Mastering the three treasures in the body - Part 3

Job, my clients and personal life involvement have been taking my time quite a bit lately. I wanted to keep writing and sharing but was away travelling in the last month. Visited a lovely city during spring time, witnessed and experienced wonderfully evolved nature during this period of time. I thought taking mini regular vacations is crucial to regulate chronic stress level. Many of us burnt out without listening to the body, mind and soul 'signals'. A great REBOOT after back to back trips, and I'm back!

Now, let's resume where we left off. Ever felt you are constantly being judged by people around you? Try to remember the last time you did something which is life-changing, highly intense and perhaps spiritually stretched? When was it? How did you feel? Many people came across my life in the last 10 years or so, seeking for answers and understanding of purpose of life, solutions to the problems in relationships, health and wellness. What about you? 

I'm sure any of you reading this would have so many questions about LIFE, generally. Maybe for fitness enthusiasts and professionals, the community of people are curiously interested about different ways to enable the body to become fitter and stronger. For medical professionals, perhaps a much better success rates in treating patients. As for some minority of homo sapiens, perhaps genuine interest to find the the purpose of life, to learn how to master oneself in all layers of human body, and achieve great health and wellness through living in harmony with the law of nature and the universe. 

If anyone have read and understood the teachings of ancient taiost, or perhaps Yellow Emperor Classic of Internal Medicine, you will have better clarity and realize about living in harmony and in-sync with the universe. The human body is just a super minature form of the universe. Many ancient teachings of taiost have now been validated by 'civilized and modern science'. Remember Einstein? E= MC2, formula of quantum of physics, mass energy. The energy treasures of JING, QI and SHEN, is in fact a very similar concept of what was discovered by Einstein. Then, modern science have validated what was known thousands of years ago, where uterus muscle repetitively contracts during breastfeeding of a baby involving oral stimulation of the areolas of the mother.  Studies also have now validated that scientists discovered one of the major contributor of Alzheimer's disease is due to lack of sexual hormones production to the brain. Guess what? This was known way back then before we even know laboratories and advanced testting methods.

You must wonder, what these discoveries have to do with three energies in the body? The answer is everything! Well, if you are smart enough, you will realize that all living things require energy to maintain internal organization (homeostasis). It is the energy that made human body as physical entity. When we talk about homeostasis, in ancient taoist teachings, they refer it to YIN and YANG. Many of us might heard of this word, or seen the peaceful symbol of two fishes in black and white. Today, I would like to share some wisdom and teachings of this concept. 

As what the Yellow Emperor mentioned "The law of YIN and YANG is the natural order of the universe, the foundation of all things, mother of all things, the root of life and death". In healing, one must grasp the root of the disharmony, which is always subject to the law of YIN and YANG. YIN is passibe and quiet, while the nature of YANG is active and noisy. 

YANG is responsible for expanding, and YIN is responsible for contracting. YANG is the energy, the vital force, while YIN is the substance, the foundation. The elements of fire and water are categorized into YIN and YANG. The fire being YANG, water being YIN. The functional aspects of the body is YANG and the nutritive aspect is YIN. So far so good? YIN is the feminine force, while YANG is the masculine force. Remember, foods or herbs is refined into JING or essence, which support the QI. And QI is required for transformation and bodily functions. When reards to this aspect, if the diet is improper, the body may be injured. JING will be depleted and exhausted. As we know, in the modern hectic world, many of us are thrashing our body with processed foods and stimulants. From sugars to 

wheat and fast foods, alcohol, energy drinks and too much of caffeine could drain the vital JING essence. 

The YIN and YANG should be in balance with each other in the body. If one is dominant or expresses too much of that energy, the body will suffer out of balance. If the YANG takes over, the YIN suffers and will be deprived and vice versa. Remember, when there is injury to the physical body, there is swelling. If QI energy level is damaged, it can cause pain due to blockage or stagnation. 

As I mentioned in pevious post, the human body has five zang organs, the heart, liver, kidneys, spleen and lungs. The QI of the give zang organs forms the five spirits and give rise to the five emotions. The spirit of the heart is known as the SHEN which rules mental and creative functions. The spirit of the liver, the Hun, rules the nervous system and modulate the extra sensory perception. The spirit of the spleen, the Yi, rules reasoning power and logic. Then we have the spirit of the lungs, or also known as Po, rules the animalistic instincts, physical strength and stamina. Lastly, we have the kidneys spirit, the Zhi, rules the will, drive and survival instinct. 

It is critical to realize that overindulgence in five emotions, anger, sadness, worry (fear), pensiveness and even happiness, can create imbalances. Negative emotions can injure the QI, and prolonged negative emotions of a person will cause dysfunctions of these vital organs especially the heart. Heaven and earth, masculine and feminine principles, the QI and the blood, all reflect the interplay of YIN and YANG. How would you apply the principle of YIN and YANG to the art of healing? As once the master said, "If the YANG QI is in excess, the body will have fever, difficult rapid breathing, dry throat and mouth, irritability and abdominal distress. If the YIN QI is in excess, the body will feel cold, shivering and spasms of the hands and feet".


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Mastering the three treasures in the body - Part 2

In today' post, I will share the juicy part, the theory and explanation of what these three energies in the body represent and how they regulate with each other. Please take note that I'm NOT referring to fitness measurement of phosphagen, anaerobic and aerobic energy systems. These three internal energies are totally different entities which associated with vital organs, glands and spiritual and physical entity.

Let's jump straight into the juicy chunk of the theory understanding and background of how it all started. For approximately 8,000 years of Chinese history, ancient Taoist masters understood that retaining the seminal fluid during the act of love remained a deep secret. At first it was practiced exclusively by the Emperor and his innermost circle, who learned it from the Taoist sages that advised the court. These wise men claimed in earlier times it was a natural gift of all mankind. The Emperor needed the method to prevent impotence and illness; improperly educated monarchs were exhausted at an early age by the sexual demands of their wives and concubines. In aristocratic families it passed from father to chosen son alone, excluding wives, daughters and other family members. In this case, I'm referring to male practitioners or individual adults.

How was this powerful practice of energy and life-force cultivation and preservation become so well known? Yes, the yellow emperor during his reign compiled and documented the learning and what he practiced for the next generations of emperors and people of Taoist. The name of the emperor is Huang Di and what I will share is only a small portion of energy cultivation and preservation. Before we proceed further, let me briefly explain to you the 5 organs network which play a huge role in these three treasures in the body.

In the previous post, I mentioned about JING, CHI and SHEN. To better understand these three energies, you may think of money savings analogy. I usually would describe JING as fixed deposit in bank, CHI as savings account and SHEN as some sort of valuable investments from both JING and CHI. Another useful analogy would be a candle. Think of the quality of the wax of candle. The longer and better the quality is of a candle, it will be able to burn far longer, which translate into longevity. The fire of the candle, refers to CHI, the more stable the fire is, the longer the candle can burn and does not deplete nor overburned. For SHEN, it is the flame of the fire, or for some people might call it as aura. Imagine you hold a candle walking into a dark room, and trying to shed the light to lit up the room.

Now, for most people, by the time they read until this paragraph, doubts and disbelieve started to mount in their head and they might seem lost at this point. Well, I was too myself many years back, most of us were hardwired to believe on what can be measured, what is tangible and can be seen. But not many know how to measure how we feel. Whatever we do in life, almost all of them is about FEEL. From the delicious foods we eat, to visiting new city in a different country, to copulating with your partner or perhaps witness a disturbing road accident scene. Agree?

Just before I explain how each of these three energy does, I want to share the 5 vital organs role on functioning and regulating the 5 elemental phases which consist of wood, fire, earth, metal and water. These 5 elemental phases also correspond to the YIN and YANG of the universe. For Qi Gong and Tai Chi practitioners, you will understand much more of what I'm about to discuss here. In terms of Wood, it correlates with Spring, Fire correlates with Summer, Earth correlates with late Summer, Metal is autumn and Winter is water. The corresponding elements with the organs are wood/liver, metal/lung, earth/spleen, fire/heart and water/kidneys. As I have explained about JING, CHI and SHEN earlier, there are also two other substances which flow in the body, which is moisture and blood. To make it a clearer understanding, I present to you an illustration of these organs and elements connection below.



LIVER - WOOD - EAST - SPRING - GREEN - SOUR - ANGER
(QI and BLOOD)

HEART - FIRE - SOUTH - SUMMER - RED - BITTER - JOY
(SHEN)

SPLEEN - EARTH - CENTRAL - LATE SUMMER - YELLOW - SWEET - DISTRESS/WORRY

LUNG - METAL - WEST - AUTUMN - WHITE - PUNGENT - SADNESS/GRIEF
(QI & MOISTURE)

KIDNEY - WATER - NORTH - WINTER - BLACK - SALTY - FEAR
(JING)




As you can see from the illustration above, the 5 organs correlate with the seasons, elements, taste, emotions, directions, colors, and also animals, sound and etc. I did not include a complete diagram of this correlation as it may get very complex to understand for many readers. From what we learn here, an individual can store much of the negative energy and emotions into these vital organs which govern the powerful three treasures JING, CHI and SHEN. The ones who often express anger will injure the liver the most, and the ones who live in fear for whatever reasons, may not have strong kidneys function, essence and JING reserved energy. Please bear in mind that all negative emotions are stored in the HEART, and for specific emotion, is additionally store in other organs as well.

During the spring, the weather and environmental conditions can affect the liver, while in summer the heart can be affected, and so forth. If the spring overreact the summer, the weather is abnormal, with spring weather then occurring in late summer. The body reaction to this is excessive liver/wood energy that overacts on the spleen/earth. When the seasons do not follow their natural cycle, energetic transformation, cold, flu and other illnesses will result.



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Mastering the three treasures of the body - Part 1

In digital era, most of us have forgotten the wisdom passed on by our great grand parents, primal ancestors and surely the precious teachings by ancient Taoism and Ayurveda back in those days when lights were not even invented, nor any processed foods introduced to humans. Just walk to any individual and ask, "Do you know what are the three treasures in the body?" or "Can you explain what is the connection of the body, mind and soul?". There is high possibility every 9 out of 10 individuals look clueless and paused for 7 seconds and look blank on the face. 

What has changed? Why have we all forgotten about the way of life? Why have we all so disconnected with ourselves and the universe? Why have we know so little about nature and not even know which foods are real and knowing how the body work? Most of my clients and individuals I asked about which learnings and wisdom passed on to him or her, the answer is NONE. Perhaps the circle of individuals I came across have very limited knowledge and teachings from any known sources or masters, but today's post is about me sharing and providing awareness of what I learnt, and what I have been practicing for years. As a certified Holistic Lifestyle Coach and a personal trainer, what I learnt and practiced for the last years is way beyond fat loss, body transformation, fitness nor general health. It's about nourishing life, bringing quality of life to a whole new level. Developing a stronger version of yourself to a greater level, on all layers, mental, emotional, physical, spiritual and sexual health. 

As a note, before you continue reading this post, some of the content may 'push' some of the 'buttons' of your inner deep self, due to some of us practice and follow certain religious teachings and restrictions, or even cultural influences almost our entire life. For me, I was too as an individual who were born in a restricted religion environment and teachings of my parents and cultural factor too. But what I'm about to share here today, could be an eye opener to most of you readers, IF you have an open mind and giving yourself permission to empower yourself to feel and be better energetically.

As many of us heard and know about CHI or QI, which is energy, the word CHI is widely known and understood globally in many countries as of today. But how much do most of us know about CHI? I would reckon very few people really understood the concept of CHI. As most people focus too much on calories management from foods and diet, the understanding of how calories converts to ATP energy is vaguely understood and barely even scratch the surface of the entire understanding of how CHI energy is regulated and play a huge role in the human body. 

Now, let's have some basic understanding of life and the universe flow of energetic field which evolve around everything on this planet earth. We as human are energetic beings and regulated by electrical and energy field, we are barely physical entity alone. In teachings of Ayurveda, chakras energy points exlained how the energy flow in the body, correlate with 7 rainbow colors, nature, and how each color relates to energy blockages or preservation in the body, mind and soul. In ancient Taoism, or now known as Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), three treasures are one of the most vital practice for thousands of years for optimal health and wellness. It is now being passed on and practice and taught by many practitioners and masters all over the world. 

Let's talk a little bit about the well known Yellow's Emperor Classic of Internal Medicine manual. For some of us, we might have heard about it and read it. But very few people actual practice the teachings of the Yellow emperor and ancient Taoism. As most people have too much knowledge in the digital era, but unfortunately too little application in their daily lives. How about you? Did you apply what you know about health and wellness to your daily life?

Neijing, which is the Yellow Emperor classic medicine manual, consist of two sections. SuWen, explain and teach about fundamentals of organic and nature. LingShu, teaches the classic of acupuncture. As most people do not realize TCM is actually a practice largely from ancient Taoism and the Yellow Emperor manual was the core of the actual popularization of the entire teachings. For me, many of the teachings make sense to relate the universe with earth, nature and all living things on the planet. It is arguably the most interesting practical teachings one can absorb and apply in their daily life. In fact, many years ago, I was very skeptical about TCM and teachings of ancient Taoism. Until I fully understand and deep dive into what it is all about, it all become so clear of everything I read, learnt and trying to find out the answers I have been looking for all this while. 

Before we go to the juicy interesting stuff, let me explain about the three treasures in the body. First, we have JING, which is also known as the principal energy, or reserved essence. Next, we have CHI, which many people know about this energy form, is the body most powerful energy, which is regarded as sexual energy. Lastly, we have SHEN, which is the spiritual energy, or also known as soul and spirit. Body, mind and soul concept derived from the western categorization reflect similar classification of JING, CHI and SHEN. For those who is totally clueless about this, please bare with me and continue reading.

The universe is filled with different kinds of dynamic energy, or 'CHI' The Tao, for each man is to creatively transform his energy over a course of a lifetime back to its original state of harmonious balance. Sexual essence, or 'JING' is a powerful, vital energy that is generated continuously within the human body. Both work together to feed and grow the soul and spirit, which is 'SHEN'.

Understanding the basics of these three energies in the body is one thing, but to allow oneself to have an open mind and absorb the knowledge is the most difficult barrier. First, mental and emotional blockages is usually the 1st roadblock for an individual to even allow him or her to try experience anything in life. Be it specific foods, new things to try, or even intimate or sexual physical practice. Without you giving yourself permission and removing most of the mental and emotional blockages, it will NEVER happen nor sucessful. For some people, it could be spiritual restrictions which prevent them from allowing and opening up the physical entity. In a nutshell, we as wild primate who has lived freely for thousands and even millions of years, have been largely 'locked' in an environment and cultural restrictions for most of our lifespan, but it is YOU, who will decide what you want to do to allow yourself to experience and try what's best for you and not others, and improve quality of your life, health and wellness into a whole new level you could never imagined. 

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Relieve for histamines mediated symptoms - Cold, dermatitis, hives

From time to time, most of the people I know suffer from cold, cough and flu. Most of these symptoms are histamines mediated via mast cells being unstabilized or reaction to some sort of triggers, usually from reactive foods or environmental stressors. Generally, people tend to consult a doctor whenever he or she is feeling unwell or having a simple cough or running nose. Typically, anti-histamine medications being prescribed to patients from all over the globe for symptom relieve. 

Are you one of the majority who often dependant on pharmaceutical drugs to relieve health symptoms? Or do you prefer to allow the body to heal by itself and provide nutritional support and sufficient rest and hydration? Present day, we have more people who are dependant on pharmaceutical drugs then back in the early days of our grandparents or even great grandparents. Why is that so? Have we all been hardwired so deeply that we have forgotten how we evolve and the ability of the body to heal by itself?

When I browse through my refrigerator and kitchen wardrobe, I noticed a list of herbs and whole foods which are medicinal and beneficial to the body when comes to supporting the body of healing and inhibiting histamine release. I asked myself "Why on earth people are not using these herbs and foods to aid the symptom and help the body health faster?" With Mr.Google is just a click away for further research, and some of us still lucky enough to consult our older grandparent for herbal advise, I think we all should practice the ancestral approach as a first line of symptom relieve and treatment, and only apply pharmaceutical prescription as a last resort, if all else failed. 

As someone who practice holistic health, I highly recommend you to try some of the potent anti-histamine herbs below to determine which one suit you best. Try it when you experience these symptoms, listen to your own body response to each herb applied. For some, it may be very effective in a short period of time, for others, it may take longer then expected. The end goal here is to be drug-free and practice nature-based protocol for healing and supporting the body to combat illnesses.

Lotus Root

This whole food contain immune-modulating effect with mast cell stabilising properties and a study found they inhibit the release of histamines by up to 70%. It also rich in Vitamin C.

Immunopharmacology and Immunotoxicology - Volume 32, Issue 3, 2010

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3109/08923970903514830

Turmeric 

Turmeric has powerful anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties. A study found that it inhibited mast cell activation to reduce histamines release. You can cook soup, curry dish or most of the meals with this herb, or take it as supplement (extract). The curcumin contained within tumeric is a powerful antioxidant. Antioxidants are very important for your overall health, vitality & well-being. 

Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology  -  Volume 121, Issue 5, May 2008, Pages 1225–1231

http://www.jacionline.org/article/S0091-6749(07)03608-1/abstract

Ginger

Ginger is a rhizome that inhibits allergic reactions. It has traditionally been used as an H2 inhibitor but a study shows that it also acts as a mast cell stabiliser. You can boil ginger soup, or cook with your meals, or even make ginger tea when you have cold or cough. It is also antioxidant, anti-viral, anti-inflammation, and anti-tumor effects.

http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/np800555y 

Chamomile

A study has shown that chamomile acted in a dose-dependent manner to inhibit histamine release from mast cells. It is also beneficial to calm down the nervous system and enable one to sleep better. Most people tend to consume chamomile in the form of tea. 

Journal of Ethnopharmacology  -  Volume 137, Issue 1, 1 September 2011, Pages 336–340

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378874111003941

Thyme

Thyme is very rich in Vitamin C and has anti-histamine properties. It also has anti microbial benefits and can stabilize mast cells. It can be eaten raw or cooked with meals or take it as supplement.

Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry  -  Volume 69, Issue 1, 2005
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1271/bbb.69.1

Holy basil (Tulsi)

Regarded as queen of herb, it has many herbal and medicinal properties to the human body. Arguably ranked as the best herb to regulate immune system and stress pathway, this plant also is very effective to reduce histamine production in mast cells.

The Internet Journal of Pharmacology  - Volume 7 Number 1

http://ispub.com/IJPHARM/7/1/6038

Caffeine - Are you an addict? (Part 2)

As I have just covered the details of world's most popular and widely consumed beverage, let's now move to another addictive drink, sodas or also known as soft drinks. How much difference between both beverages in terms of caffeine dose or chemicals content? Let's deep dive a little bit on this popular beverage.

Remember when you go to the toilet often in the day but you didn't even drink much of water? Your skin started to feel dry and at times, you may feel headache too. From where we left off in previous post on coffee, the same can have adverse effect on the body with soft drinks or other similar 'energy drinks' too. As more then 45 million Americans suffer from chronic headaches, many of us are depending on painkillers or pain drugs (migraine and headache) on regular basis. Remember the vital nutrients and minerals lost from the caffeine of coffee what what I explained in previous post? The same can occur in these soft drinks too. 

To continue what what we left previously, caffeine in coffee and also soft drinks can act as diuretic and pulls water from the colon. Thus, the spasm can emulate diarheaa episodes in certain people. Caffeine also causes major vasoconstriction in blood vessels and also around fascia muscles areas. Most people thought that drinking more water to hydrate the muscles and fascia (from the dehydration of coffee and caffeinated beverages) can fix the problem. Bear in mind that muscles are the lowest in totem pole and act as slaves to the body. Vital organs and the gut will absorb the vital water first hand, before reserving it for the muscles. For for those who suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome, caffeine is a big problem for them. Caffeine can constrict that tunnel and causes pain. 

In today's world, neck pain and headaches are as common as lower back pain. When one consume foods or drinks which has caffeine, sugar and also gluten, it is a perfect recipe of headaches, migraines and even joints pain. At any point of time when you combined caffeine with sugar, your adrenals are shot and thrashed! One good example is any ice blended coffee products of Starbucks or similar commercial coffee drinks. It doesn't matter which brands of coffee shops as long as it contain both caffeine and sugars. 

Now, soft drinks or sodas. Do you know how much of caffeine is in a can of a commonly consumed soda? It's about 35-38mg in one can. As many people not only consume coffee, soft drinks is another addition to a caffeinated daily ritual. Most people don't realize that sugars (9-11 tablespoons) are added into these soft drinks to cover the bitter taste of caffeine. Remember the coca-cola million dollar secret recipe? Although the sales of coca-cola and pepsi is slightly lower then years ago, they are still the powerhouse of commercial soft drinks globally. 

Before you pick up that can of coke or soft drink, I want you to realize what I'm about to share with you in the following. Awareness is a pre-requisite to change. I want you to know what is happening inside your body when you consume that can of soda, it will likely to blow your mind if you find out. Let's get started. First 10 minutes upon consumption, 10 teaspoons of sugar hit your system. You don't vomit immediately because phosphoric acid cuts the flavor allowing you to keep it down. Approximately 20 mins after drinking that soda, blood sugar spike, and insulin release is triggered, your are in hyperglycemic state, your liver response by turning fructose into body fat. What happen next? 40 minutes in, caffeine absoption is almost completed, your blood pressure increase, your liver reponse again by dumping more sugar into your bloodstream. Your brain starts to produce dopamine and stimulate brain pleasure system, and that makes you feel good. Within an hour mark, the phosphoric acid binds to vital nutrients such as calcium, zinc and magnesium in your lower intestines and these minerals are depleted through urination. Your body is losing vital minerals and water. And finally, when your body is trying to pulls down insulin level, it now experience hypoglycemic, which is low blood sugar. In other words, your body suffer from sugar crash, and become sluggish. Your body will then tend to look for another quick hit of energy and the roller coaster ride has begun.

For some of you who just read the mental elaboration of the soft drink affect, two things will most likely takes place. One person may now be aware of the devastating affect in this beverage, and resolute to reducing or eliminating this drink from his or her diet. The other person may be thinking " I don't give a damn" and continue his or her usual poor toxic diet. I also would want to rewind back a little bit about coffee, as some of you might decide to consume decaffeinated coffee product, and thinking that it somehow healthier. Well, yes there are pros and cons to decaffeinated coffee. But the primary reason most people consume coffee is to get that energy hit and caffeine. Meanwhile, decaff coffee beans are usually higher in mold and mycotoxins due to removal of caffeine. Caffeine is a protective mechanism used by the plant itself to bend off invaders including mold and fungus. The decaff coffee industry then contribute and 'sell' off its caffeine to the soft drinks industry as a way to make more money. 

I remember way back during my time about close to 25-30 years ago, there are lower rates of obesity and diabetic patients. We have blamed saturated fats and cholesterol for far too long (60 odd years?), we have screwed up big time for this massive dietary mistake, and more people are now dependant on sodas and coffee to keep their energy levels up in he day on regular basis. This has become a daily ritual and most people adrenals can no longer function normally without these stimulants. 

When anyone asked me about the 'perfect storm' for any meals or foods adverse affect, my answer to them is "Sugar, caffeine and wheat". These 3 substances of mixed cocktail is a perfect combination to wreck havoc in the body and causes massive reaction and inflammation. I call it The Perfect Storm, or also known as The Cytokine Storm by many health professionals. And what would those combination of foods be? A classic example is a typical fast food meal, or bakery food with coffee, which is a typical breakfast in western countries. 

How about alcohol or perhaps even wine? I have many people who debate that wine consumption has its own health benefits and how true is that? Well, I do agree in certain aspect about the benefits of wine but the cons outweigh the pros if you review it comprehensively. Alcohol drinks or even wine, have the same metabolic affect as soft drinks, minus the buzz. Some of the alcoholic beverages especially wine can increase Ig-E antibodies which will likely to result in allergic reaction for certain individuals. And of course, alcohol is neurotoxic to the brain and causes injury to the liver and gut too.  It's a poison to the brain, period. It's also another form of stimulant, similar to soft drinks and coffee, but may response a little different in terms of delivering false energy to an individual. 

Anyone experiencing digestive problems or suspected of leaky gut or even celiac disease, staying away from alcohol is highly recommended. Especially alcoholic beverages made and fermented with wheat, rye and barley, it's destructive to the gut damaging the musocal lining of your intestines. Some may wonder what if I consume alcohol once in a while, would that be alright? Well, if its occasional one glass in months, and if you don't suffer from adverse symptoms from wine or alcoholic consumption, I assume it should not be as bad, but listening to your body is crucial. 

Also, please bear in mind that regular alcohol consumption can lead to esophageal and phyloric valves and sphincters dysfunctions. Many people are suffering from GI disorders, conditions such as GERD, acid reflux, gastritis, heartburn, severe bloating and flatulence, etc. When musocal barrier is breaking down, the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) will stay open, and substances such as foods and stomach will reflux upwards. Please take taking anti-acid medications will not solve anything and in fact it will make it worst long term.

Finally, what should you do if you are addicted to stimulants such as caffeine and sugars? Fix your overall diet first, and NOT exercise more! If you seriously need to consume coffee, ensure it is organic and add some healthy fats (coconut oil, ghee or grass fed butter) in each serving. Go to bed early to avoid energy and blood sugar dsyregulation. Drink more quality clean water throughout the day, and slowly reduce the consumption of caffeinated beverages from week 1, 2, 3 and so on. Invest in a good quality water filter at home. Add a pinch of quality unprocessed sea salt into every 1 litre of water. It will replenish the lost minerals from the caffeine and sugars flushed out from the body. Last but not least, you can refer to the urine color chart below to check if your are drinking enough water for your own bodyweight. 

Am I drinking enough water?

From the above chart, you want to be drinking enough water to match the color of your urine to no.1 and no.2. If your urine color is no.3, you are dehydrated. You may suffer from muscles cramps if the color darkens to no.4. If it matches the color further down the chart from 5 to 8, you are at health risks! Most people are severely dehydrated of quality water and the body is made of 70% water. 

Caffeine - Are you an addict? (Part 1)

As new year has begun, many people have set their goals and new year's resolution for 2016. Some might set sights on weight loss, for others, could be changing unhealthy habits and lifestyle. As most people are more interested in goals which are physically visible, how many pay attention to smaller lifestyle details which may impact their transformation and health or even fitness goals? Things such as regular or daily stimulants which are robbing your vitality, energy, nutrient reserves and even suppressing the immune system. 

Today, we will discuss about common stimulants which are very popular amongst most people at present day. The ones in particular are coffee, soft drinks (sugars) and even alcohol. Let's just take United States for example, Americans consume an average of 3.5 cups of coffee per day, and close to 300 cans of soft drinks per year. Coffee, is the most popular beverage in the world, and soft drinks come very close second. Reason? These 2 substances are one of the most potent stimulants and contain very addictive properties which trigger dopamine in the brain and tricked the body into producing 'fake' energy boost. 

As 80% of Americans drink about 3-5 cups of coffee daily, most people are not aware of what's going on inside the body. As I've blogged about coffee before, it is important to realize that this popular beans are heavily contaminated with pesticides and chemicals during farming and harvesting. It is in fact one of the most pesticides laden crops/substances in the world, apart from another stimulant cigarette. Depending on the quality of the beans, commercial coffee beans are high in mold, which contain mycotoxins. Mycotoxins have been shown in studies to cause cancer and the ability to inhibit peristalsis in the GI tract is devastating to overall digestive and immune health. 

Let's take an average individual who 'loves' coffee. When I asked most people, they admitted that they love and enjoy coffee, but they do not know why they are so dependent on this beverage on daily basis. "Are you addicted to coffee?" Almost all of them replied 'NO". In this post, we will determine if you are an addict to these substances. In certain cases, some people may be addicted and dependent on more then one stimulant on daily basis. If you want to find out how well your body can function without any stimulatory substances, keep reading and you will find out in the end of this post. 

Let's focus on coffee for now. As most people do not know why drinking coffee is mandatory in the morning and throughout the day, some may argue that this coffee beans have its health benefits such as antioxidants, but for majority drinkers, all they know is they need it to get them up and running in the morning, and provide energy during the day while at work.The same apply with consuming breads, where most people just don't know why they can't stop eating wheat based foods. 

For some people, coffee might seemed to be their energy provider, but most people don't realize that it DO NOT provide raw energy in the body. In fact, it borrowed energy and stress hormones which are produced from the adrenal glands.An average cup of coffee has about 100mg of caffeine. Caffeine does not produce or give energy to the body, but it steal and produce 'fake' energy which mimic as tension which one feel in the body.  For some people, they feel the tension in the muscles after consumption of coffee and others may feel other side effects such as palpitation and breathing difficulties. Caffeine makes the body move when it doesn't want to. 

Coffee, contain more then 700 substances and chemicals in the beans itself. As the most heavily sprayed crop in the world, coffee has a half life affect to the body. Most coffee drinkers are fast in absorption, but slow in detoxing the caffeine and other substances in the beverage itself. Assuming you consume coffee at 9am in the morning, it will require approximately 6-8 hours to lower the cortisol stress level down to 50% as the body trying to detox the caffeine out from the system. Meaning, by 3-5pm, the first cup of coffee still has the effect of production of cortisol stress hormone at half potency by that time. Imagine if you hit another cup after lunch from your favorite coffee shop. How would your adrenals handle it if this continue chronically on regular basis for months or even years? How would the quality of sleep be for that night? Most people are wired and tired, and unable to enjoy deep REM sleep most nights. But again, depending on different individuals, some may handle and metabolize caffeine better then the other. Any dose of more then 100mg of caffeine per consumption per day will likely to trigger sleep problems at night.

Please take note that pharmaceutical drugs such as birth control pills and other common medications interfere with the ability and efficiency of detoxing caffeine from the body. It is also important to know that caffeine and toxins passed through the placenta and breast milk. For pregnant women or breast feeding mothers, this would be an important piece of information as fetus has no ability to detox caffeine and toxins. Also, caffeine half life and production of cortisol in a fetus or baby is longer then adults. 

Caffeine Consumption/Dependant Scale: Coffee, Soft drinks or any caffeinated drinks

100-300mg - Danger zone, sleep issues ( not necessary insomnia )

400-600mg - Addiction, likely hood of reoccurance ulcers, fibrocystic breasts

700- 900mg - Addiction, energy issues

If any of you falls between 400mg or more on daily basis, you are likely an addict to coffee and dependant on caffeine to get your day going. I know some people might say "I just have a cup of coffee a day". That may be alright for most people, but when you look at the cup size and strength level of the coffee, the caffeine dose may well be over 400-500 mg in that one serving. There are people would love coffee due to the flavor and smell. That may be fine if there are no withdrawal symptoms when he or she stops drinking coffee for couple of days. 

I have clients who mentioned that sleeping hours are almost the same as couple years back before the 'addiction' kicks in. But, most of them noticed the quality of sleep and immunity decline overtime. The quality of mood also diminishes as consumption of coffee prolonged, although coffee may triggers dopamine production upon ingestion, but if this is ongoing chronically for long term, your body will be depleted of this hormone. If one is depleted of dopamine, he or she will lose the quality of mood and feeling happy. It is as powerful, if not more potent then serotonin when comes to mood and being happy. 

For most people, they claimed that they feel fine and great when they have their caffeine fix on daily basis. But when you take away coffee or even soft drinks, they feel lousy and unable to function mentally and physically. No more blood sugar triggers, no dopamine production. As we live in the digital social world, majority of us are nightcrawlers. Almost everyone now sleep after 12 midnight. If you add poor sleep cycle with cups of coffee during the day, you will be experiencing brain fog and poor energy fluctuations throughput the day. No deep sleep, you will feel unrested and tired the next morning, doesn't matter how many hours you slept. When one is sleep deprived or not getting regular deep quality sleep, the body loses the capacity to heal itself. 

Another thing which happen in the body is depletion of vital minerals in the body. You will lose minerals such as magnesium, iron, potassium, B-Vitamins, calcium, sodium, zinc, etc. Coffee and caffeine create this sensation of providing false energy in the body, but it rob the host of nutrients which needed for actual energy production. One of primary reason for anemic patients are problems with low level of iron in the body, and regular coffee consumption will make it worst or could be the main contributor to that disease. Melatonin, which is a repair hormone only increases when one sleep especially during proper circadian cycle. It is also a potent antioxidant which repair and restore the body for healing purpose. It is also important to realize that there is approximately 60% reduced blood flood to the neck and head musculature from the effect of caffeine. It also increase blood pressure in the brain as well. 

For someone who is concern about posture, regular consumption of caffeinated drinks can aggravate the poorly aligned posture due to reduced blood flow and tension build in the muscles area. You may perform a test of standing against the wall. If your tailbone, scapulars and head are not able to touch the wall without trying to force the posture, its a basic assessment for postural alignment.

Meanwhile, let's have a quick look at the caffeine content table for some of the most popular drinks which create false energy in the body. As you can see, it only require one Starbucks Brewed Coffee (Venti) to hit the 400mg dose of caffeine. So much for just one cup of coffee? Stay tuned for next post which I will focus on other caffeinated beverages such as soft drinks.

Content table derived from healthyprotocols.com

How to create peace points?

As all of us are living in a hectic fast-paced lifestyle, most of us have forgotten to find time for ourselves, especially having an intimate with our own body, mind and soul. With that, I don't mean going shopping alone buying clothes and handbags or the things we want in shopping mall. Nor playing online games with your desktop, or watching long hours of TV on the couch eating junk food. 

First of all, what is peace points? Most of you readers might be wondering what on earth that is? As I just completed blogging about 'Workout' activities as something YANG and catabolic type of physiological stimulation, today's discussion is about the opposite of hectic, chaos, racing mind, sympathetic, etc. It is ways to find to find your soul and get to know yourself each time when you needed it most. It's the small little thing which we can do for ourselves, each time when we connect with our inner soul, on daily basis. In other words, it's a form of healing when one is out of sorts or disconnected from nature and the body. 

To maintain a sense of self and equal equilibrium and have capacity to engage things in life. From cell phones to TV to internet to social networking, our lives are bombarded with distractions and sometimes we need to give permission to ourselves to get away from the buzz and all the hectic stuff around us. We are so busy and so crowded through medias and electronics and we know what phones and handbags our neighbors are using, or celebrities private lives and even your colleague's bad day in toilet. Most of us spent more time knowing others' problems and happenings, then reserving quality time with their own lives and loved ones. It's cruel irony and sad reality. 

We really owed it to ourselves to shut off these gadgets and give a period of time to go off the grid and disconnect. Else, we will end up like most of the celebrities and rich people where many of them spend lots of money on so called medical and health care, psychiatrist, doctors, drugs, psychologist, etc. Getting out in nature and taking care of your body, which is ultimately yours by calming and stretching the body and create more space in the body. Especially living in a hectic stressed out world at present time, creating peace point can provide us with some sense of inner peace.

Most people I know don't even have time to eat as they have such a busy schedule. It's a self destructive habit to constantly surround yourself with people particularly when you eat. When you watch people eat and talk, they barely even chew their foods and swallow down chunks of it. The next thing you know, they have parasite infections, digestive problems, elimination problems, skin problems, attitude problems, headaches, etc. Eating is a sacred event and one should have a relationship with food. 

Spend time exercising alone. Spend time doing things you love alone, such as doing art or singing. As some people prefer going to the gym with a training buddy, there is nothing wrong with it. But, training alone with maximum focus on your entire session without distraction is a win. If you walk into commercial gyms, you will be blasted with loud music and TV programs and people talking all over the place. Not to mention group classes which at times could be deafening and giving you headache more then benefit the body.

One of the peace points techniques is called the single pointed focus. Imagine you give 100% focus in that very moment, be it holding a static crow stance for 2 mins, or bottoms up heavy kettlebell static press up, or pressing with every muscle in the body with maximum contraction, against the wall. Bear in mind, doing a chest press or bodycombat class is not a single pointed focus. The goal is an alone time, quiet time, fully present in that moment and totally focus. In that moment, the rest of the world seize to exist. A peace point, as you choose to exercise and take care of yourself.

Ask yourself, do you really need loud music or a group of friends to exercise? If you really listen to your body and choose to do it for yourself, you DO NOT need all these factors to accompany you to perform this activity. Try enjoy the irrational, from making art to music and singing or anything driven by your soul. Nothing to measure, nobody to compare or compete, just having good old irrational fun. Most people just afraid to perform or even attempt anything in their lives, because they are afraid others judge them and say things which make them feel bad. Remember, this is your life, and you can't always control what people say about you. Don't let it affect what you love to do the most, your passion and what your soul tells you to do.

Meanwhile, below are some of the tips to create peace points:


- Build them into your schedule, don't buy excuses
- Eat alone, have relationship with the food, develop spiritual experience during the meal
- Take breaks at work and allow yourself to think nothing!
- Have sense of humor, allow yourself to jokes with others
- Enjoy nature whenever possible, especially barefoot
- Shut off your cell phone or leave it behind during your peace points moment
- Use travel time to enjoy yourself rather then busy working or constant worrying
- Play and have alone fun

Bottom line is, whatever you do, keep it irrational, not measurable. Playfulness is the measure of intelligence. Stop worrying about what your colleagues or friends say about what you are going to do. Be it something which might sound silly or your good friend tells you that it's a bad idea. Let your soul guide you, spending more alone time in quiet environment is far more beautiful then you can ever imagine. Picture yourself exploring a serene rainforest surrounded by nature, the silence and peace of mind in that moment will make you realize how much you have been disconnected from nature and your own body and soul. Before I sign off, I would like to wish all of you a very Happy Holidays!