“When I say vegetables, I’m talking about real, vital, hardy vegetables that inspire life, vigor, and a sense of well-being that you can feel radiate from your stomach to the crown of your head, fingertips, and toes.”
— from If the Buddha Came to Dinner
Food comes directly from the source of all life. Because our food comes from the source of life, it gives us an opportunity to connect to the divine each and every time we place something in our mouths. To support our spiritual development, along with our physical and emotional well-being, we need to feed ourselves foods that are closest to the source as possible. These are vital essence foods, foods that are available in their appropriate season and have undergone little to no processing or chemical treatment.
Feed yourself local, seasonal produce so that you establish a connection to the earth’s rhythms and feed yourself in harmony with the seasons. When possible, purchase organic produce, grains, and free-range or hormone- and antibiotic-free animal products. Establish a relationship with the source of your food by knowing the geographical area where it was grown and who prepared or cooked it before it ends up on your kitchen table.
Gentle Suggestions
Changing a lifetime’s food patterns doesn’t happen overnight. I always suggest people start gradually, like substituting one food for a more beneficial item. When you feel the benefits of one positive change, it naturally will lead you to take another step. You can learn more gentle suggestions and tips for putting nourishment into daily practice in my book If the Buddha Came to Dinner: How to Nourish Your Body to Awaken Your Spirit.
Substitute Food Options
- Bread
Rice cakes; spelt bread; sprouted essene bread - Coffee
Organic black tea; roasted green tea; licorice tea; ginger tea - Corn chips
Organic blue or yellow corn chips; potato chips baked or fried in olive oil; root vegetable chips - Fruit yogurt
Plain or vanilla organic yogurt; goat yogurt; sheep yogurt - Ice cream
Frozen yogurt and ice cream that doesn’t contain bovine growth hormones (BGH); natural sorbet; coconut, soy or rice frozen desserts - Milk
Rice milk; almond milk; oat milk; soy milk - Orange juice
The juice of one pink grapefruit; the juice of one orange - Pasta
Rice noodles; spelt pasta; Japanese soba or udon noodles - Peanut butter
Almond butter; hazelnut butter; sesame butter - Soft Drinks and Fruit Juice
Sparkling water with lemon or lime; spring water; herbal iced tea - Sugar
Maple syrup; rice syrup; honey; date sugar; raw, unprocessed sugar
