Cumin Coriander Fennel Tea: An Antiinflammatory Drink

From an energy science view painful IC flares and bladder pain are a result of inflammation in the urinary channel(UT)  since too much of hot produces inflammation.  Interesting isn’t it that the words burning and flare are used to describe what is physically going on?  I wrote a while ago about the use of the antiinflammatory cocktail using pomegranite juice and aloe vera gel and several of you have contacted me to tell me how helpful this has been.

So here’s another antiinflammatory drink!   This time a tea made from cumin coriander and fennel(CCF) seeds   Due to the cold energy of these herbs they also can be benefiicial in dealing with excess hot in the UT   Create a stash of seeds by placing equal amounts of cumin, coriander and fennel into a ziploc bag and shake it so it’s well mixed   From your stash you can draw one teaspoon and steep in cup of hot water   Or if making a thermos to carry with you during the day placing enough in the thermos for the amount of hot water that will be placed   The tea may need diluting if it gets too strong at the end of the day

Spices = Herbs = Medicinal Effects

Your kitchen’s spice drawer is a medicine cabinet and using spices skillfully over time can produce positive medicinal and physiologic effects  But the converse is also true   If you are using spices randomly and for flavor alone there can be adverse consequences   For example, most spices are heating so they can be provoking if you have IC   Or another example is the use of salt – too much leads to water retention

In general the value of spices is that they buck up our digestive fire or enzyme system responsible for digestion, absorption, and elimination  This is why for us in the northern hemisphere at this time of year the use of spices is important because our digestive strength gets diminished

Cumin coriander and fennel uniquely have an energetically cold effect to the physiology when using them and so are particularly useful in dis-eases with lots of inflammation with poor or impaired digestive strength   Cumin(not to be confused with curcumin from tumeric) is a unique digestant in that it bucks up digestive strength but brings balance to the GI tract   Coriander seeds come from the plant we get cilantro   The use of the fennel bulbs in the fresh vegetable section can give you a double whammy if you cook with it as a vegetable

Another interesting aspect of CCF is that all 3 herbs resonate with the UT   They are specific to the UT channel and therefore bring their cold quality to the UT mucosa

What’s Hot and What’s Not?

Of course not all spices are created equally   For the easiest way to find which spices are safe to use go to icdiet.com   There are grades or shades of hot within each herb so within the Favor list there are those asterisked    These are spices that should be used in moderation

Notice the positioning of fresh basil and fresh ginger   These are both beautiful spices to use on a consistent basis to bring about balance in the GI tract and improve digestion

Four Ways to Alkalinize Acidity of Pitta

The chronic pain from the IC bladder pain syndrome(interstitial cystitis, vulvodynia, chronic prostatitis, IBS, GERD, and fibromyalgia)  seeks a solution but you are told that the “dis-ease is treatable  not curable”

But what would it be like if there was a solution?  Is it possible?  We are led to believe a lie, when we give up hope  And obviously there is no quick fix or IC wouldn’t be a problem  But what would it be like to have your life back?  Too hard to believe?  Well read on

The experience amongst IC patients is that the diet promoted by ICA or ICN may work for some, not for others  Sometimes works for awhile then seems to not work  What gives?  Anecdotal experience at best would be the first thing that comes to mind from such diet recommendations

The Quality of Hot and the Acidity of IC

The energy science views foods as qualities not molecules  This is a complete divergence from mainstream medical thinking  And it stems from how we view the human biology  If we see the mindbody as a group of molecules as well as the food we consume then are limiting ourselves  We know from E=mc2 that matter and energy are interchangeable at a constant  So what is matter is energy and what is energy is matter  We are simultaneously both a particle and a wave form  The current medical model sees only the human biology as  a matter field

And so the dietary recommendations that you follow are molecular based   So the matter science states that it’s the molecule of acid in the urine brings about the symptoms of IC  Eliminate acid provoking foods and the IC is cleared  Ah, if it were that simple!

From an energy perspective the IC pain comes from too much of the hot quality and the frequency of urination comes from too much of the mobile quality  When we eat foods that contain these qualities in abundance you get out of balance and dis-ease occurs

Four Steps to Energy Science Nutrition

The first thing to do is to find out who you are from an energy science point of view  Although not perfect this quiz will help you determine who you are from an energy science view  This is very important because for some a particular food may be balancing for some and completely imbalancing for someone else  A good example of this is the tomato  For PV completely unacceptable and for PK  ok in moderation

The second thing to do is to follow the nutritional format based on the results of the quiz  There are clear instructions as to how to do that at the site foodsheal.com

The third is to begin CCF tea(cumin coriander and fennel seeds in equal proportions together in a plastic bag) by taking a bunch and steeping it in hot water and then sipping on this tea all day  CCF is energetically medicinal to the urinary tract and you guessed it, they all are overall cooling to the urinary channel!

The fourth thing is an alkalinizing diet using green composite protein intake  This clearly will alkalinize the GIT and reduce symptoms

Oil Pulling and IC

As I’ve talked about in the past the pelvic bladder pain of the IC bladder pain syndrome(interstitial cystitis, vulvodynia, chronic prostatitis, IBS, GERD, and fibromyalgia) is related to the hot and mobile qualities being stuck in the pelvis  But why do some 60% of IC patients not go on to severe chronic symptoms?  The answer in short form is toxic load in the urinary system that prevents the qualities from naturally being released

Matter Science Skepticism

An Energy Science Explanation

Many Ways to Detoxify

IC and Rejuvenative Herbs

I think it’s pretty much consensus that pharmaceuticals are not the panacea for IC and bladder pain.  At least that was my experience with the IC patients who I worked with.  Herbs offer an alternative to pharmaceuticals and we have discussed a number of them for use such as CCF tea, the use of turmeric in cooking, as well as aloe vera gel.

Herbs fall into 3 categories when looking at their functional effects.  Unlike pharmaceucals one herb category enhances digestive strength in all its various aspects of function, for example turmeric. A second category is composed of therapeutic herbs that solve very specific problems, such as aloe vera gel. Taken alone they are not as effective, but done with nutritional work they can be highly effiective. Aloe vera when combined with a Pitta-reducing nutritional format can have an almost immediate (one to two weeks) impact on flares.

The third category is a special group of herbs that are rejuvenative. These herbs restore youthful vigor and vitality and are the topic of this post.

Herbs can offer immediate relief in some situations and support the nutrition and metabolic lifestyle behaviors in the long term. But herbs, unlike pharmaceuticals, are not primary but secondary in management. This is a clear departure from current thinking about disease management, but is tantamount to success in dealing with chronic disease. Having said that herbs can help jumpstart a system that is under stress as in cases of patients who have long standing IC and are debilitated.

Rejuvenative Science

Herbs that are rejuvenative in nature are useful because they have the capability of strengthening the fatigued low energy body that has been under the stress of chronic disease such as IC,  while at the same time dealing with the imbalance that is going on.

The interesting thing about rejuvenative herbs is that they have an impact on mind. This can be very helpful for those who are depressed and feeling helpless. It is this particular aspect of rejuvenative therapy that can be quite helpful in creating more space for lifestyle changes.

So the special place that rejuvenatives have is that they impact or shift our DNA which in turn affect our choices in selection of various alternatives presented to us so that you make better choices with respect to the management of IC.  They also help to modify our lifestyle behavioral choices so that old habits that are not supportive of healing IC are easier to get out of.

5 Rejuvenative Herbs

 Aloe vera      I have mentioned this herb numerous times in the past because not only does it offer cooling to the hot urinary tract system but on top of this it is a rejuvenative.  That is, it has the capability of helping you morph lifestyle changes in choice of all kinds.  So for example when making choices about foods that may be not such good choices and choice about foods that are better choices, eg coffee habits. Also choice around lifestyle behaviors that are not conducive to healing and those that are.

Gokshura   Also known as Caltrops this herb targets the water or urinary tract channel and is effective in reducing inflammation but is also good at reducing the incidence of stone formation. It is this latter effect that suggests that gokshura is an important herb in facilitating glycosoaminoglycan (GAG) layer formation. Its best use is in formula, but it could be used in basti (below) due to the GAG-formation enhancement.

Purnarnava    Translated as “that which renews us” this herb also like gokshura has affinity to the urinary channel.  It strengthens the kidneys and in doing so aids in our overall health and vitality.  Its action is more tonifying to the kidney than to the urinary bladder and therefore would be a second line herb in dealing with straightforward IC.

Guduchi   An important rejuvenative for Pitta and nutritive herb to take during recovery periods.  It is a potent detoxifier, buring ama without aggravating Pitta.  It is a great tonic for the immune system .  Taken with ghee it reduces Vata, with sugar reduces Pitta, and with honey it reduces Kapha.

Shatavari  This is one of the more important herbs in reducing Pitta and used for women’s Pitta imbalances around menstruation but in the IC condition is unique in its application, particularly around tea decoctions for bladder therapy below.  It is a rejuvenative as well.  It is useful in treating dry and inflamed mucous membranes.  In addition to its Pitta pacifying use, it also soothes calms Vata.

The basis of selection of which herb to use is based on the individual not on the disease.  So the evaluation of the individual to use targeted therapy is based on who needs it.

Sir William Osler, said to be the father of Modern Medicine wrote, “A good physician treats the disease, the great physician treats the patient who has the disease.”

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IC and Healing Time

How long does it take to heal IC using an energy science approach?  Obviously this is a common question posed by those doing energy science work for clearance of their IC bladder pain syndrome(interstitial cystitis, vulvodynia, chronic prostatitis, IBS, GERD and fibromyalgia)

As a child you may have asked, “Are we there yet?” and “Now are we there yet?”  So when will this IC be over?   The short answer is, “It’s over when it’s over.”  But to be more specific, in general it takes 2 months of release for every year of imbalance   So if you have had symptoms of IC for 10 years it will take 20 months of work to clear the energy qualities that have accumulated

This would make sense wouldn’t it?  The longer the imbalance the more work is required to get resolution   This doesn’t mean that there will not be improvement of symptoms   The flare intensity get less as the months go by and then the frequency lessens   But real healing takes time!

Are You Particle(Molecule) or Wave?

The body is simultaneously a matter field and an energy field.  The former expresses itself as molecules or particles and the latter as waves of energy   So this is how the energy field expresses dis-ease    In waves

Sound familiar?  The waves are flares that occur in the body.  And they continue to express themselves until you do something about it.  Until you decide to intervene   Otherwise the expression of the excess qualities will continue to occur

Because the matter field is a gross expression of the more subtle energy field, you now can see why dis-ease begins with qualities that then eventually become manifest as particles or molecules in the matter field   This is why I can say with certainty that the matter science will never be able to heal IC with its molecular approach to dis-ease

The Concept of Release

Once the urinary tract is involved with the energy patterns of Vata and Pitta, the symptoms of Vata presence begin episodic expression of light, cold, rough, dry, and mobile which lead to urgency, frequency and a feeling of incomplete emptying of the bladder   Pitta’s presence of inflammation lead to burning on urination, burning pain in the pelvis, vagina, and even rectum due to the sharp, hot, liquid and spreading qualities

These qualities lodge in the urinary tract and express as energy or wave   So the intermittent flares that occur in the body are waves of energetic expression

But what happens when you decide to do things to differently?  You begin paying attention to your day and how you live it   Energy science nutrition becomes important and you start seeing food as medicine   You choose certain herbs that can help with IC and use them regularly

When you no longer support the overexpression of these qualities in the body by the foods that you eat, the body naturally begins letting go of these excess qualities of light, cold, rough, dry, mobile, sharp, hot, liquid and spreading   This takes time but by and by there is lessening of the symptoms that the qualities brought and healing begins to occur

What you see is gradual regression of the symptoms   They do not stop all at once   There is a receding of the complex of symptoms much like the outgoing tide on the beach

IBS and Detoxification

The IC bladder pain syndrome(interstitial cystitis, vulvodynia, chronic prostatitis, GERD, IBS, and fibromyalgia) and the pain of IBS(irritable bowel syndrome) are interrelated on an energy level because gut problems begin the imbalance that leads to IC symptoms   What happens in the gut in IBS eventually leads to problems in the urinary tract because the GIT’s(gastrointestinal tract) digestive power is compromised leading to imbalances in other systems

To be aware of this is to begin the healing of painful IC flares  Why?  Because when you begin to understand the origins of your dis-ease then you can be  empowered to take on the challenges to live the life you once had

And we have seen that there are often psychological similarities between those with IC and those with IBS

The Biological Energy Prototypes and IC/IBS

From an energy science medical view Nature is described in terms of the VPK(Vata Pitta Kapha) frame of reference   Everything in Nature can be seen as these energy patterns and they’re composed of primary vibrational frequencies or qualities that contribute to their expression in the mindbody

As we have talked about in the past from an energy science view they represent who we are in the world and we’re varying proportions of these energy patterns of  Vata, Pitta, and Kapha   They are mindbody energy expressions or combined mental and physical characteristics   And the pain of IC and IBS come as expressions of imbalances of the energy patterns of Vata and Pitta

When there is imbalance of the qualities of hot and mobile the Vata and Pitta energy patterns are provoked and may be expressed as IC and IBS first at the gut level then at the bladder   This is the relationship between these two apparent dissimilar dis-eases

When you are in balance there is no excess of these qualities

When we are out of balance or unbalanced, using our example above there’s an excess of the qualities of mobile or hot  In this way we would see more mobility of thought, movement, and the GI tract as in diarrhea; excessive hot in the GI tract suggesting acid indigestion or heartburn, headache, or the painful flares of IC

Ama and Disease

When the GIT ability to process food is compromised ama is formed  Energetically ama is defined as undigested unprocessed food that leaves the GIT to lodge in various parts of the body  Sometimes this lands in the urinary tract to produce IC in association with the qualities that deliver the symptoms that I just discussed  When the tissues become clogged with this ama over time an inflammatory plugging of the energetic channels occurs and needs to be removed if healing is to take place

What Three Things Can You Do Right Now With This Information?

1  Eat a green protein diet that will support detoxification as you correct the IBS

2 Use a transdermal cream to support the clearing of toxins from the nervous system

3 Use a transmucosal nectar to help with clearing of toxins