By Stephen T. Sinatra, M.D., F.A.C.C., F.A.C.N., C.N.S., C.B.T.
In my 40-plus years of practicing medicine, I’ve seen far too many health problems that could have been improved, healed or even prevented entirely by the simple healing power of something we have access to every day: foods that are alive with healthy energy.
Everything Has Vibrational Energy and Ultimately Impacts Health
Before I get into foods with healthy energy, specifically, I’ll start with the core reason why they are so important— because everything is made of energy and has a vibration. You and I – we vibrate with energy. So do the foods we eat, the music we listen to, plants, voices, hugs, sunlight, you name it – everything has vibrational energy and can change our energy, for better or for worse.
So what does this have to do with health and illness?
When the energies of the things we eat, see, hear, breathe in, etc. are in harmony with our cells’ natural vibrational energy, they support our health. Why? Because – on some level – the healthy vibrations of these things help give our cells the energy, nutrients and oxygen they need to be in a state of homeostasis. When cells are balanced, they pulsate easily and at optimal frequencies. They function smoothly and efficiently as they convert food and water to energy and nutrition for the body. They have plenty of vibrational energy to meet the body’s demands, and fight off illness, heal themselves, and regenerate.
On the flip side, when the vibrations from our food and environment are toxic or dissonant with our natural rhythms, they can drain our energy and compromise cell function. When this happens, our vibrational energy gets lower too, and we become more vulnerable to illness. Hence, we want to avoid poor, or lower, vibrational energies as much as possible, and instead align with higher vibrational energies that optimize our cell function. One of the easiest and effective ways to do this is through the foods we eat (and don’t eat).
The “American Diet” – Full of Bad Vibes
Over time, our environment has become more toxic, and our need for convenience and ease has led to us eating lesser quality foods. Many foods today, for example, are processed, laced with chemicals, pesticides*, and contain genetically modified organisms (GMOs): foods/ingredients that have been chemically or genetically altered from their natural states. These foods are low-vibrational because they lack nutrients while giving us a dose of toxins.
But chemicals and GMOs are not the only problem; the American diet is also very “sugary.” Each year, the average American eats (and drinks) about 160 pounds or more of sugar. I consider refined sugar to be a dead food because it is devoid of nutritional value…empty calories. Yes, we get a quick energy boost, but we quickly crash and it sets us up for a vicious cycle of sugar overload. Eating too much sugar causes the body to release an excess amount of insulin to digest it. Over time, too much insulin in the blood can lower cells’ vibration and cause inflammation, which we now know is the leading cause of most diseases. Eating a lot of low-vibrational foods can make us sick over time (and may explain why we, as a society, are sicker and heavier than ever).
So what do we do about it?
I go back to my decades-old mantra on this one… Prevention is easier than cure. We’ve got to be proactive about our health and protect it. And if our health has already started to decline, we need to change the momentum toward a higher, healthier vibration, and take charge of our health before the problems get worse.
How to Kickstart Health with a High Vibrational Diet
Simply put, a high vibrational diet is full of all the healthy stuff you want without all the bad stuff you don’t. It’s efficiency at it’s best…foods with high-vibrational energy help your body generate the energy it needs for an active life, normal metabolism, and even repair, and they do so without loading it with toxins that ultimately drain your energy.
Superfoods are great examples of high vibrational foods…Nutrient dense, they offer a variety of phytonutrients, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, healthy fats and proteins for your body to run on; they are premium quality fuel. Some of my favorites include avocado, kale, broccoli, olive oil, and tomatoes. There’s a reason most superfoods are fruits, vegetables, seeds and nuts – plant foods: full of fiber, they help your body detox, while giving it all sorts of other nutritional goodies, to stay healthy.
As far as knowing what to eat, one of the highest vibrational diets out there is my Pan-Asian Modified Mediterranean Diet (or the PAMM Diet). It’s a blend of the best foods typically eaten by people around the Mediterranean Basin and in the Pacific Rim – some of the longest living cultures in the world. Good for your heart and the rest of your body, this high vibrational diet can help you become more energy efficient, lose weight or maintain a healthy weight, slow aging, and prevent disease.
What is it? In a nutshell: healthy, clean, nourishing foods eaten in a combination designed for optimal energy production and use:
- 40-45% Low-glycemic carbohydrates like fresh, colorful vegetables, fruits, beans, peas, and some whole grains (in moderation).
- 35-40% Healthy, monounsaturated oils and fats with essential omega-3 fatty acids – nuts, olive oil, avocado, chia and flax seeds, and even fish.
- 20-25% Quality protein – eggs, chicken, buffalo, beef – organic, wild-caught, raised sustainably and humanely; wild migratory fish – smaller is better.
You can get the full scoop on my PAMM diet here:
As for what not to eat, here are 3 basic guidelines to help you avoid low vibrational foods:
Cut back on or eliminate artificial or processed sugar
Sugar is a high glycemic carbohydrate, which means that it elicits a rapid insulin response in your body when you eat it. Insulin is a pro-inflammatory hormone, and too much of it is a recipe for disease, so sugar has to go if you want to raise your vibration. Stick with naturally sweet foods like fresh or dried fruit. If you must sweeten something, use small amounts of raw honey or pure maple syrup. These sweeteners are straight from Nature, and contain unrefined, natural sugar that is better for our bodies. Same goes with alcohol – less is more.
Eat organic as much as possible.
Organic fruits and vegetables, as well as protein from grass-fed and hormone/antibiotic-free animals or cage-free/free-range eggs, provide our bodies cleaner nourishment than their conventional counterparts – they deliver nutrition without harmful herbicides, GMOs, and chemicals that threaten the healthy vibrational energy and efficient functioning of our cells. Remember too, that most conventionally raised beef and poultry eat GMO feed – which means you’re getting GMOs in your yogurt, cheese, eggs, burgers or chicken. Going organic is the surest way not to inadvertently eat GMOs.
When you can’t buy organic produce, try to avoid the “dirty dozen” fruits and vegetables known to have higher levels of pesticides. Good washing also helps remove pesticide residues: rinse your fruits and veggies for about a minute under the tap, or soak and rub them in water with 2% salt or 10% white vinegar.
Eat less carbs and more healthy fats, like EVOO
Unlike simple carbs like sugar, which leave you hungry a few hours after eating them, fats help satiate you. By eating more fats, you’re actually likely to eat less overall since you won’t be constantly hungry. To boot, they also help your body absorb the rich nutrients in fruits and veggies. My all-time favorite healthy fat is extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) – I call it “the kingpin” of the good vibe Mediterranean diet. Nuts like walnuts and almonds are great too, because they contain heart-and-brain healthy omega-3s. Avocados are another delicious source of healthy fats, and a great snack with a dash of sea salt or my High Vibrational spices.
You’ve got to begin with diet: it’s the foundation of everything else you can do to raise your vibration and maintain optimal health. If you can do this, just this one Pillar, you’ve got a much greater fighting chance against cancer and all of the diseases of modern man. Plus, you’ll likely get sick less often, and feel much better or have more energy overall, day to day.
For more insight on how to integrate high-vibrational foods into your diet and benefit from their healing properties, read my PAMM Diet and High Vibrational Living ebooks.
*Note – I use the word, “pesticide,” here as a general term to describe all non-organic chemical applications to crops to prevent pests, weeds and insects, and intend it to encompass more specific substances like herbicides (like glyphosate) and insecticides.
References & Resources:
- Wikipedia. Homeostasis.
- Scheiermann C, Kunisaki Y, and Frenette PS. Circadian control of the immune system. Nat Rev Immunol. 2013 Mar; 13(3): 190–198.
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