Food for Non-Thought
by Lissa Coffey

When preparing for long rounds of meditation, whether on a retreat or for your own spiritual growth experience, it’s important to pay attention to the foods you eat. You want to favor foods that will enhance your meditations, that will allow you to “transcend” more easily – and avoid foods that will keep you too grounded. Here are some examples:

AVOID:
-mushrooms, garlic, onions – most “root” vegetables are grounding
-very spicy foods – these are too stimulating to the system when you want quiet
-heavy foods – fried foods, oily foods, these will weigh you down, make you sleepy
-meats – these take longer to digest, make your body work harder
-overeating, and not eating enough – eat until 70% full

FAVOR:
-light foods that are easy to digest- rice, vegetables
-proteins that help you to feel full, not hungry, for longer periods of time, and
so your stomach doesn’t grumble and disturb you!
-flavorful foods to help you feel satisfied
-lots of water when meditating, to help body release toxins

A wonderful meal for meditation days is Mung Bean Kitchari. Mung Beans are more easily digestible than other beans, they provide lots of protein and do not produce gas. Rice is also in the recipe, and you can include your favorite vegetables (peas, corn, zucchini, etc.) You can prepare it in advance and microwave individual portions. It’s a complete meal, easy to make, and can serve a lot of people.