Yoga & Keto: The Perfect Match?

I have always been a big advocate of leading a healthy lifestyle and being able to move your body in a way that suits your needs. Lately I have been dealing with quite a lot of stress at work and every evening, after coming back from a long day at the hospital, I have been indulging in sweets and fast food. Obviously, there is nothing wrong with letting loose every once in a while; it definitely helps me destress. However, after a week or so, I started to feel sluggish and I am sure that the source for this was my late-night snacking on chocolate. So I decided to do a reset and to start the Keto diet.

The Keto “Lifestyle”

If you haven’t heard about it yet, the keto diet (short for “ketogenic diet”) consists of mainly high protein and high fat meals, while sugar and carbs are kept to a minimum. This kind of diet forces the body into a ketogenic state, which means that it will start burning fat.

I decided to switch to this diet, because I have always been a person with a strong craving for protein, knowing that I would not struggle sticking to it. It has been almost a month now since I switched to keto and I have to say that I do feel lighter, stronger and more energized. I am able to exercise and practice yoga for longer periods of time and I definitely see a change in my body.

What about Ayurveda?

Some of you may now wonder why I am even mentioning the keto diet in the context of yoga, if “the perfect” yogic diet already exists: Ayurveda. It is true that this ancient form of medicine is closely related to yoga, recommending specific dietary requirements for each Ayurveda type (vatta, pitta and kapha).

According to Ayurveda, each yogi and yogini should aim to follow a diet that includes various kinds of nuts, oils, fruit, dairy, vegetables and whole grains.

This type of diet is supposed to provide the ideal basis for anyone practicing yoga, because it is supposed to be light, vegetarian and beneficial to your gut.

Nevertheless, I believe that there is no such thing as the perfect diet for anyone, not even yogis!

Intuitive Eating – Freedom

Just because the keto diet might be working well for me, it does not mean that it will work for you. The same goes for Ayurveda or any other kind of diet. You should be the one choosing what you eat, not some diet or a random person on the internet. Even though there are countless of diets out there, masked as sustainable “lifestyle changes”, that does not mean that one specific diet is right for everyone.

If you do feel uncomfortable in your body and do not like the way it looks, you should first make yourself aware of the fact that society’s standards of beauty these days are unrealistic and simply unhealthy. This is why I would never strictly follow a diet, prohibiting myself from eating any sweets ever again. Instead, I allow myself to listen to my body and its needs.

For me, eating intuitively helped me to free myself from any restrictions. I am allowing myself to listen to my cravings – and if that means that I tend to crave protein and foods high in fat more often, then I follow my gut’s guidance and give in to these desires. Of course, that does not mean that I eat meat all day long, instead I incorporate all kinds of food (e. g. legumes and dairy products) that help me satisfy my body’s needs.

The Best Advice Comes From Within

If you do want to change your current lifestyle with regards to fitness, you may of course choose to follow certain dietary recommendations, like I do with the keto diet, for example. But the important thing to remember is that you should not be too strict with yourself. Also, simply changing your diet may not bring about the changes that you wish for, which is why it is equally important to look after your mental health through meditation and avoiding high levels of stress.

Quick Tip: Sun Salutation

One of my favourite ways to start the day off is to do the sun salutation 6 to 8 times in a row. This ritual does not only rev up your metabolism, but also stretches your whole body for the day ahead.

Moreover, I would like to share with you one of my favourite keto meals in the world: The Keto Taco Salad (https://www.ruled.me/keto-taco-salad/) by ruled.me, which is easy to prepare and very filling!

Let me know what you think about the keto diet and whether you tried it. Also, what is your opinion on intuitive eating? Do you sometimes struggle with your diet? I am looking forward to reading your comments below.