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february / march 2018yogajournal.com.sgART DIRECTION : ANUJA BAGADE
IF YOU PRACTICE IN THE MORNING
You might not be very hungry first thing in
themorning, but if you’re doing a vigorous
practice, it’s important to take in a few calories
beforehand, says Dugan Richards. “A piece of
fruit might be fine before a gentle morning
class,” she says, “but if you are going to have
a more energizing practice, that apple or
banana is going to get used up pretty quickly
once you get going.”
Dugan Richards suggests a smoothie with
soy milk or high-protein Greek yogurt and
fruit. She’ll often add protein powder and
flaxseed oil, which are easy to digest and
provide lasting energy. And if a smoothie feels
like too much to stomach first thing in the
morning, a mug of tea with honey and milk
before a mellow practice can hydrate you and
give you a mini-dose of carbs, protein, and fat.
AFTER SAVASANARefuel your body’s
energy reserves with a meal like oatmeal
with fruit, nuts, and soy milk. Or wrap a
homemade breakfast bar in a napkin and tuck
it into your bag to eat on your way to work or
home from class.IF YOU PRACTICE MIDDAY
If you fit in a class on your lunch break, you’ll
want to eat something sustaining but easily
digested an hour or two before you practice.
Try sliced apples dipped in soy yogurt with
a handful of walnuts or have some mashed
avocado and sliced tomato on whole-grain
toast with a drizzle of olive oil and lemon juice.
AFTER SAVASANA Dip raw carrots,
cucumber, celery, and whole-grain pita- bread
triangles in homemade fava bean hummus
(recipe on page 44). Or pack a sandwich that
incorporates fresh fruit and whole-grain bread,
such as sliced peaches and yogurt cheese, ripe
pear and almond butter, or strawberries and
honey with hemp or sunflower-seed butter.IF YOU PRACTICE IN THE EVENING
Eat a late-afternoon snack and you’ll be
less tempted to skip class due to hunger or
flagging energy. Spread a whole-grain rice
cake with almond butter and top with sliced
bananas, or wrap a butter-lettuce leaf around
crumbled tempeh or seasoned, baked tofudown the absorption of the nutrients so that your
energy lasts as long as your 9o-minute class.
What’s more, there’s some evidence that
eating the right balance of carbohydrates,
protein, and healthful fats before you exercise
can help you stave off injuries. “If there are no
carbohydrates in your system, the body will
begin to take those nutrients from muscle,making it more likely for a muscle to tear or pull if
you’re in the middle of stretching it,” says Koff.
Diana Dugan Richards, a dietitian and yoga
teacher and the founder of Namaste Nutrition
in Watertown, Massachusetts, suggests eating
25o–3oo calories about two hours before you
practice. That’s an apple with yogurt or a handful
of almonds, or a serving of crackers dipped inhummus or bean dip. “When it’s time for class,
your body will be energized, but you won’t have
a belly full of food,” she explains.
After practice, snack again with the same
balance of carbohydrates, protein, and healthful
fat for sustained energy all day long. Here are
some ideas for fitting balanced snacking into your
schedule.Muesli Breakfast Bars
MAKES 24 BARS21 ⁄ 2 cups rolled oats(^1) ⁄ 4 cup whole-wheat flour
(^1) ⁄ 4 cup ground flaxseed
(^1) ⁄ 2 cup dry milk or soy
protein powder (optional)
(^1) ⁄ 2 cup toasted wheat germ
(^1) ⁄ 2 cup chopped, toasted walnuts
1 cup dried cranberries, raisins,
or a combination
1 cup honey
(^1) ⁄ 2 cup natural salted peanut butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 Preheat the oven to 325°. Line a 9-by-13-inch
baking pan with foil, or lightly oil it with olive
or canola oil.
2 In a medium bowl, combine the oats, flour,
flaxseed, dry milk (if using), wheat germ,
walnuts, and cranberries.
3 In a small saucepan, stir together the honey,
peanut butter, and olive oil over medium-low
heat until warm and well blended. Add to
the dry ingredients and mix quickly until well
combined. (The mixture will be sticky and hard
to stir.)
4 With lightly oiled hands, pat the mixture
evenly into the prepared baking pan. Bake until
the edges begin to brown, about 25 minutes.
Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes
and then cut into 24 bars. When cool, remove
the bars from the pan and store in an airtight
container in the refrigerator.
Reprinted with permission of Mayo
Foundation for Medical Education and
Research.
Customize these bars with other dried fruits
and nuts, such as golden raisins, chopped
dried apricots, un-sweetened coconut, and
almonds.