What Diet Changes Improve The Effectiveness Of Yoga?

Yoga is practiced for various other reasons. This globally renowned workout regime is known to provide endless benefits to us. However, like any other exercise regime, you must follow a proper diet to increase the effectiveness of yoga.

What diet changes will positively influence your health depends on what you are prating yoga for. In this article, we discuss how our diet affects the effectiveness of yoga and what factors one must keep in mind.

How does diet affect yoga's effectiveness?

As discussed, like any other workout regime, our diet plays a significant role in its effectiveness. Our diet and exercise routine go hand-in-hand. Consuming unhealthy, fried, and processed foods can cause harm to our health. On the other hand, consuming healthy foods can help promote better functioning of the body and increase the effectiveness of yoga.

What diet changes need to be made?

Every workout regime has certain restrictions and directions on our diet. Here are things to consider and diet changes to be made if you are willing to increase the effectiveness of your yoga workouts.

1. Understand your goal

When practicing yoga, you must understand what is your end goal. If your goal is to lose weight you will have to be in a calorie deficit state. However, if you are diabetic, you might have to cut down on sugary foods from your diet.

2. Consume healing foods

Yoga focuses on consuming Sattvic foods. Sattvic foods are foods that bring us peace and comfort. Consuming organic, healthy, fresh, and healing foods is encouraged. You must also add healthy herbs and spices to your diet, such as ginger, turmeric, etc.

3. Incorporate mindfulness

Mindfulness is an integral part of practicing yoga. Positive affirmations and a positive relationship with self and food can improve the absorption of the same.

4. Eat organic

Saucha is another factor of the yogic diet. Saucha means consuming clean and pure foods. This can be achieved by consuming eating fresh and organic foods.

5. Skip on packed

As discussed above, yoga supports consuming freshly prepared foods. Packed, ultra-processed and junk foods are to be avoided as they have little to no nutritional value.

6. Understand ahimsa

Ahimsa is another principle of a yogic diet. Ahimsa refers to non-violence. This implies that we must avoid harm to other beings which means avoiding meat and dairy products.

7. Avoid stimulants

Yoga also focuses on improving mental health and energies through physical movements, mindfulness, and meditation. This requires one to avoid substances that influence our state of mind. Avoid coffee, tobacco, liquor, etc. 

8. Eat most at lunch

Ayurveda believes our digestive system is the most active during noon. Consuming a heavy and healthy lunch provides us with energy and also reduces fat build-up which may be caused by heavy dinner, etc.

9. Eat home-cooked

Ayurveda encourages consuming fresh and home-cooked meals when practicing yoga. This helps you provide intent to your food and ensures you consume healthy foods.

In conclusion, our diet plays an integral role in practicing yoga. What you consume, when you consume, and how much you consume, are all factors that influence the effectiveness of yoga.

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.