The Best Foods To Open Each Chakra!

Is your diet chakra friendly? Diet based on foods to open each chakra often looks similar to a healthy raw, vegetarian or vegan diet? A proper chakra diet is filled with nutritious whole fruits and vegetables, high fiber, low in sugar, and focused on natural and unprocessed foods. This guide will show you the best foods to open and balance all seven chakras. Optimize your physical, emotional, and spiritual well being with this ultimate chakra diet guide!

Bellow is a summary table that lists the best foods to open each chakra based on color and function. It’s not an exact science. Many expert’s recommendations can vary and are based on ancient Eastern and Indian traditions and customs.

Other ways to open and balance your chakras is through the use of herbs and spices. Head here to learn how to use herbs and spices to use to open a problematic chakra.

To Open Chakras, Eat Foods That Match Color and Function

Chakras are energy points that represent the free flowing disks of energy that move about the body. Since they correspond with many major organs, glands, and bundles of nerves, it’s important for our physical, emotional, and spiritual health and well-being to keep each chakra open, balanced, and in alignment. Each of the seven main chakras is associated with a color.

To make things super simple, we can start by choosing foods that match the chakra’s color. For example, the first chakra is associated with the color red, and one the most highly recommended foods to open this chakra are red beets.

Although matching the chakra’s associated color with foods is a great start, it is also helpful to look at the chakras function, too. For example, one of the primary functions of the throat chakra is communication, and foods such as blueberries and blackberries will help you think, speak, and write more clearly by are supporting brain health, memory, and concentration. The throat chakra’s associated color is blue and matches blueberries in this case but not the purple color of blackberries. As you can see, the best foods for each chakra do NOT always match that chakra’s associated color. Often they do, but not always!

Foods To Open The 1st Chakra – Root Chakra

The first chakra is located around the base of the spine and associated color is red. It is also known as the root chakra or “muladhara” in Sanskrit. “Mula” means “root” and “adhara” means “base. This sanskrit name describes its purpose well as this chakra’s function is to promote security and stability, and to “ground” us. The root chakra is associated with our basic physical and emotional needs. Basic physical needs such as food, water, shelter, sex and emotional needs such as stability and security are fundamental to all of us. When these basic needs are not met, it can often cause a blocked root chakra.

In addition to diet, other techniques include:

1. Meditations
2. Affirmations
3. Yoga Poses
4. Mudras
5. Essential Oils
6. Stones and Crystals
7. Spending Time in Nature
8. Reprogramming Thoughts and The Subconscious Mind

Eat “Grounding” Red Foods and Root Vegetables

In regards to diet, red foods that match the root chakra’s associated color, as well as “root” vegetables that “ground us” work best to open this chakra. At the top of the list are red beets since they are both root vegetables and the color red! This is a great example of both the function AND the color matching the food. Of course, this isn’t always the case.

Similar to red beets, other root vegetables that help ground us and help open the root chakra are red radishes, parsnips, onions, garlic, and potatoes. You will note that with the exception of red radishes, none of these foods match this chakra’s associated red color. Yet they still work great to help open the root chakra!

However, others do match and are red! Opt for delicious, juicy strawberries and tomatoes as other great food choices to open and balance the root chakra. For best results, eat a variety of these foods often and in natural and unprocessed forms.

In some cases, when we eat for a chakra’s function, the colors of these foods may not always match the chakra’s color.

Often, both the color AND function will match, and this is optimal for balancing and opening each chakra. For example, one of the major functions the second, or sacral chakra, is to promote intimacy, sexuality, and a healthy reproductive system.

Foods To Open The 2nd Chakra – Sacral Chakra

The sacral chakra is located just below the tailbone in the lower abdomen, and known as Swadhisthana in Sanskrit. The sacral chakra’s associated color is orange and it is the second chakra of the main seven chakras in the body. Its function is to regulate our creativity and sexuality, as well as our overall emotional stability. It is also strongly associated with our desires and pleasure.

When blocked, we can often feel negative feelings of shame and guilt. This can lead to a lack of creativity and sexual dysfunction. Perhaps even worse, we can engage in self destructing and impulsive behavior such as alcohol, drug, or gambling addictions. However, when open and balanced, our lives are filled with creativity, pleasure, passion, joy, and fulfillment!

In addition to diet, other techniques include:

1. Water – Hydrate, Swim, Relax
2. Yoga Poses – Open Hips To Open Sacral Chakra
3. Affirmations – Stability, Sexuality, Creativity
4. Chanting “VAM” To Open Sacral Chakra
5. Essential Oils – Aphrodisiac Flowers Work Best
6. Stones and Crystals – Orange Calcite/Moonstone
7. Singing Bowl Meditation – Note D
8. Rekindling Your Creative Passions

Carotenoids, Vitamin C, and Vitamin A: Promote Healthy Sexuality, Fertility, and Reproductive System

The associated color of this chakra is orange, and orange colored foods, like oranges, carrots, pumpkins, and squash are often high in certain carotenoids that promote and help our reproductive system. This is why they are often at the top of expert’s list as an excellent way to balance and open the sacral chakra!

Of course, oranges are orange in color! Aren’t you glad I stated the obvious? Similar to carrots, oranges match the sacral chakra’s color and primary function of promoting healthy sexuality, reproductive system and creativity. Oranges are a citrus fruit high in vitamin C, and diets containing high vitamin C are linked to strong sperm health. Additionally, oranges can also help with fertility.

“A study conducted between 1997 and 2000 at Sapporo Medical University and Sapporo Toho Hospital in Japan found that vitamin C supplementation improved the hormone levels of 53 per cent of women who were previously having difficulty trying to get pregnant.”

How to increase your sex drive: How eating THIS fruit can give your libido a boost

Better Sex Life and Healthy Reproductive System

In addition to reproductive system health, oranges and other high vitamin C citrus fruits are all great choice to improve your sex drive, too! This includes other orange fruits on our list to help open the sacral chakra, including mangoes and papayas.

Vitamin A is another important fat-soluble vitamin that is important for vagina and uterus health and also creates sex hormones. It is also helps lower blood pressure which may reduce the risk for erectile function. Vitamin A is found in abundance in three orange foods on our list: carrots, pumpkins, and sweet potatoes.

In addition to matching the sacral chakra’s associated orange color, many of the foods on our list are also high in Vitamin A, C, and cartenoids which all promote healthy sexuality, libido, and reproductive health. Eat as many as you can in abundance to open the sacral chakra today!

Foods To Open The 3rd Chakra – Solar Plexus Chakra

The solar plexus chakra is located in the abdomen right above the belly button. It is the third of the seven major chakras, and also known as Manipura in sanskrit. This chakra is associated with willpower, confidence, self esteem, and the ego. When blocked, we are often unsure of ourselves and may constantly seek the validation of others. Similarly, we may also be a “people pleaser” that is overly agreeable. This can make us feel powerless and feel as we lack of control over our own lives. Similarly, we can also feel victimization.

Take your power back and regain control over your life! When this chakra is unblocked, open and balanced, we will become confident, joyful, independent, and empowered. As we build confidence and feel more and more in control of our lives, we will create a stronger sense of self.

In addition to diet, other techniques include:

1. Yoga Poses – Poses that Focus on Stomach
2. Affirmations
3. Chants – “RAM”
4. Mudras
5. Essential Oils – Get Energized
6. Healing Stones And Crystals
7. Stepping Out of Your Comfort Zone
8. Making Your Own Decisions
9. Healing From Past Traumas

Eat Yellow Foods that Promote Energy And Digestion

The associated color of the solar plexus chakra is yellow, and to open this chakra, we should aim to eat yellow foods that promote energy and digestion. A lack of self esteem and confidence caused by a blockage can cause us to feel sluggish and lethargic. Therefore, we need foods that will give us activation energy to change our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors to make us feel empowered!

A blocked solar plexus chakra is also associated with digestive issues due to accompanying stress and anxiety. Let’s put this all together and look for foods that are yellow, help digestion and/or are easy to digest, and also give us energy!

At the top of the list are yellow foods like bananas, corn, and oats with plenty of carbohydrates for energy and that are also easy to digest and/or help the digestive system.

Yellow Bananas For More Energy And Easy Digestion

Our number one choice to open the solar plexus chakra are yellow bananas!

Yellow bananas are great for digestion and are easily broken down in the body. Considered a complex carbohydrate, they are one of the best foods for sustained energy and also promote energy levels with high levels of potassium and the vitamin B6.

“Bananas are one of the best foods that help with digestion because the carbohydrates they contain are easily broken down. The fruit is gentle enough to be eaten if you are suffering from stomach ailments, like vomiting and diarrhea, and it restores lost electrolytes back into the body.”

UMPC Health Beat – Help Your Digestive System with These 5 Foods

In addition to bananas, corn, and oats, other excellent food choices to help open the sacral chakra include: golden lentils, yellow peppers, yellow carrots, golden lentils, yellow pears, lemons, brown rice, and yellow squash. Eat a variety of these foods in abundance to unblock, open and balance your sacral chakra quickly, effectively, and naturally!

Foods to Open The 4th Chakra – Heart Chakra

The heart chakra is the fourth of the seven main chakras and known as anahata in Sanskrit. It is located in the center of your chest near your heart. It is the center of our body’s chakra system, and connects the lower three chakras with the upper three. This chakra is associate with feelings of love, compassion, empathy, and forgiveness. When blocked, we may feel hatred or jealous towards others, or even ourselves. Similarly, we may have difficulty empathizing or forgiving others. We may also have difficulty finding self acceptance within ourselves when the heart chakra is blocked.

As the center of the chakra system which contains both halves of the upper and lower three chakras, a blocked heart chakra can be especially devastating for the entire chakra system. This can cause significant physical and emotion issues throughout the body.

Open Your Heart To Unconditional Love

However, when the heart chakra is opened and in balance, our lives are filled with unconditional love, joy, forgiveness, and compassion. An open heart chakra connects us with the best and most beautiful parts of the human experience.

As discussed in a previous post, “Rekindle Burning Passion and Love! How to Open Your Heart Chakra,” there are multiple ways to unblock, open, and balance the heart chakra. That post provides a great summary and background of ALL the best ways to open your fourth chakra. Our purpose in this guide is to focus on the best foods to open your heart chakra.

However, in addition to diet, other techniques include:

1. Yoga Poses
2. Affirmations
3. Chants – “YAM”
4. Mudras
5. Essential Oils 
6. Healing Stones And Crystals
7. Slowing Down and Rediscovering Beauty
8. Showing Your Emotions
9. Forgiving Others and Ourselves

Eat Green Foods That Nourish The Heart

The associated color of the heart chakra is green. This color is connected with feelings of love, openness, and compassion. The color green is also strongly connected to nature with the color of the leaves, plants, forests, and jungles it also represents nature, abundance, and growth. To open this chakra, we should aim to eat green foods that promote heart health and our circulatory system. We should also look for foods that help promote hormones associated with love, such as oxytocin.

The best examples of this are leafy, green vegetables and green fruits. In addition to matching the heart chakra’s color, leafy green vegetables are also rich in heart protecting vitamins, such as Vitamin K and folate. They also loaded with antioxidants and they also contain high levels of fiber, iron, magnesium, potassium and calcium. Green fruits such as avocados and kiwis also contain other heart healthy properties that are loaded with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber.

Go Green, Show Love, and Protect The Heart

Which foods are green, promote love, and protect the heart and circulatory system all at the same time?

Avocados and Spinach!

This is why we strongly recommend spinach and avocados as the best foods to open your heart chakra. In addition to matching the heart chakra’s associated green color, Spinach and avocados both help increase oxytocin levels in the body which promotes love. Both contain heart healthy vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber, and avocados also contain  healthy fats which greatly help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol.

“Spinach is a really great heart–healthy food,” says Neels. “Spinach has just about everything your heart needs, including plenty of omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, B vitamins, and fiber.” Spinach is particularly rich in the water-soluble B vitamin called folate.”

Everyday Health – The Best (and Tastiest) Foods for Your Heart

Other great choices to open your heart chakra include kale, green tea, kiwi, parsley, broccoli, cucumber, mint, brussel sprouts, and basil. In addition to helping you open and balance your heart chakra, all of these foods are great for the body in general with tons of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. They are also almost all very low in calories so make sure you fill your plate and grab a second serving. Enjoy!

Foods to Open The 5th Chakra – Throat Chakra

The throat chakra is the fifth of the seven chakras and is located around the throat as well as the areas of the mouth, tongue, jaw, and neck. in Sanskrit, it is known as vishudda. This chakra governs our ability to communicate and express ourselves honestly and authentically. It also governs both our self expression as well as our ability to listen and understand our own inner intuition.

When blocked, you may lack confidence in you ability to communicate your thoughts or feelings. You may also be fearful of the opinions of others, or frustrated and have difficulty expressing how you truly feel within.

Communicate and Manifest Your Authentic Self

However, an open and balanced throat chakra will help you to speak and express yourself honestly and with integrity. This includes yourself as you will have greater clarity and precision of your own thoughts. You will have a greater understanding of your own intuition which will help you articulate and manifest your authentic self.

As discussed in a previous post, “Ready To Express Your True Authentic Self? How to Open Your Throat Chakra,” there are multiple ways to unblock, open, and balance the throat chakra. That post provides a great summary and background of ALL the best ways to open your fifth chakra. Our purpose in this guide is to focus on the best foods to open your throat chakra.

However, in addition to diet, other techniques include:

1. Yoga Poses
2. Neck Care
3. Affirmations
4. Chants 
5. Mudras
6. Essential Oils 
7. Healing Stones And Crystals
8. Journaling
9. Singing

Eat Blue Foods That Help Memory And Nourish The Throat

The color associated with the throat chakra is blue. To help open and balance the throat chakra, we should eat blue foods as well as those that help our focus, memory, and concentration as well as promote throat health. It is important to maximize our brain health to improve our memory and concentration as a sharp mind will help us communicate clearly and more effectively. Our throat health is also obviously quite important in communication and expression through speech, and it’s important we also eat foods that nourish it, as well as protect our overall immune system.

There aren’t too many blue foods in general, but one that stands out to match the throat chakra’s associated color and promotes brain health are blueberries. Blueberries, as well as other dark berries such as blackberries, contain antioxidants that boost memory and concentration. Among the most important of these are multiple types of flavonoids. Flavonoids help the body and mind function more efficiently while also reducing toxins, stressors, and free radicials. Blueberries contain one of the largest amounts of a specific flavonoids called anthocyanins, and this is also linked with increased learning and memory.

Blueberries Boost Brain, Immune, and Throat Health

“These humble little fruits are also immune–boosting superfoods. Blueberries contain flavonoids — a type of antioxidant that can help reduce damage to cells and boost your immune system. In addition, blueberries have plenty of vitamins, including vitamin C, vitamin A, potassium, dietary fiber, and manganese”

Geisinger – 6 Foods to Boost Your Immune System Through Cold and Flu Season

Finally, blueberries are also linked to strong overall immune health as well as throat health. They contain astringent tannins that help sooth a sore throat, especially when they are frozen.

Blueberries match the throat chakra’s associated blue color, support the overall immune system, promote throat health, and support memory and concentration to help you communicate and express yourself honestly and authentically.

For all of these reasons, our clear number one choice to open the throat chakra are blueberries!

Did we mention they are very lower in sugar and high in fiber, too?

Other great choices (although mostly not blue foods) to open the throat chakra include blackberries, concord/blue grapes, licorice, slippery elm bark, seaweed – Nori, Kelp, Kombu, Wakame, Dulse, Arame, elderberry tea, bone broth, coconut water, herbal tea with honey. Some such as blackberries concord grapes boost memory and concentration, while others such as licorice and herbal tea pertain more to throat health.

Foods to Open The 6th Chakra – Third Eye Chakra

The third eye chakra is the sixth of the seven main chakras, and known as ajna in Sanskrit. It is located in the forehead above the eyebrows in the center where they connect. This chakra is responsible for clarity of thought, higher intelligence, perception, and intuition. It also governs higher consciousness and our ability to see ourselves and the world from a different perspective. When blocked, you may have a lack of imagination, vision, memory, or difficulty setting goals. You may also not see reality clearly and in denial of what is really happening in your life and around you. You could be narrow minded, have persistent nightmares, or even paranoid or delusional thoughts.

See The World From A Completely New Perspective

However,when the third eye is open and balanced, you gain access to your inner wisdom and you see the world from a completely new perceptive and dimension. You gain a greater sense of clarity and purpose about your life and your third eye is able to see both inward and outward, simultaneously. This allows you to truly “see” in a way that transcends space and time. You are able to finally transcend and become the imagination of yourself. You transcend from a “human doing” to a “human being.”

As discussed in a previous post, “10 Ways To Open Your Third Eye Chakra,” there are multiple ways to unblock, open, and balance the third eye chakra. That post provides a great summary and background of ALL the best ways to open your six chakra. Our purpose in this guide is to focus on the best foods to open your third eye chakra.

However, in addition to diet, other techniques include:

1. Embracing Silence
2. Nurturing your Creative Side
3. Strengthening your Intuition
4. Third Eye Specific Meditations
5. Dream Journaling
6. Spend More Time in Nature
7. Essential Oils
8. Healing Stones And Crystals
9. Yoga Poses

Open The Third Eye Chakra With Purple Foods That Promote Brain Health

The color associated with the third eye chakra is purple, and to open and balance this chakra, we should eat purple foods that promote healthy brain functioning. It is important to note that each chakra is an energy center, and not a physical place in the body. However, each chakra is associated and connected with different glands and organs in the body. The third eye chakra associated with the pineal gland directly between both hemispheres in the brain, and this is why foods that promote brain health are so important to open this chakra.

Similar to the throat chakra, we can best open this chakra with foods that support and improve memory, concentration and focus. Purple foods that do this best are purple grapes, plums, eggplant, and blackberries. Grapes, plums, and blackberries are rich in antioxidants which are known to promote healthy brain functioning.

Antioxidants And Phytonutrients Support Brain Function

Antioxidants in these foods are also linked to reducing brain disease such as Alzheimers, as well as protect against other forms of cognitive decline as we age. Specifically, plums, purple grapes, and blackberries contain the antioxidants called anthocyanin which is strongly linked to brain health and memory function, and also gives brain cells a boost.

“University of Harvard Health Research has shown antioxidants can slow the development of Alzheimer’s. Chock full of antioxidants, plums also contain anthocyanin and quercetin, both beneficial in supporting a healthy brain.”

10 Benefits of Eating Plums For Your Body

In addition to anthocyanin, plums also contain quercetin, which also promotes cognition. Eggplant promotes brain health though phytonutrients which improve blood flow to the brain. In addition to purple grapes, plums, eggplant, and blackberries, other foods that help open the third eye chakra include purple kale, purple lettuce, and purple carrots. All of these are highly nutritious and low in calories so eat them regularly and in abundance!

Foods to Open The 7th Chakra – Crown Chakra

The Crown chakra is located at the very top, or crown, of the head and is the last of the seven main chakras. The crown chakra is referred to as “Sahaswara” in Sanskrit. This translates to “the the thousand petal lotus.” The symbol of the lotus flower’s opening represents spiritual awakening and enlightenment, and the large number of petals refers to the crown as the chakra closest to pure consciousness.

When blocked, we may feel dissociated or disconnected with either our body or our spirituality as a whole. We may have trouble connecting with our higher self, or the universe in general. Additionally, we may lack trust in a higher power. Finally, we may behave overly egotistically and be critical or judgmental of others.

Open The Crown Chakra To Feel Gratitude and Ecstasy

However, when opened, we will feel a deep sense of connection to spirit, the universe, and our higher selves. Spiritual energy, known as Prana, will flow through and connect us to all living things and ourselves. We will feel a deep sense of gratitude which will help us live a joyful, fulfilling, and ecstatic life.

As discussed in a previous post, “10 Ways To Open Your Crown Chakra,” there are multiple ways to unblock, open, and balance the third eye chakra. That post provides a great summary and background of ALL the best ways to open your six chakra. Our purpose in this guide is to focus on the best foods to open your third eye chakra.

However, in addition to diet, other techniques include:

1. Yoga – Poses that Stimulate Crown Chakra
2. AUM Chanting
3. Affirmations
4. Crown Chakra Meditations
5. Crown Chakra Mudras
6. Essential Oils
7. Healing Stones and Crystals
8. Reconnect with Nature
9. Enjoy the Journey Blissfully

Fasting is Key To Open The Crown Chakra

Unlike all other chakras, the crown chakra is unique in regards to diet suggestions.  As seen throughout this guide, all other chakras include a specific diet which often match the chakra’s associated color and function. However, the crown chakra is best opened while fasting.

The body begins the process of autophagy which will allows the body to clean itself at a CELLULAR level after 48 hours of fasting. While in a fasted state, the body will begin an accelerated process of detoxifying the body. At the same time, this will increase mental clarity and awareness. 

Although not technically a food, there are some helpful incense herbs that are associated with the crown chakra such as frankincense, myrrh, sage, and copal that can compliment your fast and help open your crown chakra. Fasting is key to open your crown chakra!

Conclusion

This guide will help you choose proper foods to unblock, balance, and open each of the seven main chakras. We have listed recommendations based on food choices that often match each chakra’s associated color as well as its function.

Virtually of all our recommendations are highly nutritious choices in general, and contain plenty of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. They are also all vegan and vegetarian friendly! Bon Appétit!

Sources

https://share.upmc.com/2014/09/help-digestive-system-5-foods/

https://www.webmd.com/sex-relationships/ss/slideshow-best-foods-before-sex

https://www.netmeds.com/health-library/post/oxytocin-foods-that-boost-your-love-hormone

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19002018/

https://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/ss/slideshow-purple-power-foodsc

https://www.everydayhealth.com/heart-health-pictures/putting-heart-healthy-foods-on-the-menu.aspx

Shanti Arunkumar, Senior Contributor At L’Aquila Active

Learn more about Shanti by reading her bio below.

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