We keep hearing Yoga instructors say " come to class with a light stomach". Does this mean "empty stomach".....just starve and do exercise . Does it mean we can have stimulants like tea, coffee for an early morn class and go straightaway to class ....does this mean we can indulge in a late night dinner previous day where food particles are still undigested in the GI tract and we just attend classes to burn off the excess calories . Well....there is a whole lot of science involved in meal planning pre and post Yoga class....infact any exercise regimen.
Eating pre and post yoga class is very imp to keep our glucose stores in a healthy level, to eliminate toxins created by muscle stretches, to minimise muscle damage, to boost immune response, to speed up fat metabolism and much much more.
Pre-Yoga class- What to eat before a yoga class and when to -
For an early morning class- have a fruit/dry fruits 15 min prior to the class- I would recommend a small banana
Mid morn- Do yoga atleast 1 1/2 hrs post nourishing breakfast
Evening class- fruit/handful of peanuts(roasted or steamed)- 15 min prior to the class
Post Yoga class- after reaching home
After a morning class-Fresh homemade nourishing breakfast like poha/idli chutney/parathas/homemade porridge of millets/ upma.
After a Mid morn class- sip water when you come home. If it is time for lunch then have a wholesome lunch of roti, dal subzi, handpounded steamed rice sambar subzi with a good serving of buttermilk.
If it is not time for lunch, then have a small sized banana immediately after class.
There is no rule that we should not eat anything after yoga class. It is believed(a myth) that If eaten at this time, then we gain weight. Infact Improper meal planning post exercise results in total stress to the body due to depleted glycogen stores, undernourishment of muscles which have stretched . That is why even after enjoying many surya namaskars and stretching asanas in a class , we do not see that desired effect in our body.
So just remember that post class meal is very important which need to happen within 45 min after class. Also do remember to have a nourishing meal comprised of a good combo of fats, carbs and protein.
Do you think eating only salads comes into the category of a full nourishing meal?
I don't need to answer that right.....u got the hint:)
By, Prabha Krishna