What role does food play in spirituality?

Food has contributed to and affected different cultures in a startling number of ways. For some, meals are the glue that binds families and friendships together. For others, eating is an integral rite of passage. In the modern world, this special relationship has morphed many times over, manifesting itself in infinitely particular dining rules and rituals that are unique both individually and culturally. These rituals affect every aspect of our lives and form perhaps the most significant part of our relationship with food.

In traditional Buddhism the chef in the monastery had to be enlightened as they didn't let just anybody into the kitchen. There was a whole tradition about food preparation and the intention of the cook to ensure that the food was healing. Similarly lots of Islamic scholars and religious leaders do not eat from everywhere and anywhere, their food is made with intention handpicking their cooks, vetting and selecting them in advance. There is a transfer of energy and being susceptible to spiritual manipulation. Though even if one is not spiritual, it is best to whisper a thank you and bless your meal before consuming to dissipate that energy. Eating can knowingly or unknowingly bind individuals to the provider's spiritual state or intentions.

In Ukraine, there is a tradition whereby an odd number of women are invited to the bride’s home to bake the wedding bread known as korovai. Usually there are 5 or 7 and these happily married women knead the bread and not harbour evil thoughts or speak badly of others. The Japanese tea ceremony teaches mindfulness through ritual, simplicity, and acceptance and reminds us that ordinary acts, like drinking tea, can become extraordinary when done with full awareness. Not all of us are born with tradition so even a small “thanks for food” is a simple way to express your appreciation for each meal. Saying Bismillah is the correct way to invoke blessings before eating. Starting your meal on a joyous note, with a heart anchored in gratitude as a meal eaten slowly with people you love can do more for your health than a perfectly optimised supplement stack. This is why those who suffer from deficiencies often lack a support system. A spontaneous weekend away from your routine can do more for your nervous system than the routine itself. That being said a piece of cake thoroughly savoured can do more for your nervous system than a forced prayer or an outing with friends where you laugh until you almost cry can do more for your mood than any electric vagus nerve device. 

Eating with the right hand is another way to gain blessings aka barakah because the right side of the body represents the solar energy and the left side represents lunar energy. Sun represents, warm and positivity and action whereas as the moon is closely linked to emotions, intuition and primarily related to absorbing energy as opposed to receiving it.

The environment that you eat in also affects your digestion as some can digest food better when eating in silence and others with family members or friends. There are also some individuals who can go without the whole day without food as they need very little to keep active.

The timing of each meal differs with everyone, for me the most important meal of my day is breakfast so that will be the most nutritious. The digestive fire is at its peak between 12 PM and 2 PM, making midday the optimal time to eat your heaviest, most nutrient-dense meal.

Why are religious fasts more effective?

Today in our society, when everyone is so attached to food as a way to palliate the ego and to suppress our real feelings, the idea of fasting can create a little trepidation. Most do not realise how easy it is to do a fast. The appetite fades after the first few days, allowing one’s emotional and physical attachment to food to diminish. The mind becomes freer to experience the higher states of communion with the Divine. As people drop their loads of cellular, emotional and spiritual toxicity, they begin to soar and in this soaring they often wonder what their concern could ever have been. The key difference between religious fasting and regular fasting is the clearly conscious intent to be the better version of oneself on every level. Such a focused fasting cleanse assists not only the physical body, but also the emotional, mental, and spiritual bodies, thus affecting our quality of life and how, after the fast, we choose to live in the world. In the act of spiritual fasting we have the unique opportunity to become timeless as we let go of past conditioned programs and projected future anxieties, hopes and fears. The blockages are removed, we are naturally able to make a stronger connection with our light body, which is a powerful doorway to our cosmic body. In this way, we have much easier access to the living experience of our highest self.

What about meat?

We are taught to be sensitive to others’ feelings, even to the feelings of animals and eating halal or kosher is God's diet for spirituality. When food is unclean it blocks the spiritual potential of the soul and both sets of laws dictate which species may or may not be eaten, for example, it must expressly prohibit the consumption of blood thus requiring complete exsanguination of the corpse and the animals must be alive, healthy, and uninjured at the time of their slaughter, which is to be performed with a swift cut from a sharpened knife in order to minimise pain and provide the quickest death. Halal food is a source of positive energy and nutrition for body cells so in turn our energy will also move positively and vice versa. In orthodox halacha, you cannot have dairy 6 hours after eating meat and you can't eat meat 1 hour after eating dairy. This is because diary such as milk represents life, nurturing symbolising maternal sustenance and meat represents death acknowledging that the the animal's life has been taken for consumption. So mixing the two is seen as blending two contradictory spiritual domains, creating a form of moral confusion.

Smoking

Smoking causes the stomach to produce a bit more acid and that helps with digestion, and as a stimulant it helps combat the lethargy commonly experienced after eating. Smoking is not always a bad things as for some it activates the increase our fortune and luck. Smoke filling the room helps tap into the subtle sight needed to diagnose physical or spiritual illnesses and facilitates the development and perfection of intuition or "understanding" when used properly.  This is why vaping is frowned upon as the ritual of lighting the cigarette/cigar is the act removes this altogether. Tobacco is perhaps the most powerful spiritual plant that exists on earth in the most general sense French anthropologist, Philippe Descola, in his study of Amazonian healing plants, observed that it was used to treat every illness by the Achuar people and that although the medicinal uses of other plants were well known, that it was the primary healing plant par excellence. In the Amazon, it is not the common Nicotiana Tobaccum that is used, but the much potent, Nicotiana Rustica. It is not only smoked, as we do in the form of cigarettes or cigars, but is also used in its raw state as well as boiling the leaves of the plant into a thick syrup and "drinking" it through the nose. The experienced meditator or spiritual practitioner will tap into the understanding that this plant is actually a potent aid for inducing visionary trance, as well as correcting elemental or spiritual imbalances but that if a person uses it recreationally instead of ceremonially, the benefits diminish considerably or are not present at all. 

Is there a link between what you eat and your symptoms?

While the adage "you are what you eat" is generally true, why is it that some individuals have a little to no immediate or long-term impact on their health. You see some individuals eating everything and anything and not having any health issues and you see others on the most restrictive diet with many health issues. So western doctors will be quick to put one on a diet totally ignoring the other major factors which may be causing the issue. Eastern medicine, however is profoundly rooted in metaphysical concepts, viewing health as a dynamic balance of energy, body, mind, and spirit rather than just a physical state. For example, lets say if an individual had an issue with their skin a deeper yet pragmatic approach will be taken. Skin holds deep symbolic significance where the skin is associated with holiness, purity, and divine favor, while skin disorders were often viewed as punishment or impurity. The relationship between spiritual health and skin disease is complex and bidirectional so I wont go into too much detail firstly because i dont have all the answers and secondly we cannot be hundred percent certain of anything. Only a small percentage of dermatologists, allergists, or immunologists specialise in the psychological side of skin disorders because psychological approaches can't be patented and bottled, so few drug companies are handing out research grants.  Vitiligo is often viewed not just as an autoimmune or skin issue but as a physical reflection of unfelt suppressed emotions, particularly shame, fear, and identity conflicts. The general consciousness of having Vertigo feels like one doesn’t belong; like one is outside of things and longing to belong to a group. Many of these approaches converge on the idea that healing involves self-acceptance, emotional processing, and reclaiming personal power. For example, Michael Jackson’s relationship with his father was extremely complicated, however I would argue most of the health issues such as him having vitiligo was as a result of the trauma he endured from his father which lead him having issues with his self worth. When a parent goes through betrayal, heartbreak, or prolonged stress, it is the children that get impacted and feel it and end up getting an illness.

I have also observed that diabetes is the result of our psychological desire to experience the sweetness of life without expelling any effort. Anorexia nervosa, obesity and bulimia are all conditions that represent the body as a site of battle for control, selfhood, and identity. Those suffering from obesity suffering from excess weight and use their excessive fat as a protective barrier. With anorexia nervosa there is a desperate attempt to create a "pure" inner space, where the material body is hated and treated as a "disappearing" object. Binge eating indicates that one feels there is something lacking in life, so the empty space is filled with food. Conversely, some cultures, past and present, have a favourable view of obesity, seeing it as a symbol of wealth and fertility. Hyperthyroidism is another condition whereby the individual attempts to remain safe and in turn an attempt to stay ahead of the abuse of their childhood thus creating a constant state of hyper alertness. 

You are what you eat

The chickens that lay those cheap commercial eggs live in a filthy stressed environment and since you're energetically aware, you're picking up on it. Plus these chickens get fed cheap GMO soy which isn't good for them or you and it creates an imbalance in the omega fatty acids in the egg. Try some organic pasture raised eggs. Even better if you can source free range pasture raised eggs locally. Those will be the freshest. Eating pasture-raised, grassfed halal meat is also something to research. Might also be worth reflecting on any subconscious feelings as if we believe something is out of alignment, our body will reflect that, whether or not it’s “true”. After all, spirituality and food are deeply connected, with food being portrayed as a bridge between the physical body and spiritual awareness. Conscious eating, choosing natural foods, and preparing meals with intention can raise personal energy, promote mindfulness and turn daily nourishment into a sacred act.