Here’s our guide to the best supplements to support your practice. We’ll also be showing you which foods carry these essential vitamins and minerals naturally. We know most people prefer not to take tablets if possible, so we’ll be including a food list with each supplement. Personally I prefer to keep pill supplements as a back up for times when my diet isn’t as varied as it should be! While I take Vitamin B-12 daily to support my vegan diet, other supplements tend to be on-and-off, depending on what I feel I need. Listen to your body and ask it what it needs. Often food cravings are related to lower levels of certain vitamins and minerals.
So what supplements are best for Yoga? Let’s get started.
Magnesium For Flexible Joints
We talked about the Yoga and natural flexibility myth in this blog. Obviously Yoga practice relies on your muscles and joints working harmoniously and painlessly. If you struggle with tightness in the joints and muscles, magnesium is a great option.
Food Sources For Magnesium: Avocado, spinach, all nuts and seeds, green beans, peas, bananas, salmon, mackerel
Vitamin B-12 For Energy
If you’re Vegan or Vegetarian it’s essential that you take B-12 supplements. But many people discover the energy boosting power of B-12 within a couple of days. Suddenly getting up is a little easier, working out is a little easier, and the Yoga mat looks much more inviting. Unfortunately the natural sources for B-12 are all animal based, so a food option won’t be possible for many Yogis. We talked a little more about Veganism and the Yogi ethos here.
Food Sources Of Vitamin B-12: Milk, yoghurt, cheese, red meats, chicken, fish and shellfish
Turmeric For Recovery
It’s the active ingredient curcumin that we’re looking for here. It’s anti-inflammatory properties will help you recover from a difficult practice much more quickly. Curcumin has many other proven benefits as a preventative supplement. It’s linked to increased brain health and fighting bodily aging. It’s used in Ayurvedic medicine to balance the doshas.
Turmeric is experiencing huge popularity now it has become so much easier to take. Capsule Turmeric is a relatively recent invention that has allowed people to consume far more than they wood from food alone. So in this instance, while its a super tasty spice addition to a dish, capsule turmeric is a better option if you want a quick fix.
As turmeric itself is a natural spice, the food sources here will be suggestions of which dishes to add turmeric to!
Foods You Can Easily Add Turmeric To: Scrambled eggs, scrambled tofu, roast vegetables, thick stews, rice, green smoothies.
These are our top Yoga supplements. Have any vitamin and mineral boosts helped you practice healthier?
