How Do You Treat Your Food?

There you stand with a chopping board full of ripe veggies. What are you thinking? Is your brain on overdrive steadily checking off your to-do list, putting together your dinner outfit, or flashing on your bank statement?

Time to focus people. It’s food time! Maybe it’s the self ingrained calorie counter, or the stress of a busy schedule, but for some reason or another food’s purpose has been stripped down to fuel. It’s sole purpose diminished to powering your next workout or keeping you awake during an afternoon meeting.

We’ve scientifically dissected whole food into calories, antioxidants, B, C, omega-3, phytonutrients, probiotics, and the like, only to our own disservice. What about food energy? The energy that comes from eating a whole living thing? Because when it gets down to the nitty-gritty at the subatomic, quantum physics level, all we find is vibrating energy and vast space.

It’s that vibrational energy that makes up our bodies, our food and the rest of the known universe. So wouldn’t it make sense that the energy from our food would matter a hell of a lot to our mind/body makeup? You bet! That’s why we are what we eat. But let’s take it a step further and question how we treat our food.

When you begin the process of making a meal, check in with your intention. Is it to quickly cut up what you can, throw it together and gobble it down, while speed walking to your next appointment? Sometimes we can’t help this situation, but ideally you’d make and eat your food mindfully.

This means aligning your awareness and positive intent on your food. Think of your food as nourishment not calories. Flood your psyche with gratefulness instead of unneeded mental stress and jabbering.

One of my favorite restaurants in San Francisco is called Cafe Gratitude. Besides it’s heavenly raw and vegan menu it’s manifesto involves putting love and gratitude into your food. Each menu item is named a mantra so that when you order you are forced to say it out loud. “I am luscious” is the raw chocolate smoothie, “I am insightful” is the spring rolls, and “I am whole” is the macrobiotic bowl.

Not only does this cafe infuse it’s food with love during the creative process, but brings it to the table in a self fulfilling mantra that makes you feel on top of the world. This aligns feel good vibes with the food you are about to eat. And I don’t know about you, but when you are mentally/spiritually fulfilled and happy, and the food is delicious, you are bound to have a rewarding, nourishing experience.

When you stress mentally so too does your body physically. Stress makes it harder to digest and assimilate nourishment through your food because your body is too busy focusing on your self imposed mental trip instead of doing it’s primary job. Setting a relaxing eating environment is essential, but equally important is the cooking process.

Treat your food well. This positive intent will then filter into meal time where you can slowly chew and enjoy every bite.
Below I invite you to snake your way around the gigantic San Francisco Ferry Building Farmer’s Market with me and listen to the wise words of a raw food maven and his philosophy on treating your food with kindness. Locavore to the max!

Locavore To The Max from Amber Zuckswert on Vimeo.
As the back of my kombucha bottle says under ingredients, “100% love.”
So how do you treat your food? Have you ever thought about it? Try making your next meal with a little more thought and positive intention and see what you brew up. Does the food taste better? Did you digest it more thoroughly? Do you have more energy? Pay attention and let me know in the comments.

My Guide To Eating Mindfully will steer you in the right direction. Or learn what the slow food movement and neon leggings have in common. Happy eating!