Understanding Nutritional Disease: Energy Science Nutrition
When the term "nutritional disease" is used it often conjures up the notion of deficiency for us or already existing disease that is advanced
Somehow there is a lack of nutrients in inner space leading to physiologic dysfunction of the tissues and hence even at the intracellular level For example, folic acid deficiency can lead to neural tube defects in the developing fetus if the mother does not have adequate stores of this vitamin Or the lack of iron in the diet of a vegan could lead to anemia Or diabetes, stroke, and heart disease is present
Beyond Molecular Deficiency
But the idea of nutritional disease from an energy science nutritional view goes beyond the molecular measurements of the matter science nutrition
This concept implies that the GI tract is not functioning properly due to choices made by the mind(choices that the mind makes about how it conceives of nutrition) This is a different concept than what we are used to thinking about since we only think of disease in the very late stages of manifestation
For example, vague abdominal bloating, intermittent acid indigestion, occasional constipation, excess gas, excessive belching are all early warning signs that nutritional disease is evident
Our problem is that this concept is so utterly foreign to us that it doesn't make much sense and if it does worst yet we don't have enough direction to know what simple things we can do about it
Disease Prevention
In order to prevent imbalances we have to begin with the concept of "nipping the imbalance in the bud" so to speak
This requires that we monitor the choices we make around nutrition This is because all diseases that occur begin in the mind due to the choices we make In order to prevent disease we need to begin shifting our attention to what choices are we making And even if we have already manifested disease the choices we make about nutrition will begin the healing journey back to health Many of these choices can be aided by looking at the foodsheal.com website This is a good start
Many of the prodromal symptoms of disease listed above can be obviated by doing energy science nutritional work BEFORE more significant problems occur
For example before diarrhea, a person often has constipation, bloating, and abdominal gases and then diarrhea strikes Before a heart attack the person manifests palpitations, breathlessness on exertion, transient chest pain that may radiate to the shoulder and so on Instead of getting checked most people go on living unhealthy lifestyles and then one day find themselves in the ER with a severe heart attack
An Ounce of Prevention is ............
In this day of progressive worsening of the global economy and potential economic collapse and escalating health care costs we can ill afford getting serious disease
This means that taking care of ourselves is even more important than ever before But you and I know that we do not have a health system that provides a system of prevention It's emergency room medicine Ask any allopathic doctor and she will concur
Health begins and ends with our choices Are you making the right ones?
Next time we'll discuss how emotions,thoughts,and feelings lead to disease
Until next time Ciao To health as a Skill Love DrBill
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Winter Time and Biological Kapha Energy
Our search for a solution to the obesity problem worldwide requires that we change our view of the way we see the human body since our current molecular or matter science medical model is incomplete
From an energy science view the Winter time is when we should pay particualar attention to the biological Kapha energy pattern because as we have talked about before, we pile on the vibrational frequencies of cold, heavy, slow/dull, static/stable, dense and liquid when the environmental conditions also have those qualities as well
Biological Expression of Winter
One of the first things to do during winter is not add anymore of these vibrational frequencies than we already have The phrase "First do the mindbody no more harm" comes to mind Since we are part of Nature(nobody has shown me how to escape and be separate from Nature!)and these vibrational frequencies lead to weight gain, what can we do?
From the above list of frequencies staying warm and ACTIVE would be important
Maintain a consistent daily exercise routine and try to stick with it Workouts outside in frigid weather is probably not a good choice
Don't use cold food, leftovers, raw food, cold drinks(ice with water at the restaurant not a good idea)
Try to stay away from drinking large amounts of fluid(>60oz per day)
Winter Foods
Have you ever thought about the kinds of spices used around the holiday season when we're all hunkering down inside due to the cold weather outside?
Nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves come to mind and most any warming spices are used Why? Spices are medicines and heat up not only the mindbody but also our digestive fire that deals with the foods that we consume So using spices to help our physiologies to digest foods is helpful A collection of spices called a churan according to our energy mindbody makeups can be beneficial to us during the sometimes heavy holiday fare
But eating foods that are consistent with our energy makeups can be healthy guidelines during the wintertime So looking at foodsheal.com can give you such information
In general avoid heavy foods such as dairy and lots of meat preferring drier meats such as white meats and not oily meats
Drier grains such as barley is better than rice, oats, or wheat all the time
Avoiding poor food combining(for a complete list)
Trying to avoid overeating by using the 2 handful rule(2/3 of stomach capacity) is a useful rule of thumb
Also consider a day long fast which will help improve digestion
It's All About Balance
I have yet to talk to someone who doesn't believe that balance is a good thing to have in life The problem is how to achieve that balance
But what does this word "balance" from a health standpoint mean to us? As we spoke about earlier we don't want to add cold, heavy, slow/dull, static/stable, dense and liquid if our physiologies already have too much of these qualities If we are presently overweight it is a guarantee that we have these qualities in abundance
So adding onto these predominant qualities during the winter time is adding to the problem and will unfortunately add to the "growing problem"(no pun intended)
Also let's not forget that these mindbody vibrational frequencies affect the mind as well So during the winter the stable/static quality leads to inertia and a desire to not be ACTIVE and put off the daily exercise Hence we can mindfully overcome our resistance once we know our problem
Until next time To health as a Skill Love DrBill
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Nightshades and the Energy Pattern of Vata
Nightshades: The Alkaloids and The Matter Science
Nightshades get their name from the fact that the flower during fertilization is bent down like the Victorian lampshades used at night for lighting
The group includes tomatoes, eggplant, sweet and hot peppers, potato both white and sweet, and paprika as a spice So we can see that this food group has a wide range of usage in our nutritiion
From a molecular standpoint they have a high concentration of a class of compounds called alkaloids that have two significant biological effects The first is that they interfere with a nervous system neurotransmitter that is ubiquitous in the nervous system So there is a potential but subtle change in nervous function
The second feature is that this class of compounds can affect the joint spaces and again even though subtle consistent intake of these compounds in all the varieties of nightshades currently available to us leads to potential imbalances that can affect our health long term
Nightshades: An Energy Science Perspective
The energy science of Ayurveda views foods from how they affect the energy physiology and ultimately their impact on the balance they bring or do not bring to the physiology For example, if a Pitta Vata(PV) eats tomato they increase the qualities of hot, light, sharp/penetrating, rough, dry, liquid, and subtle Vata is the energy of movement in the energy physiology so this has biologic repercussions for those of us who are Vata dominant
Many of these qualities can have imbalancing effects long term and lead over a period of time dis-ease consequences such as anxiety, anger, irritability, fear, and loneliness due to their effects on the nervous system through the above neurotransmitter effects on cholinesterase With this example we can see how foods effect the mind not just the physical body, that is they affect the mindbody as a whole
And these same alkaloid effects can produce difficulty in managing joint dis-eases such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid and gouty arthritis This is because these same qualities affect energy patterns that affect the joints, causing dryness due to the qualities of hot,rough, light, and dry
The below table helps us understand the nutritional use of the various nightshades from an energy science view
Yes Moderation No
Tomato, raw PV/PK
Tomato, cooked PK PV
Eggplant PK PV
Sweet peppers PK PV
Peppers, hot PK PV
Potato, white PK PV
Potato, sweet PV PK
Paprika PK/PV
How To Interpret the Table
The link provided above comes from foodsheal.com and by taking a questionnaire we can find out what our basic biological energy pattern is With that information we can determine if we are PK(Pitta Kapha) or PV Then using that we can see where we fit on the above table As we can see PV should stay away from nightshades as a class of foods Who would have thunk it? And it is based on the above information garnered from the alkaloid effects on the nervous system and joints
We can also see how PK can use this class of foods in moderation which means 1-2 x/week but as we show not all the time And then PV can use sweet potato all the time and PK white potato all the time
Both PK and PV should stay away from raw tomato all the time!! What happened to our salads!!
The Value of Energy Science Nutrition
It is obvious that most of us do not or would not follow the above scheme But the information is there for any of us who want to be healthier It's a different biologic paradigm but one that will help improve our quality of life if we so chose
As in any aspect of nutrition, the choice is ours
Until next time Ciao To health as a Skill Love DrBill
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The Biological Energy Pattern of Vata and Its Imbalances
The Energy Science and Aggravated Vata
In the biological energy science of Ayurveda the energy of movement in the physiology is Vata which translated means that which acts like a vehicle If this biological energy pattern is a vehicle, what does it carry? The answer it circulates the other physiologic energy patterns of Pitta and Kapha but for our purposes today we'll focus on what produces an increase in the Vata energy pattern and what are the consequences
Aggravation of this energy pattern is brought about by;
Not eating according to your energy mindbody makeup
Eating old leftover food Dry uncooked food Rapid eating
Eating before last meal digested Too many activities(so called multitaskiing) Overstimulation
Staying up late at night Prolonged loud talk Overexertion Excessive exercise Prolonged grief worries anxiety fear loneliness Excessive sex
So What Are the Physical Obervations of This Aggravated Vata State?
Once Vata is aggravated it shows up in many psychological signs and symptoms
Fear Indecision Anxiety Tremors
Loneliness Lack of direction Fatigue Muscle tension/joint pains
And physically as:
Dry rough skin Early skin wrinkling Chronic constipation or diarrhea
Poor sleep Interference with sexual performance Addictions(alcoholism etc)
Cracking of the joints
Many of these signs and symptoms are common reasons why we seek help at our matter science medical doctor's offices, estimated to be about 70-80% of all doctor visits Yet by our list of symptoms we can see that often the tools that the doctor might use will be insufficient at best in dealing with the presenting problems
Long Range Consequences of Fast Paced Lifestyle Behaviors
But the serious consequences of this imbalance year after year decade after decade is not pretty Left to continued aggravation by the "fast paced Western lifestyle" Vata takes us out to the woodshed and creates even more damage Merely extensions of the above listed dis-eases and this list is not complete
Chronic fatigue syndrome Chronic diarrhea Chronic depression
Malabsorption(irritable bowel syndrome) Chronic constipation Eating disorders(anorexia/bullemia)
Chronic headache Stroke(CVA) Osteoporosis
Chronic insomnia Asthma Interstitial cystitis
So What To Do?
The first step is to stop the aggravation by observing what we are doing on a daily basis with the above aggravating factors in mind Going to foodsheal.com will help give some nutritional guidelines
Other steps are important
Get good rest on a regular basis (in bed by 1030pm)
Don't overexercise(light sweat is enough)
Do daily oil massage
If you yet don't have the long range consequences then it's a great time to start If you have long range consequences then it's never too late!!!
Until next time Ciao To health as a Skill Love DrBill
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Vitamins, Health, and Nutrition: An Energy Science View
Even though the health supplement industry has become amazingly successful I think it not unreasonable to look at the other side of the coin and consider the potential adverse effects of supplements particularly employing the energy science view
The Matter Science Debate on Molecules
In the article that appeared in USA Today two sides of the coin are debated by one financed by the nutraceutical camp and the other representing the skeptical matter or molecular science view about the agents, both with solid credentials
The article revolves around a recent Archives of Internal Medicine research that showed an increased risk of cardiovascular disease in women taking regular multivitamins
And no doubt there will other future articles showing other potential adverse effects because it is impossible to control for all the variables leading to these matter science articles in peer reviewed journals
So What's The Point?
As a society we have translated the current matter science medicine pharmaceutical approach to intuitively believing that if pills bail us out of medical problems that pills can be taken to make us healthy
This transition seems to make logical sense on the surface but when we think more deeply about the problem it doesn't make sense
I had a patient who was suffering from severe gastric hyperacidity(heartburn) requiring emergency room visits and in questioning was taking large doses of vitamin C(2000mg per day) She had other symptoms of excess acidity as well and began feeling better after stopping the C
This story is not uncommon in a population that believes that health begins with taking a pill It also points to the fact that blind pill popping can make us sick Since these pills are concentrated food they can have adverse consequences because as we know even food can make us sick
Supplement According to Your Energy Pattern
The energy science can give us guidance here because when one takes supplements according to one's energy pattern makeup then we can't get into trouble The patient mentioned above shouldn't have been taking C at all due to her makeup
So what should we do?
Find out what energy makeup you are
Find the appropriate nutritional format
Look at the supplements section under your format
Remember the rule: A lot more is not better
Until next time Ciao To health as a Skill Love DrBill
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Do We Need a Nutritional Philosophy?
What comes around, goes around, says our cartoon And there are common responses to this "Yea, yea I know my nutritional decisions make me what I am, "As you sow, so shall you reap"
But if we subsitituted our friend in the cartoon with today's matter science nutritionist we might get an idea that what is being done today in nutrition circles is not working
Perhaps it argues for a different nutritional philosophy?
Intellectualizing With Speculation
We don't currently have a philosophy behind our current nutritional discussions these days We have a matter science or molecular nutritional way of assessing our foods and supplements This information often debases our choices on "too much sugar, too much fat, not enough protein, not enough calcium, not enough too little protein, this lycopene will make you better" approach And confusion reigns!!
And the molecular approach does have a place But perhaps there's a way to add to the present nutritional way of doing things
But philosophy or the study of how we obtain knowledge, in this case nutrition, currently reactively intellectualizes about nutritional choices For example, if refined sugar is bad, then there can be lots of choices that give you natural sugar If being vegetarian seems like a good idea, then we can give you a lot of non meat choices
The application to our daily lives doesn't match with a body of knowledge with one pointed focus A hodge podge of information The application of the knowledge is not married to a grounding philosophy of nutritional thought Mere speculation about foods that may or may not be good for us I would submit a lot of conjecture and less trust by the consumer as to what the real truth is since it changes year by year
But nutritional philosophy should be utilitarian, that is, it should not be divorced from practical life circumstances
And I sense currently that people want more and better advice as to what to eat grounded on, you guessed it, a philosophy
Nutritional Philosophy Based on Nature
What separates the current matter science nutritional utilitarian approach from the energy science nutritional model is that the latter is grounded in a deep philosophical tradition whereas our matter or molecular approach is not
Furthermore the energy science nutritional model is based on a philosophy that is both theoretical and practical What good is a philosophy if it is not practical to our every day lives?
This energy science philosophy is based on the understanding of the workings of Nature herself Again not on intellectual musings about what's currently in vogue but on why to act based on the fundamental laws of Nature
For example,if one suffers from heartburn(acid indigestion) then what foods should I use and what foods should I avoid? You might be surprised! If I have a strong family history of cancer what foods should I avoid and what foods should I favor? You might be surprised!
More generally speaking, what foods are antiinflammatory, anticongestive, and antidegenerative?
Philosophy and Improvement of Quality of Life
No one gets out of this life alive And for some the quantity of life(longevity) is not as important as the quality of the life lived
We might be surprised by the fact that a sound philosophy brings about improved quality of life and possibly quantity as well
But the key is that nutrition based on a life promoting philosophy will give its users a quieter mind, weight loss, more energy, ability to wake up in the morning with energy refreshed, better clarity with decision making, a better immune system response to cancer cells, emotional stability, and more balance in life and health overall
It sounds too good to be true But what do you have to lose? No money, just a promise and a gift
Until next time Ciao To health as a Skill Love DrBill
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