You knew this topic was coming! We’ve been blogging the past couple months about the use of natural products as complement to your yoga lifestyle. We discussed swapping out nontoxic cleaning products for your home, and smart topical products for sun protection, skin care and beauty. Now let’s dish about what you put INTO your yoga—fantastic body!
But look – we aren’t going to harp on a perfect macrobiotic vegan clean diet. The truth is, food is simply fuel and even less than perfect food can still fuel your body, a little bit. Our argument about food is to simply strive for balance. Put way more good stuff in than bad and you’re going to feel better. And frankly - you’re going to look better, too.
What’s the good stuff? Organic vegetables, whole grains, free range meats, poultry, eggs and whenever possible, local food. Shop your farmers markets, natural food stores and nearby producers and you’re going to find a wide range of clean meats and fish, nutrient-rich vegetables and fruit, and even delicious snacks.
You already know what the bad stuff is: processed foods, fried foods, salty or too sweet foods. Ingredients you don’t recognize or can’t pronounce. Your body is your temple and wants the good stuff. Give it!
So there are some easy tips on how to fuel your body. And what about hydration? What is the best hydration? Simply put, it’s the stuff that most of our planet is made of: water. It also happens to be what you are mostly made of! Drink as much water as you should. Have some fun with your water. Put a few slices of fruit in if you want flavor or brew a delicious herbal tea. And remember to begin every day with at least 8oz of warm, salty water! A pinch of pink Himalayan sea salt in freshly warmed water (not warm from the tap, use a kettle). Drink it before you have your coffee and give back to your body some of the moisture it lost through the night running all of its cleaning and maintenance routines. If you haven’t tried LMNT yet, we highly recommend it! We carry it in studio and love it. We’re hearing incredible feedback from our students who have implemented this into their hydration tool-kit.
What don’t you want to drink? You won’t like it but studies now show that there is zero amount of alcohol that is really acceptable to the body. You might argue that you go dry in January, or you only have two drinks on social occasions, or you just really like that beer / cider / seltzer / wine / cocktail. But the minute you give up alcohol, you start reaping some serious benefits.
Like, lowering blood pressure and minimizing your risk of diabetes. Like, sleeping better and focusing more. Like, losing weight, stressing less, making your prescription medications and supplements way more effective, and – here’s a big one – dropping your chance of cancer.
We think those are all awesome reasons to skip those drinks altogether. But again, what we are advocating for is balance. Balance on your yoga mat, in your diet, and in your life. Yoga is never about perfection. Just moving and breathing and living in the space you desire to be.