FEEDING THE SACRAL CHAKRA   Learn How a Healthy Sacral Chakra can help with Emotional Eating and Creativity!   It has been estimated that over 75% of overeating can be attributed to emotions. When we feel out of control with our ability to process emotions, we may feel tempted to stuff them down with food. Many people I meet have experienced emotional eating episodes at one time or another. Emotions (otherwise known as “energy in motion”) are intimately enmeshed with our creative spirit. If we are creative, we may have an easier time expressing emotions because we are used to the flow of energy running through us. When we lose sight of our creativity due to lack of time or stress, we indirectly affect our ability to express emotions.

THE SACRAL CHAKRA

The part of our energy that has an organic, dynamic, flowing resonance and is connected to the core issues of emotions and creativity is known as the sacral chakra (in Sanskrit, svadisthana). The sacral chakra, nestled in the region of the lower belly, yokes us to the water element and its eternal state of movement and changes. A healthy sacral chakra translates into being able to “go with the flow” of life and to move as our creative expression calls us, without judgment. An individual who is able to express herself and to be in tune with her emotions, creativity, senses, and dreams is someone who is in strong communication with her sacral chakra.

THE FLOW OF THE SACRAL CHAKRA

Since the sacral chakra is about movement from a place of centeredness, it represents flow in the water aspects of the body. For example, the flow of materials inside and out of the cells is determined by the presence of flowing, liquid fats in the cell membrane. In addition, there is also the fluid that the cells are bathed in – referred to as the “extracellular fluid” – that is responsible for much of the transport of materials between cells. That’s why when we get a massage, we feel so much better – because we are assisting in the “flow” function of the body. It’s even more important to drink water (a key sacral chakra substance) after a massage to facilitate the removal of toxins from the body after having bodywork. The anatomical parts associated with the watery function of this chakra include the bladder, kidneys, and large intestine (colon).

The other aspect of anatomy overseen by this chakra is those organs that are about creativity, or creation. This center is particularly linked to women since it harbors the creative organs of the ovaries, fallopian tubes, and uterus. The hips and sacrum (hence, “sacral” chakra) are also part of the energy in this area of the body.

WAYS TO EAT TO PROMOTE A HEALTHY SACRAL CHAKRA

The sacral chakra gives us the gift of creating a meal – let it flourish by hand-selecting items at the grocery store, designing a plateful of food in a colorful way, or even inventing new ways of eating through different silverware or painting your own bowl to eat from. The possibilities of creation through foods and eating are truly endless! Here are ways to eat to promote a healthy sacral chakra:

Spend time to create meals: In our current culture, we have become dashboard diners, eating in our cars on our way to and from work, shopping, dropping the kids off, or picking them up. A fair number of us live in our cars, which I often refer to as an “island” or “bubble,” or are confined to a certain structure of life that stifles our creativity and our ease in preparing meals so that we buy processed foods for the sake of convenience.

Engage in playful eating: This part of us wants to honor the child within, which means we need to take advantage of any moment of play, pleasure, and fun. Many of us, when we were young, were told NOT to play with our foods. The sacral chakra place of us asks that we sit in the mindset of our childlike selves, and play with food in any way we’d like!

Fats and Oils: How many people do you know that are “fat-phobic” or afraid of eating fat because they think they will become fat? Unfortunately, the low-fat trend of the early 1990s has resulted in lingering false notions about the role of fat in the diet. If we are missing certain fats that our bodies cannot make (called “essential fatty acids”), then our skin becomes dry and scaly, our behavior changes to make us more irritable and depressed, and we don’t learn as well. These essential fats are wiggly, flowing fats that are needed by the cell membranes for important functions. Make sure that you get enough of the pivotal omega-3 fats: flaxseed oil, salmon, leafy, green vegetables, and nuts

 

Pay attention to the senses when eating: It is common to eat without the assistance of all of our senses. Tune in to the here-and-now when you are selecting, preparing, or eating food so that you can get the most out of your eating experience. When we are aware of what we are eating and doing through our senses, we may tend to eat less because our experience of being in touch with our bodies will be much more fulfilling rather than having to stuff down some more bites of food.

 

Orange-colored foods:  A healthy sacral chakra vibrates at a frequency similar to the color orange. Therefore, orange foods provide the vibrational rate needed to help balance this chakra. On a nutritional level, orange foods usually contain relatively high levels of carotenoids (for example, beta-carotene), a family of nutrients that can be incorporated into cell membranes for protection against free radicals. Examples include carrots, pumpkin, and mandarins.

 

Water: There is nothing more healing than ensuring that our bodies are properly hydrated. It’s one of the simplest things we can do, yet most of us overlook its importance. We are 60-80% water and the high water content is responsible for helping us to flow internally. Not only is drinking water essential, but eating foods high in water content, such as vegetables and fruits, will support the sacral chakra. Aim for at least 6-8 glasses of water per day, sipped throughout the day so that you can keep hydrated.

Fish: Salmon is one of the most ideal foods for the sacral chakra since it is a food that embodies the water element (which rules the sacral chakra) and is made of essential, fluid fats. Additionally, its flesh is the color orange, which provides the optimal vibration for the sacral chakra.

Deanna Minich, PhD, CN, (www.foodandspirit.com) is a nutritionist who sees more to food than calories and macronutrients. She blends cutting-edge nutrition information, quantum physics, and the ancient chakra system to guide others to use foods and eating as tools for spiritual growth and nourishment for the soul. With her latest book, Chakra Foods for Optimum Health: A Guide to the Foods that can Improve Your Energy, Inspire Creative Changes, Open Your Heart, and Heal Body, Mind, and Spirit (http://www.amazon.com/Chakra-Foods-Optimum-Health-Creative/dp/1573243736), she opens your heart, unravels your intuition, and guides you on a journey to inner and outer bliss with every bite you take!