Clean Drinking – Water Bottles

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Bikram yoga, BPA free bottles, BPA risks, chemical free living, detox, environmental toxins, hot yoga, plastic water bottles, yoga hydration, Yoga With Paul

We care for our bodies through our physical yoga practice, and what we choose to eat and drink. Unfortunately we live in a time and place where we are bombarded by chemicals. Even if we eat organic foods and use organic products, we still have to be careful about hidden toxins in the air, water and even packaging. One key area of concern is plastic water bottles. In the height of summer and we all need to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. We also need to make sure we’re not unwittingly loading our bodies with toxic chemicals.

Choose a BPA free bottle

The Independent ran an article recently on the dangers of BPAs, which are found in a lot of hard-plastic “reusable” water bottles. BPA stands for Bisphenol A, a substance found in many plastics, that is a known to mess with the delicate balance of our body’s hormones.

According to Science – How Stuff Works:

BPA is a difficult substance to nail down; it doesn’t behave like a typical toxin. While other chemicals labeled as toxic have clear-cut impacts (asbestos exposure leads to cancer, lead poisoning causes reduced mental capacity), BPA is sneakier. Rather than harm the body outright, BPA is an endocrine disruptor. It changes the way our body’s hormones function, mimicking our own natural hormones — in this case, estrogen.

Estrogen can alter the behavior of more than 200 genes, which control the growth and repair of nearly every organ and tissue in the body [source: Environmental Working Group]. Among other things, estrogen affects fetal development, cell structure and the onset of puberty, and your body’s cells are highly sensitive to even tiny changes in estrogen levels.

According to this article, “As of 2005, 94 of 115 peer-reviewed studies confirmed BPA’s toxicity [source: Page].”

Brita includes a built-in filter

That sounds like a compelling case for not drinking out of plastic bottles!

The good news, if you can’t give up the convenience of grab-and-go water before or after class, is that disposable plastic bottles don’t usually contain BPA. But they do have a huge environmental footprint.

A better alternative is to invest in a reusable glass or steel water bottle, or seek out a BPA-free plastic bottle. If you’re not sure what to buy, you can check out The Independent’s Top 10 guide to BPA-free bottles in a range of shapes and prices.

Recommend your favourite reusable water bottle in the comments!

Fresh Summer Smoothie Ideas

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clean eating, clean food, food for yoga, nutrition, summer smoothie recipes, vegan recipes, vegan smoothie recipes, yoga, yoga hydration, yoga weight loss, Yoga With Paul

Summer and smoothies go hand in hand. Whizzing up a load of fruit gives you a fast, convenient, healthful snack that doubles as hydration to keep you going pre- or post-yoga. You can customise any recipe by using your preferred non-dairy milk and/or adding a dash of spice. Cinnamon and ginger are two of my favourite add-ins.

One tip: Chop up a few ripe bananas and pop them in the freezer. That way you always have the base for a fresh smoothie.

Here are a couple of recipes that caught my eye recently. Visit Babble for more recipes!

Photo via Babble

Pretty in Pink Grapefruit Smoothie
makes 2 servings

• 240ml fresh squeezed pink grapefruit juice
• 120ml white grapefruit juice (or more pink)
• 80g frozen strawberries
• 2 bananas (fresh or frozen)
• Handful of ice

Blend. Pour. Garnish with fresh fruit if you like! Full recipe here

 

 

Piña-Vocado
vegan, serves 2

• 320ml orange juice
• 150g frozen pineapple chunks
• 1/2 avocado
• 1 small frozen banana (or fresh)
• Handful of ice
• 1/2 lime, squeezed over top smoothie, or blended in
  

  Photo via LunchBoxBunch

  Blend. Serve. Sip. Smile. Full recipe here

 

Share your favourite smoothie recipe in the comments!

All-natural Sports Drink Recipe

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all-natural hydration, clean food, hot yoga tips, No Meat Athlete Cookbook, switchel recipe, yoga, yoga hydration, Yoga With Paul

Lots of us like to have something more than plain water after a sweaty hot yoga session but don’t want a commercial, sugary sports drink. There are options, thankfully, and the forthcoming No Meat Athlete Cookbook — a vegan recipe book for yogis, runners and everyone else who loves to be active — has a great, simple all-natural sports drink recipe.

The drink is called “switchel” which is unusual enough to be memorable. The ingredients are super-simple though.

Photo via No Meat Athlete

Switchel: The Original Sports Drink

Good for: hydration • before, during, and after a workout

Makes: about 4¼ cups (1 L) // Time: 5 minutes to prep, plus resting overnight

Switchel is the original sports drink, what farmers drank in the fields to stay hydrated during the summer. It’s a clever combination of simple, real ingredients. Maple syrup contains magnesium and potassium, which help to prevent cramps, and the apple cider vinegar prevents nausea, stomach upset, and indigestion. (You really want raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar here, so you get the min­erals and other good stuff.) The ginger adds flavor and also helps with nausea. The drink is refreshing, mildly sweet, and tangy and, when made with fruit juices, tastes surprisingly like the convenience store sports drinks we grew up with. You’ll want to refrigerate it overnight to allow the flavors to mellow and mingle. This recipe makes an entire pitcher; it’ll keep for a few days in the fridge.

• 4 cups (960 ml) water
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1-inch (2.5 cm) piece ginger, minced
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt, or to taste

Shake all the ingredients together, refrigerate overnight, strain, and drink.

Nutrition info (for the entire recipe): Calories 110 Total fat 0 g Sodium 481 mg Potassium 129 mg Total carbohydrates 28 g Dietary fiber 0 g Sugars 24 g Protein 0 g

The whole No Meat Athlete Cookbook is based on this principle: whole food ingredients, easy preparation and maximum nutritional value. It goes on sale 16 May and you can get it on Kindle which makes for a great portable recipe collection.

What’s your favourite whole-ingredients hydration tip? Share in the comments!

 

 

 

 

3 Fixes for Feeling Dizzy in Yoga

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dizzy, dizzy yoga, flow yoga, hot yoga, hot yoga tips, inversions, lightheaded, yoga, yoga hydration, Yoga With Paul

Occasionally yoga can leave you feeling dizzy or lightheaded — especially if you are new to yoga, resuming practice after a break, or doing unfamiliar poses.

Feeling dizzy can be unpleasant, but shouldn’t be a cause for alarm.

When you practice you are moving a lot of energy around your body so it is normal to have some “surprise” reactions like feeling lightheaded. If you use these 3 tips your mind and body will be balanced and on the level again in no time.

Just flow with it

Move slowly and steadily through postures

One of the quickest ways to get dizzy is to move abruptly from one posture to another, especially an inversion or a posture where your head is below your heart. Focus on flowing through the postures, making each transition a mindful part of the sequence. Think of gliding from one pose to the next and focus on taking calm, even breaths.

Stay hydrated!

Hydrate all day

Come to class hydrated. Arriving thirsty and glugging down water isn’t an effective way to hydrate, and it will make you feel worse. If you do drink in class take small sips that won’t overburden your system. Proper hydration ensures your body can cope with the challenges of yoga, especially hot yoga, and will help prevent dizziness.

Eat what you need

There are all sorts of opinions about what and when you should eat. The rule you should follow is do what is right for your body. Low blood sugar can make you feel faint and dizzy. If you experience this a couple of times in class experiment with snacking beforehand. Dates are rich in glucose which is a perfect fast energy boost. Easy to digest foods like porridge, soup, or smoothies are also good options. Don’t overeat, obviously, but be sure to get the energy you need to get through class feeling well.

Questions? Ask in the comments or Tweet @YogaWithPaul

 

Delicious Vegan Hot Chocolate

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Bikram yoga, gluten-free recipes, healthy eating, London yoga teacher, vegan chocolate, vegan recipes, vinyasa yoga, winter recipes, yoga diet, yoga hydration, yoga nutrition, Yoga With Paul

I’m partial to chocolate, especially when it comes with added comfort and health benefits! This “Mayan Spiced” vegan hot chocolate is packed with good-for-you ingredients. Chocolate itself is rich in antioxidants; cinnamon helps regulate blood sugar; cayenne has anti-inflammatory properties; coconut milk has medium-chain fatty acids which your body can easily burn for fuel (valuable on chilly winter days!) As a bonus, adding a pinch of salt replenishes electrolytes lost through sweat in the hot room. This is a simple, indulgent treat that is great for your body.

Thanks to Minimalist Baker for the recipe + photo.

Creamy, sultry vegan drinking chocolate made with dairy-free milk, dark chocolate and a blend of Mayan spices. An indulgent, dairy- and -gluten free dessert in 15 minutes.

Cuisine: Vegan

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 2 cups non-dairy milk (I use 1 cup full fat coconut + 1 cup unsweetened almond milk)
• 5 ounces (~1 cup) dairy free dark chocolate, chopped (70% cacao is best)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp cayenne (more or less, depending on preferred spice)
• Pinch nutmeg (optional)
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1-2 Tbsp raw cane or coconut sugar (optional)
• Coconut whipped cream for topping

Instructions

1. Add coconut and almond milk to a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add dark chocolate and whisk to combine.
2. Add spices and whisk vigorously to combine.
3. Once chocolate is completely melted, remove from heat and add vanilla extract. Whisk to combine. Taste and adjust flavors as needed, adding sugar or sweetener of choice if not sweet enough. Add more cayenne for kick.
4. To serve, top with coconut whipped cream, a dusting of cocoa or cacao powder (optional), and any additional spices and/or chocolate desired.
5. Store leftover drinking chocolate covered in the refrigerator for up to a few days. Freeze for longer term storage, though best when fresh.

Share your favourite winter treat recipe in the comments!

 

 

Electrolyte Super-Smoothies

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Bikram yoga, clean eating, coconut recipes, coconut water recipes, food for yoga, healthy eating, hot yoga, London yoga, nutrition yoga, smoothe recipes, summer recipes, yoga hydration, yoga teachers, Yoga With Paul

During warm weather you sweat more in and out of the yoga studio. This means you’re losing important electrolytes (salts) as well as water. One of my favourite drinks to naturally replenish electrolytes is coconut water, which provides an instant hit of essential sodium and potassium.

A quick way to increase your electrolyte intake is to use coconut water in your smoothies instead of milk or non-dairy milk. Coconut water is lighter than milks, so you might want to add some richer ingredients to give it that lovely creaminess.

Here’s a quick choose your own flavour guide to making fabulous electrolyte super smoothies.

Instructions: Start with liquid, add two or three fruits, one or two thickeners, a dash of flavoring, blend and enjoy!

Liquid
250mlk Coconut water

Fruit
50g Berries
100g Pineapple
100g Melon
1 med or 1/2 lg Mango
1 lg Peach
1 lg Nectarine
2 Plums

Thickener
1/2 med Avocado
1 sm banana, frozen
2tbsp tahini
2tbsp peanut butter
30g cashews

Flavoring
Fresh ginger
Cinnamon
Vanilla extract
Lemon juice/zest

Mix and match, then share your favourite combo in the comments!

Hot Yogi Tea Recipe

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Bikram yoga, cleansing, detox, herbal tea, hot tea recipe, nutrition, spice tea recipe, wellness, winter food, yoga, yoga hydration, yoga tips, Yoga With Paul

I love this recipe — a perfect warming, soothing, cleansing, caffeine-free drink that is equally good before or after Bikram yoga, first thing in the morning or as a calming evening cuppa.

Thanks to Megan Telpner Nutritionista for the recipe!

Ingredients

8 cups water
6 cinnamon sticks
2 Tbs cardamom seed
2 Tbs whole cloves
2 inches fresh ginger root (sliced)
almond milk as desired

Preparation

Put all spices into pot with water.
Simmer on medium heat for 20 minutes.
Remove from heat and add honey and milk.
Serve hot or cold.

Two-Tone Summer Smoothie

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Bikram yoga, clean eating, healthy eating, London hot yoga, nutrition for yoga, raw food recipes, smoothies, vegan, yoga hydration, Yoga With Paul

Smoothies and juices are great ways to hydrate, keep cool, and replenish nutrients and electrolytes on these hot summer days.

I found this recipe for a two-tone smoothie at Rawsome Vegan and love the idea!
It uses spinach to make a green layer and strawberries for pink, but you could easily make blue (blueberries) and green, orange (mango) and green, pink (raspberries) and blue or any other combination that takes your fancy.

double energy smoothie: serves one or two

Green layer:
2 cups spinach
3/4 cup frozen pineapple
1 banana
Water, as needed (around 3/4 cup)

Pink layer:
1 cup frozen strawberries
1/2 cup frozen pineapple
1 banana
Water, as needed (around 3/4 cup)

Blend each layer separately then layer them on top of each other in a glass. Slurp!

Share your favourite summer smoothie recipe in the comments!

5 Ways to Spring Clean with Bikram Yoga

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Bikram yoga, cleansing yoga, hot yoga, London hot yoga studio, spring clean, yoga advice, yoga detox, yoga hydration, yoga postures, yoga therapy, Yoga With Paul

The transition from winter to spring is a critical time of year. We move from the cold, dark and quiet of winter to light, warmth (we hope!) and increased activity. Giving our minds and bodies a ‘spring clean’ can help us shake off the effects of winter — whether physical or mental — and prepare us for a vibrant, active summer.

Here are a five tips for using Bikram yoga to spring clean:

1. Practice More: Do an extra class or two each week for the next month. The hours in the hot yoga room will accelerate physical cleansing and detox, and boost your endurance.

2. Switch Your Schedule: Your body changes throughout the day. If you always practice in the morning throw in an evening class once a week, or vice versa. Observe the changes to your strength, endurance and attitude.

3. Use Complementary Therapies: Treat your mind and body to something new, like a massage, a dance class, or an acupuncture session.

4. Hydrate Your Body: Hydration is especially important as your body adjusts to warmer days and sweating outside the studio. If you normally just drink water add electrolytes to your Bikram practice. Coconut water is ideal, or you can make a homemade electrolyte drink by adding honey or agave, lemon juice and a pinch of salt to water.

5. Practice Mindfulness: Bikram yoga is a 90-minute moving meditation — don’t get so caught up in the movements you forget to meditate! Try to consciously increase the mindfulness of your practice over the next few weeks, observing thoughts that come up, identifying negative emotions or self-talk, and using the breath to ground your practice in the body.

What are your top tips for ‘spring cleaning’? Share in the comments!

Health Boosting Green Juice

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Bikram yoga, healing foods, hot yoga tips, juice, nutrition, vegan, vegetarian, yoga hydration, Yoga With Paul

Juice is a great way to get extra vitamins, electrolytes and energy before or after a Bikram yoga session. I found this great recipe on In Pursuit of More — which is chock full of other great recipes with an emphasis on simplicity, wholefoods and vegan/vegetarian. Well worth checking out!

In Pursuit Of More – Healing Green Juice

Healing Green Tonic

4 apples, skin on, cut into pieces
10 leaves kale
1 head celery
2 lemons, with skin on, cut into pieces
knob of fresh peeled ginger (optional)

Simply wash all ingredients – try to use organic vegetables and fruits for this if you can. Chop apples, lemons, and ginger. Be careful when juicing to put the greens and lemon pieces in with a stalk of celery or a piece of apple to prevent clogging (depending on your juicer’s strength).

Strain through a very fine sieve (or not if you don’t mind a little pulp at the bottom), and enjoy right away for maximum life force and vital energy.