“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food” - Hippocrates

The gut is commonly referred to as the second brain due to the vast connections between them both. This is known as the Gut-Brain-Axis. The three main communication channels between your brain and gut are your nervous system (using neurotransmitters via the vagus nerve), your immune system (using cytokines via the blood stream) and endocrine system (using hormones such as cortisol via the blood system). The circulatory and lymphatic systems also play supporting roles. In particular, around 90% of serotonin (the happy hormone that the body can recycle into melatonin an DMT) is produced in the gut. Thus, when preserving the mind, body and spirit, diet is paramount.

During your preservation days, it can also be profoundly empowering to fast and/ or consume teas/ medicines from particular plants that you would like to connect with (eg. primrose for inner child healing). If you do choose to fast, remember to support the detox with minerals (eg. fulvic or shilajit, eating celtic salt or bathing in Epsom and/ Dead Sea salts) and any other supplements to support your cleansing (eg. psyllium husk, Bentonite clay).

Alternatively, you could follow a diet similar to the Shamanic Ayahuasca diet, which (although varies very slightly from Shaman to Shaman) typically includes strictly no salt, no sugar or sweets, no vinegar, no spices/ seasoning or chillis, no fats or oils, no canned food, no processed foods (eg. pasta) no stimulants (eg. coffee or cacao), no alcohol, no fruit or fruit juices, no red meat, no pork/ pork derivatives, no garlic, no onions, no citrus fruits (eg. lemons), and no liquids other than fresh water. Foods that can be consumed include fish, rice, oats, salad, coconut water, herbal teas, chicken, eggs, and most vegetables (eg. carrots, broccoli). This diet is intended to allow a deeper connection to the body, the Earth and to alkalinise the body.

During a plant medicine journey, I once received the wisdom: “Minerals become plants, Plants become animals, Animals become humans, Humans become light, Light becomes minerals.” So I’m not here to lecture anybody on what dietary choices are right for them. I’m vegan and have a strong personal resistance to eating meat, but know omnivores and carnivores who practice preserving the sacred secretion, so I believe you need to explore your own path. Listen to your body and learn the difference between an egoic craving and your body’s actual call for a specific nutrient, and simply go with it. Below are some meal ideas that I enjoy that may get you started :)

(If you know of any recipes that you would like to share with others on this page, then please email these via our contact form or in the comments section.)