A human being can go for a month without food, for three days without any water, but only minutes without air. Therefore, it is good to assess the quality of our breathing, as well as the quality of our indoor and outdoor air.
However, nutrition is more than just food! Nevertheless, what we put into our bodies affects our general health and wellbeing physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Simply put, if one’s diet is poor, that is likely to also affect your moods, for example anxiety.
The importance of a healthy balanced diet cannot be underestimated. Enjoying plant-based nutrition is not only good for our health and wellbeing, but it is also important for protecting Planet Earth.
Furthermore, how we eat is as important as how nutritious our food is. Most people do not understand nor appreciate that digestion starts in the mouth: using saliva, chewing thoroughly and breathing deeply. This means several things: eating slowly i.e., taking a minimum of 20 minutes to eat any meal, even breakfast. This enables you to chew each mouthful several times, ideally 10 times.
The other important aspect the ‘how’ to eat, is making sure you breathe deeply in between mouthfuls. The 3rd and final important aspect of aiding digestion to start as you eat and, in the mouth, before you swallow is thinking positive thoughts – this last point is absolutely vital.
This is why stress can result in digestion linked problems. e.g., IBS/SIBO etc. Recently, in particular as a result of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the link between nutrition and mental health and wellbeing has become more widely accepted. Nutrition is a key aspect of health and wellbeing. This is more evident through the so-called lifestyle related diseases, for example obesity.
How Nutrition Fuels Our Manifestation
Eating nutritious meals is critical for ensuring you are operating at peak performance and possess enormous vigour for accomplishing great things. Remember, the food you consume doesn’t just end up in the stomach; it goes to your brain too!
Here are a few of the key ways that nutrition influences our ability to manifest our desires:
It Boosts Memory
Foods such as vegetables and fruits contain essential minerals, vitamins, and phytochemicals that are known for their memory boosting power. Folic acid in particular is a vitamin of the B complex and is known for reducing the loss of memory and Alzheimer’s disease. It is found in oranges, beets, artichokes, spinach, broccoli, and peas. Foods with Omega-3 fats are also great memory boosters, essential as protection in the aging process. In fact, the range of plant-based Omega 5, 6, 7 and 9, which are not always highlighted are great boosters of wellbeing notably memory, vitality – generally anti-aging.
It Boosts Alertness
Mental alertness, clarity and focus are important ingredients for manifestation. If we lack these traits, we are more prone to making mistakes, missing vital information and making the wrong decisions. Specifically, untangling those layers of negative thoughts we’ve amassed over our lives requires concentrated effort and attention. This is only possible if we are fuelling our brain with the ingredients it needs to maintain this level of focus. We need more iron, manganese, and magnesium for the proper metabolism of glucose. If our bodies are deficient in iron, our brains struggle to get adequate oxygen which leads to mental fatigue and under-performance.
It Makes Us Happier
Feeding your body with the nutrition it requires can boost brain power and our ability to think positively. Our state of mind is deeply connected to our diet and health, food affects our mind, body and spirit. If we’re not eating the right foods, we won’t feel happy and motivated. If we don’t feel happy, we won’t have the mental aptness necessary to work towards our dreams. Eating the right foods makes us happier and gives us zest for life.
Steps Toward a Self-Care Diet
Increase green leafy vegetables in your diet:
Divide your meal plate into three: Veggies-Protein-Carbs. Gradually reduce Carbohydrates while increasing Veggies. Aim to have Vegetables to be 50% of your meal plate – whatever size the plate is! Invest in a Juicer/Blender: This is the easiest way to include veggies and fruit in your diet. Don’t worry if you’re not in a position to do this; I initially just used a wooden spoon to mix my shakes and it did the job!
Drink more water:
Drink at least 1.5 litres of clearwater, daily. Consider using water filtering and purifying systems.
Don’t let your mind wander:
Be mindful while eating. That means, focus on the eating and enjoy how your food looks, savour the taste, the aroma, texture, and how it makes you feel.
Chew well:
Digestion starts in the mouth, not just in the stomach! Therefore, take your time to chew both your liquids and solids properly! Chew your mouthful properly before swallowing – chew 10 times per mouthful.
