Health Isn’t In A Pill, It’s a Skill: 6 Ways to Get It
Health as the Absence of Disease?
The contemporary matter science medical(molecular) model that we use is crisis management In this way of thinking if we're not sick, then de facto we're healthy
Oh, oh I have some bad symptoms of dis-ease or my lab tests are out of whack Red alert Better do something And then we manage the disease with a pill or magic operation
Now it's not to say that this model of healing is not important It's extremely valuable when we are unfortunately really sick But let's be clear, it does not define health
But I don't think people consider health that way anymore even though that's the best the molecular model can give us And it can't give any better because the model isn't made for health, it's made for dealing with disease
The World Health Organization however has a different way of looking at disease To paraphrase, health is not the absence of disease
Energy Science Definition of Health
So the energy science of Ayurveda has a lot to say about the perfect state of health
Not only does it define health for us but it goes the important next step It gives us tools in order to develop that perfect state of health where disease is not possible
But it takes knowledge, awareness, and work to develop the skill of being healthy Would we not think it unusual to find that Tiger Woods doesn't practice golf That he just shows up for tournaments?!!
6 Ways to Develop the Skill of Being Healthy
Here's what we can do to practice health and become skillful at it
Eat according to your mindbody energy makeup
Exercise 4-6 times per week for 30 minutes
Use a churan to improve digestive fire
Early to bed and early to rise
Eat the biggest meal at noon
Practice Practice Practice
Like any skill we have to practice what it is that we want to achieve These steps will do it for you
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Do We Know How Sick We Really Are?
That's a matter science approach But it begs the question, did we know how sick we really were?
The Molecules Did It
From a matter science understanding disease occurs because of some molecular disruption, genetic or otherwise The molecule whether they be hormones, infectious agents, lack of proper immune defense molecules, low density lipoproteins, or others become the responsible agents And chances are the causes are it's not just one cause
But if we can't explain the disease molecularly, stay tuned for more information to be reported in the future, say our healers
In many areas what this approach creates is the victim state Darn it, if my molecules would only behave or if I hadn't got infected
Energy Science View of Disease
In contrast the energy science relates disease to imbalances of qualities in the physiology If I have too much hot quality then I may develop acid indigestion(heartburn)
But the energy science goes further and this is probably its greatest contribution It shows us that when a disease shows up in our matter field body that there have been 4 prior stages of disease(imbalance) that have been processed before it became apparent to us In other words how sick we get is an evolution in progress And that we don't even realize what's going on because our model tells us it's just "bad luck"
This is quite striking given our current understanding of disease It says that we missed 4 prior stages of imbalance on finally getting to the manifestation So for the person who develops a malignancy, it isn't like it suddenly appeared and it's a case of "bad luck" We've been working on it for some time
No Panacea
I make no claim that disease prevention is easy or totally preventable
But I do make the claim that no one is a victim
Having said that the energy science does bequeath to us a system of disease prevention But it requires substantial work to change the physiology and bring it into balance once it has lost it's state of balance that it had long ago Nutrition is a reasonable first step in starting to regain that balance
And balance is like walking on a balance beam It requires monitoring
So do we want to remain victims or do we desire an element of proactivity in our quest for better health We are all our own decision makers We get to make the choice
Until next time Ciao To health as a Skill Love DrBill
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Cranberry Juice and Urinary Tract Disease: An Energy Science View
Both the matter and energy science disciplines agree on the conclusions so this informational evidence has strong, sound grounding And I'm a urologist having studied nonbacterial inflammatory changes in the urinary tract and the use of an energy science approach in these conditions
Nutritional Myths
As we have discussed earlier myths die a slow death Myths are beliefs or sets of beliefs often unproven or false that accrue around a system. The reason that they captivate us is they potentially hold the secret of health. And we all want to be healthy.
This is no more true than for myths around nutrition It's all nutritional guess work from a matter science view that is attempting to make sense of nutrition and its relationship to disease The study of food molecules is not going to tell us how the food interacts with YOUR physiology All we know is a lot about the molecules of the food The nutritional answers lie at the biologic energy level
The same holds true for Grandma's time honored cure for urinary tract infections, cranberry juice(CJ)
Urinary Tract Infections
Many times observations by us can be true true unrelated That is, we make an observation, the CJ helped me and yes I got better but there may be no causal relationship In addition more than 50% of UTI's are nonbacterial, ie, not associated with bacteria Matter(molecular) science nutritional arguments abound but the bottom line is there is no good evidence that CJ helps(as above)
What gives then? From an energy science view the symptoms are related to a nonbacterial inflammatory change in the bladder(interstital cystitis), that is a Pitta aggravated condition CJ will aggravate an already inflammatory condition from an energy science nutritional view In general PV(Pitta Vata) should not use cranberry at all and PK(Pitta Kapha) 1-2x per week The latter observation is probably why some can get better
You see, again, it's who's taking the CJ!
Urinary Tract Stones
What about renal stone formation? This again is a Pitta aggravated condition and there have been two studies, the one cited above and a second which showed actually an increase in stone formation in those taking concentrated cranberry tablets
Of course again the consumers weigh in with their observations and myths start flying about how the stones were dissolved by CJ
And this makes total sense to those who are selling or manufacturing CJ so the more the merrier! Buyer beware!
There is not much good advice from the matter science physicians about prevention but the energy science has a lot to say about prevention advocating a nutritional format that is good for one's body makeup
No Scientific Support
So for those not yet mesmerized by the myth and personal experience of CJ the fruit has some redeeming qualities in the use of Kapha imbalance but in general both from a matter and energy science views it's not the panacea that it;s cracked up to be
But nutritional myths do die hard And we so much want to believe them
Until next time Ciao To health as a Skill Love DrBill
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The Breakie King: Understanding Kapha Energy Pattern
Because one of the most pleasurable events of a weekend for me was breakfast, it prompted my wife to crown me the "Breakie King" I enjoyed it all The before meal juice, oatmeal with raisins, flapjacks with syrup, eggs over easy with bacon or ham on the side Maybe some yogurt with fruit
As all patterns of behavior I think it's worthwhile to question them particularly in light of beneficial energy science guidance
The Energy Science Paradigm: Understanding Kapha
Between 6 and 10a is a Kapha period of time The body's metabolism is heavy, slow, cold, cloudy, and static Doesn't sound like a particularly favorable time of the day for a big meal, does it?
Add another layer of understanding If one's mindbody energy makeup is Kapha then there is a double whammy that comes into play Not only is the time of day not right for a large meal but if the one consuming that meal has the same qualities of heavy, slow, cold, cloudy, and static, the food will not be digested well
Add another layer Foods(dairy, eggs, syrup, pancakes, oatmeal) that are associated with breakfast often over time can aggravate the Kapha energy pattern due to the qualities of heavy, slow, cold, cloudy, and static
Childhood Obesity
Add another layer Childhood is a Kapha period of life Strongly predisposed children(those who will be Kapha as adults) are at risk for childhood obesity
And it starts early on setting up lifestyle behavior patterns that are not conducive to good health
Understandably for growing school age children food in the morning may help with attention span and improve school behavior patterns But as parents who are setting the stage for potential problems down the line, I think it's important to follow PK nutritional guidelines as outlined at foodsheal.com
But for adults the question is whether it is such an important meal
One Universal Recommendation Does NOT Fit All
Blanket health recommendations from the matter science nutritional view is very misleading for us, the public For example this directive from an authoritative organization can lead to confusion because as we started out the consumer "feels" intuitively that breakfast shouldn't be the main meal personally but then these kind of statements are made
According to the American Dietetic Association(ADA), the breakfast is the most essential meal of the day Many have already spoken about the importance of breakfast. It acts as a fuel to the body to carry out the various tasks of the day. It is said that a healthy breakfast should provide 1/3 of the day’s total calorie intake. Still, it is the most neglected part of the day. Most of the people skip breakfast as they are in a hurry, don’t feel like eating or want to lose weight
Yikes! With such misguided matter science nutritional advice no wonder we have a rampaging problem with obesity The ADA needs help!!
The Breakie King Rethinks the Universal Recommendation
It's funny what happens over the years Knowledge begets wisdom particularly armed with energy science nutritional guidance
If it's necessary to have have breakfast make it light particularly if PK and follow the nutritional guidelines
Watch out for poor food combining
Consider not eating at all or perhaps juice only Remember baby steps
If in a rush DON'T eat Better to not eat at all since rushing effects digestive fire
Have breakfast at noon when the digestive fire is richest making the biggest meal at noon!!
Until next time Ciao To health as a Skill Love DrBill
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Parkinson’s Disease Prevention: Energy Science Recommendations
A recent Mayo clinic posting regarding genetic research on familial Parkinson's disease brought about some interesting food for thought about genetic causation
It seems that multiple genes implicated in the disease but this genetic change governs protective proteins which are not made due to a mutation of the EIF4G1 gene
Genetic Plasticity and Genetic Misbehavior
Familial or sporadic Parkinson's disease from a genetic perspective seem to have the same genetic expression If there are a lot of genes affected then the clinical effect is Parkinson's If many are already turned on/off the familial pattern gets expressed
But these findings are not suprising There are now numerous reports now that the human genome project is well underway showing the expression of disease
For example it has been shown that parents undergoing stress impact their children's genetic expression Obesity genes are affected by exercise Men with prostate cancer in a watchful waiting protocol stabilze their PSA's, increase Tcell killer counts and change genetic expression in 400 genes simply by changing lifestyle behaviors
So the good news is that lifestyle can impact any genetic misbehavior
Stress Leads to Genetic Mutation
In the above study stress led to the death of cells in the primitive midbrain from the mutation
The issue then among other prevention therapies is how to deal with stress There are a number of different ways to change lifestyle behavior For example:
Meditation practice
Yoga practice
Mindfulness or awareness of reacting to people, situations, circumstances, and things
Prevention Therapies Are Already Available
In the reporting Owen Ross, PhD, a neuroscientist and co-author on the paper added, "The insights gained from how mutations in EIF4G1 lead to cell death might help us develop new therapies to treat or slow Parkinson's disease."
The "new therapies" that Dr Ross has in mind are more than likely matter or molecular science interventions such as new drug therapies which no doubt be exceedingly expensive and long in coming
The issue is this "Why wait?" Prevention is something that patients with known predisposition can do right now Since Parkinson's disease is a Vata imbalance, the above are starters that can help calm Vata but there are more from an energy science view:
Eat according to one's mindbody energy makeup
The new field of genetic medical research has taught us a very important lesson That we are indeed in control of our health destiny And the tools are available to us through the energy science of Ayurveda to help us do just that
Ciao Until next time To health as a Skill Love DrBill
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Dr Oz and The Blood Diet: An Energy Science View
Dr Oz, the popular commentator on current medical news and research, recently had comments on the so called "blood diet" which thrilled the partisan followers of the diet In an interview Dr. Oz said it makes sense that your ancestors diet could be better for you, but we can’t prove it, but sometimes you can’t prove things except in people’s kitchens
Peter D'Adamo, a naturopath,, in 1996 introduced his Eating Right For Your Blood Type after his father had researched in his own patient population that there seemed to be connections between patient's food selection, their blood types, and sense of wellbeing and health
A Secret: What the Blood Diet Really Tells Us
In all the commentaries I've read about the "blood diet" I have yet to come across someone discussing the uniqueness of this dietary approach
In all the antecedent "diets" that we have been regaled with over the last 50 years we have always been told which foods not to eat and those that we can eat, from Jenny Craig to the South Beach to the Paleo to the vegetarian Forks over Knives approach
But let's think about this The "blood diet" has for the first time in the history of diet domaindom created a concept that says that foods should be selected according to what biological physiology is eating it That seems to make intuitively good sense!
In this case the "blood diet" says that we will feel and do better if we eat foods are favored by way of our blood type
Comparing Energy Science Nutrition With the Blood Diet
In the Ayurvedic Institute's quarterly newsletter a comparision was made between the D'Adamo's "blood diet" approach and the VPK nutritional format by a naturopath who had attended the Institute's program and had incorporated Ayurveda into his scope of practice
What he found was that there seemed to be a very close fit with the blood diet and the energy science nutritional formal but because of the nuances of the Ayurvedic format felt that the energy science approach worked better
Not everything grown on the planet is fair game
"If I want 2 bowls of ice cream a night then by God I'm going to have it I dont care whether it bothers my health or not because I make the choices here So don't tell me what to do, OK?"
There is nothing wrong with the (blood) diet says Dr. Adrienne Youdim, her only criticism is that perhaps it’s too restrictive
We all want our freedom and don't want that freedom to choose restricted in any way But with that freedom comes a consequence for we don't get to choose the results of our choices
With the "blood diet" has come a subtle message that we should limit our choices according to our biological physiologies This has been the message of the energy sciences for thousands of years
For our contemporary planetary societies it's the primary out of our serious chronic medical problems
The Value of Energy Science Nutrition
Not only do the energy science nutritional formats give us guidance as to which foods produce balance in our physiologies but there is another dimension not even discussed in contemporary nutritional literature
This nutritonal format comes as part of a complete package for living a healthy lifestyle since nutrition is part of the whole package
We can no longer isolate foods and their physiologic consequences apart from the quality of our sleep, work, and exercise Nutrition comes as part of the whole enchilada, so to speak
And is intimately spliced with bowel pattern, stamina, endurance, and sense of wellbeing
Until next time Ciao To health as a Skill Love DrBill
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The Difficult Morning Wakeup: An Energy Science Fix
"Why do I keep setting the alarm if I'm not going to get up?"
That's a good question and there's some conjecture about how to deal with this Kapha period of the day
Early Morning: Qualities of Kapha Time
The time between 6a and 10a is a Kapha period and has the qualities of slow, heavy, cloudy, cold, and static Our bodies being part of Nature also experience these same qualities
Is it any wonder that we don't like getting up in the morning?
This relatively inert period of the day can be overcome by MOVEment It may take some discipline to shut off the mind that insists that the snooze button is a survival tool but in the end we need that Pitta transformational energy to help change the situation
We're Not All Created Equal
We should remember that we have varying levels sleep needs based on our dominant energy makeup and these need to be respected
While Kapha can get by with 6 hours of sleep, Vata may require 7 to 8 hours of sleep(Pitta dominant somewhere in between) based on demand so recommendations for amount of sleep should be taken into this consideration
Exercise programs can be draining on the physiology requiring especially in the beginning more rest for the body Respect the body's rest requirements as more may be needed until the body is in better shape
Trouble with excessive sleep implies poor energy particularly for VP or PV(Pitta Vata) Often times this can be addressed by paying attention over time to eating according to our body's energy makeup
Energy Science Solutions
Try to move toward getting up before the Kapha period begins, ie at or before 6a
"Early to bed, early to rise" Avoid going to bed late Lights out by 10p for Vata and 11p for Kapha It's been shown that even when lying awake we are resting But make a deal that always up at the same time By and by a new sleep cylce will be established
Get up at a prearranged time without hesitation(remember MOVE) Don't let mental jargon to lull you back to bed
Stimulate and energize the body(remember MOVE) After out of bed do a three part warm up breath with 1 arms out in front with breath in 2 arms extended out horizontal with the shoulders with another breath in 3 arms overhead with breath in 4 forceful exhalation done with a loud HA(do this in the other room if your spouse is sleeping) with the arms brought down along the sides
Make the bed if you're the last one out
Develop a morning routine 7 splashes of cold water on the face with the eyes open
Resist taking naps during the day
Healthy nutrition with a strong digestive fire will over time will begin reducing physiologic stagnant energy
Life WITHOUT the Alarm
This may sound preposteous but as we become in sync with Nature alarms will become unnecessary
It is very natural for the body to wake up on its on accord as the above process unfolds
Until next time Ciao To health as a Skill Love DrBill
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The Full Figured Woman And Childhood Obesity
]From Oprah to Beyonce the idea of the full figured woman is a classic biologic energy descriptive of the beauty of the Kapha energy pattern with the grace and elegance in full display
But how is this related to childhood obesity?
The Full Figured Woman
Such a descriptive conjures up the round curvaceous voluptuous lines of womanhood The physical beauty of the feminine body
The energy science model of Ayurveda reveres this energy pattern for its strength, beauty, endurance, grace and stamina Appropriately described as the queen of the three enerygy patterns amongst Vata and Pitta
Not only is there physical beauty but the smooth and soft qualities lead to the psychological characteristics that produce mental calmness that delivers the attributes of care giving which includes many professions that the feminine energy participates such as medicine, nursing, and social service among others
But the most important of all the care giving professions is motherhood and here Kapha as an energy pattern is like the bright star in the heavens
And it's this Kapha energy that is so tirelessly working toward preventing childhood obesity
High Tech Society and Too Much Movement
Technology has delivered great benefits to us High speed internet has revolutionized how we shop, do business, and yes, even how we learn It has led to increasing our capacity to do things and improve our quality of life
But........ there is a downside to such technology
Currently there has become an excessive mobility quality in our culture People and their minds cannot move fast enough We have to get things done today as if they should have been done yesterday With this fever pitch rushing there is a consistent reminder for us "to slow down" or "breathe"
But unfortunately it's not as easy energetically when we live in a resonating environment of faster especially as it now is played out in almost every aspect of the human condition
As we have written in the past it's not so bad to want to accomplish things and move on but it's the balance between mobile and static, activity and inactivity that needs to be cultivated
Fast Foods are Born
Although not thought of in terms of foods, nutrition is an extraordinary and convenient way to self medicate A society that is movement aggravated will tend to look for foods that calm the increased speed in human activity
So literally "fast foods" are for foods for people living in a fast paced resonating environment The term "fast food" has been used to denote convenience and easy accessibility but from an energy science view it means much more It implies medication
The Full Bodied Woman in a Vata Aggravated Society
But this Beyonce video done for childhood obesity gives us only half the solution for the Kapha imbalance not only in our full bodied woman but in our children
The other part of the solution is to recognize that placing our pleasing, gracious full bodied woman in such a frenzied culture will inevitably lead to struggles with obesity in all Kapha predisposed ladies Eventually the resonating energetic factor of excess movement(Vata aggravation) leads to energetic imbalance
The societal impact of our nutritional self medication for the increased pace of human lifestyle is the overweight condition
So the most beautiful aspect of human life becomes impacted due to our societal need to nutritionally slow ourselves down with the tastes that lead to Kapha weight gain
And this is occurring in our children at an unprecendented rate
Our Venus is lost But now even Venus' children How sad!
Gratefully the energy science medical model has a solution
Until next time To health as a Skill Love Dr Bill
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Balance in Life How to Achieve It: An Ayurvedic View
Don't smoke too much, drink too much, eat too much, or work too much We're all on the road to the grave, but there's no need to be in the passing lane Robert Orsen
Another way of saying the above is to seek balance in life Particularly now in a Vata aggravated society we live in do we need more than ever some help in this respect
The tricky thing about this concept is that there are not many guidelines as to how to acheive this happy median
Healthy Lifestyle: An Energy Science View
The energy science approach can be very helpful for as we go forward into the 21st century by giving us personal help in looking for guidelines as they revolve around healthy lifestyle From an energy science medical model view balance is where it's at So if we're looking for balance this is the discipline that can help us
I think we could agree that smoking or drinking is not conducive to a healthy lifestyle but occasional beer or wine is not going to be detrimental But who's doing the drinking? The energy science guidelines for alcohol would be:
Hard alcohol is not good for anyone
For beer dry white and red wine twice a week
Eating too much is the bane of human existence right now The energy science guidelines can help us quite a bit here:
Biggest meal of the day should be at noon
At noon eat the volume of what you can hold in our 2 hands that are cupped together(picking out a rice bowl that comfortably fills our two hands is a great visual to help give us
Avoid heavy morning meals
The evening meal should always be smaller than the noon meal
Of course using balancing food guidelines that can be serve to balance the body and digestive system
Work Balance
I think this is the most difficult of wanting to be in the middle of the road But the energy science gives us some healthy guidelines here:
Make close relationships important and nourish them
Do two things every day for self nourishment
Early to bed In general lights out by 10:30pm This allows the nest step
Out of bed by 5:00 to 6:00am This allows the next step
Exercise 30 to 60 minutes every day dependent on Ayurvedic body makeup
Take a mandatory week off every 2 months to reassess
Now the time spent for work can be put into place It's only when we build our day around work rather than building our work around the day that we can hope to begin to achieve balance
Balance Is Health Promoting
There is a shift in our thinking regarding health and it revolves around this concept of balance
The energy science discipline can help us with this poorly understood human biological concept
And balance lies at the heart of disease prevention
Until next time Blessings To health as a Skill Love DrBill
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“I look at food and gain weight”: A Common Refrain
Every time I lose weight, it finds me again
attribution to James Dines
Looking at food and gaining weight seems like an impossiblity
But from an energy science view such an experience is totally plausible
Nutrition: A Total Experience
The body as an energy field not only imbibes calories(a matter science measurement of foods) but also the totality of the sensory experience
So from an energy science point of view the body takes in the qualities of the experience For example, sweet, sour and salty tastes deliver the qualities that produce congestion, namely the qualities of heavy, slow/dull, cold, oily, smooth, dense, soft , gross and cloudy
These qualities are not just delivered by our tongue when we eat an ice cream cone We get these qualities from our senses of hearing, feeling, smelling And what we see!! So the common refrain "I look at food and gain weight" makes complete sense from an energy science view
At first this seems very bizarre That sensory experiences other than taste can deliver weight gain But let's examine this more closely
The Inducement
Sight in and of itself does not lead to excess calories to the physiology but it does produce the desire for particular foods Some people are very much drawn to experience the smell and taste of food Unconsciously, most of the time
Who are those people most likely affected by such sensory desire? The biologic energy pattern of Kapha and those who are Kapha dominant people since they have very robust sensory channels of smelling and tasting They love to experience these senses in abundance And because of this, Kapha as a biologic energy pattern tends to evolve abundant bodies exhibiting the overweight condition An inducement, if you will, to an experience that produces physiologic congestion
So seeing foods that bring about congesting imbalance leads to the overweight issue due to the inducement of wanting to smell and taste the foods
For example foods that lead to the congestion in Kapha dominant bodes are animal foods(eg beef, duck, lamb, pork, and seafood) as well as nuts both of which carry the sour(fatty acids) and salty tastes Dairy delivers the sweet taste which also leads to congestion
Shifting Gears: The Biologic Energy Field
You see, it's a new way of viewing the body We are taught throughout our lives that we are matter(molecular) fields that have somehow learned how to think
But there is a richer way of understanding our physiologies and that's from an energy science model That is, our bodies are simultaneously both matter and energy fields
So there is a realm of knowledge that we aren't experiencing that can help us understand that even seeing foods can lead to weight gain directly or indirectly
What would life be like without being ruled by the scales - having to get on the scales everyday to see if we've gained or not?
Until next time To health as a Skill Love DrBill
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