Nutrition, A Powerful Self Care!

Nutrition is the number one way of health and well being. Even if you want to get the body and shape you want, you shift through your food more than any movement. In the schools of spirit, nutrition is the first way to really learn honoring of yourself. To take in the things that will keep you fueled, healthy, clear and emotionally sound are the first step to self care of the lovely vessel we ride in.

I don't get crazy about having this or that. I eat fresh, colorful, organic and varied foods. I eat them all and I switch things up. I often tell people anything in a box is not so good for you. Eating fresh, live food that looks like it has energy is my choice. Things that appear old or can hang on a shelf too long don't have much energy. We are eating for energy hopefully ingredients that will provide our body the enzymes, nutrients, minerals and roughage to support health. 

There are many things I could offer about nutrition and my book, The Lotus Project, The Art of Being a Woman has a whole chapter on the triad of nutrition. Food, takes energy to create energy, is considered as the lowest and the most laborious form of energy. "High impressions" as they are called, the greater things of meditation, spiritual practice, good words, healthful conversation, music, nature. all offer the best nutrition for our bodies for they provide immediate energy and nourish us on greater levels. Having high impressions and greater pleasures in life allows us to eat for only fuel. This can curtail unnecessary and emotional eating. If we are not filled with greater inspiration, nutrition, reaching for food is easy as a pleasure. Many overindulge for food is their only pleasure in life. 

Oxygen is the 2nd level of nutrition. Filling up with oxygen through movement, getting up rather than taking a nap can give us greater energy. If you do 10 jumping jacks, you fill with oxygen and shift to a more energetic state. Any quick movement that oxygenates us, gets our energy field shifted and moves about our body and organs is enough to revitalize us. I teach Tai Chi Health and the movements are not hard but calmly invigorate us. This nutrition is a valuable energy source.  Don't miss out on a quick. energy source that can support you faster than converting food to energy. It also supports all our processes for it is the breath of God or Goddess. An elixir of highest form for we need it to survive.  Oxygen invigorates us, detoxes us, most is done through breathing and all of us uses oxygen for all processes. They even have oxygen bars in NYC. Many patients after surgery go into oxygen tanks to support quicker healing. It is a great nutritious source to fuel the body.

When you do eat, it is a wonderful time to get into oxytocin. Three times a day we have to relax and enjoy the pleasure of eating. So many ruin this most pleasurable experience by not tasting, chewing or reveling in eating. We eat on the fly or without tasting our food. These practices of being conscious while we eat are powerful to set up the body for the best digestion. Eating in front of the tv especially if the news is negative adds stress to our emotions effecting good digestion. As we take in food we are taking in the emotions and thoughts with it. It is best to have positive feelings and thinking as we eat to create greater health. Seems small but we are always taking in things on the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual level simultaneously. It is powerful to notice not only what food you eat but the other levels that you take in with it. It allows for a greater pleasure experience while it  effects our body in ways invisible yet powerful to ease digestion of all levels. 

I will leave you with an conscious eating practice we did on all our retreats. My family would do this as well. Eating is a sacred art and we often celebrate and commune with food sharing comraderie and love at once. Grace is a good start to any meal for it prepares the body for digestion. The simple act of gratitude puts us in the positive state of receiving. Chewing our food and tasting as well as reveling in the pleasure of it gets the most health out of the experience.

Chatting with ones you love about the positive experiences or ideas you are creating supports communion. This programs those thoughts and emotions to go in with your food. Then these ideas are circulating in your cells as your food passes through and you unconsciously are programming your body with intentions. Sharing love, taking your time, putting forth good thinking and emotion as well as truly savoring the delight is high level nourishment. 

Consider all these types of nutrition as you care for your sacred temple body. People get to crazy about it and add emotion, denial, obsession and too much mental thinking to this process. We eat for pleasure, for fuel and to build our vehicle. It is a magic health system and our job is to support, honor and let it do its work. Good gas in your car runs it the best.