Best foods for your solar plexus
Written by Delilah Bisase, RD
Our third chakra is referred to as the solar plexus (or manipura) chakra. The energy from this chakra is all about personal power and transformation. Considering that the element of this chakra is fire, it makes sense that it’s correlated with the digestive system, and in particular the stomach. Our digestive system is a set of organs working together to take the food we eat and transform it into energy to fuel our daily actions. From an energetic perspective, the energy in the solar plexus allows us to use our actions to bring creative ideas to fruition and to keep working towards our goals; basically manifestation. We all have goals we’re constantly working on, so we want this chakra to be in top top shape, right? Here are the foods that resonate with the solar plexus chakra.
Whole grains
This chakra is our energy center, and whole grain carbohydrates provide our body with energy. Carbohydrates are our body’s first choice energy source. The body stores the carbohydrates we consume in the form of glycogen, and once that has been depleted then our body uses fats for energy. I’m going to emphasize whole grains here, because it is whole grains that energize the solar plexus, and not refined grains. Refined grains (ex: white bread, white rice) actually do the opposite and deplete energy from the solar plexus. Some examples of whole grains you can try are brown rice, whole wheat bread or pasta, faro, quinoa, millet, tef, or bulgur.
Yellow colored foods
Yellow is the color that resonates with this chakra. It’s no coincidence that this chakra resonates with the same color of the sun, because it’s that radiant, masculine, and powerful sun-like energy which the solar plexus brings to the forefront. So, feed it with yellow foods! This includes yellow colored fruits and vegetables such as pineapple, mango, yellow squash, yellow bell peppers, banana, and yellow split peas.
Ginger & turmeric
Leaning more into herbs, these are both powerful yellow colored roots that resonate with the solar plexus chakra. Ginger and turmeric are both referred to often in Ayurvedic medicine for their positive effects on digestion. It’s possible that you might’ve already been using ginger for your digestive system, because it’s a well known aid to an upset stomach because it is a carminative, meaning that it can help alleviate gas and bloating. Ginger and turmeric are both highly anti-inflammatory, which is ideal to support healthy digestion and a healthy solar plexus.
I have a whole chapter about the solar plexus in my e-book “Feeding the Body and Soul”. Check it out here!