By Puja Gupta

New Delhi, Jun 21 (IANSlife): Yoga has the power to heal both physical as well as mental issues. Since we are now living the new normal where strength and well-being are necessary to survive, it's equally important to eat the right balance of food for overall healthy and happy living.

Yoga principal of Ahimsa is commitment to protecting nature by choosing wholesome foods. What we eat, not only influences our physical wellbeing, but also our emotions and thoughts.

Yoga does not dissect food into proteins, carbohydrates, or fats, instead it classifies them according to the effect they have on the body and mind, into three types - satva, rajas and tamas, points out Sheryl Salis, Registered Dietician, Naturopath and Certified Diabetes Educator.

Tamasic food is the kind of food which makes us lethargic or sluggish, while Rajasic food is that which brings about activity or restlessness, whereas, Sattvic food is the kind which makes you feel light, energetic and enthusiastic, Salis says.

"Not just the right kind of food, it is vital to eat the proper quantity of food at the right time. We might eat the right kind of food in the right quantity but if we are irregular with our timings then the whole system is disturbed, and the natural rhythm of the body is hampered. Listening to some soothing music or chanting while cooking and eating can help retain the Prana (life force energy) in the food."

The expert lists down five food items that one should include in yoga diet to help you improve your lifestyle:

Make healthier choices; add green boasters like Moringa Green teas and Green coffees to your routine

Everyone is either a chai or a coffee lover and is guilty of sipping onto too many cuppas every day. Even though we love our hot beverages, they have their own positives and negatives. Switching these with a healthier alternative like Moringa Green tea gives you all the benefits of green tea with the nourishment of green booster Moringa. It is filled with vitamins, minerals and antioxidant properties which help build strength and boosted immunity.

It also helps maintain bone & joint health, regulate metabolism and aid in weight management thus bringing you much closer to your desired weight and health goals. For the ones who cannot get enough of coffee, enjoy the healthy benefits of three times the regular antioxidants and boosted immunity with tasty Green coffee. Green coffee is unlike regular coffee beans since they are not roasted which helps them retain three times the antioxidant potential which is lost during the roasting process otherwise.

Dill leaves

They are green foods that are not only good stress busters but also boost your immunity. Dill leaves are especially great for women as it stimulates and regulates menstrual flow and helps with the spasmodic menstrual pain in young girls. Women who face absence of menstruation due to being exposed to cold or are anaemic can benefit from including dill leaves in their diet too. Ladies can use the same after childbirth to increase the quantum of their breast milk.

Cauliflower stem

Everyone loves cauliflower and when talking about foods to aid yoga, cauliflower is a veggie whose stem is quite overlooked and not fully used. The stem of cauliflower is often neglected but is nutritious. Cauliflower stalks are higher in fibre, calcium and vitamin C. Thus, chop those stems and boil them in a pressure cooker to use it with other vegetables, make tasty soups, or sautée them with the vegetable itself for healthy meals.

Amla

As we all know fruits are loaded with nutrients like vitamins, minerals etc. that are important for a good over-all health and well-being. The Indian Gooseberry or more commonly known as Amla is one such fruit that is highly underrated but has a lot to offer. Amla contains the highest vitamin C content (600mg/100 g) amongst the citrus fruits which helps in boosting our body's immunity that in turn helps fight infections. Amla is one of the most versatile fruits since it can be eaten as dried amla too along with fresh amla. It has the same nutritional value as fresh ones and therefore can be stored and eaten all year as a fruit, fresh juice or powder. So go ahead and add this tangy fruit to your food and drink diet and enjoy the added immunity boost to your body.

Barley

Barley is a great superfood that contains essential vitamins and minerals and is an excellent source of dietary fibre and in particular soluble fibre. This is so because unlike many grains which contain fibre only in the outer bran layer, barley contains fibre throughout the entire kernel. So whether you are consuming barley in its whole grain form or a processed barley product, its dietary fibres which include beta-glucan soluble fibre, is available in the products which have a positive impact in improving blood glucose levels and aids in weight loss. Not only barley grains but barley water is also useful as it is said to help with kidney stones.