Eating Intuitively When Under the Weather

Have you ever noticed you crave particular foods when you're sick?

Warmer, slower cooked meals? Or maybe fresh, colourful fruits? Maybe you lose your appetite as your body intuitively moves into autophagy to clean out damaged cells.

Your body is an incredible and complex biological system exuding wisdom and intelligence in every single moment, providing you the ability to accomplish your true potential in this life. Learning to understand the messages your body is communicating with you is a skill to hold with reverence.

This week I've found myself undergoing an immune system upgrade. Following the last few absolutely hectic months of life, my body was forced to stop and rest. Like, deep rest. My friend called it a "coming down and a sigh out from a big few months. The body clearing out, making way for the new", and I love that. There's so much power to be held in the language we use to describe our experience; the simplicity of difference between I am sick and I feel sick. Your physical body understands experiences according to its contextual environment (thoughts included). So whether you are actually ill or you tell yourself you are, your cells know not the difference.

The last few days I have been craving eggs, fish, cacao and fruit, fruit of all kinds. I don't really eat a lot of fruit. I mean I like it! Mangoes are my favourite food, I just don't regularly buy fruits. But this week I wanted all of the berries, dragonfruit and the sharp tang of kiwifruit to tingle my tongue. I wanted avocado, passionfruit and a crisp, zesty Jazz apple, and it got me thinking about why.

In the process of upgrading our immune system (and actively fighting infection resulting in cell turnover) our body's have a higher need for nutrients like vitamin C, vitamin A, zinc, bioflavonoids, selenium, magnesium, omega 3 and protein. While the eggs and fish had me covered for zinc, selenium, omega 3, magnesium, vitamin A and protein, the fruits loaded me up on vitamin C which as a potent antioxidant, can help treat upper respiratory tract infections by supporting cellular functions of the innate and adaptive immune systems.

A fact I love about vitamin C is how many of Australia's Indigenous plants are potently rich in this essential vitamin. Gubinge or Kakadu Plum is the richest source of vitamin C known to man. This plant has adapted over time to produce a high level of phytonutrients or antioxidants which protect the plant and allow it to survive and thrive in some seriously harsh environments. Nature's medicine at her finest.

So don't forget to eat your vitamin C: think Kakadu plum powder, native finger limes, strawberries, kiwi fruit, capsicum, parsley, blackberries, broccoli, papaya, cabbage, cauliflower, watercress, citrus and snow peas.

And if your body is telling you to fast while you're under the weather, add some vitamin C rich lemon juice to your water.