Ep.9/ The First Step to Healing Transformation: DIGESTION
TL:DR - If you want to really let your genius rip, you’ve got to be digesting well. This is how.
Digestion = How the brain and body best receive and transform information
The foundation of human design is deconditioning;
Food is the biggest conditioning force we take in on a day to day basis
Other things we ‘digest’
News
Social media
Conversations
Emails
Music
Podcasts
Books
Etc
Everything we take in exerts a force on us as it enters the individual human system; digestion is the process of the human will exerting its force on the raw material that the body and/or mind has taken in.
Digestion requires energy and warmth, literally and figuratively
Physically
Food
Stomach acid
Bile
The body exerts energy to mechanically and chemically break food down
And more energy to move the GI tract and absorb nutrients
With information,
Metabolic processes in the brain require energy to take in and break down
When folks are sleep deprived (even for a few hours) their reaction times are longer, meaning that they’re slower to process information
Spiritually
Life force exerts itself on incoming material, transforming and transmuting those materials
If you’re feeding your body and mind in a way that they must work harder to take in and transform the information
You’ll likely not have sufficient energy to break down and alchemize what you’re taking in
The external information will exert more force on you with this incomplete transformation
You’ll be conditioned by what you’re taking in, which makes it much harder to live as the person your soul came here to be.
If, however, you’re feeding your body and mind in a way that they’re set up to digest
You’ll have enough energy to break things down,
The external information will be subjected to and transformed by your life force,
You’ll be able to de-condition and live as the person your soul came here to be
So HOW?
Reframe food — it’s not about ‘healthy’ or ‘unhealthy’ but about what foods serve or don’t serve your deconditioning process and the unfolding of your spirit and genius throughout this lifetime.
Looking at the top left arrow
Which direction does it point?
Left
Your brain is highly active, and is designed to go out and get information
Planning and strategy are the best way for you to move in the world
i.e. meal planning and prep is for you
Right
Your brain is meant to take in information as it comes
Spontaneity is the best way; you don’t need to plan out all your meals for the week; better to keep some foods you enjoy around, and when you’re ready to eat, put a meal together.
What type of digestion do you have?
You don’t have to dive straight into the archetype if it’s not how you’ve been eating; these are strategies to help you play and experiment to make more space for you to decondition
There are 12 types of digestion
Consecutive appetite
Left/active
The foundational type of digestion
Embrace simplicity
Designed to eat one thing at a time
Cook simply, choose simple foods
Protein boxes at Starbucks
If a plate with multiple types of food, say roasted chicken, broccoli, potatoes
Eat all of the chicken, then broccoli, then potatoes
Alternating appetite
Right/passive
Builds on consecutive appetite
Embrace simplicity in food
Still designed to eat incredibly simply, but may make some combinations
Eg apple with cheese, or bacon wrapped asparagus…
Open taste
Left/active
Designed to by trying new things!
If you don’t like it, trust your body — this food isn’t for you right now (it may have been in the past, may be again in the future, but not for the time being)
Closed taste
Right/passive
Trust your taste preferences
Only eat what you like!
If you’re offered or looking at a food that isn’t appealing, don’t force yourself to eat — even if that food is considered ‘healthy’
For both open and closed taste, food comes in seasons
Seasons of the natural world (eg winter foods are different from summer foods)
Seasons of life (schooling, career, parenthood, etc)
In media, this is spoken of as a ‘hyper fixation’ of food for folks who have ADHD or other neurodivergence
Hot thirst
Left/active
The body runs cooler, and hot food balances this out
Spice up food
Eat/drink at room temp rather than iced or frozen
Doesn’t mean NEVER have ice-cream or iced tea, etc, but DOES mean experiment with having things warmer or room temp and see how you feel.
Cold thirst
Right/passive
Cooler food stimulates the body
Room temp to cooler
Calm touch
Left/active
Need to be FULLY focused on your food
Folks for whom the advice of always eat when you’re not distracted is absolutely true
Nervous touch
Right/passive
Do well when you have activity going on around you
Conversations, music, people… being engaged supports your digestion
High sound
Left/active
Sounds that YOU like
Folks with sensory sensitivities may be high sound — just the sounds you’re keying into will be less in volume/intensity than someone who doesn’t have auditory sensitivity
Low sound
Right/passive
The opposite of high sound
Digest best when things are quiet
There may be some addiction to noise/activity for folks with a low sound digestion, because of a fear that if things are quiet, if they don’t go make things happen, nothing will ever get done.
Direct light
Left/active
The brain and digestion thrive with bright sunlight
Folks who can’t get enough sun
If you plan to fast, skip dinner
Indirect light
Right/passive
Digest best when NOT in direct sunlight
Eat during dawn/twilight hours
Aren’t folks who can do good work if they’re outside in the sunshine
Can also apply to how you take life in
Examples
High sound
Have music or sound on that you enjoy
Direct or indirect light
Rev up your mind/brain with either, depending on your digestion; the opposite will make it harder for you to think/work
Nervous touch
Highly suited to an open office plan
Calm touch
Do better with a private space to work/think
Etc
