Food as Medicine for Exercise Recovery ~ Bikram Yoga

Practicing (sweaty) Bikram regularly requires adequate replenishment, hydration, and nourishment. How many of us have walked into the hot room and felt at 60% performance level because of a poor menu choice we’d made at lunch; only to have arrived home, ravenous, and absentmindedly indulged in a large meal?

I asked Sally Callaghan, a qualified naturopath, for her thoughts regarding best practice in using food as fuel. She has made some recommendations that will definitely help bring Bikram bodies closer towards peak performance level. Sally’s advice has broadened my mind in respect of the array of tastes, and versatility, offered by whole foods. When was the last time you added a baked sweet potato to your bowl of greens? An almond smoothie sweetened with organic cocoa? Yes, please! And, it’s all good for you.

All you yogis who love a good month-long, and/or double class, challenge, this post is especially for you! You can find out more about Sally and her approach here: http://www.openmindhealth.com. Sally’s on Twitter too: @SaladC

Enjoy!

via wholefoodslocations.biz

“Regular and strenuous exercise can deplete our bodies of essential nutrients and water. So how do we replenish these vital stores in a natural way through our diets? These days there are so many sport supplements and drinks on the market filled with all kinds of preservatives, artificial sweeteners and just plain nasty ingredients that it can be confusing to work out what is the right thing to choose in order to repair and refuel our bodies after exercise. Rather than wasting your money and your health on processed “sports” products, here are some ways that you can supplement your diet with nutritious whole foods.

One of the main groups of nutrients that we need to maintain and replace after exercise is our electrolytes; the main ones being sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium. These are a group of minerals and salts that help to regulate fluid balance in the body among many other vital functions. Here are a few foods you can use to replenish your electrolyte levels (along with plenty of water!). Choose what you like and mix and match to create your own nutrient dense post workout snacks:

Sodium – try some miso soup before or after you train. Make your own from organic miso paste or buy a dehydrated miso soup mix from your local health food store (make sure it doesn’t contain MSG).
Potassium – eat a large banana and some dried fruit (prunes, apricots); or make a salad of baked sweet potato, green leafy vegetables like rocket and spinach, avocado and a homemade salad dressing of lemon juice and apple cider vinegar.

Baked Sweet Potato – via blogs.babble.com

Magnesium – snack on a handful of magnesium rich nuts like almonds and cashews; make a post workout smoothie from almond milk, raw, organic cacao powder and a banana and avocado; or tuck into a bowl of oatmeal and add some wheatbran.
Calcium – Make a seed and nut mix containing almonds and sesame seeds mixed with any other favourites; organic yoghurt or an almond milk smoothie like the one above.
Coconut water is also great natural source of electrolytes so include that in your post workout diet plan; try to buy as fresh as possible (straight from the coconut if you can) to ensure the highest level of nutrients are available.

via mumsnotgettingchemo.com

If you are looking to make your own natural, homemade electrolyte drinks then the team at Fit Day have a range of recipes you can try check them out: Fit Day (How to Make a Homemade Electrolyte Drink)

These dietary suggestions, though not exhaustive, can also be used to implement nutrient rich meals across your day, even when not exercising for energy and muscle function and repair. You can include whole grains in your breakfast; green leafy vegetables and proteins in your lunch; home-made smoothies, raw juices and nut mixes for snacks; and vegetables, legumes and proteins for dinner.

Please remember, that depending on your individual exercise or training regime, your body may require extra care and supplementation to aid recovery and repair and to avoid dehydration or deficiency in essential vitamins and minerals. If you feel that your training could benefit from an individualised treatment plan I recommend that you consult a qualified nutritionist in your local area.”