Thursday, February 11, 2016

Acupuncture and Facial Spasms

Hello Friends,

What I have learned:
I was reading in the Quintessence of Natural Living by Kiki Sidhwa about his participation some years back at the Third World Congress of Alternative Medicine in Sri Lanka.  Dr. Sidhwa was the only representative of Natural Hygiene at the conference.

Of all the therapeutic schools in attendance, none of the other practitioners were teaching patients that they can create health and prevent disease by changing their lifestyles.

Dr. Sidwha, though, said that the acupuncturists have an advantage because they do not use drugs and dangerous chemicals with side-effects.  He testified to witnessing undeniable results that were sometimes miraculous compared to orthodox medicine.

In cases of paralysis due to poliomyelitis, he saw cases where after 8-15 years of paralysis the patient was able to walk after continuous acupuncture treatment.  It seems that in long-standing Bell's palsy, hemiphegia (paralysis on one side of the body), poliomyelitis, etc. the anterior horn cells (or their equivalents) are not all dead or irreversibly damaged as is presumed, but are usually in a state of suspended animation or hibernation.  Acupuncture stimulates these dormant cells, and they become active again!

I have a long-standing condition of about three years of hemi-facial spasms similar to Bell's Palsy.  At times it has been nearly debilitating.  Acupuncture, I know is not straight Nature Cure, but after reading Keki Sidhwa's observations about the results he saw demonstrated, I decided to give it a go. I made an appointment with an excellent acupuncture doctor in Little Rock, Dr. Martin Eisele, to begin treatments on Friday.  The facial twitch interferes with my flute playing, so hopefully this will help.



The Practice:
My brother, Max, came to see me yesterday.  I am sorry I failed to get a picture of us together!  Max is making some changes in his life to adopt a healthier lifestyle!  Maybe we can share his success stories as he goes along.

I walked three miles!  Total for the day on the Fit Bit was a little over 4 miles.

I started off the day with a big glass of lemon water.  1 peeled lemon blended in 24 ounces of spring water.
Lunch: papaya, coconut, almond butter, grapefruit, avocado, goody ball, banana

Dinner:  I had dinner at a potluck meal.  I took some Nori wraps, steamed potatoes, rice crackers, and goody balls.  I sampled some of the vegan dishes there...some bok choy, raw jicama, and a tomato soup.

We sang a little song last night, a Weston Priory hymn.  The refrain says...All I ask of you is forever to remember me as loving you.

I am using my vegetable peeler to make thin slices of butternut squash.

Tanny Raw Recipe for Guacomole Dip.
1 bunch of celery hearts
1/4 jalapeno pepper
1 peeled lime, pith and all
1 cup butternut squash
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 bunch of cilantro
Blend all together in the Vitamix or food processor.


Nori Wrap Rolls
On a Nori sheet layer some of the guacomole dip, three leaves of baby Artisan lettuce, a few butternut squash noodles, and 1/2 of a green onion cut lengthwise.  Damp one end, roll tightly and seal.  Cut into thirds with a sharp knife.

Notes:
Learning and growing and opening up to new experiences and different people is a good thing.  It opens your range of vision so that you can see from a wider perspective.  Everything about your experience is determined by your perspective.

Negative energy is less powerful than positive energy.  Instead of fighting against the negative, it is better to focus on building up the positive.  In practical terms, I am focusing on eating 80% raw, intermittent fasting, walking three miles a day, and blogging.  I am not perfect, but I am getting better.  More important than being perfect is being consistent.

To health and happiness.

Monday, February 8, 2016

Two Schools of Thought


There are two schools of thought on health and healing and disease.  One school of thought believes that disease is caused by something external...whether it be a devil, a witch doctor, bacteria, or viruses.  Since it is caused by something outside, an external remedy is needed.  Over the ages those remedies have included magic, poisonous drugs, herbs, and surgeries.

The other school of thought believes that disease is the effect we suffer from breaking the laws of Nature. This group believes that healing will result when we stop breaking these laws.  This is called vis medicatrix naturae - the healing power of nature.  This is the basis of Nature Cure, Natural Hygiene, and Biogenic Living.

Nature Cure is not alternative medicine.  It is an alternative to medicine.  Alternative medicine is still the practice of medicine, as even homeopathic remedies, herbs, vitamins, minerals, essential oils, and even foods can be used in a medicinal way.  The side effects of these natural medicines will be less harmful than pharmaceuticals, but, nevertheless, they are used to treat symptoms.  They make no attempt to remove the cause.  Just because it is called natural, even though it claims to help the body heal itself, it is yet treating an effect....not a cause.


Lunch:  It was Sunday so I took a fruit platter, goodie balls,  coconut, rice crackers, and raw milk cheese to the potluck at our church.  
 
I made crackers from carrot pulp and chia seeds.


Carrot Pulp Chia Seed Crackers
2 cups water
Carrot pulp from making juice using 2-1/2 small bags of carrots
1/2 cup chia seeds

Blend in Vitamix until smooth.
Spoon heaping tablespoons on Teflex sheets and flatten to about 1/4" thick.
Dehydrate overnight or until crispy.  Set temp on about 110 degrees

Making zucchini noodles to go in the salad.
Dinner was a salad made with lettuce, radish, onion, cucumber, and zucchini noodles.
I made a dressing to go on the salad. Recipe follows.   Also, I had raw milk cheese, rice crackers, and an orange.

Chili Sauce Dressing
6 Tbsp of date bits
1 roma tomato
1/4 cup raw cashews
1/2 lemon, peeled
1 Tbsp wakame seaweed
2/3 cup water
1/2 Tbsp chili powder

Blend in Vitamix until smooth.

I did not get my walking in because for some reason when we come in from church, I just want to crash.  It's crazy, but I have no energy to do anything the rest of the day.  I am working on building up my energy reserves.

Don't overthink things.  Sink deeply into your practice ...simply enjoying every moment.  Try to have fun with everything.  LIGHTEN UP.  LIGHT UP.   Letting your light shine may be as simple as having fun.  Enjoy!

To health and happiness.

Friday, February 5, 2016

The Great Starvation Experiment / Tomato Hemp Sauce Recipe


The fruit basket looks pretty when it is full of fresh fruit.

Have you ever wondered why it is so hard to lose weight no matter what you do or how hard you try?  Do you blame yourself, and say, " If I could just be more disciplined and exercise more will power I would be able to succeed on my diet." Maybe it is not all your fault!

I read a book a while back called The Great Starvation Experiment - Ancel Keys and the Men Who Starved for Science by Todd Tucker.  This book is a good read for anyone struggling with weight issues.

During WWII, beginning in 1944, thirty-six volunteers, conscientious objectors, were hand-picked to participate in a year-long study conducted by Ancel Keys on the effects of starvation.  All were men, about 5'10", about 145 lbs, and in excellent health.  This experiment took place in the basement of the football stadium at the University of Minnesota.  The men were told this study would help with the relief efforts in Europe following the war, and most were eager to do something meaningful in the war effort that did not conflict with their pacifism.

I was amazed to learn at what level of caloric intake the body goes into starvation mode.  A graph on page 85 of the book charts the caloric intake of the men compared to their weight.  The normal caloric intake for the men was between 3000-3500 calories.  They were fed at this level for three months to determine what number of calories were needed to maintain weight.  The second stage of the experiment lasted for six month.  During this time the caloric intake was cut in half while activity levels remained the same.  During this stage the men were fed about 1500 calories per day. The third stage of the experiment, the re-feeding,  lasted three months.  During this time the men were divided into three groups.   One group received an additional 400 calories, one received 800 calories, and one received 1200 calories.

The most important thing I have learned from this experiment is that 1500 calories a day is not a sustainable diet.  These men looked like POW's by the end of six months on that amount of calories. Not only were they skin and bones, but all sorts of mental and emotional issues manifested.

Have you noticed that most diet plans recommend 1500-1800 calories a day?  That diet is not sustainable, and when you try to live on a starvation diet by choice, your will power will only take you so far.  The body's need for glucose and calories will win out every time.  That's when people binge!  Has that not been our experience?

Don't ever think for a minute that the people selling you diet plans are not aware of this study!  They know you can go on their restrictive diets and lose weight until you fail and go on an eating binge.  You never blame the diet, though.  You blame yourself for being weak, undisciplined, and lacking in will power.  So then you go back again to try another restrictive diet with a metabolism that will make it even harder to lose weight.

The truth is, women need to be eating about 2500 calories a day and men need about 3000 calories a day minimum.  After years of restrictive eating, you will probably gain weight during the re-feeding stage, but the weight will normalize over time.

Instead of calorie restriction, the way to health is whole, ripe, raw or mostly raw fruits and vegetables!

We bought $100.13 worth of whole, ripe, raw fruits and vegetables yesterday at the grocery store.
Close up pictures follow for a better view.  







Lunch:  1/2 papaya; 1/2 avocado/ 1/2 grapefruit; grated coconut; apple, almond butter.  The orange was saved for another day.
Dinner:  Leftover chopped salad; 1/2 avocado, zucchini pasta with a tomato hemp dressing; rice crackers

Recipe for Tomato Hemp Sauce to go over spiralized zucchini noodles:

Tomato Hemp Sauce
1 tomato
1 roma tomato
1/4 cup hemp seeds
Juice of 1 lemon
2 little colored bell peppers
A few red pepper flakes

Serve over zoodles.


To health and happiness.





Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Humility is a Good Trait



Don't try to make anyone like you.  Don't do that anymore.  Instead, be yourself and see who likes you.  There will be plenty of people that will connect with you.

Humility is a good trait, because humility means you are not trying to be noticed or liked, but you are going about your business without fear, confidently, letting your light shine without trying to impress anyone.

Light does not make a lot of noise.  Open up your heart and let the light shine in.  "There is a crack in everything.  It's how the light gets in." - Leonard Cohen  You don't need to fix yourself first.  No, accept that you (and the others) don't need fixing.  Love what is.  You just need to get out of your head and into your heart.

Speaking of light...Sunglasses disrupt the endocrine system.  Sunlight on the eyes triggers the pineal gland to open.  So let the sun shine in and open up your pineal gland.
***
The aim of Natural Hygiene is to cleanse the body and the mind.  It is amazing how what you eat affects what you think. I am not sure a person can escape being trapped in ego while eating mostly dead, denatured foods.  Maybe it is possible, but it will be easier and more likely if you can give up the addictive and harmful foods.  I am preaching to myself here.

A simple, natural lifestyle goes hand in hand with humility.  We can't afford to be arrogant and hope to succeed. We hope to have a better attitude towards the earth and everything that lives from her.  "Honor your heavenly father and your earthly mother. "   Instead of destroying and tearing down, we want to live in harmony and preserve her.  It does not honor God to degrade our earthly home.  We are here to learn and grow, not to make a mess.

No one can make us happy but ourselves.  We have to live with yourselves 24-7. Wherever we go, there we are.  If we are depending on someone else to make us happy, then we are going to be disappointed.  It does not matter so much about our circumstances.  Society tells us we will be happy when we have special treatment or friends or money, and so on.  But true happiness is found within yourself.  So don't expect someone else to make you happy.  The truth is, we are here to give happiness, not to try to manipulate someone else into giving us happiness.  We have the ability to let our light shine.  The more we give, the more we will have.  We will be prosperous when we can choose to be happy with what we have.
***

I am making plans to make goodie balls again.  I have been lazy and have been just mixing some almonds, seeds, and date bits in a bowl, but I think having the goodie balls readily available will help me with my diet plan.  I probably won't have time to make them until Friday, but I have all the ingredients lined up and ready to go.
Goodie Ball ingredients.


I bought a raw food dessert at the health food store a couple of weeks ago.  It was calls Rawmio Organic Raw Chocolate Truffle Cake.  It costs $40.00 and even the raw food group can only eat a little bit.  I think the goodie balls will be a healthier, better tasting,  and more economical.


 Travis and I went to Bryant to help our daughter and grand-daughter move some furniture into their booth at an antique mall.  Our pay was lunch at a place called Fresh Cafe.  I do the best I can when in social situations, but usually it is not good enough.   I ate a banana and some almonds and a little bit of green smoothie during the morning.  At the restaurant I ordered a raw milk pimento cheese sandwich on sourdough bread, a fruit cup, and fruit infused water.

Dinner at home was sauerkraut, chopped salad with lime and flaxseed dressing, rice crackers, plain baked sweet potato, and green peas.

I walked 3.42 miles.

Our hot tub has been repaired so I got in the hot tub for a few minutes.  The pool guy says that we are using chemicals in it that are not unhealthy. We shocked it with Borax.
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I still have a mild headache.  I am not sure if it is from the caffeine withdrawal or the lunch at a restaurant.

I bought some seeds for my little garden.

To health and happiness.