YOGA AND HEALTH BENEFITS
Yoga over centuries has developed a concept of a balanced wholefoods diet and an eating philosophy. These principles of good eating use powerful techniques which help in maintaining a strong and health body, a stress-free mind and a positive spirituality. Food sustains our body and whatever we eat affects our mind directly.
Intake of proper and healthy food nourishes body and mind. Any imbalance in any of these results in disharmony of body, mind and soul which in turn paves the way for diseases.In addition, mental relaxation through meditation and yoga contribute immensely in offsetting
arteriosclerosis (coronary artery blocked due to the deposition of fats on the inner walls of the heart).
Thus, owing to its many positive effects- direct and indirect on the cardiovascular system, yoga assumes a pivotal role in heart care.
Food Categories
(1)
Proteins or Nitrogenous Food: Meat, nuts, beans, peas, milk, cheese, contain a large percentage of nitrogenous matter or proteins.
(2)
Carbohydrates: Wheat, rice, oats, other grains and potatoes are mainly composed of carbohydrates.
(3)
Hydrocarbons or Fats: Nearly all protein foods and vegetable oils contain hydrocarbons or fats.
(4)
Minerals, Organic mineral elements: such as iron, potassium, lime and soda, etc., come mainly from fruits and vegetable.
While doing Yoga, these four categories of food are essential in the diet to maintain body functioning and to repair body tissues.
Minerals serve as eliminators, antiseptics, blood purifiers, and producers of electromagnetic energy.
Vitamins are highly complex in nature and each one of them has a special task to perform in the proper functioning of organs. Without vitamins the body can not use minerals effectively, and without minerals vitamins too become less useful. A proper balance of vitamins and minerals is necessary for the functioning of the endocrine glands and in the formation of hormones.
Carbohydrates provide fuel for the body and Proteins help in the building and repair of tissues. All four categories are absolutely necessary to human life, and nature provides us with all these elements naturally combined in the plant and animal kingdom.
Yoga Benefits versus Exercise Benefits1. Parasympathetic Nervous System dominates
2. Subcortical regions of brain dominate
3. Slow dynamic and static movements
4. Normalization of muscle tone
5. Low risk of injuring muscles and ligaments
6. Low caloric consumption
7. Effort is minimized, relaxed
8. Energizing (breathing is natural or controlled)
9. Balanced activity of opposing muscle groups
10. Noncompetitive, process-oriented
11. Awareness is internal (focus is on breath and the infinite)
12. Limitless possibilities for growth in self-awareness
Food :As you eat, so you become...
Food and diet occupy an important place in the world of yoga and naturopathy. The effects of improper eating manifest themselves in unwanted appearance, incorrect thought, behavior and hence action. An ideal food intake chart is given below:
| Food Group | Recommended Intake |
| Cereal/ Bread/ Millets | 25-30 gms |
| Fruits | 50-100 gms |
| Vegetables | 50-100 gms |
| Milk and Milk Products | 25-30gms/ 150 ml |
| Meat/Fish/Poultry/Pulses | 25-30gms/75-150 ml |
| Fat/ Oil | 5 gms |
| Sugar | 5 gms |
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