Have you ever drooled on your pillow while dreaming of dining? You may have experienced a healing food dream. It begs the question, “Why did I eat what I ate in my dream, and what does it mean?” Remembering dreams of food can improve our lives.

If we are what we eat, then food has been a source of healing, health and wellness since prehistoric humans drew on cave walls to share dreamy food stories. Now, interpretations abound in medical publications such as Psychology Today,¹ a large variety of books, podcasts and more.

When I was undergoing treatment for breast cancer, I had the strangest healing food dream. I was anemic from chemo and deficient in calcium and vitamins. In my dream, a Franciscan monk walked up to me and said, “Eat dandelions.” I answered, “You want me to eat weeds?”

My research showed that dandelions are superfoods rich in vitamins A, C and K, as well as calcium, iron and potassium. They also contain antioxidants that help protect against cell damage from chemotherapy and other toxins. Every part of the plant, from root to flower, is edible and has long been used as medicine.² I boiled the stems and leaves, sautéed them, and made delicious dandelion tea from the water. What a weed. And what a dream!

Although dreams often use signs and symbols to communicate, my literal dream used words.³ Remembering foods that appear in our dreams can help us form new eating habits that embrace good food, not just good taste. Food patterns may take root in our subconscious, creating a healthier circle of life celebrated in our dreams. This is called dreamwork.

Unresolved issues may result in unhealthy eating habits and choices. Emotional eating can carry over into our dreams, which are a microcosm of our waking world. Dreamwork enables us to explore life-altering scenarios and discover solutions to enhance our lives.

Tonight, write your food-related dream intention in your dream journal. Upon waking, take time to recollect your dreams if you can. If you don’t remember your nighttime dreams, pay attention to your daydreams, which can also relay missed messages.

It has been thousands of years since early humans drew on caves, yet today, we don’t need handprints on walls to guide us; we have oneirology, the scientific study of dreams, which is opening up a growing field of dream interpretation.

Kathleen O’Keefe-Kanavos of Rancho Mirage is a dream expert, cancer survivor, author, speaker and TV/radio host/producer. She has been featured on Dr. Oz and The Doctors and her new award-winning book, Dreams That Can Save Your Life, is now available. For more information, visit www.KathleenOkeefeKanavos.com.

References: 1) https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-wisdom-your-dreams/201101/eating-in-dreams; 2) https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/dandelions-one-of-the-healthiest-foods-on-the-planet-/4895704.html; 3) Dreams That Can Save Your Life: Early Warning Signs of Cancer and Other Diseases; by Larry Burk M.D. C.E.H.P., Kathleen O’Keefe-Kanavos‎ Findhorn Press – April 17, 2018 Chapter 5, pg 49-50.