nutrition zone : om lifestyle
O
ne of the best things about
going on any yoga retreat is
the amazing, delicious and
wholesome food served up
to you on a plate. Eating
fresh food that’s doing your body the world
of good with some new yoga pals in the
evening sunshine or around a big table
indoors creates for some truly memorable
experiences.
Yes, we love the yoga too, but the food can
make or break any retreat. Luckily, retreat
hosts know this only too well, which is why
food plays such an integral part on well-
organised, high-quality retreats.
Eating well for an entire week can
practically reset your system: you return
home feeling lighter and brighter in every
sense after a week’s worth of work on the
mat and consuming only things that are good
for you. Let food be thy medicine, as original
health pioneer Hippocrates once noted.
But how do you continue the good vibes
once the yoga party is over? We asked
some popular yoga retreat hosts just that
question to give you some good post-
retreat foodie tips.
Here, the founders of Samadhi Soul
Retreats, Mays Al-Ali and Alexandra Evans, have
put together their top tips on how to reduce
stress and improve your gut health through the
simple practices they teach on their retreats...
even if you can’t attend yourself.
The pair host sell-out retreats in places
such as Ibiza and Goa. but there is plenty you
can do at home.
“Going on a retreat like ours is like putting
a ‘please do not disturb sign’ out into the
world,” said Evans. “During a retreat you
have the opportunity to reset your internal
world and reboot your nervous system; it’s
a very precious time in order to rest as well
as listen to your own needs and messages,
enabling you to become lighter and let go.”
Her nutritionist and co-founder colleague,
Al-Ali agrees, highlighting the significance of
the food intake during a retreat. “Cleansing the
body and soul allows us to absorb food and
the all-important nutrients we need moving
forward – which is why nutrition is key for us.”
Aptly named after eternal bliss– Samadhi
Soul is true to its word, offering all guestsLife ater a retreat: how to take the feel-good foodie vibes back
home with you ater a life-changing yoga breakFeel-good food vibes
who attend the week-long retreats the
opportunity to discover the tools that lead to
living in eternal bliss, joy and happiness with
a strong nutritional balance throughout.
The retreats seek to address the mind,
body and gut and re-balance and transform
with rejuvenating and relaxing yoga and
meditation. Through the use of innovative
research, breathing techniques and serving
up the most incredible plant-based food
during their retreats, the pair want guests to
depart equipped with the tools to continue
their journey long after it is over.
All of the Ibiza and Goa retreats include an
exquisitely-designed healthy and locally-
sourced plant-based menu, where guests
can expect to see their fruit and vegetable
quota significantly.
“Aim for 10 portions a day, instead of
five,” says Al-Ali, double the current widely
recommended level. “Try and include two
fruit and eight vegetables into your diet
each day.”Here are a few other tips to continue making
healthy retreat-style food back home:- Make a smoothie bowl
They are super simple to make and you
can get at least three portions of your fruits
and veggies in one go. Opt for low GI fruits
such as berries and greens such as spinach,
courgette or avocado for a creamy finish.
Add in flax or chia seeds, nut butters and
some plant-based protein or milk for a
super satisfying blood sugar-balancing and
antioxidant-filled way to start the day. - Create raw sushi for lunch
or dinner
This easy-to-make dish is made from raw
living enzyme-filled cruciferous vegetables
such as cauliflower, broccoli or red cabbage.
Whizz them up in a food processor with
some rice vinegar, tamari, sesame oil,
coconut sugar and tahini then roll in nori
sheets with any fillings you fancy. Try
avocado, kimchi and shitake mushrooms. - Craving a snack?
Blend up some soaked nuts, dates, cacao
and any superfoods you fancy and roll them
into balls, coat in cacao or hemp or chia
seeds and grab on the go. They can freeze for
up to three months in an air-tight container
( just grab one out 30 minutes before
consuming to defrost) or four-five days in
the fridge.- Alkalise the body with a green
vegetable juice
Juice celery, cucumber, lemon, ginger and
kale for a delicious yet nutritious drink.
Always try and drink the juice within 10
minutes of pressing to avoid it oxidising
which reduces all the important vitamins
and minerals. - Invest in a high-quality
probiotic
Probiotics are so important for optimal gut
health. Start your day with a small glass of
kombucha; your gut will love you for it.
And it’s not only food that can impact your
digestion. Stress can too. “Anxiety and stress,
(regardless of its cause) can create knots
in the stomach,” says Evans. “These then
have a profound effect on our digestion. The
harsh reality is we can spend a fortune on
supplements and probiotics, but if we can’t
digest them, we might as well just throw our
money away.”
Strengthening your digestive power
through a combination of ancient and
modern yoga and breathing techniques can,
in this sense, be just as important as the
foods that we consume.
One of the many yoga practices the
Samadhi Soul team uses involves ancient
ones including Kriyas which uses the body
and breath aligned to stimulate the digestive
fire in the belly. This is done by increasing
the circulation of blood to all the internal
organs, including the ones that break down
your food and Savitri Pranayama which is
a way of counting your breath to influence
your body, calm the emotions and balance
the metabolism.Samadhi Soul Retreats was created in
2019 by Mays Al-Ali of Healthy Mays
(healthymays.com) and Alexandra Evans
(central-london-yoga.com)“Cleansing the body and soul allows us to absorb food and the all-important
nutrients we need moving forward – which is why nutrition is key for us.”