You Are What You Eat

Cooks, Caretakers, Yogis & Entrepreneurs. Hear this: You are what you eat.

Want to experience the power of using food to heal?

Want to break out of the viscous "take a pill for every ill" cycle?

Curious to know if the food you're preparing has a good effect of those you feed it to?

Want to really be able to take care of your family when they're under the weather?

Need your brain working at top speed for your job?

Think using food as medicine is way outta your league? It's not.

You were born for the job.

It all starts with owning that you become what you eat.

Obviously you don't turn into a stalk of broccoli if you eat broccoli. Let's not be silly. But, as the broccoli moves through the digestive process, your body pulls out the vitamins, carbohydrates and proteins in the broccoli to build cells, blood and bones.

So, it's easy to see that eating nutrient-rich food = a nutrient-rich body. Leafy greens and veggies hold way more nutrients than french fries and processed foods.

On a deeper level, one that most people don't recognize, is that food directly influences consciousness and feelings. It can induce bliss or anger, contentment or restlessness, thoughts of the divine or the profane. The quality of the food eaten literally creates a state of mind, emotions and consciousness.

I notice that people get this concept in one particular situation - when it comes to sex. It's common knowledge that oysters, chocolate and asparagus are aphrodisiacs, or foods that evoke a sexual feeling.

What if we extended that knowledge to a day-to-day and meal-to-meal basis? Asking ourselves the questions, what energy do I need right now? What emotions need balancing? What nutrients does my body want today?

If you're ready to start asking those questions and paying attention to the energy in food, begin with these two things:

1. Attune to the seasons.

To attune, you'll need to cement this principle in your brain; like increases like. In a nutshell, Ayurveda explains that we want to counter balance the qualities we see occurring in Nature with it's opposites in our diets, activities and lifestyle choices. The logic is that too much of a good thing....is not a good thing.

I'm sure you notice that the seasons have qualitites like hot, cold, dry, wet, etc. Well, foods have qualities like that as well. Here's a list of the seasons and the foods that go best with each season so you can begin to practice the like increases like principle:

Summer

Eat more foods that are sweet, bitter, astringent / cold, heavy, oily: such as salads, smoothies, fresh fruit
Eat less foods that are pungent (spicy), sour, salty / hot, light, dry: such as spicy foods, hot beverages
Favor all fresh ripe berries, melons, apples, apricots, grapes, peaches, pears, pomegranates and ripe plums
Favor asparagus, bell peppers, broccoli, cabbage, celery, cilantro, leafy greens, seaweed, snow peas, and summer squash
Sip cool or room temperature water with cucumber slices or drink coconut water to keep cool and hydrated

Signs that you've had too much of a good thing: Irritability and impatience, heartburn, acid reflux, stomach ulcers, sensitivity to heat, lethargy, sarcasm, skin rashes, boils, acne, low blood sugar, difficulty falling asleep.

Fall

Eat more foods that are sweet, sour, salty / heavy, oily, moist, hot: such as soups, stews, steamed veggies, warm herbal teas
Eat less foods that are pungent (spicy), bitter, astringent / light, cold, dry: such as salads, smoothies, cold foods and beverages, chips and salsa.

Signs that you've had too much of a good thing:: Insomnia, stress, worry, constipation, colds and flus, joint pain.

Winter & Spring

Eat more foods that are pungent (spicy), bitter, astringent / light, dry, warm: such as flavorful steamed veggies, brothy soups, brown rice
Eat less foods that are sweet, sour, salty / heavy, cold, oily: such as fried foods, ice cream, dairy

Signs that you've had too much of a good thing: Cold, cough, allergies, congestion, flu, fatigue, depression, weight gain.

2. Do a cleanse.

Cleansing is like hitting a personal reset button. You clear out the old and make room for the new - all with a change in diet. The benefits of a cleanse are almost innumerble, but here are a few:

Balanced pH and sugar levels
Diminished aches & pains
Weight loss
Increased energy and stamina
Increased mental clarity
Restored liver function
Blood, tissue, and organ cleansing
Strengthened immune system
Diminished allergies
Balanced hormones
Better sleep patterns
Cleared complexion
Healthy hair and nails
Improved self-image
Feeling of lightness

In a world where we are exposed to more environmental toxins and pollutants than ever before in history, the need to detoxify on a regular basis has become a prerequisite for optimal health.

After a cleanse you'll slowly reintroduce foods into your diet. During this time you can really notice how each food or food group makes you feel because your body is so clear. Many people will notice a gluten-intolerance or that they're lactose-intolerant after a cleanse - something they never knew before.

You see, there is another option besides heading to the drugstore, the pillbox or the doctor. The food you eat matters.

Farms are the pharmacies of the future.
Recipes will be the prescriptions.

Start now. You have three opportunities everyday. Your Inner MD is there waiting for you.

How beautiful is that?