What it is the diet that best support a meditation practice?

Over the last two years I decided to spent my birthday on a meditation retreat.

Lucky enough, this year it was in Easter which allowed me to go on a four days meditation retreat in the Blue Mountains. It was beautiful and of course, challenging in may ways.

Even though you are suppose to be "mindful" and to "clear your mind", I could not stop thinking about food... Ok, let me change that comment, I thought just a little bit ;)

Having spicy food, dairy and flowery products or sugar as part of the menu made the following question to pop-up into my mind ... "What it is the diet that best support a meditation practice?" .

To answer this question, I cannot stop going back to the experience I had on a Buddhist monastery in Thailand years ago.

The menu was two simple and whole meals a day, breakfast and lunch.

Rice was the main source of carbohydrates (even for breakfast in the form of "cream" or "porridge"), food was not spicy, there were plenty of vegetables and not a sign of meat or even fish.

From my own knowledge and experience I can tell you that flowery products promote mucus and do not assist to have a clear mind. Grains are a lot better option and amongst them, wholemeal rice is the winner to meditate.

In another hand, there is plenty of evidence that meat does not assist you to concentrate sufficiently to take you to deep states of meditation. Beans, tofu, tempeh, natto or nuts are a good source of protein instead.

Roots and round vegetables are also good and of course spices are out of the window. However, this does not mean boring or tasteless food. Different ways of cooking allow to simply and naturally enhance flavour when preparing meals that nourish the body while nourishing the mind.

Rule of thumb though, chew very very well and not over eat or starve yourself.

In some countries monks even eat small portions of meat or fish and manage to meditate. However, they do eat simply, mindfully and with gratitude for what is given and available to them so keep that in mind.

I was surprise how little I ate this time without feeling hungry which took me to the next question or realization... How much energy my brain takes on my normal daily life?

Anyway, some of the meditators made the comment of how difficult they found to meditate in the afternoon / after lunch so I wonder, could a change in the menu prevent this from happening?

I cannot wait for the month of August to come as I will be deciding the menus and directing the kitchen in the centre and hopefully, answering to this question.

Fermented food

Nowadays, who does not have a freezer at home (if not several) or the pantry packed with tin cans?. These are just some examples of how food is preserved and kept nowadays.

However, these methods are very modern and the need to preserve the fall bounty for the coming whole year has always existed. That is why our ancestors developed different ways to preserve food. Acid Lactic Fermentation is one of such preservation technique. The process goes back 4.500 years and since then, it has been used along the five continents.

Vegetables are soaked in a brine solution (very salty water) and the salt initiates the fermentation process. Enzymes and bacteria convert to lactic acid the starches and sugars in vegetables. As the acid concentration rises, the brine solution PH decreases and this helps to keep food for long periods of time.

Our ancestors knew this very well. However, they did not know about all the benefits this tradional way of food preparation and conservation had. Below I enumerate some of them that I am sure are of interest to you:

- The Lacto-Fermentation process increases the nutritional value of food (vitamins and enzymes) and it enhances their digestibility... how cool is that!

- Fermented food stimulates the digestive system. Eat it specially when having heavy meals, in case of heavy digestions or when having low apetite.

- In spite of the acid taste, fermented food do not damage the stomach acid balance. It is alkaline material for the body and therefore very digestible.

- Fermented food helps to keep a healthy digestive system and aids to eliminate acid materials from the body like toxins... awesome!!!

- The main by-product, lactic acid, not only keeps vegetables in a state of perfect preservation but also promotes the growth of healthy flora throughout the intestine that suffers so much when taking antibiotics. The most ideal scenario is avoiding antibiotics. However, if for some reason one is required to take antibiotics, fermented food should be included in the diet.

In summary, this way of food preparation aids to improve the liver function (tonifies the liver) as well as the digestive system and it promotes the growth of healthy flora throughout the intestine.

However, despite all these good qualities, care should be taken and we should not over-indulge. One of two spoons per meal would be enough.

Oops!!! Have I already told you how easy they are to make?... excellent idea to do something with vegetables before they go bad or when you feel you are over them.

Why you should soak your grains and legumes?

Observing my mother I learned that if I did not want to eat "stones", legumes had to be soaked before cooking. Later, when feeding first started to interest me and I began to introduce whole grains in my diet, I was told that these foods should be soaked as well. Here you have the reason why...

The bran from various grains and legumes contains a very important substance; the Phytic acid. You can also find it in most nuts and seeds, in amounts that go from 1% to 5% of the plant.

Besides acting like an antioxidant, this acid may protect cells from certain harmful reactions. Iron for instance (an essential mineral for the proper function of red blood cells) may cause damage if in excess. Phytic acid can prevent this to happen as it binds with iron molecules and makes insoluble compounds that are not readily absorbed or utilized by the body. Same way, Phytic acid can help to remove calcium deposits from soft tissues as it also binds with this mineral. However, and for this ability, Phytic acid may be responsible for improper absorption and use of iron and other minerals like zinc, magnesium or calcium.

Because it is only displayed in the bran, whole grains and legumes are especially rich on this acid while the refined versions of these foods, are very poor.

Sprouting or fermentation can neutralize Phytic acid, and prolonged soaking diminishes its concentration in a great extent.

For this reason, and in order to diminish the disadvantages and to profit the benefits of this acid, while enjoying the innumerable properties of whole food, it is very important to soak grains and legumes before cooking them.

In another hand, soaking initiates the germination. This interesting process converts much of the starch into simple sugars, of proteins into amino acids, and of lipids into free fatty acids. In adition, enzymes and vitamins are increased, as well as a variety of mineral bonds on the amino acids (forms of chelation). As you may imagine, all together make grains and legumes much more digestible.

Text translated by Patricia Guerreiro.

Why chewing food well is so important?

Nowadays it is very common not having time to cook or to sit down and enjoying food. The habitual thing is to prepare something quickly and to eat it while talking on the phone, using the computer, watching TV, thinking of the next appointment, when and how picking up the children or making groceries... in the middle of all that, who is going to have time to chew and to feed properly?!

Not long ago I understood the importance of enjoying, as well as being present, aware and focused on what we do in every moment and eating is one of them.

Often, I had heard about the importance of chewing food well. However, I used to find the practice pretty much non-viable when not ridiculous! Nevertheless, I thank my persistence and certainty because the benefits are many.

Here you have the reason why…

The digestive process begins in the mouth with the mastication and insalivation of food.

Food is partly broken down by teeth through the process of chewing. That is the mechanical digestion. Saliva instead begins a chemical digestion through the enzyme amylase. The action of this enzyme breaks down carbohydrates into smaller compounds. However, stomach acids deactivate the action of this enzyme in order to give action to proteases and lipases and the process of digesting proteins and lipids. Therefore, it is very important to chew and insalivate food carefully. This way carbohydrates start to break down in the mouth and somehow, “our brain begins to be nourished”.

Eating this way also lubricate the intestines and strengthens the spleen and pancreas. It makes the pancreas to secrete more enzymes into the small intestine and it also reinforce lubrication. Consequently, the amount of nutrients available to produce more and better bold quality increases.

In another hand, the action of chewing stimulates the stomach meridian (upper jaw) and the large intestine meridian (lower jaw) making these organs to work in order to be ready for digestion. Saliva also moistens food for easy swallowing, it adjusts water content of food and it protects teeth from decay.

Upset stomach, gas, bad absorption of nutrients / malnutrition or feeling apathetic are common symptoms of bad chewing.

One tip, “drink solids and swallow liquids”.

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

What is fermented food and what are the benefits?

What is the diet that best support a meditation practice?

Why chewing food well is so important?
Why you should soak your grains and legumes?