Breakfast before yoga?

This morning after our morning yoga practice, one of my students approached me because she was feeling a little ill.  She was wondering if it was because she had eaten a pretty large breakfast before.

She didn’t want to be hungry so she thought it would be good to make a traditional breakfast with eggs and toast and turkey sausage.  Eating before yoga or any exercise in the morning is needed but all depends on how much time you have.

Some sort of breakfast is necessary before any kind of activity in the morning.  When you are doing physical activities your body needs some sort of fuel to proper work itself out.  How long you have before a work out is the deciding factor for what is best for you.

If you eat one or two hours before I think a small meal with slow-digesting carbohydrates for the lasting energy throughout your activities, some lean protein and healthy fats will keep you satisfied and your muscles happy.  If I have time I like to make about ¼ cup cooked oats with walnuts and a spoonful of plain Greek yogurt.  It is very filling and gives you energy through your workout and for a while after.

We all know, getting up early can be hard and pressing snooze button one too many times on the alarm clock doesn’t give you much time to make breakfast or digest.  So if you only have 15 minutes before you need to get to a class or the gym I reach for an easy snack with natural sugars and a little fat and protein like a simple smoothie or a loaded granola bar.

It is so important to keep your body nourished especially in the mornings if you are going to be doing physical activities.  Everybody’s body reacts different to food and the speed of digestion varies, so listen to your body. If something doesn’t sit right or takes longer to digest try other meals or snacks.

Your body knows what is best and will tell you if what you’re eating is not the best or nourishing.

Follow your body’s ques.

Namaste.

Anita Myers