fresh fruit
Singing to your food
I know it might sound ridiculous and you’re afraid people might laugh at you or judge you if they catch you doing it. However, being kind to your food actually helps you in the long run.
Sensitive people can tell the difference when someone makes them food, and they really put their love and care into that food. When we get food prepared for us (especially from a fast food restaurant), it’s disconnecting in a way. Sure, it might taste good, but somehow it doesn’t fill us up like Grandmas Apple Pie did.
We can be magical just like our Grandparents and make amazing food with depth and meaning if we just focus our attention on our food in a conscious way. Most people live to eat. We should be making the switch to eat to live. If we slowly stop overconsuming food because the food that we cook or eat has our intention cooked into it, we can become “full” even easier. Thus learning to stop overeating can become easier.
Many people that are Reiki practitioners bless their food with Reiki. Hey, if that floats your boat then cool! I actually pray by singing. I connect my intention with my voice and singing always puts me in a good mood. I intentionally connect with the food that I’m about to cook and will often sing to it. What does that mean energetically? I am blessing my own food and eating my prayers. I’m not as disconnected from my food and I feel a sense of connection to something bigger out there in the big web of life.
Even if you’re a horrible cook and can’t cook for yourself, try just humming something to your microwave dish. Make the intention to connect to your food and give gratitude for the many hands it took to get it to your table. If you’re also looking to deepen your Shamanic Practice, set a little food aside for the land spirits and ancestors in gratitude for the food that is about to nourish your body.
When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.
What you are is what you drink
Looking for a healthier alternative to soda’s, sugar sweetened drinks, vitamin water, and drinks with artificial colors and flavors? Below are some pretty simple infusions that you can do and what they are good for!
1. Green tea, mint, lime – fat burning, digestion, headaches, congestion and breath freshener.
2. Strawberry, kiwi – cardiovascular health, immune system protection, blood sugar regulation, digestion.
3. Cucumber, lime, lemon – water weight management, bloating, appetite control, hydration, digestion
4. Lemon, lime, orange – digestion vitamin C, immune defense, heartburn, (Drink this one at room temperature)
So now what is an infusion and how do you go about doing this?
Take these fruits and cut them into nice slivers. Put them in nice tall glass mason jars or any container that you have that is large enough for a lot of water and a lot of fruit (glass if you want to add essential oils to them), and let them sit for 30 minutes. An infusion is letting the plant or fruit steep in a solvent (in this case water) in order for the fruit/herbs to release their phytochemicals, minerals, taste, and chemical compounds. For fruit, it is better to do this without heat, because heat will destroy some of the volatile chemical constituents which are therapeutic. It is very refreshing if you have this in the fridge and pour yourself some in the morning.
Some essential oils you might want to add to boost the flavor:
- Lemon or Lime (same properties, slightly different flavors) – Great for detoxification and flushing out the system. Wonderful for kidney health.
- *Cinnamon – Another blood sugar regulator (perfect if you want to add it to the strawberry kiwi) and extremely effective antibacterial and antiviral.
- Ginger – One of my new favorites! Great for digestion, and nice bitter taste to it. Helps clear sinuses, aids in nausea, helps with joint pain and cramping.
- Grapefruit – Helps curb your appetite, mood lifter, and helps increase metabolism. Great addition to the cucumber, lemon, lime infusion.
- Peppermint – Need that pick me up in order to get you nice and awake? Peppermint is a great stimulant and wonderful cognitive essential oil that helps improve concentration. Will also leave you with fresh breath, and helps with breathing.
Footnote: *Regarding Cinnamon essential oil – It is one of the more highly researched essential oils, and studies have been published in order to prove the efficacy of these antimicrobial properties. Here is a recent study done in 2014 regarding Cinnamon: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0956713513004155