Protein and building strength…

Hi Shona,

I am not an expert, but I can tell you about my experience. First of all, I don’t think it is unusual to hit a plateau after a period of making significant progress. When I just started Bikram yoga I made great progress during the first months of practice and then suddenly for months it felt like I wasn’t improving at all which frustrated me no end. We think/believe that we should make continuous and visible progress if we work hard but in reality I don’t think it quite works this way.

But the good news is: it does pay off. My conclusion in the end was that after the first spurt of ‘growth’ my body was probably taking time to process what it was ‘learning’ and I just needed to be patient (not my strong point). So my advice would be to just keep on going and enjoy it. The latter is ultimately why we do it, no?

As for the diet question, when I hit my second plateau, I also turned my attention to my diet which, whilst healthy and wholesome, was not perfect (whatever that my mean), but to be quite honest I don’t think it makes that much difference provided you keep your vices to a minimum and of a high quality (I’m talking chocolate and wine here… :-)) But as for your day-to-day diet, it is believed that a largely alkaline diet is most healthful and it also happens to be beneficial to your practice. So perhaps that is something worth looking into? If it really is protein you lack, fermented tofu and tempeh are good (alkaline) sources of protein (as mentioned by the previous poster).

Hope that helps!

I am pescatarian and have a tough time getting protein. My partner (strict veggie) recently got me hooked on a mornin whey protein shake. It took me a week or two to get used to them–I thought the powder itself was too processed and unnatural, and they were different from what I usually ate. But whoa, what a difference. Those 20 or so grams of protein in the a.m. really help get my body going, esp before yoga. I don’t bottom out the way I normally do. Do you eat a protein-rich breakfast? That might help…

RandomFemale:

What do you mix with your whey protein powder – milk, water, orange juice? And is there a specific brand of whey powder that you like?

Thanks!

Hi Bonnie!

For the liquid, I use a combo of almond milk and soy or regular milk. (I’m not lactose intolerant, so I can use a little milk now and then). I mix frozen fruit like blackberries, banana, papaya, whatever I’ve got. The banana is a must, though. Just a handful of fruit pieces is usually enough. I do add some psyllium husk for added fiber. Blend it up and it tastes great! Keeps me full, and at 20 grams of protein that’s not a bad start to your day.

For brand, mmm. I just tried Henry’s brand and it’s fine, but expensive. Trader Joe’s sells one taht I just bought. It tastes good and is 11.99 for 12 ounces. Not cheap, but cheaper than some of the high-end brands.

Yep, I’m with you, Cyberry. That does sound interesting! Shona, do you juice that apple? Gosh, that might be so obvious to some but I just want to be sure!!! I always have kale at home. I juice it, use it in salads and I love making kale chips. That green color is so beautiful.

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂