The famous quote "we are what we eat" is known by many but practiced by only a few. In order to get most out of your yoga routine you need to eliminate harmful foods. Food in truth is medicine and should be healing and hydrating. In fact we can tell by the condition of our skin if our body is thriving off the foods we eat. You can even test yourself and see how lots of fruits and vegetables (which contain lots of water) will plump out wrinkles and give your face a "lift"
The yoga philosophy is couple with the science of Ayurveda which is defined by the balance between body, mind and awareness. In addition, it is important that the Tridoshas are in balance: Vata (air), Pitta (bile) and Kapha (phlegm). The food we eat will influence the balance of these doshas.
So what are the best foods to keep our body healthy like a yogi?
Let's take a look at what food to eat and which ones to avoid:
Sattvic foods: The BEST foods you can eat with lots of pranic energy. They should make up the majority of your diet. These foods are described as pure essence and include fruits and vegetables.
Rajasic foods: The second best in food quality and should take up a smaller portion of your diet. Thee foods include deep root vegetables, including ginger, Jerusalem artichokes and tumeric.
Tamasic foods: These are the foods to avoid as they have low energy and create decay and have a regressive nature. These foods include meat, fish, poultry, eggs and alcohol. If you are transitioning away from eating animal based foods, it is advisable to just eat a very small portion twice a week maximum.
When you balance your diet with Sattvic and a little Rajasic, consequently you are creating a body that is more basic than acidic: a topic modern medicine is now embracing as a key factor in health. Finally and very important, eat with grace and a state of peace, even the most healthy food can turn toxic if you are in a state of anger or negative emotion.
Other tips to eat by: enjoy the act of preparing your food, eat slowly, eat when you're hungry, and say a blessing of gratitude before every meal.
Try these tips for a week and see if you notice a change in your energy and appearance!