Easy Steps for a Spiritual Diet
By user_dd
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Primrose’s eyes flared and her heartbeat danced as she stared at the glucose meter. It was 90…normal! And she had taken NO insulin all day. An hour went by, and she checked again. Normal!

Oh my god, she thought. This actually works! My doctor won’t believe this.  

Her phone gave a rapid-fire beep.

“Time for the next juice!”

As she pushed neatly cut apples through the juicer, listening to the mechanical growl, a deep, vibrant smile awoke on her face. Her heart expanded and a newfound joy enveloped her. She had spent 28 long days cleaning her body out and giving it the best nutrition she could. And now, Primrose was looking at the fruit of her efforts.

Food is powerful. We literally build our bodies with it. To underestimate its importance is to neglect a potential support for our well being. What is unfortunate is that many people, Americans in particular, live off of junk food—McDonald’s, TV dinners, candy bars, and Frankenfood. If the maxim of “you are what you eat” holds true, imagine the dilemma.

What is cool is that food can help us grow multidimensionally if we embrace some basic principles. This means that our minds and spiritual awareness are enhanced, in addition to our bodies. We find a tradition of food-aiding spiritual growth in a variety of cultures. For example, in India, it is well-known among yogis that sattvic (high vibration) foods are the best for seekers on the path. We’ll examine these types of foods in this post, and offer some tips for leveraging diet in our ascent.

In addition to better health, a proper diet can help to sharpen our intuition, raise our energy levels, and improve our overall sense of joy and lightness.

 

  1. GO DIY

Look at the ingredients list of a popular brand of cereal. Pretty long, huh? And what the hell are some of those names?

The closer we can get to whole foods, the better. Most of us already know this, but most of us might not necessarily put it into action. So try this experiment: for a full week, make all of your meals. Plan ahead, and keep out anything that is processed (white flour, rice, sugar, etc.) and anything that contains any variation of corn syrup. If it’s brown, it stays in town. Make your own soups, salads, sandwiches…almost anything you like, as long as YOU make it. By the way, only make it while in a good attitude. Play some fun or relaxing music if you have to. We’ll get to the why of this later.

Notice how you feel at the end of the week. If you’re game, you can take more steps on this dietary journey.

 

  1. GREEN AND ALIVE

The sun is our battery. It gives energy to plants via photosynthesis. Animals eat the plants. Then we eat the animals, in effect taking the sun’s power in a roundabout fashion. Doesn’t it make sense to get that power more directly, though?

The modern Indian sage, Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, says that every life form has a specific energy pattern. When we consume another life form, we imbibe that energy pattern with the food and adapt it to our own energy bodies. Sadhguru explains that the more sophisticated an organism is, in terms of conscious expression and nervous system, the harder it is to imbibe its energy pattern. The simpler it is, the easier it is. Plants are much simpler life forms than animals, so they are a good option for humans to digest physically and energetically.

Another consideration is that food that is raw and fresh contains more vital force than food that has been dead for awhile. Plants can retain vital force more easily before coming to the dinner table than animals. If left uncooked, they contain countless enzymes and nutrients that are beneficial to the body. Cooking warps—or denatures—many of the enzymes in the food, making them unusable. While we can still gain nutrition from cooked food, raw food is more life-giving. Plants are great for this, as raw animal meat is often a health risk. 

With all this said, some practical steps you can take are to incorporate more fresh fruits and vegetables into your diet. Salads, smoothies, juices, and pieces of fruit are convenient ways to start doing this. It’s not necessary to go 100% raw or vegetarian. Small steps are important. Plus, over time, as your body clears and your senses get stronger, you will know more easily what is right for you.

 

  1. BE CONSCIOUS

How you eat is nearly as important as what you eat. The best way to approach a meal is mindfully, being fully present and engaging as many of your senses as you can. Smell, see, maybe touch the unique texture, or listen to the crunch. And, of course, taste is important. But allow yourself to eat slowly, really tasting your food and relishing it.

Being grateful for food is a natural extension of enjoying it. Gratitude can be defined, at its root, as a sense of embracing and merging. It will lend an extra positive energy quality to your meal. Love can be another great quality to add (one reason why Mom’s cooking is so good), or even joy. Be conscientious of the energy you put into your food! You’re consuming the whole package.

Pay attention to your body’s sensations, and your intuition, when it comes to food. You will know what is good for you and what isn’t by listening deeply to the signals. Allow this instinct to guide your food purchases. We are all unique. We also have changing needs. There is no one-size-fits-all diet, only guidelines. Your intuition knows best.

A traditional sage might live off of rice, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and fruit. You don’t have to do that to grow spiritually, but you will add fuel to your path the closer you get to a simple, plant-based, conscious diet. If you live in an industrialized city, any extra boost you get helps!

Happy adventures on your new diet regimen!

 

Disclaimer:

This post does not seek to replace professional medical or nutritional advice, nor does it claim to diagnose, treat, cure, or otherwise influence any disease or medical condition. Please consult a medical professional for any serious illness or disease.