How you start your day can set the tone for the experiences you have throughout it. This is especially important if you practice yoga. By beginning your day with a healthy yogi breakfast, you’ll infuse your body, mind, and spirit with vitality and strength, setting yourself up for an energetic and rewarding day ahead.
The following information will help you better understand what type of breakfast you should have if you want something that aligns with your yoga lifestyle and practice.
What to Include in a Yogi Breakfast
Many yogis strive to have a Sattvic diet. A Sattvic diet is believed to nourish and purify the body, mind and spirit. A Sattvic diet largely means vegetarian food that is rich in Prana or life-force. Foods that are high in life force are organic, fresh, and are not canned, processed, or prepared with additives or chemicals. Foods grown and harvested with integrity will also increase their Sattvic quality.
A healthy Sattvic yogi breakfast may include the following:
Water
Drinking 8 to 16 oz of warm water first thing in the morning will help to cleanse the GI tract, stimulate peristalsis and balance PH levels.
To reap even more benefits, drink your warm water with some lemon. Along with hydrating you, the lemon will aid in digestion, and may also help detoxify your body.
Chyawanprash
One of Ayurveda’s best kept secrets to move your morning toward clarity, focus and energy is Chyawanprash. This herbal blend was created nearly 5,000 years ago by the respected sage, Chywan, to improve the quality of life and increase longevity. Authentically prepared Chyawanprash is Sattvic in nature and high in prana. This herbal jam is packed with numerous healing herbs and spices.
One teaspoon of this superfood jam 15+ minutes before breakfast boosts health, energy and focus while replenishing prana. It also increases the body, mind and spirit connection, making it perfect to use before yoga, meditation, and pranayama.
Fruit
Organic, fresh fruit is considered Sattvic and a healthy way to start your day. To aid digestion, consider cooking fruit in ghee and adding spices. In the morning, agni (digestive fire) is lowest. Ghee kindles agni while spices, like cinnamon and cardamom, help the body absorb nutrients better. Examples of easy fruit to cook include apples, pears, and bananas.
Cooked grains
If you’d prefer to add a little more protein to your meal, consider a serving of cooked grains, like oatmeal, rice, quinoa, buckwheat, or amaranth. Be sure to soak your grains the night before to make them more digestible.
Nuts & seeds
Another way to increase protein and healthy fat intake is to add seeds or nuts to your breakfast. Consider drizzling a tablespoon of tahini, almond, or sunflower butter to your breakfast or enjoying a handful of walnuts or chia seeds. Like grains, soaking nuts and seeds can increase their bioavailable nutrition.
Remember Your Dosha Type
It’s important to keep in mind that different foods are ideal for different types of people. In Ayurveda, an Ayurvedic breakfast is one that is balancing for your constitution or dosha type. For example:
- Vata types benefit from breakfasts that are warm, dense, moist, sweet, sour and salty.
- Pitta types do well with breakfasts that have cool, dense, mild, and dry qualities and sweet, bitter and astringent flavors.
- People with a Kapha constitution benefit from morning recipes that are warm, light, dry, and fiery with astringent, bitter and pungent tastes.
If you’re not sure what your dosha type is, an Ayurveda expert may be able to provide insight. Once you know your dosha type, it’s easier to plan a yogi breakfast that’s Sattvic, nutritious and balancing for your needs.
Reviewed by Dr. Jayant Lokhande, MD (Botanical Drugs), MBA (Biotechnology)
