As we move forward into 2023, there is a great opportunity to contemplate and reassess goals and intentions. While I don’t necessarily set New Year’s resolutions, I do try to bring what’s important back into focus—especially those things that may have been forgotten in the distraction and chaos of holiday season.
Do you find yourself standing at the grocery store confused about what to buy? Organic, conventional, gluten-free, low-calorie, whole, keto, paleo, vegan, raw? I have been working in the field of wellness and nutrition for 12 years and rather focus on the rules around diets and the shoulds or should nots of a current wellness trend, I love talking about prana, or the life force of your food.
Prana is a Sanskrit word meaning life force. It is the life force within and without us and exists both as energy we carry and energy that we bring into our bodies with each breath and bite of food. Prana changes how we look at a meal on a plate or ingredients in a grocery store as we begin to seek energy, vibrancy, and vitality through the items we put into our body.
As we usher in a new year, here are some tips for eating a high-prana diet so that you may be well nourished in 2023.
- Eat organic or locally grown foods when possible. Organic foods are nutritious and free of fertilizers and pesticides. If your body has to work hard to purify your food every time you eat, you’ll feel fatigued and toxic. You can opt for organic at the store, or check out the Environmental Working Group’s Clean Fifteen list of conventionally grown foods that are generally low in fertilizers and pesticides (ewg.org/foodnews/clean-fifteen.php). Locally grown foods are also a great high-prana choice because they are fresh since they don’t have to be shipped or stored.
- Watch the color. Brighter color typically means higher antioxidant levels, which means the food will be high in nutrients as well as prana. Try to find raw, ripe, and fresh fruits and vegetables rather than canned or frozen and watch out for processed foods with colors added in.
- Buy your local farmers’ eggs. There is a big difference between a conventional egg and an organic pastured egg. You can see the difference in the color of the yolk. Some studies indicate that the darker the yellow, the higher the omega-3 concentration. Omega-3s are helpful polyunsaturated fatty acids that are important for many functions in the body.
- Add in some fermented foods. These foods are not only much easier to digest, but are also packed with naturally occurring probiotics. They also support hydrochloric acid production in the stomach, are alkalizing, and can improve gastrointestinal health.
- Go green. One of my favorite prana hacks is to enjoy a green juice as a snack. You can add some fun superfoods like chlorella, spirulina, microgreens, or broccoli sprouts to any juice or smoothie.
