By Patrick Martin, Jr.

Nutrition is a hot topic. The foods we eat have a significant effect on our health and wellbeing, however, another form of nourishment, referred to as "primary foods," serve a much deeper role in the nourishing of our being.

Primary foods are not the foods we put into our mouths. Actually, the foods we eat are secondary. Secondary foods only become secondary when all of our primary food needs are met in full. Primary foods consist of our relationships, career, spirituality, and physical activity. These categories affect our overall satisfaction with life, and contribute to our sense of security and well being.

In this article, I am going to focus on the spiritual component of primary foods, and provide a tool for you to use to expand your awareness of this category of primary foods on a much deeper level so that you can make choices that will nourish you spiritually.

Spiritual health means something different to each individual. People have individual preferences in life. Some like hot, while others like warm or even cold. Some like sweet flavors, while others prefer the savory flavor of Umami. In a nutshell, what works for one person may not work well for another.

Recall the saying, "One person's meat is another person's poison." Now consider the following scenario between two friends talking about food.

Paul: What do you mean you don't like spinach? It's the best food in the world, at 50% protein!

Luther: One man's meat is another man's poison.

Clearly, Paul likes spinach and Luther doesn't.

Now think briefly about a food you really don't like. Embrace the thought of eating it right now, where you are. Imagine that you are placing it into your mouth, and that you are chewing it several times. Now imagine swallowing it. Now think about what feelings, thoughts, emotions, and sensations you are experiencing when you think about consuming the food. How did you respond? Did you feel anything?

Most people who engage in this experiment will tell how they felt viscerally disgusted, felt nauseated, salivated heavily, etc. Experiencing such emotions around foods is normal and is a good indicator that a food is not compatible with your body.

While bio-individuality is commonly used in reference to foods and medicines, as in the above paragraph, it also applies to one's spiritual nourishment. Whether you believe in the more traditional belief systems, or you embrace a New Age practice, your spirituality should empower you, heal you, energize you, bring you focus, and make your energy vibrate at a frequency that stabilizes you spiritually. This effect is what I am referring to as spiritual nourishment when I refer to spiritual primary foods.

If one is not aligned with a path that empowers them to live their life in a healthy fashion, then perhaps the spiritual path they are connected to is not compatible with their needs. Figuring this out need not be an ardent task and requires only dedication to oneself, and adequate time in reflection. Some people know right off the bat if their path is compatible, but if you are new to exploration of your spiritual body, then the next steps may be a good way for you to hone into what's really going on within your soul.

Tools you will need to accomplish this are a journal, a pen, and at least a half-hour to an hour of quiet time to reflect, once per week, or more. It is imperative that you make this reflection a priority if you feel that your path is not serving you.

• Sit for a moment before you engage, breathe deeply, and notice how you feel. Are you tense, nervous, depressed, or anxious? Whatever you feel, take mental note of it. If you feel compelled to write it in the journal, do so.

• Engage in your spiritual practice.

• After you are done, find a quiet place, sit with yourself, and reflect on what you learned. Check in with your body and think about how you feel emotionally, energetically, physically, and mentally.

• After reflecting, begin to write whatever comes to mind regarding your path. It is important to not allow yourself to censor your journal entries. They are private and no one has to see them. It is okay if nothing makes sense at first. Gradually over time, it will all begin to make better sense to you.

• Continue the practice consistently, blessing yourself with time for self-reflection. It is your journey, your time, your contribution toward spiritual evolution.

• After at least a month of entries, look for patterns. Do you feel vibrant after engaging in your path? Or are you left feeling depleted, and embarrassed or ashamed? Was the experience positive or negative? Do not try to force yourself to feel a certain way, or manipulate the effects to suit your desires, just be in what manifests and examine it for what it is.

If you recognize a pattern of negativity branching from your spiritual path, examine what that negativity means to you. If it is related to your path, sometimes, visiting another church, temple, or group to "try on" a different approach and connect with different people is all that is needed to find the perfect fit. Other times, a conversion to another faith is what is in order or possibly a deeper reflection in the company of a professional. Your needs will be unique.

• Take the time to create a list of "must haves" and "must not haves." List 10 characteristics that your spiritual practice must have, as well as 10 characteristics your spiritual path must not have. Make sure you know what you want from your path, set your intentions, and you will be sure to align with your highest good.

Patrick Martin, Jr. is a holistic health counselor. Patrick meets with clients via telephone, guiding them through a revolutionary six-month holistic health-counseling program. www.patrickmartinjr.com, (253) 831-1226