Jamila StarwaterJamila Starwater
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FOOD
Love in Food : Conscious Food Prep Matters
  • Posted By Jamila Starwater
  • on April 6,2014
This is a Birthday Cake Jai Gopal made for me one year.

Food made with love tastes better and is better for you. I feel like this is the most obvious yet least acknowledged fact. We know it is true but we don’t know how it actually works, so it gets overlooked. “Love is the secret ingredient” is an anecdote we might see written in swirly letters on a new age cereal box or as a cute addition to a recipe write up. The irony is that it is so true. It is an open secret. We aren’t taught about this in a serious way and I feel like this is our loss. The intention with which food is prepared is just as important as where it comes from and what it is made of.  Let’s explore why this is.

Quantum theory states that the act of observation affects the observed. I’m thinking of that as I try to find the best way to describe the relationship between the cook and the food. Obviously the cook is transforming the food by chopping, mixing, heating etc. but food contains more than its physical components- the vitamins, minerals, protein etc. The subtle energy we call prana that is running through every living thing is also something that is ideally in our food. I say ‘ideally’ because often prana is not in food anymore. Overly processed packaged foods don’t have prana. It is the prana in food that nourishes all of our other energy bodies (11 bodies total!) . Fresh foods in general have more prana than cooked, canned and processed foods. But the energy of the cook can add prana to ANY food by the consciousness that is given to the food preparation.

A cooks energy field as a whole has a tremendous influence on the pranic energy contained in the food they prepare. A human can have an aura that reaches 9 feet in every direction. So the food that is being handled by the cook is IN THEIR AURIC FIELD.  The cook can add love to the food simply by thinking loving thoughts while preparing a dish. One can also use a mantra and chant it silently or out loud while preparing the food. Playing mantras in the kitchen also works. Practicing mindfulness by being aware of the breath and all the sensations while cooking can make the whole experience of food prep a meditation. If we enjoy the process of cooking chances are we are adding love without even realizing it! It isn’t complicated. Just the intention to add love works.

This subject makes me think about the awareness that restaurant workers bring to their jobs – and how , if you pay attention, you can taste and feel it! The fact is that many people that work in restaurants are underpaid and under-appreciated and that has a definite impact on the food they make. The vibe of a restaurant is just as important to me as the “fresh, local, organic” ingredients. I would rather eat something made with average ingredients prepared with devotion and love than something made with exceptional ingredients but prepared with anger and indifference. If you search your memory banks I am betting you can come up with an example or two of both scenarios!

So, moral of the story! Put love in the food you eat and prepare for others! Get intentional about it and see what happens. My guess is that you will enjoy it more and feel healthier after you eat it. It’s easy, free, powerful and delicious!

My next post on this subject is going to be about the power of “blessing” food before you eat it. Another simple practice that can transform food and your relationship to it.

 


FOOD
I heart Hemp Hearts + Vegan Milkshakes (recipe)
  • Posted By Jamila Starwater
  • on September 1,2013

cannabis sativa

A while back a friend suggested I try making milk with hemp seeds. Sounds weird right? I love milk and creamy foods and can’t drink straight cow milk due to a casein allergy, so we were talking about nut milk options. She was telling me how high in protein, iron and omega 3’s hemp is so I was curious..

So I took her advice and OMG. Best seed ever award! Light and nutty flavor! Superfood nutrition! I have been adding them to my morning shakes and they are creamy, delicious and filling. I also like using the hemp hearts instead of a protein powder because its a whole food. I will say I tried making fresh hemp milk for my morning tea which did not turn out as well.  The flavor wasn’t quite right with the tea, but I am telling you it is awesome in a shake. I did some research so I could convince you about how excellent they are and this is what I found:

Shelled hemp seeds (the “heart “of the seed) are:

– one of the best balanced sources of Omega 3 and Omega 6 essential fatty acids

–  extremely easy to digest and contain vitamins, chlorophyll, fiber, calcium and are rich in
folic acid.

– packed full of protein with 10 grams of plant-based protein per 30 gram serving size.

– they contain no phytic acid, the mineral-binding antinutrient common to most nuts, seeds, grains, and legumes. This is extremely rare for a seed. It means hemp seeds require no soaking to get rid of phytate. (source: go here for more info)

So get some! They have upleveled my smoothie experience … I highly recommend! Buy on amazon for the best deals as hemp seeds can be way pricey at the health food store.

Try this recipe— one of my all time favorites:

The BEST + Super Simple (vegan!) Chocolate Banana Milkshake 

*all amounts approx

1 ripe banana (the brown spots = sweeter + more nutrition)

1-2 heaping teaspoons raw cacao powder (use can use reg unsweetened cocoa but raw is the BEST, for a million nutritional reasons)

3 Tablespoons raw hemp hearts

1 cup ( approx) high quality water ( filtered , well or spring water)

add some ice cubes if you want

blend up real good.

taste it.

if your bananas were not that ripe then you may want to add 1-4 drops liquid stevia for added sweetness

Bask in the glow of the truly healthy and delicious beverage you just created..

Enjoy!


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