What We Judge We Can't Digest

Our number one goal is to become relaxed eaters.

Recently I sat down to eat lunch; a home-made stir-fry of homegrown kale and organic grass-fed beef. Sounds pretty healthy. And yet as I was about to take a bite, a thought popped into my head about the “pesticide ridden tomato” I mixed into the stir-fry. A tomato I bought last minute at a local 7/11 just for the convenience. Was I really judging this beautiful meal as unhealthy due to a tomato?! I put down my fork, took a breath and took a long look at my food. The kale began to look greener, the smell of the beef got juicier. My digestive system had turned on. It looked amazing and I was once again excited to eat.

Our digestive efficiency is dependent on our nervous system which in turn is dependent on our mental state. When our body is under stress it goes into a state of “fight or flight” which physiologically halts our digestive efficiency. The same switch in the brain which turns on stress, turns off digestion. Digestion is at its strongest calorie-burning power when we are in a relaxed state which is when we breathe deeply and feel okay with ourselves and the foods that we choose.

We could be eating the healthiest of meals, but if we feel any degree of stress, anxiety, fear, or judgment, we are unable to assimilate its nutrients. Hence, we decrease the nutritional value of the meal because our metabolism is impaired.

It is basic science and yet we are never taught this. Everything to do with advertized diets has to do with food and not with ourselves. Quite simply, this type of information can’t be packaged and sold.

Stress will decrease the blood flow to the gut needed for digestion, and will prevent the production of important growth and thyroid hormones. These hormones boost metabolic rate and are important for growth and healing, building muscle and burning fat. Stress will cause the excretion of vitamins and minerals. When we are under chronic low-level stress on a daily basis, we decrease our oxygen intake.
Stress will increase inflammation, change the chemistry of our cells, and alter the physiology of the digestive system. Inflammation is a major contributor to weight gain, blood sugar imbalance and diabetes.

If we are multi-tasking or rushing our meals,  we are eating under stress. If we say to ourselves, “I’m too fat, I shouldn’t be eating this, food is bad; this will make me unlovable,” these are all stresses.

Even if we eat less food, we are still chemically training the body to store fat because that is the body’s natural response to stress.

Our ongoing process is to recognize our mental state when engaging in activities of self-nourishment. Not just with food, but also in conversations, our exercise (movement practices), or anything else we do to nourish ourselves. 

We can create a powerful difference if we learn to modulate and influence our state of mind and heart.

Beef and Arugula Stir-Fry

1/2 pound beef sirloin, cut into thin strips
2 tablespoons of oil
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 medium red peppers, cut into thick strips
1-2 bunches arugula, well washed
2 teaspoons kuzu
2 tablespoons tamari
2 tablespoons rice or cider vinegar
¼ cup water


Stir-fry beef in pan with 2 teaspoons of oil over medium-high heat for 2 minutes or until browned.
Remove beef with tongs or fork, allowing excess oil to drip off and set aside.
With remaining oil, stir-fry ginger and garlic for 2 to 3 minutes and then add bell peppers. Cook another 2 to 3 minutes.
Mix together fresh arugula and bell pepper mixture in a serving bowl.
In a small bowl, combine kuzu, tamari, vinegar and water.
Place mixture into skillet and cook over medium heat until sauce starts to thicken.
Return beef to skillet and cook for 1 minute, just enough to warm up beef.
Add beef to serving bowl with arugula and bell peppers.
Mix and serve warm.

*What is Kuzu?

Kuzu is a substitute thickener to corn starch. without the health hazardous effects of corn starch, kuzu is alkalizing, relieves upset stomach, controls diarrhea, and can strengthen the body from prolonged weakness. It easily dissolves in cold water and thickens in hot, Use ti thicken sauces, stews and puddings.

Recipe by Integrative Nutrition

What Causes Us To Have cravings?

Our bodies are amazing.

The body knows when it needs rest, when it needs to go to the bathroom, how to maintain 98.6 degrees, how to recover from a cold, and how to heal cuts or scrapes. The body knows the miracle of pregnancy and childbirth. The heart never misses a beat and the lungs keep to the rhythm of the breath. The body never makes mistakes.

With such inner intelligence, why would the body experience unhealthy cravings? Many of us view cravings as weakness, but really they are important messages meant to assist us in maintaining balance. Our bodies are designed to always heal and maintain balance. Even the unhealthiest of cravings contains something that the body needs.

If we pause long enough to deconstruct our cravings, we can figure out how to meet the body’s needs in a healthier way.

Cravings Caused By Physical Aspects

Dehydration: Most people do not think to drink enough water and walk around in a constant state of dehydration. Our thirst mechanism is impaired which often mistakenly translates a craving for water into mild hunger.
Water has a very light and expansive energy to it. If your body is too tight or tense, or you suffer from stress-related disorders, the body will search for the light expansive energy of water. Sugar has a similar energy to water, both causing us to feel ‘lighter’. Often the body’s signal of dehydration will be confused with the cravings for sweet treats. A glass of water may subside the craving.

Nutritional Deficiency: If our diet does not contain the various needed nutrients to maintain health, we may be driven to overeat in search of the required fuel. Salt cravings, for example, may indicate a lack of minerals. Adding more leafy greens as well as seaweeds to our diet might calm the craving. If our diet lacks nutrients due to a low variety or high quantities of processed foods, we may find ourselves constantly thinking about food as the body remains unsatisfied. Commonly this type of deficiency is tied in to a dependency on caffeine or sugar. Be sure to incorporate all macronutrients and an abundance of micronutrients in your diet. 

Hormonal (women): the female body goes through cycles of fluctuating testosterone and estrogen levels that may cause strange cravings.

Cleansing: As we take better care of ourselves, our body goes through a cleansing process. As part of this process, the body clears out old cellular memory, surfacing old memories or experiences. This may cause a craving for a certain food that once we start eating, does not actually taste as great as we remembered. In this case, stop eating and let yourself cleanse out the old, making space for a healthier you.

Addictions: Similar to an alcoholic or a smoker,we may be craving what is harming us most; convinced that is the only thing that is going to make us feel better. Common food addictions include caffeine, sugar and dairy. Do you have foods or people that you are addicted to in your life? 

Cravings Caused By Emotional Aspects

Emotional Dissatisfaction: When we are not truly satisfied in our relationships, not inspired by our career, or have not found a spiritual practice that gives us a sense of peace, we may turn to emotional eating to fill the void.

Fear of Change: Change is scary. Sometimes when things are going extremely well, we find ourselves self-sabotaging. We resist letting go of old ways even if we know that they do not serve our greater self. While we may recognize that old habits are preventing us from moving forward, these are the ways in which we have come to identify ourselves. If we let go of what we know, who are we? The process of self-improvement involves trust. Create a supportive environment for yourself so that you feel excited to grow in new directions.

Craving Caused By Energetic Effects

The Energetic Qualities of Food According to the Modality of Yin and Yang:
Yin & Yang present a system of opposites: Yang being a more masculine, grounded, contractive energy and yin being a more feminine, uplifting, expansive energy.
For example; drinking coffee, eating sweets, or drinking alcohol all provide a lighter and more expansive energy, making them yin. Eating a diet rich in red meat, salts, eggs, or hard cheeses, provides a denser and more grounded feeling, making them yang.   
Eating foods that are either extremely yin or extremely yang cause cravings of the opposite to maintain balance. A common craving is the sway between sweet (yin) and salty (yang). Another example is seen in people who enjoy a diet rich in dense animal proteins (yang) and experience cravings for sugar or alcohol (yin).

Stress: When looking at cravings through the modality of yin and yang, it is not only our diet that will create cravings for the opposite. If we are easily and commonly stressed out, we are in a contracted state of yang. Such a state of being will create a craving for yin foods to make us feel lighter. If most of our day is spent in a yang state of being, we can easily get hooked on yin. Examples of this would be the craving for alcohol at the end of the workday, sugar while at work, or perhaps ice cream late at night. Learning to balance our stress levels and decompress in healthier constructive ways is what is needed to eliminate such cravings.

Cravings Caused By Environmental Aspects:

Seasonal: Often the body craves foods that balance out the elements of the season. During spring, the earth produces detoxifying foods like leafy greens, as our body naturally goes through a post-winter cleanse. In the heat of summer, the earth produces fruit and vegetables that help cool our body temperature. In the fall the earth delivers warming foods like winter squash. During winter we may crave hot foods with heat-producing ingredients such as meat, oil and fat.
We feel different in each season, but when we are in tune, our cravings will change accordingly. This correlates with the system of yin and yang; craving cooling foods when we are hot, and vice versa.

Summer Coolers

The heat of summer can have us reaching for the cold and creamy... commonly in the form of ice cream.

To satisfy the craving in other ways, keep cold apple sauce or your favorite yogurt in the refrigerator. Often a serving of these moist cooling foods will meet your needs. For a cooling crunch, freeze fresh blueberries and eat them right out of the freezer. This is also the perfect time to get creative with smoothies.

Blueberry Smoothie

recipe from: Ani's Raw Food Kitchen

3 cups of water

2 cups blueberries

1/2 cup cashews

1/2 pitted dates

1 Tbls. pure vanilla extract

In a blender, blend 2 cups of water with berries, nuts, dates and vanilla until smooth. Add last cup of water and blend again.

Will keep for 3 days in fridge

Mango Smoothie

recipe from: Ani's Raw Food Kitchen

3 cups of water

2 mangoes, peeled & cubed

1/4 cup almonds

1/2 cup pitted dates

1 Tbls. pure vanilla extract

In a blender, blend 2 cups of water with mango, nuts, dates and vanilla until smooth. Add last cup of water and blend again.

Will keep for 3 days in fridge.

Creamy Coconut Pudding

recipe from: Ani's Raw Food Kitchen

2 cups cashews

1.5 cups water

1/4 cup pitted dates

1/2 cup shredded dried coconut

Blend water and cashews until smooth. Add coconut and dates and blend again until smooth.

Will keep for 3 days in fridge.

Banana Ice Cream

4 ripe large bananas

2 Tbls. pure vanilla extract

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

Peel & cut bananas into chunks. Spread chunks on a plate and freeze for 1 hour. Place in food processor/ blender with vanilla and cinnamon. At first, process in "burst mode" until bananas soften and then process continuously until creamy smooth.

Top with either chopped walnuts, tahini paste, or maple syrup.

Serve immediately.

Variations: add cacao powder and agave nectar, add berries, or add spirulina.


Chunky Monkey variation:
2 frozen bananas 
1 tsp vanilla extract
Handful of walnuts
1 tsp cocoa nibs (or 4-5 squares of dark chocolate.) 


Blend in blender until creamy. Voila! Ice cream on a hot day.