The LightHeart Institute

rochester new york

Food is Your Best Medicine!

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One of the most common yet hidden sources of  chronic illness is right under your finger tips… food!

When Hippocrates, the well known Father of Medicine said, “Let food by thy medicine and medicine be thy food…”, he knew what he was talking about.

But food today is far different from the food of our ancestor’s time, or even our grandmother’s kitchen.  Do you remember, for example, when iceberg lettuce used to be green? Today it is mostly white. Romaine lettuce used to be green. Today grocery stores sell romaine hearts that are mostly white. Both of these items lack chlorophyll, which under normal circumstances converts to magnesium, a necessary mineral responsible for hundreds of bodily functions.

Food is our best medicine. But we need to know what to eat and how to eat in order to achieve optimal health.

 

Become The Most Important Person in Your World

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Wouldn’t it be powerful if you fell in love with yourself so deeply that you would do just about anything if you knew it would make you happy?  This is precisely how much life loves you and wants you to nurture yourself.  The deeper you love yourself, the more the universe will affirm your worth.  Then you can enjoy a lifelong love affair that brings you the richest fulfillment from the inside out.

Alan Cohen

Self-care is self-love.

 

Our facilitator, Lisa, began the Royal Flush session by asking the participants to comment on any changes that have been noted with an increase in meditation. All of the participants spoke of positive changes in their lives – vivid dreams, an increased desire to journal and an overall feeling of peace and relaxation. Recent research shows that mindfulness meditation is a great tool for stress reduction and a form of self-care. Through mind-body centering techniques, you can become grounded, increase your  mental clarity and place yourself in the best position to love others. The best gift you can give another, is to take care of yourself.

“Nourish your cells, not just your taste buds.”

 Another powerful way to take care of yourself is to provide your body with adequate nutrition. Our current society has parted from the kitchen and food we love. Mothers used to cook in the kitchen with their daughters, who in turn cooked with their daughters. Love was part of the equation and those who consumed the homemade food benefited. The Royal Flush encourages its participants to love the food they prepare and to allow that love to transfer to the body. Love heals us from the inside out!

The Royal Flush Continues: Power Spot

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“For many of us, the waters of our daily life are anything but calm because we don’t create conscious space for intentional breathing or silence as part of our daily experience. . . . When we pause and breathe consciously, we open the portal to the Presence and enter a sacred silence where the waters are always calm.”

— Excerpt from “The Art of Uncertainty: How to Live in the Mystery of Life and Love It”

In Native American tradition, visiting a power spot is a sacred ritual. It is a special place in nature that holds all consciousness – a place of stillness and silence. A power spot can also be found deep within us all. The session started off with a twenty minute mind-body-spirit centering technique; where each participant closed their eyes and solely focused on their breathing, paying attention to incoming thoughts and images. In our power spots we are able to connect with a deeper sense of self and allow our bodies to heal.

After the moment of meditation, we shared the feeling of the experience in words. Our facilitator, Lisa, then proceeded to introduce us to the “Heart Chart”. The “Heart Chart” is a 21-day chart in the shape of a heart in which participants can fill each day as they complete another day of lifestyle improvement. For the purpose of the Royal Flush, participants will get to “fill” a day in when they complete a day and fully stick to the food program. With Valentine’s day right around the corner, it was the perfect way to introduce habit change/formation and create an emphasis on the importance of making a commitment to self-improvement. It was brought to the group’s attention that by changing a habit every 21 days, an individual can change 56 habits in 3 years!

Many times, sticking to a gluten-free food program 100% of the time can be challenging and thus many can “cheat”. Lisa encouraged each and every one of the participants to try their best, to complete the heart. Cheats happen, it’s okay. Once a cheat occurs, one has to recognize it, be compassionate with oneself and say something along the lines of, “You strayed off the diet plan. This does not mean you have failed. You’ll be right on track within the hour. Let’s keep moving.” As was mentioned, making a habit change takes 21 days. Not only does it take 21 days, but it also requires some self-discipline and self-understanding.

Raw Food Thai Coconut Soup

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Ingredients:
1 young coconut
4 cloves garlic
2 tsp fresh minced ginger or galangal
3 tbsp lime juice
2 tsp cold pressed olive or flax oil
1 tsp curry powder
1 medium tomato
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp fresh minced chili, or to taste (I used cayenne pepper)
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
diced bell pepper (optional)
chopped cherry tomatoes (optional)
mushrooms, thinly sliced (optional)

Preparation:
Open the coconut and drain the water into a blender. Scrape out the meat, and add to the blender.

Add garlic, ginger or galangal, lime juice, oil, curry powder, tomato, salt and chili. Blend until smooth and creamy. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Add cilantro and pulse until cilantro is finely minced.

Pour into serving containers and add any chopped veggies you like: bell pepper, tomatoes and thinly sliced mushrooms work well.

This raw coconut soup works well after it’s had a chance to chill in the fridge for a couple hours to allow the flavors to set. It’ll need a good stirring before serving, however, as the oils and coconut water will tend to separate.

Enjoy your raw food Thai coconut soup! Yum!

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