Make sure to feed your body well

By Amethyst Wyldfyre
NH Mirror Contributor

Part of the path of awakening your spirit is the renewal of your connection to the physical body.

The most basic and fundamental process for becoming present is connecting with the physical body and becoming conscious of the wisdom that the body has to share with us. The body has clear and precise messages that we can tune in to in order to maximize our health and state of well-being.

There are many ways that we can tune in – one is learning to overcome the cultural and familial conditioning we all have received around eating: Were you brought up to eat three square meals a day? Did you get forced to clean your plate? Did you ever have to eat something that you absolutely could not tolerate? Were you trained to eat on a fixed schedule? Were you forced to ignore your body’s signals when it was full or perhaps when it was hungry?
There are so many ways we have been disconnected from listening to our own body and feeding it in the way that is best for its maximum health.

It may take some time but you can detach from years of conditioning and begin to listen to your own body. It takes making a conscious choice and sometimes it can upset the familiar routines that have been established in your family or home life. In the end, though, you will be healthier. You also will be a better role model for those around you if you begin to allow the body to lead you in making choices about when and how you nourish yourself.
Here’s a great recipe that uses whole grains, nuts and berries. It is a delicious treat that can be eaten alone or as a side dish.

Enjoy!

Wheat Berry Salad

Cook 1 cup dry wheat berries for about 1-1/2 hours in about 1-3/4 cups of water. Simmer – it takes a long time – until the wheat berries are plumped up and soft. This yields about 2 cups.

Sauté green and red peppers and onion in about 1/4 cup of sesame oil. (The oil is important – it flavors the salad.)

After the veggies are tender, add 2-3 tablespoons of honey, maple syrup or rice syrup. Dump in about 1/4 cup of rice vinegar and then squirt in about 2 tablespoons of soy sauce. Add about 1/2 cup of Craisins (dried cranberries), all as this is cooking on the stove.

Then take off the burner and dump into the wheat berries. Mix up and add some of your favorite nuts, such as pecans, pine nuts or almonds.

Amethyst Wyldfyre is a healer, teacher, artist and writer living in the Merrimack Valley. She can be reached at 594-2744 or at www.amethystwyldfyre.com.