Healing With the Power of Meditation:
How to Heal Your Body With Your Mind
BY DINA PROCTOR
Wednesday, May 2, 2018
Thursday, April 12, 2018
Structured Water Regulation At The Highest Level And The Magic Of Gemstones And Gemstone Water
I have been drinking it for ten years and in this post I would like to tell you a bit about structured water and show you also the device with which I make my structured water.
Only a few have heard about the term "structured water" and even fewer people know what is really hidden behind it.
Water means life. Without water the diversity of life as it appears on our planet would be inconceivable. Every day, man needs this element to guarantee his continued existence. In nature, water plays an enormous role. Where there is abundant, plants thrive in abundance and the natural environment is green and nourished.
The fact that water is still much more capable than extinguishing thirst and cleansing the body, some scientists have discovered with amazing experiments on structured water.
The energy of water
One of the people who has worked intensively with the water was the Austrian Viktor Schauberger. He recognized the connections of the water with its natural environment and observed its movement. He worried about the impact of civilization on nature, noting that measures such as the clearing of forests, river degradation and the treatment of drinking water have a negative impact on the healthy energy of the water. In return, he pleaded for a conservation of the natural movement of the water and developed technical methods for water upgrading. In this way the water should recover its original energy and preserve the quality of healthy, fresh water, as it is in nature.Today, Viktor Schauberger's discoveries are used to achieve positive effects on human health and the growth of plants. The natural flow of water in brooks and rivers is imitated with the help of water whirlpools and provides amazing results. Shower heads and water taps are provided with corresponding attachments, whereby a spiral, whirling movement of the water is produced. In this way, the energy level of the water rises and gets refreshing and nourishing qualities that have a positive effect on health.
Structured Water
Particularly remarkable and impressive insights gained Dr. Masaru Emoto in his observations. The Japanese researcher used structured water for his experiments and found out that water is able to store information. He found that water lives and responds to emotions, words, thoughts, prayers and music.Thus, in one of his experiments, he filled a hundred petri dishes with water and divided them into two categories. One half of the water was constantly praised, while he scolded the other half continually. Then he froze all petri dishes and discovered amazing when he looked at the ice under a microscope. The respective halves had very different structures. The praised, now frozen water was very harmonious and beautifully formed in geometric patterns. The scorched (negatively discussed) water now had very angular and disordered structures in the frozen state. Further experiments with positive and negative words produced the same results. Stickers were placed on vessels with water, which were labeled with words, such as love and gratitude. Dr. At these words Masaru Emoto discovered the most beautiful and unique structures, no matter what language they were used in. He came to the conclusion that such structured water has a healing effect.
What exactly makes structured water so special and valuable for human health? Water molecules are connected to each other by hydrogen bonds, thus forming loose assemblies, which are also called clusters of water. Sluggish water has larger associations, while smaller structured clusters provide for a higher energy of the water.
Structured water also has changed properties, which allow for increased storage of information. The structuring therefore involves a certain order of the water molecules. In order to illustrate the crystalline structures in the water, a comparison to snowflakes can be made. For with these small ice crystals, the inclination of the water molecules to break down into six groups is particularly evident.
The water in the human body, like living and natural spring water, has the same crystalline structures. Since this water, which contains many of these structures, has a higher energy, scientists have been able to establish a direct link between the degree of order in water and human health.
For this reason, structured water has become an interesting and very extensive subject of recommendable books, which deal in detail with how water resonates with external influences. The authors describe and explain exactly why and how structured water acts so positively on the human body and which specific methods for structuring can be applied.
If you like to see the water crystal photo gallery from Dr. Masaru Emoto click here and you will be amazed how beautiful it is.
A person's body consists of about 60 - 70 percent water. Due to the discoveries of Dr. Masaru Emoto has to be assumed that also the water in the body saves information of any kind. Positively structured water can thus have an enormous effect on the human organism and achieve a healing effect. In the knowledge, structured water for drinking and mindfulness with regard to thoughts, words and feelings can be beneficial to one's own health.
My structured water device
The structured water device I am using for the last 10 years is called UMH Delta and it is made in Austria. The device is made of brass and 24 karat gold-plated. It is equipped with a special gemstone composition, a hyperbolic flow cycle and handmade vials to ensure a highly stable energy field. The pyramid-shaped stand structure is effective when comes to multiple energizing the water and other beverages. Depending on the frequency of the application, a custom level of energy can be reached. I have tried a few other devices but the UMH Delta is in my opinion the best one you can get on the market.
You can buy the UMH Delta at https://belifewater.com/
For more information about the UMH products feel free to contact me.Here are some very interesting videos about the UMH products:
Structured Water Device Explained!
Sunhorse Energy Owner on belifewater Benefits.
OH! Juice owner on belifewater Benefits
Structured water has changed my life very positively, I have not been
sick (flue or cold) since I've been drinking it "10 years" and I feel
much more vital and energized.
The origin of gemstones and minerals is as old as the history of our earth. In the magmatic formation of the stones, different stones such as topaz, tourmaline, ruby and sapphire were formed from the liquid magma of the earth's interior in the cooling earth crust. In the sedimentary formation of the precious stones, the connection with weathering processes comes into play, and for example, turquoise, malachite and azurite. The metamorphic formation of minerals takes place under temperature changes and pressure neoplasms.
From the very beginning of mankind, a fascinating effect of gemstones on mankind existed. Numerous myths and stories tell of the healing power of the gemstones. The use of gemstones for medicinal purposes is handed down by many ancient cultures. Testimonies of the use of stones for the healing of various diseases and the expulsion of evil spirits can be found in many ancient cultures. Shamans and medical men used the strength of the stones for their rituals, ceremonies and amulets.
The earliest surviving reports date back to the fourth century BC and are of Sumerian origin. Babylonians and Assyrians also employed healing elixirs of gemstones. In ancient Ayurveda you will find detailed instructions for the preparation powders and pastes from ground gemstones. Also internally applied gemstone mixtures are handed over. Thus, a detailed instruction on the production of curative powders and pastes from ground gemstones can be found at Dioskurides, a Roman physician from the first century AD. In the writings of Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179) there are also details on healing with precious stones. In contrast to your predecessors, however, your knowledge was less based on methodological experience than on visionary foundations.
The gemstone therapy of modern times, also called lithotherapy, is therefore not a new method of healing, but is based on the traditional tradition of our ancestors. In modern medicine, however, the internal consumption of medicinal products made from powdered stones has been somewhat reduced to the background. The placing of stones on meridians and chakras, as well as the carrying of stones and their placement in rooms and in certain places is due to the assumption of the energetic effect of precious stones and minerals.
In the production of gemstone water the tradition of the internal application of precious stones is preserved. Here, selected gemstones are best placed in a glass of water overnight and the water is drunk on other days. Another alternative for the production of stone water is the charging in solar or moonlight.
So far, gemstones have been laid directly into the water and had to be cleaned again and again. Despite careful cleaning, however, the gemstones regularly gave substances (e.g., parent rock). These impurities were consumed with the water. With a VitaJuwel vial, such contamination is excluded. All secretions remain in the vial and do not enter the water!
VitaJuwel has also very nice glass bottles and other awesome products in there assortment.
You can buy the VitaJuwel protucs at http://vitajuwel.com/en/
A basic idea of gemstone therapy is the system of the three kingdoms: mineral kingdom, plant kingdom and animal kingdom. All areas are connected to each other. A harmonious balance of the empires brings well-being. Thus, a natural contact of man with the realm of minerals and stones is also desired in order to make a balance.
Different healing effects are attributed to the individual gemstones. If the stone chosen for the individual problem is found, it can be placed, as described, either on the relevant body site or on the associated chakra or the corresponding meridian. For many stones it is also recommended to wear close to the body. This can take the form of a piece of jeweler or a so-called hand-flatter (a stone in handy format). The gemstone water , of course, can also be produced from the gemstone.
Again I drink structured gemstone water since 10 years and I have not been sick (flue or cold) since I've been drinking it.
Here are two photos of my gemstone vials.
For more information please go to https://belifewater.com/ and http://vitajuwel.com/en/ or just contact me!
Gemstones and gemstone water
Healing with gemstones and minerals comes from an ancient tradition. Whether you want to drink gemstone water or to lay on gemstones. They harmonize and help healing.The origin of gemstones and minerals is as old as the history of our earth. In the magmatic formation of the stones, different stones such as topaz, tourmaline, ruby and sapphire were formed from the liquid magma of the earth's interior in the cooling earth crust. In the sedimentary formation of the precious stones, the connection with weathering processes comes into play, and for example, turquoise, malachite and azurite. The metamorphic formation of minerals takes place under temperature changes and pressure neoplasms.
From the very beginning of mankind, a fascinating effect of gemstones on mankind existed. Numerous myths and stories tell of the healing power of the gemstones. The use of gemstones for medicinal purposes is handed down by many ancient cultures. Testimonies of the use of stones for the healing of various diseases and the expulsion of evil spirits can be found in many ancient cultures. Shamans and medical men used the strength of the stones for their rituals, ceremonies and amulets.
The earliest surviving reports date back to the fourth century BC and are of Sumerian origin. Babylonians and Assyrians also employed healing elixirs of gemstones. In ancient Ayurveda you will find detailed instructions for the preparation powders and pastes from ground gemstones. Also internally applied gemstone mixtures are handed over. Thus, a detailed instruction on the production of curative powders and pastes from ground gemstones can be found at Dioskurides, a Roman physician from the first century AD. In the writings of Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179) there are also details on healing with precious stones. In contrast to your predecessors, however, your knowledge was less based on methodological experience than on visionary foundations.
The gemstone therapy of modern times, also called lithotherapy, is therefore not a new method of healing, but is based on the traditional tradition of our ancestors. In modern medicine, however, the internal consumption of medicinal products made from powdered stones has been somewhat reduced to the background. The placing of stones on meridians and chakras, as well as the carrying of stones and their placement in rooms and in certain places is due to the assumption of the energetic effect of precious stones and minerals.
In the production of gemstone water the tradition of the internal application of precious stones is preserved. Here, selected gemstones are best placed in a glass of water overnight and the water is drunk on other days. Another alternative for the production of stone water is the charging in solar or moonlight.
So far, gemstones have been laid directly into the water and had to be cleaned again and again. Despite careful cleaning, however, the gemstones regularly gave substances (e.g., parent rock). These impurities were consumed with the water. With a VitaJuwel vial, such contamination is excluded. All secretions remain in the vial and do not enter the water!
VitaJuwel has also very nice glass bottles and other awesome products in there assortment.
You can buy the VitaJuwel protucs at http://vitajuwel.com/en/
A basic idea of gemstone therapy is the system of the three kingdoms: mineral kingdom, plant kingdom and animal kingdom. All areas are connected to each other. A harmonious balance of the empires brings well-being. Thus, a natural contact of man with the realm of minerals and stones is also desired in order to make a balance.
Different healing effects are attributed to the individual gemstones. If the stone chosen for the individual problem is found, it can be placed, as described, either on the relevant body site or on the associated chakra or the corresponding meridian. For many stones it is also recommended to wear close to the body. This can take the form of a piece of jeweler or a so-called hand-flatter (a stone in handy format). The gemstone water , of course, can also be produced from the gemstone.
Again I drink structured gemstone water since 10 years and I have not been sick (flue or cold) since I've been drinking it.
Here are two photos of my gemstone vials.
For more information please go to https://belifewater.com/ and http://vitajuwel.com/en/ or just contact me!
Image Sources:
- Post header created by myself
- http://www.azquotes.com/author/37236-Viktor_Schauberger
- http://comehome2om.com/2014/10/17/messages-from-dr-emoto/
- https://domacaliecba.sk
- https://belifewater.com/
- http://vitajuwel.com/en/
Video Sources:
Monday, April 9, 2018
Healing With the Power of Meditation: How to Heal Your Body With Your Mind
Healing With the Power of Meditation:
photo: angus
From the Editors:
This article is excerpted from Dina Proctor’s, book which is an
in-depth look at her journey from self destruction to self actualization
through the practice of an ingenious healing meditation she developed.
In it, she interviews Dr. Bruce Lipton a well-respected cell biologist
whose seminal work, The Biology of Belief, explains the profound
connection between mind and body and the use of meditation for healing.
The 3×3 guided healing meditation that she refers to is a daily practice
that she developed as she emerged from her life’s darkest point,
struggling to overcome suicidal depression and alcohol addiction. The
format is simple, but powerful—spend three minutes doing the
guided meditation three times a day, the practice of which was Dina’s
primary tool for healing and led to her life’s work. Dina has generously
made available three of her powerful ‘3×3 healing meditations’ that she
mentions throughout this piece as a free gift to Conscious Lifestyle
readers. These can be downloaded at the end of article.A few
months into my experience of healing from addiction, and almost two
years after I’d developed the intuitive eating technique I shared in
Chapter 7, it occurred to me that, if my 3×3 healing meditation could be
so effective at ending cravings and addiction, it might also be able to
even out imbalances in the cholesterol levels in my blood. Ever since
I’d tried the high protein diets years earlier in my life, my overall
cholesterol level had been higher than normal. Could my 3×3 meditations
bring it to normal?
I was on an eight-day personal development retreat called “Breakthrough to Success” led by Jack Canfield in Arizona during the summer of 2011 when I started developing a 3×3 healing meditation specifically focused on my cholesterol levels. Throughout the retreat Jack led us through guided meditations, and they gave me the idea that I could visualize the blood within my body healing and transforming during my 3×3 meditations. Plus, I was already scheduled for my annual blood work about two weeks after the retreat, which would give me a chance to see the results.
After a few days of trying different visualizations during my 3×3 healing meditations, I found one that I liked best. I started out visualizing a gentle but laser-like beam of healing energy entering my body straight into my heart. I imagined a warm sensation as the beam infiltrated and surrounded my heart. As the warmth grew stronger, I pictured the healing energy in the form of a thick liquid or serum, like warm honey, slowly seeping from my heart muscle into my bloodstream. I kept my focus on the warm feeling of the serum moving into my bloodstream in all directions. I followed it in my mind’s eye, moving through my chest into my legs and arms, fingers and toes, and circling back again into my heart.
After a few of days of this specific focus in my 3×3 visualization, I could sense that my blood levels were evening out. I visualized the imaginary serum healing each blood cell it touched as it traveled throughout my body. After each three minute healing meditation, I intuitively knew that my cholesterol levels were gradually bringing themselves back into balance.
Three weeks after the retreat, I had my routine blood work done as planned, and I was amazed, but at the same time not entirely surprised, by the results. My cholesterol was down from the prior year’s reading of 227 to 177. I knew in my gut that the visualization work I had done in my healing meditation had caused the improvements, but it was still mind blowing to realize the power of my belief and meditation to heal my own body.
I was seeing the power of the mind over the body more and more from my own experience, and my thoughts constantly went back to Dr. Lipton’s book and his discussion of the science behind why and how the mind can so efficiently and dramatically improve the body. I wondered what comments Dr. Lipton would have on my own experience. Would he agree with the interpretations I had of his science; that is, that even in cases of addiction, belief can heal the body? Would he think I was crazy to even have tried it?
One afternoon, on impulse I sat down and wrote Dr. Lipton an email saying that I was writing a book about my experiences healing with meditation and requesting a phone interview with him to include in this book. I couldn’t believe it when I got an email from his assistant telling me that he would be happy to spend half an hour on the phone with me! We set a date, and I put together a list of questions that his book had inspired me to ask about my own healings.
I was nervous as the day of our phone interview approached, but it turned out to be a fun and enlightening experience. Dr. Lipton immediately made me feel at ease by asking me to call him Bruce, and I wasted no time in sharing my experiences with my 3×3 healing meditation and asking for his feedback. We ended up talking for over an hour.
I asked Bruce question after question about his theories and the specifics of my healings. My first question was, straight up, “I’ve spent three minutes three times a day in meditation for the past couple of years, and, even though three years ago I was a suicidal alcoholic,
I’ve been able to drink alcohol since overcoming my addiction without having any cravings or negative side effects. Does that surprise you? Do you have any ideas that might explain my ability to do that?”Bruce responded with a good-natured laugh and said that this didn’t surprise him at all.
“The addiction isn’t an illness, Dina,” he told me. “It’s not a physical, organic thing. The addiction is a consequence of learned experience and repetitions of patterns. Is alcoholism in the genes?” he asked me rhetorically. “The answer is no. In the science of epigenetics it’s been found that it’s the perception of your environment that controls your genes. You’re not a victim of your genes because you’re the one who can change your environment—or, more importantly, change your perception of your environment—and thus change your response to it.”
I was excited to hear him say that my perceptions were the trumping factor, that by changing my perceptions (which I’d been doing with my 3×3 healing meditations) I was changing my body.
“Let me tell you some fundamentals of how the mind works so this will be more clear to you,” Bruce said. “The cells of your body are merely following instructions given by the nervous system, by the brain. The nervous system does the interpretation. You can easily see this when you see two people reacting to the same stimulus with very different reactions, one positive and one negative. As your perception changes, you change the message that your nervous system communicates to the cells of your body. Your mind controls your biology. That’s what the placebo effect is about; the mind believes the pill will work and so it does.”
Bruce continued. “Now, there are two different parts to the mind, the subconscious part and the conscious part. The subconscious is like a tape recorder, just playing old programs and running 95% of your reactions and decisions. For most people the conscious mind only operates about 5% of the time.
“In
your case,” he said, “with your three-minute, three-times-per-day
healing meditations, you broke the norm. Those healing meditations
constantly and consistently interrupted the tapes that the subconscious
was playing. Your old tapes of needing a drink or feeling overwhelmed or
frustrated or depressed in your life were constantly being run off
their tracks. Even your belief, your subconscious tape, of defining
yourself as an alcoholic and therefore never able to drink again, was
interrupted. Without knowing it, you were doing one of the most powerful
things you could have done in your own healing. You stopped listening
to the subconscious tapes and started living in the present moment, in
effect bringing yourself to your healing.”
While I knew how effective my 3×3 healing meditations were, I didn’t really understand why until Bruce explained this to me. I had thought their value came from introducing positive ideas on a consistent basis. It was interesting to learn that their value was also in the regular interrupting of my old thought patterns, making it easier to leave them behind. I was so excited to have it put into a scientific context, and explained in language I could understand.
But I had a question. I asked Bruce, “I know my 3×3 healing meditations have worked for me; do you think it could work to help others find their own healing too?”
Bruce said. “Well, I want to be clear that merely reading your book—or any self-help book—and being able to comprehend the concepts does not provide what’s necessary for someone’s subconscious to be rewired, for a reader to achieve their own healing. Understanding the concept is very different from integrating it into everyday life. It’s only in constantly interrupting the tapes, or through an extraordinary experience like a deep, emotional transformative moment or a powerful hypnosis like you found in your 3×3 healing meditations that you can achieve self-healing. It’s not hard to do, but it’s not something that most people have experienced. It involves trusting the intuitive knowledge and letting go of the story playing subconsciously, which most people base their life decisions on without realizing it.”
I was struck by his mention of hypnosis. I’d never done hypnosis before and was always a little skeptical of it, actually. But his description of it as achieving an open, receptive state of mind necessary for transformation, fit exactly with my experience in my 3×3 healing meditations.
Another thought occurred to me. “I have an idea I’d like to run by you,” I said. “It seems to me that the more centered I am within myself, the closer I am to my own source of wellbeing, and the closer I am to the power of healing. It’s like there’s a continuum of connection that underlies my life, and as I maintain my focus on staying connected to that power source, I feel happier and more fulfilled, and my body naturally stays healthier and free of addiction and disease. I’m coming to believe that sickness isn’t unpredictable or random; it’s just an indicator or symptom of how far I’ve wandered from my point of strongest connection. So the more connected I become, the more disease and addiction naturally fade from my body. And the more disconnected I am, the more sickness I experience. What do you think about that?”
photo: goshina photocase.com
“Absolutely,” Bruce said. “The physical expression is the consequence of the mind’s program—the program comes first, the physical expression second. The function of the mind is to create coherence between your beliefs and your reality.”
I’d been following everything he said so far, but I got a little stuck on that last point. “Sorry, Bruce, but I didn’t quite get that. Can you say more about it?”
“Of course!” Bruce said enthusiastically. “Meaning, if I have a belief, then the function of the mind is to manifest that belief so it becomes reality. For example, if I have a belief that I’m going to die of a disease because someone told me so, then the function of the mind is to convert that belief into physical manifestation, and it’s no surprise that my belief becomes reality. But it’s not because I have a terminal disease that I end up dying; it’s because I believe this disease will kill me.”
“Emotion is a telling factor,” he continued. “If you have a strong emotion, positive or negative, around a certain belief, it pretty much ensures that the particular belief will become your physical reality. The science of epigenetics is not the science of being defined by your genes or environment; it’s the science of understanding how your interpretation of your life events and environment affects the cells of your physical body.”
All of this made perfect sense to me. As my beliefs about my body’s ability to heal itself had changed, my body had changed. And it was the strong emotion connected to that ability—my passionate desire and deep knowing that I could have complete freedom from addiction and disease—that ensured that this became my reality.
Bruce ended our conversation with words that summed up the crux of what I had learned about healing since beginning my 3×3 healing meditation practice.
“The important thing is to be present, as they say in Buddhism,” he said. “Being present is having your focus on the conscious mind, which breaks the cycle of what’s being run by the subconscious mind. What you’re doing in your 3×3 healing meditations is getting present. You’re interrupting the old tape of negative beliefs and becoming intensely present, which is why you were able to experience what you’ve described as experiences in higher consciousness.”
I especially loved his closing words: “Being fully present means not having a negative interpretation of what is happening in the moment; it’s being an unbiased observer of it. You’re free of your subconscious tapes in moments where you might have normally reacted differently, but your interpretation—and response—has started to change.”
We ended the call with words of mutual appreciation, and I hung up the phone and sat for a few moments in silence, reflecting on everything I’d just learned. Bruce had explained more than I’d even hoped for. He had explanations and a scientific context where I had only had first-hand experiences, and that expanded my understanding profoundly.
As Bruce said to me during our chat, just reading this book—or any article or book—isn’t enough to cause transformation. Everyone has their own best path and their own truth that they need to follow. I’ve shared my story and Bruce’s knowledge here, hoping to give anyone who has experienced less than optimum health and wellbeing the inspiration and hope that, no matter how bad the affliction has been, our thoughts and beliefs can be changed with practice and discipline.
That means the possibility for healing is always there. I believe that the starting place of all healing is the trust and commitment to follow our inner guidance, those internal nudges, and maintain an open mind to think very differently than we have in the past.
1. Breathing in the Good
2. Total Relaxation
3. Liquid Light
Visit her website at the link below to download your free copy:
dinaproctor.com/consciouslifestylebonus
This article on healing meditation is excerpted with permission from Madly Chasing Peace: How I Went From Hell to Happy in Nine Minutes a Day by Dina Proctor.
I was on an eight-day personal development retreat called “Breakthrough to Success” led by Jack Canfield in Arizona during the summer of 2011 when I started developing a 3×3 healing meditation specifically focused on my cholesterol levels. Throughout the retreat Jack led us through guided meditations, and they gave me the idea that I could visualize the blood within my body healing and transforming during my 3×3 meditations. Plus, I was already scheduled for my annual blood work about two weeks after the retreat, which would give me a chance to see the results.
After a few days of trying different visualizations during my 3×3 healing meditations, I found one that I liked best. I started out visualizing a gentle but laser-like beam of healing energy entering my body straight into my heart. I imagined a warm sensation as the beam infiltrated and surrounded my heart. As the warmth grew stronger, I pictured the healing energy in the form of a thick liquid or serum, like warm honey, slowly seeping from my heart muscle into my bloodstream. I kept my focus on the warm feeling of the serum moving into my bloodstream in all directions. I followed it in my mind’s eye, moving through my chest into my legs and arms, fingers and toes, and circling back again into my heart.
Free Enlightened Living Course: Take Your Happiness, Health, Prosperity & Consciousness to the Next Level
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“For those who believe, no proof is necessary. For those who don’t believe, no proof is possible.”
– stuart chase
After a few of days of this specific focus in my 3×3 visualization, I could sense that my blood levels were evening out. I visualized the imaginary serum healing each blood cell it touched as it traveled throughout my body. After each three minute healing meditation, I intuitively knew that my cholesterol levels were gradually bringing themselves back into balance.
Three weeks after the retreat, I had my routine blood work done as planned, and I was amazed, but at the same time not entirely surprised, by the results. My cholesterol was down from the prior year’s reading of 227 to 177. I knew in my gut that the visualization work I had done in my healing meditation had caused the improvements, but it was still mind blowing to realize the power of my belief and meditation to heal my own body.
I was seeing the power of the mind over the body more and more from my own experience, and my thoughts constantly went back to Dr. Lipton’s book and his discussion of the science behind why and how the mind can so efficiently and dramatically improve the body. I wondered what comments Dr. Lipton would have on my own experience. Would he agree with the interpretations I had of his science; that is, that even in cases of addiction, belief can heal the body? Would he think I was crazy to even have tried it?
One afternoon, on impulse I sat down and wrote Dr. Lipton an email saying that I was writing a book about my experiences healing with meditation and requesting a phone interview with him to include in this book. I couldn’t believe it when I got an email from his assistant telling me that he would be happy to spend half an hour on the phone with me! We set a date, and I put together a list of questions that his book had inspired me to ask about my own healings.
I was nervous as the day of our phone interview approached, but it turned out to be a fun and enlightening experience. Dr. Lipton immediately made me feel at ease by asking me to call him Bruce, and I wasted no time in sharing my experiences with my 3×3 healing meditation and asking for his feedback. We ended up talking for over an hour.
I asked Bruce question after question about his theories and the specifics of my healings. My first question was, straight up, “I’ve spent three minutes three times a day in meditation for the past couple of years, and, even though three years ago I was a suicidal alcoholic,
I’ve been able to drink alcohol since overcoming my addiction without having any cravings or negative side effects. Does that surprise you? Do you have any ideas that might explain my ability to do that?”Bruce responded with a good-natured laugh and said that this didn’t surprise him at all.
“The addiction isn’t an illness, Dina,” he told me. “It’s not a physical, organic thing. The addiction is a consequence of learned experience and repetitions of patterns. Is alcoholism in the genes?” he asked me rhetorically. “The answer is no. In the science of epigenetics it’s been found that it’s the perception of your environment that controls your genes. You’re not a victim of your genes because you’re the one who can change your environment—or, more importantly, change your perception of your environment—and thus change your response to it.”
“In the science of epigenetics it’s been found that it’s the perception of your environment that controls your genes. You’re not a victim of your genes because you’re the one who can change your environment.”
Meditation For Physical Wellbeing
I was excited to hear him say that my perceptions were the trumping factor, that by changing my perceptions (which I’d been doing with my 3×3 healing meditations) I was changing my body.
“Let me tell you some fundamentals of how the mind works so this will be more clear to you,” Bruce said. “The cells of your body are merely following instructions given by the nervous system, by the brain. The nervous system does the interpretation. You can easily see this when you see two people reacting to the same stimulus with very different reactions, one positive and one negative. As your perception changes, you change the message that your nervous system communicates to the cells of your body. Your mind controls your biology. That’s what the placebo effect is about; the mind believes the pill will work and so it does.”
Bruce continued. “Now, there are two different parts to the mind, the subconscious part and the conscious part. The subconscious is like a tape recorder, just playing old programs and running 95% of your reactions and decisions. For most people the conscious mind only operates about 5% of the time.
“Your mind controls your biology. That’s what the placebo effect is about; the mind believes the pill will work and so it does.”
While I knew how effective my 3×3 healing meditations were, I didn’t really understand why until Bruce explained this to me. I had thought their value came from introducing positive ideas on a consistent basis. It was interesting to learn that their value was also in the regular interrupting of my old thought patterns, making it easier to leave them behind. I was so excited to have it put into a scientific context, and explained in language I could understand.
But I had a question. I asked Bruce, “I know my 3×3 healing meditations have worked for me; do you think it could work to help others find their own healing too?”
Bruce said. “Well, I want to be clear that merely reading your book—or any self-help book—and being able to comprehend the concepts does not provide what’s necessary for someone’s subconscious to be rewired, for a reader to achieve their own healing. Understanding the concept is very different from integrating it into everyday life. It’s only in constantly interrupting the tapes, or through an extraordinary experience like a deep, emotional transformative moment or a powerful hypnosis like you found in your 3×3 healing meditations that you can achieve self-healing. It’s not hard to do, but it’s not something that most people have experienced. It involves trusting the intuitive knowledge and letting go of the story playing subconsciously, which most people base their life decisions on without realizing it.”
“The physical expression is the consequence of the mind’s program—the program comes first, the physical expression second.”
I was struck by his mention of hypnosis. I’d never done hypnosis before and was always a little skeptical of it, actually. But his description of it as achieving an open, receptive state of mind necessary for transformation, fit exactly with my experience in my 3×3 healing meditations.
Another thought occurred to me. “I have an idea I’d like to run by you,” I said. “It seems to me that the more centered I am within myself, the closer I am to my own source of wellbeing, and the closer I am to the power of healing. It’s like there’s a continuum of connection that underlies my life, and as I maintain my focus on staying connected to that power source, I feel happier and more fulfilled, and my body naturally stays healthier and free of addiction and disease. I’m coming to believe that sickness isn’t unpredictable or random; it’s just an indicator or symptom of how far I’ve wandered from my point of strongest connection. So the more connected I become, the more disease and addiction naturally fade from my body. And the more disconnected I am, the more sickness I experience. What do you think about that?”
photo: goshina photocase.com“Absolutely,” Bruce said. “The physical expression is the consequence of the mind’s program—the program comes first, the physical expression second. The function of the mind is to create coherence between your beliefs and your reality.”
I’d been following everything he said so far, but I got a little stuck on that last point. “Sorry, Bruce, but I didn’t quite get that. Can you say more about it?”
“Of course!” Bruce said enthusiastically. “Meaning, if I have a belief, then the function of the mind is to manifest that belief so it becomes reality. For example, if I have a belief that I’m going to die of a disease because someone told me so, then the function of the mind is to convert that belief into physical manifestation, and it’s no surprise that my belief becomes reality. But it’s not because I have a terminal disease that I end up dying; it’s because I believe this disease will kill me.”
“The starting place of all healing is the trust and commitment to follow our inner guidance, those internal nudges.”
“Emotion is a telling factor,” he continued. “If you have a strong emotion, positive or negative, around a certain belief, it pretty much ensures that the particular belief will become your physical reality. The science of epigenetics is not the science of being defined by your genes or environment; it’s the science of understanding how your interpretation of your life events and environment affects the cells of your physical body.”
All of this made perfect sense to me. As my beliefs about my body’s ability to heal itself had changed, my body had changed. And it was the strong emotion connected to that ability—my passionate desire and deep knowing that I could have complete freedom from addiction and disease—that ensured that this became my reality.
Bruce ended our conversation with words that summed up the crux of what I had learned about healing since beginning my 3×3 healing meditation practice.
“The important thing is to be present, as they say in Buddhism,” he said. “Being present is having your focus on the conscious mind, which breaks the cycle of what’s being run by the subconscious mind. What you’re doing in your 3×3 healing meditations is getting present. You’re interrupting the old tape of negative beliefs and becoming intensely present, which is why you were able to experience what you’ve described as experiences in higher consciousness.”
I especially loved his closing words: “Being fully present means not having a negative interpretation of what is happening in the moment; it’s being an unbiased observer of it. You’re free of your subconscious tapes in moments where you might have normally reacted differently, but your interpretation—and response—has started to change.”
We ended the call with words of mutual appreciation, and I hung up the phone and sat for a few moments in silence, reflecting on everything I’d just learned. Bruce had explained more than I’d even hoped for. He had explanations and a scientific context where I had only had first-hand experiences, and that expanded my understanding profoundly.
As Bruce said to me during our chat, just reading this book—or any article or book—isn’t enough to cause transformation. Everyone has their own best path and their own truth that they need to follow. I’ve shared my story and Bruce’s knowledge here, hoping to give anyone who has experienced less than optimum health and wellbeing the inspiration and hope that, no matter how bad the affliction has been, our thoughts and beliefs can be changed with practice and discipline.
That means the possibility for healing is always there. I believe that the starting place of all healing is the trust and commitment to follow our inner guidance, those internal nudges, and maintain an open mind to think very differently than we have in the past.
Free Download: The 3×3 Guided Meditation for Healing
Dina has generously shared three of her 3×3 guided healing meditations with all Conscious Lifestyle Readers.1. Breathing in the Good
2. Total Relaxation
3. Liquid Light
Visit her website at the link below to download your free copy:
dinaproctor.com/consciouslifestylebonus
This article on healing meditation is excerpted with permission from Madly Chasing Peace: How I Went From Hell to Happy in Nine Minutes a Day by Dina Proctor.
How to Heal Your Digestive Problems Naturally
How to Heal Your
Digestive Problems Naturally
Ancient Wisdom and Modern Holistic Remedies for
Improving Your Health
Improving Your Health
BY JUSTIN FAERMAN
photo: istock
It
is no coincidence that both Traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda,
arguably the two oldest systems of medicine on the planet, consider
digestion to be one of the key factors influencing our health. These
forerunners of modern medicine discovered through thousands of years of
clinical practice and observation that a very direct link exists between
a person’s digestive health and
their physical and mental wellbeing. In fact, some of the more radical
Ayurvedic doctors go so far as to not even acknowledge the presence of
individual diseases, believing that all imbalances in the body stem from
digestive problems and faulty diet in one form or another. Patients are
treated with a combination of specific herbs
and dietary therapies aimed at strengthening and healing the digestive
tract and any underlying digestive problems, quite frequently with
remarkable success. While this may be a ‘fringe’ point of view to some,
the fact is that it highlights the foundational role that digestion
plays in our overall health and wellbeing.Modern nutritional research
has in large part validated this ancient knowledge, confirming that
diet does indeed play a major role in health. So much so, in fact, that
we have been led to believe by many well-meaning nutritionists and
doctors that eating whole, organic, unprocessed food is the single most
important thing we can do to improve our overall health. And, they are
right: whole, unprocessed foods are truly essential for lifelong health.
However, in reality, this is only half of the ‘health equation.’
As you may have guessed, digestion is the other piece of the puzzle, equally important and yet rarely acknowledged. The quality and strength of your digestion governs the ability of your body to properly absorb the nutrients from the food you are eating. Without a healthy, well-functioning digestive tract, free of digestive problems, even the best dietary habits will do you little good as your body struggles to process the essential nutrients locked away in your food. The fact is that if you cannot fully assimilate what you eat, you will invariably experience disease and unnecessary suffering regardless of any other measures taken towards maintaining and improving your health.
In cases of deficient digestion and deeper digestive problems, as little
as half (in severe situations, even less) of what we consume in terms
of actual nutrients—vitamins, minerals, protein (amino acids)—is
actually assimilated into our bloodstream and used by our bodies. This
is due to the less-than-ideal state of the digestive tract in most
individuals nowadays, which arises from the detrimental eating and
lifestyle habits that have become commonplace in Western culture.
For example, the number of people claiming to have gluten intolerance has reached epidemic proportions; but only a handful actually have a medically diagnosable allergy to gluten known as Celiac disease. For those diagnosed with Celiac disease, it is truly life threatening to consume wheat and other gluten-containing products. The rest of the ‘gluten-intolerant’ population simply experiences mild-to-severe discomfort and digestive problems when consuming gluten-containing grains, the reason for which is believed to be the gluten itself.
Gluten is a protein found in high concentrations in modern, hybridized varieties of wheat and other similar grains (such as rye, barley and spelt) that can irritate the digestive tract of sensitive individuals. However, it has been my experience that, in most cases, the true culprit is not the gluten itself, but undiagnosed digestive problems.
I should know. For years, I experienced many of the telltale signs and symptoms of gluten intolerance: headaches, bloating, dizziness, pain in the digestive tract and generally feeling terrible after eating wheat or other gluten grains. And yet, that all changed once I began to heal my digestive tract and the underlying digestive problems using many of the guidelines that will be revealed later in this article, based primarily on Ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese Medicine. After a few months of concerted effort, I was able to eat wheat and other gluten grains with no ill effects whatsoever.
Let me be clear that I am not denying the existence of Celiac disease or
saying that gluten is harmless. Wheat and other gluten-containing
grains are definitely some of the most irritating foods for the
digestive tract and anyone working to heal their digestive problems is
advised to avoid them for some time. However, they typically only become
a problem for most people when they are concurrently experiencing
deficient digestion. Eaten in moderation, organic, minimally hybridized
wheat is a particularly healthy food. Few know this, but wheat is
perhaps the most nutrient dense of all grains and, furthermore, has been a mainstay of the human diet for thousands of years.
Digestion actually begins in the mouth. The act of chewing food mixes it with our saliva; rich in digestive enzymes, saliva begins to break down the food even before it reaches our stomach. Therefore, the first step in improving your digestive problems is to chew your foods thoroughly—a good starting point is at least 20 times per bite. More is ideal, but to be practical, this is probably unreasonable for most people. At first you might have to count to get an idea of the general amount of time 20 ‘chews’ takes, but it will quickly become second nature and eventually a habit.
photo: francesca schellhaas photocase.com
Once food is swallowed, it enters the stomach, which then secretes hydrochloric acid and various enzymes to further digest and break down the food. This is another critical juncture at which digestive problems frequently arise because many of us have the habit of drinking and eating simultaneously. While a few sips of liquid with meals is harmless, larger amounts begin to dilute the concentration and effectiveness of the hydrochloric acid-enzyme mix and can severely interfere with the digestive process,
causing food to enter the intestines without being properly broken down,
which creates digestive problems. This can lead to gas, shooting pains
and sub-clinical nutrient deficiencies, among other things, as the body
struggles to release the vitamins and minerals locked away in the
undigested pieces of food.
Many Ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese Medicine doctors recommend abstaining from any beverages for up to 2 hours after a meal, but a more reasonable time frame is at least 30 minutes, and an hour if you can swing it. Again, a few sips is not usually an issue, but drinking more than that could be highly counterproductive, especially if you are trying to rebuild your digestive strength and heal your digestive problems.
As food leaves the stomach and enters the intestines, the pancreas releases enzymes that, along with the beneficial bacteria and microorganisms in the bowels, begin to break it down even further. These beneficial bacteria (also known as probiotics or intestinal flora) are in a delicate balance but are rather resilient if we eat well and abide by the digestive best practices outlined by Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese Medicine and summarized in this article. However, there are some very common things that we do that absolutely decimate this natural symbiosis and are responsible in large part for the epidemic level of digestive problems we face in the West.
By far, the most serious problem is the use of antibiotics. Even as little as one pill can majorly disrupt the digestive tract and kill off an alarming amount of the essential good bacteria that are so intricately linked to our digestive ability and health. The problem with pharmaceutical antibiotics is that they are nondiscriminatory, meaning that they simply kill all intestinal bacteria, good or bad. This may alleviate symptoms in the short term but leaves the door wide open for opportunistic pathogens to take advantage of the serious lack of endogenous, immune-enhancing good bacteria left in the wake of antibiotic use, which very quickly leads to serious digestive problems.
Instead of pharmaceutical antibiotics, it is far safer and equally effective to use natural antibiotic medicines that destroy harmful, disease-causing bacteria but leave your essential, beneficial bacteria unharmed and perhaps even strengthened. As a first line of defense, colloidal silver and oil of wild oregano are excellent, time-honored choices.
Drinking fresh-squeezed juice, or any cold beverage regularly for that matter, also introduces excess liquids into our digestive tract as well, which, as discussed earlier, dilutes our digestive juices. Compounded by the fact that they are cold and typically high in naturally occurring sugar, juices can very quickly imbalance even otherwise robust digestion and create digestive problems.
Again, balance is key here. A fresh-squeezed juice a few times a week is usually not a problem if your digestion is strong and healthy. But a juice every day for more than the short term (for example, as part of a cleanse lasting a week or two) is a recipe for digestive problems.
Juicing and cleansing diets make us feel good initially as our body is purified and organ function improves, and so we assume that they are healthy and beneficial in the long term; but the reality is that they can and do burnout our digestion and create noticeable digestive problems quite quickly because they typically rely on juicing, fruits, salads and other cold, damp foods.
photo: samuelschalch photocase.com
For
these reasons it is not recommended to engage in strict raw foods diets
long term. As a short-term cleansing protocol, or as part of a more
balanced overall diet incorporating cooked foods, raw foods can be an
incredible asset towards promoting health, but be sure to listen to your
body. If you are suffering from digestive problems, it is recommended
not to follow raw food diets as they almost always make things worse.
When you eat sweet foods, the sugar contained therein finds its way into your bloodstream (and quite quickly at that). Your body maintains a very delicate balance of sugar levels in the blood; and a sudden influx from eating highly sweetened foods—especially if the sugar therein is refined—causes your blood sugar levels to spike. In order to get things back under control, your pancreas begins to secrete insulin, which then safely transports the excess sugar out of your bloodstream. This is a normal, healthy process; but like anything in excess, it leads to digestive problems.
If you regularly eat sugary or sweet foods, the extra stress it places on your pancreas will cause it to become overworked and ‘burnt out’, just like you would be after working all day, everyday with no break. As mentioned, your pancreas is critical for healthy digestion, releasing a number of vital digestive enzymes to break down foods as they enter the intestines. Over stressing it by consistently eating sugary or sweet foods (whether or not you are aware of it) greatly diminishes its ability to produce enzymes and your digestion suffers. Over the course of weeks, months and years, this can severely affect the ability of the pancreas to function normally and your digestion is weakened as a result.
A piece of fruit or two per day, if your digestion is in good working order, is fine and nothing to be concerned about. However, if you suspect you may have digestive problems, it is best to avoid all sugar or limit your intake to a piece of fruit on occasion until your body gets back into balance.
+ Not Chewing Properly
+ Excess Liquids with Meals
+ Antibiotics
+ Excess Juicing and Raw, Cold Foods
+ Excess Sugar in the Diet
+ Excessive Consumption of Artificial Alkaline Water
By becoming mindful of your eating habits, you can quickly bring your digestive health back into balance. The simple knowledge I have outlined so far of how digestion operates and digestive problems are formed in a general sense is enough to empower you with the foundational skills you will need to maintain resilient digestive strength for your entire life and correct imbalances as they occur.
As you may have guessed, digestion is the other piece of the puzzle, equally important and yet rarely acknowledged. The quality and strength of your digestion governs the ability of your body to properly absorb the nutrients from the food you are eating. Without a healthy, well-functioning digestive tract, free of digestive problems, even the best dietary habits will do you little good as your body struggles to process the essential nutrients locked away in your food. The fact is that if you cannot fully assimilate what you eat, you will invariably experience disease and unnecessary suffering regardless of any other measures taken towards maintaining and improving your health.
“Let food be thy medicine. – Hippocrates
Hidden in Plain Sight
In the West, most people are not absorbing all the potential nutrition from the foods they eat, due to varying levels of deficient digestion and underlying digestive problems. When you see the nutrition facts panel that lists what various vitamins and minerals are in the food you are eating, it is tempting to think that you simply absorb it all when you consume that food—I know I did for many years. But it was not until I began studying Ayurveda and Chinese Medicine that I learned not all of the nutrients we eat are absorbed unless our digestion is operating at its peak.Free Enlightened Living Course: Take Your Happiness, Health, Prosperity & Consciousness to the Next Level
Discover powerful insights and techniques for creating radiant health, happiness, prosperity, peace and flow in your life and relationships.
Gluten Intolerance… or Just Poor Digestion?
As a society, we are collectively becoming more aware of the relationship between what we eat and our health, which is a major step in the right direction. However, we have a tendency to incorrectly vilify certain foods, when the real culprit is not the foods themselves, but underlying digestive problems.For example, the number of people claiming to have gluten intolerance has reached epidemic proportions; but only a handful actually have a medically diagnosable allergy to gluten known as Celiac disease. For those diagnosed with Celiac disease, it is truly life threatening to consume wheat and other gluten-containing products. The rest of the ‘gluten-intolerant’ population simply experiences mild-to-severe discomfort and digestive problems when consuming gluten-containing grains, the reason for which is believed to be the gluten itself.
Gluten is a protein found in high concentrations in modern, hybridized varieties of wheat and other similar grains (such as rye, barley and spelt) that can irritate the digestive tract of sensitive individuals. However, it has been my experience that, in most cases, the true culprit is not the gluten itself, but undiagnosed digestive problems.
“We have a tendency to incorrectly vilify certain foods, when the real culprit is not the foods themselves, but deficient digestion and underlying digestive problems
I should know. For years, I experienced many of the telltale signs and symptoms of gluten intolerance: headaches, bloating, dizziness, pain in the digestive tract and generally feeling terrible after eating wheat or other gluten grains. And yet, that all changed once I began to heal my digestive tract and the underlying digestive problems using many of the guidelines that will be revealed later in this article, based primarily on Ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese Medicine. After a few months of concerted effort, I was able to eat wheat and other gluten grains with no ill effects whatsoever.
How Digestion Works
One of the primary reasons people develop digestive problems is simply that they lack a basic understanding of how the digestive process operates. Armed with this knowledge, it becomes quite easy to identify if a given food or lifestyle choice will create digestive problems or support strong, healthy digestion.Digestion actually begins in the mouth. The act of chewing food mixes it with our saliva; rich in digestive enzymes, saliva begins to break down the food even before it reaches our stomach. Therefore, the first step in improving your digestive problems is to chew your foods thoroughly—a good starting point is at least 20 times per bite. More is ideal, but to be practical, this is probably unreasonable for most people. At first you might have to count to get an idea of the general amount of time 20 ‘chews’ takes, but it will quickly become second nature and eventually a habit.
photo: francesca schellhaas photocase.comOnce food is swallowed, it enters the stomach, which then secretes hydrochloric acid and various enzymes to further digest and break down the food. This is another critical juncture at which digestive problems frequently arise because many of us have the habit of drinking and eating simultaneously. While a few sips of liquid with meals is harmless, larger amounts begin to dilute the concentration and effectiveness of the hydrochloric acid-enzyme mix and can severely interfere with the digestive process,
“The first step in improving your digestive problems is to chew your foods thoroughly
Many Ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese Medicine doctors recommend abstaining from any beverages for up to 2 hours after a meal, but a more reasonable time frame is at least 30 minutes, and an hour if you can swing it. Again, a few sips is not usually an issue, but drinking more than that could be highly counterproductive, especially if you are trying to rebuild your digestive strength and heal your digestive problems.
As food leaves the stomach and enters the intestines, the pancreas releases enzymes that, along with the beneficial bacteria and microorganisms in the bowels, begin to break it down even further. These beneficial bacteria (also known as probiotics or intestinal flora) are in a delicate balance but are rather resilient if we eat well and abide by the digestive best practices outlined by Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese Medicine and summarized in this article. However, there are some very common things that we do that absolutely decimate this natural symbiosis and are responsible in large part for the epidemic level of digestive problems we face in the West.
By far, the most serious problem is the use of antibiotics. Even as little as one pill can majorly disrupt the digestive tract and kill off an alarming amount of the essential good bacteria that are so intricately linked to our digestive ability and health. The problem with pharmaceutical antibiotics is that they are nondiscriminatory, meaning that they simply kill all intestinal bacteria, good or bad. This may alleviate symptoms in the short term but leaves the door wide open for opportunistic pathogens to take advantage of the serious lack of endogenous, immune-enhancing good bacteria left in the wake of antibiotic use, which very quickly leads to serious digestive problems.
Instead of pharmaceutical antibiotics, it is far safer and equally effective to use natural antibiotic medicines that destroy harmful, disease-causing bacteria but leave your essential, beneficial bacteria unharmed and perhaps even strengthened. As a first line of defense, colloidal silver and oil of wild oregano are excellent, time-honored choices.
The Brain in Your Belly
Most people are not aware that a major portion of our nervous system is located in our intestines, also know as the ‘enteric nervous system’ by doctors or, more commonly, as our ‘second brain.’ In fact, more than 90% of the body’s serotonin is produced in the gut, as well as about 50% of the body’s dopamine. Furthermore, your intestines produce and co-regulate 30 other neurotransmitters identical to those found in your brain and are used by your central nervous system to regulate mood, stress levels, sleep patterns, mental functioning and any number of other essential body processes. As you can imagine, an imbalanced, damaged or poorly functioning digestive system—whether that is due to antibiotic use, diet and lifestyle or simply overconsumption of irritating foods—interferes with the functioning of this second brain and has been implicated in depression and other mood disorders, immune system disruption and many other common diseases. Although this enteric nervous system was unknown to Ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese Medicine doctors thousands of years earlier, they clearly recognized that digestive problems affected the whole person—mentally, physically and spiritually.‘Healthy’ Diets Can Make Digestive Problems Worse
As a society, we are beginning to collectively realize the intricate relationship between our diet and our health. While this is generally a beneficial shift in awareness, it can—and often does—lead people to embrace ‘healthy’ diets and lifestyles, which can further aggravate digestive problems when taken to an extreme.Juicing and Cold Foods
Any food eaten or served cold tends to disrupt digestion to some degree. Our bodies are very warm (98.6 degrees Fahrenheit) and our stomach needs to heat everything we eat up to this temperature for optimal digestion. Eating cold foods puts enormous stress on our digestive system and causes us to only partially digest what we eat, which as you know, leads to digestive problems. Traditional Chinese Medicine refers to cold foods as damp, which alludes to the effect they have on our digestion. Think of a swamp, clogged and stagnant. Excessive juice or cold foods produce the same effects in our digestive tract.“More than 90% of the body’s serotonin is produced in the gut, as well as about 50% of the body’s dopamine.”
Drinking fresh-squeezed juice, or any cold beverage regularly for that matter, also introduces excess liquids into our digestive tract as well, which, as discussed earlier, dilutes our digestive juices. Compounded by the fact that they are cold and typically high in naturally occurring sugar, juices can very quickly imbalance even otherwise robust digestion and create digestive problems.
Again, balance is key here. A fresh-squeezed juice a few times a week is usually not a problem if your digestion is strong and healthy. But a juice every day for more than the short term (for example, as part of a cleanse lasting a week or two) is a recipe for digestive problems.
Juicing and cleansing diets make us feel good initially as our body is purified and organ function improves, and so we assume that they are healthy and beneficial in the long term; but the reality is that they can and do burnout our digestion and create noticeable digestive problems quite quickly because they typically rely on juicing, fruits, salads and other cold, damp foods.
Raw Foods
In addition to generally consisting of abundant amounts of salad, fruits, juice and other cold foods, raw food diets rely heavily on nuts and seeds which are the most difficult to digest of all foods. Depending on how nuts and seeds are prepared, they contain varying levels of phytic acid and trypsin, both considered ‘anti-nutrients’ because they bind up essential minerals in forms unusable by our bodies and inhibit digestion simultaneously. They can be broken down to a degree by sprouting, which is commonly done on raw food diets, but this does not remove them completely; and, even in small amounts, they put quite a bit of stress on our digestion and can lead to chronic digestive problems.photo: samuelschalch photocase.comAlkaline Water
Our digestive secretions are extremely acidic; and when we regularly drink alkaline water or beverages, it neutralizes our stomach acidity, which eventually breaks down our digestion. Alkaline water can be beneficial in moderation if it is naturally alkaline—meaning that it is alkaline due to naturally occurring or added minerals such as those which occur in spring water. All minerals are alkaline, and mixing them with water causes the water to become alkaline. However, many brands artificially alkalize water by passing it over metal plates with slight electric charges, which manipulate the ion balance as a shortcut to alkalinity. The body, as you might imagine, does not react well to these types of ‘processed’ waters and digestive problems form as a result.Sugar
Even in healthy diets, there can be a considerable amount of sugar. While it may not be refined, if you are particularly health conscious, eating excess fruit, fruit juices, honey and any other natural sweetener (with the exception of stevia or xylitol, which don’t actually contain any sugar), can actually create digestive problems by weakening your pancreas.When you eat sweet foods, the sugar contained therein finds its way into your bloodstream (and quite quickly at that). Your body maintains a very delicate balance of sugar levels in the blood; and a sudden influx from eating highly sweetened foods—especially if the sugar therein is refined—causes your blood sugar levels to spike. In order to get things back under control, your pancreas begins to secrete insulin, which then safely transports the excess sugar out of your bloodstream. This is a normal, healthy process; but like anything in excess, it leads to digestive problems.
If you regularly eat sugary or sweet foods, the extra stress it places on your pancreas will cause it to become overworked and ‘burnt out’, just like you would be after working all day, everyday with no break. As mentioned, your pancreas is critical for healthy digestion, releasing a number of vital digestive enzymes to break down foods as they enter the intestines. Over stressing it by consistently eating sugary or sweet foods (whether or not you are aware of it) greatly diminishes its ability to produce enzymes and your digestion suffers. Over the course of weeks, months and years, this can severely affect the ability of the pancreas to function normally and your digestion is weakened as a result.
A piece of fruit or two per day, if your digestion is in good working order, is fine and nothing to be concerned about. However, if you suspect you may have digestive problems, it is best to avoid all sugar or limit your intake to a piece of fruit on occasion until your body gets back into balance.
How Digestive Problems are Formed: Overview and Summary
To summarize so far, the primary ways digestion is disrupted are as follows:+ Not Chewing Properly
+ Excess Liquids with Meals
+ Antibiotics
+ Excess Juicing and Raw, Cold Foods
+ Excess Sugar in the Diet
+ Excessive Consumption of Artificial Alkaline Water
By becoming mindful of your eating habits, you can quickly bring your digestive health back into balance. The simple knowledge I have outlined so far of how digestion operates and digestive problems are formed in a general sense is enough to empower you with the foundational skills you will need to maintain resilient digestive strength for your entire life and correct imbalances as they occur.
How to Heal Your Digestive Tract
Healing
your digestion has two main components: diet along with herbs and
supplements that can speed the process. Diet alone is enough to repair
most digestive problems, but is a more drawn out process on the whole.
Those who find restricted diets difficult, for reasons social or
otherwise, will appreciate the added boost of powerful herbs,
supplements and special medicinal foods that can greatly speed up the healing process, sometimes cutting the time needed to restore digestion in half or less.
2. Maintain balance. Traditional Chinese Medicine recognizes two fundamental forces in the universe that apply to everything in life, diet included—Yin and Yang. Keep this in mind as you work to heal your digestive problems. Balance forward momentum with rest, activity with peace. If you feel like breaking the rules and ‘cheating’, then give yourself space to enjoy life; after all this is why you are engaging in the digestive healing process—to get more enjoyment out of life. So, apply that wisdom to the healing process as well and keep everything balanced.
3. If your symptoms worsen or you suspect there may be more at play, consult a Naturopathic, Ayurvedic or Traditional Chinese Medicine doctor for guidance. Although the recommendations below are safe for anyone, if in doubt, get it checked out.
Whole, gluten-free grains (brown or any other colored rice, non-GMO corn, millet, amaranth, quinoa, etc.)
+ Beans, lentils and other legumes
+ Vegetables of any kind
+ Organic, grass-fed, pasture-raised meats
+ Wild-caught seafood
+ Sea vegetables
Eat in Moderation When Healing Digestive Problems
+ Nuts and seeds, sprouted or roasted
+ Fermented foods*
+ Fruits**
Recommended Oils & Fats
+ Coconut oil
+ Ghee
+ Olive oil
Seasonings for Healing Digestive Problems
+ Celtic, Himalayan or other unrefined salts
+ All natural spices and herbs
Overall Guidelines
+ Always choose whole, organic, unprocessed, non-GMO foods whenever possible
+ All food—with the exception of fruits—ideally, should be cooked
+ Limit intake of liquids and cold foods when eating
+ Chew food thoroughly
+ Cheese and milk products
+ All artificial and refined sugar and limit natural sugar intake (honey, fruits, juices, etc.)
+ Eat nuts and seeds sparingly; and if so, make sure they are sprouted or roasted
+ Pay attention to how your body reacts to eggs. If you feel fine, you may continue to eat them; however, many people find them to be difficult to digest
+ Limit intake of soy products
+ Be careful when eating at restaurants, as all of the above-mentioned foods are frequently added in copious amounts to improve flavor
It is important here to note that the above mentioned foods are not bad for you by any stretch, especially if they are eaten in a whole, unprocessed form (again, with the exception of artificial and refined sugar). In fact, they are all highly nutrient-dense foods that provide many health benefits and should be included as part of a well-rounded diet. However, if you are suffering from digestive problems, they can be aggravating because of their difficulty to digest. Eliminating them from your diet in the short term will allow you to heal much faster, so you can get back to eating the foods you enjoy once again. If unsure, check in with your body and see how it reacts when you eat them.
*In
small amounts, these can sometimes help, but they can also hinder,
primarily because they are damp, wet and cold. As always, listen to your
body.
**If your digestive problems are severe, then fruits may need to be limited. In this case small amounts of berries are usually tolerable.
Guidelines for The Digestive Healing Protocol
1. Always listen to your body. If whatever you are doing is too intense or uncomfortable, back off and move at a slower pace, giving your body the space it needs to heal at a pace it is comfortable with. Consequently, if you feel like a gung-ho approach is doable and necessary, then by all means give it a try.“Give yourself space to enjoy life; after all this is why you are engaging in the digestive healing process—to get more enjoyment out of life
2. Maintain balance. Traditional Chinese Medicine recognizes two fundamental forces in the universe that apply to everything in life, diet included—Yin and Yang. Keep this in mind as you work to heal your digestive problems. Balance forward momentum with rest, activity with peace. If you feel like breaking the rules and ‘cheating’, then give yourself space to enjoy life; after all this is why you are engaging in the digestive healing process—to get more enjoyment out of life. So, apply that wisdom to the healing process as well and keep everything balanced.
3. If your symptoms worsen or you suspect there may be more at play, consult a Naturopathic, Ayurvedic or Traditional Chinese Medicine doctor for guidance. Although the recommendations below are safe for anyone, if in doubt, get it checked out.
Dietary Guidelines
The following suggestions, with the exception of eliminating artificial sugars, are only necessary until you get your digestion functioning back at optimal levels. At that point, you can reintroduce foods and see how your body is reacting to them. If you feel fine, then you can include them in your diet in a balanced manner.Foods to Emphasize
Ideal Foods for Healing Digestive ProblemsWhole, gluten-free grains (brown or any other colored rice, non-GMO corn, millet, amaranth, quinoa, etc.)
+ Beans, lentils and other legumes
+ Vegetables of any kind
+ Organic, grass-fed, pasture-raised meats
+ Wild-caught seafood
+ Sea vegetables
Eat in Moderation When Healing Digestive Problems
+ Nuts and seeds, sprouted or roasted
+ Fermented foods*
+ Fruits**
Recommended Oils & Fats
+ Coconut oil
+ Ghee
+ Olive oil
Seasonings for Healing Digestive Problems
+ Celtic, Himalayan or other unrefined salts
+ All natural spices and herbs
Overall Guidelines
+ Always choose whole, organic, unprocessed, non-GMO foods whenever possible
+ All food—with the exception of fruits—ideally, should be cooked
+ Limit intake of liquids and cold foods when eating
+ Chew food thoroughly
Foods to Reduce or Eliminate
+ Wheat and other gluten-containing grains+ Cheese and milk products
+ All artificial and refined sugar and limit natural sugar intake (honey, fruits, juices, etc.)
+ Eat nuts and seeds sparingly; and if so, make sure they are sprouted or roasted
+ Pay attention to how your body reacts to eggs. If you feel fine, you may continue to eat them; however, many people find them to be difficult to digest
+ Limit intake of soy products
+ Be careful when eating at restaurants, as all of the above-mentioned foods are frequently added in copious amounts to improve flavor
It is important here to note that the above mentioned foods are not bad for you by any stretch, especially if they are eaten in a whole, unprocessed form (again, with the exception of artificial and refined sugar). In fact, they are all highly nutrient-dense foods that provide many health benefits and should be included as part of a well-rounded diet. However, if you are suffering from digestive problems, they can be aggravating because of their difficulty to digest. Eliminating them from your diet in the short term will allow you to heal much faster, so you can get back to eating the foods you enjoy once again. If unsure, check in with your body and see how it reacts when you eat them.
**If your digestive problems are severe, then fruits may need to be limited. In this case small amounts of berries are usually tolerable.
Recovery
The time needed for your digestion to regain its strength and digestive problems to heal is largely influenced by how closely you follow the suggestions in this article, your individual mindset and life circumstances and how deficient your digestion has become. For someone who is tenacious and committed, great progress can be made in a few weeks. For others, it may take a bit longer. Remember you are reversing a pattern that may have been months or years in the making, and so it is important to be patient and give yourself space during the recovery process. That being said, if you follow these suggestions even loosely, you should start to see progress immediately.
Herbs, Supplements & Medicinal Foods
For Healing Digestive Problems
Ghee
Pure Indian FoodsGhee, which is simply clarified butter, is the most revered food in Ayurvedic medicine, with an incredible array of remarkable healing properties, not least of which is the ability to rapidly repair digestive problems. Ghee is a building food, meaning that it is ideal for people recovering from a deficiency due to its deeply nourishing effects on the body. According to Ayurveda it restores ojas, loosely translated as vital or foundational energy.
In a more scientific sense, ghee heals digestive problems because it is extraordinarily rich in butyric acid, which is used in the treatment of ulcers, IBS, ulcerative colitis and colon cancer, among other things. Butyric acid works by soothing and reducing inflammation in the digestive tract and healing wounds in the mucus lining of the stomach and intestines. It also balances the hydrochloric acid levels in the stomach, which are frequently disturbed in those with digestive problems.
As an added benefit, Ghee is delicious and makes just about everything it comes into contact with taste much richer and more flavorful.
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Trikatu
Himalaya HerbsTrikatu is the Sanskrit name for a highly revered Ayurvedic herbal blend of long pepper, black pepper and ginger, all herbs with the remarkable ability to powerfully stimulate digestion—particularly the production of digestive enzymes and hydrochloric acid in the stomach. Significant increases in energy and elimination of digestive problems after the first dose are not uncommon, however, for such a powerful herbal blend it is important to start slow and be aware of how your body reacts.
If you have acid reflux it is best to begin with something milder and more soothing like ghee or slippery elm bark until your stomach lining has had a chance to heal. Ironically enough, most cases of acid reflux are actually caused by a deficiency of hydrochloric acid, but the use of trikatu may be too intense at first.
Start with a half tablet with the first bite of every meal and see how your body reacts. Adjust upward as needed by a half tablet every day until you reach a max of 2 tablets with every meal. You can taper off once you feel your digestive problems beginning to significantly improve.
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Digestive Bitters
Urban MoonshineBitters are a medicinal beverage dating back to Medieval times that is made from a blend of bitter herbs (hence the name) that stimulate digestion. Traditionally, they are taken as an aperitif (at the end of a meal), however, for those with digestive problems, it is recommended to take them just before eating.
Bitter herbs have a drying effect in the stomach and intestines, which is beneficial in cases of deficient digestion where conditions therein tend to be ‘damp and wet’, according to Chinese Medicine terminology. Furthermore bitters heal the liver (which is often compromised in cases of digestive deficiency) and stimulate it to produce bile, which is essential in digesting fats and clearing out undigested food residues from the gut.
Although alcohol should generally be avoided in those with digestive problems, the small amount consumed with a bitters preparation is actually beneficial. Highly purified alcohol, the likes of which is used to make bitters, clears out stagnancy in the body, which is a very common condition in those with digestive problems.
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Herbal Aloe Vera
Aloe ForceAloe vera is widely used as a powerful skin moisturizer, scar remover and wound healer and is truly one of natures most useful medicinal plants. When taken internally, Aloe has many of the same effects on the digestive tract. It works wonders on constipation, soothes ulcers, eases heartburn, gently draws toxins from the body and is an excellent remedy for healing digestive problems.
However, aloe’s effects are not solely limited to the digestive tract. When any organ is weakened, be it the stomach or intestines, the other organs are also affected, having to overcompensate to deal with excess toxins, stress, etc. As digestive problems are healed, neighboring organs may need to be cleansed and rejuvenated as well and aloe serves a double purpose as a tonic for the entire organ system. It deeply cleanses and nourishes the body, pulling out wastes from the affected tissues and helping the liver to excrete them.
The fresh plant gel is best, but juice from high quality suppliers can also be used. If you keep it refrigerated, which is recommended, be sure to let it warm up to room temperature before drinking.
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Multivitamin – Nutrient 950
Pure EncapsulationsIn cases of mild to severe digestive problems, nutrient absorption is frequently impaired and the body is suffering from sub-clinical nutrient deficiencies. Not surprisingly, many vitamins and minerals are necessary for proper digestive function, which can create a vicious cycle without a source of easily absorbable nutrients. Taking a high quality multivitamin and can make a major difference in the time it takes to recover by supplying the body with much needed nutrition to bridge the gap while digestion is restored.
Avoid whole food multivitamins, which are typically yeast-based and tend to aggravate digestive problems. Instead look for vitamins and minerals in a form most absorbable by the body, free from binders and fillers and from a reputable, high-integrity company. In this arena, Pure Encapsulations is by far the leader in quality, purity and potency, used by Naturopathic doctors worldwide.
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Slippery Elm
Starwest BotanicalsSlippery elm is derived from the bark of the Elm tree and has been used medicinally in traditional cultures for thousands of years. The bark absorbs toxins from the digestive tract, speeds digestion and transit time of food in the bowels, heals damage to the intestinal walls and feeds beneficial probiotic bacteria. It’s also rich in vitamin A, the B complex, vitamin C and K, as well as the essential minerals calcium, magnesium and sodium, and contains smaller amounts of chromium, selenium, iron, phosphorous, silicon and zinc. All in all it’s a great herb and an essential part of any healing regimen addressing digestive problems. Be sure to drink at least an 8 oz glass of water with a dose of slippery elm, as it absorbs water and toxins from the digestive tract and can be drying otherwise.
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