The coronavirus pandemic is ramping up as more cases are being found every day. Since there is no vaccine to protect us from the disease and no drugs to treat it, conventional medicine is of little help right now. This is a situation for which we need to turn to holistic health concepts like those found in the Edgar Cayce readings. The readings are full of body, mind, and spirit ideas to optimize a person’s health.
A clue to finding an effective approach to this disease is to note that COVID-19 is affecting different groups of people with different intensities. The elderly and those with certain medical conditions and weak immune systems seem to have more severe symptoms than do the young and healthy. So, it would appear that the healthier we keep our bodies, the better our chances of experiencing mild symptoms in case we become infected.
From the perspective of the Edgar Cayce readings, health is all about balance. There must be balance and alignment between the spiritual, mental and physical aspects of an individual. There must be balance among the systems and glands of the body. There must be balance between the amounts of rest and activity in a person’s life. And there must be balance in the diet as well. (Learn more about the Cayce approach to holistic health here https://bit.ly/2U0iwLN)
While the readings insist that all healing comes from the spirit within, they also acknowledge that there is a role for physical remedies too. A major key to a healthy body is a healthy diet. The body can only work with what it is given, so the raw materials we provide in the form of foods can make all the difference.
But just what constitutes a healthy diet? There are many philosophies regarding nutrition these days, from veganism to the Mediterranean diet to the ketogenic diet, and everything between. Members of each diet camp have their evidence and dogmas. It is difficult to find your way through the controversies to know what’s best. If only we had a source of universal wisdom to guide us. Oh wait, we do! Let’s see what we can glean from the Edgar Cayce readings.
According to the Cayce readings, in order to understand proper nutrition, we must understand assimilation. Assimilation has to do with the digestion of food in the GI tract, the absorption of nutrients into the bloodstream and the cellular uptake and use of those nutrients. For Cayce, proper assimilation depends on:
- What foods and drinks are consumed
- Food combinations at meals
- Where and how the food was grown
- The chemical interaction of the food in the digestive process
- Cooking methods
- The condition of the emotions, mind and spirit at mealtime
Generally speaking, the Cayce readings recommend a diet that consists of 80% “alkaline-forming” foods and 20% “Acid-forming” foods.
Alkaline-Forming Foods
- All vegetables except lentils and corn
- All fruits (fresh and dried) except cranberries, plumbs and prunes
- All forms of milk
- Almonds, Brazil nuts, chestnuts and hazelnuts
Acid-Forming Foods
- All meats except mincemeat
- All cereals and bakery products except soybeans
- Cheese and eggs
- Peanuts, pecans and walnuts
As for food combinations, these are recommended to eat together
- Gelatin with salad
- Small amounts of lemon or lime juice with orange or grapefruit juice
- At least three vegetables that grow above ground for each one grown below ground
- Figs, dates and cornmeal “mummy food”
It is recommended to avoid these food combinations
- Two or more starchy foods at the same meal
- Sugary foods with starchy foods
- Milk with citrus fruit/ juice
- Citrus fruit/juice with cereal
- Starchy foods with meat or cheese
- Coffee with dairy
- Raw apples with other foods
The readings recommend eating locally grown foods and wild game when available. To aid assimilation food is to be eaten slowly and chewed well. “Bolting” food, or swallowing it by the use of liquids, is said to be a common cause of dis-ease. Equally important as what and how food is eaten is the consumer’s mood while eating. “… NEVER, under strain, when very tired, very excited, very mad, should the body take foods in the system …” (Edgar Cayce reading 137-30) The readings also recommend a period of rest after eating to allow the digestive process to proceed unimpeded.
When we’re struggling to stay well during this coronavirus pandemic, the importance of diet cannot be overstated. The Cayce readings give us sound advice on healthy eating. The closer we can stay to the Cayce nutrition program, the stronger we can keep our bodies. And, a strong, healthy body is less prone to infectious disease. (To learn more about the Cayce diet in general visit https://bit.ly/2xRbkJt and for its use with the common cold visit https://bit.ly/2IW9KZ1)
