Sisters for Health Yoga and Diet
Sisters for Health Yoga and Diet
One healthy turn flows into another, making diet and yoga common
sisters in the same person.
Exercise is only part of what makes a healthy body and mind. Diet
also contributes to this.
Exercise all you like; if your diet's poor, your mind and body
will still suffer for it, and you won't get the most out of what exercise you are able to perform.
A healthy diet is therefore necessary.
Many people know yoga as a flexibility and strength-building
method of exercise, or perhaps as a meditation method. Yoga can encompass much more than that. Its
focus on serenity and peace can be applied to such mundane matters as diet.
Yoga approaches the body from the view of controlling powers that
must be balanced for health. "Health" refers to someone with a peaceful and cheerful mind as well
as a vigorous body.
A healthy individual will also sleep well, which few of us can
claim to do. This is where a diet comes in addition to yoga as exercise.
The exercise will wear the body out, and the diet will ensure that
the body (and mind) receive the nutrition required for optimum function.
A "yogic" diet focuses on nonviolence and purification, making it
vegetarian if not vegan, and different types of diets exist. Different foods can be declared "good"
or "bad" from their respective humors, and the climate in an individual's location also changes
what his or her diet should be.
Diet should also reflect a person's age and bodily health. In
general, yogic diets stress the use of natural foods, avoiding processed and artificial foods,
while preferring foods native to your locale and climate.
According to one guideline, mealtimes should be fixed at
particular times each day. People should limit themselves to two meals a day, with strict rules
about what constitutes a "snack" instead of a "meal," in order to keep from overstraining the
digestive system.
Diet should also be balanced amongst the six flavors: bitter,
salty, severe, sour, spicy and sweet. Not all yogic diets state this; on the extreme, a yogic diet
can focus on the consumption of raw foods, frequently interrupted by fasting.
You have to find your own nutritious diet that works for you to
match with yoga as exercise.
Bear in mind, though, that not all diets will work for
everyone.
Consulting with a professional nutritionist is a good idea if you
want an idea of where to start for a diet personalized to your own health needs.
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