Sometimes we eat piles of food to keep full. I’ve held jobs where my lunch times were limited, and it was useless to bring in beautiful leftovers from the night before, because I wouldn’t have the time to enjoy them. Instead, I would bring simple salads, and perhaps a bean dish, to be sure that I had enough energy for the rest of the day. Food is often my meditation, and I relax with it so that I can refocus my mind. When there are time limits, it’s hard to do.
Recently, I’ve made a point to add more lusciousness into my life, and to give greater care to the meals that I make each day. I think that food should be enjoyable, and I’d like to share 8 of my top current recommendations. If you’d like more lusciousness in your life and meals, please try these out.
1. Sit with a cup of tea and a book each morning. Do this before you begin working or looking through email. It’s a chance to adjust to the waking world before you start your day.
2. If there’s time, wait to eat breakfast until after that cup of tea is half gone or all gone. If it’s herbal tea, it will help rehydrate your organs after a long sleep. This time will also give you a chance to judge exactly what your body wants for breakfast. Sometimes it will ask for a large scramble of onions, eggs and kale. Other days, your body may just want a piece of fruit.
3. Take a 2-hour lunch.
4. Have tea time in the afternoon, and take a couple extra minutes to pour the tea into a teapot that you love to serve from.
5. Take a closer look at the cucumber that you’ve just cut, the orange you sliced open, or the piece of avocado on the side of your plate. There is a lot of beauty in these foods. You might especially notice this after adding more raw uncooked foods into your diet.
6. Drink your water or juice from a wine glass. I often recommend making a mix of half juice with half sparkling water. This keeps your intake of fruit sugars down, and can be helpful for people who are pre-diabetic or those who have uncomfortable blood sugar fluctuations.
7. A slice of organic butter on your favorite vegetables is not the enemy. In fact, fresh raw butter is one ingredient in a dental protocol that will protect and strengthen your teeth. I’m now imagining that butter on some fresh gluten-free crepes, or gently steamed broccoli. Yum! If you can’t have cow or goat butter, I suggest a spoonful of raw coconut oil.
8. Save the top of the basil, and decorate your plate or pasta with it after your food has been prepared. Basil can also be made into a tea, which has great calming effects.
© 2011 Ava Waits
