Eating for maximum efficiency and enjoyment (guidelines integrating ancient oriental wisdom and modern scientific findings).
1) Eat in a harmonious and happy environment. Try not to eat with TV or radio on. If you eat out in a restaurant, find a relaxed and nourishing atmosphere.
If you are eating take-out food, find a peaceful or celebratory place outdoors to enjoy your meal. (Do not eat in front of your monitor).
2) If you are eating alone, let it be a time to let go of all work and worries, a time that is totally about loving yourself. Use juicy and positive thoughts to assist you in assimilating nutrients and burning calories.
(If you insist, you can resume worrying and working once your relaxed and nourishing meal is complete…!)
3) Alternatively, eat with good companions who nourish and inspire you. Let your conversation be uplifting, free of negativity or gossip.
4) Do not eat when you are emotionally upset. (Breathe and try and let go of what’s bothering you before you eat)
5) Always check your hunger level before eating. Eat to 75% full.
6) Do not eat until previous meal has been digested.
7) Eat sitting down and in comfortable posture. A straight spine allows for fuller, deeper breaths. If sitting cross legged in lotus or half lotus is
comfortable for you, go for it.
8) Chew your food really well, like 35 times a mouthful if you can. Digestion starts from the mouth. (Or digestion starts from the hand in Indian culture). Chewing signals the entire body to enjoy, digest and assimilate the food you are eating.
9) Breathe while you chew. You need oxygen and your “fuel” (your food) for combustion (release of energy).
10) You may even close your eyes to notice the different flavours and changing textures of your food in your mouth. (You will notice them like never before) Let eating be a sensual activity every day, because it is!
11) Eat what you enjoy. Let the brain register “pleasure” and it will activate digestion and assimilation of the food. Eat in stress (including forcing yourself food you don’t like or worrying about eating “bad” food) and digestion shuts down.
12) Drink small amounts of warm liquids when eating, not cold.
13) Take 4-5 minutes after the meal to breathe and rest.
14) Take your main meal at midday while digestive power is at its peak. Do not skip breakfast.
15) Cooking pre-digests food. For most people, eating mostly cooked food with small amount of raw and fermented food (rich in life enzymes) is most healthy promoting. Experiment with the best ratio for your body.
16) Eat fruits on an empty stomach for best assimilation. Wait 30 minutes before eating other foods.
17) Food Sequencing: start with easily digested food, eg salad or soup then move on to denser foods.
18) Smart food combining:
• If your immunity is compromised or you have poor digestion, keep your meal simple and do not mix many kinds of proteins or carbohydrates in one meal.
Separating protein-rich foods and carbohydrate-rich foods can be helpful as it places less strain on your digestion. As long as you cover all the main food groups in a day they will “find each other” in the body.
• Otherwise, balancing your meal with a protein food and a starchy food and vegetables should be a most natural way of food combination that your body is familiar with.
• You need good fat to assimilate the fat-soluble nutrients so a sensible amount of fat is essential in every meal.
You can find much more information on living a holistic lifestyle in these free magazines and on our YouTube channel.
Lakshmi Harilela – www.lovetruefood.com
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