intuitive eating: because my heart says so (part 2)

    It’s officially Spring, and I am super on board. Just as slivers of light begin to float through the curtains, the birds are already singing, welcoming the day. I love their cheerful conversations and as I lay in bed, I ponder what it is they are actually saying to one another? It’s amazing when you really listen you can pick up on the patterns, the subtle and eloquent trills, so intricate and mysterious. Something so easy to miss, drowned out by the busy morning hustle and bustle of the world. I like to imagine they are singing about breakfast or maybe love, and the delight they simply can’t hide that the sun is rising again. Same same little birdies. I’m grateful to be here to see the sun rise again, to be in love, and for my hungry belly reiterating that it’s indeed time to break my nightly fast and start my day.

    Spring welcomes dewy, fresh beginnings, an awakening from the colder and darker months of winter. She embodies delicacy and supple, new life. Looking at the gorgeous bounty, quite literally sprouting to the surface, an invitation arises to nourish ourselves in bright and tender ways. Instinctively, I have been cultivating this energy for the last few weeks more intentionally, meditating early in the morning, and moving away from certain habits and foods which don’t feel in alignment, not as necessary as the days get longer and warmer. My body’s needs are shifting, and I am paying attention. I am wanting fresh, clean, hydrating foods. I want all the fruit. I too want a renewed, spring in my step. 

    Many people often initially think of eating healthy as a means to lose weight, and that healthy coincides with boring, bland meals, full of reminders pointing to deprivation and self destructive thoughts about what one deserves or should be doing better, or shouldn't be doing at all. Restricting ingredients through diets in order to drop pounds and unsavory habits. Contrarily, I love to think of intuitive eating as an opportunity to ADD in new things that fuel and inspire our cells on such a profound level, that we organically begin to shift away from the dense and heavy patterns that no longer are serving. As we add in what our cells, our hearts and our souls are seeking, we begin to crave these things and find ourselves drawn towards them more and more. Plants are miraculous portals of thriving life, with activated intelligence and ancient wisdom. When we welcome this assistance in our lives, we nourish the opening of channels of pure and conscious wellness. Food can be potent medicine for us all, and as I mentioned before, I believe it is an incredible gateway to our evolution. As we begin to incorporate ingredients with strong life force energy, we too can shift on all levels. 
    
    One simple and fun way to activate intuitive guidance around food is to start at the market. With so many choices, it may feel overwhelming at first, and even though I personally love geeking out in markets, eyes wide and sparkling with inspiration, I realize it can be a challenging and totally daunting errand, even an obligation for some. So, again, just start small. Begin at the foundation of wellness… head to the plants. When you arrive in the produce section, scan around and allow yourself to become present. As the beauty of spring arrives more each day, follow the rainbow of colors that adorn the displays and pay attention to the hues that jump out at you. Do you notice anything? Is anything drawing you near? Maybe it is the vibrant emerald green of bitter mustards to awaken your liver from the heaviness of winter? Or perhaps the soft red of succulent strawberries? Waiting to boost your immunity and kiss your lips, so sweet and juicy, like little spring jewels. Or maybe you fancy the deeper magenta and lavender skins of crisp radishes that wish to invigorate your blood and welcome some spicy motivation to get moving? Notice the subtleties, what comes up first? Does it feel nourishing to a specific part of your body? Perhaps the nourishment is beyond the physical? Sometimes certain pieces of fruit feel happier to me, as silly as that may sound, or sometimes a certain bunch of celery feels more grounding, like it just fits with my needs on a level that doesn't make sense rationally. It just FEELS right and so good. 

    Think about how you've been digesting food lately…yes I’m talking about bowels. Maybe you need some more hydrating foods, maybe some steamed broccoli with cold pressed olive oil or avocado sounds good. Maybe you feel like you need something bright and raw, crunchy and fresh? Check out that gorgeous purple cabbage, and grab some fresh mint and parsley to make it interesting. Add some seeds and sprouts, chickpeas or lentils maybe, and your favorite dressing. Maybe the weather is a bit grey and cool still and some warm potato salad with a beautiful mustard vinaigrette is what feels good in your bones. When we focus our intention or hold food in our hands for a moment before placing it in the basket, we welcome a conversation and cultivate a deeper respect for the relationship it offers. The possibilities are infinite, and the wellness path is different for everyone. One commonality for success for any situation however, is intuition. Our guiding hearts that fuel our passion and tell us what feels good and will help us root down to fly so high… this is the magic that creates miracles. Tapping in to the sweetness life has in store.

    When we feel sluggish and heavy, uninspired and dull, we naturally will crave the lighter, brighter, freedom of life enhancing ingredients. There is a fine line however in getting here. It’s easy to miss the signals, to stay in routine, to let ourselves get distracted with our habitual comforts and disconnection from our guidance. Our intuition comes to us first in the most subtle ways, as the layers of our energetic field are extremely sensitive and progressively more dense approaching the physical body. Pay attention to your thoughts the next time you stub your toe, or find yourself with itchy ears or excess mucous in your throat after a meal. What is your body communicating to you that perhaps was lost in the delicate language of your highest guidance? I have found through my studies, personal experiences and the dozens of clients I have worked with, that things often manifest on a physical level almost as a last effort to get our attention. Unresolved trauma, emotions, rejected awareness and guidance burrows deep in tissues and changes the structure of cells, filtering our reality, the ways we identify with others, ourselves and our intuitive insights. This will be for another day, as it is quite an in depth topic… however, I do wish to acknowledge here, the ubiquity of autoimmune and life threatening disease that has become a societal norm. Dis-ease, to put it simply, and yet it's so ludicrously complex. So why wait until the body is essentially screaming to take notice, let alone action? I offer this insight because often times people find a path to healthy eating or holistic living only when they are in crisis. I believe we can encourage another choice in our awakening, through consciously prepared, plant predominant meals to activate and inspire health and joy in ways that are incredibly satisfying, surprisingly effortless and totally accessible. We have all the information already, it’s just a matter of polishing our hearts, igniting the fire of self love through deep respect and adoration, and letting our unique truth illuminate the way.

    Yes, this is all part of the journey, and part of the gift in awakening is to sensitize to the subtle communication of the majestic universe, activating a deeper wisdom and potential to blossom in wellness and love. Everyone has a different path and mine has had its challenges most certainly. I have learned the hard and also the gentle ways to fuel myself and the flow of this dance changes all the time. I am thriving in a very clean and gentle space, embodying this season organically, not wanting animal products much at all. Currently, I am choosing to stay away from dairy and eggs, grains, beans, and focusing on whole foods only, nothing has multiple ingredients unless I make it myself. All I really want to eat seems to be a shit ton of fruit, but I am feeling most balanced with the addition of raw juices, sprouted seeds, nuts, some legumes like lentils, fresh herbs like mint and cilantro, parsley… and lots of tea, water with lemon and spoonfuls of creamy, raw honey with salt. Things like this. Lots of lemon too. This is my Spring Rejuvenation. This wouldn't have worked for me a few months ago, but for now I am tuning in to my inner rhythm and I am shifting… with the sun, the current waning moon, the budding flowers, the dancing winds and the powerful, aqua blue sea.

​    So, I leave you with the following questions to ponder, and please feel free to leave a comment below… How is your relationship to nourishing yourself bringing you peace? And if it feels rigid or isolating, unpleasant or overwhelming, where can you open for support? What do you need to feel more alive? More soon… love you all.
​Read Intuitive Eating Part 1 here.