IC and the Power of Mind: Improving Decision Making

The power of the mind is becoming more and more significant as research shows that in many ways effects on the DNA can impact our behaviors  This becomes important in chronic diseases such as the IC bladder pain syndrome(interstitial cystitis, vulvodynia, chronic prostatitis, IBS, GERD, and fibromyalgia) because as we know mind is a major determinant in healing

 How Can We Improve Our Decision Making?

Why do we chose one way of doing something rather than another way? Does it make a difference in the greater scheme of things?  And which is the best decision when it comes to healing a problem in the physiology?  Is it better to leave it up to intuition or be driven by hard facts?

There are always those times when we get to a critical juncture and want to make a decision that will move us forward  So it’s worthwhile to look at how decisions are made and how we can influence our decisions for the better

It’s clear from current science that decision making is genetically determined…that mind is our DNA  So change your genes to create better mental clarity and change the way you make decisions

How can this be done?  Alkalines of our DNA follow a regular grammar and have set rules just like our languages  So human languages did not appear coincidentally but are a reflection of our inherent DNA  When we are stressed or negative, our biological energy reserves are diverted from the important task of regenerating and repairing the body

We can counteract this cellular starvation by focusing on genuine states of care, expressing appreciation, gratitude, and love  These positive emotions enhance our energy system and feed the body, even down to the level of DNA

 The Bottom Line:  Our DNA is Listening

Living DNA substance will always react to language if the proper frequencies are being used  This is why mantra repetition, affirmations, autogenous training, hypnosis and the like can have such strong effects on humans and their bodies  It is entirely normal and natural for our DNA to react to language  And research has shown that we as humans can reshape and even reconfigure their DNA

Meditation helps access the energy body  Our cells are listening and there is a lively interaction between emotions and our cells  We have a thinking body  Breath work also helps affect the energy field  All of Nature is interdependent  Ancient cultures understood this interconnection as a living universal energy field which sustains life and can produce spontaneous healing events that have been well documented

IC and Supplements: The High Priced Scam

Many with chronic disease like the IC bladder pain syndrome(interstitial cystitis, vulvodynia, chronic prostatitis, IBS, GERD, and fibromylagia) are looking for some kind of advantage to help with symptoms from their dis-ease  So it often comes to people looking for help with supplements offered from the molecular promised land of the matter science world

IC and the Art of Energy Cooking: 4 Healing Approaches

As we have discussed in the managment of the IC bladder pain syndrome(interstitial cystitis, vulvodynia, chronic prostatitis, IBS, GERD, and fibromyalgia) nutrition is foundational to having success longterm  But in the energy science of Ayurveda nutrition is more than just what foods are selected for your unique mindbody energy constitutional makeup  Even though foods are integral to success because they bring about balance to the physiology and prevent imbalances from occurring there is more to nutrition than foods  Where to eat, when to eat, how to eat, why we eat all add to the “what to eat”

As we discussed we have talked about always making a deal with ourselves to sit whenever we eat  This simply allows us to improve the chances of agni doing a good job in digesting whatever we’re eating  Eating our biggest meal of the day at noon is foundational to successful nutrition  Why we eat uncovers that aspect of nutrition about emotional eating as well as overeating

But what about “how to eat”? This covers the aspects of bringing attention to eating of food but also how we prepare foods

The Uniqueness of Energy Science Cooking

One of the objections that I have heard about the energy science approach to nutrition is that you have to be Indian in order to do an Ayurvedic nutritional format  While this is complete and utter nonsense people buy into such false writing because they don’t know any better  And they believe the people that are protecting the matter science approach to nutrition by misrepresenting the energy science

1 Truth be told the nutritional formats that are at foodsheal.com can be integrated into anybody’s way of eating because the change in foods chosen means that you simply find substitutes for foods that are aggravating for folks with the IC bladder pain syndrome  If there are problem foods such as nightshades for Pitta Vata then find vegetable substitutes  Another example of this substitution is using sunflower instead of peanut butter

2  One of the basic tenets of energy science nutrition is to cook food in order to predigest  There is a lot of rhetoric about this from the raw food or macrobiotic community but it makes intuitive sense to break down the cellulose of vegetables in order to aid the agni of the mindbody particularly if it’s struggling  Another time that raw food comes up is in blenderized veggie drinks  In this situation the mechanical breakdown of the veggies may predigest but again the lack of heat applied may make this food preparation technique substandard

3 The use of ghee in cooking cannot be overemphasized in the management of the IC bladder pain syndrome because often the Pitta energy pattern is involved and the best way to pacify Pitta is by the liberal use of ghee due to its liquid and oily qualities   But there is good matter science data as to why one would want to use ghee which enhances agni  It is completely made up of small chain hydrogenated fatty acids(most common butyric acid) which does not have to be digested and moves through all the tissues within twenty four hours  This has important ramifications in the detoxification process of panchakarma(PK)

4 Spices have volatile organic compounds(VOC) which when activated facilitates digestion, absorption, and assimilation of foods  Spices are integral to healthy cooking because they augment agni  They are best activated during food preparation by placing them in ghee and heating to activate the VOC  Once activated they can then be added to other ingredients of the recipe  If you have a heavy aroma in the kitchen when activating VOC it means that you have overheated and overcooked the spices

So there you have it  A way to prepare foods so that your mindbody can get the most out of it because you have enhanced your agni in the process of preparation

IC and Guidelines for Eating During the Holidays

Food selection may become a big deal during the holidays with those with the IC bladder pain syndrome(interstitial cystititis, vulvodynia, chronic prostatitis, IBS, GERD, and fibromyalgia) So what are some techniques that can help during the holidays?  Spreading out holiday-related events, and making get-togethers more active, and meditation are just a few ways to stay healthy this season.

Spread Out Your Events

Try to spread out the parties and get-togethers, instead of visiting several households on the same day If there is an event where the cooking is shared, start a Facebook group page to better organize the dinner and ensure there are plenty of healthy options  Each member can discuss what they are bringing to allow a wide variety of colors and choices rather than an overload of starches. You can also use this page to share recipes

Move at the Party

Holiday gatherings often consist of sitting, eating, talking, drinking, and more eating  We often find ourselves sitting for longer periods of time because we enjoy the conversation Your legs want to move, the food is on the counter, and off you go for food you’re are not even hungry for  This year, try some of these actions with the family to reduce the march to the kitchen  Take a walk or try some other physical activity

Don’t Go Overboard

Sticking to a healthy plan is important  However depriving yourself of certain foods can have negative results  Restrictive eating can lead to binge eating as well as disliking healthy foods by associating them with something you ‘have’ to do  When it’s time to pile food on your plate, eat what visually appeals to you, or you know you love without guilt clouding the mind  Try these final tips for holiday eating  If smaller plates are an option, use them. You’ll fill larger plates just because room is available. Second trips are better than overeating on the first round  If you’re trying something new, only take a bite-size portion

As you begin to incorporate more healthy practices into your life—whether during the holidays or during everyday life—your mindset will start to shift, and you’ll begin to not only choose more nutritious foods, but actually enjoy them, too

IC and Getting Out of the Way: 2 Techniques to Enhance Release

We all know the amazing capability of the human mindbody to heal  One only needs to recall the experience of a skin cut and the changes that take place over days that leads to the sealing of the wound and typically without a scar  And we didn’t really do anything  We just watched and day by day it occurred  The mindbody did its magic

What we had to do is “get out of the way”  There are many things that we do to interfere with the healing process  We can give our mindbodies foods that produce imbalance or incompatible food combinations, not live in tune with Nature(going to bed when Nature is going to sleep, getting up with Nature, eating our biggest meals when Nature is taking her biggest meal)  These simple things support “getting out of the way” and is foundational to dealing with the IC bladder pain syndrome(interstitial cystitis, vulvodynia, chronic prostatitis, IBS, GERD, and fibromyalgia)

Release and Getting Out of the Way

The mindbody knows how to heal we just need to give it the opportunity  A Kapha release can look like the common cold, with lots of mucous and cough with respiratory congestion(release of the heavy, slow/dull, slimy/smooth, liquid qualities) An attack of acid indigestion or diarrhea would be an example of a Pitta release due to excess of that energy pattern in the GI tract In both of these examples the mindbody is shedding qualities(hot, sharp, spreading, liquid, oily) that it doesn’t want  This shedding of qualities that happens is a very natural thing  It’s not like we have to think about this release It just naturally happens Typically once an acute release has occurred there is often a sense of lightness that overcomes the physiology due to the loss of qualitative burden

The reason for release is quite simple actually  The mindbody has innate intelligence to release these unwanted qualities  Like Nature it always moves in the direction of righting itself if imbalance occurs  Unfortunately we have grown impatient with this process due to our distrust of the mindbody, believing that this is not possible

Understanding the Process of Release

It’s important to understand this process of release  Release which is in reality a healing event but it can be marked by highs and lows, ups and downs, good days/weeks and bad days/weeks  This roller coaster ride leads to doubt in the mindbody that one is on the right path, that this indeed will be the right course to take  When doubt sets in, confusion can reverberate through the physiology and then impatience and loss of faith  Pretty soon the inevitable “what the use” begins to chime in

Journaling pays big dividends because it focuses our attention on where we have been and where we are now with respect to symptoms  By and by symptoms get better but because the process is subtle it’s sometimes difficult to remember  Journaling helps support the memory of the past

If we are paying attention to guidelines that foster balance, there will come a time guaranteed, where energy patterns that have been “hanging around” in the mindbody physiology will want to naturally release  With that release comes symptoms and we misinterpret these symptoms as getting worse or at least not making progress Rest assured that if you’re doing the foundational work as discussed release of qualities will be the result

Enhancing the Process of Release

So it’s either an acute release as in the common cold or a release of pentup energy as in the IC bladder pain syndrome  The latter is a release that has been chronically stored sometimes for years or decades The more chronic the longer the release that can take up to years based on the chronicity

Supporting and enhancing the release can be done with

1  Herbs which can help foster, smooth out or build up the mindbody during releases

2 Detoxification procedures such as panchakarma(PK)  These require physician directed guidance due to the complexity of decision making that goes beyond the health consumer’s capability  There are other energy science techniques that also facilitate these chronic releases that go beyond the scope of this short blog but suffice it to say there are many other tools in the bag

The message is that illnesses that seem to come out of “nowhere” can be explained on the basis of these releases  Of course if not simple one should check in with your friendly matter science doc and be sure that there isn’t something more serious particularly if symptoms continue and don’t resolve

IC Flares During the Winter: Using Subtle and Gross Qualities

From an energy science view the entire universe is composed of 10 pairs of vibrational frequencies of opposite qualities that are named and readily recognized by all of us  For example who hasn’t encountered hot and cold, liquid and dense, gross and subtle, soft and hard, heavy and light? And disease is understood by imbalances of these qualities. If there is too much hot in the physiology then the solution is to remove the hot quality balancing it with the cold quality by lifestyle, herbs, and foods

Have you ever wondered why riots don’t happen during the winter in cold climates? And even in climates where the temperatures don’t get near freezing riots are an unusal occurrence  And it is also for the same reason why IC flares either reduce their frequency and severity during the winter

As we recall the hot and mobile qualities are predominant in the formation of the IC bladder pain syndrome(interstitial cystitis, vulvodynia, chronic prostatitis, IBS, GERD, and fibromyalgia)  The hot quality is significantly reduced during the winter time and hence so is the impact it has on the energy mindbody  The mobile quality is still active in the energy physiology so symptoms of urinary frequency and urgency may still be present but a reduced feeling of heat

The Qualities of Subtle and Gross

One of the foundational aspects of the energy science of Ayurveda is our relationship with Nature Herself  Nature is all of observable creation….the gross  And as individuals we represent the subtle aspect of Nature  Another way of expressing this is the macrocosm and microcosm  Nature is the macrocosm and we as individuals become the microcosm  But we as microcosms actually are 3D expressions of the greater macrocosm  Again the interplay of gross and subtle

Vata Pitta and Kapha(VPK) are expressions of the above opposing 10 pairs in various combinations  Vata is subtle while Pitta and Kapha are gross because they are more tangible and firmly expressed  There are other ways that the energy science talks about these gross and subtle qualities  PTO(prana, tejas, and ojas) are the cellular expressions of VPK….again the subtle expression of PTO is actually the microcosm of the macrocosm of VPK  As Pitta is gross in its expression of hot, the agni is the subtle expression of the same hot quality   Marma points like acupuncture points are subtle manifestations of the gross mindbody  They reflect not only internal organs but also are ways to influence the mind  The 7 primary chakra points are in reality marma points

This understanding of our interrelationship of ourselves with Nature is foundational to seeing how the philosophy of Ayurveda works in healing

The Hot Quality During Winter

As we began if Nature as a macrocosm is cold during the winter our microcosm takes on the cold quality and essentially helps treat the hot quality of IC flares

During the cold winter our external heat goes internally from gross to subtle and the central digestive fire becomes stronger so we’re able to more easily able to digest, absorb, and assimilate foods  Just as Nature withdraws and sleeps during the winter so does our metabolism externally