The Real Purpose of Food

Food is not just fuel.
It’s information.
It’s communication.
It’s chemistry.
It’s connection.

It’s one of the most intimate relationships you’ll ever have.

What you eat becomes your cells. Your hormones. Your brain.
It shapes your mood, your cravings, your clarity.
It influences your gut, which influences your mind, which influences your entire reality.

To shift your body is to shift your mind.
To shift your nourishment is to shift your life.
When you eat real food, you become more real.

So yes, trust your cravings. But understand them.
Are you craving sugar because your body needs quick energy? Or because you’re emotionally depleted?
Are you reaching for salty snacks because your body needs minerals? Or because your life feels bland?

Every craving is a messenger.
Every symptom is a signal.
There is no separation between the physical and the spiritual.

Your plate is a portal.
Your body is a teacher.
Your hunger is sacred.

Feed it well.
Feed it like you’re feeding the divine within.
Because you are.

What’s In Your Food and Supplements?

Changing what you eat is one step.
Waking up to what’s in what you eat is another.

We’ve been sold “healthy” illusions—low-fat yogurt, fortified cereals, fiber-rich bars, immune-support gummies.
But very few of us were taught how to read a label, or how to question what we’re consuming.

Just because something is sold in stores doesn’t mean it’s safe.
Just because something is marketed as healthy doesn’t mean it’s helpful.

You can:

Eat salad and still be inflamed
Take a multivitamin and still be deficient
Drink water and still be dehydrated

Until you develop discernment, you’ll keep wondering why you feel off—even when you’re “doing everything right.”

Healing begins with awareness.
And awareness begins with asking: What’s really in this?

Pesticides, Produce, and Protecting Our Children

It’s not just what gets added during processing. It’s what was sprayed on your food before it ever reached the store.

Pesticides, herbicides, and synthetic fertilizers are widely used in conventional farming. Many of these chemicals are:

Endocrine disruptors
Neurotoxins
Gut microbiome destroyers

And while this matters for all of us, it matters especially for children.

Early exposure to agricultural chemicals has been linked to rising rates of ADHD, autism spectrum conditions, sensory processing challenges, and weakened immune function. The research is still growing, but the patterns are clear.

Even foods that look “healthy” can carry a toxic load.
For example, almonds—one of the most heavily sprayed crops in the U.S.—were once my go-to snack, until I learned how they’re typically grown.

That’s when everything shifted.
Now, I buy organic when I can. I rinse produce well. I support local farms that use low-spray or regenerative practices.

This isn’t about fear. It’s about protecting our bodies and giving the next generation a cleaner foundation to grow from.

You cannot nourish a body you’re unknowingly inflaming.
The food industry won’t teach you that.
But now, you know.

The Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen

Not everyone can afford to go fully organic. But you can prioritize the worst offenders.

Each year, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) releases a list of the most and least pesticide-contaminated produce:

2025 Dirty Dozen (buy these organic if possible):
Strawberries, Spinach, Kale/Collard/Mustard Greens, Grapes, Peaches, Pears, Nectarines, Apples, Bell Peppers, Cherries, Blueberries, Green Beans

2025 Clean Fifteen (generally safer when conventionally grown):
Avocados, Sweet Corn*, Pineapples, Onions, Papayas*, Frozen Sweet Peas, Asparagus, Honeydew Melon, Kiwi, Cabbage, Watermelon, Mushrooms, Mangoes, Sweet Potatoes, Carrots
(*Choose organic if avoiding GMOs.)

These lists aren’t perfect, but they offer a grounded place to begin.
Because every step toward cleaner food is a step toward healing.

Hidden Ingredients That Disrupt Healing

Even in foods and supplements labeled “natural” or “clean,” there are often additives that don’t belong in your body.

These are some of the most common disruptors:

Titanium Dioxide – Banned in the EU, still used to whiten candy and gum
Artificial Dyes (Red 40, Yellow 5) – Linked to hyperactivity, mood swings, and allergies
BHT & BHA – Preservatives classified as potential carcinogens
Carrageenan – Inflammatory thickener common in dairy alternatives
Natural Flavors – Vague term hiding hundreds of chemicals
Artificial Sweeteners – Disrupt gut health and increase cravings
Seed Oils (Canola, Soybean, Corn) – Oxidized fats that fuel inflammation
Synthetic Vitamins – Less absorbable, sometimes harmful in excess
Flavor Enhancers (MSG, Yeast Extract) – Can cause migraines and overstimulation

Just because something is allowed by law doesn’t mean it supports life.
Read every label like it’s your body’s future. Because it is.

How to Read a Label with Discernment

Reading labels isn’t about perfection. It’s about power.
Here’s how to start:

Look at the ingredients first — not just the calories or macros.
Fewer ingredients = better. More than 10? Be cautious.
Sugar has many names — look for anything ending in -ose, or hidden under syrups and nectars.
Watch for buzzwords. “Natural” or “plant-based” doesn’t mean nourishing.
Pay attention to order. Ingredients are listed by weight. If sugar or oil is near the top, it dominates the product.
Supplements matter too. Read inactive ingredients, not just the actives.
Know your sources. Research the brands you trust.

Discernment is not about fear.
It’s about freedom.

The Wellness Industry Isn’t Always Well

Not everything labeled “wellness” is built on integrity.
Watch for:

Greenwashed products — recycled packaging doesn't mean clean ingredients
Healthy snacks full of sugar and starch
Overhyped superfoods — often unnecessary if you eat whole, local food
Probiotics with more sugar than cultures
Over-supplementation — your liver needs support, not more to process
“Fortified” foods — often filled with synthetic, isolated vitamins

This isn’t about paranoia. It’s about permission.
Permission to pause.
To ask.
To feel.
To decide for yourself.

You don’t have to follow what society says is “normal.”
You get to slow down and ask, How does this feel in my body?

Because your body is the most honest label you’ll ever read.

Creating a Food Culture That Honors Your Body

This journey is about more than food.
It’s about relationship.
It’s about returning to reverence.

Start here:

Drink mineral-rich water each morning before your coffee.
Cook at home with real ingredients a few times a week.
Visit a local farmer’s market.
Grow herbs in your window.
Start your grocery list in the produce section.
Swap one processed snack for something whole.
Ask your body how it feels after each meal.

This is not about being perfect.
It’s about being present.

Because the moment you get curious about what you’re consuming
is the moment you stop being controlled by it.

And that…
is a powerful shift.

Pause for a Moment and Ask Yourself: What would change if I saw every bite as an act of self-respect?

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