What should you eat before yoga and after yoga class? When you're going to be moving your body in new ways, it's important to eat in a way that won't make you feel sick during class and will help you recover after.
Yoga and food – things to Remember
Food can take around 3 hours to digest. Digestion can use up a lot of energy, and during some yoga poses like twists or forward folds, abdominal pressure can make it uncomfortable to practice on a full stomach.
Yoga can best be done in the mornings when your stomach is empty. There is more room in your abdominal space for deeper breathing, and mindfulness is more satiating on an empty stomach! However, practising first thing in the morning is not always practical, and if you get low blood sugar or have low energy before eating in the morning, you can still practice yoga, you'll just need to think carefully about what you eat before class.
the best foods to eat before and after yoga class
A Yogic diet is a well-balanced diet that ancient mystics believed had a considerable impact not only over our thoughts but on our physical well-being and, ultimately, our spiritual and emotional well-being.
Yogic diet can also be called Lacto-vegetarian, which includes non-animal foods except honey and dairy items. With more awareness about the body through Hatha-yoga, you may find those vegetarian foods become a natural choice. They can also help you maintain the same energized, light feeling that Yoga is known for.
Eating the right food is an essential part of living a healthy lifestyle. Yoga does not classify food into carbohydrates, proteins, or fats; instead, it ranks them according to the effect they have on the mind and body into three types – sattva, rajas, and tamas. Tamasic food is the food that makes us sluggish or lethargic, while Rajasic food is that which brings about restlessness or activity. Sattvic food is the kind that makes you feel energetic, light, and enthusiastic. So, eat the best foods to eat before and after yoga.
What to eat before yoga class?
Before you start yoga sessions, aim for easy to digest foods that won't interfere with your practice. What works for your system is personal and specific; that is why we asked experts to give you all the right information you need to make choices. Here are their recommendations:
Go for simple carbs
While simple carbs get a bad rap for adding sugar to the bloodstream, they are easy to digest which make them a good pre-yoga snack. Go for combinations Like apple or banana with peanut butter, avocado toast, or hummus with crackers or carrots.
Rejuvenating snacks
It could be nut butter and fruit, a smoothie, toast with avocado, or anything that feels energizing to you.
Easy-to-digest foods
Before Yoga, choose foods that digest quickly and give you balanced energy, such as a combination of whole-grain carbohydrates, protein, and fat for staying power.
Eat two hours before you practice
Have a full meal two hours before a yoga class, if eating within two hours of a course, choose a light food.
avoid fatty, spicy, and acidic foods
These foods can upset your stomach. You should also avoid foods that digest slowly, as they can make you uncomfortable while you practice.
What food to eat after a yoga session
- After yoga class, especially if it's a vigorous session, you'll want to refuel with a great meal or a side dish that has a 3:1 ratio of carbohydrates to protein, which can help regrow muscle tissues and restore vitality levels.
- Some of the best post-yoga snacks include a Greek yogurt parfait with fruit, a quinoa bowl with veggies, nuts, and granola, tofu, or legumes; or, banana, mint, Greek yogurt, and kefir or silken tofu or a smoothie with frozen wild blueberries.
When thinking about what to eat before or after yoga, think about a meal that comprises good fats, proteins, and carbohydrates, plus should be dense in nutrients, both before and after a yoga session.
As always, your body is your own best teacher. By keeping a food diary and noting how you feel after each meal or snack, you'll start to get a sense of what foods work best for your body before and after yoga class!
This is a guest post from Henna. Henna is a wellness lifestyle writer. She loves sharing her thoughts and personal experiences related to natural remedies, Ayurvedic, yoga and fitness through her writing. She currently writes for How To Cure. She can connect with others experiencing health concerns and help them through their recovery journeys through natural remedies.