SATURDAY—REVERENCE FOR YOUR FOOD

Grace is not just a rote prayer we mindlessly say over our meal; it’s a way of transmuting our food into physical and spiritual nourishment.

Decide that from today on, you will only put the best quality fuel in to power your body. No more sodas, ever! No more diet drinks. No trans fats. Read all the labels on your food. Minimize the amount of processed and prepackaged foods you buy. Make more of your own meals and prepare them with love and gratitude. At least for today!

Buy as much organic food—or at least hormone- and antibiotic-free food—as you can afford to. (Especially potatoes and other root vegetables as ground vegetables absorb more pesticides and chemicals.) Eat chickens and eggs that are truly free-range—the rest can be loaded with hormones, and may affect our body systems and the environment.

Buy the book “Nourishing Traditions” by Sally Fallon (or find it at your library) and decide to cook meals at home as much as possible from now on. Stop eating out every night, or having take-out, or eating prepackaged foods. The nutritional value of most processed foods is minimal. And they are not generally prepared and cooked with love and care.

Have as much vegetable variety as you can and use what is in season. Try to eat local products as much as possible, as they are fresher and may still have some of their nutritional substances available to you! Make the effort to find food that has been allowed to mature on the vine, tree or plant. If you can’t buy food that is fresh from the vine, often manufacturers pick organic food fresh and freeze it right in the field. It’s worth looking into.

Having chosen your food with great consciousness and prepared it with love, care and thought, say grace over every thing you eat or drink and thank God for it. Thank the plants and animals that contributed to this meal, and ask God to bless it and make it nutritious and healthy for your body in all ways.

Then eat it slowly and thoughtfully, with appreciation and reverence. And chew each mouthful 30 times! YES, you can do it!

Doing everything with reverence is a great sign that God is in everything you do.

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