You are what you eat: Chakra way

There are so many different ways to eat, contained in the plethora of bestselling diet books that are overflowing on shelves. You’re probably familiar with eating for your blood type, genes or body type. But, how does one make sense of it all? Or, to put it simply, how do you really know how to eat?

Our subtle energy is constantly sculpting in every moment which calls into question the validity of following a plain, prescriptive diet for a lifetime. If we are a dynamic being, shouldn’t our eating be as fluid and flexible? Subtle energy moves faster than matter and sets the template of the physical body. What if we were to consciously redefine our physical body by assessing our subtle energy needs? One of the ways we might venture to do this is through one of our internal subtle energy gauges – our chakras, or the portals in our being that align to the seven major endocrine glands. “Chakra” is an ancient Sanskrit term that means “wheel”. Essentially, these gateways are moving spirals of energy exchange. But they are more than that literal meaning – they can also be interpreted symbolically, aligning to the seven aspects of the self:

The root chakra, which is associated with the adrenal glands, corresponds to instinct and survival;

The sacral chakra (ovaries and testes) to emotions and creativity;

The solar plexus chakra (pancreas) to empowerment and transformation;

The heart chakra (heart and thymus) to love and gratitude;

The throat chakra (thyroid) to truth and authenticity;

The third eye chakra (pituitary) to wisdom and intuition;

The crown chakra (pineal gland) to interconnection and spirituality

Based on the chakra conditions you can decide what you want to eat and balance your mind and body:

RED for ENERGY, Instincts and survival (Root Chakra) – If you are feeling run down, fatigued, burnt out, lazy or lethargic, red foods such as tomatoes, strawberries, raspberries and beets will help to boost your energy levels and body temperature.

Protein, Minerals, Root Vegetables, Edible and Medicinal Mushrooms, red-colored foods.

ORANGE for CONFIDENCE & SELF-WORTH (Creativity Chakra) – If you are low on confidence, doubting yourself or feeling unworthy of love, get yourself some oranges Things. Like mandarins, mangoes, carrots, squash, pumpkin and yams will all make a big impact on your feelings.

Foods for flow and feelings: Fats and oils (especially omega-3s), fish, tropical fruits, seeds, nuts, orange-colored foods.

YELLOW for JOY, empowerment and transformation (Solar Plexus Chakra) – If you are feeling depressed, sad or emotional, eat bananas, sweet corn on the cob, some fresh pineapple or some yellow peppers and watch how your mood changes. Yellow is a natural mood enhancer and relieves you from that mood swing!

Foods for power and transformation: Complex carbohydrates, fiber, whole grains, legumes, yellow-colored foods.

GREEN for REJUVENATION, love and gratitude (Heart Chakra) – Feeling low on vital energy? stressed? Overworked? fatigue, acidity or toxicity? Consume cucumbers, lettuce, cabbage, baby spinach -make salad and feel what happens to your feelings of stress. Likely they will melt away due to the enzymes, oxygen and chlorophyll.

Foods for love and compassion: Vegetables, sprouts, raw foods, foods rich in chlorophyll, any green-colored foods.

BLUE/BLACK for CALMING, truth and authenticity (Throat Chakra) – If you have anxiety in your body then enjoy a bowl of blueberries or blackberries. Blue and black foods help to tonify the kidneys and help to elicit honest communication.

Foods for communication and truth: Sea plants, soups, sauces, juices, fruits.

VIOLET for PEACE (Third-Eye Chakra) – These foods will help to calm your energy and bring you peace if you are feeling frustrated, angry or unable to forgive. Foods like eggplant, purple kale, grapes etc., will help to bring you peace and calm. Egg plant dishes would help you out.

Foods for intuition and insight: Herbal tea, blackberries, blueberries, purple color vegetables.

WHITE for STRENGTH (Crown Chakra) -What you can eat ? There are many foods here in the list: garlic, ginger, onion, lychee, rice, coconut, guava, radish and other tropical fruits help to give you strength and power. If you are feeling down enjoy dosa and idli and some white foods and gain back your strength.