5 Nutrition Secrets for Healing Your Mind & Body
As a Health and Fitness expert I have found that nutrition is the corner stone for creating health and healing. When I look back on the times I experienced a healing I realized that it was food that proved to be the most powerful means of nourishing and balancing my body and mind. Nutrition from food is the primary and fundamental means that our body requires to heal. If you have that dialed in, then all other modalities of health and wellness will work much more effectively.
When it comes to health, most people, especially performers like musicians, pay attention to how much they weigh and how their clothes fit. Quite often they overlook the telltale signs of poor nutrition and nutritional deficiencies. I have met some very ‘fit conscious’ people who look older than they are, have dull skin and hair, circles under their eyes, and struggle with brain fog, anxiety or depression. To me, it seems obvious they haven’t paid enough attention to nutrition. If they had, and integrated it into their life, then they would look and feel more vibrant.
Below are my 5 favorite nutrition secrets for healing your mind and body.
Hydrate and Enhance Digestion
First thing in the morning is the best time to begin hydrating your body. When we sleep our bodies go through a detoxification process, which can leave us a bit dehydrated when we awake. Hydrate and continue this detox process in the morning by consuming high quality purified water and juice made fresh from veggies or certain fruits.
Try starting your day with 8oz of water with half of fresh lemon squeezed in. The water hydrates and the lemon juice acts as a digestive and detoxifying agent, helping to cleanse the liver leading to better digestive health. When your digestion is up to par you will absorb more of the nutrients from the food you eat.
Juice raw organic celery and consume first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. Celery juice by itself is filled with powerful nutrients, like vitamin K, which helps to synthesize Vitamin D, a vitamin that is essential to absorb calcium and promote bone health. Celery also helps your digestion by cleansing the liver and strengthening your bile. Strong bile is important for breaking down fats; it’s also needed to eliminate waste from your body. Also because glycogen (what we use for energy) is made and stored primarily in the cells of the liver, someone with a weak liver will feel sluggish and have less energy.
Start your morning with cucumber. Fresh, raw, organic cucumber is massively hydrating and rich with silica. Silica is a beauty mineral that is essential for connective tissue and is important for hair, skin and nails.
Eliminate or cut down on processed sugar.
Too much sugar can wreak havoc on the body in numerous ways:
Sugar can cause glucose levels to spike and plummet leaving you feeling fatigued and lethargic.
Your immune function can be affected by sugar in a negative way.
A high-sugar diet can lead to certain mineral deficiencies.
Sugar can also accelerate aging because after it leaves the bloodstream it attaches to proteins that can cause the skin to lose it’s elasticity and create wrinkles.
Pay attention to Nutrients.
Consider eating more nutrition dense foods high in essential fats and essential amino acids. These nutrients are not made in body and so we must get them from food.
The best sources of essential amino acids are animal proteins like meat, eggs and poultry. When you eat protein, it’s broken down into amino acids, which are then used to help your body with various processes such as building muscle and regulating immune function.
Try consuming foods such as coconuts, ghee (purified butter), and raw soaked seeds high in omega-3 essential fatty acids. These foods give us energy without requiring much effort to digest. They are foods that feed the brain, the nervous system and the skin, while at the same time keeping the blood sugar stabilized.
Bless Your Food.
Take a look at the research of Masaru Emoto, a Japanese author and pseudoscientist who said that human consciousness has an effect on the molecular structure of water. He discovered that human consciousness has an effect on the molecular structure of matter. When we direct our attention to our food or water through blessing thoughts or words before eating or drinking, it becomes micro-clustered at an atomic level.
When you take a moment to bless your food or water the positive vibrations of your thoughts interface with the water molecules to create geometric shapes and patterns. This makes the food and water significantly more nourishing for your mind and your physical body. Also being grateful for the meal you are about to eat is a great reminder of how blessed we really are to have such food and nutrition available to eat.
Try Herbs.
The nutritional power of certain herbs is amazing and something to consider adding into your diet. When added into foods some herbs can add spice, intense flavor and variety. The healing properties they possess are powerful at a nutritional level.
Some herbs to consider:
Coriander, which is used to treat indigestion, irritable bowel syndrome, fevers, respiratory infections and allergies. It is also a natural chelating agent, and has been used to help remove heavy metals from the body.
Ginger, which helps treat indigestion and nausea to more serious chronic problems such as arthritis and migraines.
Turmeric, is has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant properties and helps strengthen the immune system.
In conclusion, to nourish your mind and body, pay attention to the details, consume whole foods, healthy fats and proteins, bless your food and add in a little spice.