TASTE THE RAINBOW

If you have investigated alternative healing, you have mostlikely come across the name of Deepak Chopra. For the last couple of decades he has introduced the ancient practicesof India, his homeland, and incorporated the concept of mind-body-and soul intoour western methods of medicine. Our brain and body connection isn’t alwaysobvious to those who are living busy lives. We tend to look at our bodies asmachines, needing an occasional tune ups and part replacements. But alternativemedicine teaches us that, like our advances in technology, our brains can bere-wired to affect the daily challenges of taking care of ourselves and stayinghealthy.

In “The Chopra Center Cookbook: Nourishing Body and Soul”,co-written with David Simon and Leanne Backer, the executive chef of the ChopraCenter for Well Being in Carlsbad, CA, it is proposed that nature can provideus with all the nutrients we need to create meals that are both delicious andnutritious. One interesting take from the book is that the more color andtexture a food has, the more it can offer us in terms of healing. And withinthat color spectrum, every food in nature can be broken down into sixdistinctive tastes, and we need to incorporate them into our daily diets. Herethey are, listed.

Sweet Flavor: These foods can increase your body bulk. Theyinclude carbohydrates, protein and fat; breads, grains, nuts, pasta, fruits,starchy vegetables, dairy, oils and all animal products are considered sweet.These usually supply the bulk of what we eat every day. You should focus onfresh fruits and vegetables, whole gains, cereals, breads and nuts. Avoid redmeat if you do eat meat at all.

Sour Flavor: Foods that are acidic; feta cheese, oranges,grapefruits, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and tomatoes. You shouldreduce intake of pickled foods, green olives, alcohol and vinegar. Low-fatyogurt can help with digestion. Aged cheeses should be used sparingly, as they arehigh in cholesterol and hard to digest.

Salty: Seaweed, fish and salted meats. Salty foods stimulatedigestion, but too much will contribute to high blood pressure and fluidretention. Fish is always a good bet, but be careful of high mercury contentsin tuna and other fish.

Pungent: Incorporate leeks, pepper, ginger, garlic and onionsfor natural antioxidants and infection-fighting chemicals into your diet. Theseflavors stimulate digestion and help mobilize stagnant secretions. Some ofthese foods help lower cholesterol.

Bitter: Most green and yellow vegetables hold natural plantchemicals called phytochemicals, which have detoxifying, disease-preventinghealing properties. Broccoli and cauliflower are rich in phytochemicals knownas isothiocyanates, which have been shown to help fight cancer and heartdisease. Asparagus, green peppers and cabbage are rich in flavonoids, whichhelp resist genetic injury and fight infections.

Astringent: Beans, legumes and peas are a good source ofvegetable protein, complex carbohydrates and fiber. They have a dryinginfluence on your body. Several fruits are also astringent, includingcranberries, apples and pomegranates. Green tea is also astringent and has beenfound to be a good source of cancer-preventing chemicals.

The Color Context:

Red: raspberries, apples, cherries, strawberry Green: kiwi,apples, lime, green grapes Yellow: lemon, banana, pineapple, peaches Purple:grapes Indigo: figs, pomegranate, blackberries Orange: oranges, melons, papaya,mango, apricots White: pears, coconut Blue: blueberries.

Always use fresh foods instead of processed, because lifeenergy comes from the sun.  Avoid frozendinner meals, muffins, and cans of soup. These are all “dead” foods.  Use these 6 Tastes of Life and the 7 Colorsof the Rainbow in your diet as much as possible because we really are what weeat.