IC and Cause: The Origin of Disease

                                                                All Diseases Begin In the Gut

Hippocrates  460-370 BC

The traditional healing systems such as Ayurveda from India and the Traditional Oriental Medical system both saw the body as an energy field and built elaborate healing sciences around the concept that the body is an energy field.  Today we know from Einstein that this is indeed correct, that what is energy is matter and what is matter is energy, from the famous equation E=MC2.

One of the greatest gifts that the energy science of Ayurveda gives us is the understanding of how all diseases begin in the body.  Ayurveda began with this understanding 5000 years ago and the Greeks who were students of the medical disciplines of India began to realize this as well, hence leading to the above quote from Hippocrates that all diseases begin in the gut.

But this observation of the gut and disease is difficult to understand from the molecular model of the allopathic tradition.  It’s only when we see that the accumulation of imbalancing qualities that leads to deficient agni  Over time these qualities circulate and energetically affect other tissues.  In the IC bladder pain syndrome(intersititial cystitis, vulvodynia, chronic prostatitis, IBS, GERD, and fibromyalgia) the tissues of the nervous system in advanced cases become the landing point due again to low agni that cause the advanced symptoms of IC.

So this simple observation from the energy science healing traditions can give our current matter field healing discipline valuable insight as to the propagation of disease and the interrelationship of disease and food.

And this observation is why nutrition is central to prevention of disease!  Eating foods that resonate with your own physiology on a regular basis, avoiding poor food combinations, ensuring a good digestive fire to burn slip ups, and paying attention to the interrogatories of nutrition will ensure optimal health.

IC and Feeling Bad After Eating: An Energy Science Solution

Foods can create unarguable imbalances in the physiology which over time leads to disease  And for the most part  some of food’s effects may not be associated with ill feeling

However my point is that all foods have the potential for creating imbalances in the mindbody if they don’t resonate with our energy makeup   Because of different factors these imbalancing choices don’t give us symptoms  At least we don’t think they do  Everything is relative  You may feel ok but if you make changes you feel better

But you didn’t feel bad before you made the change but now you feel better by making the nutritional change  What gives?  What has happened is that you have gained a level of clarity that you didn’t have before

Feeling Bad After Eating

Haven’t we all had the experience of eating a meal and not feeling well afterward?  Sometimes we attribute it to food poisoning which might be the case but most of the time it is a physiologic consequence that defies an easy explanation.

From an energy science perspective the reason is imbalance.  The vibrational frequencies consumed have created an obvious dis-ease in the physiology.  When we eat a hot spicy meal, sometimes the result is heartburn.  There is a chemical burning in the stomach experienced near the heart we call heartburn or acid indigestion.  This increased acidity in the stomach is a result of the increased vibrational frequency of hot among other vibrational frequencies.

But what if we can’t associate something eaten with feeling bad after a meal?  Does that mean that there isn’t a imbalance of vibrational frequencies?  From an energy perspective, the answer would be that an imbalance or an increase of specific vibrational frequencies have accumulated and are causing obvious dis-ease resulting in an alteration in an agni disturbance

We get away with eating abnormal food combinations or foods that are not good choices for our energy constitution because our agni is just strong enough to pull us out of the ditch  But continue and the agni won’t be there for us because it’s debilitated too much

The Salt Story

Let’s take an example of the complex vibrational frequency of salt.  If we ingested three tablespoons of salt, there would be clearly physiologic consequences or imbalance.  We would become very thirsty, our blood pressure would transiently rise, our saliva would increase and we would urinate more frequently.  Hot sensations would occur with flushing and acid indigestion might occur.  Since the salty taste has a laxative effect, it might stimulate a bowel movement.  So all of these changes occur in the body because of the consequence of excess salt.

If these changes can occur with excess salt, why couldn’t simple ingestion of salt lead to imbalances if preexisting imbalances possibly already exist?  From an energy perspective this is one of the reasons why food can produce physiologic consequences of imbalance soon after eating.

Basically we should never ignore a message from the body telling us of distress even though we can’t explain it.  And the most frequent explanation of the dis-ease in the mindbody is a result of imbalancing choices that we make through our nutritional choices.

The Energy Science View of Disease

From an energy science view all disease begins in the gut so you can see why it’s so important to eat according to our mindbody energy makeup even though you may feel OK   Or do you?

Over time our agni will improve and our imbalances will clear  But it takes time and it’s worth the wait

IC and Chronic Prostatitis: 7 Ways of Management

Chronic prostatitis is a nonbacterial inflammatory condition of the male pelvis and can be considered male intersitial cystitis  It is a member of the IC bladder pain syndrome(interstitial cystitis, vulvodynia, irritable bowel syndrome, GERD, and fibromyalgia) because the cause is the same as its other members  Imbalances of qualities in the bowel caused by primarily the foods consumed and lifestyle choices that provoke the energy physiology lead to dissemination to the peripheral tissues  Like IC itself invariably the pelvic nerves become involved with the qualities of light mobile dry rough and hot leading to observed symptoms

The presence of fever is a key differentiating feature between acute and chronic prostatitis  This is very important because the treatment of acute prostatitis is completely different  If a man has chills and fever of 100.5F or greater with symptoms of acute prostatitis then he should be on antibiotics and in severe cases hospitalized because the cause is bacterial

Acute Flares of IC and Chronic Prostatitis

It is estimated that greater than 90% of those with chronic prostatitis are of nonbacterial origin, that is, there is no bacteria or infection in the prostate tissue  Sounds a lot like IC doesn’t it?

Chronic prostatitis is not associated with fever and similar to interstitial cystitis occurs acutely as flares lasting 2-3 weeks  Urological workups including cultures, xrays, and endoscopy are negative  In uncommon situations cystoscopy may show bladder mucosal lesions that biopsy negative and are typically not characteristic of Hunner’s ulcers(which are unusual even in IC)  Prostatic calculi may produce a chronic bacterial prostatitis but this is unusual There  is no association between chronic prostatitis and prostate cancer epidemiologically in the allopathic literature

There is no agreed upon best treatment from the molecular or allopathic model of healing but it is typically treated with antibiotics initially  These courses usually last for 3-4weeks or more based on the resolution of symptoms and/or recurrence of symptoms   This is often the case since the cause is nonbacterial  As the chronicity develops in the clinical course men are often kept on antiinflammatories or even short courses of steroids have been used

Anatomically the prostate lives at the base of the bladder and as you can see by the accompanying picture the urethral tube passes from the bladder to the outside through the penis  So the symptoms of prostatitis mirror those seen in women with interstitial cystitis  Suprapubic pain, perirectal or perianal pain , low back pain, testicular pain, pain referred to the base or the tip of the penis, pain with ejaculation, urinary frequency, urgency, small volumes of urine passed, and a feeling of incomplete emptying predominate when the man is having an acute flare

Due to the hot quality inflammation like IC produces the symptoms of burning on urination and because the prostate is innervated by the same use nerves affecting bladder function there can be pain with ejaculation  This latter symptom may also be caused by the prostate itself becoming involved by the hot quality  Sometimes the prostate becomes so inflamed that blood may be seen at the tip of the penis at the end of urination

An Energy Science Approach To Chronic Prostatitis

As in IC there should be a division in treatment based on whether one is treating an acute flare or trying to do maintenance therapy  This has been covered in a previous blog post  Here are some basic foundational things to do

1 As always use a nutritional format appropriate for one’s energy pattern and avoid incompatible food combinations

2 Use of the dinacharya(day in balance) is an important foundational method

3 Consistent daily pranayama practice specifically using kapalabhati can have symptom controlling benefit  It has been shown in an Italian study of 231 sedentary men with chronic prostatitis that routine exercise helped symptoms  Pranayama is an excellent combined aerobic and anaerobic exercise that stresses the pelvic floor hence strengthening this area of the anatomy which is involved in chronic prostatitis

4 Herbal formulas can be helpful even in the acute stage or flare and gokshuradhi guggulu can be effective in reducing congestion when the gland is involved

5 Basti therapy in both acute and chronic phases can be very helpful in treating the pelvic nerve imblances

6  Lidocaine as in interstitial cystitis transrectally can be helpful in reducing the acute symptoms of chronic prostatitis

7 If foundational work has been done then panchakarma can be a viable alternative in management

Like the IC bladder pain syndrome chronic prostatitis can be healed from an energy science perspective but it requires a disciplined approach and based on how long symptoms have been present determines the length of time of recovery

IC, Cheese, and Opiates: 6 Ways to Deal With It

The energy science can help us understand how to deal with this controversial topic about the potential addictive nature of opiates in milk  Particularly this has relevance for the IC bladder pain syndrome(interstitial cystitis, vulvodynia, chronic prostatitis, IBS, GERD, and fibromyalgia)

It makes sense that there is a sedative property in mother’s milk or the human race would not be so advanced in numbers as it has become

Concentrated Forms of Opiates

Cheese is produced by acidifying milk and making a curd leaving the whey(watery protein) behind

The predominant protein in milk and therefore cheese is casein which if not completely digested will release in the gut as an opiate called casomorphin(BCM7)  Opiates can produce a profound sense of pleasure

80% of cow’s milk is casein  Concentrated milk products(cheese, ice cream, milk chocolate) can have increased amounts of the addictive opiates or BCM7 proteins that link up to opiate receptors in the body, particularly the brain

Some interesting factoids

It takes 10 pounds of milk to make a pound of hard cheese(sour cheese)

It takes 3-4 pounds of milk to make one pound of milk chocolate  A “chocoholic” is born

BCM7 is the powerful opiate held in any milk whether cow, buffalo,  goat, or human  Studies on cow’s milk show that BCM7 is held to an amino acid named proline in A1 cows(tightly bound) and by histidine in A2 cows(loosely bound), so the latter can be more effective to produce the opiate effect

How about breads with gluten?

Interestingly gliadorphin from the digestion of gluten is similar to casomorphin both of which interact with opiate receptors in the brain, particularly those areas involved with speech and hearing, an important factor in children with autism, particularly if poor digestive fire is involved  These byproducts of digestion will lead to exaggerated effects (ama in the energy science vernacular)

What To Do?

Bottom line: If you have a strong digestive fire, you’ll deal with BCM7 early in the digestive process and more than likely won’t be impacted by either form of milk, A1 or A2, or bread

If you have a poor digestive fire then either way BCM7 will be hanging around and an individual will potentially get the effects of casomorphin

So the energy science nutritional solution to the above, enhance digestive fire by:

If any heavy concentration of BCM7 is taken in on a day, avoid doing it again and again  Allow the GI tract and the body to absorb the insult  Don’t pile on insult after insult after insult

If PK reduce the amount of dairy in your diet, avoiding the concentrated forms

Steaming or heating milk is a great idea

Never drink milk cold or with ice

Using a churan or a meal rich in cooling digestants or spices will help with digestion due to their impact on digestive fire

Using cardamom with warm milk helps digestion

IC and Prelief: 8 Ways to Manage an Acid Stomach

As part of the IC bladder pain syndrome(interstitial cystitis, vulvodynia, chronic prostatitis, IBS, GERD, and fibromyalgia) acid indigestion as manifested in hyperacidity syndrome(HAS) or gastroesophageal reflux disease(GERD) would not be surprising  This is because from an energy science point of view the hot quality(Pitta energy pattern) is a major contributor to the imbalance that creates interstitial cystitis(IC)…the burning on urination, vaginal burning are related to this quality  The other IC imbalancing quality is the mobile quality of the Vata energy pattern

The Spectrum of Disease

All physiologic disease shows up as an array of symptoms from not so bad to terrible  Patients with occasional heartburn can then begin to have it all the time  This makes it eligible for the disease label of HAS  If it progresses to a sour taste in the mouth or a burning in the chest then it advances to GERD  And if GERD progresses then it can become the disease label of Barrett’s esophagitis

But notice that in all these advancing disease labels one thing remains constant  The hot quality  So in the end these disease labels are related to the increasing intensity of this quality  But wait there’s more from an energy science perspective  The Pitta energy pattern displays the hot quality when out of balance in its functional seat, the liver

So again from an energy science point of view the liver imbalances due to Pitta must be addressed if a patient is having problems with GERD

Reducing the heat

There are a number of ways to go beyond Prelief which like all its molecular relatives( such as over the counter Prevacid and various expensive pharmaceuticals) represent pharma bandaids  From an energy science treatment perspective the alternatives not only provide relief but done properly with other allied therapies become permanent solutions, not bandaids

Wouldn’t you rather have something that is sustainable long term instead of relying on a pharmacological bandaid?  Here are some basic energy science treatments that can bring about control of this Pitta energy pattern of transformation

Avipattikar  This herb combination is an excellent way to get control of raging hot Pitta in the stomach reducing the hot quality

Aloe vera gel  This herb is not only cooling to the small bowel therefore reduces the Pitta energy pattern but because it is effective for Pitta disorders in general it is a good liver protectant  This makes it a valuable herb overall in treating Pitta disorders  From an energy point of view aloe is special because it falls into a special group of herbs called rasayana  This means it is a tissue rejuvenative and restorative of bodily tissues  There are no Western pharma that can make that claim

Ghee  In the Ayurvedic classics ghee assumes a significant therapeutic role in the management of high Pitta conditions such as HAS and GERD

Psyllium husk  Using this herb may sound strange as it is used as a laxative but 1t at bedtime mixed with fresh yogurt or with warm water will absorb Pitta in the small intestine and stop the colonic wall irritation

Nutritional format and incompatible food combinations We can take all the herbs in the world but if we continue to take into our bodies the same imbalancing qualities then no gains will be made  It’s like 2steps forward and 3 steps back  If there is HAS or GERD then no doubt the person is a strong Pitta and these conditions would be the ways that they might go out of balance  One should follow a Pitta pacifying diet At the very least one should follow the PK or PV formats at foodsheal.com 

Kefir milk  When Pitta is out of control and the hot quality is raging, the microbiome or the gut flora becomes affected  Since the gut flora is an important aspect of agni it’s important to replenish and support this vital aspect to our health  Kefir does this by providing new healthy bacteria to our gut microbiome population  You can get it in the stores or make it yourself by finding some Kefir granules from someone willing to share

Shatavari is a wonderful herb to reduce Pitta and like aloe vera it has far reaching physiologic consequences due to its rasayana effect  Rasayanas are a special group of herbs that have strengthening physiologic effects over other herbs and are used particularly after cleansing therapies used in panchakarma

Kama dudha moti bhasma and abhrak bhasma are basically calcium salts that act as coenzymes in metabolic processes and can be effective when Pitta is high

Like all energy work it is subtle and the healing shifts occur slowly over months but the good thing is that they are sustainable long lasting effects

IC and Yogurt: 7 Guidelines About Its Use

From an energy science point of view the IC bladder pain syndrome( interstitial cystitis, vulvodynia, chronic prostatitis, IBS, GERD, and fibromyalgia)  is a Vata and Pitta provoked disease, that is, too much hot and mobile qualities in the urinary tract – an imbalance created by the foods consumed   So the obvious first step is to reduce those foods that are Pitta and Vata provoking  When first getting started to get some relief from the burning sensation you can begin with just a Pitta pacifying nutritional format as at icdiet.com but as you progress using a format that is appropriate for you energy constitutional makeup can be found at foodsheal.com after taking the test

One particular thread that I have seen come up is the question about IC and yogurt   How should it be used and whether it is safe in IC, that is, whether it is Vata and Pitta provoking, causing bladder pain

Yogurt is an amazing food and many ethinic cultures on the planet use fresh yogurt and kefir as health promoting foods in their nutrition   And there are very good reasons for doing so but due to the Pitta aggravating nature of yogurt, freshly made is the only way to go in moderation

Helping Restore Imbalanced Agni

The value of yogurt is that it serves when freshly made a rich source of probiotic which is a population of “good bacteria” that reside in the bowel  “Bad” bacteria at times overgrow the gut flora leading to poor digestion, absorption, and assimilation so it’s important that the good flora flourishes and the bad are kept in check   As I’ve alluded to in the past, bacterial growth is a major part of our digestive strength that needs to be nourished

This is particularly important if you have GERD, IBS, and fibromyalgia associated with IC since the digestive fire is significantly compromised in these dual conditions

Regular use of freshly made yogurt insures that the “good” bacteria are consistently replenished  Agni is always compromised in these conditions and since the bacterial flora is part of agni it’s important to supplement with probiotic foods such as yogurt  SIBO(small intestinal bacterial overgrowth) is commonly thought of as the root cause of many bowel diseases but from an energy science perspective it’s just saying that agni is disturbed

You may have heard of yeast overgrowth and this is yet another factor that can lead to poor digestive fire(eliminating yeast laden bread products is a good idea in that it gives us more  than we need so flatbreads are best or at least toasting yeasted products)  This candidal imbalance in bowel flora much like SIBO is a result of poor agni  So building up agni is one of the central therapeutic themes in the management of the IC bladder pain syndrome

Bowel flora is important in the concept of digestive fire and aids in bowel digestive function as well as providing important nutrients for our nutrition

Pasteurized yogurts should be avoided as pasteurization kills off the beneficial probiotic component of yogurt

Making Digestion Easy By Predigestion-Optimizing Digestive Strength

The value of yogurt comes in the predigestion of lactose and casein which we talked about a couple of days ago  Hence the bacteria during the incubation phase of creating yogurt use the sugar lactose and break down the protein casein  The lactose then doesn’t bother the lactose intolerant and the casomorphin derivative from casein digestion can be less, hence affecting us less

Why freshly made?  From an energy science view the build up of acidity occurs with aging yogurt even if refrigerated becomes inflammatory and thus Pitta provoking   You also get the maximal amount of probiotic in the yogurt(some bacteria die off after 4-5 days)

Even though fresh yogurt is not very acidic(sour taste) it still can be Pitta provoking if used daily   Hence home made yogurt has its consumption limitations

So Some Guidelines

1 Based on the foodsheal.com food combining list, don’t use fruit with yogurt

2 To really inhibit the negative sour effects of even freshly made yogurt, the use of Sucanat or Turbinado(crystallized cane sugars) can be important because the sweet taste helps balance the aggravating sour taste

3 Always use yogurt in moderation, that is, 2-3x per week

4 Store bought and therefore processed yogurt is too acidic and will provoke IC

5 Diluting the yogurt with water reduces its acidity

6 Keeping in the fridge after it comes from the incubation phase will help get the yogurt firmer

7  For best results use whole mil

How to get started

Buy a yogurt maker(Donvier is a French brand or other various manufacturers can be found on Amazon)   Using fresh starter each time ensures that the bacterial count of the yogurt will be rich  The small amount of starter is not enough to aggravate Pitta

And yes, it does take some time to make your own yogurt but after doing it, in a short time you can do a batch in about 15 minutes(total time; heating the milk and cooling it can be done while doing other things)

If the yogurt is curdly and clearly not smooth in texture it means that there’s probably too much cooking going on and that the incubation times are too long  So try 10 hours instead of 12 hours with the Donvier

YouTube has several videos on how to make your own yogurt

It’s best not to use dry milk powder as the milk product as it is provoking to Vata Pitta

Here’s a link for directions on making your own for trouble shooting

The greatest value is making your own yogurt is that you participate in your own health and this is a small but significant step in assuming responsibility for our health