I have been looking for a good detox for years. I’ve always been interested in healthy eating, but all too often work related travel and limited access to fresh produce or simply me being too tired to put together an elaborate healthy meal prevented me from eating the way I would have liked to. So I always felt that I wanted to get rid off of the bad stuff I had eaten while resetting my diet. And I was curious about the multiple benefits of a detox.
Why detox? A detox generally helps to cleanse the body of toxins accumulated either through the environment (pollution etc) or through the food we eat (additives, chemicals…). The result of having these toxins in our body means that it prevents the body from working as efficiently as it should and could. The body’s ability to turn food into energy is weakened and as a result we feel more tired. A detox or cleanse serves to cleanse the body of these toxins, i.e. ‘reset’ it while also helping to change diets.
When I came back to Europe after my last assignment in South-East Asia I was feeling exhausted – the job was beyond stressful – and despite sleeping lots, working out a bit, I just couldn’t seem to get my usual energy back. So, I decided to give my search for a good detox another try! Luckily this was at the time of the LivLuna launch and I wrote a blog asking for recommendations on a simple detox that I could do at home. The one thing I didn’t want to do was drink juices for five days.
I got put in touch with LivLuna’s nutritionist, Dages Juvelier Keates who offered me a personalized detox or ‘cleanse’, targeted to my particular needs, taste buds and expectations. It was super easy – we just set up a skype call, the next day Dages sent me the detox plan with detailed instructions and recipes and the following day I started my 5 day Cleanse – after some specific shopping nonetheless!
How was it? Despite me being super excited about it, I struggled a bit throughout my first day with eating lots of green vegetables, juiced up, steamed, pureed, brown rice, broths…I missed my usual foods a lot. But already on day 2, I saw the first benefits: better sleep and higher levels of energy. So that was worth another spinach juice!
The following days got easier and by Day 3, I was so used to the changed diet that I didn’t even notice it anymore. The cleanse was quite varied though, combining juices, broths, soups, yummy snacks and proper meals with carbohydrates, so I never had to feel starved.
Also, the Cleanse was not just about eating different foods (esp those high in antioxidants) but also about getting your circulation going, so I had to exercise daily, take hot baths (which I loved), dry brush and do nice things like getting a massage.
When I finished it, I can honestly say that I felt re-energized and deeply rested and rejuvenated. The dark circles below my eyes were gone and my skin was glowing and as an extra, I had lost about a kilo which brought me back to my usual weight and added to the sense of feeling healthy and fit. I also had a changed taste of food and appreciation for healthy food. Never thought I’d like brown rice or lentils, but now it just tastes healthy and good.
In my de-brief with Dages I learnt how to incorporate healthy eating into my ongoing diet. I also got some very useful tips on how to maintain a healthy diet when travelling to some remote country again. So, that’s another huge relief and something less to worry about.
Now a few days after finishing the cleanse, I can still feel the benefits and I am integrating some of the ingredients of the cleanse into my diet. So, to sum it all up, I can just say: if you want to “spring clean” your body or take off a few years and feel rejuvenated, don’t botox, DETOX!
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when we last left off i was sunning myself on a kerala beach. things haven’t changed much. i have travelled about this fantastic red state, festooned in communist flags welcoming passing politicos and travel weary westerners.
levi and i joined a couple of austrians, sweetly, almost cloyingly in love even though they have been together five years. we journeyed through thick forests of jungle growth up up up the mountains into the origins of the spice trade. the nature here is redolent with the tastes which launched the global market: inky peppers, vanilla bean, creeping cardamom, clove, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and mace, all growing in the keralan hills, sharing groves with mangoes and papaya, coconut and the enormous monstrosity of jackfruit. we went on a tour of a spice farm and savored each plant, reveling as their fresh flavors exploded onto our tongues and shined up our insides, growing drab from the ceaseless engagement of daal, white rice and chapattis.
we arrived in the tea town of munnar, a lofty gem tucked into the decolletage of the Western Ghats looming up from the coastal plain. these mountains are blanketed by verdant cloaks of tea plantations, sprawling on peak after peak, emulating a gigantic maze of greenery and order. we hiked through this wonderland, so clean and green and pure and fresh it made me giddy. there are also here great dams of fresh sweet water to boat in or admire from the outside while feasting on fresh coconut water and my favorite tropical treat of passion fruit- 10 for a dollar! how i gorged! sticky sweet textured innards concealed thick and round beneath an ugly hard skin just waiting to be liberated by a pointy fingernail eased into the flesh…. yum….
we then alighted to a houseboat- a huge wooden palace that purred its way through the low lying lakes and backwaters of the country. birds abound, skimming over the placid blue surface decorated by dozens of chinese fishing nets. these nets are spider like, weighted by rocks and controlled by several men at a time, they dip into the water and rise again, ensnaring anything (everything) that hovers above them in the water. all manner of fish and sea creature is captured, along with floating debris, plastic and garbage. my favorite of the fly-ers is the kingfisher, a beautiful bird shot through with a blue so vibrant it looks like it was stolen from sea sapphires.
night fell like a starry shawl on the shoulders of the shore. we disembarked in the darkness with the intention of discovering a clearing through which to better be embraced by the star streaked sky. i, timid, afraid (of course) of nighttime arachnid horrors slunk behind levi into the bush, adrenaline slinking through my reticent veins. the quiet everywhere, the dark becoming deeper. a sudden crash! i flung myself behind levi, imagining muggers! ten foot tall tarantulas! the unknown! but no- it was just our boat’s chef issuing near frantic warnings “no sir, madam! please! it is very dangerous to be out here! cobras!” we shot back to the boat and heard stories of the great 8 foot serpents who lie nestled in the palm forests, waiting to turn a grown man blue with its poison which kills on the spot. whoops. i have seen many cobras here, coiled into the baskets of the charmers who lure shiva’s creatures out with flute songs or krishna, they sway and dance although their poison has been removed.
we arrived in the ancient trading port of fort cochin on friday morning. this is a town with a diverse history and equally international present. upon arrival here, i immediately knew that this is where i would commence the last part of my journey levi-less as he is flying back to states before i. the place is mellow, the accommodation unbelievably affordable, and the other travellers so interesting. there is an ancient jewish community here, very very small now, but with an extraordinary shul decorated with myriad chandeliers and incredible colored lamps hanging low from the ceiling. our austrian friends, descendants of officers for hitler (they divulged this information on our second night together, sparking a whole world of discussion, emotion, reflection…) accompanied us to services on friday evening. we met there many other travelers, and not a few israelis, most notably yael and yael, who i grew to be quite fond of through the course of our shabbat together.
the service was quite different. the torah was presented after kiddush (!), and the whole atmosphere was that of a serious but haphazard conglomeration of the worlds’ jewry, observant and not, indian and french, very old and infant. we emerged from the shul (with a dress code as strict as certain neighborhoods in jerusalem) and began the dark procession back to our hotel, where we had prearranged the shabbos feast of curry and biriyani, ginger fish and tomato soup. local shop keepers wished us shabbat shalom as we narrowly avoided collisions with rickshaws, open drains and persistent salesmen. the meal was a lovely cross cultural exchange, many of us together singing songs and sharing stories.
the rest of my time in cochin has been spent exploring the historical sights and ruins (no surprise there), yakking with travellers over chai, reading, getting sunburned (again) on the beach, swimming in the incredible softness of the sea water, journal-ling and strolling through the bazaars. there is a synagogue more ancient nearby, with thousand year old hebrew inscribed tombstones. i will journey there tomorrow (my half birthday!!!!) during my last day in this part of the world before travel to pune for more adventure….
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after varanasi, we ventured west into the regal historic land of rajastan. desert cities sprawl in the dry brush, lake beds and rivers lie dusty before the monsoon. we stayed in the capital city of jaipur, famed for its blue pottery, block print textiles, pink buildings, many forts, floating lake palace, billions of gems and trillions of scams.
in the constant lessons of india, never knowing who to trust and who to spurn took another wild twist. we listened to our rickshaw driver (not generally recommended) and found ourselves cozily nestled into a gorgeous hotel with stained glass windows and a rooftop restaurant with little gazebos to dine in for the startling fee of $6/night.
we met there with friends of levi’s including a couple living in bombay and a wonderful rebel kundalini yogini from london. the couple stayed in the palace of an ancient rajput royal family. the prince/ess still live there but rent out some rooms as a b&b. peacocks alighted onto tree branches as we arrived from the crazy city streets made more rambunctious by the multitudinous weddings abounding throughout the municipality. you see, we had arrived in the capital of the state at the beginning of the days proscribed for wedding rites by the astrologers of the land. hundreds of celebrations coincided with valentines day and the sky was lit up with myriad fireworks as our ears were continuously massaged by the pleasing sound of rhythmic drums beating happy celebration songs.
the city is pink, painted to welcome european travelers of previous centuries. inside the old city life continues as outside, full of honking, bicycle repair, dusty children, everything for sale and various livestock. incredible temples of delicate and ornate beauty lie just beyond horrible alleys brimming with garbage, sewage and rooting porcine opportunists. we spent our first evening up at a monkey temple (there are several) lying in the gentle valley behind the sun temple (which we visited at dusk). the way to the monkey temple is a labyrinth lined with tiny shacks for prayer, ganja smoking, and flirtatious-saddhu staring; these holy men do love their mantras, bhang and the flesh of passing females. there is of course the usual menagerie of other inhabitants common to indian places; buffaloes, cows, goats, many many dogs, pigs and, naturally, millions of little pink faced red bottomed monkeys scampering up and down the cliff sides, mouths stuffed with whatever passersby offer. standard monkey fare includes peanuts, small, horrific, bitter fruits and bananas, but i also watched a deft little black-faced one pilfer a bag of potato chips from a little boy who wailed when the simian thief alighted to a safe place for munching. we visited the tiny temple holding images of the gods and of a certain saddhu who is said to have meditated in this place for thousands of years. young monks still chant mantras here, hoping to ride on the psychic current of his spiritual development.
the temple of the sun overlooks the well formed city and as we arrived the nightly puja or prayer ceremony was happening- they happen everywhere- just the other day i watched the hotel worker offer his prayers to a picture on the wall of the guest internet room, offering holy syllables and puffs of incense smoke above decrepit keyboards and discarded printer parts. in the temple, the elder ladies banged on bells at incredible decibels, announcing their presence to the gods, as the young ones huddled around a small sacred fire burning ghee.
the next day was a whir wind of activity, going on a guided tour of the major sights of the city with a man who stepped directly off a of a postcard advertising the real rajasthan experience. absolutely dripping with jewelry, mustachioed and regal, he expertly (i think) led us through the bustling city, speaking all the time in a completely monotone, resonant timbre with an accent so thick that we never, the whole day, understood what he was saying. he would switch between hindi and hinglish seamlessly, and while the majority of the sightseers from the rest of india sighed and oohed in appreciation, the english speakers stood back, mute, functionally deaf and confused.
we did ascertain some facts when we visited the tremendous astronomy sites of the 18th century. this astrological disneyworld is an mc escher incarnate. huge sundials soar skyward and little huts indicate the current zodiac sign. a monolith illuminated by pure moon light directs the observer to the north star and time can be told to the minute by arcing stone sculptures of mammoth proportion. wild and magical, and the cleanest place i have been in india.
rajastan is full of sights, and some of the best scammers in the world. all the time haggling over price, the moment you engage one rickshaw driver/tour guide/sales person a dozen others appear to gawk, comment, step in, defend, observe or just loiter as you try to go about your deal/life. we spoke to many travellers who were roped into all sorts of arrangements not of their choosing by unscrupulous capitalists trying to get ahead. at the same time i write it, a i reflect on the future awaiting those folks who don’t scrap and push, as the dozens of dusty tiny hands begging for money or food as you drive past in your fancy rickshaw flood back to my mind.
in any event, we were in need of a rest and having heard such wonderment about the communist state of kerala we mounted the great metal bird and flew south. a palpable exhale, a total softening from the second we stepped off the airplane and were not beseiged with offers, thronged by humanity. today was spent on the beach, sipping lime soda, fingering conical pink shells and sand, disturbed by nothing more than the fascinated eyes of youngsters parading the beach for a chance of seeing exposed pink flesh. saris are de rigeur for bathing wear in india, so our bikined bodies appear scandalous- thrilling to some, shameful to many. eschewing cultural sensitivity in the blazing sticky hot of the south, i joined our european counterparts in revealing navel and knees to the honey hands of sunlight.
no other americans here…. i have only met one other so far in our travels. a fellow who toured the slum of daravi with us in mumbai. he pulled a couple of chocolates from his pocket and threw them into a crowd of gathered muslim youth who pounced on them frantically (children here often ask for chocolate and i have seen none for sale- i think it is a treat they have come to associate with foreigners). as they squabbled for the sweet he remarked “those greedy bastards” and chuckled as he left mayhem in his wake. needless to say, canadians wear their flags with pride here, in order to be distinguished from their southern neighbors. by and large, i have been surprised by people’s familiarity with american politics as even our rickshaw drivers have been excited by the election of america’s new “prime minister”.
enough for now, i am off to dine seaside with some wandering austrians who we may accompany to a tea plantation tomorrow.
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varanasi- the jerusalem of india. everything is going on here- there is nothing not happening. tiny streets are shared with wandering sacred cows, feisty small monkeys, goats, frisky puppies and their milk laden mangy mothers. stalls bear sweets, rudrakshas, incense, earrings. silk silk silk and all the ritual offerings.
yesterday we arrived before daybreak after our train excursion . we did not ride in the ac class as we didn’t want to be cold. the ride was a story in and of itself and i have been savoring our survival for the past day and a half. we rode sleeper class and were crowded in by families and their food stuffs, luggage, free child allotment, mice, wallas selling everything from chains and locks for luggage to betel nuts chew to peanuts, lunch and the endless call for chai. it was an extreme 30 hours that became quite pleasant as we “leaned” into it and discovered how to eat with our hands, sleep with nothing for bedding and use an indian toilet that was simply a hole in the floor leading to the railway below. not for the faint of heart as there was a literal mountain of human waste coiled on the floor by the end of the trip- thought you might enjoy that image back home 
so the joy of finally finding our superb hotel on the bank of the beautiful river ganga, heavy with her weight of cremated persons. discarded garlands, candles and the whole bodies of sacred animals, pregnant women, young children and holy men. it is part holy modest ritual worship and part nonstop shiva party- feels a lot like like being at the gathering of the vibes, a grateful dead show. or the like- a holy carnival. a parade of scam artists, holy people exploring the outer realms of human consciousness, extreme noise of myriad chants blasted from loudspeakers (and even mosques) all blending into one mysterious om. we witnessed the spectacle from the opposite side of the river, a bank of sand that overflows in the monsoon, a place where people live and wheat grows. we watched the full moon rise pink over the verdant paddies and saw the city transform into a gigantic puja. a ritual of fire, an absolute throw-down for durga’s birthday with free food provided to the pilgrims clustered on the stairs of her temple, people danced wildly, sang and clapped, others observed respectfully, while still others came about anointing passersby with forehead stripes of sacred colors and powders. i could really understand wanting my body to be here, a place of constant ceremony, where the river receives unconditional love, respect and devotion although it is literally full of tons of untreated sewage, human remains (we encountered a femur sticking out of the sand) and the unfortunate fish who call the ganga home (as an added insult, they are often captured, kept in horrific little overcrowded buckets, and then sold back to pilgrims who can set them “free”).
we were approached by a man who obviously wanted to be hired for his service of guiding us. we had met up with other travelers (including an anxious solo female traveller attempting to cure her anxiety by travelling solo through india and a canadian government employee enjoying his later years with travel) and felt confident to explore on our own, but he stuck with us and insisted on being our “friend”. his name is ganesh and he is a former professional body builder. he is a devout hindu born and raised here in the holy city. a friend he became indeed as he gently guided us through the burning ghats, the temples, the wells, the feet of vishnu, the old city and many places that we thought were off limits. we gained access to a temple that houses the protective god of the city. i went in alone and approached the mask looking out from a silken screen. it was impossibly dark and my eyes were not easily adjusting- i started to feel uncomfortable- like i wasn’t alone and i couldn’t see who else was there- i beat a hasty retreat only to find ganesh and our new friend biren climbing in. we again approached the mask, and ganesh turned to bow into the darkness on the right where an unseen figure sat in meditation. ganesh touched the feet, joined hands in namaste and explained that a saddhu had been there meditating for 60 years. we saw a strange light, an aura emanating form this form and felt overwhelmed, so biren and i stepped out trying to understand if this person was real. eventually we understood that it was a sculpture of a saddhu who had been there for so much time and had acquired a certain energy…. very strange.
next, we journeyed to a temple that is closed to non hindu men. as long as would accept the hindu gods for that moment we could go in- one ultimate Expression, many ways It interacts with the world, many ways we interact with It. we took off shoes, removed bags and went in with passport and money only, the brahmin, biren and me. passed though security, soundly palpated for weapons by a surly female guard we gained entrance to the sacred precincts dedicated to the eternal lord shiva. pushed in front of a crowd, we are now melting into a throng of humanity, feet slick with the milk and rosewater of offerings, flowers crush beneath our feet, hundreds chant mantras and press into tiny spaces with mighty black lingams, shrines to the god shiva and his phallic fertile power of transformation. there is an immensely powerful spiritual energy, as though i had just taken a psychadelic and dissolved into a world of sensory impulse vibrating through my being with no resistance, no struggle, a sense of transparent flow and excitement, joy and communion. i found myself offering impromptu prayers for blessings i didn’t even know i desired, and i realized that maybe they weren’t really mine, but the prayers of the any who surrounded me. we offer rupees and a priest smears my forehead with a creamy substance blesses me and throws a garland of sweet flowers around my neck while “our” brahmin pulls us too see the light reflecting off of the abundant golden roof enclosing the temple. a monkey squats above the crowd, defecating on the assembled masses with glee. waves of incense and gallons of milk flow through hair, toes, fingers press into vibrant saris enveloping small women ecstatic in chant. when we emerge, we are enraptured and take a break to sip chai out of tiny clay cups, which are used only once and then thrown away, broken.
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not much time to write as i am off on a thirty hour train ride to the sacred city of varanasi on the bank of the ganges departing at midnight. suffice it to say that so far, india has blown my mind; it is everything that people have told me but ten times more.
highlights so far include:
eyeballing the incredible colors everywhere
spending five hours procuring train tickets
watching the hawks dive bombing outside my window: dozens of them! why? a parsi tower of silence down the way where the corpses of this minority group are left to be eaten by carnivorous birds
taking a tour of the daravi slum, largest in asia, full of unbelievable industry and was featured in slumdog millionaire
touring the shiva shrines on an island off the coast
beginning each day with dawn meditation and yoga
finding a way to give to children without participating in the scam
being assaulted with red thread and bindis by a ¨holy man¨ demanding baksheesh
davening shabbos services with the bagdadi community here in their sky blue shul shared with pigeons and street cats
enjoying a glass of wine overlooking the sea from an outdoor bar on top of a luxury hotel
surviving the million challenges, opportunities and confusions popping up each day
practicing patience and breathing
this is a place absolutely unlike anywhere i have been; it is a world apart entirely.i understand more about why it took me so long to get here. so far, i have already needed all of the other experiences i have had in previous travels (and meditation,prayer, therapy, yoga, alanon, etc) . not an easy place, but a life changing paradigm shifting strength promoting boundary setting hotbed of life life life! tenacious life sprouting and strangely surviving everywhere!
You can’t turn on the TV, drive down the road or go to a party without being confronted with America’s hottest obsession. Forget iPhone or Tivo- what really drives America bonkers is body shape and weight. Diets are a billion-dollar industry; companies spend millions and millions luring you to try the latest diet (low carb, high protein, low fat, no fat, you name it) with promises that this one will (finally!) be the solution-your shortcut to a thinner body and a better life. Advertising efforts also deeply affect our children, who develop distorted body images and are often on diets as early as 9 or 10 years of age.
Our culture touts diet pills, celebrity workouts, convenience foods, and trendy diets to help us achieve our desired weight, but these quick fix solutions have backfired. America’s populace has reached its highest weight in history. Atkins, The Zone, South Beach are all current buzzwords, yet about half of Americans are overweight; one third are obese. Diets steer us away from our common sense and dip deeply into our pocketbooks while eliciting few, if any, lasting results.
Diets don’t work because each person is unique, with different needs based on gender, age, ancestry and lifestyle; how could one diet be right for everyone? Diets don’t work because they are extreme solutions. As in physics, if a pendulum swings to one extreme, it has to swing equally to the other. A diet might work for a short amount of time, but research shows that almost all diets result in a 10-pound gain once off the diet. Diets don’t work because they are too restrictive. People who fail on diet plans are not flawed and weak. Diets by nature require discipline and restriction at levels that are unsustainable by a healthy human body.
Most people are disconnected from why they gain weight, and see diet as the only culprit. For example, ignoring or discounting emotions is often the first thing to cause weight imbalances. In our fast paced world, we have lost sight of many aspects of life that truly nourish and balance our bodies, such as slowing down, eating a home-cooked meal, and spending quality time with loving people. Eating consciously and making simple lifestyle changes will create positive results and release you from the endless cycle of dieting.
Balance and a sustainable weight are your birthright. Given half a chance, your body will balance out by itself, but this is only possible by getting out of the diet mentality and listening to what you truly need. Imagine taking all of the outward energy you expend on diets, fads and gimmicks and turning it inward, so that you can listen to your heart and inner wisdom. There is no such thing as a quick fix; you already have everything you need within you. With careful thought and loving reflection, you can feed yourself wisely and purposefully and be completely nourished. Working with your body rather than against it will bring about increased energy, stabilized weight and sustainable health.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: animal rights, local, sustainable agriculture
I was on my way to class yesterday when I was arrested by the most sublime smells coming from the small stand at the Lincoln Center Farmer’s Market. While sampling the creamy, strong tasting, incredible cheeses of Bobolink Dairy and Bakeyard, I got a chance to learn of their philosophy which emphasises truly humane and sustainable agriculture. Their animals live outdoors and eat grass and hay, and the dairy animals are milked seasonally. This is in stark comparison to the tortured life of factory farmed animals.
Bobolink has a presence at NYC’s farmers markets and has a great online store. The products taste fantastic (try the cheddar) and you can feel good about your purchase. Highly recommended!
Thich Nhat Hanh
-From Present Moment Wonderful Moment
Contemplating Your Food
This plate of food,
so fragrant and appetizing,
also contain much suffering.
Beginning to Eat
With the first taste,
I promise to offer joy.
With the second,
I promise to help relieve
The suffering of others.
With the third,
I promise to see other others’
Joy as my own.
With the fourth,
I promise to learn the way of non-attachment and equanimity
Serving Food
In this food,
I see clearly the presence of the entire universe supporting my existence.
Finishing Your Meal
The plate is empty.
My hunger is satisfied.
I vow to live for the benefit of all beings.
Drinking Tea
This cup of tea in my two hands -
Mindfulness is help uprightly!
My mind and body dwell in the very here and now.
If you were in the US in the 70s,80s, or 90s, you are most likely a fat-aphobic. High fat products like butter, cheese and sour cream became persona non grata in the nutritionistic era that dominated those (and these) decades. Fake, fat-free foods became the saviour, and our grocery shelves grew obese under the with of sugar-laden food product substitutes, festooned with health claims promising heart health and slender waistlines.
Not all oils and fats are created equal. Heavily processed, hydrogenated, “trans” fats and oils that are used in prepared, packaged foods can be extremely damaging to the body. However, fats and oils from whole foods and other high-quality sources can steady our metabolism, keep hormone levels even, nourish our skin, hair and nails and provide lubrication to keep the body functioning fluidly. Our bodies also need fat for insulation and to protect and hold our organs in place.
A healthy percentage of high-quality fat in a meal satisfies and leaves feelings of energy, fulfillment and warmth; plus, naturally occurring fats taste really good! That’s why we crave them! When there are excess fats and oils in the diet, especially heavily processed fats, symptoms can include weight gain, skin breakouts, high blood pressure, liver strain and an overall feeling of mental, physical and emotional heaviness. Signs of insufficient high-quality fats are brittle hair and nails, dry skin, hunger after meals and feeling cold.
There are many sources of healthy fats and oils. For sautéing and baking, try pasture-raised butter (that’s right!), ghee (clarified butter) or coconut oil, because they do not break down when used at high temperatures. When sautéing and stovetop cooking at moderate temperatures, try organic extra virgin olive oil. Oils like flaxseed, sesame, toasted sesame, walnut and pumpkin seed are best used unheated in sauces or dressings on top of salads, veggies or grains. Other healthy fats are found in whole nuts and seeds and in their butters like almond butter or tahini. Whole foods such as avocados, olives and coconuts are great sources of healthy fat, along with wild salmon and omega-3 and omega-6 organic eggs. Experiment with these healthy fat sources and see which agree with you and leave you satisfied.
When selecting oils, buy the highest quality organic products you can afford, since cooking oils are the backbone of so many dishes. Good words to look for on the label are organic, first-pressed, cold-pressed, extra-virgin and unrefined. Words to avoid are expeller-pressed, refined and solvent extracted. Also, look for oils that are in dark glass bottles as many oils are sensitive to light and heat.
Think for a moment of a food from your past, one that makes you feel great after you eat it, for no specific reason. Maybe it is macaroni and cheese, slow-simmered tomato sauce, ice cream cones or potato pancakes. Eating food like this from time to time can be incredibly healing, even though your rational brain might not consider it highly nutritious.
Food has the power to impact us on a level deeper than just our physical well-being. What we eat can reconnect us to precious memories, like childhood playtimes, holidays, our grandmother’s cooking or our country of ancestry. Our bodies remember foods from the past on an emotional and cellular level. Eating this food connects us to our roots and has youthening and nurturing effects that go far beyond the food’s biochemical make-up.
Acknowledging what different foods mean to us is an important part of cultivating a good relationship with food. This month when we celebrate love and relationships, it’s important to notice that we each have a relationship with food-and that this relationship is often far from loving. Many of us restrict food, attempting to control our weight. We often abuse ourselves with food, substituting it for emotional well-being. Others ignore food, swallowing it whole before we’ve even tasted it.
What would your life be like if you treated food and your body like you would treat one you love? With gentleness, playfulness, communication, honesty, respect and love? The next time you eat your soul foods, do so with awareness and without guilt, and enjoy all the healing and nourishment it brings you.
