February is a great month to look at your relationships and how you communicate with yourself and others, topics that pertain to the 4th and 5th chakras. In this blog we’ll talk about foods that can help balance the chakras that facilitate healthy connections and relations.
Inside your body, there’s a channel that runs along your spine starting at your tailbone and running up to the crown of your head. One of the ways that this energy keeps flowing through this channel and into different parts of you is through a series of chakras that function like waterwheels. In fact, chakra is Sanskrit for the word “wheel.” There are 7 main chakras, each with its own purpose and associated with particular types of energy. Different foods help to nourish each of the chakras.
In two earlier blogs I covered foods to nourish the first chakra and foods to help nourish the second and third chakras. In this blog post we’ll talk about some ideas to help you nourish the fourth and fifth chakras.
FOURTH CHAKRA
The fourth chakra is the seat of love, forgiveness and relationships, all themes that tend to come up around this time of year. It’s located in your heart center and is associated with the lungs, shoulders, ribs, breasts, diaphragm, heart, lymphatic system, arms, hands and thymus gland. This chakra is also called the heart chakra and is connected with the color green and the element of air.
The health of your heart center provides information about the quality of love in your life.
Some signs pointing to your fourth chakra needing attention include:
- Heartburn
- Allergies & asthma
- Other lung issues
- Breast cancer
- Upper back and shoulder problems
- Carpal tunnel and other issues involving the hands and arms
- Never or seldom allowing yourself to open up to others due to fears of being rejected or hurt
- Tending to be needy or clingy in relationships
- Tending to nurture others to the expense of yourself
- Finding it consistently difficult to give to others
- A loss of passion
- A broken heart
- Consistently feeling unloved, unworthy, and unappreciated
To help balance your fourth chakra using healthy food choices, try incorporating the following into your diet.
- Green leafy vegetables (e.g., kale, chard, spinach, dandelion greens)
- Other green veggies (e.g., celery, artichoke, snow peas, zucchini, green beans, Brussels sprouts, cabbage)
- Sprouts (e.g., alfalfa, broccoli, mung bean, sunflower, onion)
- Green fruits (e.g., Granny Smith apples, avocado, honeydew melon, kiwi fruit, green grapes, green pears, limes)
- Foods high in phytoestrogens (e.g., beans, lentils, flaxseed, oat bran, rice bran, sesame seeds)
- Green tea
It’s through the heart chakra that you open and connect with harmony and peace. You tend to feel much compassion for all of life and a sense of ease when the heart chakra is in balance. There’s kindness, caring, joy, and an outgoing nature as well as pleasantness when spending time alone.
FIFTH CHAKRA
The fifth chakra is about communication and joyful creativity ~ speaking one’s truth and self-expression. It’s located in the throat area and is associated with the color sky blue and the element of sound. Its qualities include speaking, listening, writing, singing, chanting, and art. It’s associated with the throat, larynx, esophagus, neck, mouth, teeth, gums, lips, ears, thyroid and parathyroid glands.
The health of your throat chakra provides information about how honestly you’re able to express yourself.
Challenges pointing to your fifth charka requiring attention include:
- Thyroid issues
- Recurrent sore throat
- Mouth ulcers
- Gum or tooth issues
- Frequent loss of voice
- Consistent gossiping or criticism
- A tendency to lie and be dishonest
- Fear of speaking
- Stuttering
- Extremely talkative to the point of rambling
- Inability to listen
- Finding it difficult to express your thoughts, feelings or needs in a healthy manner
By adding in some of the following foods you can help bring your fifth charka into better balance. Try eating:
- Sea plants (e.g., kelp, nori)
- Wholesome soups
- Nourishing sauces
- Healthy amounts of fruit juices (be mindful here ~ too much can be unfavorable to the chakras)
- Nutritious ethnic foods (the 5th chakra likes variety)
A healthy fifth chakra allows you to express yourself in the most truthful manner. Yourwords are consistent with your actions.
What are some ways you’re nourishing your 4th and 5th chakras through the foods you eat? Leave a comment and let me know. Happy eating!
