Superfoods For Yoga Flexibility
By Lucas Rockwood
“Superfoods” are naturally occurring edibles that are loaded
with vitamins, minerals, nutrients, and phytonutrients at levels
that far-exceed the average. Superfoods give you a buzz, heal
your body, and make you feel fantastic.
Food Makes You Flexible?
Sounds crazy, right? Well, it’s true. This is not science or
theory; it’s a real-life, student-tested fact. If you eat a
water-dense, plant-based diet with lots of superfoods, you’ll
notice flexibility gains within three days.
Don’t take my word for it—just try it!
Below is a shortlist of my favorite Superfoods. Buy them fresh
or low-temperature dried, and purchase organic whenever
possible.
Dark Greens
Dark green vegetables are some of the most mineral-dense foods
on the planet, and waterborne greens or sprouted greens are even
better (waterborne greens usually have 2-10 times more minerals).
Primary Benefits:
- potent source for minerals
- alkalizing effect on the body (fights acid build-up)
- boosts immune system
- high in fiber (healthy bowels)
- chlorophyll rich (cleanses and energizes the body)
Shopping List:
Spirulina, chlorella, barley grass juice extract, wheat grass,
kale, parsley, all seaweeds and sea vegetables, chard, and
spinach.
Prehistoric Grains & Seeds
The advances in agricultural technology (selective breeding and
genetic engineering) directly correlate to the decline of the
nutritional value of our foods.
Plants such as corn, soy, and rice—staples of the modern
world—are a great source for calories, but they no longer pack
the nutritional punch they did when our ancestors first began
domestic cultivation.
Today, the most nutrient-dense foods are what I call the
prehistoric plants; the ugly, brown-colored, intimidating dry
good you see in plastic bins at the health food stores.
These are commercial crops, but nutritionally-speaking, they
more-closely resemble their ancestors. They take a little extra
work to prepare (cooking or sprouting), but it’s well worth it.
Primary Benefits:
- loaded with cancer-fighting anti-oxidants
- naturally fiber-rich
- excellent source of bio-available proteins
- low in sugars
- naturally well-balanced
- difficult to overeat
Shopping List:
Millet, quinoa, amaranth, wild rice, bulgur, sesame seeds,
sprouted seeds of clover, broccoli, mung beans, and radish.
Superfats
Most people get their fat from inferior, animal-based foods
like milk, ghee, cheese, butter, and meat. In animals’ bodies
(and yours), built up toxins like pesticides, herbicides,
antibiotics, and pollutants are most-often deposited in fat
cells. To make things worse, animal fat also contains the
notorious LDL (bad) cholesterol that can lead to damaged
arteries and heart disease. No wonder fat has such a bad
reputation!
Foolishly, many people today try to avoid all fats when really,
they should be avoiding animal fats. Plant fats are not only
good for you—they are essential for health and wellness and MUST
be eaten on a regular basis. Good fat give you sustained energy,
heals your body, and balances hormones.
Primary Benefits:
- provides essential building blocks for the body
- slows absorption of sugars
- enables the body to absorb fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K)
- encourages healthy bowels
- promotes elasticity of connective tissues (flexibility)
- balances hormones and mood
Shopping List:
Raw almonds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, hemp seeds, flax
seeds, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, brazil nuts, cashews, macadamia
nuts, avocado, coconut, durian, and cold-pressed oils (olive,
coconut, hemp, flax, and sesame seed are all great).
Why Superfoods?
Yoga students put heavy demands on their body, often neglecting
to replenish their system with nutrient-dense, natural foods
that will keep them healthy and strong.
****
About the Author: Lucas Rockwood is a yoga teacher, vegan chef,
nutritional coach, and the director of YOGABODY Naturals, an
all-natural nutritional supplement company dedicated to
education, outreach, and wellness. For more information, visit:
http://www.yogabodynaturals.com.
Source: http://www.isnare.com
