Kundalini and Diet
Digestive system problems are common with kundalini awakenings because the energy and enzymes are being diverted away from the digestive system and into the transmutation/substantiation process. So it is harmful and counterproductive to overburden the digestive system during the years in which metamorphosis occurs.
Some reasons for digestive disturbance during kundalini are:
Metamorphosis is largely an immune activity, thus the immune system is not as available for digestion (leukocytosis). Immune system is compromised by the stess hormones of the peak.
Kundalini initiates radical sympathetic/adrenal activation, while digestion is a parasympathetic activity. Even hyper-parasympathetic phases upset digestion.
Extra stress hormones, and sex hormones and growth hormone are pumping through and need to be conjugated by the liver.
The liver has a lot more work to do with recycling cells, and from the disrupted digestion.
The demand for the antioxidant Glutathione steals glutamine from the small intestine thus thinning the GI tract.
Overworked immune system allows candida yeast over-growth that can cause irritable bowel syndrome and leaky gut.
Direct blissful flow of kundalini through the neurons of the GI tract creates fermentation. This is probably due to activation of the histaminergic and serotonergic activation of GI tract nerves.
Kundalini may also alter friendly bacteria populations due to pH and EMF changes.
Changes in nitric oxide production may interfere with peristalsis and gastric secretions.
The huge demand for enzymes during kundalini no doubt reduces the enzymes resources available for digestion and allergen control.
Occasionally kundalini energy moves directly through the digestive neurology causing digestion to becomes gurgley and bubbly with fermentation. I find this happens around the full moons of September and October. When there is bliss in the lungs and digestive system and your lips start tingling during an awakening it's best to just revert to fresh squeezed juice. Any food you eat while kundalini moves through the digestive system will just ferment and won't actually provide you with nutrition. Once the food is fermented it will require extra resources and energy to protect the body from toxicity and eliminate the useless food. Antiseptic and antibiotic herbs and spices like those listed for candida in the "More Supplement Suggestions" section at the end of this book will help reduce the fermentation and toxic load. This condition of kundified digestive system only lasts about a week so it's the perfect time to go on a juice fast.
White blood cells have the most enzymes of any cells and if one eats cooked food leukocytosis occurs. That is white blood cells rush to the digestive system to protect, clean up and digest the heat-damaged molecules. Thus leukocytosis takes energy and enzymes away from the metamorphic process and so evolutionary progress is disrupted by eating heavy cooked food during active kundalini. Stimulating the immune system with every cooked meal means that there is less cleanup, repair and regeneration going on. Most people's bodies don't even clean up between meals let alone repair and regenerate. But one of the main problems with cooked food is the radical overworking of the poor liver, kidneys, gall bladder, pancreas etc...It's just a lot of extra work for "nothing"--whereas that energy would have gone into the development of the spiritual body. Raw food however and especially sprouts provide adequate enzymes to ensure proper digestion while supporting the metamorphic process itself.
Although adopting a largely raw diet will tend to bring on a kundalini awakening, converting to such a diet while in the process of an awakening might cause digestive disruption if a lot of bulky fibrous material is eaten when the digestive system is not used to such cellulose intake. By use of raw juices, raw soups, wheat grass and careful use of high antioxidant fruits, we can avoid the problems that chowing through pounds of vegetables and unsoaked nuts and seeds will inevitably create. The fact that the digestive system is already compromised by the kundalini itself means that we have to be twice as mindful and intelligent about our diet.
Adopting a raw diet often brings on a kundalini awakening through derepression of vital energy. Whereas the cooked diet usually usurps most our energy in the digestion and detoxification processes, and so we have little energy and materials for repair, optimization and for building the spiritual-body. When we go raw this suppression is lifted and nature suddenly brings us up to the speed of our more Universal Self. Since we often use food as an escape mechanism to reduce the vividness of reality, returning suddenly to our full physical and spiritual senses can be extremely disorientating. It can take many years to integrate greater aliveness and to embody our full Presence and full senses. Because a kundalini awakening is already destabilizing I would not advise people to suddenly adopt a 100% raw diet during a full-on awakening...the adjustment would be too great for most people and negative coping mechanisms or digestive imbalances might result.
Raw food will cause the fastest evolution, however you may find winter to be a challenge on raw, especially for the first two years. Sensation really increases, and that includes the sensation of pain as we emerge from the numbness most of us live under. A good all round book is Living Food For Optimum Health by Brian Clement of the Hippocrates Institute.
Metamorphosis must indeed be the highest energy function in human experience. Because metamorphosis demands energy and enzymes and because the body's elimination channels must be free to enable a high degree of detoxification during the changes, it is advisable to not weigh the body down with a lot of heavy cooked food or substance addictions. A "quality" light, raw-sproutarian type diet with superfoods instead of "quantity" is advisable.
"When the inner nectar travels down to the gastric fire in the solar plexus, it spreads through all the nerves. This nectar nourishes the body so that it is not necessary to consume much food." P.40 ~ Swami Muktananda, Kundalini, The Secret of Life
The quantity of food one consumes need not return to normal until the anabolic or building phase of substantiation. In fact the transfiguring body needs less food because the senses are fulfilled with bliss, higher energy and consciousness is conveyed and the body is catabolically recycling its own tissues. It is advisable to maximize metamorphosis and assist purification by eating a diet of high nutritional and life-force value.
If we are in fear and resistance there may be a tendency to try and maintain continuity with one's former self, and to put the reigns on the transmutation process by overeating. Over filling the stomach to may tend to dampen the intensity of the awakening, but it will also create dullness, unresponsiveness and generally make one ill equipped to handle the alchemy and one's life. Also belly breathing is one of the best adaptive tools to use when kundalini is heightened and a full stomach prevents this deep and natural breathing.
Because metamorphosis assumes precedence over other life processes it will continue by drawing energy from other functions. Thus we are our own worst enemy if we try and put reigns on the process by eating heavily and using up our energy in excessive sex etc...The ego will tempt us with these consolations and comforts, because the alchemy can threaten the ego's sense of control and the known. Until the ground of the Self is well established, the ego feels threatened by the sense of groundlessness that emerges as the dissolution of former conditioning proceeds.
If kundalini is out of control and there is a need to slow down the process because it's too intense, then it is suggested that a cup of food be slowly eaten every three hours. This takes energy away from its present firey purification function and into the digestion of food. Gobi Krishna who awoke without the aid of a teacher resorted to this method to ease his distress from an extreme extended awakening.
In my own experience, after the bulk of the "message" had come through in July 2000, I chose to come down, so I ate a bagel with cream cheese and coffee each day. This brought me down from the stratosphere. But had I been stronger, supported and more informed as to what was happening, I would not have reduced the fire in this manner. In the end this kind of avoidance results in the creation of a mere mortal who had a "spiritual holiday," not a transformed being. Thus I am not as advanced and transformed as I would have been had I truly surrendered to the process with no resistance, inertia or control.
Since girls are more likely to choose passive modes of coping behavior in response to stress and trauma, their nervous systems are more likely to be set toward learned helplessness. Boys are more likely to resort to vigorous exercise, fighting and proactive aggression which would diffuse the traumatic charge and prevent Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) with its hypertonality of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. PTSD whether it be from a traumatic event or a dysfunctional family of origins leads to inevitable problems with digestion by causing the ongoing hypertonality of both the sympathetic and parasympathetic sides of the nervous system...which is a permanent subtle flight/fight/freeze. Ways to remedy this include yoga, meditation, breathing, toning, discharging the freeze through dance, shaking, vocalizing, pushing limbs and back against walls etc..., aerobic exercise. This will help stabilize blood sugar, stop cravings, lift depression and reduce pain. But we have to work at it daily in order to reset our nervous system, and thereby prevent secondary complications like chronic fatigue syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, leaky gut, diabetes, hyper/hypoglycemia, obesity-insulin resistance-lack of growth hormone production, fibromyalgia, cystitis, yeast infection, ADD, sleep disorders, allergies, asthma, psoriasis.
I would say that if you simply cannot endure kundalini, and can't find the methods to work-with and work-through the current symptoms, then a more solid diet is an answer. Providing one is still eating that which is slightly more complex, but not clogging and toxifying. Sugar will increase adrenaline and cortisol at a time when these are already high. It will degrade protein strength, compromise the immune system and increase pathogen growth.
Avoid sugar at all costs or your kundalini will burn too hot, leading to neuro-emotional weakness, instability, rapid burnout of neurotransmitters and oxidation damage to tissues, as well as build up of metabolic toxins. A sugar-carbohydrate quota of two pieces of fruit a day should be ok for most people.
According to Stanford University Prof. Reaven studies best results are attained with a diet with 40% of fats, 40% of carbohydrates, and 20% of proteins. Fiber intake needs to be at least 25 gr. each day, fiber consumption is inversely correlated to insulin resistance. It is best to split food consumption to several small meals a day to avoid hypoglycemia and hyperglycemic peaks. Avoid foods with high glycemic index such as: potatoes, carrots, bananas, grapes, pineapple, watermelon, melon, refined rice, cookies, honey, jams, refined cereals, sugars and all foods rich in carbohydrates and poor in fibers.
Dealing with Constipation— During kundalini we have to be conscious of preserving our intestinal lining because sympathetic activation can lower immunity and peristalsis and there is the potential for the intestinal lining to become more porous during the intense changes going on with metamorphosis. I tend to think colonics damage the colon, and allow toxins to enter the bloodstream. Instead of a colonic during the intestinal-contraction phase, or the constipation that sometimes comes with the heating of the body it is best to just drink more water...around 5 liters a day with a 1/2 “unrefined sea salt” (Utah) in it. Massaging the solar plexus, sacrum and belly with 1 teaspoon of caster oil will help release the intestines. Tap the kidneys/adrenals, spleen, liver and belly with light rhythmic thumps. Also go for at least an hours walk, preferably in nature, (and especially down by a river or the ocean) and do deep breathing into the solar plexus as you walk...also growling, humming and toning with a focus on the belly will help.
NEED FOR SUPERNUTRITION
After 10 years of awakening I realized I had lost the nutritional reserves necessary to fuel metamorphosis. For an extended period I noticed that around full moon my arms would get weak, my glut muscles sore and I would be hit by fatigue. Because the heart was literally pulling amino acids out of my skeletal muscles in order to feed its expansion. So I decided to start using smoothies to build up skeletal muscle reserves of glucose, and protein (aminos arginine and glutamine etc…). Food sources of the amino acid arginine include spinach, spirulina, sesame, sunflower, nuts, chocolate (raw cacao), alfalfa, wolfberry, and papaya. Food sources of glutamine include cabbage, beets, beef, chicken, fish, beans, and dairy products. Since cooking tends to destroy much of the glutamine in foods, “raw” spinach and parsley are better food sources. Glutamine is muscle building (anabolic); the higher the level of free glutamine inside ones muscle, the faster the muscle grows, because water, ions and amino acids enter the cell under conditions of high serum glutamine.
SUPERFOOD SMOOTHIES
SUPERFOOD SMOOTHIES
Smoothies are a way to get maximum nutrition for the least amount of metabolic effort.
SMOOTHIE BASE MIX
1 lb Raw Cacao Powder, 1 lb Maca root, 1 lb Spirulina, 1 lb Goji Berry Powder, 4oz lecithin granules, 4oz Rosehip powder, 3oz Slippery Elm powder, 4oz Olive Leaf powder, 4oz Alfalfa leaf powder, 4oz Nettle leaf powder, 4oz Chamomile powder, 4oz Corn Silk Powder, 4oz Apple Pectin Powder, 4oz Papain Powder, 4 oz Bromelain Powder, 1 oz Kelp powder.
Other things you might add to the smoothie base include Orange zest powder, Bee pollen, raw Carob powder and a touch of Cayenne pepper. Another exciting addition to your smoothie base is Lucuma Powder. This exotic Peruvian fruit has strong fragrance and a full-bodied maple like flavor and is an excellent source of carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins and minerals, including high levels of beta-carotene, niacin and iron. Purple Power - Muscadine Grape Skin Powder is high in antioxidants including resveratrol and quercetin.
Use a coffee grinder to grind anything that is not powder. Mix all the ingredients together and keep in a container in the fridge.
PROTEIN FOR YOUR SMOOTHIE
The word protein comes from the Greek “prota” meaning of primary importance. Proteins are linear polymers built from various proportions of the 22 different L-α-amino acids. Eight of these amino acids are classified as essential because our bodies cannot synthesize them, so they must be obtained in the daily diet. Complete proteins contain all the esential amino acids. Proteins are the chief actors within the cell, carrying out duties specified by the genes. Our bodies recycle approximately 80% of our protein; cooked protein is denatured and largely unusable. Enzymes are proteins that catalyze chemical reactions. For digesting protein the enzymes from vegetarian sources (papain, bromelain) are more effective than from animal sources; raw kiwifruit is also rich in the protein-dissolving enzyme actinidin.
Inferior “Manufactured” Proteins
I found that when I used soy powder and whey powder (even the “low heat” variety) that I would wake up with a dull headache in the back of the neck and feel congested. Dr. John Ray found that synthetic amino acid formulations (containing L-form amino acids) tend to be associated with regression of the iris fibers, indicating a decrease of vitality in the body tissues. He also found that many of the body-building protein powders (whey and fractionated egg-white) seem to produce lymphatic congestion, indicating congestion of the intracellular spaces with undigested material. There is evidence that hydrolyzed protein fragments (peptides) cross the small intestine and reach periferal tissue via the circulation. If denatured manufactured proteins are largely unusable, fragments of them will end up clogging the lymphatic system. Soy-based protein concentrates are also advised against as they contain antinutrients and goitrogens. Soy also contains Trypsin inhibitors that interfere with protein digestion, not to mention the phytoestrogens that stimulate cancer growth.
More reasons why not to include dairy and soy products in your diet and smoothies. We have heard that the lactose in dairy cannot be digested by most adults, but perhaps you have not yet heard about Insulin-like Growth Factor. Insulin-like Growth Factor stimulates weight gain and contributes to cancer development, faster growth and earlier aging…and it is found in high amounts in dairy…because milk is meant for stimulating the fast growth of young animals. But it is even higher in soy according to John McDougall, MD. Also carbohydrates/sugar increase cancer rates because high blood sugar and insulin levels result in an elevation of Insulin-like Growth Factor-1, which raises the risk of cancer. www.drmcdougall.com/res_breast_cancer2.html
So how do we get our protein?
Following are some raw protein suggestions that you can add to your smoothie instead of using manufactured protein powders. To gain maximum benefit while eliminating the enzyme inhibitors, it is best to either soak and/or sprout nuts and seeds prior to grinding for your smoothie. One way you can do this is to put 1⁄4 cup (one smoothie worth) of your seed/nut mix in a yogurt container with lots of little holes poked in the bottom. Put this inside another yogurt container and cover the seeds and nuts with water. I usually only soak my seeds and nuts for about 4 hours. Then throw out the soak water and grow on in the fridge for a day or two. A blender grinds the plant protein mix up perfectly, thus this seed/nut mixture is ideal in a smoothie to provide adequate protein, without the morning neck headache and lymphatic congestion of the manufactured protein powders.
Protein Suggestions
Following is a list of the protein contained in 100g:
Cashews-17.2g, Almonds-16.9g, Apricot kernels-27.5g, Peanuts-24.3g, Pine nuts-14g, Pistachios-19.3g, Pumpkin seeds-29g, Sesame seeds-26.4g, Sunflower seeds-24g, Flax seeds-25-30 g, Hemp seed-33g, Goji berries-15g, Maca root-10g, Carob-18.g, Raw Cacao 17.8g, Spirulina-70g, Alfalfa leaf-20g and Alfalfa sprouts-35g. Buckwheat seed-11.36g; Free amino acid contents in buckwheat sprouts are almost four-times higher than those of buckwheat seeds. Wheatgerm-23g protein. Sweet nutty flavored raw Mesquite powder-11–17g protein.
You can also add a fresh raw organic egg to your smoothie for protein.
Nutritional Yeast is 55% protein and sounds good in theory, but we must remember that it is a highly processed product that is made from yeast grown on non organic sugar beets and cane mollases, then pasteurized and dehydrated. Thus it is not exactly raw nor fresh and may be a neurotoxin and kidney irritant. You can get the same kind of B vitamin boost via the use of freshly made cereal-ear suntea.
MAKING THE SMOOTHIE
To make a smoothie start out with a handful of sprouted buckwheat seeds and your soaked protein seed-nut mix in the blender with a small amount of chilled water. Other liquids you can use are buckwheat goop (made in a colander system in the refridge), herb tea, banana stem juice or coconut water—but make sure they are cold as warm smoothies are not as appetizing. Then add more liquid and fruit such as Goji berries (wolfberries), banana, papaya, mango, orange, fresh orange zest and berries. Then add about ¼ cup of your “Smoothie Base Mix” and blend. I have started to put two leaves of kale in my smoothies as it is tasty and the kale reduces the intensity of the sugar-rush on the body and actually makes the smoothie taste nicer. Strip the leaves off the stalks and chop, then blend these first with a little cold water.
If you need extra sweetner use Yacon root syrup and pour into a large glass and suck slowly through a straw. Yacon root syrup is an alternative glucose free sweetener and prebiotic with few calories, it has a unique fructooligosacaride (FOS) carbohydrate composition. You want to make sure you are not taking in excessive additional sugar and carbs in your diet when you do the smoothies, because they are so readily available to the body. Avoid candida by stopping any processed sugar or cooked carbohydrates; make raw fruit your only sugar and no more than 3 pieces a day. During the peak especially we have to stay away from sugar, aspartame and cooked carbohydrates to prevent immune suppression and excitotoxic nerve damage. Thus even fruit should be used in moderation to avoid candida and overexcitation of the nervous system by excess glutamate. But usually we can easily handle one large smoothie a day...with say one orange, one banana and 1 tbsp of wolfberries as the sugar content.
Adding apple pectin powder to your smoothie will slow down the sugar uptake, thus pectin has the ability to regulate blood glucose levels, and has an anti-inflammatory effect in the bowel. Another attribute of pectin is its ability to decrease the body's fat absorption, thus lowering cholesterol levels; enhances cell uniformity, reducing the occurrence of malignancy. Because it contains large amounts of silicon it helps to return synovial and other connective tissue to their previously smooth, elastic, lubricated condition.
If you are not doing fresh wheatgrass juice shots, then you may want to add dried green powder such as Barley greens to the smoothie base. Also to avoid nausea you might need to balance this extra detoxification and nutrition of the smoothie with more greens and bitters...perhaps finding local wild plants like dandelion leaves or watercress to put into your salads. One smoothie in the morning and one salad in the afternoon/evening is all the food I can handle. Drinking ginger root tea might set the nausea problem straight also.
If you feel your energy is too sympathetically activated (eg: palpitations, heat, sweating, tingles, high blood pressure, insomnia etc...) then put some kava kava, valerian leaf, chamomile, raspberry leaf powders into your smoothie base mix. This way you can take your superfood smoothie and your calming agents at the same time.
When our sympathetic nervous system is activated there are periods in our awaking when our immune system is weaker, making us vulnerable to yeast and urinary tract infections etc… You might want to add D-Mannose to your smoothie base or add a couple of teaspoons of D-Mannose powder to your smoothie if you are going through radical kundalini events, especially when there is a lot of pressure or electrical activity going on in the head. D-Mannose helps to provide the neurons with extra energy and thereby reduces neuron death from excitotoxic damage by inadequate reuptake of the neurotransmitter glutamate and calcium. D-Mannose is a sugar that is used to alleviate urinary tract infections by binding to and eliminating bacteria. If you have a urinary tract infection don't drink cranberry juice as it has too high a sugar content...go buy some D-Mannose powder from a health food store...and put it into your smoothie. Fortunately D-Mannose does not raise blood sugar or cause yeast infection.
WHY RAW CHOCOLATE POWDER:
Cacao or raw chocolate powder contains flavanols that increase blood flow to the brain for a two to three-hour period and may hold promise for treating some vascular impairments and cognitive function. The flavonols in chocolate help the body to produce nitric oxide, a compound essential for proper cardiac function, muscle building and sexuality. Over 955 ORAC Units (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) of antioxidants are found in each gram of raw organic cacao powder! Compared with goji (wolfberries), another high antioxidant food which have only 253 ORAC Units per gram. Raw cacao improves the body's ability to metabolise sugar. It also contains Arginine, Tryptophan, phenylethylamine (PEA), and the most magnesium of any common food.
The best quality raw chocolate powder is produced by David Wolfe’s Nature’s First Law and Wilderness Family Naturals as they make sure the processing temperature never gets high enough to destroy the nutrients and create bitterness.
SMOOTHIE RESOURCES:
www.rawfood.com/ —David Wolfe’s Nature’s First Law-The best quality Raw Cacao! Carob powder, Maca, Hemp seed etc…
www.wildernessfamilynaturals.com/cacaoperu.htm —Raw Cacao
www.lucsherb.com/ —Wolfberry or Lycium Fruit (Goji) $5.95/lb)
www.beyondacenturyonline.com —Spirulina powder 1 lb $12.00
www.seaveg.com —Kelp powder
www.herbalcom.com — a great bulk herb company with a fantastic supply of various supplements and herbs including apple pectin, papain powder, bromelain powder and most of the herbs you need for the smoothie base mix, except for the "low-heat" manufactured raw cacao powder.
Read articles by Mark Rojek on Enzyme Nutrition Therapy on the web.
www.howweheal.com/protein.htm —Great article on the necessity for raw protein.
SPICEY DIGESTIVE TEA
This is an incredible tea to help all those with nausea, pain, digestive, coldness or circulation conditions and kundalini. If you want orange peel you might have to make and dry your own. You can also grind this tea fine and chug a teaspoon of the powder in a shot glass of apple juice to help reduce GI pain and inflammation, increase digestive fire and prevent nausea and dizziness.
Bulk Recipe for Digestive Tea:
6 oz Dried Ginger Root
4 oz Slippery Elm
4 oz Flax Seed
2 oz Cinnamon
4 oz Rose Hips
2 oz Chamomile
1 oz Clove
1 oz Cardamon
Optional: Small amount of dried orange peel.
Grind any of these that are not already powder in a coffee grinder and combine the powders. Note that herbs and spices are more potent if you buy them as cut or seed and grind them yourself. Keep in a jar in the fridge. In a saucepan heat water and apple juice or a combination of water and apple juice. Then add 1 tsp of tea mixture per mug of liquid. You can use the mixture twice, making a less strong tea the second time so just add less liquid, and keep on a low heat until you want to warm it up to drink. You can use a French press, but you really need a sieve and a spatula to make the most of this tea.
This tea in combination with taking a papaya enzyme tablet with every meal and bentonite clay in the evening will greatly reduce weakness and nausea derived from disrupted digestion/elimination. Good for pregnancy morning sickness also.
If you are kundalini active you might want to keep your apple juice intake to a bare minimum due to the sugar…I got a debilitating left-brain spazz going the day after I took 6 oz of apple juice in this tea. Raw apples do not give this effect, it is just the fact that the apple juice is cooked…hence the sugar is pasteurized or altered from its natural state. Rawfoodists and kundi-actives can get around this by adding some “raw, fresh apple juice” to the already made tea to sweeten it if desired.
BALANCED KUNDALINI DIET
For those not ready to adopt a raw diet, a combination of the anti-inflammatory Zone Diet plus the timing and principles of the Provita Plan will provide a great basis for balanced nutrition. But even for rawfoodists to adopt the principles of these diets would be advantageous, as active kundalini necessitates optimum nutrition and a balanced diet is all the more important.
The Rave Diet people at www.BeaconDV.org recommend a 100% plant based diet with only 10% calories from fat. This is the ultimate disease prevention diet that strengthens the immune system and lengthens lifespan. Whereas animal based diets raise serum estrogen and testosterone increasing the risk of cancer and raise cholesterol levels thereby blocking receptors.
There is no problem with getting adequate protein on this diet. According to www.nutritiondata.com/ the protein ratio of spinach is 30%, brussel sprouts are 19%, boiled green beans 13%, romaine lettuce 18%, raw cabbage 15%, raw Spanish peanuts 16%, almonds 13%, quinoa 12%, buckwheat 13%, kidney beans 24%, sprouted soybeans 26%, tofu 38%, sprouted alfalfa 34%, Swiss chard 23%, wheat grass juice 27%, and mushrooms 37%.
read on: http://biologyofkundalini.com/article.php?story=kundalinianddiet
Love Always
mudra
Digestive system problems are common with kundalini awakenings because the energy and enzymes are being diverted away from the digestive system and into the transmutation/substantiation process. So it is harmful and counterproductive to overburden the digestive system during the years in which metamorphosis occurs.
Some reasons for digestive disturbance during kundalini are:
Metamorphosis is largely an immune activity, thus the immune system is not as available for digestion (leukocytosis). Immune system is compromised by the stess hormones of the peak.
Kundalini initiates radical sympathetic/adrenal activation, while digestion is a parasympathetic activity. Even hyper-parasympathetic phases upset digestion.
Extra stress hormones, and sex hormones and growth hormone are pumping through and need to be conjugated by the liver.
The liver has a lot more work to do with recycling cells, and from the disrupted digestion.
The demand for the antioxidant Glutathione steals glutamine from the small intestine thus thinning the GI tract.
Overworked immune system allows candida yeast over-growth that can cause irritable bowel syndrome and leaky gut.
Direct blissful flow of kundalini through the neurons of the GI tract creates fermentation. This is probably due to activation of the histaminergic and serotonergic activation of GI tract nerves.
Kundalini may also alter friendly bacteria populations due to pH and EMF changes.
Changes in nitric oxide production may interfere with peristalsis and gastric secretions.
The huge demand for enzymes during kundalini no doubt reduces the enzymes resources available for digestion and allergen control.
Occasionally kundalini energy moves directly through the digestive neurology causing digestion to becomes gurgley and bubbly with fermentation. I find this happens around the full moons of September and October. When there is bliss in the lungs and digestive system and your lips start tingling during an awakening it's best to just revert to fresh squeezed juice. Any food you eat while kundalini moves through the digestive system will just ferment and won't actually provide you with nutrition. Once the food is fermented it will require extra resources and energy to protect the body from toxicity and eliminate the useless food. Antiseptic and antibiotic herbs and spices like those listed for candida in the "More Supplement Suggestions" section at the end of this book will help reduce the fermentation and toxic load. This condition of kundified digestive system only lasts about a week so it's the perfect time to go on a juice fast.
White blood cells have the most enzymes of any cells and if one eats cooked food leukocytosis occurs. That is white blood cells rush to the digestive system to protect, clean up and digest the heat-damaged molecules. Thus leukocytosis takes energy and enzymes away from the metamorphic process and so evolutionary progress is disrupted by eating heavy cooked food during active kundalini. Stimulating the immune system with every cooked meal means that there is less cleanup, repair and regeneration going on. Most people's bodies don't even clean up between meals let alone repair and regenerate. But one of the main problems with cooked food is the radical overworking of the poor liver, kidneys, gall bladder, pancreas etc...It's just a lot of extra work for "nothing"--whereas that energy would have gone into the development of the spiritual body. Raw food however and especially sprouts provide adequate enzymes to ensure proper digestion while supporting the metamorphic process itself.
Although adopting a largely raw diet will tend to bring on a kundalini awakening, converting to such a diet while in the process of an awakening might cause digestive disruption if a lot of bulky fibrous material is eaten when the digestive system is not used to such cellulose intake. By use of raw juices, raw soups, wheat grass and careful use of high antioxidant fruits, we can avoid the problems that chowing through pounds of vegetables and unsoaked nuts and seeds will inevitably create. The fact that the digestive system is already compromised by the kundalini itself means that we have to be twice as mindful and intelligent about our diet.
Adopting a raw diet often brings on a kundalini awakening through derepression of vital energy. Whereas the cooked diet usually usurps most our energy in the digestion and detoxification processes, and so we have little energy and materials for repair, optimization and for building the spiritual-body. When we go raw this suppression is lifted and nature suddenly brings us up to the speed of our more Universal Self. Since we often use food as an escape mechanism to reduce the vividness of reality, returning suddenly to our full physical and spiritual senses can be extremely disorientating. It can take many years to integrate greater aliveness and to embody our full Presence and full senses. Because a kundalini awakening is already destabilizing I would not advise people to suddenly adopt a 100% raw diet during a full-on awakening...the adjustment would be too great for most people and negative coping mechanisms or digestive imbalances might result.
Raw food will cause the fastest evolution, however you may find winter to be a challenge on raw, especially for the first two years. Sensation really increases, and that includes the sensation of pain as we emerge from the numbness most of us live under. A good all round book is Living Food For Optimum Health by Brian Clement of the Hippocrates Institute.
Metamorphosis must indeed be the highest energy function in human experience. Because metamorphosis demands energy and enzymes and because the body's elimination channels must be free to enable a high degree of detoxification during the changes, it is advisable to not weigh the body down with a lot of heavy cooked food or substance addictions. A "quality" light, raw-sproutarian type diet with superfoods instead of "quantity" is advisable.
"When the inner nectar travels down to the gastric fire in the solar plexus, it spreads through all the nerves. This nectar nourishes the body so that it is not necessary to consume much food." P.40 ~ Swami Muktananda, Kundalini, The Secret of Life
The quantity of food one consumes need not return to normal until the anabolic or building phase of substantiation. In fact the transfiguring body needs less food because the senses are fulfilled with bliss, higher energy and consciousness is conveyed and the body is catabolically recycling its own tissues. It is advisable to maximize metamorphosis and assist purification by eating a diet of high nutritional and life-force value.
If we are in fear and resistance there may be a tendency to try and maintain continuity with one's former self, and to put the reigns on the transmutation process by overeating. Over filling the stomach to may tend to dampen the intensity of the awakening, but it will also create dullness, unresponsiveness and generally make one ill equipped to handle the alchemy and one's life. Also belly breathing is one of the best adaptive tools to use when kundalini is heightened and a full stomach prevents this deep and natural breathing.
Because metamorphosis assumes precedence over other life processes it will continue by drawing energy from other functions. Thus we are our own worst enemy if we try and put reigns on the process by eating heavily and using up our energy in excessive sex etc...The ego will tempt us with these consolations and comforts, because the alchemy can threaten the ego's sense of control and the known. Until the ground of the Self is well established, the ego feels threatened by the sense of groundlessness that emerges as the dissolution of former conditioning proceeds.
If kundalini is out of control and there is a need to slow down the process because it's too intense, then it is suggested that a cup of food be slowly eaten every three hours. This takes energy away from its present firey purification function and into the digestion of food. Gobi Krishna who awoke without the aid of a teacher resorted to this method to ease his distress from an extreme extended awakening.
In my own experience, after the bulk of the "message" had come through in July 2000, I chose to come down, so I ate a bagel with cream cheese and coffee each day. This brought me down from the stratosphere. But had I been stronger, supported and more informed as to what was happening, I would not have reduced the fire in this manner. In the end this kind of avoidance results in the creation of a mere mortal who had a "spiritual holiday," not a transformed being. Thus I am not as advanced and transformed as I would have been had I truly surrendered to the process with no resistance, inertia or control.
Since girls are more likely to choose passive modes of coping behavior in response to stress and trauma, their nervous systems are more likely to be set toward learned helplessness. Boys are more likely to resort to vigorous exercise, fighting and proactive aggression which would diffuse the traumatic charge and prevent Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) with its hypertonality of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. PTSD whether it be from a traumatic event or a dysfunctional family of origins leads to inevitable problems with digestion by causing the ongoing hypertonality of both the sympathetic and parasympathetic sides of the nervous system...which is a permanent subtle flight/fight/freeze. Ways to remedy this include yoga, meditation, breathing, toning, discharging the freeze through dance, shaking, vocalizing, pushing limbs and back against walls etc..., aerobic exercise. This will help stabilize blood sugar, stop cravings, lift depression and reduce pain. But we have to work at it daily in order to reset our nervous system, and thereby prevent secondary complications like chronic fatigue syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, leaky gut, diabetes, hyper/hypoglycemia, obesity-insulin resistance-lack of growth hormone production, fibromyalgia, cystitis, yeast infection, ADD, sleep disorders, allergies, asthma, psoriasis.
I would say that if you simply cannot endure kundalini, and can't find the methods to work-with and work-through the current symptoms, then a more solid diet is an answer. Providing one is still eating that which is slightly more complex, but not clogging and toxifying. Sugar will increase adrenaline and cortisol at a time when these are already high. It will degrade protein strength, compromise the immune system and increase pathogen growth.
Avoid sugar at all costs or your kundalini will burn too hot, leading to neuro-emotional weakness, instability, rapid burnout of neurotransmitters and oxidation damage to tissues, as well as build up of metabolic toxins. A sugar-carbohydrate quota of two pieces of fruit a day should be ok for most people.
According to Stanford University Prof. Reaven studies best results are attained with a diet with 40% of fats, 40% of carbohydrates, and 20% of proteins. Fiber intake needs to be at least 25 gr. each day, fiber consumption is inversely correlated to insulin resistance. It is best to split food consumption to several small meals a day to avoid hypoglycemia and hyperglycemic peaks. Avoid foods with high glycemic index such as: potatoes, carrots, bananas, grapes, pineapple, watermelon, melon, refined rice, cookies, honey, jams, refined cereals, sugars and all foods rich in carbohydrates and poor in fibers.
Dealing with Constipation— During kundalini we have to be conscious of preserving our intestinal lining because sympathetic activation can lower immunity and peristalsis and there is the potential for the intestinal lining to become more porous during the intense changes going on with metamorphosis. I tend to think colonics damage the colon, and allow toxins to enter the bloodstream. Instead of a colonic during the intestinal-contraction phase, or the constipation that sometimes comes with the heating of the body it is best to just drink more water...around 5 liters a day with a 1/2 “unrefined sea salt” (Utah) in it. Massaging the solar plexus, sacrum and belly with 1 teaspoon of caster oil will help release the intestines. Tap the kidneys/adrenals, spleen, liver and belly with light rhythmic thumps. Also go for at least an hours walk, preferably in nature, (and especially down by a river or the ocean) and do deep breathing into the solar plexus as you walk...also growling, humming and toning with a focus on the belly will help.
NEED FOR SUPERNUTRITION
After 10 years of awakening I realized I had lost the nutritional reserves necessary to fuel metamorphosis. For an extended period I noticed that around full moon my arms would get weak, my glut muscles sore and I would be hit by fatigue. Because the heart was literally pulling amino acids out of my skeletal muscles in order to feed its expansion. So I decided to start using smoothies to build up skeletal muscle reserves of glucose, and protein (aminos arginine and glutamine etc…). Food sources of the amino acid arginine include spinach, spirulina, sesame, sunflower, nuts, chocolate (raw cacao), alfalfa, wolfberry, and papaya. Food sources of glutamine include cabbage, beets, beef, chicken, fish, beans, and dairy products. Since cooking tends to destroy much of the glutamine in foods, “raw” spinach and parsley are better food sources. Glutamine is muscle building (anabolic); the higher the level of free glutamine inside ones muscle, the faster the muscle grows, because water, ions and amino acids enter the cell under conditions of high serum glutamine.
SUPERFOOD SMOOTHIES
SUPERFOOD SMOOTHIES
Smoothies are a way to get maximum nutrition for the least amount of metabolic effort.
SMOOTHIE BASE MIX
1 lb Raw Cacao Powder, 1 lb Maca root, 1 lb Spirulina, 1 lb Goji Berry Powder, 4oz lecithin granules, 4oz Rosehip powder, 3oz Slippery Elm powder, 4oz Olive Leaf powder, 4oz Alfalfa leaf powder, 4oz Nettle leaf powder, 4oz Chamomile powder, 4oz Corn Silk Powder, 4oz Apple Pectin Powder, 4oz Papain Powder, 4 oz Bromelain Powder, 1 oz Kelp powder.
Other things you might add to the smoothie base include Orange zest powder, Bee pollen, raw Carob powder and a touch of Cayenne pepper. Another exciting addition to your smoothie base is Lucuma Powder. This exotic Peruvian fruit has strong fragrance and a full-bodied maple like flavor and is an excellent source of carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins and minerals, including high levels of beta-carotene, niacin and iron. Purple Power - Muscadine Grape Skin Powder is high in antioxidants including resveratrol and quercetin.
Use a coffee grinder to grind anything that is not powder. Mix all the ingredients together and keep in a container in the fridge.
PROTEIN FOR YOUR SMOOTHIE
The word protein comes from the Greek “prota” meaning of primary importance. Proteins are linear polymers built from various proportions of the 22 different L-α-amino acids. Eight of these amino acids are classified as essential because our bodies cannot synthesize them, so they must be obtained in the daily diet. Complete proteins contain all the esential amino acids. Proteins are the chief actors within the cell, carrying out duties specified by the genes. Our bodies recycle approximately 80% of our protein; cooked protein is denatured and largely unusable. Enzymes are proteins that catalyze chemical reactions. For digesting protein the enzymes from vegetarian sources (papain, bromelain) are more effective than from animal sources; raw kiwifruit is also rich in the protein-dissolving enzyme actinidin.
Inferior “Manufactured” Proteins
I found that when I used soy powder and whey powder (even the “low heat” variety) that I would wake up with a dull headache in the back of the neck and feel congested. Dr. John Ray found that synthetic amino acid formulations (containing L-form amino acids) tend to be associated with regression of the iris fibers, indicating a decrease of vitality in the body tissues. He also found that many of the body-building protein powders (whey and fractionated egg-white) seem to produce lymphatic congestion, indicating congestion of the intracellular spaces with undigested material. There is evidence that hydrolyzed protein fragments (peptides) cross the small intestine and reach periferal tissue via the circulation. If denatured manufactured proteins are largely unusable, fragments of them will end up clogging the lymphatic system. Soy-based protein concentrates are also advised against as they contain antinutrients and goitrogens. Soy also contains Trypsin inhibitors that interfere with protein digestion, not to mention the phytoestrogens that stimulate cancer growth.
More reasons why not to include dairy and soy products in your diet and smoothies. We have heard that the lactose in dairy cannot be digested by most adults, but perhaps you have not yet heard about Insulin-like Growth Factor. Insulin-like Growth Factor stimulates weight gain and contributes to cancer development, faster growth and earlier aging…and it is found in high amounts in dairy…because milk is meant for stimulating the fast growth of young animals. But it is even higher in soy according to John McDougall, MD. Also carbohydrates/sugar increase cancer rates because high blood sugar and insulin levels result in an elevation of Insulin-like Growth Factor-1, which raises the risk of cancer. www.drmcdougall.com/res_breast_cancer2.html
So how do we get our protein?
Following are some raw protein suggestions that you can add to your smoothie instead of using manufactured protein powders. To gain maximum benefit while eliminating the enzyme inhibitors, it is best to either soak and/or sprout nuts and seeds prior to grinding for your smoothie. One way you can do this is to put 1⁄4 cup (one smoothie worth) of your seed/nut mix in a yogurt container with lots of little holes poked in the bottom. Put this inside another yogurt container and cover the seeds and nuts with water. I usually only soak my seeds and nuts for about 4 hours. Then throw out the soak water and grow on in the fridge for a day or two. A blender grinds the plant protein mix up perfectly, thus this seed/nut mixture is ideal in a smoothie to provide adequate protein, without the morning neck headache and lymphatic congestion of the manufactured protein powders.
Protein Suggestions
Following is a list of the protein contained in 100g:
Cashews-17.2g, Almonds-16.9g, Apricot kernels-27.5g, Peanuts-24.3g, Pine nuts-14g, Pistachios-19.3g, Pumpkin seeds-29g, Sesame seeds-26.4g, Sunflower seeds-24g, Flax seeds-25-30 g, Hemp seed-33g, Goji berries-15g, Maca root-10g, Carob-18.g, Raw Cacao 17.8g, Spirulina-70g, Alfalfa leaf-20g and Alfalfa sprouts-35g. Buckwheat seed-11.36g; Free amino acid contents in buckwheat sprouts are almost four-times higher than those of buckwheat seeds. Wheatgerm-23g protein. Sweet nutty flavored raw Mesquite powder-11–17g protein.
You can also add a fresh raw organic egg to your smoothie for protein.
Nutritional Yeast is 55% protein and sounds good in theory, but we must remember that it is a highly processed product that is made from yeast grown on non organic sugar beets and cane mollases, then pasteurized and dehydrated. Thus it is not exactly raw nor fresh and may be a neurotoxin and kidney irritant. You can get the same kind of B vitamin boost via the use of freshly made cereal-ear suntea.
MAKING THE SMOOTHIE
To make a smoothie start out with a handful of sprouted buckwheat seeds and your soaked protein seed-nut mix in the blender with a small amount of chilled water. Other liquids you can use are buckwheat goop (made in a colander system in the refridge), herb tea, banana stem juice or coconut water—but make sure they are cold as warm smoothies are not as appetizing. Then add more liquid and fruit such as Goji berries (wolfberries), banana, papaya, mango, orange, fresh orange zest and berries. Then add about ¼ cup of your “Smoothie Base Mix” and blend. I have started to put two leaves of kale in my smoothies as it is tasty and the kale reduces the intensity of the sugar-rush on the body and actually makes the smoothie taste nicer. Strip the leaves off the stalks and chop, then blend these first with a little cold water.
If you need extra sweetner use Yacon root syrup and pour into a large glass and suck slowly through a straw. Yacon root syrup is an alternative glucose free sweetener and prebiotic with few calories, it has a unique fructooligosacaride (FOS) carbohydrate composition. You want to make sure you are not taking in excessive additional sugar and carbs in your diet when you do the smoothies, because they are so readily available to the body. Avoid candida by stopping any processed sugar or cooked carbohydrates; make raw fruit your only sugar and no more than 3 pieces a day. During the peak especially we have to stay away from sugar, aspartame and cooked carbohydrates to prevent immune suppression and excitotoxic nerve damage. Thus even fruit should be used in moderation to avoid candida and overexcitation of the nervous system by excess glutamate. But usually we can easily handle one large smoothie a day...with say one orange, one banana and 1 tbsp of wolfberries as the sugar content.
Adding apple pectin powder to your smoothie will slow down the sugar uptake, thus pectin has the ability to regulate blood glucose levels, and has an anti-inflammatory effect in the bowel. Another attribute of pectin is its ability to decrease the body's fat absorption, thus lowering cholesterol levels; enhances cell uniformity, reducing the occurrence of malignancy. Because it contains large amounts of silicon it helps to return synovial and other connective tissue to their previously smooth, elastic, lubricated condition.
If you are not doing fresh wheatgrass juice shots, then you may want to add dried green powder such as Barley greens to the smoothie base. Also to avoid nausea you might need to balance this extra detoxification and nutrition of the smoothie with more greens and bitters...perhaps finding local wild plants like dandelion leaves or watercress to put into your salads. One smoothie in the morning and one salad in the afternoon/evening is all the food I can handle. Drinking ginger root tea might set the nausea problem straight also.
If you feel your energy is too sympathetically activated (eg: palpitations, heat, sweating, tingles, high blood pressure, insomnia etc...) then put some kava kava, valerian leaf, chamomile, raspberry leaf powders into your smoothie base mix. This way you can take your superfood smoothie and your calming agents at the same time.
When our sympathetic nervous system is activated there are periods in our awaking when our immune system is weaker, making us vulnerable to yeast and urinary tract infections etc… You might want to add D-Mannose to your smoothie base or add a couple of teaspoons of D-Mannose powder to your smoothie if you are going through radical kundalini events, especially when there is a lot of pressure or electrical activity going on in the head. D-Mannose helps to provide the neurons with extra energy and thereby reduces neuron death from excitotoxic damage by inadequate reuptake of the neurotransmitter glutamate and calcium. D-Mannose is a sugar that is used to alleviate urinary tract infections by binding to and eliminating bacteria. If you have a urinary tract infection don't drink cranberry juice as it has too high a sugar content...go buy some D-Mannose powder from a health food store...and put it into your smoothie. Fortunately D-Mannose does not raise blood sugar or cause yeast infection.
WHY RAW CHOCOLATE POWDER:
Cacao or raw chocolate powder contains flavanols that increase blood flow to the brain for a two to three-hour period and may hold promise for treating some vascular impairments and cognitive function. The flavonols in chocolate help the body to produce nitric oxide, a compound essential for proper cardiac function, muscle building and sexuality. Over 955 ORAC Units (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) of antioxidants are found in each gram of raw organic cacao powder! Compared with goji (wolfberries), another high antioxidant food which have only 253 ORAC Units per gram. Raw cacao improves the body's ability to metabolise sugar. It also contains Arginine, Tryptophan, phenylethylamine (PEA), and the most magnesium of any common food.
The best quality raw chocolate powder is produced by David Wolfe’s Nature’s First Law and Wilderness Family Naturals as they make sure the processing temperature never gets high enough to destroy the nutrients and create bitterness.
SMOOTHIE RESOURCES:
www.rawfood.com/ —David Wolfe’s Nature’s First Law-The best quality Raw Cacao! Carob powder, Maca, Hemp seed etc…
www.wildernessfamilynaturals.com/cacaoperu.htm —Raw Cacao
www.lucsherb.com/ —Wolfberry or Lycium Fruit (Goji) $5.95/lb)
www.beyondacenturyonline.com —Spirulina powder 1 lb $12.00
www.seaveg.com —Kelp powder
www.herbalcom.com — a great bulk herb company with a fantastic supply of various supplements and herbs including apple pectin, papain powder, bromelain powder and most of the herbs you need for the smoothie base mix, except for the "low-heat" manufactured raw cacao powder.
Read articles by Mark Rojek on Enzyme Nutrition Therapy on the web.
www.howweheal.com/protein.htm —Great article on the necessity for raw protein.
SPICEY DIGESTIVE TEA
This is an incredible tea to help all those with nausea, pain, digestive, coldness or circulation conditions and kundalini. If you want orange peel you might have to make and dry your own. You can also grind this tea fine and chug a teaspoon of the powder in a shot glass of apple juice to help reduce GI pain and inflammation, increase digestive fire and prevent nausea and dizziness.
Bulk Recipe for Digestive Tea:
6 oz Dried Ginger Root
4 oz Slippery Elm
4 oz Flax Seed
2 oz Cinnamon
4 oz Rose Hips
2 oz Chamomile
1 oz Clove
1 oz Cardamon
Optional: Small amount of dried orange peel.
Grind any of these that are not already powder in a coffee grinder and combine the powders. Note that herbs and spices are more potent if you buy them as cut or seed and grind them yourself. Keep in a jar in the fridge. In a saucepan heat water and apple juice or a combination of water and apple juice. Then add 1 tsp of tea mixture per mug of liquid. You can use the mixture twice, making a less strong tea the second time so just add less liquid, and keep on a low heat until you want to warm it up to drink. You can use a French press, but you really need a sieve and a spatula to make the most of this tea.
This tea in combination with taking a papaya enzyme tablet with every meal and bentonite clay in the evening will greatly reduce weakness and nausea derived from disrupted digestion/elimination. Good for pregnancy morning sickness also.
If you are kundalini active you might want to keep your apple juice intake to a bare minimum due to the sugar…I got a debilitating left-brain spazz going the day after I took 6 oz of apple juice in this tea. Raw apples do not give this effect, it is just the fact that the apple juice is cooked…hence the sugar is pasteurized or altered from its natural state. Rawfoodists and kundi-actives can get around this by adding some “raw, fresh apple juice” to the already made tea to sweeten it if desired.
BALANCED KUNDALINI DIET
For those not ready to adopt a raw diet, a combination of the anti-inflammatory Zone Diet plus the timing and principles of the Provita Plan will provide a great basis for balanced nutrition. But even for rawfoodists to adopt the principles of these diets would be advantageous, as active kundalini necessitates optimum nutrition and a balanced diet is all the more important.
The Rave Diet people at www.BeaconDV.org recommend a 100% plant based diet with only 10% calories from fat. This is the ultimate disease prevention diet that strengthens the immune system and lengthens lifespan. Whereas animal based diets raise serum estrogen and testosterone increasing the risk of cancer and raise cholesterol levels thereby blocking receptors.
There is no problem with getting adequate protein on this diet. According to www.nutritiondata.com/ the protein ratio of spinach is 30%, brussel sprouts are 19%, boiled green beans 13%, romaine lettuce 18%, raw cabbage 15%, raw Spanish peanuts 16%, almonds 13%, quinoa 12%, buckwheat 13%, kidney beans 24%, sprouted soybeans 26%, tofu 38%, sprouted alfalfa 34%, Swiss chard 23%, wheat grass juice 27%, and mushrooms 37%.
read on: http://biologyofkundalini.com/article.php?story=kundalinianddiet
Love Always
mudra
