“Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food.” ~ Hippocrates
My mother called today and told me that her left ear is giving her a hard time. Sometimes her ear works just fine, but then, out of the blue, she stops hearing as she used to. I told her that I would take a look, and an hour later, I conducted a session with her. She always prefers an email session, unless I am physically with her, then, of course, she is happy to observe the process. It is interesting how, with practice, all the tools that I have at my disposal suddenly fall into place, or rather, how the subconscious mind of the person I am working with knows if I am capable of using certain techniques. I wrote, it is interesting, but it is a fundamental structure of reality - we are all connected at the sub-atomic level.
Anyhow, I finished the session, translated parts of my notes into Polish and sent them all to her. Tomorrow, when she calls, we will have a lot to discuss. Next, I had another session, this time it was over Zoom, and before I knew it, it was time to eat…
I wanted to write a post about food, about eating, for some time now. Six years ago, when I decided that I would heal from rheumatoid arthritis, healing my gut was the first step. If you are interested in all the details, the free PDF of the book that I wrote, Health by Design Project, is available to download in English or Polish. By the way, what a horrible title. I have no idea why I decided on it. I guess it was the designer's ego trying to make a statement. My wife said that I should rewrite it, this time without a designer hat. Perhaps she is right, after all, I was just a regular guy experiencing something transformative. Design was just a point of view, a perspective. Anyhow, food was really the beginning of my transformation.
"Food is your best medicine."
~ Henry G. Bieler, M.D
It took me almost three years to finally settle on a diet that makes me feel alive. It is all plant-based - I do not eat any animal-based products. But, at the same time, I do not consider myself a vegan. I eat food that is high in energy and full of nutrients, and lately I have been using what Lana Nelson, the author of the book Food Codes (I haven't read it yet), calls intuitive nutrition. For instance, I ask my body via muscle test whether adding cashews to my morning oats is okay. Or pecans or almonds may function better today. Do I muscle-test everything that I eat? No, I do not. But it raises a question: with all the diets, supplements, regimens, restrictions, or suggestions available, how does one know if it is actually good for the body? Muscle test?
Muscle testing is great when you're in doubt whether a particular product is good for you or, for that matter, safe, as many packaged goods are full of things humans should avoid. How to muscle test? All books by Dr. Bradley Nelson include several instructions. Also, Dr. David Hawkings shows how to do it. Letting go or Power vs. Force includes a set of precise directions. One caveat, according to Hawkings, is that if your energy field is below 200 points (on the Hawkings scale), the results of the muscle test may vary. At the 200 points level, according to Hawkins, the energy flips from negative to positive. Search YouTube for video instructions.
"The academic and professional industries have neglected the role of nutrition, not as a matter of conspiracy, but due to a combination of more mundane human defects, like stubbornness, bias, and conformity."
~ The Future of Nutrition by T. Colin Campbell
Back to the food discussion. There are a few books that I want to list here. They helped me a lot to understand the basics without getting deep into nutrition. I just wanted to eat well, but I was not interested in counting calories, taking supplements, or creating specific dietary regimens. Lastly, I am not obsessed with eating only stuff that is good for me. The stress that comes when there are limited food options is not worth it. I eat what is available, preferably avoiding animal-based products. If there are none, then the fish would be my choice. Also, I buy only organically grown veggies, and this is rather important to me. The chemicals used in non-organic agriculture render their products uneatable. But again, if the organic option is not available, conventionally grown stuff it is. Why do they call them "conventionally grown"? It should be the opposite. Conventionally should mean organic, and natural, while non-conventionally grown produce should point to the use of chemicals, right? Very clever and misleading marketing, trying to convince people that organically grown means not normal, different or special.
It is obvious by now that eating is important to me, and that I can write and write forever. So, finally, let's list a few books.
Fibre Fulled: The Plant-Based Gut Health Program by Will Bulsiewicz
How to Go Plant-Based: A Definitive Guide for You and Your Family by Ella Mills and Clare Winfield
Superlife: The 5 Simple Fixes That Will Make You Healthy, Fit, and Eternally Awesome by Darin Olien
Cleanse to Heal by Anthony William
The China Study by T. Colin Campbell and Thomas M. Campbell
The Future of Nutrition by T. Colin Campbell
Big Vegan Flavour by Nisha Vora
It is a rather limited list, but it gave me a good baseline when I decided to make changes in how I eat all my life. I am trying not to buy too many cookbooks, Big Vegan Flavour is an exception. It is a great resource, but I admit that most of the recipes I got from Nisha Vora came from watching her YouTube channel (Rainbow Plant Life). Also, there is another YouTuber worth checking - Andrew Bernard, the Nard Dog Cooks.
Overall, the biggest challenge was not posed by vegetables and fruits, but by how to use spices so the food is really flavourful, spicy and puts a smile on my family’s faces when they taste it. Both Nisha and Andrew offer plenty of tips that will bring many smiles again and again.
"We're built to feel great."
~ Superlife by Darin Olien
Lastly, why discuss plant-based foods on this website? From a holistic perspective, it makes perfect sense. Emotion Code, Body Code, and Belief Code are amazing, but when combined with high-energy foods, regular exercise, breathing awareness, and a bit of mindful eating, the results are much better. Healing is faster, processing time is shorter, and some chronic digestive issues simply disappear after one session, with lasting results. As for myself, I am following what Doctor T. Colin Campbell said: “I am a firm believer in eating a full plant-based, whole food diet that can expand your life length and make you an all-around happier person.”
