A lot of us use a sauna to support our health and fitness levels. Like anything though, we can sabotage ourselves when we aren’t making the choices day-to-day to maintain our health. A perfect example is when someone goes to the gym and does a wonderfully powerful 60-minute lifting sessions, burning calories to no end. Then, they go get a double cheeseburger at McDonald’s. All the work they put in ends up being almost for nothing.
If you want to really feel the full impact of those sauna health benefits, you’ve got to pair it with proper nutrition. Let’s be clear on what we mean exactly by a ‘healthy diet’. If you’re someone who doesn’t eat the healthiest, you may notice a few things. A lot of us not-so-healthy eaters typically eat a lot of processed foods and not whole foods. Cereal is largely processed and stripped of a lot of its nutritional value, outside of cooked quinoa or steel cut oats. Juice boxes are usually pure sugar. Fruit-flavored yogurt is also packed with sugar. These are things to avoid. They’re simple steps to take to cut down on the harm that sugar brings to the body.
It’s not always as easy as to say less sugar and less processed foods though. Even some people who think they’re eating healthy can be deceived by the quality of product being served to them. Whole grain breads or whole grain pastas are often processed with white flour and other ingredients. Unless you’re buying fully organic, you are running the risk of preservatives in it or components which aren’t easily digested by the body.
Thinking it’s a healthier choice, some people switch to vegetarian eating all day long. This isn’t healthy if all you’re devouring are pancakes, French fries, and cookies. You need to ensure your diet’s balanced, regardless of whether you’re eating meat or not. You also shouldn’t be discouraged from eating healthy fats, like avocados, nuts, seeds and olive oil. These are all essential to keeping the body healthy. What about gluten-free eating? Well, many gluten-free products are stripped and processed, containing little fiber and nutrients. Gluten-free diets therefore aren’t necessarily super healthy either.
So what are you actually supposed to eat if you want to keep those good sauna vibes going? Focus in on five things. This is what makes the perfect sauna diet.
Nuts and seeds. They can be raw, roasted, or tossed on top of a salad.
Fresh fruits and vegetables. Cooked, steamed, raw, in a stir fry, or grilled. Fresh fruits give healthy sugars and veggies are packed with fiber, among dozens of health benefits.
Fresh meat free of hormones. Ideally, go for wild fish, wild meat, or organic meat where you know you’re not getting any nasty hormones.
Grains. If you want to get some good carbs in you, go for quinoa, brown rice, wild rice, or sprouted grains.
Sweets. Always go for raw honey or stevia as these are naturally occurring sweets much healthier than any sugar.
Focus on these simple, quick, and delicious foods to eat, and you can enjoy a healthy diet that isn’t going to take away from the time you’re putting in at the sauna. In no time, you’ll feel and see the difference in your body, reaping the ultimate sauna benefits.