Health Is Everything We Consume: Food, Media, Emotions, and Spiritual Healing
Introduction
Welcome to the first episode of This Temporary Space. In this conversation, I sat down with my friend Levy Mitch to explore a question that runs deeper than diet and fitness: What does it really mean to be healthy?
We both believe health is more than calories or workouts — it’s about everything we consume. That includes food, media, emotions, relationships, and even our spiritual beliefs. Together, we unpacked the hidden dangers of processed foods, the way unprocessed trauma lingers in the body, and how plant medicine and spirituality can open doors to healing.
Here are the key takeaways from our discussion.
Processed Foods vs. Whole Foods
Today’s food system is deceptive. Even products sold in “health food” stores often contain seed oils, artificial sweeteners, or additives hidden under labels like “natural flavors.”
Apps like Yuka reveal what’s really inside — scanning barcodes to expose additives linked to ADHD, inflammation, and chronic disease.
Levy made the point that across cultures — whether tribes in the Amazon or Arctic hunters eating seal fat — the common thread wasn’t what they ate, but that the food was whole and unprocessed.
Key takeaway: Food is medicine, but processed food is poison.
Emotional Health and Trauma in the Body
Our conversation also moved to emotions. Levy reminded me that unprocessed emotions don’t disappear — they get stored.
Anger not expressed becomes resentment.
Sadness ignored hardens into numbness.
Childhood trauma resurfaces as adult anxiety, chronic illness, or destructive patterns.
We agreed: our emotional “diet” is just as important as the physical one. To be healthy, we have to process pain, not bury it.
Key takeaway: Healing requires acknowledging and integrating stored emotions.
Media Consumption and Mental Health
Health also extends to what we feed our minds.
When I notice myself doomscrolling, I take it as a barometer — usually it means I’m avoiding something I need to face. Levy pointed out how overstimulation is now the default setting in society: we’re constantly consuming, rarely digesting.
Experts like Vanessa Van Edwards add that this nonstop screen time robs us of spontaneous human interaction — the very thing that regulates emotions and keeps us balanced.
Key takeaway: Be mindful of what you feed your mind. Your media diet matters.
Plant Medicine Benefits and Risks
The renaissance of plant medicine (ayahuasca, psilocybin, MDMA therapy) came up as well.
I shared experiences of ceremonies that revealed how avoidance creates suffering. Levy emphasized that while plant medicine can heal, it isn’t for everyone. Those with severe mental health struggles need caution, and not every “shaman” is legitimate.
A real healer, we agreed, is someone whose life reflects balance, integrity, and genuine care — not desperation for money or status.
Key takeaway: Plant medicine is powerful, but it must be respected.
Religion, Spirituality, and Healing
We both grew up in religious settings, and our conversation touched on how plant medicine intersects with faith.
During one ceremony, I saw my tefillin turn to solid gold — a symbol of my father’s love. In that same vision, God said:
“If you wear them, I’ll love you. If you throw them in the river, I’ll still love you. My love is infinite.”
Levy reflected on how many people wrestle with religion’s rules but ultimately crave what spirituality offers: connection.
Key takeaway: Spiritual healing is about relationship, not dogma.
Childhood Trauma and Self-Worth
Toward the end, we reflected on what we’d say to our younger selves.
My message: “You’re already lovable. Trust yourself. Set boundaries. Don’t rush away from pain — sit with it, process it, and let it guide your growth.”
Levy added that so much of adult health is shaped by unhealed childhood wounds. Without facing them, we replay patterns of self-rejection and avoidance in adulthood.
Key takeaway: Healing begins with self-love and honest awareness.
The Meaning of Life: Growth and Expansion
One of the deepest questions we touched on was life’s purpose.
Our answer: life is about growth, expansion, and learning through experience. Sometimes growth is painful, sometimes unfair, but it’s in those moments that transformation takes place.
Conclusion
This first episode with Levy Mitch set the tone for what This Temporary Space will be about: creating room to pause, reflect, and question what it means to live fully.
Health is not just a diet, a workout, or a checklist. It’s everything we consume — food, emotions, media, relationships, and beliefs. When we take responsibility for what we allow in, we move closer to balance, wholeness, and truth.
This is only the beginning of the conversations to come. I’m grateful to Levy for joining me in this first exploration, and I’m excited for the journey ahead.
