Food and the Mind
April 27, 2009
The monster turtle Coki is on the left, and Mottsy is on the right.
So I wanted to introduce you to my two turtles, Coki and Mottsy. I got them the same time under a year ago. When I first got them, they were both the same exact size… Fast forward to now…where Coki is at least 3 full times bigger than Mottsy!
And it is not only that Coki is bigger and well, fatter. He is a nut! Crazy! You see he only likes to eat those processed turtle pellets, which I must sadly admit are made with processed fish meal and wheat. So poor food combining! The poor little guy is eating protein and starch at each of his turtle meals, and he is eating an enzyme-devoid diet of mostly cooked food. The result?? He swims around his tank endlessly, and as soon as he sees me walking near he starts swimming frantically towards the glass, going nowhere, but like a crazed maniac that is so desperate to get… MORE PELLETS! It’s as if his little face reads exactly, “Feed me! Feed me! Feed me! Must….have…more… pellets!!!” He can’t possibly be so hungry all the time- and no matter how much I feed him he just wants more no matter what. He is so sense-driven now and loves the taste of the pellets, and wants to keep eating and eating. I love him of course, but he is not a calm being by any means, and is always going and going and going. He is a total spaz.
Now Mottsy on the other hand..is like a little Yogi. He is a strict raw foodist and only eats the raw romaine lettuce and other greens I put in their tank. He swims right past Coki’s processed pellets over to his large romaine leaves, where he calms chews little bites at a time of his raw greens. He has grown at a normal, healthy rate and has a perfect little turtle body. ☺ He NEVER frantically swims around- he glides smoothly around the tank, and chills on his rock a lot. When I pick him up he just calmly sits there looking at me with those big, half-closed Yogi eyes…he is the most meditative turtle that ever was!
So about 3 weeks ago I put Coki on a raw food diet. It was really hard the first few days. As soon as I entered the room he would start his frantic swimming dance and circle back and forth, totally turtle-paddling to push his head out of the water and seemingly call to me, “WHERE are my pellets!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” But I stayed strong. After a few days when he realized he was only going to get raw food, he started to calm down more. He would sit there next to Mottsy and start tearing into the romaine leaves. Now he still circles around swims the tank and especially when I’m around…but it’s like he’s swimming in slow-mo compared to his previous frantic swimming antics. Like 30% as fast. What a huge difference! I can’t really say he’s lost weight because his shell has grown too ☺. But I think his outrageous speed of growth is now more under control!
So it reminded me how much food affects our minds and our states of wellbeing. It’s not just that calories are calories and that food only affects us as much as losing weight or getting proper nutrition. Every single food has its own energy, and this energy of the food we consume literally gets assimilated into our own bodies and our own energy. Of course we know that some food makes us feel like we are more bloated…but do we really pay attention to the fact that certain foods can make us more restless, angry, easily irritated, stressed out, overwhelmed…or tired, sluggish, totally devoid of energy….OR energetic, calm, and coming from a place or peace and resilience?
In Yoga we say there are three Gunas, which are states of being, intrinsic qualities. All matter is a
The turtle babies in the tub for their weekly bath! There Coki goes again (left)...always running!
manifestation of the qualities of these three gunas. We need all 3 in our lives, in balance, but ultimately we want to have more Sattvic qualities. These Gunas can apply to just about anything in our lives- the television we choose to watch, our reading material, etc…but FOOD is a HUGE, HUGE way that we continuously affect the state of our minds. All foods fit into one of these 3 Gunas, and all food you put into your body have a profound impact on your mind.
The Three Gunas
Rajas: Active, or overly-active, always “doing”, constantly moving, racing mind, stressed out.
Associated Foods: All animal flesh, including eating deceased cows, pigs, birds and fish. Too much spicy food (cayenne pepper is the only pepper not considered rajastic!), too much garlic and onions, chillies.
Tamas: Ignorance, sloth, lethargy, total lack of energy or ambition, depression, resting.
Associated Foods: Pasteurized dairy but especially cheese, overly fermented and decaying foods, such as pickles, overly processed olives, etc. All overly cooked foods that are totally devoid of enzymes (Like boiled vegetables, stews that have been stirring for long periods of time, etc.).
Satva: Peacefulness, tranquility, happiness, non-attachment, knowledge, wisdom.
Associated Foods: Fresh vegetables, all fruits, seeds, nuts and plant food.
Ideally, very little cooked food and mostly living food.
Okay, well I hoped my little turtle babies gave a nice illustration of these gunas. I’ll keep you updated on my quest to make Coki more Sattvic. 
Have an amazing day! And make good food choices.
Lots of love to you. 
xx
Kimberly
Hi Kimberly,
Don’t the small one get any meat, from fishes or earthworms? It’s only land turtles who are vegetarian.
I have a text on the Three Gunas in relation to European traditions and Kabbalah here:
http://kimgraaemunch.wordpress.com/2008/09/29/serpents-of-the-kundalini-fire/#threegunas
Regards,
Kim
wow coki is huge! Haha poor little bugger he likes processed foods!Great Post!
Thanks for the post! Your turtle babies are very cute and it really puts things into perspective because we consider ourselves to be so complex, but really, it’s as simple as you outlined above!
By the way, I absolutely LOVE the picture of you. That’s a gorgeous dress and makes you look so beautiful!
Hi Ninu!!
They are the best pets ever!
It’s so great to hear from you again. How are you doing, how is everything going with the diet, etc.?
Glad you like the turtle babies.
Oh, and thanks about the dress!! I love Indian fabrics and colors, and actually all things Indian, as you know.
xx
Kimberly
hey kimberly, i’ve been reading your blog for a while and think i’d like to try out the raw food diet for a week. can you give me an outline of what i could eat every day — for breakfast, lunch and dinner? maybe something similar to what nadine and jolie nadine did? (i follow her blog, too!) thanks so much!
Hi Raquel-
Your question is a great one and really warrants a whole book, which I will write one day!
What I eat changes with the season, how much yoga I’ve done that day and walking, the temperature, etc. I always have 1-2 glasses of green smoothie and possibly a green juice on the run. It’s usually the first thing that goes in my mouth except for lemon water. I try to hold off until 11 to eat. During the day I’ll have some fruit, a couple of oranges, nuts, (not together), figs, random stuff like that. I’m not hungry b/c I’ll often put hemp protein in my green smoothies, which is very filling. Then dinner is usually a huge salad (see the Kale salad) with avocados, hemp seeds, sprouts, tons of other stuff, and for desert a young coconut-acai smoothie. Of course I make tons of other stuff- raw tacos, raw sushi, nut pates, etc. etc. but that is sort of a general picture.
Good health to you!
Again, I’m looking to publish a diet and health book— as this is a MAJOR topic that needs to be explained over a book, with shopping lists, diet plans, sample menus, etc. It’s in my head!!!
To start trying it out, I would ease in. Don’t go 100% raw right away, or you’ll not sustain it or feel deprived. I would have the Green Smoothie every day and replace breakfast with it. Make sure one of your other meals is a big salad with a raw desert, and if some cooked products slip in the first few weeks, its okay…they will start to go away on their own.
Please keep me updated and with any questions you may have as you go along your new path.
All my best,
Kimberly
I love your blog Kim. Could you do a blog breaking down information regarding food combinations? what should be eaten together what should not? My dinner is typical grain, protein, veggies, so a plate of quinoa, kale, and seitan for example. Should grains be separated from veggies? i’m confused!
thanks! : )
Hi Kathy!
It sounds like you are eating very macrobiotic. That is a great idea for a blog and I will write one soon. It can be confusing, but it will make a huge difference in your digestion, and weight (if that is an issue). It is much LESS of an issue if you are eating all raw LIFE food.
Stay tuned for the post! (And please remind me if I get crazed and more than 2 weeks go by without it).
xx Visit me again!
Kimberly