Real–Not Mainstream–Nutritional Wisdom

Just a certain essential oils are potent energetic tools for Phyto 5™ topical products, phytochemicals are essential tools to include in our diet for the special properties they offer in promoting wellness, vitality, and the immune system.

Unfortunately, phytochemicals have not yet received proper attention and mainstream nutritional wisdom is that phytochemicals are "non-nutritive plant chemicals." A major website describes these natural chemicals as "non-essential nutrients and not required by the human body for sustaining life." What is most ironic is that the same website goes on to list what it calls "some of the possible attributes" of phytochemicals to include: 

• richness of antioxidants
• reduced risk of cardiovascular disease
• reduced risk of breast cancer
• prevention of the multiplication of cancer cells
• antibacterial properties
• reduction of menopausal symptoms and osteoporosis

The list above is partial but it makes the case that many people would benefit from a regular and sufficient intake of these plant and fruit chemicals. We are told that they are part of the plants and fruit found in a proper diet providing five to nine daily servings of vegetables and fruit. But the tragedy is that we are not told where the desirable chemicals are located, and, in most instances, they are exactly in the parts we discard such as the white soluble cellulose around the grapefruit or the stems of broccoli and of certain leafy vegetables. Unless we are mindful of what we need and of where we can find it, it is not likely that we will avail ourselves of the energy and nutrients that are necessary to our harmonious functioning!

Yin and Yang Foods: When to Eat What!

Energetic quality of food is either or yang. Meat is more yang then vegetables.  Red meat is the most Yang. Veal and pork are more yin. Poultry is the most yin of meat, although some fish such as tuna is quite yang. Fish is more yin than meat.

Vegetables that grow in the ground such as potatoes and beets are more yang than leafy vegetables. It is recommended to eat cooling or yin food during the strong yang season of summer and to eat yang food during the strong yin season of winter. Makes more sense to have a steak and mashed potatoes in the winter then on a hot summer day when salads and fruit are more appropriate.

It is always recommended to eat the food of the season because they are in balance with the energy of that season. The color of fruit and vegetables is often used as a telltale sign of when it is best to eat them. For example, yellow fruit and vegetables are recommended during the transitional Earth season (the period of 18 days between seasons as we will see in later blogs) while a red tomato is preferred during the summer, the Fire season. 

Eat More Perfectly

There is also an approach to nutrition according to the Traditional Chinese Five Elements. That is the basis for such a program as FoodScan created by the German company Medprevent® whose approach is complementary to the Phytobiodermie™ method. The work of Dr. Haas whose book, Staying Healthy with the Seasons, is in total harmony with the Phytobiodermie™ approach. 

From an energetic point of view, it is good to remember that food releases energy during the metabolism process. Both the quantity and the quality of energy matter. Food contributes to the vital energy that we need, but that energy comes with a certain bulk that needs both energy and oxygen to process. It is advisable to eat what is energetically rich (natural nutrients) with limited bulk and to avoid what is abundant in bulk but limited in energy. In that respect, the model of good food is a genuine farm egg that is free of added antibiotics and hormones. It represents great concentration of nutrients for a small volume. The worst is any bulky food heated in the microwave oven that kills all the nutrients and remains void of vital energy. Many people have a bulk-rich diet void of nutrients and vital energy. As a result, they remain hungry and eat more bulk that eventually accumulates in the body. It is a vicious cycle. It is one of the real issues in the American diet, yet few people speak about it in those terms because the politically powerful food industry is more about bulk than nutrition.

A Matter of Active Lifestyle

Exercise does not need to be strenuous but we do need two types of exercise: stretching and cardiovascular.

Most health clubs have guidelines on how to properly stretch and how to achieve the proper increase in the cardiac rhythm according to age and physical condition.

For most people, 20 to 30 minutes of accelerated breathing three times a week is quite sufficient. During that time, the breathing will be made deeper to completely empty out the lungs and fully renew their oxygen content. Lack of frequent and deep breathing causes parts of the lungs and a myriad of the lung alveolus to remain collapsed.

Experts point to the need for breathing from the abdomen and not simply from the top of the lungs. This action helps the movement of the diaphragm, the largest muscle in the body, that acts as a major pump for the movement of lymph and of water throughout the body.

Exercising in general, and stretching in particular, sponsor the movement of vital energy throughout the body, accelerating the flow of blood that brings necessary nutrients to all cells. It also stimulates the process of elimination of waste within cells and tissues, yet one can also over-exercise and create a whole new set of stressors–physical and psychological.

It is good to remember that we generate more internal energy as we exercise, but depending on the type of exercise, we might also expend a large amount of energy leaving us depleted at the end of our session. The goal is to build up energy while exspending as little as possible. In that respect, low impact and moderately intensive cardiovascular exercises are superior forms of wellness enhancement. As always with vital energy, balance is important.

Mindful exercising connects intention to action. It is important because energy follows our intention, therefore we can redirect it. Yoga, qi gong, and tai chi are known for their focus on the coordination of movement and breast with intention and awareness. There are many other activities that can be performed with conscious focus, from golf to simply walking upstairs.

All this is contrary to the frequent practice of mechanicallyperforming exercises while listening to music or watching television in an attempt to distract the mind from repetitive and boring movements.

Quality of Food and Water = Quality of Life

In addition to the quality of air we breathe, both the water we drink and the food we consume are critical to our health and our beauty, body shape, and skin condition. While most people know that what they eat affects their body shape, few are aware of the effects of their nutrition has on their skin condition.

The body is a thermal machine. It needs fuel to function. In addition to the oxygen necessary to combustion, there is a need to feed the machine a certain amount of daily calories according to our activities and age. But unlike a regular furnace, it needs more than simply a caloric input. It requires a variety of foods as a source for the large amount of nutrients required for the proper functioning of the human body. Unfortunately, not only are most commercially grown foods void of nutrients, they have generally been treated with chemicals that are bad for our health.

Why all higher quality and organically grown food has become more available due to a growing demand, it is also more costly, yet the increase in the food budget will be more than compensated by the lesser need for doctor visits and medical drugs. Unfortunately, many organic and healthy food stores that carry wholesome foods also carry a lot of commercially grown food at higher prices than in other stores. It seems that upon entering a health food store, the customer lets his or her guard down and some retailers take advantage of this weakness.

In addition to food void of nutrients, our air is often polluted and so is our water. This dreadful reality in many parts of the nation and the world forces us to make a conscious effort if we wish to improve the quality of our water and food. We should drink an ample amount of water. Eight glasses of water a day is recommended so long as it is good quality water which is not always the case even with bottled water. Therefore, the use of appropriate filters on our drinking and cooking water source is an excellent improvement. Even the water used to bathe and shower affects our skin. Have your home water analyzed. It might need to be filtered and naturally treated. An important consideration is the pH of your water. Too many brands of bottled water have an acidic pH (lower than 7) as do sodas (as low as 4). Since our body needs to be slightly alkaline, overly acidic foods and drinks contribute to ill health and premature aging. Tap water is usually at the right pH by law, but it often has other undesirable chemicals.

Eat According to Your Body Type

People are now aware that fast foods are generally bad for their health and that consumption of fried food should be kept to a minimum. There are many slimming diets on the market, but too often they are not balanced meals for proper ongoing nutrition.

We are all very different physically and so are our nutritional needs. It makes sense to try to find an approach that is adapted to you rather than following government sponsored guidelines that are flawed because they treat everyone as if they were made by the same widget factory. In this regard, the concept of Dr. Peter J. D'Adamo, outlined in his book, Eating Right for Your Type, makes sense as it recognizes our differences based on our blood type (one of four) corresponding to different metabolic capabilities and, consequently, different nutritional needs.

Ayurveda also teaches nutrition according to the three doshas (energetic types known as Pitta, Vata and Kapha) also illustrating the need to adapt to our specific composition or dominating energies. This is the subject of the book, Conscious Eating, by Gabriel Couzens, MD. Another interesting book is Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats by Sally Fallon and Mary Enig, PhD. It challenges in an informed and documented way all the governmental and quasi-governmental agencies more keen on defending the interests of powerful corporate lobbies them promoting the well-being of Americans.

Factors Beyond Genetics When It Comes to Aging

Among the critical factors influencing the aging process, our genetic heritage is a major one. Obviously, it escapes our control. Yet twins with an identical genetic imprint can age differently which points to the presence of other factors such as lifestyle and life conditions such as climate. Other factors have to do with how we choose to live our lives. Yet these choices are not within the realm of our decision-making so long as we have not become aware of their effects whether they are positive or negative effects.

First, let's consider the many aspects that stem from where we live (dry or humid, hot or cold, temperate or extreme climate), our socioeconomic condition (the time and resources we have to take care of ourselves), our relationships (family and friends), our psychological frame of mind (tendency to worry, fear and anger, tendency to laugh and be merry), diet, exercise routine, socializing habits, and all the personal disciplines we might have or not including how we handle stress (at work and in our private lives).

Some factors have little to do with the amount of free time or disposable income we have. Do you drive when you could walk instead? Do you take the escalator rather than the stairs? Do you take every opportunity you have to stretch, exercise and breathe deeply? Do you take a few minutes, even a few seconds, throughout the day to meditate and to manage your negative emotions when they appear? Do you find reasons to smile and laugh? Can you stay clear of smoking, alcohol (beyond an occasional beer or glass of wine) and recreational drugs?

Smoking is known to be very bad for our health but few realize the particularly dreadful cumulative effect smoking has on skin health and quality. This is because of the specific energetic connection between lungs and skin. It is so much the case that Traditional Chinese Medicine refers to skin as the third lung.

Symphony of Interdependence

The energies of the five seasons affect all things including your body and skin conditions. The workings of the five elements became the subject of a very detailed Law of the Five Elements with application to every domain. In the Western world that "law" is more skeptically referred to as the Theory of the Five Elements or Five Phases.

"In Taoist thought, the Five Elements are more than basic constituents of nature; they are aspects of the whole that a describe the energetic laws that govern both Nature and humans. Most important, they are specific adaptive and transformative attributes of the cycle of qi energy that defines the physical, emotional and spiritual state of the individual." (Moss 20)

J. R. Worsley (1923-2003), credited with bringing Five Element Acupuncture to the West said, "Every living thing and person is a unique embodiment and combination of the Five Elements."

The Five Elements are interdependent in each person, uniquely, including the movement of chi (qi) energy from the moment of birth to the moment of death, from sunrise to sundown and all through the night, and throughout the seasons of the year. In this symphony of interdependence, each person is able to meet (or not depending on the level of balance in this interdependence) his or her life challenges on a daily basis.


Moss, Charles A. Power of the Five Elements: The Chinese Medicine Path to Healthy Aging and Stress Resistance. Berkeley: North Atlantic, 2010. Print.

Roots of TCM: They Can Work for You!

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has ancient roots and evolved during an era when the metaphysical beliefs of Taoism prevailed in China and therefore it was influenced by Taoist beliefs and related cultural implications.

Taoists believed that to live harmoniously, man needs to be in accord with the energetic laws of nature. They saw a strong parallel between the cycles of nature (the days and the seasons) and the life cycle of man.

They also believed that man functions as a small individual ecosystem within a large cosmic ecosystem. The Taoism symbol is the well-known Yin and Yang shapes that together form a perfect circle, a symbol of eternal harmony.

As TCM involved, it came to include acupuncture, reflexology, herbal prescriptions, dietary principles, massage, and specific exercises such as tai chi, a gentle form of martial arts sometimes called shadowboxing.

Traders, missionaries and diplomats who visited Asia, particularly during the 18th and 19th centuries, returned home with reports of these classical practices. During the 19th century, waves of Chinese immigrants to the United States and Europe brought these traditions to their new countries and Westerners began to notice their positive results.

France and Great Britain, particularly, became well-informed of traditional Chinese medicine principles as a result of their colonial excursions during this period, yet it was not until the late 1970s, when Pres. Nixon opened diplomatic and cultural relations with Communist China, that the United States medical community became exposed to TCM. In the meantime, well aware of the benefits of energy medicines, Europeans were getting reimbursed by their Social Security and health insurance for such treatments.

Far Eastern concepts of vital energy are now getting broader recognition in North America as reflected by the popularity of acupuncture, herbal medicines, therapeutic exercise such as tai chi, yoga, and the more frequent Ayurvedic treatments in spas. The spa industry's continued exploration of new therapies for wellness and skincare creates renewed possibilities for TCM to flourish in aesthetics and wellness.

Take advantage of spas and wellness clinics offering TCM therapies. The higher the demand for such time-tested and proven therapies, the greater the opportunity the American healthcare system will eventually come to embrace it.

About the Chinese New Year Beginning February 19!

Every 12 years the Chinese lunar calendar uses the symbolism of one of the 12 animals that they associate with “the 12 earthly branches” of their Taoist Astrology. The year that will start on the 19^th of 2015 is referred to as the year of the Goat, but a more faithful translation is: the year of the Sheep. For each of the 12 branches there are 5 different versions corresponding to the 5 elements that characterizes earthly energy. As a result, similar years only repeat themselves every 60 years (12x5). For 2015 it is the year of the Blue Sheep. The last time it was a year of the Blue Sheep was in 1955, the only time during the 20^th century. The next time will be 2075.

The general characteristic of a Sheep year is its yin aspect. It correlates to the Cancer sign associated with the energy of the mother, healer, and nurturer. It is a time of peace, calm and contentment. Sheep needs solitary moment to replenish her soul; yet, at the same time, Sheep is very sociable and loves celebrations and a good party. Although calm in appearance, it is strong in determination and can adapt to different environments. It accomplishes its goals with small but solid steps one at a time. Sheep is practical and only moves forward; and does not like to go backwards or sideways.

Sheep is the 8^th of the 12 earthly branches. In Chinese numerology 8 is a number of good fortune. Further 2015 is also an 8 (2+0+1+5=8) promising the new year to be one of abundance!

The particular characteristic of the Blue Sheep is that of the Wood element. Since 2015 which ends with an odd number is a yin year, the yin of 2015 will reinforce the yin energy of Sheep whose symbol is the reed bending in the wind. Wood quality of boldness and creativity will add much drive to the Sheep year. 

Note: this information is extracted or derived from Taoist Astrology, written by Susan Levitt with Jean Tang.

Always Strive for Balance

What is the definition of a 'state of health?' The notion of balance is helpful in formulating a conceptual answer.

Balance is a state of stability but it does not imply a static condition like a table resting on four legs. It refers to the capacity of a moving or flexible item or of a person to sustain a moving force or disturbance, and to return to its initial state in balance as would a swing or hanging pendulum.

A reed pushed by the wind returns to its normal position when the wind stops. An athletic individual might trip and quickly regain balance whereas someone with poor balance would fall down and get hurt. Health requires balance — the ability to deflect or avoid an attack and promptly return to normal and full health. The medical term for a state of physiological equilibrium resulting from a balance of all functions is 'homeostasis.' So long as this mechanism takes place naturally as intended, we are healthy even if temporarily one feels the weight of a short-lived attack.

Clearly, some people have better genes than others. They are naturally more resilient. But your good genes alone are not enough. Lifestyle choices are a major contributor to our physical, emotional, and mental condition. In combination, they cause us to be more or less healthy.

Getting sick is not simply a factor of touching, ingesting, or breathing a disease-causing agent. Non-physical causes can also generate diseases. You have likely experienced the relationship between excess of worry and stomach aches, for example, which occurs without any outside agent. It is strictly a cause-and-effect process. The many forms of stress from modern life can affect our immune system and reduce our natural defenses.

An Energetic Web

The individual is a complex interconnection of multiple energetic webs or systems superimposed upon each other. It is a property of energy to coexist with other energies without necessarily disturbing them even when they appear to occupy what we perceive to be the same space. That is why an FM radio can be on at the same time and in the same room as a television. It is also why two or more people can be on their cell phones while in the same car without interference other than the noise of their voices.

Progressive practitioners in the beauty and wellness industry have begun to use the "vital energy paradigm" and the many tools it provides to better tackle the challenges of improving our potential to look and feel better. While they work like everyone else doing the traditional work of aestheticians and therapists, they also work at the deeper level of the body's subtle energy. They systematically balance vital energy because any disturbance in its flow is the cause of physiological problems which, if not dealt with, have consequences at the level of skin quality and appearance and of body shape as well. 

Through their openness of mind, these innovative professionals do not work only with ancient theories. They actually work closer to the reality demonstrated by modern science then most of their traditional colleagues. There work also benefits YOU by avoiding the short-term and long-term risks common to invasive modalities. Their approach is harmless because it is noninvasive.

When, for the sake of the quickfix, an invasive modality is used — from chemical peels to chemical injection or plastic surgery — it is not only more expensive than non-invasive treatments, it carries the potential of negative side-effects. They run from the obvious, when the results are less than satisfactory, to the hidden, when the invasiveness disturbs the energetic balance and triggers an invisible destructive set of reactions with health consequences months or years later. 

Recent improvements in the development of more advanced equipment to measure the subtle energies of the body and also to deliver better tools have been caused by an increase in the number and interest of Western medical doctors. They have studied energy medicines and sufficiently experimented with many of the methods, particularly Ayurveda, homeopathy and Traditional Chinese Medicine. As a result, they have witnessed their practical values. They have been and continue to be instrumental in opening the mind of an ever larger population among their colleagues and peers.

The Einsteinian Vision

The vision of Albert Einstein and the results of experimentations by quantum physicists point to the fact the only energy exists and that matter is what our senses perceive when energy vibrates at an extremely low frequency. Matter and energy are the same in their essence. They only differ in their physical characteristics and their manifestations — just as ice, water, and vapor have the same chemical formulation in spite of their very different appearances. These modern findings support the premise of all energy medicines:

the body is not just matter (solids and liquids) but also, and maybe mostly, energy — vital energy.

There are many forms of energy. Some can be seen. Some can be heard. Some can be measured only with sophisticated scientific equipment. And some can only be surmised because of their effects — since we do not have, as of yet, the equipment or the knowledge to measure them and therefore to prove them objectively. Yet this is true of many things that today are accepted because of the availability of evermore sophisticated equipment but that were speculative only yesterday.

In the meantime, energy medicines, with their long-standing traditions rooted not only in Asia and India but also in ancient Greece and Egypt, have operated on the basis that the body is matter and vital energy, a life force in all living entities.

Benedict Lust, Founder of Naturopathy

Energy medicines have been a source of inspiration for many contemporary practitioners on all continents, yet, until not long ago, energy-oriented practitioners in the U.S. were often ridiculed and generally marginalized. We must be thankful to the luminaries who persevered and were able to preserve and enhance this essential knowledge increasingly recognized for the depth of its wisdom and the simplicity of its precepts. All of them were driven by the conviction that just as humans are subjected to the actions of others as well as of the environment, nothing within our bodies occurs in isolation.

Like Taking Your Car to Be Serviced

The beauty world, from manufacturers to retailers, from specialized media to treatment professionals, has always been influenced by prevailing medical views and throughout the 20th century novelties of a growing drug industry.

Faced with the increasingly urgent and widespread challenge that consumers present to the beauty industry, the beauty world has moved even more closely to medical doctors with the spectacular growth of the medical spa trend.

In a medical spa under the direction of a doctor, if required by local laws, nurses, aestheticians or therapist engage in a variety of invasive modalities usually gear to producing fast results.

To go further and faster, in some medical spas and in many clinics, surgeons perform plastic surgery. In all of these instances, the body is considered in the same way as when a car is taken to the repair shop to replace an old set of tires or any defective engine part.

These professionals behave according to a view of the world, of matter, and of the body, that is obsolete and a cause of the shortcomings of modern medicine and too often, of the mishaps of aesthetic surgery.