The Archetype Diet

by Dana James

  Be very granular. Include authors you like to read, movement classes you enjoy, or routines that bring balance and harmony to your life. Leave alcohol and pleasure foods off the list for now. I want you to find activities outside the sensations of food. But otherwise, don’t limit yourself. If you love to paint but you haven’t picked up a brush in twenty years, that’s okay—if it still brings you joy, add it to the list.

  Once you’ve listed at least thirty things, sort them by frequency—things you can do daily, monthly, seasonally, and annually. When I did this for myself, I wrote “swimming in the Mediterranean” on the annual list. While I’d love to do that daily, it won’t happen while I live in the United States, but it did direct my summer vacation to Italy that year. It was worth investing money in something that truly made me feel joyful.

  You should end up with more daily activities than monthly, seasonal, or annual ones because the greater the pool of daily activities, the more options you have for adding daily fulfillment to your life. You probably won’t do each thing every day, but the idea is to think of things you can do often because they don’t require much effort or advance planning. Even if the only thing you do on a given day is to meditate for ten minutes or read a bedtime story to your kids, your life is going to feel good because you’ve done at least one thing that makes you feel joyful. If you do more, then you’ve added more richness to your life.

  Fulfillment List

  DAILY

  MONTHLY

  SEASONALLY

  ANNUALLY

  Visit http://bit.ly/2ruRxZD for a printable version of this worksheet.

  Remember that fulfillment is about connection to yourself, others, the earth, and a higher purpose. Let that guide you if you get stuck. Sometimes, you’ve just forgotten what you like. If you need some inspiration, take a look at the lists of activities for each archetype below. I want you to become a complete woman, and one way to do that is by exploring the elements of yourself that you might not have paid attention to for a while.

  In addition to being pleasurable in their own right, the activities on this fulfillment list can also be useful when you want to form replacement habits. If you’ve been getting hidden rewards from your eating habits, think about how these other activities may provide the same—or even greater—benefit. When I was breaking my sugar compulsion, I’d often watch a TED Talk (or three) until the urge subsided. It was a transitional fix while I worked on the underlying cause of the cravings, and it provided the same reward—a way to switch off—with none of the post-eating shame.

  Archetype Activities List

  NURTURER Positive Traits: compassion, loyalty, warmth

  ACTIVITIES:

  Cooking dinner with friends

  Reading a bedtime story to or playing with your kids

  Laughing with family or friends

  Buying flowers for yourself

  Shopping at the farmers market

  Volunteering at a local soup kitchen or homeless shelter

  WONDER WOMAN Positive Traits: dignity, drive, intellect

  ACTIVITIES:

  Taking a foreign language class

  Reading a thought-provoking article or book

  Watching TED Talks or listening to podcasts

  Taking an exercise class

  Visiting a museum

  FEMME FATALE Positive Traits: sensuality, playfulness, fun

  ACTIVITIES:

  Date night with your partner

  Taking photographs

  Dancing

  Reading a juicy novel

  Taking a luxurious bath

  Making love to your partner

  Getting a massage

  ETHEREAL Positive Traits: creativity, intuition, imagination

  ACTIVITIES:

  Morning meditation

  Taking a yoga class

  Painting

  Reading spiritual books

  Burning incense, candles, or essential oils

  Hiking in the woods

  Swimming in the ocean

  Don’t think of the items on your Fulfillment List as other things you need to do. It’s about knowing what you like to do. For a life filled with more richness, try incorporating two things from the list into your routine every day and planning at least one of the less-regular activities—like a vacation—for sometime in the near future. Engaging in activities from your Fulfillment List is how you’re supposed to live. These aren’t monetary riches but life’s riches.

  THE BEAUTY OF CONNECTION

  While every woman’s Fulfillment List will look different, there is one thing that every women needs to include if they want to live a fulfilling life and ascend to their crown: connection. Our biology is hardwired for human connection (after all, it takes at least two people to continue the survival of our species). According to Candace Pert, PhD, who discovered the first opioid receptor in the brain, human connection is why we produce the body’s neurochemicals. Pert calls these chemicals “molecules of emotion.” She states that there are more than 250 neuropeptides that act as molecules of emotions. When you connect deeply with someone, serotonin, dopamine, oxytocin, and hundreds of other neuropeptides have the potential to be released and positively alter how you feel. This is part of the reason food and antidepressants are poor surrogates for intimate connection. They only target one or two individual neurotransmitters, not the hundreds of other neuropeptides.

  Steve Cole, a genomic researcher at the University of California, Los Angeles, observed that lonely people and social people had a different gene expression in 209 genes, many of which affected the immune system.1 According to Cole, “Loneliness really is one of the most threatening experiences we can have.”2 If loneliness damages the immune system, then it becomes a risk factor for depression, anxiety, heart disease, dementia, obesity, autoimmune conditions, and cancer—all diseases that are influenced by inflammation triggered by the immune response.

  Similarly, when women with binge-eating tendencies perceive themselves to be socially isolated, their binge eating increases. Women who have recovered from an eating disorder say their recovery was largely influenced by a deeper connection with themselves and others.3 Recovery from other addictions, such as alcohol and recreational drugs, is also bolstered by connection. Community is part of the reason Alcoholics Anonymous can be so effective.

  It’s not just a matter of finding a mate to make you feel connected. Germaine Greer, feminist and author of The Female Eunuch, said, “Many a housewife staring at the back of her husband’s newspaper, or listening to his breathing in bed is lonelier than any spinster in a rented room.” Connection is more than the presence of another person. It’s feeling like you belong and are valued. It’s the ability to give and receive affection. Connection feels warm and emotionally safe.

  Being in the company of others in a group fitness class, a group meditation, or a yoga class will also elevate the molecules of emotion. There’s a bonding experience that takes place that doesn’t happen when you’re alone. It’s why boutique group fitness classes took off and why meditating in a group produces a more heightened sense of awareness than when you are on your own. It’s why more spiritually aligned women are hosting goddess and moon circles or are going to church. It’s why book clubs were created. It’s why tea salons came into existence. It’s why the Coliseum was erected. It’s why social media was invented. It’s about connection. Pleasure is the by-product.

  How do you create an intimate and heartwarming connection? Be open and honest. Get curious about other people. Be vulnerable. Make the connection pure. Purity happens when you’ve salved your own childhood wounds with forgiveness and you’ve healed the scars of your past with a new interpretation.

  My hope is
that this book has helped you do just that and that you continue to draw inspiration from it as you seek more fulfillment in your life. Connection is so fundamental for our feminine essence that I’ve curated interviews from well-known women who are at their crown, as well as videos for recipes, kundalini, EFT, meditation, and making teas. These are available at danajames.com. Consider this a place to go for inspiration and ideas as you begin your journey on the Archetype Model.

  PARTING WORDS

  Every woman deserves this information, and it’s my privilege to share it with you. I am deeply proud of the Archetype Model. I hope you have taken the steps toward reaching your crown and are inspired enough to share the archetype lifestyle with other women (and men—they’ll benefit too!). As we understand ourselves better and shed the insecurities that hold us back, we can connect on a deeper level. We become more open, more loving, and more united. We become the fabric of the new feminine way of thinking, feeling, and being, in a society that desperately needs new feminine role models. I hope you become one, and I trust you will.

  APPENDIX A

  Food Types

  Vegetables

  CRUCIFEROUS

  Bok choy

  Broccoli

  Broccoli rabe

  Brussels sprouts

  Cabbage

  Cauliflower

  Collard greens

  Kale

  Kohlrabi

  Mustard greens

  Spinach

  Swiss chard

  Watercress

  GREEN LEAFY

  Arugula

  Butter lettuce

  Cress

  Dandelion greens

  Escarole

  Frisée

  Gem lettuce

  Mixed greens

  Romaine

  GREEN

  Arugula

  Artichoke

  Asparagus

  Celery

  Cucumber

  Endive

  Green beans

  Okra

  Peas

  Snow peas

  Sugar snap peas

  Zucchini

  RED

  Radicchio

  Radish

  Red beets

  Red bell peppers

  Red onion

  Tomatoes

  ORANGE

  Carrots

  Orange bell peppers

  YELLOW

  Golden beets

  Sweet corn

  Yellow bell peppers

  Yellow tomatoes

  PURPLE

  Eggplant

  Purple cabbage

  Purple carrots

  Purple-sprouting broccoli

  WHITE

  Celeriac

  Fennel

  Garlic

  Jicama

  Leeks

  Onions

  Ramps

  Scallions

  Shallots

  Sunchokes

  BROWN

  Mushrooms (shiitake, maitake, button, crimini, oyster, portobello)

  Fruit

  GREEN

  Green apples

  Honeydew melon

  Kiwifruit

  Limes

  Pears

  RED

  Cherries

  Guava

  Pink and red grapefruit

  Pomegranate

  Raspberries

  Red apples

  Rhubarb

  Strawberries

  Watermelon

  ORANGE

  Apricots

  Cantaloupe

  Clementines

  Gooseberries

  Mango

  Nectarines

  Oranges

  Papaya

  Peaches

  Persimmons

  Tangerines

  YELLOW

  Golden kiwifruit

  Grapefruit

  Lemons

  Passionfruit

  Pineapple

  Yellow watermelon

  PURPLE

  Acai

  Blackberries

  Blueberries

  Boysenberries

  Dates

  Figs

  Plums

  Prunes

  Purple grapes

  Complex Carbohydrates

  GRAINS

  Amaranth

  Brown rice

  Buckwheat

  Millet

  Quinoa

  Wild rice

  LEGUMES

  Black beans

  Cannellini beans

  Chickpeas

  Edamame

  Flageolet beans

  Lentils (orange, green, black)

  Pinto beans

  Red kidney beans

  STARCHY VEGETABLES

  Parsnips

  Potatoes (white, red, and purple)

  Pumpkin

  Sweet potatoes

  Turnips

  Winter squash

  Yams

  Protein

  OILY FISH

  Arctic Char

  Anchovies

  Black cod

  Halibut

  Herring

  Mackerel

  Sardines

  Trout

  Tuna

  Wild salmon

  WHITEFISH

  Cod

  Dover Sole

  Haddock

  Hake

  Flounder

  Grey sole

  Lemon sole

  Mahi mahi

  Monkfish

  Perch

  Red snapper

  Skate

  Sea bass

  Sea bream

  Tilapia

  Whiting

  SEAFOOD

  Calamari

  Clams

  Crab

  Lobster

  Mussels

  Octopus

  Oysters

  Scallops

  Shrimp

  POULTRY

  Organic chicken

  Organic duck

  Organic turkey

  RED MEAT

  Grass-fed beef

  Grass-fed bison

  Grass-fed lamb

  Grass-fed pork

  Grass-fed veal

  Grass-fed venison

  PROTEIN POWDER

  Collagen protein powder

  Hemp protein powder

  Pea protein powder

  Rice protein powder

  Fats

  NUTS (RAW ONLY)

  Almonds

  Brazil nuts

  Cashews

  Chestnuts

  Coconuts

  Hazelnuts

  Macadamia

  Pecans

  Pine nuts

  Pistachios

  Walnuts

  SEEDS (RAW ONLY)

  Chia

  Flax

  Hemp

  Pumpkin

  Sesame

  Sunflower

  OILS

  Avocado oil

  Coconut oil

  Extra-virgin olive oil

  Hemp seed oil

  Macadamia oil

  Walnut oil

  VEGETABLES

  Avocado

  Olives

  He
rbs and Spices

  FRESH

  Basil

  Chives

  Cilantro

  Oregano

  Parsley

  Rosemary

  Thyme

  DRIED

  Cinnamon

  Coriander powder

  Cumin

  Curry powder

  Fennel seeds

  Fenugreek

  Mustard seeds

  Nutmeg

  Paprika

  Pepper

  Saffron

  Sea salt

  Star anise

  Turmeric

  Vanilla bean

  Super Foods

  Aloe vera juice

  Barley grass

  Cacao

  Chlorophyll

  Rose water

  Spirulina

  Wheatgrass

  APPENDIX B

  Kundalini Kriyas for Each Archetype

  As a reminder, videos for these kriyas can be found at danajames.com.

  NURTURER

  1. Cat and Cow—2 minutes

  Come onto your hands and knees in a tabletop position. Your hands are shoulder-width apart with your fingers pointing forward. The knees are directly below the hips. Close your eyes and begin to breathe deeply. As you inhale, tilt the pelvis forward, arching the spine down and stretching the head and neck back. When you exhale, tilt the pelvis up, arching the spine toward the ceiling and bringing the chin to the chest.

  2. Fists of Anger—3 minutes

  Sit cross-legged with your spine straight. Focus your mind on anything and everything that makes you angry. Continue to bring up these anger points throughout the meditation. Make an “O” shape with your mouth and begin to breathe deeply and rhythmically. As you breathe, touch each thumb to the base of the pinky finger on the same hand. Close the rest of the fingers over the thumbs to form fists. Raise the arms and begin a backstroke-type movement over the head, alternating each side (right/left) as you swing up, over, and back around again. As you continue, increase the movement of the arms and breath. This helps release stored emotions in the body like anger and frustration. To end, interlock your fingers on both hands, stretch the arms up overhead, palms facing up, and inhale deeply through the O-mouth. Picture yourself surrounded in white, healing light. Exhale out the O-mouth.