Eating consciously for optimal health

Conscious eating is all about slowing down and connecting with your food, mind, body, emotions and spirit.

by Tina Sacchi — 

Feeling sick? Then you are likely eating unconsciously and are disconnected from the foods you are putting into your body. Many people eat to numb their emotions or to relieve anxiety, depression and boredom, or myriad other reasons — none of which involves a conscious connection to mind, body, spirit and emotion.

Before you put a handful of chips into your mouth, ask yourself a few questions:

• Is this really what my body needs?
• Am I actually thirsty instead of hungry?
• Am I eating this to satisfy an underlying emotion that I have not resolved or faced?
• Am I eating out of boredom and/or lack of direction?
• Am I eating consciously or unconsciously?

Conscious eating is all about slowing down and connecting with your food, mind, body, emotions and spirit in order to make healthy decisions that are perfect for you and your well-being.

Try connecting with the origin and the “spirit” of the food. Where did your food come from? If it is an animal product, was the animal treated humanely? Is the food organic or is it processed, genetically modified or loaded with pesticides, fillers or sugar? Increase the amount of raw, unprocessed foods in your diet. When you connect with living (uncooked) foods, you get the enzymes needed to break down food and digest it properly.

When food is cooked, it is considered “dead” — void of many of the important nutrients and enzymes your body needs. It is best to connect with the pure essence of food in its most natural state. Once food is broken down and processed (in many cases, multiple times), the nutritional value diminishes. The more raw and unprocessed foods you can eat, the better.

Connect with your emotions. Are you using food to fulfill unresolved issues and to numb your emotions? Is there a better way to face your emotional concerns?

Connect with your physical body. Are you really hungry or are you just thirsty? Would a glass of water suit you better? You can use a pendulum or kinesiology (also known as muscle testing) to determine whether the food is actually good for your body.

Connect with your spirit. Does this food make your spirit soar or sink to the floor with heaviness? Is it a heavy food with lots of spiritual baggage (like heavily processed meat or that from an abused animal) or is it light, whole and pure?

Bless your food. One of the best ways to start making a change is to bless your food. When you honor your food and express deep gratitude, your life shifts to a new way of living and a new way of being.

Tina Sacchi is a master in holistic alternative arts such as hypnotherapy, energy healing (Reiki/Shamanic), mysticism, chakra balancing, soul path guidance, past lives resolve, and rites of passage and life event ceremonies. 623-261-6167, [email protected] or www.TinaSacchi.com.

Reprinted from AZNetNews, Volume 30, Number 3, June/July 2011.