How to Use Nutrition To Fuel Your Yoga Practice
This is a special post in collaboration with PURE Yoga Texas in Dallas, TX.
Happy New Year, friends!
As we kick-off January and enter the new year, there is an excitement around investing in our health. Some sign up for challenges, while others try new workout classes, or re-commit to their current practice.
If you’re reading this blog post, you’re likely someone who has taken the the 26+2 classes, and let’s face it - it’s not a walk in the park! We challenge ourselves physically and mentally in these classes and it requires a great deal of energy. When we put these demands on our body, it is important to properly fuel and hydrate ourselves.
Have you ever found yourself feeling sluggish during yoga class or chronically fatigued outside of class? The tips below will help guide you in how to fuel your body so you can gain maximum benefits from your yoga practice and workouts!
1) Maintain Hydration & Replenish Electrolytes
Everyone requires different amounts of water to feel their best and it can change based on your activity levels and other factors. As a minimum starting point, research suggests drinking around 9 cups of water a day for women and 13 cups per day for men. At PURE Yoga, we can sweat a lot, so going above minimums on days we take class will be key in ensuring sufficient hydration.
In addition to hydrating properly, we also want to replenish nutrients lost from our yoga classes & workouts. When we sweat, we lose essential minerals called electrolytes, with the biggest one being sodium. Electrolytes provide key functions to our body and impact athletic performance. Before or after class, add electrolytes into your water to offset the loss of minerals during your workout. There are many electrolytes brands on the market to choose from, or you can simply start by adding a pinch of salt to your water. When picking out an electrolyte brand, watch for sneaky sugars, and take note of the different amounts and dosages of minerals. LMNT is a good option for those looking for a no-sugar added alternative!
My favorite strategy for drinking more water is filling my water bottle the night before with electrolytes and putting it in the fridge so it’s ready to drink first thing in the morning. You can get creative with how you add in drinking more water by pairing it with other habits you already do, adding flavors to your water, or giving yourself cues for when to drink more water.
2) Nutrient Density Over Calorie Tracking
When building your plate, prioritize nutrient-dense whole foods rather than focusing on calories-in/calories-out. Not only is this approach more sustainable in the long term, but it also allows us to focus on having a mindset of abundance, rather than a mindset of restriction. When our focus is centered on ensuring we get a wide variety of whole foods, processed foods will naturally start to be crowded out.
To fuel your body for a strong practice, aim to build your plate with quality protein, fat, and fiber at each meal. If you’re wondering about portions, a general rule of thumb is to fill your plate with 1 “hand palm” of protein, 1-2 “thumbs” of fat, and 2 fists of veggies. By rounding out your meals with whole foods, you’ll be able to better control energy crashes, reduce inflammation, and stabilize blood sugar - setting you up for peak performance during & outside class!
3) Eat the Rainbow Every Day
…and I don’t mean Skittles. :-) One of my favorite strategies to ensuring you’re consuming a variety of vitamins and phytonutrients is to consume a every color of the rainbow throughout the day. Diversity of food is great for our gut and feeding different types of bacteria. When we have a healthy gut, we can reduce fatigue and inflammation, making for a stronger practice. What we eat starts with where we get our food. Challenge yourself by buying 2 new produce items a week to support diversity in your diet!
4) Be Mindful of Timing and Digestion
We all know those days when you’re starving an hour before a hot yoga class, or are hungry for dinner at 9pm after getting home from a late night class. It can be tricky to find the right timing and amount of food so you can feel your best, but not feel queasy or starving during class.
If you’re hungry 3-4 hours before class, chances are you’ll have enough time to digest a normal meal. Try building a well-rounded meal with protein, fat & fiber to fuel you for a strong workout.
If you’re hungry 1-2 hours before class, it might be difficult to digest a full meal before class. If you are really hungry, start with a half portion of a meal and see if that will hold you over. Reach for foods that are more digestible for your body such as smoothies, soups or salads. You’ll likely find that heavier meats and greasy/processed foods are harder to digest and may cause some discomfort if eating those foods close to class time.
If you’re taking a night class and hungry close to bedtime, you don’t want to deprive your body of replenishing nutrients it lost during the workout. If you are hungry after a night class, fuel your body with clean foods, but be mindful to not overeat. When we eat close to bedtime, it can trigger hormones to think we need to stay up longer.
5) Supplements for an Active Lifestyle
While our primary goal is to consume nutrients through food, supplements can be a great compliment to a healthy diet. Depending on your health goals and needs, you can customize what supplements are best for you. Here are a few that yogis & athletes may benefit from:
EAAs (essential amino acids) - aminos are the building blocks for your muscles which help regulate metabolism, energy production and much more. EAAs are aminos that you can only get from food or supplementation.
Magnesium - this essential mineral has a variety of benefits and can help amplify athletic performance, sleep quality, and muscle soreness.
Turmeric - this spice is anti-inflammatory and can be useful when muscles are sore or if you are healing any injuries.
Green Tea - many of us love a little energy boost before class. Instead of chugging an energy drink, opt for a cup of green tea for clean energy, full of antioxidants.
6) Build in Time for Recovery
Travel, busy schedules and daily responsibilities can all make it a challenge to give our bodies the rest that it needs. If we never take the time to recover, nutrition can only help so much with our staying healthy and energized. The best thing we can do for our bodies outside of nutrition is getting quality & consistent sleep. When we are able to get sufficient sleep, the body is able to repair muscle tissue and give us energy needed for the next day. When we are sleep deprived, we can have other less desirable side effects such as cravings, fatigue, and less motivation to attend workouts.
If you’ve found these nutrition tips helpful, I’d love to connect with you on Instagram at @laurenaustinwellness where I share wellness motivation & inspiration. I also provide 1:1 health coaching and would love to chat more about your health and how I could support you in meeting your health goals.
Let’s start the new year off strong together! May your 2023 be filled with lots of hydration and clean eating, flexible backbends, and rejuvenating savasanas!
Lauren is a certified holistic health coach and graduated from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition. You can read more about her bio here.
Sources:
Hydration: https://www.healthline.com/health/how-much-water-should-I-drink#recommendations
Magnesium: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33009349/#:~:text=Mg%20significantly%20reduced%20(%E2%88%BC1,Pla).
Turmeric: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32282223/