Cooking Oils: Which Ones Are Toxic For You
In the energy science approach there are specific cooking oils that carry the hot quality and these in the end will aggravate the small bowel, the seat of Pitta energy which as you recall is the energy of transformation in the body These oils if used improperly can produce imbalances over the long term leading to disease
Why would the small bowel be the focal point of transformative energy? It's in the small bowel that foods are literally transformed from a vegetable, say broccoli.... and that piece of broccoli is transformed into molecules that can be used by your body for repair or energy to do things So when oils heat the small bowel they increase the energy pattern of Pitta which is responsible for all forms of inflammatory diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and str oke
Which Oils are Best?
It depends on who you are energetically If you do the questionnaire at foodsheal.com you can determine whether you are PK, PV, or VK Then to the specific nutritional format will show you the oils that will bring about balance for your specific energy pattern....that is, your unique energetic constitutional makeup that is genetically determined
Oils That Heat the Small Bowel
Some degree of heat is valuable for health but sometimes that heat can become so provoked for many different reasons that disease occurs Oils that can be used in moderation for any energy constitutional makeup are almond, apricot, flaxseed, safflower, sesame, soy and sunflower
Almonds are actually seeds and in the skin of the almond are numerous enzymes that produce transformation so the almond can reproduce itself into another tree If the skin of the almond is left in place during the production of the oil then the oil will be heating The same is true for almond butter
For PV makeup all oils can be used in moderation without causing an imbalance except for coconut and avocado which should be used externally only This latter external use is based on the fact that these two oils are extremely cooling and affect the digestive fire or agni Hence routine use of coconut oil internally, even though the rage from a matter science view currently, is not a good idea as it will disrupt agni which is extremely important for health
For PK makeup there are problematic oils that can produce imbalance Seldom used apricot oil and safflower, and sesame oil internally should not be used at all Sesame can be used externally in moderation Internally taken oils for PK that can be used in moderation are corn, olive, soy, flaxseed, primrose, walnut, and almond Those oils that can be taken internally all the time for PK are sunflower, canola, and ghee The same caveat holds true for coconut and avocado regarding the internal use as above
For VK makeup all oils can be used in moderation except for flaxseed which should not be used Those that can be used all the time are ghee and corn Again the same caveat holds true for coconut and avocado regarding the internal use as above
Cooking Oils and Eating Out
So armed with this information you can begin to make better energetic choices around the choice of cooking oils in the kitchen and at restaurants But when it's all said and done you should think twice about fried foods in restaurants since you have no control over what kinds of oils are used unless it's used at the table from a bottle for salads Otherwise fried cooking oils in the restaurant kitchen are more than likely the cheapest oils that can be found and are used over and over again
Having said this if eating out is infrequent then consuming oils that are imbalancing every once in a while particularly if your agni is strong probably will not make a big difference
A Word About Ghee
From an energetic perspective, no matter what your energy constitutional makeup, ghee can be used by everyone The universal cooking oil!!
Ghee or clarified butter is an excellent cooking oil(high burn point) because not only does it cool the small bowel but its qualities are those of our digestive fire Hence using ghee on a regular basis improves overall health Said another way, many who have IC have poor agni, ie poor digestive strength
In our next post together we'll discuss how to make this amazing cooking oil
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Acid Indigestion: 3 Ways to Deal With It
The hot quality shows up in all kinds of different foods Some are obvious such as cayenne pepper, chili pepper, and horseradish But other foods such as tomatoes, salt, and grains like buckwheat and corn are below the radar screen There is a compounding effect in the energy science discipline of healing Over time these foods effects mount up and then produce symptoms So the lesson is to avoid these cumulative effects to begin with by watching what you take in the first place
But it's more important to understand that this type of problem is associated with other health challenges that can lead to inflammatory bowel disease(IBS and Crohn's disease), asthma. bronchitis, and skin diseases
Two Bowls of Ice Cream and Pharma
My father in law didn't have IC pain and lived a relatively comfortable life except for anxiety now and then He had an interesting habit that I think is germane to our discussion today
As a matter of evening routine he would sneak into the kitchen late at night to have his two bowls of Hagen Daz ice cream after which he would take his cholesterol lowering pills(maybe two for good measure!) Comfortable that he had done his ounce of prevention he would then trundle off to bed
I think most would feel that taking two Lipitor after eating ice cream is .... well not preventative But isn't that the same thing we are doing with antacids? Prelief is an antacid like many OTC antacids to help with the stomach symptoms of heartburn GERD Even Tagamet has been used off label for IC But isn't that the same thing?
Freedom: But At What Price?
We all want our freedom of choice and the energy science of Ayurveda does not say "Never" It says that we all have free choice but we don't have a choice about the consequences of our choices
Drugs and nutraceuticals are not meant to cover over poor food choices that cause the pain of IC which can be managed more successfully without the use of pharma
Of course there is the sentiment "My life is over All of my favs taken away from me!" These energy science nutritional formats are not an "all or none" proposition but the more closely you adhere to the format the better you will feel And after a while you'll get tired of taking in foods that make you feel sick
In the end the energy discipline can help us with a qualitative scientific assessment of what foods are best for our mindbody energy makeup
Three Ways to Manage Acid Indigestion
1 Go to foodsheal.com right now and take the quiz Then choose the appropriate nutritional format and print the pdf format off so you have it to follow
2 Read the incompatable food combination list and print off that file as well and post both on your refrigerator so you can reference them regularly
3 Use aloe vera gel(not the juice) on a regular basis (2T three times per day) Take it to work, travel with it, and make a ritual out of its use
To Health as a Skill Love DrBill
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Restoring Biological Innocence Through Nutrition
The energy body is composed of three types of energy using the energy science model of Ayurveda As I have talked about in the past how it is articulated in other models such as the Traditional Oriental Medicine discipline is different but in essence it's the same, the mindbody is being seen as an energy field, not a matter field
The three energy patterns in the Ayurvedic model are Vata(energy of movement), Pitta(energy of transformation or metabolism), and Kapha(energy of stability) You need all three to function but they are expressed in degrees in all of us Someone may be born Vata 3 Pitta 2 Kapha 1 while her friend might be V1P2K3
Innocence and the Energy Science Model
The energy patterns described in the Ayurvedic energy model simply are They are mental constructs created by healers 1000's of years ago in order to make sense of what they were observing in themselves They had no microscopes, MRI's, or Xray machines They only had their powers of observation They saw that there was movement around them and they saw movement in the healthy body and so they called this Vata and we now term it a biological energy Similarly observations in Nature showed the transformation and stability was seen and those were also observed in the human body and these energy patterns were called Pitta and Kapha But Nature Herself is innocent and so are the energy patterns that make Her up....she simply exists
These energy patterns are simply expressions of Nature herself So there are Pitta dogs, Kapha type cats, Vata like birds And our mindbodies are expressions of Nature as well This is the basis of understanding the energy model as it applies to us as biological energy patterns
Disease: The Loss of Innocence
Disease in the energy body occurs because we make unconscious choices that cause these energy patterns to become more active than they should be If we run, run, run....eventually we run out of energy.....we deplete the body because by all that running the energy of movement gets so active in the body that it causes depletion
So disease is typically a depletion of the energy body due to poor unconscious choices that we make The energy patterns are innocent They're just being part of Nature...it's our mind and its choices that go against Nature that produces disease
Working the night shift might seem like a way to make a living but it goes against Nature's intelligence which sleeps at night....She's not working
So when we make choices that restores these energy patterns back to balance, back to the times when they were not provoked(when we were children) then healing occurs This is the healing is seen in the energy science at least
We restore this innocence by making choices that do not aggravate the energy patterns in our bod
y For example by following the nutritional formats we avoid making food choices that lead to imbalances in the body that eventually lead to disease
So here's to restoring innocence Best DB
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Detoxification and its Benefits
In the last couple of months I have written intermittently to you about the energy science's understanding of toxic load(called ama) that occurs with all disease Since this kind of thinking is completely foreign to those of us following the matter science medical model, it represents a radical departure as to how we think about the origin and treatment of disease
As I have said from an energy science perspective ama or this toxic moribund substance is the byproduct of poorly functioning metabolism Again the energy science describes poor metabolism as a result of low agni(digestive strength, power, or fire) This agni is in part the digestive capability of the entire GIT that we are all familiar with The agni in this part of the body is comprised of all the enzyme systems from the mouth to the rectum including all the bacterial systems as well
But there are other agnis in the body that are involved with the metabolism of the tissues and excretory functions And most importantly agnis that help us digest thoughts, feelings, and emotions When you digest well psychologically the result is mental clarity
From an energy perspective the primary purpose of any detoxification protocol is to improve agni or the capability to digest(physical food, thoughts, feelings, emotions)
Physical Detoxification
If you're tired you rest IF you're listening to your body As you know there are many people who don't listen to their bodies and that's literally the first step to disease Eventually you have to listen because the body essentially gives out with resultant disease
If your agni is laboring, not up to par, and as a result your body is producing ama, then it makes sense that one of the first things to do is to give your agni a rest One of the simplest things to do is a monodiet
A monodiet is a certain type of food that is done over a period of time The type of food chosen for the diet is not as important as the consistency to do the monodiet for the period of time Some would call this a "fast" and it is in the loosest sense of the term but it's essentially giving your digestive system rest Why? Because you're using only one group of enzyme systems to digest the same thing over and over again The monodiet could be fruit, could be rice and yogurt, could be fruit juice The point is that it doesn't matter what the monodiet is, as long as it's repetitive for a period of time
How long? It depends If you are Pitta Vata at most 7 days If PK then 14 days
Psychological Detoxification
I've divided the body and mind apart for discussion purposes but we should be clear here that from an energy science perspective the mind and body are intimately spliced They're one and the same What is mind is body and what is body is mind You can't separate them As a matter of fact detoxification of the physical body does psychological detox and psychological detox does physical detox That's how intimately spliced we are
Detox of the mind reduces mental ama and involves a form of monodiet as well But this monodiet is in the form of reducing mental activity The energy science is very clear that in order to remove mental ama some form of activity that reduces mental activity is most important
Why? Since we want to improve psychological agni we want to fast from thoughts The best way to do this is by meditation There are many ways to meditate The simplest is probably the most effective and involves watching the breath If you want you can add a mental instrument to trap the mind's attention using SO HUM SO on inhalation and HUM on exhalation
Breathing exercises can be meditative as well as yoga posture practice if done properly
The Benefits of Detoxification
When we improve agni there are great gifts Probably the most important is mental clarity and therefore peace, less emotional turmoil When the GIT is given some time off there is improved digestion and elimination We simply digest food better Here are some benefits from doing detoxification
Loss of cravings Feeling of lightness after eating Good taste perception
Steady weight Normal GI elimination Vigor vitality strength stamina
Healthy glow Mental clarity Sound sleep
Alertness Discrimination, intelligence Direction determination courage
Joy cheerfulness Contentment Affection enthusiasm
Patience Longevity Confidence
All because we have given our mindbody a break and improved our agni
To Health as a Skill DB
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Varicose Veins: The Sign of Stagnant Energy
The beauty of a baby is her pristine energy field unencumbered with the energy blockages that we adults gather with time. I think that is what is so alluring about baby's energy. It reminds us of what we once were-a pure unadulterated energy field.
As we make unconscious choices through our lives we gather energy blockages that eventually need to be dealt with. But these blockages are great lessons if we are willing to learn from them. And these blockages can become severe and cause problems if we don't head them off.
One of the things that can happen in the energy field of the mindbody is stagnant energy, that is energy that gets stuck and cannot move through a part of the mindbody. The sign of stagnant energy in the mindbody is loss of the ability to feel because this is how we are aware of the energy mindbody in the first place.
An example of this is varicose veins. When the blood begins to pool in the lower extremities and the energy or blood in this case has poor flow. It's stuck. This can be related to blocked flow at the level of the hips which impedes blood return to the heart. The hips become rigid, inflexible and tight such that energy flow through and around the hip joint is impeded.
As the energy flow in the skin becomes reduced the capillaries become engorged and the small veins coming from them become tortuous and superficial. This is related to the poor outflow from the leg resulting from decreased venous outflow from the leg.
The energy can become so slow in flow that the venous support impedes blood flow even more poorly and the legs begin to become boggy and swollen. The important aspect of this clinical scenario is the loss of sensation of energy flow. Typically when energy is flowing normally, we can sense the subtle movement of energy noted as tingling lightness of the skin. When severe stagnation occurs as in varicosities of the lower extremities, there is such heaviness that such sensations are not present.
The loss of the ability to feel the legs and the movement of energy is serious business. Of course, the person involved with the varicosities is usually not aware of his/her energy mindbody anyway, but if they are able to deal with the problem the return of sensation becomes quite obvious as the swelling and skin changes resolve.
Soooo... striving to be sensate aware of the mindbody's changes in sensation is important because we can take corrective measures that will minimize the damage before all the severe debilities show up.
This is the power of prevention that comes directly from sensing the mindbody's energy field before dis-ease progresses. To good health and sensation DrBill
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