Scientists refer to energy from the sun as solar energy and yet spiritual personages state all of creation is enlivened by a subtle energy, known by different names in different cultures, but most popularly known by yogis as “prana.”  According to the “science of yoga” prana enters the body through the medulla oblongata at the base of the brain.  This energy enters the body naturally without conscious effort by man; however, the man that becomes sensitive to it can learn to control it willfully as well.  The breath is directly linked to this prana or life force control.  Yogis declare that without the active vitality of prana the body would be lifeless.  It is this prana that allows man to digest food, heal itself, maintain internal temperature and process energy.

When we examine man’s energy needs from a spiritual perspective the paradigm changes significantly.  To understand what is most beneficial for man’s body we have to accept some changes in understanding.  First, man isn’t considered to be a gross matter physical being.  We must trace our essence back to its Source that is Spirit.  Spirit is formless and has no need for food.  Spirit “individualizes” itself to become the soul.  The soul likewise is formless and has no need for sustenance from creation.  The soul, however, under the spell of maya or ignorance identifies itself with matter and becomes encased in three bodies according to the yogi.  The first body is known as the causal or ideational body (simply made up of various ideas).  The second body descends further becoming known as the astral body (made up of light).  This body emits an aura that certain tuned-psychics and such can often see or read.  The third body is what we all observe which is the physical body.

Thus what the spiritual person deems as the “best diet” for man are foods that help the individual to uplift his consciousness back towards soul realization.  The spiritual person sees the body not as gross matter but an energy field that has certain magnetic and vibrational properties.  In fact, all of creation is nothing more than vibrational frequencies and manifestations.  The physical body is ultimately enlivened by this astral body that has seven energy vortices located within the astral spinal column known as chakras.  The chakras manage various bodily functions and the communication of energy, stimuli and intelligence.

Starting at the base of the spine the Muladhara is associated with the color red, the earth element and gross matter.  It is no coincidence that we eliminate physical waste in this region of the body.  Slightly above the first chakra is the second known as the Swadhisthana.  This chakra is associated with the color orange and the water element.  Again, looking at the body we eliminate liquid from the body primarily from this region through the urine.  The third chakra in line is behind the navel area.  This Manipura chakra is associated with the color yellow and the fire element.  Of course the stomach area is where the majority of digestion takes place in the stomach and intestines.  Here is where the “fire element” transforms matter into usable energy.  The fourth chakra is near the heart and called the Anahata.  This chakra is associated with the color green and the air element.  This is where the lungs convert the oxygen in the air that we breath.  This is also a direct link to learning how to control the prana force within the body.  By learning to control the breath we become more sensitive to the sensations of prana within the body. The fifth chakra, known as Vishuddha, is located at the throat area and is associated with the color blue and the ether element.  Ether is said to be the backdrop of creation sort of like the canvas in which matter is painted upon.  The ether is also correlated with the vibrations that sustain matter.

These five chakras are primarily associated not only with the physical body but physical creation.  As we ascend beyond these five we come to the final two.  The last two chakras are centers that transcend physical matter and elevate man’s consciousness towards Spirit.  The Ajna chakra is magnetically connected to the medulla oblongata but is associated with the spiritual eye, also known as the third-eye, located in the center of the forehead between the eyebrows.  This chakra is identified with a deep violet color.  The third eye is said to be a five-pointed silvery white star encased in a deep violet and encircled by golden aura.  Sages suggest that it is this chakra which is the “only begotten son” or Christ-consciousness in man.  They say this is Jesus’ reference when he says “If thine eye be one (single) thy whole body shall be full of light.”  Luke 11:34

The last chakra called the Sahasrara isn’t actually a chakra in the sense that the others are considered vortices.  The Sahasrara is the Source, which enlivens all the other chakras.  This center is called the thousand-petaled center.  It is associated with either the full rainbow spectrum, amethyst or simply a white light.  This is the symbolic “halo” that expresses divinity in a man who has achieved realization of the one Self.

So when the spiritual aspirant professes what is the best diet for man, he is doing so in terms of what types of food assist man in raising his consciousness in spiritual growth.  The foods that contain the most vital nutrients, capture the greatest concentration of sunlight energy and produce the least karmic effects upon man’s body are the natural foods that come from the earth such as fruits, vegetables, nuts and grains.  Not only do these type of foods come in a full-array of colors but science is proving more and more everyday how they boost man’s immune system, fight the ill-effects of environmental influences and counter many of the adverse effects of eating meat.  Science may be slow in revealing these truths but heart disease, high blood pressure, coronary defects and cancers all seem to be correlated to over indulgence in meat particularly red meat while a continuous stream of data shows the beneficial effects of fruit.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN correspondent, has gone even further to recommend a seven-color diet of eating fruits and vegetables daily that correlate to the rainbow chakras of red, orange, yellow, green, blue and violet.  Modern science hasn’t revealed the secrets of the connection yet but sages of ancient past have already laid the foundation and techniques necessary to guide man towards better health and spiritual experience.  You have the freedom of will to choose as you like.  You can wait for someone to “prove” what is good or ill for you or you can decide to experiment for yourself and decide what diet and types of food give you the most energy, better health and clarity of mind and spirit.