20
MetroVanIndependent.com
July 2015
Lifestyle
Soul Food: Conscious Eating Nurtures Your Soul
Tell me what you eat, I’ll tell you
who you are - a famous quote
by Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin.
him to pour in your food? So avoid fast food
and eat light.
INCLUDE SEVEN COLOURS IN
YOUR FOOD
By Ashima Gautam
T he food we eat is actually a
combination of both a physical and a
spiritual entity. But why do we eat? A few
common answers to this question are- “I
eat because I get hungry,” “I eat when
something looks or smells good,” ”I eat
because I love food” or “I eat when it’s time
for the next meal.”
When we talk about food, we always
think about fuel to hungry machines. But
the reality is different than this framed
mindset. In fact, food plays a ver y
important role not only in physical health
but also mental health and spiritual health.
Food is a dynamic force which interacts
with humans on the physical body level,
the mind-emoti onal level, and also the
energetic and spiritual level.
Let's explore how food affects you
on physical and spiritual level - and how
conscious eating can aid your healing
process throughout this spiritual journey.
Your body truly is a spiritual temple to
your soul. So one must be cautious of what
he/she wants to put in your temple. What
you choose to eat determines the quality
of the nutrients and energy that you bring
into your body.
Food acts as a boost to the body
as well as the soul. It provides us with
more than the sum of its nutrients protein, carbohydrates, fat, vitamins, and
minerals. In fact, food is condensed and
transformed energy. When you eat, you
process and absorb the forces of nature
stored in your food.
We are affected quite differently by
fresh, whole, live, organic foods compared
to processed foods containing the
chemicals of artificial colors and flavors,
preservatives, pesticides, hormones, and
antibiotics.
Think of the vital energy you get from
organic foods which have been freshly
harvested. In comparison, consider
the energy you get in eating meat and
processed foods which also give you
pesticides, hormones, antibiotics,
preservatives, and artificial flavors and
colors.
You will receive a totally different kind
of energy. Also, have you ever noticed that
when you eat fresh organic food you often
feel light, calm and peaceful? On the other
We are all energy beings and we have
thousands of chakras in our spiritual body.
But there are seven main chakras (Energy
centers) and each chakra is associated
with a specific color such as Crown
Chakra- White/Violet, Third Eye ChakraIndigo, Throat Chakra- Blue, Heart ChakraGreen, Solar Plexus Chakra- Yellow, Sacral
Chakra- Orange, Root Chakra- Red. By
eating seven colors, you help yourself in
balancing your energy centers which keeps
the body healthy.
hand, when you eat fast food or processed
foods, you often feel drained, anxiety and
upset.
Why? Because it disturbs your body’s
energy and your aura which reflects in your
moods and actions. Furthermore, when
you eat meat, you take in the animal's
energy, including the energy of how it was
raised and the fear and trauma from being
slaughtered. That energy affects you on
mental as well as spiritual level. That’s why
we start feeling aggressive and lose control
of our minds.
Optimal health depends not only on
what we eat, but also how we eat and what
kind of energy is poured in while food was
being prepared. When the food is prepared
in high spirits with relaxed mind, body
releases positive vibes and those vibes
are absorbed by the food which affects the
energy of the person who eats that food.
This is called soul food. Food has
healing powers. When we eat with rich
feelings, mindfulness, appreciation, love
and focus, we suck up the most benefits
from the energy it brings in.
But when we eat in hurry, anger,
anxiety, in front of television or laptop,
driving and walking down the street,
we neglect the energy of food that we
require the most for our well-being and
highest good. When physician Donald
Morse of Temple University did research
with female students, he asked them to
meditate for 5 minutes before eating, and
then asked them to do mental arithmetic
for 5 minutes before eating too. When the
girls meditated, they produced 22% more
of an enzyme in saliva, which helps to
break down carbohydrates and vitamin B in
food. This suggests that when you eat in a
relaxed, mindful, present state of mind, you
will absorb good vibes and more nutrients
which results in improved health.
INVITE YOUR SOUL TO EAT
This world is very fast so does our lives.
We have to keep pace with this world.
Therefore, we are so indulged in our lives
that we forgot the right ways to eat to have
optimum benefits from food. I’d suggest
some ways as:
EAT SOUL FOOD
When we say soul food, we refer to the food
that contains rich and positive vibrations.
And all this happens only if the food is
made with love and compassion with
relaxed mind and spirit. Make sure you are
consuming soul food.
EAT MINDFULLY
Be mindful while eating. Be conscious of
the taste and energy you are absorbing.
Stay present mentally at the moment of
meal. Set aside all the tensions and tasks
to be done and think about your meal and
enjoy every single bite of it.
TREAT YOUR BODY AS A TEMPLE
Your body is temple to your soul. So try to
maintain positivity in this temple by keeping
a watchful eye on your food. It’s all up to
you how you want to keep your templeneat and clean or dirty.
SAY NO TO FAST FOOD
Fast food - the name reveals everything
itself. The food which is prepared in fast
motion and in a hurry will never contain
good vibes. The cook is under pressure to
serve fast. What kind of energy you expect
SAY GRACE AT MEALTIMES
Grace doesn’t mean you should start
praying. It simply means that you should
calm your mind by appreciating what you
are going to eat. Even a moment of silence
will work wonders. This leads to eating
slowly and feeling more relaxed.
EAT TO LIVE, NOT LIVE TO EAT
Buddha said, “Hunger is the worst illness,”
He said that because the other illness can
be cured in a matter of time, but hunger is
incurable from the day we are born until
the day we die. So eat little so you may
grow more.
To conclude, I’d say food is not only a
fuel to our human body engine but it’s a
powerful energy where our soul and body
is dependent on. So, we should think twice
before putting something in mouth. After
all, it’s our body not a garbage bin where
we have the freedom to throw anything. It’s
all your choice whether you want to make it
a temple by eating soul food or turn it into
a garbage bin. So stay calm, stay healthy
and stay in high spirits.
Ashima Gautam has been practicing Reiki
since 2007 and is a Usui Reiki Master/
Teacher and Reiki master in multiple
systems. She's a writer, blogger, spiritual
healer, clairvoyant, Tarot cards reader,
Angel Whisperer and Therapist, Crystal
Therapist, Math Tutor and student.
Ashima does Aura Brushing, Dowsing,
Cord Cutting, Chakra Healing and Crystal
Healing and also offers in person and
distance hea ling/teaching and readings.