Food Energy affects every one of us every single day. Several years ago, I embarked upon a health-promoting journey that include answering the question "What should I eat to be healthy?" Of course good health involves more than simply what one eats, but food is important!
I was in consultation with an acupuncturist at the time, and he had a lot of ideas about what a person should eat. I decided to ask his opinion.
"Do you suggest," I asked, "That a person should eat organic foods whenever possible?"
"Not necessarily," the acupuncturist replied. "It all depends on which food has the best chi. You may find some conventionally-grown foods that have better chi than organic, in which case I'd go with the good chi."
I must have looked puzzled. Here I had been doing my best to work out the best course from among the choices of low-fat, vegetarian, low-sugar, minimally-processed organic foods. Things seemed quite limited and frankly a little bleak already. And now I had to factor in a quality I really didn't even understand and couldn't quite put my finger on. Chi. Oh brother!
Perhaps you've felt the same way.
As it turns out, things aren't really so difficult. You can kind of sense food energy. Fresher, less processed foods generally have better chi than foods that have been picked and then held and/or transported a long distance before they reach you, grown with the use of harsh chemicals, or heavily processed. Processing removes nutrients and adds an abundant supply of chemicals to your diet, all in the name of "food safety." Ironic, isn't it?
Things like the place and fertility of the land where the food was grown, production methods, and even the attitude or state of mind of the farmer all factor in to the energy of the food you eat.
When you choose locally-sourced foods, you not only get fresher foods, but you also have the opportunity to learn a little bit about the conditions under which your food was grown, and by whom. To see how "happy" it was while it was growing up!
It also turns out that the vegetarian and low-fat pieces of the puzzle I was working through at the time weren't quite on target either. Food energy, regional adaptation, preparation methods, and nutrient value trump some of the other stuff. Which makes things much simpler to manage.
Here's the easiest way I have of explaining what may seem like a rather lofty idea. Consider the food you're about to purchase or consume. Focus your attention on it. Do you feel good about putting that food in your body — about adding its energy to yours? If so, you've probably got your hands on some food with good chi.
Elizabeth Eckert can help you explore how simple everyday choices create health — or undermine even the best of intentions. With a background that ranges from energy medicine to structural bodywork to developmental psychology, this "Stick-To-It Coach" has the experience to support you in creating the healthiest possible expression of — you!
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