being strained in the process, so much energy is released, we feel the revitalizing effects very quickly. This is a major factor in their growing popularity; the difference in your performance between when you take them and when you don’t is remarkably obvious. Superfoods are in a different league from supplements because they are actually whole foods. Their natural synergy is preserved and the messages they send to the body are much more easy for it to receive and process than those of isolated components that have been manufactured in a laboratory.
As you are reading this book, you are very likely wondering why you haven’t heard of many of these foods before. Most of them grow in areas where the land is purer and unspoiled because the indigenous populations are living lives of isolation and poverty, still relatively untouched by Western materialism. They are often celebrated and revered in their native countries, but unheard of outside of the regions where they are grown. As we Westerners start to realize the importance of really treating our bodies as temples, demand for innovative and original products increases, more research is done, and we are being introduced to many exciting new discoveries. As word spreads about their efficacy, people are joyfully consuming superfoods on a more and more regular basis.
If you are looking at the many superfood blends that are on the market, then I would advise you to remember that old adage “You get what you pay for.” There is no such thing as a bad superfood, and I have never come across one which cannot help with healing to some degree, but the quality between brands varies immensely. Some are bulked out with cheaper fillers, others are of a higher potency. But what you are paying for when you buy these products is the formula development, the complicated manufacturing process of blending the powders to an exact recipe, the packaging and the branding. When you are taking the superfoods in this book, in my experience the body responds better because it is not being overwhelmed by the complex information contained in these branded blends. The body is like a child: it works best when it’s being treated in as straightforward and uncomplicated a manner as possible, and is much happier being given one or two toys at a time to play with than a huge toy box where it’s just going to lose half the pieces and then not be able to find the bit that it wants!
When you first enter the world of superfoods, it can be hard trying to decide which ones are right for you. They all have unique qualities which makes it hard to say that one is better or worse; it’s like trying to compare peas and carrots or an apple with a banana. Some days, you fancy an apple, some days are banana days. It’s best to start with just two or three, so you can notice their effects, and get to know them, then you can tune in and decide which ones you need at a particular time. It’s also not easy recommending a daily dosage. It is always advisable to start off with a little and work up until you reach a level you feel comfortable with. Often the body will go through a healing crisis as it rebalances. Old complaints like skin problems or gut reactions may flare up, in which case return to a minimum maintenance dose, allow yourself some time to rest and let the body do its thing, and after a few days you should be feeling you’ve reached a new level of vitality as you’ve cleared your old stuff out.
Virtually all the superfoods in this book contain substances which regulate the body’s metabolism and thus control cravings. They help us tune into the body’s natural appetite, so that when you are eating superfoods on a daily basis, it becomes really hard to overeat or undereat. When superfoods are an integral part of your daily diet, you just don’t get hungry in the same way. Low blood sugar, unhealthy food cravings, and issues around weight become a thing of the past. Weaknesses over food start to fade away, and sustained energy and vitality replace them. When I wrote Eat Smart, Eat Raw, one of my sayings was “If you want to lose weight, stop counting calories and start counting nutrients.” Perhaps now we should change that to “Stop counting calories and start eating superfoods.” Not only are weight issues a major factor in illness, they are a preoccupying concern for so many people in society, particularly women. Think how much female power will be released when women stop obsessing over their dress size and are able to channel that trapped energy into more positive and creative pursuits!
It is the alchemy contained within these foods that puts them in the elite class of superfoods. It is an incredible nutritional profile, combined with an amazing vibration from the land where they are grown, and then presented within an easily accessible and bioavailable form that the body naturally recognizes and understands. Superfoods are “you can have your cake and eat it” foods, foods of enlightenment, foods of the gods. They fulfill both our needs from food: to be delicious, nurturing, irresistibly good, and satisfying, but also to meet all our nutritional requirements and fuel our bodies to the optimum. You need to love your food while you are eating it, and it needs to love you while it’s in your body. It’s all about the love, and double the love isn’t just love plus love, it creates a magic which is infinite love. Eating these foods cause chemical reactions in your brain which put you on the right pathways, they guide you back to yourself, your inner wisdom, and enable you to make empowered choices which will create the life of your dreams. When we are living in accord with our higher intelligence, we become tuned in to ourselves and each other, and the magic flows. These foods nourish our bodies at the deepest level, the cellular level, and when we create harmony and alignment in our bodies, it manifests in our lives. That’s why superfoods create superbeings. And the world really needs more superbeings right now.
Photo by Phat Teddy
How To Have A Magic Day, Every Day
A fulfilling and healthy lifestyle needs to contain a balance of elements to keep you running on all levels. If you are too much in your head, on the computer all day, you’re always going to be feeling a lack, that there is something missing in your life, because you’re stuck in one place ignoring so much of the world around you. Likewise if you spend a lot of time doing things for other people and none on your own doing things for yourself, you’re going to start feeling resentful and used. We find fulfillment through service, through giving, through knowing we have done our bit that day to make the world a better place. And we need to keep that in balance with the work we do on our own inner soul growth. Too much giving and we get burnt out; too much complacency and we are not contributing to the greater good. It demands skill to keep the balance between fulfilling our roles in the world and preserving our internal core, a skill which in itself needs working on and developing throughout our lives. I believe there are five elements we need to include in our daily routines to keep whole, to keep dancing. Of course we rarely get to include them all every day, but if we make them our focus, if we keep them in balance within the week, then everything else flows around that.
1.Exercise is integral to a healthy body, oxygenating the blood and stimulating the lymph. Daily stretching helps to relieve tension and improve mental clarity, loosening mental as well as physical rigidity.
2.Love makes the world go ’round. Human beings need love to flourish as much as we need food and water. Spending time with people you treasure and who treasure you is the most important part of your day.
3.Service. What is your gift? Your unique individual special talent that no one else has. What do you love to do to make other people happy? This is your life’s work, your mission on the planet, and is usually manifold.
4.Food of love is the biggest gift we can give ourselves. Feed yourself the best organic, seasonal, local produce available, and see the world offer you the best right back at you.
5.Meditation. Time spent alone is essential for inner peace. Even if you can only find ten minutes early in the morning, that is time well spent to set your focus and intent for the day.
I have friends who are healers, singers and mothers; artists, musicians and fathers; managers, writers and chefs. Many combine something in the healing arts with something creatively expressive; many combine something more left-brain like teaching with something more right-brain like design; the vast majority do not have a “boss” but work independently. In virtually every case, what