We like to pigeonhole things. We like to make order, create categories, define things as good or bad. Usually, that’s fine.

But when it comes to food and diet, we’ve taken this categorization to an extreme level. We’re always looking for the “perfect diet,” the one correct way of eating that will maximize our health.

Thousands of books have been written about nutrition and I’ve read lots of them. They are all very persuasive. The authors always work hard to prove that their diet is the best, the one that will keep me young and healthy until I die in my sleep at 120 looking like a twenty year old. They present their scientific proof, their supporting research and their piles of real-life testimonials.

But they can’t all be right!

If you read Why We Get Fat, for example, you’ll be convinced that you shouldn’t consume food with carbs, such as sugar, bread, pasta or rice, but can feast freely on animal products and fat. The author even says that greens aren’t important and that sugar is the cause of cancer.

It’s all very compelling and, of course, all based on scientific evidence.

But if you read The China Study, you’ll find the exact opposite. Here, you’ll get more scientific proof, this time proving that a plant-based diet is the right one for humans, and that the more animal products you eat, the bigger the chance you’ll get cancer.

Those are just two of the thousands of books on the subject. Whichever book on nutrition and diet you pick up in a bookstore, you can be sure that there’s another on the next shelf that will argue the exact opposite.

Put all the knowledge and proof in all these books together and you’ll find that the only thing you can really eat safely is…kale. As long as it’s organic, raw and locally grown.

The main problem with having all this conflicting knowledge is hidden from most. But since this blog is about Practical Spirituality, I will explain my point of view from a spiritual angle.

Knowledge Is Power, Right?

The more you educate yourself about food, the better choices you’ll make, right?

In theory.

In practice though, we live in a vibrational universe and manifestations are based on vibration.

Imagine two identical twins. They both like to eat ice-cream.

The first twin has no pre-conceptions about ice-cream. She is happy to eat it. She enjoys it, appreciates it and when she is done, she has a big ol’ smile on her face and moves on with her day.

The other twin, though, has read that ice-cream isn’t good for her health. She believes it has too much sugar, too much fat, too many chemicals. She thinks that ice-cream can make her fat. When she cracks open a tub, she doesn’t completely enjoy it. Every bite makes her feel guilty and when she’s done, she feels angry at herself for eating it.

Same food. Same genes. Same effect, right?

I haven’t actually performed this experiment but here’s my speculation: the same ice-cream can be either beneficial or destructive, depending on your state of mind, your beliefs and your attitude:

Twin #1 can eat ice-cream and it will serve her in the highest way possible. Her body will know exactly how to digest it and will process it in the optimal way. It will use what’s good and eliminate what’s bad.

Twin #2 will eat the same exact ice-cream but this time her body will reject it. It could give her a stomach ache, heartburn, or make her gain weight.

It’s Mostly About Alignment

When you eat the ice-cream, the steak, the bread, the doughnut, or anything else, you can either be in alignment with it or you can have a charge about it.

Here are examples of some typical thoughts that indicate you have a charge about eating this food:

• This is not good for me.
• It will make me fat.
• I read that I shouldn’t be eating this.
• I’m afraid I’m going to gain weight.
• This food causes cancer.
• This food has cholesterol.
• This food has too much sugar.
• This food has too many carbs.
• Look at all those chemicals.
• Too “white.”
• Too salty.
• This has gluten.
• Animals were treated terribly and killed to make this.

Each of these thoughts has a strong effect on your body. They create stress and your body reacts to stress by shutting down and working in a less than an optimal way. If you ever felt nauseated during a stressful situation, you know what I’m talking about.

Get in Alignment First

Before you put anything in your mouth, be aware of your thoughts. They can be quiet whispers or real complaints along the lines of: “I really shouldn’t be eating this.” If you’re thinking like that, you have two options:

1. Don’t eat it. Stick with foods you think are good for you or at least the food that has no charge.
2. Get in alignment with eating the food.

The first option is easy. If you think something is bad for you, it will be. Not because some book said it’s bad but because you think it’s bad and your body will not react well to it. Either don’t eat it or eat a small enough amount to make you feel comfortable.

The second option is better in the long term. You don’t want to deprive yourself of some delicious food for life, do you?

So how can you get in alignment with food you believe is not good for you?

You can start by blessing your food.

Bless Your Food

Blessing food is nothing new. Jews and Christians have been blessing food for thousands of years — and they’re onto something. When you give thanks for the food you’re about to eat, you raise its vibration and you get in alignment with eating it.

Here’s how it can work:

Before you eat, close your eyes and put your palms together.

Think about the food you’re going to eat. Think about how good it’s going to taste. Think about how your body is a brilliant machine that can process this food easily.

Now thank the earth for growing the food, the farmers for planting it,  the cashier at the supermarket for selling it to you. Thank anyone who was involved in bringing this food to your plate. Thank whoever prepared the food — even if it was you!

Now declare to yourself: “This food will serve me in the highest way possible!”

Finish by thanking your body for processing the food. Really feel thankful and appreciative for the food that you’re about to eat.

Can you feel how this simple process can raise the vibration of the food and prepare your body for a perfect  and beneficial processing?

This is very different to the self-sabotaging thoughts I mentioned earlier. Now that you’re in alignment, you can go ahead and eat whatever is in front of you without feeling guilty.

Your body will react well to it because your thoughts really can change the food’s vibration!

If you’ve ever seen the experiments that Emoto has done with water crystals and rice bowls, you’ll know that your thoughts can have a huge impact on the frequency of an object to which you direct your attention.

You can just imagine how well your body can react to food that was blessed first instead of being consumed while experiencing fear and anxiety.

If You Can’t Get Into Alignment With Your Foods

I have a very strong belief system regarding food, and I’ve found that blessing before eating works for me. But it doesn’t work for everyone with strong principles regarding the food they eat.

It also may not work if you’re not willing to invest the time needed to get into alignment. And if you’re always dining with others or if eating somewhere you’d feel uncomfortable pausing and blessing before eating, you’ll struggle with the alignment.

In these cases, you have another two options:

1. Simply avoid the foods you believe are bad for you. This is what vegans and vegetarians do. They don’t eat certain foods but they are in alignment with the food they do eat. It works for them.
2. Re-train your body to tell you clearly which food is good for you and which isn’t. I will discuss this in my next  blog post.

The main determining factor in whether a food is good for you is how aligned you are with it. If you feel it’s bad for you, your body’s systems will shut down and will not process it in an optimal way. If you feel the food is good for you, it will be. Your body will be relaxed and will handle the food in the optimal way — especially if you raised yours and the food’s vibration first by blessing it and being thankful.