As a Bikram yoga practitioner, you’re already aware of the many benefits of hot yoga: cardiovascular health, assistance with weight loss, mental focus, strength and conditioning, the list goes on and on! And, let’s not forget that since Bikram yoga is performed in a room with temperature of 105ºF., the profuse sweating helps to detoxify your body, which releases toxins and expels impurities out of your body through your skin.
What you may not know is that during intense sweating, you can also lose a lot of electrolytes and other vital nutrients. It becomes, absolutely imperative that you rehydrate your body and replace those electrolytes to avoid severe dehydration, reduce muscle soreness, aid in recovery time and build lean muscle mass. Most products that claim to rehydrate your body after intense exercise are nothing but sugary “fortified water” and energy drinks. It can be very confusing and nearly impossible to decide what’s best for your body. Most of these types of beverages are loaded with hidden calories, sugars, and artificial flavors and preservatives. Some contain harmful stimulants and are actually dangerous. And while these kinds of drinks may claim to replace electrolytes, they more often do much more harm than good by causing acidosis, a condition where your body becomes heavily acidic from sugar and acid forming foods.
Added Benefits of Bikram Balance
Most have heard that diets high in fruits and vegetables can help lose weight, reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, cataracts, macular degeneration, osteoporosis, arthritis and even wrinkles. As a matter of fact, according to the National Cancer Institute, 8 to 10 servings a day can cut the risk of some cancers in half! However, with the U.S. government releasing its new dietary recommendations urging us to eat up to 13 servings of fruits and vegetables each and every day, it’s certain many of us are falling short of that goal. Fortunately people today can get the power of “superfood” drink mixes that have the antioxidant protection of 10-15 servings of fruits and vegetables to help fill in their nutritional gaps. Food science has just recently come to realize that there is much more to nutrition than just vitamins and minerals. Indeed, there may be well over 1,000 different plant chemicals, known as Phytochemicals, available in fruits and vegetables that may have a positive metabolic effect! Further study has shown that the fruits and vegetables that come in rich vibrant colors, like tomatoes, carrots, spinach, broccoli, blueberries and raspberries, are much more potent and beneficial than the pastel colored produce like iceberg lettuce, bananas, celery, corn and potatoes. Furthermore, certain foods may contain greater quantities of antioxidants, fibers, probiotics, and even specific medicinal substances, the latter being especially true of many edible herbs and spices.
Quality Manufacturing Is Most Important
Quality manufacturers of green food drink mixes take care to preserve the nutrients naturally found in the fruits and vegetables during the various manufacturing processes. Patients should recognize and respect the fact these are natural, certified, organic, whole foods and they are best consumed as close to their natural environmental state as possible with as minimal handling as possible. Always seek to use products that don’t use genetically modified foods or are altered using nanotechnology. There are many manufacturing challenges that must be addressed. Heating, for example, is a major concern in manufacturing a green food product and for maintaining its bioavailability. The manufacturing challenge is to be able to dehydrate the whole foods to stabilize the product, but not over-dehydrate it which could “cook” the product. Because of this potential problem, powder drink mixes remain the most widely recommended form of green food supplement by most health care providers. Even with the many challenges of creating high quality green foods, the popularity of these ‘super foods’ continues to increase as patients experience the number of advantages they supply. The biggest reason the green food drink mix market continues to expand is the fact that when you drink one, you actually feel the difference.
Summary
The “eat more fruit and vegetable” programs sponsored by the United States Department of Agriculture, has made some progress, but changing the eating habits of a nation comes very slowly. Today many consumers are finding the benefits of using functional foods such as whole food drink mixes that can be included in the dietary fabric of the busy, modern world. People will only eat what they like, so consuming on a daily basis a good tasting, instant, and healthy super foods drink can help bridge the gap between a poor and an optimal diet.
Thankfully, the Bikram yoga community and many consumers in general have discovered and embraced an alkalizing superfood vitality drink that is made with organic ingredients and can help you replace electrolytes and stay hydrated naturally. In fact read what one Bikram certified teacher since 2005 and one who has been practicing Bikram yoga since 1992 had to say about the Bikram Balance fruit and vegetable vitality drink: “I was looking for a nice supplement to my water as the Emergency product I used to use just tastes too much like aspartic acid and I no longer enjoy the flavor. Bikram Balance not only has incredibly healthy and natural ingredients, it makes me feel good. The minty green goodness is very refreshing during class. I am a very particular person that has been practicing living a very natural and holistic lifestyle for many years now. I love your Bikram Balance product and can’t wait to use it during our HOT, HOT, HOT, Key West summers as I know it will revitalize and rejuvenate me during class and all day long. Thank you so much for making this. It is funny, coming across your product as I did makes me further believe, Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. Thank you for making this product available to me.”
In closing, Bikram Balance is a nutrient dense yoga wellness shake that is essential for every Bikram yoga student and teacher, and non-yoga practitioners as well. Try one before, during, or after your hot yoga class, or first thing in the morning if you don’t practice yoga, to reinvigorate your body and replace or maintain vital nutrients. It’s an easily digestible powder, so it won’t cause cramping, and it will provide you with 15+ servings of fruits and vegetables in every scoop!
About Donald L. Hayes:
Donald L. Hayes, DC, is a chiropractor of over 30 years and the author of a number of books including his latest, Alkalize Now.