The majority of us spend quite a lot of time thinking about food. It's a popular topic, but in the case of "food as medicine," this is something people are just starting to dig their hands into. I find this interesting because this is what food is designed to do — since the time of our early ancestors.
This week, I had a discussion with a good friend of mine, Jennifer Kelly, Certified Health Coach, Founder of Feeding Your Life and Kundalini Yoga Instructor, about this topic and how the way you eat can completely heal and change your life.
I want to challenge you to consider the importance of food as a healing modality. It is more crucial now than ever to become aware of our bodies and how we are treating them on all levels.
For those who have been following me, I've asked you to put focus on getting into your body. Recently, we've been discussing this from a planetary perspective. With the current energy of Aquarius, the vibrations that we have coming in are surrounding that of the head and the intellect.
Aquarius is an air sign, so we're getting a lot of this air energy coming into our lives. To stay balanced, we have to look at how we can nurture our bodies through the tools we have. I believe a big part of this is through our diet and nutrition.
"When I was in my early 20s, I was diagnosed with an autoimmune condition," Jennifer says. "I went to the doctor and he said, 'you have to take medicine,’ and in response, I told him that I didn't really take good care of myself. I suggested that there were other ways I could improve my condition.”
"And the Doctor told me, 'it doesn't matter, food doesn't matter,’” Jennifer adds. But I still felt like I owed it to myself to make some changes; I knew there were many things I could do. Eventually, I found a functional medicine doctor, and he taught me a lot about autoimmune and the role of self-care. Within a couple of years, applying this strategy to myself, I was able to get my autoimmune levels down to undetectable."
Many people are currently exploring their spirituality, with a new curiosity of looking at natural ways to implement health and wellness. I see how these people are naturally drawn to essential oils, crystals and other earthy substances, and they've started meditating or are looking for ways to balance their chakras. However, I think so many of these same people forget about the power of food to raise our vibrations physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.
Here are some small and easy changes you can make to get yourself to a higher vibration through food and nutrition:
Buy foods with one ingredient: This means food in its original form. Food is designed to nourish us the way it is, no need for anything fancy. "It doesn't look any different than it did from when it was on the farm; maybe it's trimmed down, but very slightly altered," says Jennifer.
Drink more water: We hear this one all the time, but that's because it's a big one. If you wake up and the first thing you do is have coffee or tea, that's only making you more dehydrated and putting a roadblock on your body's natural detoxification process. It would be best if you hydrated first thing in the morning. "If you want to have coffee, that's fine, but I always tell my clients, try to have some water first," suggests Jennifer. "As far as a daily thing that's easy to do any time of the year before your coffee or tea, first thing in the morning, drink a hot water with lemon."
Eat with the seasons: Nature does an excellent job of providing us the right foods to stay healthy at the right times of the year. Here in the United States, it's winter, so we should eat grounding foods, such as root vegetables and hearty greens. In the spring, the body wants that significant cleanout from the winter stagnation, so it's looking for lighter foods such as asparagus and strawberries.
Listen to your body: In a fast-paced world, it's hard sometimes to hear what our bodies are trying to tell us. When you focus more on how you feel in your body, you will slow down and tune in to your body's needs.
Watch or listen to my full conversation with Jennifer to learn more. To learn more about Jennifer or to see how you can work with her, follow her on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/feedingurlife/ or visit her website: https://www.feedingyourlife.com/