One of the first questions I had for Carlos Castaneda was about food. He placed so much emphasis on wellbeing, on gathering one’s energy, and on being vital, that I was wondering what type of diet he followed.
“What shall I eat to stay vital?” I asked him during one of the many lunches we had together at that time. His answer was unexpected. “The question first is, what is eating you?” he said with a smile in his eyes.
What was eating me, at that time, were negative thinking patterns, heavy moods, fear and anger.
The awareness that question brought was a source of inspiration to me, and marked the beginning of a search into how to nourish my body and spirit. Through my apprenticeship with Castaneda, I realized how important food is. Every time he would see me tired or moody, he would ask me: “What did you eat?” Or “Have you had lunch yet?” or “Lets go and eat something.”
Food and the practice of movements were and are key components in my gathering enough energy to tackle deeper issues, heal, and revamp my energy.
Carlos Castaneda was super disciplined about food during my association with him. He took no stimulants of any kind—drank no alcohol and didn’t eat sugar, salt or bread. And even though he enjoyed eating outside, he would suggest that we cook our own food. Actually, he also worked closely only with those who cooked their own food.
I followed Castaneda’s suggestions 100%. My mood swings improved, I got stronger and slimmer and I felt more grounded. I learned to cook my food, and watch for moments when I would eat out of emotional compulsion.
In the last two years of his life, Castaneda shifted his diet and avoided eating meats and animal products. That further inspired me to continue to learn, research and study the effects of different foods and how they influence my emotions and my ability to be in my heart.
Spirituality, and our ability to feel connected to higher forces, is also related to what we eat.
For this reason, Miles and I created a series of Nutrition classes that we’ve named Feed Your Body + Soul. The class series feature guest professionals who specialize in topics such as spirituality, food and addiction and emotional eating, and it include cooking classes! We teach you what we learned with Castaneda and what we’ve learned through cooking and experience with food throughout the years.
