The Connection Between Our Brain & Food
In order for us to build a new earth we need to change and upgrade our hormones, nervous system, and brain chemistry. Alberto Villodi, author of One Spirit Medicine, wrote an excellent book that makes the connection between our diet, the brain – gut health, and our ability to connect to Spirit and our higher self. He explained that most of the population is running on the limbic brain, which was created for survival and meeting just our basic needs. This part of our brain functions like an animal and is focused on feeding, fighting, fleeing, and fornicating. The human body was not created to operate for just these lower needs and we are cutting ourselves short of our mind-blowing capabilities when we draw our energy from these lower functions.
The limbic system is the part of the brain that craves sugar and cant turn down comfort foods. It is the center that is obsessed with food, in need of constant sex or attention, and suffers from addiction to mind dulling drugs and alcohol. When you are emotionally withdrawing, feeling biased or negative towards another person, or filled with destructive behavior you are functioning from this part of your brain. Most of us are not even aware that we are operating with these types of belief systems, and thus the world is being filled with fear, a lot of guns, and a tendency to run from ourselves. You can see the drive of the limbic system clearly displayed on social media with newsfeeds filled with, fear, food or sex.
If this is resonating with you or you know someone like this, I have some great news. There is nothing wrong with you! There is just something wrong with the neural connections of your brain and your hormonal chemistry and this can be fixed. We are entering new age on the planet – a Golden Age – and in order for us to be filled with inspiration, creativity and beauty, we need to start to work from primarily our Neocortex and not from the limbic system, which is the mammalian center. We can not begin to even envision a new future by repeating the past.
The Neocortex is the part of our brain that creates music like Mozart and art like Frida Khalo. If you want to leave a legacy or function on a higher level it is necessary to build new neural pathways in this part of your brain. The Neocortex is involved in higher functions such as sensory perception, generation of motor commands, spatial reasoning, conscious thought, and language. If we don’t change our neural pathways we will pass our belief systems down generation after generation and this planet will remain in destruction. Villodi, discussed the connections between our neural pathway, everyday actions and our families very well:
“This map contains sights, sounds, scents, memories, and early childhood experiences. It is thought that as many as half of our maps of reality are formed in the womb, as the mother’s stress hormones pass through the placental barrier to the fetus. So if your mother was not sure she could count on your father to be there and support her, your map will code for a reality in which you can’t count on men to be there for you, or a universe where men will not support your endeavors. If, on the other hand, your mother was confident she could count on her beloved, your mental map will show a world you can count on—and it will create this reality around you.”
Creating a healthy brain map is vital when you are getting ready to conceive or are pregnant. If we want to change the future we have to change our neural pathways and we can do this simply by changing our diet to be filled with more plant based proteins and fats, and less sugar and carbohydrates. We can rewire our brain for joy through a lot of different avenues, but we will first discuss the importance of nutrition.
LETS CLEAN UP
Dairy: Get off it and stop dairy foods. Dairy bogs down the liver, prevents toxins from leaving your body, and can create a heightened allergic state in your body. If you really need it and want an alternative switch to goat cheese or yogurt.
Grains and High Glycemic Foods: Eat a low glycemic diet to stabilize your hormone levels. High glycemic foods cause an increase in inflammatory chemicals, stress, fluid retention, headaches, and insomnia. Stop all products containing gluten (wheat, barley or rye) and refined carbohydrates (cookies, chips, crackers). Grains are a modern-day discovery and our systems are not adapted to process them. If you choose to include grains go for healthy alternatives such as brown rice, buckwheat, millet and quinoa.
Beans, lentils, legumes: Limit to one-cup per day as they are difficult for most people to digest. Soak them before you cook them.
Sugar: Eliminate. No soft drinks, no artificial sweeteners. Studies showed that mice that were addicted to cocaine and then offered sugar as an alternative will choose the sugar 100% of the time!
Caffeine: If you can get off of it, if not limit it.
Canola Oil: is damaging to the immune system, feeds the bad pathogens in your body, and eats away at the linings of your body.
Corn and Soy: Eliminate corn and soy products because they tend to be allergens and because they are genetically modified the altered DNA feeds the bas bacteria in the gut leading to chronic illness. If you find this difficult try eliminating them for a couple of weeks and reintroducing to see effect they have on your energy level.
WHAT YOU WANT TO EAT
Fats and Protein: Make sure to eat good fats: Omega-3 rich foods (such as wild caught salmon), avocados, nuts (no peanuts because of allergies), and coconut oil. Avoid vegetable oils. Nuts and seeds are a good source of healthy fats and proteins (try soaking them for easier digestion).
Vegetables and Fruits: We co-evolved with plants, not with animals. Eat nutrient-dense, organic, and chemical free fruits and vegetables.“A plant-based diet (nutrient-dense, calorie-poor) will switch on more than 500 genes that create health, and switch off more than 200 genes that create cancers”. – Villodo Include a lot of kale, collards, and mustard greens.
Meat: Sparingly, and only free-range, grass fed.
Fish: Eat small, wild caught. Watch out for mercury toxicity.
Eggs: Are great for you, if you are not allergic. Look for organic, free-range, pasture-raised eggs because they are higher in Omega-3 and vitamins A and E. Eggs are a great source of protein, and they don’t affect cholesterol.