FOOD MAKES YOU FLEXIBLE?

Sounds crazy, right? Well, it's true. This is not science or theory; it's a real-life, student-tested fact. If you eat a water-dense, plant-based diet with lots of superfoods, you'll notice flexibility gains within three days.

Don't take my word for it?just try it!

Below is a shortlist of my favorite Superfoods. Buy them fresh or low-temperature dried, and purchase organic whenever possible.

DARK GREENS

Dark green vegetables are some of the most mineral-dense foods on the planet, and waterborne greens or sprouted greens are even better (waterborne greens usually have 2-10 times more minerals)

Primary Benefits:

- potent source for minerals

- alkalizing effect on the body (fights acid build-up)

- boosts immune system

- high in fiber (healthy bowels)

- chlorophyll rich (cleanses and energizes the body)

SHOPPING LIST

Spirulina, chlorella, barley grass juice extract, wheat grass, kale, parsley, all seaweeds and sea vegetables, chard, and spinach.

PREHISTORIC GRAINS & SEEDS

The advances in agricultural technology (selective breeding and genetic engineering) directly correlate to the decline of the nutritional value of our foods.

Plants such as corn, soy, and rice?staples of the modern world?are a great source for calories, but they no longer pack the nutritional punch they did when our ancestors first began domestic cultivation.

Today, the most nutrient-dense foods are what I call the prehistoric plants; the ugly, brown-colored, intimidating dry good you see in plastic bins at the health food stores.

These are commercial crops, but nutritionally-speaking, they more-closely resemble their ancestors. They take a little extra work to prepare (cooking or sprouting), but it's well worth it.

Primary Benefits:

- loaded with cancer-fighting anti-oxidants

- naturally fiber-rich

- excellent source of bio-available proteins

- low in sugars

- naturally well-balanced

- difficult to overeat

SHOPPING LIST

Millet, quinoa, amaranth, wild rice, bulgur, sesame seeds, sprouted seeds of clover, broccoli, mung beans, and radish.

SUPERFATS

Most people get their fat from inferior, animal-based foods like milk, ghee, cheese, butter, and meat. In animals? bodies (and yours), built up toxins like pesticides, herbicides, antibiotics, and pollutants are most-often deposited in fat cells. To make things worse, animal fat also contains the notorious LDL (bad) cholesterol that can lead to damaged arteries and heart disease. No wonder fat has such a bad reputation!

Foolishly, many people today try to avoid all fats when really, they should be avoiding animal fats. Plant fats are not only good for you?they are essential for health and wellness and MUST be eaten on a regular basis. Good fat give you sustained energy, heals your body, and balances hormones.

Primary Benefits:

- provides essential building blocks for the body

- slows absorption of sugars

- enables the body to absorb fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K)

- encourages healthy bowels

- promotes elasticity of connective tissues (flexibility)

- balances hormones and mood

SHOPPING LIST

Raw almonds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, hemp seeds, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, brazil nuts, cashews, macadamia nuts, avocado, coconut, durian, and cold-pressed oils (olive, coconut, hemp, flax, and sesame seed are all great).

WHY SUPERFOODS?

Yoga students put heavy demands on their body, often neglecting to replenish their system with nutrient-dense, natural foods that will keep them healthy and strong.