack. Egg whites contain protein and no cholesterol. The whole-grain breads contain complex carbohydrates and that will ensure you stay energized for a long time.
6. Fresh Vegetable Salad: You can have a bowl of salad of fresh vegetables after returning from yoga classes. You can use dark leafy vegetables and using organic vegetables is the best option. Use pepper powder or cilantro, chopped on top or pour a few drops of extra virgin olive oil to add to the taste.
Sources
Radhakrishnan, Maanasi. What Should You Eat Before and After Yoga? StyleCraze.
November 2nd2017. Web. Retrieved May 11th2019. https://www.stylecraze.com/articles/what-should-you-eat-before-and-after-yoga/#gref
Wilson, Samantha. What to Eat and Drink Before and After Yoga. YogiApproved. Web. Retrieved May 11th2019. https://www.yogiapproved.com/health-wellness/what-to-eat-and-drink-before-and-after-yoga/
