will be lower in long chains of sugars and higher in simple sugars, ultimately leading to a rapid influx of sugar into the bloodstream. Therefore, we get a strong, initial spike of energy due to the fast release of sugar, but because of the corresponding quick release of insulin to shuttle the sugar into the cells, we end up with low blood sugar or hypoglycemia. Signs of low blood sugar include shakiness, headache, and fatigue. Our energy is depleted. Instead of enriching ourselves with energy from the food matrix, on an energy level we have made the process of eating a very costly one. Furthermore, the spiritual essence of a processed grain indicates a lack of integration and structure. Processed grains typically lack the germ and bran layer, leaving only the starchy endosperm. The spiritual message we send to our cells is one of a lack of wholeness and cohesion, causing us to disperse our energy.
Another example of how food can feed us spiritually is through color. In the instance with low energy, yellow foods can be stimulating and balancing to the solar plexus chakra, since they would transmit the vibration of yellow to the chakra. The solar plexus chakra is balanced when vibrating at the resonance of the color yellow. Thus, eating the spice curry would be very vibrationally congruent with this energy center and provide the solar plexus with the color frequency it needs. The curry compounds also stimulate physiological digestion through their warming nature. As a result, curry feeds the energy center through its color and its inherent physical properties.
As we go through each of the chakras in chapters 4 through 10, you will read about more of these physical-spiritual properties of food and how they may help you to work with specific challenges. When we learn to use foods and to eat in alignment with our soul, the healing begins. Increased consciousness occurs when all our many aspects are aligned and connected. Think of a boat with many oars going in all directions, but once they are aligned on one path, the boat flows forward at full speed. Such is the relationship with our spiritual selves. Our soul is the culmination and interconnection of many layers of varying vibration, with the densest one being the body, or physical layer.
In the next chapter we provide a questionnaire that asks about your physiological, emotional, and mental states. By completing the questionnaire you will be able to uncover which chakra(s) need support from food and eating. Afterward, you can read chapters 4 through 10 straight through or jump to the chapter that best addresses the chakra you would like to work on.
CHAPTER 3
DISCOVERING YOUR CHAKRA ISSUES
If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always gotten.
—ANTHONY ROBBINS
In this chapter, you will be able to identify the chakra issues that require healing by completing a questionnaire that integrates our physiological, emotional, and spiritual aspects. At the end of each section of the questionnaire, you will add up your score for that section. The highest scores indicate the direction of the chakra imbalances. It is common to find that there is more than one chakra that needs repair. In that case, it is recommended to address the lowest-number chakra first, since a block in a lower chakra will most likely turn into a blockage in the higher chakras. (Remember that, for the most part, energy in the body flows upward.) Your results will point you to the chapters that address each of the chakras individually.
I recommend completing this questionnaire in a quiet place, and as honestly as possible. You can also use the questionnaire to track your progress in the future, as you work through these issues using food as your healing tool.
CHAKRA QUESTIONAIRE
The questionnaire is divided into seven sections, one for each chakra. For each of the fifteen questions within each section, read each statement and rate, from 1 to 5, how much it applies to you. Then, add up your scores from each section, giving you a total of seven scores at the end. The highest score will denote which chakra is most unbalanced in you. Let's say your sacral chakra has the greatest number of points. In this case, you could flip to the chapter on the sacral chakra (chapter 5) to read more about nourishing this chakra with foods.
Some of the questions relate to your physical body and may be more obvious than the questions on your emotions and thoughts. For the more subjective questions, try to answer how you have felt and acted for at least the past six months.
Section 1: Root Chakra
1 = Does Not Apply 3 = Applies Sometimes 5 = Applies All the Time
1 Most times I do not feel safe or I feel that my boundaries are violated. 1 2 3 4 5
2 I suffer from lack of energy and constant fatigue. 1 2 3 4 5
3 It is difficult to survive in this world. 1 2 3 4 5
4 Sometimes I feel like life isn't worth the effort. 1 2 3 4 5
5 I have a hard time sticking up for myself. 1 2 3 4 5
6 I lack initiative and may appear “lazy” to others. 1 2 3 4 5
7 For whatever reason(s), I am unable to be a part of a community and feel good about it. 1 2 3 4 5
8 My childhood left me feeling unloved. 1 2 3 4 5
9 Sometimes I resist and even despise family traditions and refuse to take part in them. 1 2 3 4 5
10 I am either physically or emotionally disconnected from my family of origin. 1 2 3 4 5
11 I frequently catch myself being spaced out or daydreaming, like I am not in my body. 1 2 3 4 5
12 Whenever a cold or flu is in the air, I am one of the first people to get it. 1 2 3 4 5
13 (For men) Impotence is a concern for me. 1 2 3 4 5
14 I feel unprotected, like I have to “watch my back.” 1 2 3 4 5
15 I struggle with my body image. 1 2 3 4 5
Root Chakra Total: ________
Section 2: Sacral Chakra
1 = Does Not Apply 3 = Applies Sometimes 5 = Applies All the Time
1 My body has difficulty regulating fluids (for example, I tend to urinate often; I am prone to swelling in my hands and ankles). 1 2 3 4 5
2 I've struggled to make money or to save it. 1 2 3 4 5
3 I have little interest in following through on ideas. 1 2 3 4 5
4 Eating fish is unappetizing for me. 1 2 3 4 5
5 I am an “emotional eater.” 1 2 3 4 5
6 I have suffered from a severe emotional trauma at some point in my life that I have difficulty overcoming. 1 2 3 4 5
7 I have allowed myself to be (emotionally, physically) abused by others. 1 2 3 4 5
8 I often feel guilty, especially about my food choices. 1 2 3 4 5
9 There
