What to Eat When You're Feeling Scattered, Gloomy or Moody

My client Julie once arrived at her session feeling very unsettled and overwhelmed due to her recent apartment move. I sent her away with a seemingly unconventional prescription for sweet potatoes. She ate some that night and immediately felt more grounded.
 
More Than Fuel
Food is far more than just fuel. We tend to think of it in terms of nutrients, calories, good or bad. How often do you consider its energetic quality?
 
All food has unique energetic properties that affect your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health. When, where and how it's grown, raised, produced or prepared determines its essential character and the energy it imparts.
 
By understanding food energetics, you can prepare balance-restoring meals based on the energy particular foods create in your body.
 
Let's take a look at vegetables.
 
Plant Prescriptions
The direction a vegetable grows can impart the same qualities in you when consuming it. Here are a few plant prescriptions for when you're feeling...
 
Scattered or Overstimulated
Root Vegetables: Because they grow in the ground, root vegetables like carrots, sweet potatoes, turnips, parsnips and beets have a strong downward energy. Eating these hearty vegetables can help you feel more focused, anchored and grounded.
 
Gloomy or Tense
Dark Leafy Greens: Kale, Swiss chard, collard greens, beet greens and other dark leafy greens grow upward collecting energy from the sun. Eating these chlorophyll-rich foods infuses your blood with oxygen, ultimately boosting your mood and spirits.

Light and cleansing, they also supply your body with flexible energy and remove physical and emotional toxins literally helping you lighten up.
 
Moody or Erratic Energy
Squashes and Gourds: To maintain an even keel, eat veggies that grow at ground level like butternut squash, spaghetti squash, pumpkin and edible gourds. These can help steady your mood and energy level.
 
You Are What You Eat
A food's life force directly impacts your quality of life. By selecting foods based on their energetic qualities, you can better nourish not only your body but also your soul.

Sautéed Greens with Pine Nuts and Raisins

Sweet, savory, spicy and just a tad bitter, this dish is the perfect balance of flavors. Use whatever greens you would like (e.g., Swiss chard, kale, turnip greens, spinach, etc.)—just keep in mind that spinach and turnip greens lose a lot of volume when cooked so use a large amount. 

Experiment with different dried fruits (e.g., cranberries, currants, cherries) and nuts (e.g., walnuts, almonds, pecans—these can be toasted in a pan, in the oven, or tossed in raw).

Serves: 2  

Ingredients:

• 1-2 tablespoons raisins

• 1 large bunch of greens (about 1 pound)

• 2 tablespoons pine nuts

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

• 1-2 garlic cloves, minced or thinly sliced

• Few pinches crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

• Roughly 1/4-1/2 cup of water

• Pinch of sea salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Soak the raisins in hot water for 10 minutes then drain
    

2. Rinse greens well; tear or cut leaves away from stems and discard stems; coarsely chop*
    

3. Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat
    

4. Add the pine nuts; toast, stirring frequently, until they’re fragrant and begin to brown (pay attention as they burn easily); remove from pan
    

5. Add the olive oil to the pan and swirl it around
    

6. Add the garlic and optional red pepper flakes and sauté for 30 seconds (be careful not to burn the garlic)
    

7. Add the greens a few bunches at a time, tossing with tongs to evenly coat with oil
    

8. Toss in pine nuts, raisins and salt
    

9. Add a splash of water if needed; toss to combine and let the liquid boil away; remove from heat once the liquid boils off and the greens are wilted (about 2-4 minutes)
    

10. Add salt and black pepper to taste 

*For kale, remove the tough, thick center stems.  For Swiss chard, chop the bottom stems and sauté for a few minutes before adding the leaves.

Zingy Creamy Tahini Sauce with Greens

This zingy creamy tahini sauce takes nutrient-rich greens to an entirely new level. Serve atop a hearty whole grain or seed like brown rice, bulgur or quinoa.

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon tahini, stirred well before measuring
• 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce, wheat-free tamari, or coconut aminos
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• Juice of ½ lemon, plus more to taste
• 1 to 2 tablespoons water
• 1 large bunch of greens (chard, spinach, kale, collard, etc.), stemmed, washed and dried
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
• Pinch of crush red pepper (optional)
   

Instructions:

1. In a small bowl, combine tahini, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil and lemon. Whisk with a fork until lump-free. Stir in water gradually to thin the sauce; you want it thinner, but not watery. Taste and add more lemon juice if needed.
    
2. Coarsely chop or tear greens into smaller pieces, about 4 inches long.
    
3. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
    
4. Add garlic and optional crushed red pepper. Stir to keep garlic from burning, about 15 seconds.
    
5. Add greens, a few bunches at a time, tossing with tongs to evenly coat with oil.
    
6. Cook until greens are wilted, about 5 minutes.
    
7. Turn off heat and mix the sauce in with the greens.
    
8. Enjoy immediately.