We all have classes that stand out as being exceptional. Transformative, physically as well as emotionally. I'd go so far as to say that some Bikram classes have been life-changing for me, in that I've had an epiphany leading to dramatic consequences in the way I go about my business or personal life.
Of course on a spiritual level we really can't control what happens in the hot room! I know you will relate when I say that some of my best classes have been ones I was expecting nothing from, and some of the toughest ones have been ones I thought I'd coast through.
Perhaps the tough ones are the best ones? :)
Whilst you may not be able to control what emotions or feelings bubble up throughout your practice, there is a lot you can do before and after class to ensure you get the most out of your precious time and benefit from your yoga for hours after you've left the room.
10 Ways To Have A Great Yoga Class
1. Hydrate in advance. Filling your stomach with water 10 or even 60 minutes before class will not hydrate you, and will only make you more likely to feel ill during class. Hydrate early in the day, or the day before if you're coming first thing. Better still - aim to always be hydrated!
2. Protein and a little carbohydrate will fuel you through. See what to eat before class over here.
3. Show up with enough time. Be organised. It just takes practice, and there's nothing better than starting class after having at least 5-10 minutes to lie and be still in the room.
4. Let go. Of your thoughts, of the aches and pains, and definitely of any irritation towards others in the room. Welcome distraction as it helps you to be more focused on your own practice. Learn to just let go of everything except watching your eyes and listening to the words to guide you.
5. Give yourself the gift of 5 minutes after class. I used to be first out of the room after every class. My whole life was rushed, busy, urgent. It still is a lot. But I tell you - I feel so amazing when I do take 5 minutes to truly wind down before leaving the room. Aren't you worth that time?
6. Replenish your electrolytes! You sweat it out, you have to put it back in! Get some electrolytes before class or add a pinch of real (pink or grey) salt to your yoga water.
7. Re-fuel with proper post yoga nutrition and you'll feel great! See what to eat after class over here.
8. Yoga for your mind. Yoga is body, mind, spirit and emotions. Carry it out of the class with you. Let go. And take 5 minutes each day to think of things you're grateful for. This stuff can make a huge difference in all aspects of your life and what you perceive you get.
9. 'Do' yoga even when you can't do yoga. Learn to be gracious, compassionate. Aim to do one kind thing for
someone every day and notice one kind thing someone does for you. Learn something new each day.
10. Plan when you'll be back! Goes without saying! Fix a goal as to when you'll return and carry the thought of it through your busy life and day.
Not just Food for Yoga. Food for Life.
Kat
Kat is a Bikram yoga Fitzroy student of close to 6 years. She would never consider giving yoga up! Kat has a background in personal training and nutrition and runs a blog at www.womanincredible.com. Come and visit for regular free articles on nutrition, exercise and motivation. Just for registering for free updates you'll also receive a free copy of Kat's latest book!
Monday, June 4, 2012
Monday, March 5, 2012
3 Veggies To Fight Bloating And Fluid Retention
Would you like to burn fat better, detox your body and balance out your current diet? All that effort you put in in the yoga room is put a little to waste if your diet doesn't give you the nutrition you need for detoxification, and if you think you may need a little nudge in that area than possible a green smoothie a day is your answer!
The fact of the matter is that most of us aren’t getting nearly enough greens each and every day even when we are diligently following the Look Great Naked Clean Eating plan. I mean c’mon – be honest. Do you truly work your way through multiple cups of greens with nearly every main meal? If you do, kudos to you :)
And if not – hey, you’re human! It takes a lot of time to chew through enough greens to truly detox your body and maximize fat loss and health each day!
Green smoothies are a fantastic and convenient way to get a load of your greens in without the hassle. Done properly they are simply jam-packed full of goodness. In fact, green smoothies will give you:
- Vitamins
- Minerals
- Antioxidants
- Fibre
- And all with MASSIVE taste. Massively GOOD taste!
1. Coriander is well known for it’s healing and medicinal qualities! This naturally sweet herb helps with any form of indigestion or digestive disorder or nausea, and is also an excellent natural diuretic, which makes it fantastic for helping with fluid retention AND with bloating.
2. The humble cucumber is one of my all-time favourite vegetables. I tend to carry around a few of them in my bag each day as an on-the-go snack, but another reason I love cucumbers is that they remind me of drinking refreshing iced cucumber tea at my Afghani friends’ house when I was a teenager. Obviously her Mum was onto something, as cucumbers are fantastic for everything from alleviating constipation, to controlling weight through natural diuretic properties, to promoting good bone health through their high Vitamin K. A fabulous vegetable to eat or drink!
3. Well we all know that spinach is good for us and that it makes us strong, but did you know why that is so? Here’s a pretty impressive fact for you – the nutritional breakdown of spinach is such that it has more nutrients in it per calorie than any other food. Wow, huh? And not only is it ridiculously nutrient dense (with vitamins, minerals and even essential fatty acids), but it’s also naturally very low in calories. This is a key reason spinach is renowned for its weight loss benefits. Drink up!
The Fat Loss Smoothie Collection is the latest e-book in the Woman Incredible Look Great Naked series, and it includes 10 simply brilliant fat loss smoothie recipes, all super quick and easy to make in your blender at home. If you'd like more ideas for green smoothie recipes then check it out :)If you'd rather make up your own, then just blend a variety of fresh leafy greens with fresh herbs and some cinnamon, nutmeg or ginger to taste. I haven't looked back since introducing a green smoothie a day into my eating plan. It's quick, tasty, and makes it SO easy to get my veggie intake. You won't look back either :)
Not just Food for Yoga. Food for Life.
Kat
Thursday, January 5, 2012
10 Superfoods Your Kitchen Can't Live Without!
Time and again I get asked what the best foods are to eat. The truth, of course, is that different things work for different people and it would be rather a long list if I were to try and write them in a blog post!
That being said, there are definitely some foods I continue absolute staples. Keep these in your home and you are unlikely to ever get stuck in a food emergency before class or end up tempted to hit the take away on the way home from class!
Enjoy.
- Coconut oil: this saturated fat is made up of medium chain fatty acids, and great for energy as well as fat loss. A teaspoon will quell the sugar cravings right away, and it's also fab for cooking!
- Organic protein powder: A great back up for a meal if need be, and also excellent post yoga. I recommend my own brand, which is all organic and grass-fed (and a great price if I do say so myself!) but if you don't want that one any good organic brand is a smart choice.
- Tinned salmon or sardines: I'm not a huge tinned food fan, but great as a back up.
- Frozen organic vegetables: frozen veg are snap frozen, retaining nutrition. Great as a back-up again!
- Greek organic yoghurt: I recommend all dairy be organic. Greek yoghurt is fab as it is high in probiotics; good bacteria.
- Dark chocolate:at least 85%: it's higher in antioxidants, and lower in sugar
- Red wine: enough said :)
- Avocado: a great fat that can be used as a snack on its own if need be!
- Frozen berries: add them to the yoghurt or your protein shake, or enjoy with some chocolate and wine. Yummy.
- A great nut and seed mix: Avoid peanuts as they are legumes not nuts. I would roast nuts yourself if possible to avoid vegetable oils, and then salt with pink or grey salt.
Not just Food for Yoga. Food for Life.
Want to get an idea of ALL the best foods for a clean and energised you? I'm actually in the process of finishing an e-book on just that! You can check it out at my blog www.womanincredible.com, where you can also subscribe for free updated on nutrition, health, training and fat loss. Grab a free copy of my Female Fat Loss book while you're there!
Friday, November 18, 2011
Coconut Raspberry Protein Muffins - Post Yoga Delight!
This is my new all-time favourite recipe ... I claim I make these muffins for my daughter, but let's be honest - I eat a lot more of them than she does! The great news is you can indulge daily in these muffins if you choose, as they are gluten and sugar free and full of fabulous ingredients for post-Bikram delight.Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup sifted coconut flour
- ¼ teaspoon pink or grey sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 washed and grated medium size zucchini
- 3 eggs
- ½ cup macadamia nut or extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla essence
- 1 cup frozen raspberries
- Mix coconut flour, zucchini salt and baking soda
- In a separate bowl, combine eggs, oil and vanilla and blend well. I use a stick blender Combine all ingredients and blend further
- Gently fold in frozen raspberries
- Distribute into muffin tray (makes 9 large muffins)
- Bake at 180° for 20-25 minutes
- Try not to eat them all at once as soon as they come out of the oven!
Did you know?
Coconut flour, in my opinion, is THE healthiest flour option for baking.
It's gluten free, MUCH lower in carbs than other (usually grain-based) flours, and is high in natural fibre. It's made from the meat of the coconut after most of the fat has been removed, so it's also low in fat! These muffins taste so good that kids and big kids alike will scoff them down - and unless you prefer to tell them, they won't even notice the zucchini!
Kat Eden is Australia’s Female Fat Loss Queen, and blogs at www.womanincredible.com. Subscribe now for free email updates and receive your free copy of Kat’s latest e-book “The Truth About Female Fat Loss”!
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Foods To Make You Healthy, Lean, and Strong!
Do you ever get sick of the struggle to take control of your body and your health? Do you follow all the rules but it never quite seems to work? Are you struggling to have stable energy despite exercising regularly and eating well?
If you answered yes to any (or all!) of those questions, I can definitely relate. If you're new to this blog, let me introduce myself. My name is Kat Eden, and I’m a personal trainer and nutrition coach by trade. These days I’m known as Australia’s Female Fat Loss Queen, and my blog Woman Incredible offers driven women advice on fat loss, nutrition, and motivation. My clients and readers see the way I look and act and often assume that it’s always been easy for me to stay in shape; that I must be genetically lucky or perhaps I simply never indulge in so-called naughty foods!
The truth, of course, is that it’s not that simple. Firstly, I do indulge (how could a girl live without chocolate, cheese or wine I ask you?!), and secondly - I haven’t always looked this way. And I certainly haven’t always felt the way I do now, which is mostly very energised and passionate about life.
I learned the hard way that following conventional nutritional and health advice doesn’t work, and it was a lesson that affected me both personally and professionally. In 2005 I’d been a personal trainer for 5 years, and I was overweight and miserable. I wasn’t huge by any stretch of the imagination, but I certainly didn’t look the part. More importantly, I felt awful. I was eating really well as well! Or so I thought.
These days I would never recommend that sort of diet to a fat loss client - and I wouldn’t recommend it to you either.
Time To Ditch The Conventional Nutrition Books
It was round the middle of 2005 that I noticed a colleague of mine start to noticeably become leaner. Not only that, but he was becoming annoyingly energised. To the point where he would - quite literally - bounce into morning meetings. Whatever he was doing, I sure wanted to know about it!
Of course as with anything that seems too good to be true, there was a catch. The method my colleague had taken to transform his body was one based on ‘paleo’ eating. It was all about getting back to basics with health and nutrition, and the results certainly spoke for themselves. The catch was that it was a little too back to basics for my liking! This guy was eating meat for breakfast for heavens sake! There was no WAY I was going to be walking down the street to work at 6am chowing on a lamb chop and nor did I want to have to explain weird eating habits to other trainers at work.
Besides - everything I’d been taught told me that the way I was eating was correct. Maybe there was just something wrong with how I was doing it? Perhaps I just needed to exercise more?
How To Eat For (True) Fat Loss
In the end, of course, I just couldn’t resist something that was clearly so effective. Another way to look at it was that my desire to lose weight and feel better eventually overrode my concerns about what people thought!
The best part was that within weeks - if not days - I noticed such a significant change in the way I looked and felt that I honestly stopped worrying about other’s opinions and may have even been guilty of preaching at them about my exciting new approach. My clients were somewhat bemused at first, but they trusted me and were willing to listen. I guess my results spoke for themselves as well :)
Some of the principles I now follow and teach my fat loss clients include:
- Meet your protein goal. If there’s one thing you can do to dramatically influence your body fat levels it’s to eat more (good quality) protein. You can determine your protein goal by multiplying your lean mass body weight (body weight minus your body fat) in pounds and then by 0.9-1.5g for women and approximately 2g for men. It’s important to include a variety of protein sources from animals as well as some plant protein. Wild meat in particular is excellent for fat loss as well as brain health.
- The carbohydrate conundrum. Let me cut to the chase: my clinical experience has shown (and the experts I respect teach) that 75% or more of the Western world is NOT tolerant to a moderate carb diet, let alone a high one. I definitely don’t advocate cutting carbs OUT, but most people can easily lose body fat and actually increase their energy by switching the starch for more protein and good fat. A good rule of thumb is to get 80-90% of your carbs from (mostly green) veg, and just the remainder from starch and fruits.
- Smart fats. One of the biggest myths still perpetuated by the health industry is that fat should be feared. Trans (processed) fats, of course, are definitely not your friend, but did you know that good quality organic saturated fats actually contribute to your cell and hormone development and even help you burn fat faster? That’s right - fat can make you lean! The way I now eat and coach my clients to eat is to include some ‘smart’ fats at each meal. Good examples include nuts and seeds, small oily fish, avocado, coconut oil/milk/cream, organic cream and butter, macadamia nut oil, and ghee. Those are just a few of my favourites!
- The traps of healthy snacking. This is an area close to my heart - when you enter the paleo lifestyle you’ll find a virtual plethora of healthy and incredibly delicious snack ideas. Raw chocolate/avocado cheesecake is one of my favourites. Just a word of warning - it’s all too easy to get carried away with healthy snacking and, as a result, not consume adequate protein and green veg for fat loss. Keep the snack-type foods to 5-10% maximum, and try ‘snacking’ on leftover real meals instead! Your belly will definitely thank you.
Of course all that being said, old habits do die hard. Sometimes I still feel like I have a special ‘chocolate-time’ alarm clock that goes off in my head after dinner, and the same applies with red wine! There’s even a small part of me that looks around a crowded restaurant now and then and wonders why I can’t just be one of the blessed ignorant working my way happily through the bread basket.
Until waking up the next morning and realising how yucky I feel when I do eat that way of course :)
Is This Really What It Takes To Be Lean?
You might say that in a perfect world we should be able to eat all things in moderation and naturally select what our body most desires in the moment of hunger. But it’s not a perfect world, is it? Food quality, food choice, environmental toxins, stress … these are all things which impact your ability to feel and function your best.
The reality is that if you want to live with exceptional health and energy, and yes even create an exceptional body to do that in, then you do have to live differently to the rest. The good news is that this doesn’t have to be overly noticeable to the rest of the world if you don’t want it to be, and it also doesn’t require long-term sacrifice from you. It might seem that way at first, but I promise the motivation definitely comes from within once that image in the mirror starts changing!
At the end of the day it’s fine for you to choose to keep following the conventional rules. There is no right or wrong here. But what you do have to recognise is that you have the power. And whether you like to look at it this way or not the truth is that choosing whole foods as close to their natural state as possible gives you the power to look incredible and feel even better.
Which means a heck of a lot more to me than getting to ‘fit in’ or even ‘eat all things in moderation’ just because I ‘should’ be able to. How about you?
Kat Eden is Australia’s Female Fat Loss Queen, and blogs at www.womanincredible.com. Subscribe now for free email updates and receive your free copy of Kat’s latest e-book “The Truth About Female Fat Loss”!
Sunday, August 7, 2011
The Best Foods To Speed Up Your Detox!
You've been hearing it your whole life, and I have to tell you - your Mum was right. If you want to be grow up to be healthy and strong then you have to eat all your veggies.
I don't know if you realise this, but eating more vegetables is one of the simplest and smartest things you can do to speed up fat loss. You think you're being so smart putting in the hard yards at the gym, saying no to breads and pasta and obediently scarfing down your protein breaky? Well, okay, you are being pretty smart with all of that, but is it possible that you're doing so many things right on your quest for health and vitality, and yet still neglecting this one very simple element?
Forgive me if I'm jumping too rapidly to conclusions, and I must admit I have met more than a few readers who eat truckloads of veg, but for the most part? Yes, yes it is possible. If not completely probable.
9 serves of vegetables per day?! is she crazy?
In The 9 Habits of Healthy People, respected nutritionist and doctor, 'Dr Jonny' says this of vegetables (and it's point #1!):Eat your vegetables. No kidding. And I’m talking at least 9 servings a day.. Unless you’re following the most stringent first stage of the Atkins Diet, you should be able to consume 60-120 grams of carbs a day (depending on your weight and exercise level), and you’d have to eat a stockyard full of spinach to get to that amount. Every major study of long-lived, healthy people shows that they eat a ton of plant foods. Nothing delivers antioxidants, fiber, flavonoids, indoles, and the entire pharmacopia of disease fighting phytochemicals like stuff that grows.
As if that's not convincing enough for you, I've also heard Dr Jonny say that the most important supplement for fat loss is fiber. More veg = more fiber, yes? And this is the key to detoxification, because when you lose body fat it's actually toxins which are being dragged out of your fat cells and into your blood. Fiber is what swooshes those toxins out of the body, which I really think is a far better option than leaving them in there.
Don't you?
but it's too hard/i don't have time/i only like spinach/it costs too much!
It's pretty simple really. Either your love yourself and your desire to lose weight and be healthy or to lose the final 5 is strong enough to do what it takes, or you care more about your convenience or 'can't quite be bothered' eating.And seeing as how you're a Bikram yoga kind of person, I'm guessing it's the former :)
the best veggies for fat loss and health
Here is a list of especially nutritious and yummy vegetables for speeding up detoxification both in and out of the sweat room. You'll notice they are mostly green - I'm a big believer in eating predominantly seasonal and local vegetables, and I think green is best. Add some colour now and then, but do remember that when we talk about vegetables I'm talking low-starch. This does not include pumpkin, potato, sweet potato, corn (that's a grain anyway), and most root vegetables.Enjoy!
- Cruciferous veggies are great for fat loss, especially as regards your lower body. These include cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, and brussel sprouts
- Zucchini
- Squash
- Green or yellow beans
- Spinach (a great source of iron, and it really does make you strong!)
- Any sort of lettuce or leaf (organic please as they are sprayed
directly) - Cucumbers
- Kale
- Silverbeet (these two are great options in salads, and bitter vegetables such as Kale are great for digestion)
- Spring onions
- Any fresh herbs; fresh chilis
- Celery (yummy snack with almond or cashew butter)
- Green capsicums
- Olives
- Artichokes
- Pickled foods like eggplant, green tomato (pickled stuff is great for
lowering blood sugar response!) - Onion
- Mushrooms; unless you have ever had fungal issues such as
thrush or candida
Not just Food for Yoga - Food for Life!
Kat
If you enjoyed this post then please visit me over at my regular blog BodyIncredible.com or Woman Incredible (female specific!) for tips on nutrition, lifestyle, motivation.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Magnesium-Rich Foods For Recovery!
I don't know if you're like me, and you space out most of the time in between postures (especially in the recent super-humid temps!), but if you ever do stop and listen in you'll often hear the teachers mention magnesium as an important mineral for dealing with muscle cramps and spasms. The truth is that this is just the start of what this important mineral can do - in fact, every active person needs to make sure they have an adequate supply of magnesium. Given the fact that exercise can deplete you of it, it becomes all the more important as a Bikram-enthusiast to know how you can load up on the stuff!What Magnesium Does
Magnesium is crucial to not only recovery and repair, but to the function of your cells and certain enzymes, and even plays a role in metabolism and fat loss. It is often used to improve sleep quality as well as to promote healthy muscles and cell tissue. Other things that magnesium can improve include:
- Osteoperosis
- Cardiovascular disease
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Insomnia and other sleep disorders (magnesium helped me overcome 3 years of insomnia)
| Beans, black | 1 cup | 120 |
| Broccoli, raw | 1 cup | 22 |
| Halibut | 1/2 fillet | 170 |
| Nuts, peanuts | 1 oz | 64 |
| Okra, frozen | 1 cup | 94 |
| Oysters | 3 oz | 49 |
| Plantain, raw | 1 medium | 66 |
| Rockfish | 1 fillet | 51 |
| Scallop | 6 large | 55 |
| Seeds, pumpkin and squash | 1 oz (142 seeds) | 151 |
| Soy milk | 1 cup | 47 |
| Spinach, cooked | 1 cup | 157 |
| Tofu | 1/4 block | 37 |
| Whole grain cereal, ready-to-eat | 3/4 cup | 24 |
| Whole grain cereal, cooked | 1 cup | 56 |
| Whole wheat bread | 1 slice | 24 |
If you think you may be lacking magnesium then consider trying to eat one of these foods each day, or discuss a magnesium supplement with your health care practitioner. You can also add a pinch or organic unbleached sea salt to your Bikram water. It's fantastic for hydration and for replacing minerals.
So - have you had your magnesium today?
Not just Food for Yoga - Food for Life!
Kat
If you enjoyed this post then please visit me over at my regular blog BodyIncredible.com for tips on nutrition, lifestyle, motivation.
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