Recently I tried a little breakfast experiment to see how I would react to the same ingredients prepared two different ways.
Ingredients: 1 banana, handful of blueberries, 3 dates, about ¼ cup of walnuts, about a tablespoon of pumpkin seeds, about ½ tablespoon of chia seeds and a generous drizzle of honey.
The first preparation was a smoothie. So yummy and creamy that I unconsciously slurped that deliciousness up! Shortly thereafter, I noticed that my belly felt cold and heavy. Definitely had an affect on my digestive fire and I didn’t feel quite right for the rest of the day.
The second preparation was to take the same ingredients, cut them up and arrange into a bowl. First I admired the various colors of the ingredients and with each spoonful I felt every texture and tasted each ingredient on my tongue as I chewed and swallowed. Equally as tasty as the smoothie was, but the experience was much more satisfying and my digestive system was not stressed and I was full of energy for my morning activities.
From this experiment I learned that if I want to have a smoothie for breakfast, I need to add warm spices such as cinnamon or dried ginger to not put out the digestive fire (agni) in my stomach!
They say that we not only eat with our mouths, but with all of our senses. Take time to enjoy your food – look at it, smell it, taste it, feel the textures, listen to the crunches.
Experiment to see what you enjoy and works best for your digestion. Do you feel cold and sluggish or energized and vibrant?
Vibrant Health by Brenda Bodnar 