diet for yoga practitioners

Diet: diet has its importance in keeping the body fit. Any individual who does not take proper diet spoils himself physically and mentally. The ill effects of poor nourishment tell upon his behavior, thought and action. A vegetarian diet of milk, whet, vegetables, fruits and other nutritious products will be ideal for exercises. One should at the same time, avoid stimulants like tea, coffee, wine, smoking and drugs.

One should avoid eating rajasi food fried, roasted, sweets and drinks. Such foods add to one’s weight, create heaviness after dinner and arouse passion. Tamasi food with too much spices, salt, peeper and chilies should also be avoided as that leads to a quarrel some an intolerant temperament. The food, infact should be prepared with the least amount of spices and should be fresh and cooked in a simple way.
Important thing is one should eat a balanced diet. The items included in food should be salad, fresh vegetables, seasonal fruits and raw nuts. Cucumber, tomato, carrot, lettuce, cauliflower, etc. should be used for preparing said.
It equally important that one should not eat to his neither full nor overeat. Some pace must be left in the stomach. This helps in digestion and in the intake. Other wise overeating puts unnecessary strain in the abdominal system and body in general.
There is also a proper method to eat. One should take his own time at the table and swallow food only after thoroughly crushing and chewing it. Apart form giving satisfaction; the food gets properly mixed up with saliva and is easily digested.

One should eat at least two hours before he/she goes to sleep. This helps in the food being properly processed by body. And if the stomach is not heavy one gets sound sleep and rest. One should eat food four times with in a span of 24 hours- breakfast in the morning, lunch at non, refreshment in the afternoon and dinner in the evening.

The practitioner should intake about ten to twelve glasses of water everyday but one should avoid taking it along with food. It should be taken half an hour before meal. It is said that many skin disorders are cured if water is not taken at the time of eating. Water clears the body system of impurities.
Yoga practitioners advise the intake of germinated gram which is highly conducive to good health. Green grams can be eaten fresh and the ripe ones should be soaked in water for 6-8 hours and taken.
It is not necessary that a yogic practitioner should eat only vegetarian food but it is recommended because to learn Brahma vidya one must be vegetarian if one need to learn beyond general yoga.. What ever it is the diet should be balanced.