Do you ever hear people say they need to take a nap after eating a Thanksgiving meal? Your holiday meal shouldn’t be a marathon of eating and it certainly shouldn’t make you want to sleep! Not at dinner time anyway! Energy is a big focus in the world of wellness, and Jolene Hart is here at the WWB Healthy Epicurean Kitchen to share wellness wisdom from her new book ‘Ignite Your Light: a Sunrise to Moonlight Guide to Feeling Joyful, Resilient and Lit from Within’. I think you should add this book to your holiday gift list and put yourself at the top of the list! Because who doesn’t want to feel lit from within right? You will be amazed to learn how important energetic health is to your well-being and you’ll also look at your whole holiday experience with a fresh joyful mindset.
While we can’t change the circumstances we are all experiencing this year, we can choose to be joyfully resilient right where we are with love and gratitude. Energy begets energy. What kind of energy will you bring to your holiday table this year? Jolene has a few wise bites to help plan your holiday experience tomorrow. Wishing you all a very Happy Thanksgiving and please stay safe and well!
P.S It has been a great pleasure to have Jolene Hart this month at WWB’s Healthy Epicurean Kitchen. We hope to have her back often as she is a certified World Wise Beauty Guru who has so much wellness wisdom to share! If you missed her first three guest posts they can easily found on the home page and the Healthy Epicurean department!
Laura Connolly, Founder of World Wise Beauty
Guest WWB Healthy Epicurean, Jolene Hart
WEEK #4 The Energy of Holiday Foods
You intuitively know that there is so much more to your food than its nutritional value, calorie count, or serving size. Food has energy. And we understand this more deeply than ever during the holiday season, when food is memory, food is celebration, food is connection. But let’s step back and consider— what makes our holiday meals so special? And how can we ensure that this year’s holiday meals will strongly support our energetic health, which has close ties to our overall beauty and wellness? When thinking about the energy of food, it’s essential to consider the energy put into its preparation and its consumption, as well as the energy of the food itself.
The energy of the food ingredients you choose is reflective of its story— where was it grown or produced? Under what circumstances? How far and how long has it traveled to get to you, and what does that say about its freshness and its benefits for your body? During the holidays, it’s natural to want to choose the best to serve to yourself and your loved ones, and that often means considering the full energetic story of your food.
Once you’ve chosen your ingredients, your personal energy and environment for food preparation and eating are the next most important energetic influences on the final product. Some of the most treasured meals are those that we prepare with loved ones, or those that are made with favorite holiday sights or tunes in the background. Holidays bring to mind an annual cookie baking day with friends, preparing a dish for a family potluck, and gingerbread house making— all examples of foods made with joyful energy anticipating or enjoying the moment. And when it’s time to eat, setting the mood by considering the energy of your environment and the energy of your food relationship are both important. The holidays make a welcome backdrop for meals that can be seen, smelled, tasted, and savored, making sure that your body is relaxed in parasympathetic ‘rest and digest’ mode so that you break down and assimilate your food well. And while you’re using your senses to take in these special foods, remember that your mindset and food relationship also play a part; it’s important to relish the foods you truly enjoy and desire, without negative self-talk or internalized shame. Celebratory foods enjoyed in happy moments— even those that don’t make your ‘healthy’ list during other months of the year— do support your overall wellness.
As you plan your holiday menu, shop for groceries, prepare favorite meals, and serve them, remember to ask:
Are there places where I can swap out foods that don’t support my energetic health, and add in foods that bring me joy and nourishment?
How do I feel as I’m preparing holiday meals to share— am I calm and uplifted, or tired and stressed?
How can I create a special environment for enjoying holiday meals— are there sights, sounds, and other celebratory elements that will help myself and my guests better enjoy the energy of these foods and these moments?
To learn more about the energy of food and twelve other major energy influencers in your daily life, check out my new book Ignite Your Light: a Sunrise-to-Moonlight Guide to Feeling Joyful, Resilient, and Lit from Within. With a quiz to help you determine which part or parts of your day could use an energy shift and healthy, easy-prep recipes—like Sunday Morning Ginger-Apple Fritters with Raw Honey Glaze, No-Time Niçoise Salad, Toasted Pumpkin Seed Pesto Pasta with Balsamic Mushrooms, and Cinnamon Pear Cookies—to nourish your energy throughout the day, Ignite Your Light equips you with the tools you need to cultivate the glow that you’ve been missing. JH