“I Think I’ll Order the Inflammation Today”
As I muse through the menu at my favorite restaurant, I can hear myself in the process of selection
"Hmmm, this looks particularly good-lots of congestion and inflammation there"
"Or maybe some cooling? Oh no no, that's not tasty enough"
"Well maybe just this time"
From an energy science view, the effects of the foods that we consume begin before we even put them in our mouths Does that sound surprising?
Our unconscious behavioral eating patterns begin in the mind so it makes sense that the health of our mindbodies bedome directed by our unconscious choices
This concept is so far removed from our current matter science or molecular approach which is devoid of being able to factor the mind in the equation of foods and their selection
Let's pause and consider that whatever we are putting in our mouths at any point in time has the ability to make us sick or bring about balance
We currently don't have the concept from our matter science model of healing that disease begins with the ingestion of taste(energy) If I'm a PK and snarfing down a banana I'm inflamming my physiology and asking for congestion
And is it wrong to have a banana? No, not from an energy science view The key as we have discussed in the past is to be aware of how the foods impact us from a sensory point of view
We intellectualize about foods from a matter science view but from an energy science view the ingestion of any food has the capability of teaching us more about ourselves
Have you had the experience of food making you feel bad? Did this become a recurring theme? Did it take a number of days before the ingestion of a particular food made you feel bad?
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Dealing With Cheese Opiates and Agni
The energy science can help us understand how to deal with this controversial topic about the potential addictive nature of opiates in milk
It makes sense that there is a sedative property in mother's milk or the human race would not be so advanced in numbers as it has become
Concentrated Forms of Opiates
Cheese is produced by acidifying milk and making a curd leaving the whey(watery protein) behind
The predominant protein in milk and therefore cheese is casein which if not completely digested will release in the gut as an opiate called casomorphin(BCM7) Opiates can produce a profound sense of pleasure
80% of cow's milk is casein Concentrated milk products(cheese, ice cream, milk chocolate) can have increased amounts of the addictive opiates or BCM7 proteins that link up to opiate receptors in the body, particularly the brain
Some interesting factoids
It takes 10 pounds of milk to make a pound of hard cheese(sour cheese)
It takes 3-4 pounds of milk to make one pound of milk chocolate A "chocoholic" is born
BCM7 is the powerful opiate held in any milk whether cow, buffalo, goat, or human Studies on cow's milk show that BCM7 is held to an amino acid named proline in A1 cows(tightly bound) and by histidine in A2 cows(loosely bound), so the latter can be more effective to produce the opiate effect
How about breads with gluten?
Interestingly gliadorphin from the digestion of gluten is similar to casomorphin both of which interact with opiate receptors in the brain, particularly those areas involved with speech and hearing, an important factor in children with autism, particularly if poor digestive fire is involved These byproducts of digestion will lead to exaggerated effects (ama in the energy science vernacular)
What To Do?
Bottom line: If you have a strong digestive fire, you'll deal with BCM7 early in the digestive process and more than likely won't be impacted by either form of milk, A1 or A2, or bread
If you have a poor digestive fire then either way BCM7 will be hanging around and an individual will potentially get the effects of casomorphin
So the energy science nutritional solution to the above, enhance digestive fire by:
If any heavy concentration of BCM7 is taken in on a day, avoid doing it again and again Allow the GI tract and the body to absorb the insult Don't pile on insult after insult after insult
If PK reduce the amount of dairy in your diet, avoiding the concentrated forms
Steaming or heating milk is a great idea
Never drink milk cold or with ice
Using a churan or a meal rich in cooling digestants or spices will help with digestion due to their impact on digestive fire
Using cardamom with warm milk helps digestion
Eat a nutritional format that is conducive to your energy makeup and avoid poor food combinations
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Acid Indigestion: 8 Ways to Deal With It
As part of many chronic disease processes acid indigestion can be manifested as hyperacidity syndrome(HAS) or gastroesophageal reflux disease(GERD) This is because from an energy science point of view the hot quality(Pitta energy pattern) is a major contributor to the imbalance that creates many chronic diseases...the burning on urination, vaginal burning are related to this quality
The Spectrum of Disease
All physiologic disease shows up as an array of symptoms from not so bad to terrible Patients with occasional heartburn can then begin to have it all the time This makes it eligible for the disease label of HAS If it progresses to a sour taste in the mouth or a burning in the chest then it advances to GERD And if GERD progresses then it can become the disease label of Barrett's esophagitis
But notice that in all these advancing disease labels one thing remains constant The hot quality So in the end these disease labels are related to the increasing intensity of this quality But wait there's more from an energy science perspective The Pitta energy pattern displays the hot quality when out of balance in its functional seat, the liver So when Pitta and its qualities show up you can bet that is underlying liver toxicity even though the owner doesn't know it
So again from an energy science point of view the liver imbalances due to Pitta must be addressed if a patient is having problems with GERD
Reducing the heat
There are a number of ways to go beyond Prelief which like all its molecular relatives( such as over the counter Prevacid and various expensive pharmaceuticals) represent pharma bandaids From an energy science treatment perspective the alternatives not only provide relief but done properly with other allied therapies become permanent solutions, not bandaids
Wouldn't you rather have something that is sustainable long term instead of relying on a pharmacological bandaid? Here are some basic energy science treatments that can bring about control of this Pitta energy pattern of transformation
Avipattikar This herb combination is an excellent way to get control of raging hot Pitta in the stomach reducing the hot quality
Aloe vera gel or juice This herb is not only cooling to the small bowel therefore reduces the Pitta energy pattern but because it is effective for Pitta disorders in general it is a good liver protectant This makes it a valuable herb overall in treating Pitta disorders From an energy point of view aloe is special because it falls into a special group of herbs called rasayana This means it is a tissue rejuvenative and restorative of bodily tissues There are no Western pharma that can make that claim Using the gel is preferable but the juice is a good second choice Aloe Farms or George's are good brands because they don't have carrageenan to their products
Ghee In the Ayurvedic classics ghee assumes a significant therapeutic role in the management of high Pitta conditions such as HAS and GERD
Donate a unit of blood It is known that high Pitta conditons store a lot of that hot quality in the blood which is why removing a small amount of blood can be therapeutic
Psyllium husk Using this herb may sound strange as it is used as a laxative but 1t at bedtime mixed with fresh yogurt or with warm water will absorb Pitta in the small intestine and stop the colonic wall irritation
Nutritional format and incompatible food combinations We can take all the herbs in the world but if we continue to take into our bodies the same imbalancing qualities then no gains will be made It's like 2steps forward and 3 steps back If there is HAS or GERD then no doubt the person is a strong Pitta and these conditions would be the ways that they might go out of balance One should follow a Pitta pacifying diet At the very least one should follow the PK or PV formats at foodsheal.com Coconut is an excellent cooling food and using unsweetened flakes is excellent to introduce into cooking
Kefir milk When Pitta is out of control and the hot quality is raging, the microbiome or the gut flora becomes affected Since the gut flora is an important aspect of agni it's important to replenish and support this vital aspect to our health Kefir does this by providing new healthy bacteria to our gut microbiome population You can get it in the stores or make it yourself by finding some Kefir granules from someone willing to share
Shatavari is a wonderful herb to reduce Pitta and like aloe vera it has far reaching physiologic consequences due to its rasayana effect Rasayanas are a special group of herbs that have strengthening physiologic effects over other herbs and are used particularly after cleansing therapies used in panchakarma
Kama dudha moti bhasma and abhrak bhasma are basically calcium salts that act as coenzymes in metabolic processes and can be effective when Pitta is high
Like all energy work it is subtle and the healing shifts occur slowly over months but the good thing is that they are sustainable long lasting effects
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Probiotics and Homemade Yogurt
Yogurt is an amazing food and many ethinic cultures on the planet use fresh yogurt and kefir as health promoting foods in their nutrition And there are very good reasons for doing so but due to the Pitta aggravating nature of yogurt, freshly made is the only way to go in moderation
Helping Restore Imbalanced Agni
The value of yogurt is that it serves when freshly made a rich source of probiotic which is a population of "good bacteria" that reside in the bowel "Bad" bacteria at times overgrow the gut flora leading to poor digestion, absorption, and assimilation so it's important that the good flora flourishes and the bad are kept in check As I've alluded to in the past, bacterial growth is a major part of our digestive strength that needs to be nourished
This is particularly important if you have GERD, IBS, and fibromyalgia associated with IC since the digestive fire is significantly compromised in these dual conditions
Regular use of freshly made yogurt insures that the "good" bacteria are consistently replenished Agni is always compromised in these conditions and since the bacterial flora is part of agni it's important to supplement with probiotic foods such as yogurt SIBO(small intestinal bacterial overgrowth) is commonly thought of as the root cause of many bowel diseases but from an energy science perspective it's just saying that agni is disturbed
You may have heard of yeast overgrowth and this is yet another factor that can lead to poor digestive fire(eliminating yeast laden bread products is a good idea in that it gives us more than we need so flatbreads are best or at least toasting yeasted products) This candidal imbalance in bowel flora much like SIBO is a result of poor agni So building up agni is one of the central therapeutic themes in the management of the IC bladder pain syndrome
Bowel flora is important in the concept of digestive fire and aids in bowel digestive function as well as providing important nutrients for our nutrition
Pasteurized yogurts should be avoided as pasteurization kills off the beneficial probiotic component of yogurt
Making Digestion Easy By Predigestion-Optimizing Digestive Strength
The value of yogurt comes in the predigestion of lactose and casein which we talked about a couple of days ago Hence the bacteria during the incubation phase of creating yogurt use the sugar lactose and break down the protein casein The lactose then doesn't bother the lactose intolerant and the casomorphin derivative from casein digestion can be less, hence affecting us less
Why freshly made? From an energy science view the build up of acidity occurs with aging yogurt even if refrigerated becomes inflammatory and thus Pitta provoking You also get the maximal amount of probiotic in the yogurt(some bacteria die off after 4-5 days)
Even though fresh yogurt is not very acidic(sour taste) it still can be Pitta provoking if used daily Hence home made yogurt has its consumption limitations
So Some Guidelines
1 Based on the foodsheal.com food combining list, don't use fruit with yogurt
2 To really inhibit the negative sour effects of even freshly made yogurt, the use of Sucanat or Turbinado(crystallized cane sugars) can be important because the sweet taste helps balance the aggravating sour taste
3 Always use yogurt in moderation, that is, 2-3x per week
4 Store bought and therefore processed yogurt is too acidic and will provoke IC
5 Diluting the yogurt with water reduces its acidity
6 Keeping in the fridge after it comes from the incubation phase will help get the yogurt firmer
7 For best results use whole milk
How to get started
Buy a yogurt maker(Donvier is a French brand or other various manufacturers can be found on Amazon) Using fresh starter each time ensures that the bacterial count of the yogurt will be rich The small amount of starter is not enough to aggravate Pitta
And yes, it does take some time to make your own yogurt but after doing it, in a short time you can do a batch in about 15 minutes(total time; heating the milk and cooling it can be done while doing other things)
If the yogurt is curdly and clearly not smooth in texture it means that there's probably too much cooking going on and that the incubation times are too long So try 10 hours instead of 12 hours with the Donvier
YouTube has several videos on how to make your own yogurt
It's best not to use dry milk powder as the milk product as it is provoking to Vata Pitta
There are links for directions on making your own for trouble shooting
The greatest value is making your own yogurt is that you participate in your own health and this is a small but significant step in assuming responsibility for our health
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Amalgamation of Qualities with Tissue: Chronic Disease
The energy science of Ayurveda differs from the current conventional medicine model which emphasizes a matter science or molecular approach to disease management In the energy science approach to healing the model sees imbalance of vibrational frequencies or qualities as the reason for physiologic dis-ease
Progression of Disease
In the energy science the most common reason for the accumulation of qualities occurs through nutrition which is why nutritional management is the cornerstone of any chronic disease treatment The energy science management of the various disease expressions with respect to nutrition is far more complex than the currently practiced dietary recommendations used by the contemporary dietician This is because one of the major tenets of the energy science approach is to help improve agni, the digestive power or strength
Agni is central to disease management in the energy science yet is completely not recognized in conventional medical circles including the nutritional This is due to the model of healing which is molecular approach
The Energy Science and Origin of Disease
As disease progresses qualities leave the GIT(gastrointestinal tract) and spread to tissues based on whether specific agnis in the mindbody are not up to par Hence the qualities become dominant BUT not as we would expect in any specific disease
Actually the qualities can accumulate anywhere The molecular model of disease postulates that the molecule causes the disease and while this is eventual the case from an energy science perspective the origin is far more subtle and unobservable As a matter of fact the research animal model will defy molecular proof unfortunately Hence it will probably be impossible for the matter science ever get to the origin of disease in chronic disease and it will continue to be in the dark regarding the origin of any problem The matter science model will never be able to solve this problem so don't waste your time waiting because it will not happen
Amalgamation of Qualities With Tissues
Just as when fingers interlace with one another the qualities of the tissues interlace with the qualities that are circulating leading to the damage and imbalance of the tissue qualities This leads the alteration of function of the tissues themselves In the case of Alzheimer's the nervous tissue function becomes altered leading to the reporting predominantly dementia When this merging occurs a chronic condition is set up
When these qualities become dominant in the nervous tissue they begin to amalgamate with the tissue itself In other words the qualities BECOME one with the tissue This type of interrelationship begins the real stage of disease where we become aware of the significant signs and symptoms of Alzheimer's
This amalgamation cannot be managed by simple nutritional intervention, by physical therapy techniques, it is beyond acupuncture which are patently bandaids The quality invasion into tissues with toxic load has no other therapy but detoxification measures that we have discussed in the past in the form of panchakarma(PK) which if to be effective needs to be done frequently over a period of time Along with this we have to improve agni, burn toxins, along with potentized medicines that are catalytic in nature, and a specialized herbal formula
Those with chronic IC bladder pain syndrome will have no choice if they want to get better but to deal with an energy science detoxification technique and be in it for the long haul
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Healing and Synergy
"Ok give me the one thing that's going to clear this problem that I have" typically goes the refrain going through our minds as we try to figure it what to do
Heart synergy
And while we have been programmed to believe that it's that one pill, the one operation, the one piece of advice that's going to turn the corner, it's really not that way It may be that in an acute situation such as appendicitis that the immediate action of removing the appendix fixes the problem But even in that clinical scenario there is the need for doing things after the operation to fully recover In the management of chronic diseases this process of needing to do more than one thing in order to evoke a healing response becomes even more apparent Energetically the heart serves as the unifying field that brings all these various activities together
The Energy Science Approach to Healing
In order to evoke a change toward real healing the mindbody needs to know that we're serious about wanting to turn things around for us and move in a different direction Toward balance in this situation This means that there needs to be not only consistency in our actions but also a willingness to pile on the energetic effects produced by our actions
For example we might feel a tad bit better by introducing nutritional changes that bring about more physiologic balance Bringing about more balance to the physiology occurs when we stop adding to our imbalances For example, if we happen to have a Pitta Kapha energy constitutional make up then nuts are not a good choice for us because they carry the vibrational frequencies of heavy, slow, oily, static, and cloudy When we stop introducing these qualities of nuts into our physiology then the mindbody begins to shed those qualities that we were consistently putting into our mindbody
So we stop adding to the imbalance that is creating our ill health That's a good thing...changing our nutrition so we don't continue to keep ourselves sick A step toward healing has been made But there's another layer What about incompatible food combinations? Well, by avoiding them we begin improving our agni That's a good thing Another step has been taken
But then we can add another layer What about restructuring our day to a favorable time for the mindbody to do certain things...like getting up early to exercise, eating our biggest meal of the day at around noon, going to bed early to take advantage of the night time detoxification duties that the mindbody naturally does if we don't interfere with them So another layer has been added to the complex process of energy healing And we should point out that this healing has not cost anything....only just changing the way we do things
Synergistic Healing
So from an energy science point of view, real healing requires our participation and this layering effect There are a multiplicity of things to be done to bring physiologic balance and release excess vibrational frequencies that don't serve us well
This layering phenomenon is actually promoting synergy It's not just one thing but the multiplicity of things that are done that bring about the desired effect Each lifestyle behavior pattern that we add supports and makes stronger the previous pattern that we just put into place That is, these changes that we make feed on one another creating a grand foundation on which to support the healing of the condition that doesn't serve us anymore
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