Health, Wellness & Healing
Grapes are high in antioxidants such as resveratrol, flavanols, flavonols, phenolic acids and carotenoids, as well as vitamins K and B2, and copper. Please choose organic grapes as conventionally-grown grapes are unusually-high in pesticides.
Las uvas son ricas en antioxidantes como el resveratrol, flavonoides, ácidos fenólicos, flavonoides y carotenoides, así como las vitaminas K y B2, y cobre. Por favor, elija uvas orgánicas como las uvas de cultivo convencional son muy altos en pesticidas.
Watermelon is more than 90% water, and it has several B-vitamins, vitamin C, lycopene, amino acids, calcium, iron, magnesium and many more important nutrients. Plus it has a delicious taste that ranges from light to moderate sweetness. The watermelons that we have here in Panama are among the sweetest varieties in the world.
You can enjoy watermelons a variety of ways: Slice it up and eat it piece by piece, preferably with family or friends. You can easily make watermelon juice or even watermelon ice cream.
Más del 90% agua, además de muchos nutrientes importantes incluyendo varias vitaminas del complejo B,
vitamina C, licopeno, aminoácidos, calcio, hierro,magnesio y muchos más.
Puede disfrutar la sandia de una variedad de formas: cortalo y lo comes pedazo-por-pedazo, preferible con familia o amigos. Ademas, puede hacer jugo de sandia, e incluso puede hacer helado de sandia.
Click here (or click the image to the right) to download our 7-day raw vegan menu and shopping listWelcome to our 7-day Raw Vegan Challenge! We are so happy you joined us! It is time to try a beautiful healthy way of eating! This challenge will help you to start developing the habit of eating more fruits and vegetables, to avoid toxins and to reduce inflammation. The raw vegan lifestyle can help you with skin problems, digestion, weight management and it will definitely give you more energy!
“Vegan” means absolutely no animal product (meat, fish, eggs, and dairy). And “Raw” means uncooked. So you’ll be eating the foods that nature intended for human consumption… foods that are delicious in their natural form, and the easiest to digest.
During this challenge you can follow our 7-day meal plan. But don’t stress over following it exactly. You can add, subtract or substitute any raw fruit or vegetable that you choose. You can also modify the quantities to suit your appetite. Feel free to create your own recipes too! Make sure to fill up your fridge before the challenge… there is a shopping list at the end of our PDF!
Remember, you are stronger than this challenge and this challenge will make you stronger!
Peace & Love,
Natalia Star
Oceanica Wellness
Michael Ducharme
Lotus Garden Spa and Wellness Community
More than 90% water, plus many important nutrients including several B-vitamins, vitamin C, lycopene, amino acids, calcium, iron , magnesium and many more.
Grapes are high in antioxidants such as resveratrol, flavanols, flavonols, phenolic acids and carotenoids, as well as vitamins K and B2, and copper. Please choose organic grapes as conventionally-grown grapes are unusually-high in pesticides.
Pineapples are loaded with manganese and vitamin C, plus several B-vitamins and many other vitamins and minerals.
Vitamins B, C, E and K, plus calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and zinc.
Lots of vitamin C, manganese, and essential unsaturated fatty acids. Strawberries also contain anti-inflammatory phytochemicals (such as polyphenols, flavonoids and phenolic acids) that help prevent both cancer and heart disease.
Avocados provide nearly 20 essential nutrients, including fiber, potassium, Vitamin E, B-vitamins such as folic acid. Avocados are high in healthy fats such as oleic acid, palmitic acid and linoleic acid, and studies have shown that consuming avocados regulates blood cholesterol (increasing HDL “good” cholesterol while decreasing LDL “bad” cholesterol)
Papayas are loaded with vitamin C, plus vitamin A, potassium, magnesium and lots of other nutrients. Papayas are alkalizing and extremely easy to digest.
Kiwis are high in vitamin C, plus vitamins E and K, potassium and magnesium, and the carotenoids beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin. Kiwis have been shown to prevent blood clotting as effectively as aspirin, with no side effects. The skin is edible and nutrient-dense.
¡Bienvenid@ a nuestro Reto Crudi-Vegana de 7 días! ¡Estamos contentos de tenerl@ con nosotros! Es hora de probar una hermosa forma de comer! Este reto le ayudará a comenzar a desarrollar el hábito de comer más frutas y verduras, para evitar las toxinas y reducir la inflamación.
El estilo de vida crudi-vegana le puede ayudar con problemas de la piel, la digestión, control de peso y sin duda le dará más energía!
“Vegana” significa absolutamente ningún producto de origen animal (carne, pescado, huevos y productos lácteos). Y “Crudi” significa sin cocinar. Así que van a comer los alimentos que la naturaleza destina para el consumo humano… Los alimentos que son deliciosos en su forma natural, y los más fáciles de digerir.
Durante este desafío, puede seguir nuestro plan de comidas de 7 días. Pero no se estrese en seguirlo exactamente. Puede sumar, restar o sustituir cualquiera fruta o verdura cruda que usted elija. También puede modificar las cantidades para satisfacer su apetito. Siéntase libre de crear sus propias recetas también!
Asegúrese de llenar la nevera bien antes del desafío… hay una lista de compras al final de nuestro PDF!
Recuerde, usted es más fuerte que este reto y este reto le hará más fuerte!
Paz & Amor,
Natalia Star
Oceanica Wellness
Michael Ducharme
Lotus Garden Spa y Comunidad de Bienestar
Haga clic aquí para descargar nuestro menú vegana cruda y lista de compras de 7 días
Two perspective articles were published today in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine on the FDA’s proposed new food labeling guidelines. The FDA is an organization that is criticized frequently and rarely applauded for its slow but steady progress in protecting consumers.
David Kessler, the former FDA commissioner that helped create the current Nutrition Facts Label, stated that “reducing the incidence of diet-related disease and associated mortality was one of the most significant contributions we could make to public health. Our goal was… to give people accurate, easy-to-read information that encouraged them to make healthier food choices.”
The original label fell short of that goal, but it was a starting point. Ideally, the FDA should have continued to improve its labeling requirements to protect consumers from the dishonest tactics of food manufacturers.
Some twenty-five years have passed, and the FDA is finally ready to take its next “baby step”, the very first revision to the food label since its creation. But the update is far from dramatic, and the changes may even be hard to detect (so I have taken the liberty of highlighting them in yellow in the photo, although the actual labels will be plain black and white). A line will be added to list added sugars separately from total sugars. And the serving sizes will be revised to more accurately reflect what people actually eat.
These small changes are specifically aimed at the obesity epidemic. Kessler says that “over the past decade, we have learned a great deal about the reinforcing properties of sugar and how they promote overeating, and we know that people tend to consume calorie-rich, sugary products at the expense of nutrient-dense foods.”
Indeed, twenty-five years have taught us more than just “added sugars lead to obesity”. In this proverbial cat-and-mouse game, the manufacturers have become big, fat rats under the nose of a sleepy cat.
Manufacturers still use the following tricks to avoid telling consumer’s the truth about its “food” products that rarely contain more than low-cost, nutritionally-void substances and toxic additives:
Instead of real ingredients like fruits and vegetables, which are costlier and more “problematic” due to the fact that real food cannot be held in a warehouse for years, manufacturers use dried up, pulverized grass seeds, also known as grains, and then fortify them with synthetic vitamins, creating the illusion of a nutritious product for a fraction of the cost. Wonderful!
Manufacturers fill their products with addictive sugar and artificial sweeteners, and then label them as “low fat”.
Tiny type and complex names are used to confuse the consumer. The FDA currently requires that ingredients be listed in descending order by weight. But rather than listing “sugar” as the #1 ingredient, sneeky manufacturers add several different sweeteners, including fructose, corn syrup, aspartame, sucralose, dextrose, maltodextrin and brown rice syrup, which can be listed separately further down the list. Brilliant!
According to Peter Williams in the journal “Nutrition Reviews”, consumers do trust the health claims that manufacturers make on the front of their packaging. Products that contained a health claim (such as “low fat” or “lower sugar”) were considered “healthier” than foods without such claims (3), yet many of these items actually contain no real food at all, and could fairly be called pure junk.
Kessler believes that the FDA should require manufacturers to list the top three ingredients, the number of additional ingredients and the calorie count on the front of each package in large bold letters. (See image.) He also believes that forcing these labels onto the fronts of packages will have the double-whammy effect of embarrassing the manufacturers into putting real food into their packages. I agree on both counts! Too bad Kessler is no longer in charge of the FDA.
If it were me running the FDA, I would implement Kessler’s ideas, and I’d go even further. I am decidedly less forgiving of the manufacturers that harm consumers with addictive, toxic ingredients sold as food. You can see my version of the new proposed food label at the top of this page.
This is my good friend, Gudrun Leduc. Gudrun was born in Germany and after some extensive traveling, she settled in Montreal, Canada.
Around ten years ago, Gudrun called one of my companies, and I invited her and her husband to visit me in Panama. We have been friends ever since, and I have come to know what a remarkable person she is. Gudrun is an inspiration to many people. Some know her as the dedicated Tai Chi and Chi Gong master. Others have studied yoga and pilates with her. Still others have received expert shiatsu massage treatments from her. And many a student and friend of Gudrun has had the pleasure of sampling Gudrun’s exquisite meals.
It was in China that Gudrun received her training in Tai Chi and Chi Gong. She studied Yang style and Sun style tai chi, as well as tai chi weapons, including the use of single-edged and double-edged broadswords. She studied these arts at the University of Physical Education in Beijing under Master Wu and Grand Master Yung Ming Zhong. She then took her knowledge back to Canada, and opened the 5 Elements School, to share these arts with her own students, many of whom continued practicing with her for twenty years, until Gudrun’s move to Panama.
Gudrun now operates a healing retreat center in Cerro Punta, Panama. She is planning to offer Tai Chi, Chi Gong and Yoga Retreats at The Lotus Garden, in Limon, Panama.
Gudrun is married to Greg Leduc, a talented musician and the two have two lovely daughters and a beautiful grandson. Below, Gudrun is pictured with her daughter, Katherine, who has taken over the management of the 5 Elements School in Montreal.
Gudrun and Katherine Leduc
Diabetes Mellitus is one of the world’s biggest killers. The word “diabetes” means “passing through” and “mellitus” refers to honey or the sweet taste of sugar. It happens that those with diabetes urinate more frequently, and that urine is loaded with sugar, but this is just one of many symptoms of diabetes. The other symptoms include blurry vision, increased appetite or thirst, and extreme weakness. These and still more symptoms merely indicate that you may look forward to a long list of terrible consequences of full-blown diabetes: heart disease, obesity, liver failure, difficulty breathing, erectile dysfunction, yeast infections, joint problems, nausea, vomiting, convulsions, gangrene and ulcers leading to the amputation of limbs, coma, memory loss, nerve damage, premature aging and unfortunately, the list goes on and on.
The medical community holds that there is no cure for diabetes, but there is evidence to suggest that diabetes is both preventable and reversible. My intention in sharing this information with you is that you will work together with your doctor to achieve the highest level of health, while using the fewest medications possible.
A diagnosis of diabetes is always classified as being either “Type 1”, “Type 2” or “gestational”. Type 1, according to the vast majority of doctors, is the pancreas’ complete inability to produce insulin, and therefore requires a lifetime of direct insulin injections. Type 1 diabetes is sometimes referred to as insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (or IDDM) and was previously called “juvenile-onset diabetes”. The medical community has been forced to drop the latter name because of the great number of adults that are developing Type 1 diabetes, and the great number of children that are developing Type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes, according to mainstream literature, is when the beta cells of the pancreas can be stimulated to produce insulin, meaning that the “lucky” patient can swap a lifetime of needles for a lifetime of pills. “Gestational” diabetes affects only pregnant women and their babies. Although the mainstream medical community rejects the idea of curing diabetes, many responsible physicians do recommend that their patients adopt a healthy diet and lifestyle to prevent diabetes or slow its progression.
There are several new and old treatment protocols that offer more than blind hope for those suffering with diabetes.
Dr. Robert O. Young is a modern-day champion in the fight against diabetes. A microbiologist, Dr. Young uses a high-powered microscope to perform live-cell analysis on human blood. This process allows him to record the movement of the living blood. Using this technology, he re-discovered what a French scientist named Antoine Béchamp(1,2) had discovered about 100 years ago: that a blood cell can actually become a bacterial cell or a fungus cell (and can convert back to a regular blood cell) depending on the pH of the fluid that surrounds the cell. Both Béchamp and Young observed tiny organisms called microzymas, which can morph or transform themselves through a process called pleomorphism. Béchamp’s discoveries were mostly ignored for a century as the world erroneously followed Louis Pasteur’s Germ Theory. Pasteur blamed “external” invaders that could be killed with heat (pasteurization) and/or drugs (antibiotics). He ignored the possibility that disease was created internally. The Germ Theory lives on today, as it is compatible with big business: pasteurization allows mass-production of animal products in disgracefully dirty conditions, and the “external threat” of deadly germs creates a huge demand for pharmaceuticals. Recognizing the possibility that “the enemy is created within”, one is empowered to take personal responsibility for preventing and reversing one’s disease. That real healing can happen through proper diet and lifestyle is the nightmare of Big Pharma and Big Food. Dr. Young’s book, The pH Miracle for Diabetes is a blueprint for preventing and reversing diabetes. I have read, and thoroughly agree with the essence of Dr. Young’s message. In the book, Dr. Young describes the results that he observed in two small clinical trials, and provides a wealth of knowledge that he accumulated over many years of scientific study. His wife, Shelly Redford Young, provides 125 pages of recipes that can help anyone to improve their diet. Shelly’s recipes are nutritious, delicious and easy-to-follow. (Although I must confess to not having tried all of them since I normally create my own recipes with the freshest organic fruits and vegetables available to me.) I would recommend that you buy his book if you or someone that you care about is diabetic, or on the road to becoming one.
Dr. Davis is a cardiologist that has seen thousands of patients with both heart disease and diabetes. Dr. Davis’ own clinical experience confirms what the medical literature already knew: that diabetes and heart disease often go hand-in-hand. In fact, that is an understatement. Having diabetes makes you about 60% more likely to suffer heart disease. Dr. Davis has authored the book “Wheat Belly”, which explains in great detail, the correlation between these two diseases. As the title of the book suggests, Dr. Davis recommends drastically-reducing our consumption of carbohydrates, and eliminating wheat altogether. According to Dr. Davis, a slice of whole wheat bread will spike your blood sugar more than a Snickers bar, and even more than eating a teaspoon of pure table sugar. Throughout the book, Dr. Davis does not spare any detail. He thoroughly describes the sequence of events from the instant that a carbohydrate enters your mouth, through the entire digestive tract, the creation of several types of lipoproteins and the formation of AGE’s (advanced glycation end products). Lipoproteins are proteins that carry lipids. They are often referred to (erroneously) as “cholesterol”. LDL stands for Low Density Lipoprotein, and is often referred to (again, erroneously) as “bad cholesterol”. Dr. Davis is crystal clear on this issue: LDL is only problematic when the LDL molecules are smaller than 25.5 nanometers. The more wheat, sugar and other carbohydrates we eat, the more of these “small” LDL molecules are created. Davis is equally descriptive on AGE’s, which are the true cause of aging. He explains that diabetics are among the unhealthiest people in this regard, as their high rate of glycation indicates that they are aging faster than the rest of us. He does not suggest that aging can be halted completely, but he does prescribe a method of slowing down the process as much as possible. Yes, eliminate wheat, and reduce sugar and grains. Doing so will protect you from premature aging, as well as diabetes and heart disease, according to Dr. Davis.
The Kuna tribe of Panama also knows that diabetes is reversible, but they made this discovery without the benefit of a microscope. The Kuna rely on the advice of “Nele”, the Kuna doctor. I met Nele over a decade ago and have learned some of the Kuna’s most precious secrets. Nele prescribes a list of ten medicinal plants, all found abundantly in Panama, to reverse diabetes. Nele does not emphasize the value of any one plant, but rather, the synergistic value of many plants. In her words “trust not the plant, but the creator of the plants… attack the enemy not with one warrior but with many”. I have personally witnessed the dramatic and sustained lowering of blood sugar in Type 1 diabetics, after drinking just one cup of tea, made from just one of the ten plants prescribed by Nele. Although these observations appear miraculous to the observer (in this case, me), this type of “anecdotal evidence” is often disregarded by the medical community, which prefers to base itself solely on (expensive) randomized clinical trials. Both Nele and I are more than willing to cooperate in such a trial, but as of yet we are not connected with any diabetes clinic.
The Lotus Lifestyle is a system that I created for living in balance, easily. You can read about The Lotus Lifestyle in detail if you wish. But for the purpose of this article, here is a short summary: There are nine essential elements to a healthy lifestyle: love, clean air, sunshine, natural spring water, an alkalizing (plant-based) diet, staying wiggly, detoxifying, meditation and dreaming. The simpler a plan, the easier it is to implement, so I have organized my plan into an 8-petaled lotus flower, which symbolizes beauty and balance… each of the eight petals symbolizes one of the elements that is necessary for obtaining wellness, and each springs from the core of the lotus, which is love itself. The nine essential elements that I describe in The Lotus Lifestyle are available to all, and it is possible to partake without spending a penny. The nine elements of The Lotus Lifestyle work synergistically to create a healthy, alkaline environment for the cells. My plan agrees with the good doctors (including Young and Davis) that vegetables and herbs are among the best sources nutrients, while grains and animal products are among the worst (because they acidify, and lead to diabetes). But my plan also emphasizes the importance of breathing clean air as deeply as possible, to increase the oxygen and eliminate acidic waste products from the cells. The other ‘petals’ of The Lotus Lifestyle, such as getting sunshine, clean water, and staying wiggly, are simple methods of keeping all systems in balance and functioning as nature intended.
The four “alternative” plans presented here all fit together perfectly without contradictions. Dr. Young (so far) has not tested the specific plants prescribed by Nele. But Dr. Young does rely heavily on green vegetables and medicinal herbs to alkalize the body, such that the sick cells can morph back into healthy cells, thus reversing the illness. I am confident that if Dr. Young (or another microbiologist with a similar willingness to challenge the mainstream belief) were to observe the effects of Nele’s herbs under a microscope, the images would confirm that the herbs do work synergistically to alkalize the blood and to support cellular healing. The diet plan contained within my Lotus Lifestyle is one that alkalizes the body, allowing it to heal itself in the manner described in detail by Dr. Young. My diet plan fits equally well with Dr. Davis’ advice, as I do not recommend any grains or sugars other than those contained in whole fruits and vegetables. Even the mainstream doctors recommend “a healthy diet and lifestyle”, and my plan offers that precisely. Notes and Links
Yoga Nidra is the Yoga of Dreams, the practice of working with one’s dreams to advance one’s conscious evolution and earthly mission. Yoga Nidra is one of the lesser-known but most powerful forms of yoga. Very few yoga schools teach yoga nidra, either because it is not profitable to do so (the practice is normally done free of charge at the student’s home) or because the yoga teacher has little or no experience with this practice.
Sleep is said to replenish and conserve energy and to protect us from nightly harm. But we can learn to conserve and replenish our energy during the day, and we can certainly stay clear of harm, by eliminating the bad habits that lead to disease. But we would still need to sleep. Why? The need for sleep is all about the dream.
If you get a reasonable amount of sleep, and yet still feel tired, you may be able to solve this problem by learning to work with your dreams (yoga nidra). And if you do not get enough sleep, then it is very likely that you are missing out on the invaluable benefits of dreaming.
Yet studies, articles and books on sleeping frequently understate or ignore the importance of dreaming. Most studies relating to sleep will focus on measurable data like the number of hours or minutes one is alseep, or the release of certain hormones such as melatonin, cortisol, human growth hormone (HGH) and serotonin. No study that I am aware of has properly considered the importance of dreaming. Perhaps for good reason: the value of the dream is immeasurable!
In religious terms, the Divine Trinity is a triple-entity, three beings in one. The key concepts are oneness and synergy. The same must be true for the body, mind and soul. Not only do they form a single “triple” entity, but the sum is indeed greater than the parts. If these “three parts” fail to recognize each other and work together, then your life will lack peace, harmony and a deep sense of success.
Freedom of spirit is indispensable to maintain sanity. And dreaming is among the surest ways to free the soul. The deep desire of the spirit is the reason that you are here. Therefore it pays to put forth some effort in deepening your understanding of your mission, and much effort towards accomplishing the said mission.
When you lay your body down to sleep, your mind goes with it. In fact, your body and mind go everywhere together. These two are married. That is to say that they are connected ‘until death’. But this marriage is not complete without the soul. In fact, this ‘third member’ should be considered the most important part of the marriage. Unfortunately, the soul is often considered a ‘third wheel’ in the ultra-exclusive relationship between body and mind. The soul is ignored during all waking hours. To keep the Universe in balance, the body and mind necessarily must lay down together so that the soul can ‘fly solo’ for a while. During this solo flight, the soul is unrestrained by the normal limitations of the body. There is no logistical problem in getting from place to place, and there is no lineal time. This means that in a 5-minute nap, your soul can have the experience of having traveled to another continent (and maybe even another planet!). To get a similar experience that includes the body would require first buying a ticket, driving to the airport (or rocket launch site), hours of waiting, hours of flying… time and money and the coordinated effort of many people! But despite the great cost of the voyage, the benefit is usually greater than the cost. Claiming such an experience in a 5-minute siesta sounds to me like the epitome of efficiency!
The healthiest relationship between your dream state and your waking state is that one is a continuation of the other. Imagine a dolphin swimming near the surface of the ocean towards the sunrise… the dolphin may jump in and out of the water but the overall direction is fairly consistent. Compare this against a circular system where the dolphin jumps out of the water towards the sunrise then switches directions upon re-entering the water. This dolphin exerts the same energy but does not advance. Such is also the case for humans that spend their days not following their dreams.
Yoga Nidra es el Yoga de los Sueños, es decir la práctica de trabajar con los sueños para avanzar en la evolución consciente de uno y la propia misión terrenal. Yoga Nidra es una de las formas de yoga menos conocidas pero más poderosas. Muy pocas escuelas de yoga enseñan el yoga nidra, ya sea porque no es rentable hacerlo (la práctica se hace normalmente de forma gratuita en la casa del yogui) o porque el profesor de yoga tiene poca o ninguna experiencia con esta práctica.
Se dice que dormir repone y conserva energía y nos protega del daño nocturno. Pero podemos aprender a conservar y reponer nuestra energía durante el día, y sin duda podemos mantenerse alejados de daños, mediante la eliminación de los malos hábitos que conducen a la enfermedad. Pero aun asi solemos necesitar dormir. ¿Por qué? La necesidad de dormir tiene que ver con los sueños.
Si usted duerme por un tiempo razonable, y sin embargo, todavía se siente cansado, usted podria resolver este problema aprendiendo a trabajar con sus sueños (Yoga Nidra). Si usted no duerme lo suficiente, entonces es muy probable que le hacen falta los beneficios inestimables de soñar.
Sin embargo, los estudios, los artículos y los libros sobre dormir con frecuencia subestiman o ignoran la importancia de soñar. La mayoría de los estudios relacionados con el sueño se centrarán en datos cuantificables como el número de horas o de minutos uno duerme, o la liberación de ciertas hormonas como la melatonina, el cortisol, la hormona del crecimiento humano (HGH) y la serotonina. Ningún estudio que yo conozco ha considerado adecuadamente la importancia de soñar. Tal vez por una buena razón: el valor del sueño es inconmensurable!
En términos religiosos, la Trinidad Divina es una entidad triple, es decir tres seres en uno. Los conceptos clave son la unidad y la sinergia. Lo mismo debe ser cierto para el cuerpo, mente y alma. No sólo forman una sola entidad “triple”, pero la suma es de hecho mayor que las partes. Si estas ” tres partes” no reconocen el uno al otro y no trabajen juntas, entonces tu vida carecerá de paz, armonía y un profundo sentimiento de éxito.
Los sueños pueden aportar conciencia, la cual es útil en el cumplimiento de la propia misión en la tierra. Mientras sueñas, tu espíritu es libre de adquirir conciencia. Por el contrario, mientras estás despierto, puede ser que tu espíritu normalmente cede a un cerebro exigente y un cuerpo obediente, dispuesto a perseguir cada uno de los caprichos del cerebro.
La libertad del espíritu es indispensable para mantener la cordura. Y el sueño es una de las maneras más seguras para liberar el alma. El profundo deseo del espíritu es la razón por la que estás aquí. Por lo tanto, vale la pena poner algún esfuerzo en profundizar tu comprensión de tu misión, y mucho esfuerzo hacia el cumplimiento de dicha misión.
Para sacar el máximo provecho de tus sueños, es necesario desarrollar la perspectiva correcta sobre el valor de los mismos. Si mantienes que tus sueños son sólo imágenes al azar con poco significado, entonces lamentablemente perderás una de las herramientas más valiosas para la evolución de tu conciencia. Si, por el contrario, mantienes un profundo respeto por el valor potencial inmenso que tus sueños te ofrecen para completar tu misión en la tierra, entonces tienes la actitud correcta para proceder con el Yoga Nidra.
Debes reservar 15 a 30 minutos para meditar antes y después de dormir. Antes de retirarte, la meditación nocturna prepara el cuerpo, la mente y el espíritu para el cambio que viene. El cuerpo y la mente renunciarán su control por el momento. El alma tomará un “viaje ” sin las limitaciones impuestas por el mundo físico. El tiempo dedicado a la meditación inmediatamente antes de iniciar tal viaje creará unas ondas cerebrales alfa, las cuales ayudarán que el primer sueño sea más sereno y mas revelador, en comparación con los sueños caóticos que a menudo siguen las actividades “normales” como ver la televisión o escuchar la radio.
Cuando pones tu cuerpo a dormir, tu mente va con el. De hecho, el cuerpo y la mente van juntos a todas partes. Estos dos son casados. Es decir que están conectados ‘hasta la muerte’. Pero este matrimonio no es completo sin el alma. De hecho, este “tercer miembro” debe ser considerado la parte más importante del matrimonio. Por desgracia, el alma es a menudo considerada una “tercera rueda” en la relación ultra-exclusiva entre el cuerpo y la mente. El alma se ignora durante todas las horas del dia. Para mantener el universo en equilibrio, el cuerpo y la mente necesariamente habrán de acostarse juntos para que el alma puede ‘volar solo’ por un tiempo. Durante este viaje, el alma es desenfrenada por las limitaciones normales del cuerpo. No hay ningún problema logístico para llegar de un lugar a otro, y no hay tiempo lineal. Esto significa que en una siesta de 5 minutos, el alma puede tener la experiencia de haber viajado a otro continente (y incluso otro planeta!). Para obtener una experiencia similar que incluye el cuerpo requeriría comprar primero un billete, conducir hasta el aeropuerto (o en el sitio de lanzamiento de cohetes), horas de espera, horas de vuelo… el tiempo, el dinero y el esfuerzo coordinado de mucha gente! Pero a pesar del alto costo de la travesía, el beneficio es generalmente mayor que el costo. Reproducir una experiencia similar en 5 minutos de siesta es el pico de la eficiencia!
La relación más sana entre el estado de sueño y el estado de vigilia es que uno es la continuación del otro. Imagina un delfín nadando cerca de la superficie del mar hacia el amanecer… el delfín puede saltar dentro y fuera del agua, manteniendo su dirección general. Compare esto contra un sistema circular donde el delfín salta fuera del agua hacia el amanecer y luego cambia su direcciones al entrar nuevamente en el agua. Este delfín ejerce la misma energía, pero no avanza. Tal es también el caso de los seres humanos que pasan sus días ignorando sus sueños.
Cacao is among the most famous plants on Earth. Its name comes from the Greek, and means “food of the gods”. Cacao was used and cultivated by ancient Central American indigenous tribes such as the Mayas, Aztecs and Kunas as currency. Their abundant gold was used as a mere decoration as it could not be as valuable as that which produced health.
Modern scientists are re-discovering the many medicinal uses of antioxidant-rich cacao, including its ability to fight cancer, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and depression, while stimulating cognitive function, improving memory and intelligence.
Cacao is the most important component in the production of chocolate. While commercial chocolates often contain copious amounts of sugar, cow milk and other addictive and toxic substances, it is certainly possible to produce a high quality chocolate using only healthy ingredients like cacao, coconut, and a natural sweetener like stevia, honey or maple syrup.
A 2012 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found a “close, significant linear correlation between chocolate consumption per capita and the number of Nobel laureates”. (1)
Other recent studies have shown a positive effect on cholesterol, cough, weight loss, eczema, heart disease, high blood pressure and skin care.
In my wellness center, several female clients reported an absence of PMS symptoms following a chocolate therapy administered prior to the expected onset of the monthly symptoms. This chocolate therapy consisted of painting dark chocolate sauce on the patient from head to toe, allowing the skin to absorb the nutrients, as well as inhalation of the chocolate aroma, and a small amount of this same chocolate mixture was consumed.
Chocolate has long been considered an aphrodisiac and a mood-enhancer. Raw cacao stimulates the production of endorphins, dopamine, and serotonin, important neurotransmitters that block pain while creating pleasure and relaxation. Endorphins are our natural pain relievers; when pain suddenly disappears, a feeling of euphoria takes its place. Dopamine produces a feeling of joy with heightened focus and attention. Serotonin is our natural anti-depressant and it is important for relaxation and sleep. Each of these neurotransmitters are needed for good physical and mental health. Higher-than-normal levels of these neurotransmitters is likely to produce a feeling of intense pleasure and euphoria.
Interestingly, when forced to choose between chocolate and sex, 22 percent of women said they’d prefer chocolate. A survey of 2000 people found that alcohol, chocolate and sex were the three most difficult things to forgo. (2)
It is important to keep both sides of this coin in proper perspective. While decreasing pain and increasing both pleasure and relaxation are normally welcomed benefits, relying on any one nutrient to stimulate these natural functions can lead to addiction and unpleasant withdrawal symptoms if consumption ceases. In other words, cacao may be considered a medicine, and it is important to regulate the dosage. An excess external stimulation may cause the body to under-produce on its own, which would explain the withdrawal symptoms.
The Chicago Sun Times reported that people who suffer extreme depression have an irregular production of phenylethylamine or PEA, an amphetamine that stimulates dopamine receptors and increases mental alertness, pulse, blood pressure and blood sugar levels. When we fall in love, our brain naturally releases phenylethlamine, producing so much pleasure that it can be addictive. The heartbroken may self-medicate by binging on chocolate since chocolate is high in phenylethylamine.
Theophylline is a stimulant of the heart and central nervous system, relaxes the bronchial smooth muscles, and may be effective in preventing and treating apnea in premature infancy.
Anandamide is an endocannabinoid. Endocannabinoids occur naturally in the brain, but are most concentrated in the cannabis plant, and to a much lesser extent in cacao.
Pictured above is an entire cacao pod, which grows directly from the trunk of a tree in Central America.
The picture above shows the cacao pod sliced in half, revealing the seeds covered in a sweet gooey white gel.
Pictured above are the raw seeds covered in white slimy gel. This sweet gel may be the key to prevention of cancer and heart disease as it is consumed by the indigenous tribe that does not suffer either of these degenerative diseases. There are almost no studies on the consumption of the gel, most probably because developed countries normally only receive the processed cacao and have never had access to the fruit in its raw form.
The scientific name of the chocolate fruit is “Cacaotero Theobroma”. Its chemical composition includes a large number of vitamins, amino acids and other phyto-nutrients… over 300 compounds in all. The flavor components include polyphenols, aliphatic esters, unsaturated aromatic carbonyls, pyrazines, diketopiperazines, and theobromine.
Per 100 grams, the seed contains 456 calories, 3.6 grams of water, 12.0 grams of protein, 46.3 grams of fat, 34.7 grams of total carbohydrate, 8.6 grams of fiber, 106 mg of calcium, 537 mg phosphorus, 3.6 mg iron, 30 mg beta-carotene, 0.17 mg of thiamine (Vitamin B1), 0.14 mg riboflavin (Vitamin B2), 1.7 mg niacin (Vitamin B3), and 3 mg ascorbic acid (Vitamin C).
Wealth of India reported that the edible pulp of the fruit contains 79.7–88.5% water, 0.5–0.7% albuminoids, astringents, etc.; 8.3–13.1% glucose, 0.4–0.9% sucrose, a trace of starch, 0.2–0.4% non-volatile acids (as tartaric), 0.03% Fe2O3 and 0.4% mineral salts (K, Na, Ca, Mg).
Raw seeds contain 0.24 mg/100 g thiamine, 0.41 riboflavin, 0.09 pyridoxine, 2.1 nicotinamide, and 1.35 pantothenic acid.
Cocoa also contains about 18% proteins, fats (cocoa butter), amines and alkaloids including theobromine (0.5 to 2.7%), caffeine (ca 0.25% in cocoa; 0.7 to 1.70 in fat-free beans, with forasteros containing less than 0.1% and criollos containing 1.43 to 1.70%), tyramine, dopamine, salsolinol, trigonelline, nicotinic acid, and free amino acids; tannins; phospholipids; and more.
The seeds, leaves and roots contain alkaloids theobromine and caffeine which has diuretic and vasodilator. Antitumor activity was found in the root and bark. The seeds contain fat (cocoa butter) are used in pharmacy as an emollient and for making ointments and creams. It is helpful in treating dry skin, burns, dandruff, dysentery, measles, and even snakebites, according to folk healers. Overall, cocoa is slightly tonic and stimulant, although in large doses or in sensitive individuals, can cause insomnia and tachycardia. (5)
To compare the amount of caffeine in a 6 oz cup of various beverages, I rely on information from Tyler and Palotti (6,7).
Today we say good-bye to a remarkable man, a talented healer and a wise teacher. Doctor David John Carmos had devoted a great part of his life to studying and teaching the healing ways of Jesus and the Essenes, an ancient mystical Jewish sect that is most famous for having written The Dead Sea Scrolls.
According to historians, the Essenes may have lived about three times longer than their contemporaries, owing to their clean, vegetarian, disciplined and loving lifestyle. The Essenes were known to adopt abandoned children and care for them greatly. Doctor David became a Bishop of the Essene order.
While returning from a mission in Brazil, he was wrongly imprisoned in Mexico. While serving his ten-year sentence, David performed more than 18,000 treatments… word had traveled throughout Mexico and people in need of healing would line up outside the penitentiary. In his spare time, David penned 12 of his 15 books.
I recently had the good fortune to meet one of David’s students and closest friends, Dr. Shawn C. Miller, who is himself remarkable, disciplined and wise. I am especially thankful to Dr. Miller for gifting me with the book The Essene Master: Gospel of Healing, which was the first book published following David’s release from prison. The book, masterfully written in meter and rhyme, is divided in nine parts.
The following is an excerpt from part one of The Essene Master:
The Spirit of God is seen in the Path of every way,
in the falling of the rain, in the sprouting of a seed,
in the snowflake, in the wave,
and in the breaking of the day.The Spirit in its various forms
is felt in the light of the full moon,
in the glow of the evening stars,
in the fog of the clouds,
in the cool warm of the sunset,
and in the dampness that makes the dew wet,
in the color of a flower,
in the wave crest’s awesome power,in the ability of wild oats themselves to sew,
in the magic of a mustard seed, within itself to grow,
within a flock of sheep,
the knowledge of a ewe its young to know,in the softness of a springtime breeze,
in the society of a hive of bees,
in the intricacy of a spider’s web,
in the recession of a tide at the new moons ebb,
in the river rapids constant flow,
in the presence that makes a toothless baby’s smile glow,
in the thunder and lightning of the first storm of spring,
and in the voice of the nightingale when it sings.
I am grateful to David for his wise words and the beautiful example that was his life on Earth. I will leave you with the following excerpt from part four of The Essene Master, as it is especially appropriate in saying goodbye to a beloved friend:
Life is our opportunity to experience and
to grow according to a certain plan
and when we have exhausted this earthly shell,
then we complete another life’s span.Then enters death, which in reality
is no enemy of man,
but another opportunity
to in other ways grow and expand.Death is but the knife which cuts the cord
that anchors the human ship to Earth,
that it might sail the oceans of the spirit world,
until it finds a new port, to experience another birth.When a soul and body go their separate ways,
which is a time of growth and rest,
then the spirit enters on another phase;
somewhat like leaving an old cow loose in a field,
to stand in the warmth of the sun and graze.The calls of death are always for the best,
for we are solving further dilemmas there,
as well as continuing on our spiritual quest.
This recipe takes less than five minutes to make, and it’s nutritious and delicious:
Wash and chop everything. Juice the limes. Toss all ingredients into a high power blender and blend for 90 seconds for warm delicious soup. You can draw a heart in the soup before serving it if you desire.
Lavar y picar todo. Exprime el jugo de las limas o limones. Mezcle todos los ingredientes en una licuadora de alta potencia y licuar durante 90 segundos para una deliciosa sopa calida. Puedes dibujar un corazoncito en la sopa antes de servirla si deseas.