Dr. Lesley Phillips on conscious eating and her upcoming book The Midas Tree

This brilliantly layered and illustrated spiritual adventure was written for kids of all ages and may be a delightful reminder of the Harry Potter series.

Meet The Midas Tree’s eloquent author Dr. Lesley Phillips, meditation teacher, spiritual counsellor and energy healer based in BC, in the following interview on conscious eating:

I love that Joshua learns to say grace before eating. Can you share more about the power of saying grace?

Words have great power. They carry energy. By blessing your food you are purifying it before eating it. In giving thanks for what you are about to eat, you come to the table with an open heart, and as like attracts like, this positive energy attracts more of the same.

Today this is even more important than ever when you think of what our food is exposed to in the form of pollution, radiation and chemicals.

Saying grace is also a way of recognizing the continuity and connectedness of all life. By connecting for a brief moment as spirit, before we eat, we tune into the divinity within ourselves and of those creatures who gave their lives to sustain ours.

When Joshua learns to make his favourite foods appear just by imagining them, like steak and mushroom pies, chicken teriyaki and all sorts of other goodies, I wondered what your thoughts are about nutrition…

Yes it’s funny, after I wrote The Midas Tree I did question whether I should edit this to a list of healthier food choices. The book was written as a spiritual download, which means I wrote it using my clairvoyance and I recorded what was shown to me exactly as it was shown to me.

The main information being taught by that passage is that ultimately we create our reality. We simply need envision what it is we wish to create and, so long as we believe we can do this, voila it will manifest. Using the food example is a fun way to teach kids.

I’m not a nutritional expert, but my philosophy would be that the body knows what it needs although there are some general rules about healthy eating that hold true for all of us. So by cultivating the spirit – body connection, we can learn to tune in to our nutritional needs.

It’s becoming obvious that we need to take control of our health if we want to thrive. I’m starting to use both my knowledge and intuition to guide me towards better health. What are your thoughts on intuitive eating and how we can we better tune into our wisdom?

Any form of meditation that connects you more deeply to your self and your physical body is a great tool for you to tune in to what is the right diet for you.

I personally have various food sensitivities and need to be careful about what I eat. I am not a vegetarian and my diet mostly includes delicious raw food, healthy fruit and vegetable smoothies, cooked foods, some treats such as chocolate (usually from raw cacao, or above 70% coco) and the odd glass of red wine.

Changing your diet is not enough, however. Most people store emotional pain, hate and fear; as well as bad experiences, memories and non-supportive beliefs in their bodies. Meditation can help you cleanse these from your system and this will also elevate your vibration so that you can receive information from the spirit.

From a manifestation perspective, what do you say to people who are concerned about spending more money on healthy food or can’t find the time to prepare nutritious meals at home?

I believe this is an individual choice, but if you want to eat in this way, then I can offer a couple of suggestions. One is to purify your food before you eat it. I mean this literally and spiritually. You can wash the food thoroughly to remove chemicals on the surface, but you can also cleanse the food energetically by saying grace and you can use meditation techniques to remove toxins from your system quickly.

In the book Joshua learns how to ground. This technique involves creating a flow of energy from near the base of the spine to the center of the earth. He uses it to release unwanted energy. You can use this technique to maintain a healthy body.

Another tip, from a future book, is that you can give anything a grounding cord. So you can ground that juicy apple to administer an energetic cleansing before taking a bite.

The third tip is to use the manifestation tips taught in the book to create the lifestyle you are aiming for. Let go of your limits to abundance and healthy eating by releasing them using the grounding technique. Then use the pink balloon technique, taught in Chapter 18 to attract what you want, which in this case is healthy organic produce and the time to prepare it.

The Midas Tree explores the miracles of nature, particularly when honoured and treated with love. What steps can we take every day to appreciate our food?

Smell and taste are an important part of our enjoyment of food. We can use these senses as a spiritual practice when we eat to draw us into the present moment. Next time you prepare a meal, focus your attention on what you are doing. Let go of distracting thoughts of other things. Allow the doing to draw you into the now.

Then when you eat the food, take the time to smell the delicious aromas. Chew slowly so that you can experience the layers of flavor. As you do this notice how present you become. Then as you become more present notice how your experience of the world around you is heightened.

The Midas Tree will be released on November 11. Follow Dr. Lesley Phillips @ facebook.com/themidastree and onTwitter @DrLesleyP.