What to eat before and after a yoga class

Have you ever gone to a yoga class and felt like this guy:

?

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Come on!  You know you have been that person... well, I have been many a time.  I was thinking about doing a post about this as I was polishing off a box of girl scout cookies this morning (yes, I know they are full of hydrogenated fats and other deliciously bad for you things, it's a once in a while food... And I can't help it when those cute little girls are asking me if I want to buy cookies.)  Anyway, one of the biggest things that has improved my yoga class (at least the comfort of it) is how I eat before and after a class.  Here are 3 rules to help you get the most out of your yoga class and prevent the although cute but uncomfortable simulation presented above on your yoga mat.

 

• Rule 1: Practice on an empty stomach-  This can be a tough one depending on when you practice so here are some tips:
• If your practice is in the morning close to after waking up drink a big glass of water with lemon squeezed into it.  If you don't have any blood sugar issues this should be good enough to last you through the class.  If you have blood sugar issues such as hypoglycemia or diabetes eat some fruit, wait 15 mins (fruit should always be eaten on an empty stomach not mixed with other foods) and then eat a small small!! handful of raw almonds.
• If your practice falls in the evening try to go 3 hrs without eating and have a small piece of fruit 30 mins before practicing.
• another option is having a liquid meal like a shake 1 hr to 45mins before your class (again don't mix proteins and fats with fruit, I'll do a separate post about this more in detail later.)
• Rule 2: Don't eat fatty fried foods-  Yes, re fried beans are out of the question (for multiple reasons)... these types of foods are hard on the digestive system and take the longest to leave the stomach than anything else you could eat. 
• Rule 3: If you do eat before class don't eat until you are full-  When eating before a yoga class eat until satisfied, don't eat too much because that can really create some discomfort down the line in your practice.  Think plow pose with a full stomach before grabbing that extra roll or raw cookie... no thanks!

 

Now, how to eat AFTER a yoga class is completely different.  After a good solid workout it is imperative that you nourish the body with healthy foods.  There is a special window of time about 45 minutes after a good intense workout that the muscles will absorb what you eat better than after that time.  Bring a protein shake with you to the studio or gym and drink up right after class, especially if the yoga class you attended was very yang style or heated class.  Another very important thing to do after yoga is drink LOTS of water!!!  During a yoga class the body detoxifies itself but without good hydration after a class those toxins can stay in the body and have nowhere to go.  

photo creditTake THAT toxins!

(half full or half empty?) :)

 

My all time favorite thing to drink after a yoga class is this:

or thisphoto credits

 

These 2 are my favorite proteins and added bonus they are soy and dairy free and free of most other common food allergens.

 

Have a fantastic day and remember that if you ever feel like our friend at the beginning of the post in your yoga class it is quite alright to be that person once in a while :)

 

Namaste,

Renee

 

 



A natural health remedy... I EAT CHARCOAL!

Well... I don't technically eat it, I just swallow it in capsule form. 

WHAT?

Yup... It's Charcoal!

 

  This is a special kind of charcoal called activated charcoal and if you don't have some in your medicine cabinet I highly recommend changing that.  I bring this up today because I had some kind of stomach bug or food issues happen the other day and when I remembered this trick I went strait to the health food store to pick some up.  

 

  What activated charcoal does is absorb toxins in the body reducing their ill effects.  So in cases of food poisoning, bad bloating or gas, nausea, and some other choice bodily functions... this stuff just might do the trick to get you back to feeling better.  With minimal side effects this is a good first option to try before rushing to the doctor or using over the counter meds such as that pink slimy stuff.  Some stomach issues can be very serious, so if you really feel like you need a trip to the doctor, do it.  Never be a natural health martyr...  I have a strong belief that there is a place for natural and modern medicine to work together for optimal health.  My recommendations are when taking this drink plenty of water and don't over do it, the dosage on the bottle is usually all you need maybe even less. 

Moral of the story is that sometimes we eat bad food and this is just one of the many natural alternatives to soak up toxins and restore balance to the body.

I have had a lot of success with activated charcoal and thankfully this did the trick yesterday and today to get me back to health again.  For more info on activated charcoal check out webmd's information.

 

“The greatest wealth is Health.” ~Unknown

Here's to healthy digestion :)

~Namaste~



 

"Be Happy Anyway"

During Thursday night Yin/Restorative yoga I shared a quote that has been on my mind often ever since. 

“People are often unreasonable and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.
If you are honest, people may cheat you. Be honest anyway.
If you find happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy anyway.
The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough. Give your best anyway.
For you see, in the end, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.”
―    Mother Teresa

I know sometimes I have my moments of wondering "How on earth can people be so mean."  Though I'm sure I give people reasons to say the same thing.  But after really thinking about this quote it made me understand something.  It doesn't matter, what matters is how I feel at the end of the day after trying my best.  We can never base our happiness or contentment on how others behave.  So just some food for thought today.  Can we do good without recognition?  Can we be honest even if it may be hard?  Yes, we can.  We can do those things because we are here to give respect to others and treat each other and ourselves with loving kindness.

This quote also reminded me of a documentary that I recently watched on Netflix.  The documentary is "Happy"  Basically the film travels around the globe to find people who are happy. 

The film is Studded with research on what really makes people happy.  In the beginning of the film they follow a man in India who in most of our American views would have very little to be happy about.  He talks about his home which is lacking in walls, but goes to talk about the nice breeze.  He emphasises his love for his children and that when he looks at them it makes him happy.  Basically they break down the research like this: 50% of our happiness is predisposed in our genes.  50%!!! The good news is that 10% of our happiness is based on Life Circumstances such as poverty, or wealth.  The extra 40%  of happiness is based on Intentional Activities.  40% of our happiness is determined by what we chose to do with our life with the time we are given. 

They found that the happiest people:
Counted their blessings- People who consistently took time to find things to be thankful for had higher happiness ratings and felt more satisfied.
Physical Exercise-Raising our Dopamine levels naturally, what could be better than that?  Exercise increases the release of dopamine in the body, and what is important to remember is that as we age dopamine levels tend to decrease, so finding ways like exercise to increase dopamine is a simple way to find happiness.
Being connected to close family, friends, and community-  They found in the study that the difference in happiness levels between a family making $40,000 a year compared to $150,000 were basically the same...  We live in a society that tells us we need to be on a treadmill of work, go home, watch TV, see commercials or read magazines telling us we are more valued if we have more stuff, and then we go shopping to get this stuff, but then we need to work more to get more stuff.  The cycle never ends until we realize that although buying stuff can make us happy for a moment it is not lasting, and there is always more to get.  Real happiness comes from relationships that we make and nurture with others.  How will we have time to do this if we are so worried about working to pay for our $30 T-shirts, or our new car payments?  The point is that once our basic need of Shelter, and food are taken care of we need loving relationships.  So find relationships that make you feel loved, and help take care of other peoples need for the same. 
Service to others-  Those who gave service to others were found to be happier people.  Which leads me back to Mother Teresa.  The film follows a man who volunteers at a Mother Teresa home for the dying.  He gave up living a more luxurious lifestyle to help others because he found it made him happier to serve others.  They also found that when people meditated on loving kindness they recovered just as well from traumatic instances as those who were prescribed only anti-depressants.  When we start to practice loving kindness more it changes our perspective.  Things no longer are about what the world can do for us, but what we can do for the world, to make it a better more loving place.

 I realized that I must have enjoyed my Yoga Teacher Training so much because it gave me the opportunity to practice all of these intentional activities.  Check out some of my homework requirements:  Keep a gratitude journal, random acts of kindness, physical activity (of course), and meditation.  I can honestly say that it was practicing these things that helped me and continue to help me through difficult times in life.  We all have our bad days, and to be perfectly honest I deal with seasonal depression and had a bout of it recently in January.  I realized that this is one of those genetic traits, however I still have that 40% of intentional activities to boost my happiness when I get down.  So to get myself out of the rut I started drinking more, a lot more, water.  Meditating on loving kindness, and giving to others.  What happened?  I snapped out of it.  It wasn't overnight, but eventually I was able to get up out of bed and continue on with my days, and not just suffering though the days but finding joy in them. 
My question for today is:  When do you feel most happy and content?
And to quote again sweet Mother Teresa: "Be Happy Anyway."

So.... What's your dosha?

Dosha... What on earth is a dosha?  picture credit

That is usually what people say with their eyes when I get really excited and start talking about Ayurveda.  It doesn't bother me though, because it is awesome, one of those awesome things that I don't mind getting weird looks for.  I was introduced to Ayurveda during my yoga teacher training and after I had already been very involved in learning about alternative medicine and healthy diet.  So, where to start with Ayurveda?  To begin, Ayurveda is a system of health that originated thousands of years ago in India.  The basic idea is that in order to treat a person of any ailment, whether emotionally, physically, or spiritually
we need to understand the inherent differences within each person.  We all come from the 5 main elements of the universe.  That might sound strange to some, but even in the Bible there is reference to this : Genesis 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
  What then are we made up of?  Space, Air, Fire, Water, and Earth.  Understanding that we are all made from special individual arrangements of these elements helps us understand how to treat disease or just learn how to create a lifestyle more catered to finding balance for our individual needs.

We all have a certain amount of these elements some more or less than others creating the system of the Dosha.  So quickly lets talk about Dosha's:

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 Vata:  Vata is Space and Air, it is the dosha of movement and change.  Similar to the wind people who have a predominant amount of Vata qualities will be thin, fast moving, creative and energetic.  Vata qualities are dry, cold, mobile and light, sound similar to Space and Air?  The vata Dosha expresses these qualities in the body and the mind.    If a person displays the primary characteristics of the vata dosha they will then learn how to find harmony by living a vata balancing lifestyle.  Some quick examples would be eating warming cooked foods, finding and keeping a routine, getting plenty of rest, and doing more gentle forms of exercise like yoga (especially the grounding types like yin yoga), walking, and swimming.  Out of balance Vata will express anxiety, tension, and an overactive mind.

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Pitta:  The Dosha of Fire and Water.  The Pitta Dosha is translated as "that which cooks".  Sounds exciting.  The qualities of Pitta are Hot, liquid, moving, sharp and oily.  Pitta attributes are self motivation, strength, anger, jealousy and courage.  Individuals who have a strong pitta composition tend to be very warm and excitable people with a muscular athletic build of average height.  The self motivation tends to lead Pitta individuals to strong goal setting and achieving abilities.  But because of the heat, pitta individuals can on occasion (more if imbalanced) tend to overheat and explode with episodes of anger and frustration.  Pitta types are fast learners and can get frustrated with those who may take longer to see things their way.  Because of all that heat and liquid it is best for pitta individuals to to live a pitta balancing lifestyle which includes cooling foods like salads, lots of liquids, a moderate amount of sleep, calming activities like being in nature and steady calming exercise. 

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Kapha:  The Dosha of Earth and Water.  When thinking about earth and water you can understand that the characteristics are those of soft, moist, heavy, cold and static.  Kapha individuals display these characteristics in body and mind.  Kapha individuals tend to be sturdy, strong, loving, with large kind eyes.  Kapha types are grounding and calming individuals and help balance out the Vata and Pitta Doshas.  Kapha types because they are so linked to the earth can use more heated physical exercise, they can go to bed early and arise earlier than the other two dosha's.  Out of balance the Kapha can become over attached, lethargic, and depressed easier than the other doshas.  To keep Kapha in balance it is important to do emotional exercises like meditation and writing and make a focus on non attachment. 

There are so many more things which I will blog about more in detail focusing more on each individual dosha.  But for fun today, try taking a Dosha quiz to find out what dosha you are.  For a good one follow this link: http://www.ayurveda.com/pdf/constitution.pdf
Follow the instructions at the top by taking the quiz two times as it states then share your Dosha :)

I haven't had a personal Ayurveda consultation which would be the best way to determine, but from my quiz taking I have found I am a dual dosha of Vata/Pitta.

So... What's your Dosha ;)

Do you play in the Ocean?

The other day I came across this video:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 I was instantly in love!  Watching cute animal videos on YouTube is probably one of my favorite things to do any day to waste time and feel okay about it.  However, this one in particular really caught my attention.  I have been thinking a lot about living in the moment, and enjoying life where I am.  Then I see this little baby elephant doing just that in this clip.  The elephant is having the time of his life!  We are all connected at heart to everything around us, that is why I think just seeing this elephant expressing joy and play made me feel so ecstatic, because for a moment I could be that elephant.  It made me wonder how many times I have missed playing in the ocean, metaphorically speaking of course.  How many times do we go through our days and have moments where we could just let go and enjoy something but choose to keep ourselves busy doing other things we think we need to do. 

  One of the things that I am guilty of to stay busy is feeling like I need my apartment to be in perfect condition all the time... really? I have a toddler, tell me that is even possible.  To be realistic, there is always something we can do to keep busy... be it laundry, dishes, cooking, facebook, working, stressing out about work.... the list can go on and on.  But I think that's the easy stuff.  The hard part is letting go of all our self given assignments and allow ourselves to play.  How long has it been since you have really played or maybe even just sat back and looked at the scenery?

  It was after watching this clip that I realized I needed to paint again, one of my playing in the ocean hobbies.  The first thing on my list, a nice big canvas painting of this here elephant playing in the ocean to plant in the front room of our soon to be home.

 

 

Can you see that Elephant smiling? :)

 

 



So my question for the day is:  How will you live in the moment today?  Also, take a minute to read the "about me" tab to see what you will be reading in the future on my blog.  I am excited to start sharing my adventures.

Much love,

~Namaste~