Build Your Healing Rainbow With Blue
*The color blue is the least common color in the foods we eat.
Blue and Purple foods are rare in our diets but they have so many rich health benefits! Some of these foods that are bathed in this beautiful color are; blackberries, blueberries (most popular blue food), eggplant, purple potatoes, purple cabbage, purple carrots, purple plums, figs, prunes, black grapes, beetroot, black currants, purple cauliflower, purple asparagus, acai berries, purple corn, purple yams, lavender, passionfruit, elderberries, raisins, purple kohlrabi, purple artichokes, purple kale, purple basil, edible purple violets, purple peppers, purple grapes, and purple thyme.
Wow! What a list! You would think that these colorful foods would be more plentiful in our diets but they are researched as being the least. They can be more challenging to find in our local supermarkets and roadside stands. If you can, always pick the purple/blue varieties over the regular colored produce items because they have been found to be so much more nutrient dense. These vibrant foods are rich in many nutrients, such as; lutein, zeaxanthin (these 2 are great for eye health), bioflavonoids, resveratrol, Vitamin A, C and E, folate, selenium, fiber, flavonoids, ellagic acid, and quercetin. These foods are also potent in anti-inflammatory properties, anti-cancer agents, antioxidants, and phytonutrients. As you can see these blue/ purple foods are nutritional powerhouses!
Another wonderful group of foods for this color group are the aquamarine sea vegetables. Sea vegetables are rich in minerals, such as; zinc, selenium, and iodine. Some of the sea vegetables are dulse, nori, wakami, kelp, kombu, arame. These unique veggies can be very nourishing for your thyroid gland because of the varied blend of minerals. When available, it is important to choose organic varieties of the sea veggies because non-organic assortments can be high in heavy metal content.
Your thyroid gland is a very important gland in your body. It helps to regulate the metabolism and maintains a healthy weight balance, regulates the mood, provides mental sharpness, balances heart rate, and overall health and well-being.
An under functioning thyroid gland can cause depression, fatigue, brain fog, trouble losing weight, mental dullness, stunted growth, feeling cold, hair loss, irritability, constipation, dryness of skin and hair, brittle nails, sluggishness, high cholesterol, and lethargy.
An over functioning thyroid gland can cause excessive weight loss, insomnia, rapid heart rate or a racing heart, heart palpitations, abnormal protrusion of eyes, irritability, excessive sweating, anxiety or panic attacks, and diarrhea.
*Contraindicated- If you are dealing with hyperthyroidism or Grave’s disease, the sea veggies may be contraindicated for you because of the high iodine content. Excess iodine can worsen these thyroid imbalances. Please check with your healthcare provider before using them in your diet.
Interestingly enough, the color blue is the color that supports the throat chakra in the body, which consists of the thyroid gland, thymus, trachea, neck, mouth, teeth, gums, ears, nose, esophagus, parathyroid, and hypothalamus.
The throat chakra represents our self-expression and communication center, our voice box and vocal chord area It also represents hearing and listening (listening to our self- inner voice and intuition) and to others. It is also there to encourage spiritual communication. It is known as our Inner Truth.
It also consists of three of the five senses…hearing, taste, and smelling.
Signs of a healthy, unblocked, and open throat chakra
*Speaking your truth with confidence and honesty
*Able to express yourself and being authentic
*Being true to yourself
*Accepting of your uniqueness
*Feeling free
*Feels comfortable speaking in crowds
*Respects the freedom of others
*Listens to others and communicates without judgement and ridicule
*Freely expresses and has a balance of the personal will and spiritual will
*Strong healthy and clear voice
*Unblocked Creativity
Physical Signs of a blocked and closed throat chakra
*Hoarseness, “lump in throat”
*Swallowing or tasting challenges
*Dry lips, mouth, and nose
*Prone to sore throats
*Thyroid challenges, such as; goiters, cysts, nodules, hypothyroid or hyperthyroid, Hashimoto’s, Grave’s disease
*Speaks slowly, stuttering, pausing for words
*Neck pain
*TMJ
*Gossiping, lying, swearing, exaggerating
*Feeling of being unable to cry
*Speaks fast
*Quiet, stoic, detachment
*Hiccups after eating
*Always the need to have something in your mouth- gum, candy, mints, food, etc…
*Inflammation of the mouth, gums, jaw, neck, teeth, nasal area
*Frequent bouts of laryngitis
Emotional signs of a blocked throat chakra
*Inhibited Creativity
*Feels uncomfortable expressing oneself
*Doesn’t speak up for themselves
*Lets others make decisions for them
*Like or feels the need to fit in
*Soft voice or soft spoken
*Fearful
*Public speaking phobia
*Wears things to cover their neck (feels to vulnerable to expose themselves)
*Makes decisions quickly
*Covers up their opinions
*Silencing your truth by not speaking up when you feel the need to
*Communications challenges- fears ridicule and judgement if speaks up for one self
Effective Ways to Balance Your Throat Chakra
*The throat chakra area is often blocked because we are suffering with unresolved guilt. Cleansing and balancing the throat can bring light to the things or situations that were hiding in the dark places of our souls.
1. Eat blue/purple foods several times weekly. Also eat sea vegetables weekly, unless contraindicated.
2. Use Your Voice every day- chanting, singing, humming, and talking openly and honestly with others regularly
3. Be mindful of your speech, action, and deeds on a daily basis- speak your truth with Love
4. Meditation/ Prayer (think of the color blue filling your throat area as you pray or meditate- think of a beautiful blue warm water that washes all the blockages away from your throat area and refills it with a beaming blue light that shines its light on your inner truth, expressing it freely)
5. Be creative or express your creative side- color, paint, journal, write, sing a song, play music, cook, garden, dance, do crafts
6. Do yoga throat opening poses, such as; baby cobra, fish pose, shoulder stand, legs up the wall pose
Here is a link for a half hour throat opening yoga sequence:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kdLeini5HA
7. Drink water- stay hydrated- your throat needs to stay moist and open for proper communication
8. Wear Blue- shirt, sweater, undergarments, scarf, hair accessories, place blue flowers or blue items in your living or creative space, eat or drink out of blue glasses or blue plates or bowls, and wear blue jewelry
9. Gems that are blue and open the throat are; turquoise, aquamarine, lapis, lazuli, and amazonite
10. Wear essential oils on your throat area or chest that are throat opening supportive; Basil, Bergamot, Chamomile, Blue Chamomile, Peppermint, Spearmint, and Cypress.
11. Speak Truth Affirmations Daily:
*I communicate with ease
*I am able to clearly state my needs
*My voice is heard
*I am comfortable in silence
*I set clear boundaries
*I am a compassionate listener
*I vocalize my feelings
*I have an important voice in this world
*I release doubt or guilt over what I say or didn’t say
*My truth is Love
*I create speech that reflects my loving thoughts
12. Have a good cry. Crying releases toxins and chemicals, which helps to activate the parasympathetic nervous system. This part of the nervous system is our brake and is there to calm us down. Crying is calming and soothing to our souls and cleans our spirits.
13. Enjoy a massage- especially focusing on the neck and shoulder area
“Words mean more than what is set down on paper. It takes the human voice to infuse them with deeper meaning” Maya Angelou
