Category Archives: bladder

Debiliatating IC and IBS: What To Do for the Mucous

bladder, bladder pain, chronic prostatitis, IBS, IC, Interstiial cystitis, Uncategorized, vulvodynia, ,

Human Digestive SystemThe matter science discipline has made the relationship between IBS(irritable bowel syndrome) and intersitial cystitis from population studies but due to its model of healing it has little to say about the association  It exists but we don’t know why

The energy science model relates that the vast majority of disease begins in the GI tract  This is why nutrition becomes the first mainstay of therapy  Of course it depends on what kind of nutritional advice is given  Molecular nutritional advice as I talk about in IC Bladder Pain Syndrome is at best guess work based on anecdotal IC sufferers reports

But what about this link between IBS and IC?  It’s estimated that about 70% of people with IC have some signs and symptoms of IBS  From my vantage point in dealing with patients…..it’s more like approaching 100%  And this makes sense because of what I just related about the origin of almost all chronic diseases

The Relationship of IC and IBS

The symptoms of IBS are related to poor digestion  This leads to the increased qualities of hot and mobile which leave the GI tract and lodge in weak bodily areas predisposed to disease  The mobile quality leads to the frequency, urgency, getting up at night, and at times incontinence if certain characteristics of the continence mechanism are present  The hot quality leads to the intermittent burning in the bladder and vagina leading to vulvodynia like symptoms  In men the symptoms of chronic prostatitis are similar except that the perineal burning is often more severe

Approximately 60-70% of people with IC become either asymptomatic and their symptoms dramatically lessen over time with minor flares that are tolerable and dealt with by small interventions that quiet the above qualities  The remaining 30% of patients become debilitated with symptoms

More often than not this debilitated group of patients have not only IC symptoms(bladder, prostate, and vagina) but also extreme bowel symptoms as well  This leads to the diagnosis of IBS  Unfortunately there is little from the matter or molecular science discipline to deal with these symptoms as well  So this unfortunate group of patients have IC and IBS both of which are not managed well by the current medical system  Nothing to be offered

Understanding IBS and Mucous

So incapacitating IC almost always has a component of IBS that is also severe  Since all disease starts in the GI tract the management of these severe cases must hinge around dealing with the problems in the GI tract  Typically when the GI symptoms are managed the IC symptoms take care of themselves

As I talked about earlier the cause of IBS is poor digestive strength  Once this process of poor digestion is set in motion the accumulation of undigested unprocessed food leads to disruption of absorption and assimilation of food leading to toxicity

But all of these digestive disruptions lead to increased mucous production by the lining of the GI tract  Because of the hot and dry qualities in the GI tract this mucous over time becomes thick ropey and creates intermittent functional bowel obstruction, leading to bloating and pockets of gas  Another serious problem with this inspissated mucous is that it is incredibly inflammatory which produces severe cramping pain

Over years this mucous becomes a major obstacle to clearing symptoms not only in the bowel but also the bladder  And both systems create symptoms that interrelate causing a constellation of symptoms that are uninterpretable by the matter science doctors

What To Do?

If early on in symptoms using licorice or slippery elm can serve as demulcents to the problematic mucous  Until the mucous is cleared the symptoms won’t be relieved  But the healing process of bowel recovery is another hurdle that has to be managed until the gas and bloating is controlled

The important realization to the management of these difficult situations is that the process of healing from an energy science view requires time   There is no magic fix, no magic pill, no magic operation  Only patience, diligence, and the courage to do the work

All the best in your healing journey  DB

 

 

Cooling Yoga Postures for IC

bladder, bladder pain, chronic prostatitis, fibromyalgia, GERD, IBS, IC, Interstiial cystitis, Uncategorized, vulvodynia, , , , ,

Woman Doing YogaIn keeping with our theme from last week, I wanted to discuss with you this week the use of yoga postures for irritable bowel syndrome(IBS), fibromyalgia, vulvodynia, and chronic prostatitis  All of these matter science disease labels are associated in high percentages with IC

(Also for more information see the YouTube video at   http://goo.gl/0Fm5SI)

Yoga has been used as a discipline for healing at the Ayurvedic Institute since the 1980’s and has been trademarked as Ayuryoga  The uniqueness of the breathing techniques that I talked about last week and the poses this week is that paired with energy science healing techniques they can restore normal health without IC

The key is that certain yoga postures improve GI health and restore digestive power that has been lost over the years  You will not heal IC until you address the digestive health of your gut

Use of Yoga in IC: A Historical Perspective

Yoga as a discipline of healing using the Ayurvedic model has been around for 5000+years and has used yoga postures for healing  In the late 1990’s Dawn Mahowald, a certified yoga instructor began having symptoms of IC  She began using yoga postures for her problem and was pleasantly surprised that her symptoms improved to the point she wasn’t bothered any further  During that time she sought out the help of a urologist, Emmy Ripoll MD who was open minded enough to follow Dawn’s progress and see the improvemnts

This led to a collaborative effort and a book on the subject showing how IC can be helped with yoga  They currently practice in Boulder Colorado  They were interviewed by Jill Osborne of the ICN in 2002

The Energy Science Model of Qualitative Healing

As I have pointed out over the years the difference between the matter science and the energy science medical healing models is that one is based on molecules and the other on seeing the body as an energy field  You simultaneously coexist as these fields  If I put on my molecular glasses I see the body as an collection of molecules  If I put on a different pair of glasses I see the body as an energy field

When I have those energy glasses on I see the body as a collection of qualities, hot and cold, hard and soft, liquid and dense, slow/dull and sharp/penetrating, heavy and light, etc  So these qualities become my window of observation as to how the energy field is doing  If I feel sluggish and fatigued then I’m out of balance and should take measures to correct the problem

If you have IC you have an imbalance in the hot and mobile qualities that cause you go to the toilet frequently and when in a flare experience burning on urination

So yoga can be therapeutic but a sequence in a yoga studio may cause you a setback if you don’t know how the activity can affect you  So the ongoing discussion below is meant to be a reference for you for future questions that you may have  Therapeutic yoga when combined with Ayurvedic energy science techniques can be healing and transforming

So What Yoga Poses Are Good For IC?

Using yoga as a therapeutic tool is extremely valuable but you have to have some basic understanding of what yoga asana(postures, poses) do to the energy body  As a matter of fact, people report being made worse when they go to a yoga class  This would be particularly the case if you attended a “hot yoga” (Bikram) session and this would make complete sense from what I said above  Here are some suggestions

Chandra namaskar(moon salutation) is an excellent cooling dynamic flow sequence for IC

Doing all sequences and poses slowly(opposed to the mobile quality) is also therapeutic

Forward bends are heating and backbends and expansion poses are cooling in general

After these generalizations the building of a posture practice is based on the individual and their needs  but safe asanas to use are:  trikonasana, ardha chandrasana, and utthita parsvokonasana  Most standing poses are heating

Balancing poses are very grounding for Vata and therefore reduce the mobile quality:  vrksasna, natarajasana, and gaurudasana

Agni building poses are safe such as uttana padasana, naukasana, and mayurasana

Inversions are in general heating but these can be used safely: halasana, bhadharasana(downward facing dog), and short periods in headstand(sarvangasana) are OK but sirasana and variations should be avoided

Twists are cooling so ardha matsyendrasana and jathara parivattasana are great

Seated postures with backbending components are cooling:  setu bandhasana, dhanurasana, pawanmuktanasana, baddha konasana, gomuksasana, virasana, supta virasana, ustrasana, matsyasana, vajrasana, upward dog, and bhujangasana

This list is to give you and your yoga teacher some guidance as to what postures can be aggravating for IC  If you haven’t explored yoga, maybe it’s time to try it out with this guidance  It’s great exercise!

If you would like some personal guidance you and I could develop a personalized program that could be progressed and at the same time get some other help with treatment of your IC condition

Clearance of Toxicity

There are specific postures in yoga that can help improve your digestion which are called above agni building poses  These are amazing because they help restore digestive health which is foundational on your road back to recovering from IC

As always best in your healing journey  Love DB

PS  Don’t forget April 5 for the free webinar on the use of yoga in IC!

Using the Breath for Healing IC

bladder, bladder pain, chronic pelvic pain syndrome, fibromyalgia, GERD, IBS, IC, Interstiial cystitis, Uncategorized, vulvodynia, , , , , ,

Bigstock_50596976 When in between the painful bladder flares of the IC bladder pain syndrome there are things that you can do to help support your recovery as you move along  One of the more important techniques are yogic breathing exercises

Moving Biological Energy

As I’ve discussed in the past you can either see your body as a collection of molecules or as an energy field  This is because you simultaneously coexist as both  From E=mc2 we know this to be the case but for many reasons the current molecular biological model has failed to embrace this fact primarily because you need a trusted model of healing that can guide you in world of energy science healing

The energy science model of Ayurveda is one such model of healing that sees the body as an energy field  Ayurveda comes from the vast yoga discipline and is actually the healing arm of that tradition

When you do yoga you are actually practicing energy science medicine because these postures realign, redistribute, rebalance the body’s energy field over time  In essence you are moving energy into places of stagnant energy which is the primary reason for pain

The primary reason for pain from an energy science point of view is poor flow or stagnant energy in the body

Breathing Techniques Can Do Wonders

There are 3 breath techniques that anyone interested in healing IC can use to aid and support their recovery  From a molecular point of view these techinques seem weird but when you know that you are doing these to redistribute energy in the body then it becomes clear why you are doing them

1 Kapalabhati(KB) is a breath technique of active exhalation and passive inhalation  This has high marks for healing IC because clears toxicity which I talked about last week  It restores the normal directional flow of energy in the pelvis and helps in the restoration of colonic health which is a major player in IC and bowel dysfunction  KB tones the digestive system and improves digestive power, brings about alertness, clears the energy channels and helps move stagnant energy along, energizes the brain, massages the heart(cardiovascualar import), stimulates blood production, heals the prostate, stimulates the ovaries, and balances hormones, and normalizes body weight  You can do this sitting on the front edge of a chair   Here’s a video demonstrating KB  Start with 100 and gradually over weeks increase to 1000  Some call this the breath of fire because it increases body heat  But because it doesn’t disturb the Pitta energy pattern it is considered OK for Pitta

2  Forceful alternate nostril breathing   A variation of nadi shodana or alternate nostril breathing, this breath technique is done forcefully with the right arm up if possible  So the fingers of the right hand are positioned such that the pinky and ring finger close off the left nasal passage and the thumb closes off the right nares   Begin by breathing in through the left nares and the same time closing off the right nostril with the thumb  Exhale through forcefully through the right nostril, closing off the left nares  Inhale right nostril, then forcefully exhale out left nares  This is one round  Start with 10 rounds and gradually work up to 50

This breath technique is like giving yourself an energy bath as it cleanses the entire energy body  It merges left and right brain hemispheres and unfolds by and by a blissful state of being  Physiologcially it reduces depression, eliminates migraines, clears the sinuses, brings vitality to the abdominal organs, strengthens the immune system, decreases cholesterol, induces contentment and serenity

3 Bhramari is translated as bumblebee breath and is done by placing the index fingers in the ear canals, closing the eyes, taking in a deep breathtthrough the mouth, and making the sound of a bee  This calms the physiology and hence the bladder in IC, is excellent of osteoporosis, induces good sleep, improves the function of the thyroid and parathryroid glands, harmonizes the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems  Start with 10 rounds and go to 17  No more than 17

In a couple of months I’ll do a webinar for the community on these techniques as well as other yoga poses that are beneficial for the IC bladder pain syndrome  Until then you can get started and be ready for the practice in April

All the best in your healing journey     DB

 

Toxicity and IC

bladder, bladder pain, chronic fatigue syndrome, chronic prostatitis, fibromyalgia, IBS, IC, Interstiial cystitis, Uncategorized, vulvodynia, , ,

bigstock-ecology-42423214The toxicity that we talk about in the environment is no different than the toxicity we create for ourselves The good news is that you can do something about it

The IC bladder pain syndrome is associated with toxicity not just an energetic imbalance As a matter of fact every disease carries toxic load to the tissues  But the matter science molecular model practiced today doesn’t have a concept of toxicity until late in the disease process, when people need dialysis for example And we tend to think of toxicity that comes from the environment, not something we create ourselves But the energy science sees it differently and hence as I have written about earlier, the disease process is seen differently Hence even though the matter science seems not to have an answer, the energy science does

In the IC syndrome IBS shows its toxicity as mucous in the bowel particularly if there is drastic pain  The other form of IBS doesn’t yield to the incredible spasms that occur with the spastic colon varietu  Fibromyalgia has the energy patterns of Vata and Pitta carry toxicity to the muscle and joints  In vulvodynia the toxicity appears in the female vaginal tract; in chronic prostatitis the toxicity  is carried into the male reproductive tract Lastly in IC itself the toxicity is carried into the bladder muscle causing spasm and bladder irritability

The Energy Science Term for Toxicity

The general term for toxicity is ama energy science lingo and it’s present in all diseases

Ama is a sticky cold material that is the endproduct of poor digestion  It doesn’t cause disease right away but by and by with its accumulation it begins to become symptomatic

Symptoms of ama are indigestion, poor appetite, sense of heaviness even though thin, halitosis, body odor, diarrhea, constipation, and of course all the symptoms of the above disease label

The Counter Measure to Ama

If ama is formed it means the digestion is not up to par and most people’s agni is not up to par  Another general term for digestion that is used in the energy science is agni  Agni and ama go hand in hand  If agni is low ama is formed  If agni is high ama is not formed and the person enjoys good health

There are several ways to prevent ama and hence ill health from occurring

1 Don’t overeat…..what one can hold in 2 hands is the volume that should be used at the biggest meal of the day…..the noon meal

2 Eat according to your dominant energy patterns(see foodsheal.com)

3  Use various tools to improve digestion…CCF tea, agni tea, ginger appetizer, trikatu

4  Use tripahala that helps improve bowel health and hence clears ama

5  Some ama is mucousy and the use of licorice as a demulcent(liquifies the mucous) can be helpful

6 Baking soda and dry ginger bath…1/3 cup of each in bath water  helps to eliminate toxic load through the skin

Clear Ama and Clear IC

So this is the top secret in clearing IC for good  Clear the ama  It’s not as easy and simple as it looks on the surface because as some of you may recognize all IC’s are not created equally  Some have had their IC a long time and others not so long  Some have prominent IBS as part of their IC symptoms while others have their ama loculated in different places

Not one size fits all so therefore the treatments tend to vary for each individual but the secret still remains the same: Clear ama and clear IC for good

Good luck on your healing journey      DB

 

 

 

g

If Castor Application Doesn’t Work

bladder, bladder pain, chronic pelvic pain syndrome, chronic prostatitis, fibromyalgia, GERD, IBS, Interstiial cystitis, Uncategorized, vulvodynia, , ,

Dripping oilThere is a great energy around the use of castor with some people finding relief from its application to the lower abdomen for the painful bladder of IC syndrome(fibromyalgia, vulvodynia, HAS/GERD, IBS)

But if that doesn’t work try a mixture of castor, mustard and flax oils as a combination(a third of each)

The same application technique applies  You can use a covering cloth over the oils directly applied to the suprapubic region Once applied you can apply a towel and then the heating pad over the top of the towel

The value of castor is that it cools the lower abdomen  Mustard and flax both burn up toxic accumulation in the pelvis when applied even topically  As I’ve discussed before toxic accumulation is invariably associated with the IC condition

There is no pain without this toxic accumulation so it behooves all people with IC to promote a good strong digestive fire or agni to burn off this toxic residue  This waste is oily, sticky, stinky, cold, and heavy(see picture)  So who would want that?

All the best on your journey  DB

6 Things to Know About Dairy and IC

bladder, bladder pain, IBS, IC, Interstiial cystitis, , , , , , ,

bigstock-cow-and-milk-54787247The products that are derived from milk can be  problematic  It’s based on who is taking them in when it comes to IC and the painful bladder syndrome these choices lead to inflammation  In the energy science world this is a dictum that is the premise to individualizing one’s food choices according to who is eating the food  All foods have the potential to make us sick if not chosen properly and this is particularly true with the IC bladder pain syndrome

For example when you look at the dairy selections at foodsheal.com you’ll find that the choices for dairy are quite broad for Pitta Vata(PV) but limited when comparing the foods with Pitta Kapha(PK)  There are two reasons for this  First the Kapha energy pattern(the energy of stability in the body) is easily congested with dairy due to the heavy quality and so dairy produces imbalance for Kapha people  However the energy of movement in the body(Vata)  due to its light quality is grounded by dairy

Overuse of Dairy Can Be Inflammatory

In general when foods are not digested well they leave behind poorly broken down molecules that cannot be absorbed and assimilated  These large molecules stay in the gut lumen and cause inflammation  This fact is particularly true for dairy’s large lactose and fat molecules(low fat milk or skim milk don’t solve the problem)

But the story gets worse as the years progress  The gut mucosa(lining of the GI tract) can in these cases become affected by this process such that it is not functional to other molecules like another large molecule gluten(there is a large crossover effect with gluten and lactose intolerances) and then the problme compounds itself

These innocent molecules of lactose and gluten get blamed due to our own poor digestion

What To Do?

Decide who you are energetically and eat according to your energy makeup  For example, consuming dairy twice a week is manageable if you’re a PK energy makeup; however, if you’re PV then daily dairy options are available

Digestive strength  The vast majority of people with lactose intolerance are not intolerant to the lactose molecule but rather have poor digestive strength which is the real problem  So the first thing to do in these situations is to build a strong digestion I’ve spent time in previous posts regarding this

Problems with Cheese  Although there are many cheeses available and it’s used in many different dishes, cheese due to its heavy, sticky, cold, liquid, and oily qualities is the worst food to take in when your digestion is not up to par  Soft cheeses may be used occasionally but the hard cheddar cheeses should be left alone since their acidity along with the above qualities make it doubly inflammatory

Ghee is clarified butter and is an excellent way to use dairy butter in IC  The qualities of ghee match those of digestive fire and therefore ghee helps aid digestion It’s also a great way to help the dry quality in the body particularly around constipation or early IBS

Ice Cream has the cold quality and makes this apparent good food for hot inflammation a great choice  Unfortunately the cold quality affects our digestive strength and leads to poor digestion

Yogurt  I’ve previously posted some information on yogurt  Suffice it to say that only homemade yogurt works  Store bought yogurt is too acidic and therefore inflammatory  And remember no fruit with yogurt due to the inflammatory nature of the combination

All the best in your journey     Love DB

 

 

5 Ways to Improve Digestion and Heal IC

bladder, bladder pain, chronic fatigue syndrome, chronic pelvic pain syndrome, GERD, IBS, IC, Interstiial cystitis, Uncategorized, , ,

Hot campfireIt’s of no surprise to anyone who has the IC bladder pain syndrome or is involved with an IC support group that bowel symptoms are as common as the flares  As a matter of fact if I were a betting person I would say that there are often more common than the flares that occur

But the bowel symptoms are often overlooked because our tendency is to focus on the organ causing us the most problem, namely the bladder and pelvic symptoms

Step Back

As you have read in some blog posts all disease begins in the GI tract according to the Ayurvedic or energy science model

When you focus too much…..I know that’s hard since the bladder is screaming for attention…. you may lose sight of the fact that the bowel symptoms are there but the bladder is claiming the attention  At least 50% of people with IC have acid indigestion(heartburn) and/or reflux of acid into the lower esophagus and they resort to all kinds of different OTC(over the counter) remedies

It’s estimated that at least 50% of people with IC have IBS and I would say in working with patients that if you counted all their symptoms that it’s more like 100%  The reason I can go that far is that most people walking on this planet have unhealthy digestion

How the Bowel Gets Sick and Symptoms

The reasons for this unhealthy digestion are 2 fold  First the food choices made bring about imbalance of qualities in the GI tract and hence symptoms

But the second reason is probably more important  Poor digestion of food leads to unprocessed undigested food that clog the lymphatics of the gut and cover the surface of the internal lining of the gut interfering with proper digestion, absorption, and assimilation of foods ingested

Due to this “poor digestion” symptoms occur  Gas, bloating, feeling of heaviness lethargy or fatigue after eating, fever, irritability, alternating diarrhea/constipation, loud noises coming from the stomach, poor appetite, congestion in the sinuses, mucoid vomiting or mucous in the stools, having an underactive thyroid, and overall depression….who wouldn’t be with these kinds of symptoms?

Getting Your Digestive Strength Back

Getting your health…..particularly bowel health back….is a challenge but it’s at the heart of dealing with IC  Puzzling isn’t it?  Here you have this bladder problem but you’re being told that you need to really focus on the bowel  Well, it’s actually both BUT you must put some attention on the your bowel function if you’re ever to deal with this problem labeled as IC

Ginger with slicesSince poor digestion is at the heart of the matter here are four things that you can do  Remember don’t use dry ginger….only fresh

1 Use ginger appetizer to help clear the undigested debris hanging around in your gut  Thirty minutes before eating your biggest meal of the day at noon take a slice of ginger with rock salt, lime juice, and a little honey   (To peel the ginger use a spoon for taking the skin off..and slice an inch long piece of fresh ginger and place into a small container  It’s helpful if the container is small enough to carry in your pocket or purse so that you can take it out to eat with you or to work  Small jars can be purchased at health food stores or you can reuse glass supplement jars  To save time make enough for 2-3 days

2 Use agni tea  Quart of water with 2 handfuls minced ginger root pinch of cayenne (for Pitta disorders, a speck or omit entirely), 2 Tablespoons Sucanat or Maple syrup, and 1-2 teaspoons Rock salt   Bring all of the above ingredients to a boil  Boil for 20 minutes  Take the pot off the burner and cool for a few minutes  Add the juice of ½ lime   Do not boil the lime juice  Pour into a thermos and enjoy throughout the day!

3 Use CCF tea  see prior blog post

4 Chose one day a week to fast  This gives the GI tract a well deserved day off…..you get days off from work – why not do that for your ailing gut?  This fast can be with juice(don’t mix fruit with veggies) or for overweight people, water but some kind of restriction from having to digest  Why?  Because just like a campfire it gets stronger when you don’t put so many logs on the fire  Remember though that predominantly Vata people should only do light eating once every four weeks or they will weaken themselves even more

5  Explore digestive aids such as Betaine HCl or pancreatic enzymes but recognize this as a bandaid and not a fix for the gut  As you can see, relying on something externally forever to help with your digestion is not a long term solution

Best of luck in your journey  DB

Nuts and Seeds for IC

bladder, bladder pain, chronic fatigue syndrome, chronic pelvic pain syndrome, chronic prostatitis, CPPS, fibromyalgia, GERD, IBS, IC, Interstiial cystitis, Uncategorized, , , , , , ,

almondsInterstitial cystitis(IC) bladder pain with flares can be amplified by the routine use of nuts and seeds of any kind and this includes their butters!!  Peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter

Why?

Unlike the matter science(MS) nutritional information that fatty acids are good and bad, the energy science(ES) of Ayurveda states that all nuts are inflammatory due to these molecular fatty acids regardless of the “good or bad nature of them”   The reason for this is that the post digestive(small bowel) effect is heating therefore inflammation provoking

Seeds also can be problematic  Safe to say that all seeds should be used in moderatioin  So popcorn, flax, halva, and pumpkin can be used once every 2-3 days

The sweet taste of many foods covers the acidic nature of the foods itself and this is true of the nut category  This is why the ES nutritional information trumps the MS guesswork around nutrition and is why the anecdotal information of the MS nutritional realm is at times confusing hence flares and then no flares   What gives?   This also explains why various other inflammatory conditions are interrelated with IC such as fibromyalgia, IBS, chronic fatigue syndrome(CFS), GERD, prostatitis(did you know that PSA is a marker for inflammation?), and CPPS(chronic pelvic pain syndrome)

As an aside this sweet taste of nuts in general make them a great choice for building tissue since the sweet taste is anabolic

OK Then What Can I Use for Nuts or Seeds? 

Sorry to blow your day if you crave the mixed nuts but there is certainly a favorite guideline of mine and that is “There are no hard guidelines in the ES realms”  Know that if you use the foods that are provoking that you increase the likelihood of a flare   That use of inflammatory foods will keep you up at the ceiling of the curve below rather than allowing your mindbody to do the rebalancing as the curve progresses to the right(BTW the ascent from the left shows how we gradually get sick over decades by our own choices(Oh shoot, you didn’t have to say that did you?)

Journey to Balance

Soaked and peeled almonds(this is very important! or you can use slivered almonds from the bulk section of the grocery store if they have one ) are very helpful for their nutritive benefit but also for their cooling effect  Turns out that the skin of the almond holds enzymes that in and of themselves are inflammatory   Almonds are not actually nuts but in the end who cares

Charole(actually seeds like sunflower) is another nut choice  It’s a very small nut found in very few stores in the US(I know because Ive looked; let me know if you have a source that you would share with the community) and is heating but due to the size and its energetics is acceptable and does not provoke Pitta(more about this energy pattern in future blog posts)

And of course coconut because it’s COOLING!  The general energy science principle is this:  Plants that grow in hot climates are there for a very specific reason  Their job is to make the environment cold(well cooler) and so Momma Nature is always taking care of balancing herself

What about nut milks?  Almond Breeze is made from blanched and peeled almonds so a great drink  Coconut milk also is a very nutritious drink and both these “nut” milks make great date shakes  More about that in the future

Note that popcorn is full of air therefore aggravating Vata so should be used in moderation

3 Nut Alternatives

Here are three options for substitution without provoking inflammation or the Pitta energy pattern in the physiology

Use the above three recommendations and make your own nut butters from the slivered almonds

Sunflower seeds can be used by anyone anywhere anytime  Sooo..  sunflower butter sold at Trader Joe’s is an excellent proprietary product and the best tasting sunflower butter on the planet    Have tasted many and this by far is the closest to peanut butter with a nice sweet taste  Mmm good!

Give yourself “permission” to have a few nuts every once and a while if the craving is too great   The ES reminds us that food cravings are a result of imbalanced digestion so the faster we can improve our digestion the better it will be

Interested in a free ES consultation with me?  Just tap on this link

Or sign up to join our growing ES IC community!

Well enough for now  Until next time                                           To Health as a Skill  Love DrBill

 

The Power of Rituals in IC

bladder, bladder pain, IC, Interstiial cystitis, Uncategorized, , , , , ,

When you think about it, all healing involves rituals   If the doctor gives you a pill for high blood pressure, you make a point during the day(preferably the same time every day) to take the pill  If you want to change your nutritional format to heal your IC, you put into place things that you do on a regular basis to change your pattern of choices

So painful bladder flares are no different than any other disease in responding to planned ritualistic behavior

But why does employing rituals work?

Rituals and Healing

Rituals are a way to grab our attention  When someone gets married, a wedding is held to grab everyone’s attention about the significance of a happening in two familys’ lives as well as the couple getting hitched  When you brush your teeth, it’s done out of a ritual that you’ve created called “getting ready for the day”  But when you think about it, this concocted ritual is really important for your health  It not only sets the tone for the day but there are health advantages such as clean teeth and bodily hygiene  The holidays that have just passed is another great example of ritualistic behaviorMarriage

Some people create rituals around various health activities such as exercise

The characteristics of a ritual are: 1 they are done consistently, 2 usually best done when they are at the same time of day, 3 as above they are done to grab our attention that something important is being done

Hey,  Pay Attention

I’m sure you’ve experienced the “well worn rut” in your life where you feel that something has to change but instead of doing something different you continue on the same path as yesterday

A ritual has the power to break up the “same old” behavior patterns that may not be serving you very well and asks the bodymind to “Hey, wake up, pay attention to what I’m doing here…..it’s important!”Shaving

And the beauty about rituals is that they are done as a matter of a habit….just like the old habits that didn’t serve you very well  Think of it as replacing one habit with another  But the habit being replaced is usually not a well thought out pattern of behavior but something that has crept into your day somewhat by accident not by your permission

Things To Know About Rituals

Probably the hardest thing that you do in life is change behavior patterns that don’t serve you very well  This is why rituals can be so powerful

Many of the healing techniques in the energy science realm are those suggesting a shift in behaviors, such as eating differently(avoiding coffee, carbonated drinks, use of spices) going to bed early and getting up early to start the day, morning oil massage, use of mono diets on occasion based on your energy makeup, etc

But there are some things that you should know about rituals employed for health

1 Not a quick fix  It’s about the proverbial “drip on the forehead” that over time has the physical capability to make a groove in granite  So it’s the persistence and consistency that pays off with any health ritual  You may know of the consistency of exercise and its rewards but it’s the establishment of the exercise ritual that does the magic

2 Real healing takes time   Actually a corollary to the above is that any energy healing requires time and patience  This is particularly difficult to believe if you’re experiencing pain  After all the whole reason that you’re taking on the ritual to begin with is to reduce the pain that is causing havoc in your life

3 Ritual adaptation  At times the ritual may need to be adapted, modified, or altered to get the best result  This doesn’t mean that the ritual is dismissed but rather it is changed as it is experienced  For example, if you find fatigue with your new exercise ritual, instead of doing it every day in the week, reduce it to 6 times per week

Good luck in your ritual planning for 2014!   Love DB

 

Are All Vegetables Created Equally? Not In IC

bladder, bladder pain, IC, Interstiial cystitis, Uncategorized, , , , , , , ,

VegetablesThe flare pain in IC bladder pain as we have talked about in the past is related to the hot and mobile qualities according to the energy science tradition  But as you know it’s darn difficult to find out what qualities are in foods

That’s why the food lists of various foods are suggested to give you food choice guidance

What Veggies Are Good Choices for IC?

The food list at icdiet.com is dedicated to those foods that are Pitta(energy of transformation that delivers the hot quality) aggravating  But with respect to vegetable selection

One of the first things you’ll note is that it’s either yes or no….no in betweens   Pretty black and white but the don’t favor list is important

For example, all the nightshades are problematic(tomato, eggplant, and peppers unless sweet), and corn of any type or form  Spinach, turnips and its greens, radishes, and beets including its greens   Then there are the obvious such as horseradish and hot chiles

I think the most important is the corn and tomatoes because they are so often used in our cultures

Energy Food Guidelines for More Selection

At foodsheal.com the choices are divided into 3 columns so the choices are broken down into 3 columns giving you the choice of the “in between” or moderation meaning you can use these vegetables 2-3 times per week  You’ll have to take the test under Getting Started in order to find out which 2 energy patterns are prominent before you choose your type of nutritional format   Notice that tomatoes is in the No column for all energy patterns (Some believe that if you remove the seeds from the tomato and just use the outer section of the vegetable it will be OK)

Also notice that for the Pitta Vata energy pattern combination corn and tomatoes are still problematic

Vegetables That Are Good Choices for Everyone

Regardless of which format you choose the following vegetable choices are the best for people with IC

Asparagus                                                       Cooked carrots

Green beans                                                   Cucumber

Peas                                                                   Zucchini

Cooked onions/leeks                                 Sweet potato

Okra                                                                  Rutabaga

If you want to be safe about your vegetable food choices the above would  be the best  Consult more with the foodsheal link with respect to your specific energy pattern  The above list will help you stay away from the hot and mobile qualities that produce the syptoms of IC

All the best in healing IC     DB