wellness oasis
February 8, 2019
BUDDHA’S WORDS OF WISDOM
“Don’t blindly believe what I say. Don’t believe me because others convince you of my words. Don’t believe anything you see, read, or hear from others, whether of authority, religious teachers or texts. Don’t rely on logic alone, nor speculation. Don’t infer or be deceived by appearances.
Do not give up your authority and follow blindly the will of others. This way will only lead to delusion. Find out for yourself what is truth, what is real. Discover that there are virtuous things and there are non-virtuous things.
Once you have discovered for yourself, give up the bad and embrace the good.”
DILUTION IS THE SOLUTION TO POLLUTION IN HUMAN BODY
We live in a time when getting clean, uncontaminated, and wholesome air, water and food are not only difficult but impossible. The sources of pollutants are natural, overcrowding, agricultural chemicals, food processing products and finally, our own body could be the biggest pollutant of all time. There is the whole host on diet plans to tell us what is good and what is not. Scientists never agree on one thing as true. In such a situation choosing simple, safe and sustainable steps to minimize harm to the body can pay dividends in the long run. These steps could be understandable, repeatable, accessible and minimalist (RAMU).
The astronomer Carl Sagan once said, "Everybody starts out as a scientist. Every child has the scientist's sense of wonder and awe." Sustaining this sense of wonder presents teachers, parents, and others close to children with a tremendous responsibility—and an extraordinary opportunity. In this era, we are drowning in information and have less personal experience of a scientist. It is worth mentioning that lifestyle changes are for life not to fulfil a goal eg looking trim, losing weight and running a marathon. I am not a qualified health expert or fitness guru but I can say for sure that wellness is a state of human existence where you wake up with a purpose, work towards your goals with focus and energy and feel grateful for all what you have and ever had despite having a disease, disability and disorder.
"Eat well, feel well, move and excrete well" Rish Sharma
Pollution plays a great role in keeping us in the continual unwell state. Trying to find a radical solution to pollution is not only impossible but a futile exercise. However, dilution is simple, sustainable and doable for most of us. Our ancestors did it for millions of years and so it comes naturally to us provided we are willing to try new things and practice on a regular basis. The dilution method I am going to write about is based on the five pillars of dilution- air, liquid, solid, space (mobility) and time.
AIR- Our hunter-gatherer ancestors used to travel over 20 miles a day to forage into the forest for food and water. They had access to fresh and clean air which most of us don't. However, we can exercise to dilute our air reserve in the body or do deep breathing exercises (Pranayama). I suggest nasal breathing as it improves our Parasympathetic System (the system of grace- digest & rest) and increases nitric oxide (NO) levels in the blood. NO dilates blood vessels and lowers blood pressure. Even doing alternate nostril breathing (Nadishodhan) for five minutes in the morning five days a week is effective. A busy person can do it just before taking shower, in the car park or even walking. Be mindful that doing it in the morning is better as there is less pollution from automobile exhausts. This one habit will dilute the pollution in the lungs, blood and to some extent kidneys. It may improve brain circulation, memory and creativity. Alternate nostril breathing strengthes the highway connection between the right and left cerebral hemispheres- Corpus Callosum
LIQUID- The planet is made up of 70% water and so are we (roughly). A mild dehydration can compromise our attention, focus, productivity and mood. It is instinctive to drink water however that does not always hydrate us so well. Our ancestors did not have 24/7 access to fresh water as we have and hence their water came from plants, leaves, fruits and spring. So, getting lots of water trapped in plants is the best form (EZ- Exclusion Zone water) to assimilate and retain. The biological system retains water well when it comes in a naturally bound form as it minimally interferes with our system (ADH/ ALDOSTERONE/ Osmoreceptors) and the body doesn't immediately excrete it through the kidney. Drinking slightly alkaline water (soda bicarb/ magnesium citrate) is next best diluent on the list. Hot beverages and tap water are the other sources. The key is mindful drinking not prescribed drinking. It is almost impossible to overdrink to cause harm if we have sound heart, liver or kidney. So good water intake equals good excretion- better liver, kidney, blood, lymphatic health and skin (sweating) healh. A simplistic and seemingly unscientific statement but works well in practice.
SOLID- The most important solid diluent is plant fibre. We usually eat three times a day and unlike air, food could be comforting and even addicting so we not only eat more frequently but too much as well. Food provides us with nutrition, calories, and phytonutrients. More importantly, food is a messenger (for hormones and genes) and a portal for waste disposal. Aiming to eat as much fibre in natural form as we can (recommended 20-30 grams) is the best approach to dilute our metaphorical food pollution. A fibre rich diet blunts insulin spike, increases stool bulk and keeps large bowel healthy. Furthermore, fibre provides food for our good bacteria in the gut and takes away toxic metabolites with it. Plants in natural form are better than heavily cooked, processed or juiced. Again, consistency is more important than which form of food we go far- raw, sautéed, fried or processed. It is obvious that pasture fed organic beef has no more fibre than cauliflower curry regardless of the quality and richness of the curry. Aiming for a variety is the key.
I have designed an Alphabet Fibre Supplementation Plan to simplify my eating habits. I would rather stay away from the never-ending argument as to whether a vegetarian, vegan or nonvegetarian diet is healthy. Horses are herbivores and cat (big or small) is a carnivore and I will let you decide why one is healthier than the other. The key is if our lifestyle is keeping us healthy then why change it. And if it is not working then why wait for doctors to tell us what is healthy. Please try my AFS Plan if you are curious and want to try something new to experiment with. It will take care of your LIQUID and SOLID if you eat mindfully and continue at least for three months.
"If you are not your own doctor, you are a fool."
Hippocrates
A GROUP- Apple, Apricots, Avocado, Asparagus, Allium (garlic, onions, leek, shallots etc), Almonds (I use almond use butter)
B GROUP- Banana, broccoli, beetroots, Brussels sprouts, beans (legumes/lentils/ peanut), Brazil nuts (maximum 5 a day)
C GROUP- Carrots, Coconut, Citrus fruit, Cruciferous veggies (cauliflower, kale, cabbage, mustard, rocket etc) and cashew nut ( I use butter)
D GROUP- Dates,
E GROUP- Organic Eggs- no fibre but nutrient rich
F GROUP- Fig
AVOID/CUT DOWN
A- Alcohol
B- Baked food- cake, biscuits, deep fried rotis/ parathas / pizza etc
C- Chocolate, cigarettes
D- Dairy
SPACE-
"Sitting is more dangerous than smoking, kills more people than HIV, and is more treacherous than parachuting. We are sitting ourselves to death," says James Levine, a professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic, in an interview with the LA Times. "The chair is out to kill us."
"Dilute your sitting or gradually degenerate." Rish Sharma
I sat 8 hours a day in my job and started developing early signs of degeneration in my 30s. I am still reversing them. Sitting is a necessary evil for prosperity. Whether it is meal time, driving, office hours or fun time we sit. The downsides are so many that I will skip them here and you can do your own research.
One simple solution is to dilute it with a variety of positions- stand every half an hour, sip water and pee frequently, take longer routes, take 10000 steps a day, sit on the floor at home, use a stool and/ or buy a standing desk. Doing at least 30 hip hinges a day -simply putting your head below hips without trying to touch the floor or feet- this is not a flexibility move. It reverses circulations and helps with lymph flow (cf car's exhaust system).
TIME: Doing the right thing at the wrong time usually gives an undesirable outcome. For weight loss and aesthetic issues exercising in the morning is the key as it boosts self-esteem, self-image and keeps metabolism up for the day. However, if achieving personal best (reps/ maximum weight/ running time/ flexibility) is the main priority then after work is the time to hit the gym as one can utilise the whole day's warm-up time. Dilute your tiredness with shorter 20 mins nap so that you can avoid going into deep stages of sleep which can make you groggier on waking up. For those who wish to hack their biology to lose weight try chewing gum twenty minutes before the main meal and drink a glass of sparkling water and then eat. This tricks our brain (hypothalamus) into thinking that we have been eating for a while and satiates us even before we start eating.
These changes are more likely to be useful after at least three months of regualr practice. Time is a good healer here as well. There is always a replacememet for information but no replacement for curiosity, focus and prudence. I have shared my experience and information and now it is up to you to exercise your creativity and amaze yourself.
Good Luck,
Author- Dr Rish Sharma
Content Editor- Ms Gunjan Mishra
SOLUTION TO HOME POLLUTION IS GOING GREEN RESOLUTION
Thanks for liking our recent write-up - Dilution is the Solution to Pollution in Human Body.
Some say knowledge is power. I strongly disagree and believe that information is everywhere, but power is not. The real power is applied knowledge. I hope by now some of you would have tried our concept to some extent. If you are curious and adventurous enough, you could be your doctors, scientists and artists like us. We will soon publish a follow-up blog to share our scientific backing of how the dilution method is simple, safe, and sustainable. Thanks to medical and technological advancements, we are living longer than we used to a century ago. The question is how long is the health span (not life span) and how sustainable our lifestyle choices are. I see most effective fad diets fail (the Atkin, Dukan, Mediterranean, Keto, Carnivore, vegan, Rosedale etc.) because they are too restrictive, expensive, rigorous or complicated. Even the most effective diet plan fails, in the long run, if it is not sustainable and straightforward in our ever so hectic life with more urgent tasks to hand- kids exams, boss's marriage anniversary, corporate deadlines, emergency ailments, utility bills etc. We hardly ever come off the metaphorical urgency treadmill.
However, if we focus more on changing our HABITAT (the environment) than changing our ingrained HABITS; if we focus more on WAY POWER (how many ways we can) than WILL POWER (in short supply), we might change the equation by counting on small wins. These principles have already been worked out for you in the previous blog. By changing how we breathe (AIR), drink (LIQUID), eat (FOOD), move (SPACE) and spend the day (TIME) we control our habitat and work with natural forces not against them.
However, we cannot control where we live, work, rest, exercise or spend leisure time. It is startling to know that our homes could be more polluted (indoor pollution) than the outside.
https://www.imaginfires.co.uk/blog/air-pollution
Hence dilution strategy for indoor pollution is the key to improving our health as we spend a great deal of time indoors. I can say with my two decades of experience and Gunjan can attest how we have practised these principles successfully.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrwbVBKEqZg&feature=youtu.be
Some of our astute readers asked me to write this interval supplementary blog (kindly invited by Gunjan Mishra) on how to dilute the increasing indoor pollution coming from overcrowding, chemicals, air conditioners, smoke/ food/ drinks, perfumes, petroleum products etc. causing Sick Building Syndrome. I selected the following resources from my wellness repository while I was organising my indoor habitat. I suggest you grow these plants - Aloe Vera, Chrysanthemum, Peace Lilly, Areca Pam, Snake Plant, and Money Plant -recommended by NASA and WHO for indoor pollution. They are simple to grow and maintain. They purify the air and keep humidity at an optimal level. They also improve our mental health and may improve our productivity. Furthermore, we need to make sure that we keep the windows open for a while everyday for cross ventilation.
http://www.snake-plant.com/health-benefits/
https://balconygardenweb.com/snake-plant-benefits-proven-in-research/
Good Luck,
Rish Sharma