How to Eat Before Yoga

Ideally, you should practice yoga on an empty stomach. But since that isn’t always in the cards—you may be practicing after work, in between classes, before you pick up the kids, after your evening meal—there are a few things to keep in mind when you’re putting something into your stomach.

Instructions

1. Time it right. If you’re eating a light meal prior to your yoga class, make it at least 1 to 2 hours beforehand. This should give your digestive system ample time to work its wonders so you won’t feel uncomfortable during class. If a heavier meal found its way onto your plate, keep your time in between at roughly the 3 to 4 hour mark.

2. Stick with fruits and vegetables. These are easily digestible and should leave you with an empty stomach in about an hour. Plus, we could all use a few more fruits and vegetables in our diets, and if you need a reason, your yoga practice can be the perfect excuse.

3. Avoid heavy foods. Meats, processed grains, pasta and fried foods should never be eaten right before yoga class. They aren’t as easily digestible as fruits and vegetables, and have a tendency to make a person feel lethargic well after the meal.

4. Avoid spicy foods. If you’ve ever had a wicked case of heartburn, you’ll understand why you shouldn’t have spicy food prior to your workout. Since yoga works not only the outside of your body, but also the inside, you can just imagine what you’ll be stirring up if you’re filled with spicy food. Plus, who wants to sit next to someone who’s belching their way through the class?

5. Try yogurt. When you need to eat before a yoga class, have a light snack of yogurt about 30 minutes prior to the start. There’s an Ayurvedic belief that yogurt aids in digestion and strengthens the heart, so it shouldn’t be half bad, right? But avoid the sweetened kind if you can swing it.

Tips & Warnings

• No two people are alike, so neither will their diet. It may take a little time to figure out when you should eat (and even what you should eat) before your class. Be patient, you’ll figure it out.

• If you have ever suffered from low blood sugar, make sure to have something at least 30 minutes before your class.