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Yoga in India?


EmmaSthlm

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I am on my first W30 (day 20) and I just love it. I have never felt so good before. And I would love to continue to eat this way. But in November and December, I will be travelling, separately, to:

  • Switzerland
  • France
  • Russia
  • Denmark
  • India

Switzerland, France, and Denmark will probably be fine, but Russia and India feel a bit more difficult.

In Russia it is always a bit difficult to communicate outside the main tourist hubs, and I will be working in Kaliningrad. Any suggestions?

And then I am off for almost a month to India, to practice yoga & meditation 5-6 hours a day, which will be wonderful, of course. But I really do not know how to handle the food, since I would like to continue to eat Paleo.

Should I reintroduce white rice, since it is so common (and sometimes considered a bit snobbish to not eat) in India? Perhaps bread, since almost all meals are served with Naan? And what about dairy? I must admit that I love paneer.

There is also the risk of food poisoning, and when I have been to India before, I have always eaten a lot of rice and bread just because of that. But now I do not know what to do.

Is there anyone here, who has travelled and eaten Paleo in India? What did you do? Should I reintroduce rice and perhaps bread, just to prepare for India? What would you do?

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In my experience it's definitely best to eat as the locals do (avoid "western" food) to avoid food poisoning. Also do not eat raw vegetables (salad) or unless you are sure it's ok. There will be plenty of yummy cooked veggie options. I think checking your reaction dal (lentils) would be a good idea, especially if your retreat is vegan or you will be subject to vegetarian meals. Also dairy - many dishes are cooked with yogurt. Meals are served with Naan and/or rice but of course you don't have to eat it! I would go with the lesser of evils if you react badly to rice or naan - of course you can elect to avoid these altogether as well as they are both served separate from the proteins and veggies. I doubt you will find restaurants offering "paleo" food, however you won't have problems finding delicious food and you. Of course drink only filtered water! Enjoy I'm a little envious :)

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Thanks Susan. You are right about the daal (legumes). I should probably reintroduce and try them before I go. As well as the yoghurt. While I can skip the bread and rice.

We will be staying in simple huts on the beach, but practice yoga and meditation (three classes a day) at a fancy yoga retreat, where we will also have brunch every day. That will probably be safe. For dinner we will go to local restaurants, where I will follow you advice and eat cooked food, but skip the rice and bread. And yes, I am so much looking forward to it!

So I will do an Indian-inspired reintroduction before leaving and reintroduce some dairy (yoghurt and paneer) as well as legumes. But I will continue to skip the milk, the grains, and the sugar.

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Depending on where you are in India, it will probably be easier to skip bread than rice, and it will probably seem almost unbelievable to locals that you'd refuse rice. (Rice and yogurt with lemon and salt was actually the go-to "comfort the ailing Westerner" offering when I was there -- and it is very hard to keep from ailing at least once).

In the South it's easier to find good cooked fish dishes, the north tends more to goat/lamb and chicken (not universally, just what I observed). If you are in a beach setting (like Goa or Kerala) that's accustomed to a lot of westerners you may find that your brunch offers lots of pancakes and other Westernized stuff, or you could end up with a giant slab of grilled tuna.

Also, in addition to raw salad, be very careful of drinks. No ice for you! Ice is made with water, which is made with amoebas.

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Thanks. I will be in Goa, and I am sure I will be sick. When I have been to India before, I have always become ill. And that is probably where the need for rice and perhaps even bread sets in... :)

I am starting to think that I will do a reintroduction of most things before I leave, and then I will do another Whole30, when I come back from all the trips in mid-January. I think that is the best.

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