Listening

Well, I've finished adding food back into my diet after a food elimination. This is always an interesting process, and now life is returning to normal, at least for my husband. He "suffers" the most from the menu changes I implement in our kitchen. No major problems with any foods as I continue to avoid dairy, corn, and most gluten. I do this based on how my body feels. I feel best without these ingredients - that means, I have more energy, think more clearly, have less aches, and my mood is consistent regardless of what my hormones are doing.

Consciously listening to the messages of the body is a significant aspect of a meaningful and healthy life. This generally requires taking time to quiet the mind and body, and paying attention to the loud and many times subtle sensations of the body. These sensations are meant to get our attention.

My body goes through major shifts with a food elimination, and that means that my diet shifts and changes as well. I never know what I'll be eating after I'm finished. While my current vegetarian/vegan diet is starkly different from my ancestors, there are several important similarities that rise up and get my attention, almost daily: Organic, locally grown food (whenever possible) and a connection to nature; Time in the kitchen preparing whole food from scratch; Belief that food nourishes not just the body but the soul.

The last point is the most interesting to me, and is kind of a similarity. I would lead with "food nourishes the body and the soul" and my ancestors would lead with "food nourishes the soul and feeds the body".

In either case, the feeling derived from the food experience as a whole is the bottom line. How I wish I could cook with my great grandmother now - I use her mortar and pestle, and well, that makes my heart swell.

www.healingpartnersllc.com