You know how difficult it can be to feel settled, grounded, and calm if you’ve dealt with trauma, anxiety, or simply overwhelming stress. Right on your plate, food is one of the most effective tools for supporting the nervous system. Food in Daoist nutrition is more than just fuel; it’s a means of balancing the body’s energy, therefore calming the nervous system, and even fostering emotional stability.
Let’s walk through how to use a few specific foods and meal strategies to help reduce anxiety, encourage emotional balance, and provide a sense of peace and grounding to your daily life.
How Food Affects the Nervous System According to Daoist Nutrition
According to Daoist thought, our energy—or qi (pronounced chee)—flows throughout the body and is experienced differently when it becomes agitated or unbalanced. It may show up as tension or anxiety at times; other times it’s that nervous sensation we can’t quite shake. Our qi is directly affected by the food we consume; as such, by choosing wisely, we can help to “settle” this energy, and our feelings.
The secret is to choose foods that ground, soothe, and nourish the energy of the body. Finding a balance that suits you is everything.
Food Categories That Calm and Ground the Nervous System
There are several food categories in Daoist nutrition that are considered particularly helpful for relaxing your body, mind, and spirit:
Grains
Considered a foundational centerpiece in Daoist nutrition, grains have a grounding action. Often regarded as “steady” foods, they help control energy levels and foster emotional stability. Consider them as a mild means of soothing and nourishing your body.
Examples: Wheat, rice, oats, barley, millet.
How to Use: Use rice as a basic staple for meals, or start your day with a warm bowl of oatmeal. These grains provide stability and comfort as well as fill you up.
Root Vegetables
Root vegetables are the epitome of “grounding” foods. Growing underground, they energetically match stability and help you feel more anchored and centered.
Examples: Sweet potatoes, carrots, beets, turnips.
How to Use: Use as a warm side dish a batch of sweet potatoes or carrots roasted with a bit of olive oil. These naturally sweet and hearty vegetables are the ideal accompaniment when you want a bit more comfort.
Cooked Greens
Supporting of your body’s natural balance, cooked greens calm and support your qi. Lightly cooking any of the various types of greens also makes them more easily digestible, which can be quite beneficial when your nervous system feels overloaded.
Examples: Kale, spinach, chard, collards.
How to Use: Use gently sauteed or steamed greens as a side dish, or toss them into a warm soup. They’re an ideal way to include that calming element into any meal.
Warming vs. Cooling Foods for Emotional Balance
Foods in Daoist nutrition have energetic “temperatures”—some are warming, some are cooling. Knowing the difference enables you to make decisions that better support your body, particularly when you’re under a lot of stress.
Warming Foods
Particularly in colder months or when we’re emotionally exhausted, warming foods provide that cozy, comforting feeling. Warm foods are associated with boosting the yang energy of the body, which is essentially movement, warmth, and vitality.
Examples: Ginger, cinnamon, soups, cooked root vegetables.
How to Use: Use ginger as a tea; sprinkle cinnamon over warm oats; or savor a filling vegetable soup. These little changes can help release tension, and provide a sense of warmth to both body and mind.
Cooling Foods
On the other hand, when you’re feeling “too heated,”—think of anxious energy, irritation, or simply feeling like there’s too much going on—cooling foods can be quite helpful. Particularly useful in warm weather, these foods help regulate excess heat.
Examples: Cucumbers, mung beans, leafy greens, tomato.
How to Use: Add cooked mung beans to a stir-fry, or have a side of lightly cooked or raw cucumbers. Without overstimulating the body, these foods will help you feel more relaxed and balanced.
Mindful Eating Practices to Support the Nervous System
Although our diet counts, how we eat also makes quite a difference. Try these straightforward practices to help calm and center your nervous system:
Select Warm, Cooked Foods
For anyone who feels anxious or ungrounded, warm, cooked foods are gentle on the stomach and easy to digest. When you’re especially unsettled, try to minimize your consumption of cold or raw foods.
Eat in a Calm Environment
Although this might seem clear-cut, it’s often easily ignored. Steer clear of eating in a hurry, while working, or in a state of emotional turmoil. Give yourself a few moments to sit, take a breath, and allow yourself to unwind. This little modification will enable your body to calmly and more effectively process what you eat.
Cultivate Gratitude for Your Food
Whether you say it aloud or to yourself, a moment to show thanks helps you relate to the food and brings a sense of calm to the experience. It doesn’t have to be complicated; just a basic “thank you” to honor the food will help shift your perspective.
Sample Meal Ideas for Calming and Grounding
Here are some meal ideas using Daoist principles to put it all together and produce a grounding, calming experience:
Breakfast: Warm oatmeal topped with cooked apples, a bit of cinnamon, and a few sliced almonds. With a touch of sweetness and a little spice, this simple meal offers a warming, grounding start to the day. Over-cooked, soft rice could be substituted if you’re not a fan of oats.
Lunch: Brown rice topped with roasted root vegetables, steamed or lightly sauteed greens, and a ginger-turmeric vinaigrette. This dish blends greens that soothe the body with the grounding properties of grains and root vegetables.
Dinner: A hearty vegetable soup combining warm spices like garlic or cumin with root vegetables, leafy greens, and a bit of crusty bread. It’s great for relaxing, warm and comforting.
Final Thoughts
Daoist nutrition holds that food is more than simply fuel; it’s a means of connecting with your body, quieting your mind, and nurturing your spirit. It promotes balance when properly understood. These little culinary changes can have a significant impact, whether you’re seeking new ideas for supporting your healing path, or you’re just beginning your healing journey.
Try experimenting with some of these grounding, soothing foods and techniques if you’re feeling stressed, anxious, or just plain overwhelmed. See how they affect you; then, give yourself permission to integrate these small, nourishing modifications into your daily habits. Over time, these choices can become part of a supportive routine that helps you stay balanced and resilient, one meal at a time.