Read the full article here.
When it comes to fueling your energetic and physical body, food plays a significant role. Just ask celebrity chef, certified nutritionist, and Reiki master Serena Poon, C.N., CHC, CHN: In her star-studded practice (her clients include Jerry Bruckheimer, Sean “P. Diddy” Combs, and Kerry Washington), she blends integrative nutrition with intuitive energetic techniques to discover exactly which nutrients her clients need to support their physical and spiritual bodies, wherever they need a bit of balance.
“It’s almost like this big giant map,” she says on this episode of the mindbodygreen podcast. “I can see the foods you need to eat to support an issue, to clear out an issue. I create [food] lists for clients, but it’s more about where to eat from instead of what not to eat.”
Below, Poon breaks down the go-to foods for each of the seven chakras (aka, the main energy centers of the body). A gateway to spiritual nutrition, if you will.
1. Root chakra.
We’ll start with the root chakra, or the Muladhara in Sanskrit, which is represented by the color red. Think of the root chakra as your foundation—it’s located at the base ofthe spine on the human body—and it gives you the feeling of being grounded. “It represents your security,” says Poon.
As it connects to being grounded, to balance this chakra you’ll want to eat foods that come from the ground—likeroot vegetables. “They come from the earth, so they have that energy from the earth and they really ground you, ” Poon adds. Try these blood orange roasted parsnips for a cozy side dish.
2. Sacral chakra.
Next is the sacral chakra, or the Swadhisthana. This chakra, represented by the color orange, is connected to your reproductive organs, adrenals, kidneys, and large intestines, and it controls your creativity, sexual drive, and energy.
According to Poon, you’ll want mineral-rich foods like nutsand seeds, as well as some seafood (full of healthy fats) to support energy flow. “Water goes there too, ” she notes. “These are all things that are very supportive for our reproductive systems, and it’s good for our creativity, our emotions and our relationships.”
3. Solar plexus chakra.
The third chakra is the solar plexus chakra, the Manipura, which is connected to confidence, intuition, wisdom, and leadership. “And that affects our nervous system,” says Poon. “If you’re feeling queasy, you’re not feeling centered there in that chakra, then it can affect your confidence, your intuition, your self-esteem.”
It’s represented by the color yellow, and Poon says you’ll want yellow foods to help balance it (like corn or yellow squash), as well as legumes, grains, and soluble fibers. Here’s a roasted winter squash recipe for you to try.
4. Heart chakra.
Now, we’ve arrived at the heart chakra, or the Anahata, which is represented by the color green. It’s associated with openness (as it connects the lower and upper chakras) and love—if it’s blocked, you might have trouble opening your heart to others.
Green leafy vegetables, microgreens, and sprouts are all beneficial for the heart chakra (here’s a gut-healthy smoothie that sneaks in broccoli sprouts). “This is a great example of how [these foods] are so good for our heart chakra, but they’re also good physiologically, because these greens are helpful for our cardio-metabolic system, ” says Poon. “They’re great for circulation, for oxygen.”
5. Throat chakra.
Your throat chakra, or Vishuddha, which Poon notes is connected to your voice, authenticity, and being able to speak your truth.
“It’s in alignment with your throat, your thyroid, your mouth, ears, all that region, ” she says. “So usually what you’ll have for your throat shocker are liquids. You can have juices,fruits, sauces, soups, and teas.” (Check out these five comforting and healthy soup recipes here.) “What’s interesting is seaweed and kelp are really good for ourthroat chakra, but they’re also really high in iodine, which is great for your thyroid, ” she adds. Again, the spiritual and physiological make perfect sense.
6. Third eye chakra.
Next up is the third eye chakra, the Anja, which controls your intuition, visualization, and mood. “So [you’ll want toeat] mood-modulating types of foods and spices, ” Poon says. Since this chakra is represented by the color dark blue or purple, you’ll also want to eat blue-purplish foods, like blueberries and grapes. “Sometimes caffeine, chocolate, or cacao, those are all great things for the third eye,” Poon adds.
7. Crown chakra.
Finally, you have your crown chakra, the Sahasrara, which sits at the crown of the head. It’s the highest chakra, so it’s connected to your higher self, your soul, and your purpose. The thing is, the crown chakra doesn’t exactly benefit from any foods, as it represents a connection to spirituality. That’s why Poon often recommends fasting for those who want to enlighten the crown chakra, but you can eatbiophotonictype foods (like raw foods) which contain light energy.
The takeaway.
If one of these seven chakras is blocked, the right foods can help enlighten the energy center in question and bring you back on track. When you think about it, it makes complete sense: “Sometimes you just eat certain foods and you feel better, ” Poon notes. “But it’s actually supporting those energy centers.” By becoming attuned to your physical and spiritual body, you may start to notice which chakra is a bit thrown off—and, with Poon’s guidance, what nutrients you need to rebalance the energy.
