Vegetarian Vitality

This weekend I was catching up with an old friend (we’ve known each other secondary school). She told me that’s she’s feeling completely drained at the moment because of how hard she’s working for her business and also at home. Her immediate response has been to turn to food for comfort – sound familiar?

So I’m going to share with you 10 of my “key ingredients” to enhancing your energy levels using nutrition.

Note: I’ve classed them into essential and optional but highly advised so you know which are the most important

1. chewing your food properly – essential
2.eating your food calmly and spending a few moments relaxing before getting up – essential
3. a healthy diet, rich in freshly prepared whole grains, fresh, organic and seasonal fruit and vegetables – essential
4. limiting alcohol, caffeine and sugar consumption – essential
5. hot ginger tea – optional but highly advised
6. nourishing warming foods (even in summer) – optional but highly advised
7. drinking sufficient water away from meals and avoiding very cold drinks- essential
8. reducing your intake of dairy products - essential
9. learn nutritional information to help yourself and apply it – essential
10. use herbs and spices, e.g. ginger, parsley, basil, to season well – optional but highly advised

Are you wondering why they are useful?

Reason 1 – to enhance the digestive process
In Ayurvedic nutrition, our digestive ability or “agni” is important for our immune system and to nourish us. If it is low, toxins or “ama” can accumulate in the body. In both nutrition systems of Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine cooked food is preferred because it reduces the chances of contracting disease. It also strengthens the body’s resistance to disease since the nutrients are more easily absorbed through the digestive tract.

Reason 2 – to limit toxins in and remove them from the body.
Toxins or “ama” that accumulate in the body mean it has difficulty to digest food properly. Toxins from this undigested food are stored in the tissues. There are also toxins that form in the mind from not being able to process our experiences. Toxins result in blockages within the body.

Exercise to start you using the “ingredients”
1.Think about which ingredient would you use to achieve each reason.
2. Sort the “ingredients” into two lists according to this criteria.
3. Now prioritize – which 2 ingredients do you feel you can use today? Which 3 by the end of the week? What resources do you need to use the rest?

Feel free to share your thoughts on this article with me below.