Food is energy

Eating nutritious foods that fuel your body can increase your energy, but it’s not as easy as it sounds if you want long term sustainable energy. Sure, we can drink an energy drink or 3 cups of coffee to get through a few hours, but the long term effects will deplete your energy overall and cause debilitating fatigue later. Eating a protein bar may give you the right amount of protein, but there is more to energy than the right amount of protein, fat, or carbs.

In the last years of my doctorate, I dove into the art of functional medicine which investigates how the body systems function together. I learned how to apply herbs, nutrients, and diet changes that have scientific evidence to correct imbalances, but I have seen the greatest improvements in energy through an integrative approach of healing sciences. 

When I consider the subtle energies of the body that are studied in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) with the science of western medicine and overlay the unique bio-individuality of each person, a personalized approach surfaces. I have to integrate my previous studies in yoga, ayurveda, and mindfulness to help improve energy from a deeper level and this is where the real healing begins.

"Your methodology is the single most effective thing I have done in my life." -Ayelet M.

You are what you eat

To conceptualize how food interacts with your subtle energy, imagine the main energy centers of the body called the seven chakras. Start at the root chakra at the base of the spine and end at the top of the head at the crown chakra. Now start overlaying the red of the rainbow at the root chakra, then orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, and end with the white light that connects your energy out of the crown of your head with the energy of the planet around you.

This is a deeper investigation of how to improve your energy with a simplistic approach of action items you can start now. Eating foods in each color following the rainbow from the root chakra to the crown can benefit your health and I’ve included a few recipes to get you started. Introducing movements, mindfulness activities, and mantras to recite can balance your energy in each of the 7 centers. You must have a good energy flow which means that your energy is flowing through all 7 chakras and there are no blockages or imbalances in any organ system.

Muladhara - Root chakra

The root chakra is at the base of the spine and connects your primal energy to your ancestors governing the basic needs for our survival. Think of your legs like roots connecting you to the planet you stand on and how bare feet can ground you by letting the energy flow through the Earth and into your body. If you are feeling ungrounded, or unstable, and have circulation issues in the legs, or pain in your tailbone, your energy may feel blocked at the base of the spine. 

Consider deep red foods that improve circulation like beetroots full of nitric oxide that can improve your blood pressure and circulation, Earthy scents like rosemary and sage, and taking deep breaths while standing barefoot in nature to help rebalance this energy center. For movement, mountain pose and tree pose are grounding postures for the legs. Also, try my 20 minute Red Chakra Yoga for a complete flow.

Foods which can bring balance to Muladhara are rich in iron and lycopene, like this Chili con Carne recipe. Red meat is a great source of iron, and the tomatoes contain lycopene - a powerful antioxidant.

Svadhistana - Pelvic chakra

The pelvic chakra is where our creative juices flow artistically as well as fertile-y. Both are born from our sense of pleasure and imbalances in this energy center can block our creativity and our fertility. We want juicy organs, plump, ripe, and full of hydration like oranges, papaya, apricots, and peaches. We need healthy fats to make sex hormones like walnuts and salmon. 

We sit a great deal of the day and this area can get locked up. Consider playing a sexy song and rolling your hips to free up your pelvis where it meets the spine and femur bones on your legs. My 20 minute Orange Chakra Yoga can help you unlock your hips and stir your creative juices. For dinner, make a warming bowl of Roasted Butternut Soup or bake Pumpkin Pie to incorporate beta-carotene into your diet. Just as the seeds within the squash hold the potential for new life, the sacral chakra encourages us to explore our creativity and embrace our emotional depths.

Manipura - Core chakra

Our abdominal core is considered to be our solar plexus and can be thought of like the sun, a big burning fire of metabolism in your stomach. This is where we digest food, convert it into energy, and it becomes our drive and determination. Imbalances in this energy center can make you feel hopeless and suffer from anxiety and stomach pain. To balance your core energy center we focus on improving digestion so that we can nourish our body with the food that will help drive our metabolism and give us the energy to complete our goals. My 20 minute Yellow Chakra Yoga is fast paced and meant to give you a challenging flow to feed your determination. Try this Homemade Yellow Curry recipe full of fiber and carbohydrates to energize as well as turmeric to aid in digestion. 

Anahata - Heart chakra

The heart center is where our huggers and breathers are, where we embrace others with our heart, arms, lungs, wrists, and hands. We think of love in the heart chakra and this energy center may get imbalanced or feel broken more often than any other. It is important to keep an open heart and be able to freely give and receive love, find forgiveness, and keep the flow moving to keep our circulation between our heart and lungs and our lower and upper body systems and energy centers connected. 

For movement to open your chest, try my 20-minute Green Chakra Yoga to expand your ribs and shoulders to improve breathing and circulation in your heart center. This Green Bean Salad recipe contains soluble fiber which can help lower LDL cholesterol levels for heart health.

Vishudda - Throat Chakra

The throat chakra is our energetic center of communication. This is where we speak our truth and where imbalances may present as constant throat clearing, coughing, acid reflux, trouble swallowing, and thyroid disorders. We rarely eat enough of this powerful antioxidant color found in blueberries, blackberries, blue potatoes, and blue plums. There are also herbs both blue like borage high in healthy omega 6 gamma linolenic acid (GLA) and like licorice root that can help reduce inflammation and heal the lining of a sore throat. 

This 20-minute Blue Chakra Yoga video is all about speaking your truth and making noise to engage your throat chakra. For throats that need healing from acid reflux or heartburn, my Throat Coat Tea provides immediate relief to soothe your throat. Licorice Root Tea will also help soothe a sore throat and most people like the sweet taste of the root, which is not nearly as strong as the black licorice candy you may be more familiar with. You can buy licorice root in most Chinese shops or specialty tea shops.

Ajna - Third Eye Chakra

You may be able to see from your two eyes, but the third eye is considered your inner vision or intuition. This energy center governs your perception, cognition, and hormone regulation. It is a very powerful energy center that is often underutilized when we doubt our instincts. If you are having trouble trusting your surroundings, it is important to start at the base of the spine and balance the lower energy centers or you may suffer from anxious energy. If your root chakra is grounded, your creative juices are flowing, your determination is set, you are working from a place of love, and speaking your truth, then this energy center will be flowing and you will feel like you are on the right path.

My 20-minute Purple Chakra Yoga video will help you focus your thoughts, trust your intuition, and bring you into the moment. Purple Cabbage Salad and Roasted Eggplant Hummus (baba ganoush) both incorporate deep purple foods into your diet that are rich in proanthocyanidans that are associated with better mood and cognitive function.

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Sahasrara - Crown chakra

Our central nervous system and consciousness are engaged all day and connect us to the energy of the planet. This area can be enhanced to find a deeper connection to the universal energy and life force that connects every one of us. By allowing the energy to flow up from the planet and through all 7 chakras, we can allow that energy to return to the flow by sharing our inner light to shine though our crown chakra. This is why in yoga, people say namaste or “the light in me shines to the light in you.” 

Try my 20-minute White Chakra Yoga to unite body, breath, mind, and spirit in a connecting flow. Cauliflower Kuku is a simple vegetarian dish that incorporates white foods and brings balance to your crown chakra. Fasting is also a way to bring balance to the crown chakra by honoring the space between meals. Many of us are still following the old advice to eat many small meals all day long, but this has evolved into constant snacking, an abundance of simple carbohydrates or sugars, and a roller coaster of energy. A healthier practice is to allow 12 hours each night to fast and at least 3 hours between meals to allow for complete digestion.

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It’s important to stay balanced in every organ system and every energy center so that energy can flow through you. If you feel like you have no energy or you have blocked energy in any of these organ systems, maybe from disease or dysfunction, please reach out so we can discuss how to improve your energy. Schedule a free 15-minute appointment. Follow us on Instagram for educational content on health and food @jessicafoodfoundation. Namaste.

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