Wellness Tips

Avoid MSG – aginomoto – a toxic food additive

MSG is a taste enhancer added to processed food and used in many, especially Asian, restaurants. This hidden poison, besides impacting your taste buds and making you crave for foods containing MSG, is responsible for ailments ranging from obesity to Alzheimer’s!

MSG is addictive, which leads to overeating. It can cause headaches, nausea, liver and kidney damage as well as increased blood pressure. As if that wasn’t enough, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, dementia, multiple sclerosis, lupus and of course obesity, as well as many other diseases are also among the effects of this toxic food additive. Don’t be fooled into thinking it is harmless because the government hasn’t banned it!

Where you are most likely to find aginomoto: Chinese and Asian food, salty processed meats, most processed foods including bouillon cubes, canned soups and vegetables, barbecue sauce, salad dressings etc. In fact, a test was done where people were given cooked cardboard flavored with MSG as a dessert, without their knowledge. They lapped it up! Anything can be made to taste good with MSG, thus its excessive use. But is that really what you want to put in your body?

How to avoid it? Buy fresh instead of processed foods (since it isn’t necessarily labeled on the ingredient list). Ask at the restaurant whether they use MSG(monosodium glutamate) or aginomoto, as it is mainly called in India. If they do, decide whether the artificial taste is worth the risk. There are plenty of healthy herbs and spices to make food taste good on its own. Having to mask the flavor with artificial and dangerous additives really proves that the restaurant doesn’t care about the quality of the food and its effect on the customers, and that the cooks need to cheat to make the food they present tasty


Follow Your Heart

wellness Tips by Irma

 
Allow your heart to lead you to solutions that are wise, inclusive and that reduce your tensions and increase your health, says Irma Battig

There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so,” Hamlet explains to Rosencrantz. How about solving problems with the inclusive brain that does not divide in black or white, good or bad, but that arrives at encompassing and wise conclusions, while also decreasing stress and improving health? The Institute of HeartMath offers a tool to achieve precisely that.

It may surprise you but changing the way you feel, and the way you deal with life does not have to be a momentous task, but can be accomplished with ease, in as little as five minutes at a time.

Over the years, I have discovered and honed a variety of instruments and techniques to help myself and others improve their lives in simple, effective, and efficient ways. HeartMath is one of my favourites. I use it for myself and with my clients, and I teach it in my transformational seminars as well.

The mission of the scientists of the Institute of HeartMath, founded in 1991 by Doc Childre in California, is to facilitate fundamental shifts in health, well-being and consciousness. Their groundbreaking research, centres on the role of the heart and the physiological mechanism by which it communicates with the brain (hence the name HeartMath). It thus influences information processing, perceptions, emotions, and health. The Institute is asking questions such as, “How do stress and different emotional states affect the autonomic nervous system, the hormonal and immune systems, the heart and brain?”

Over their years of research, it became clear to the scientists at the HeartMath Institute that negative emotions lead to increased disorder in the heart’s rhythms, and in the autonomic nervous system, thereby adversely affecting the rest of the body. In contrast, positive emotions create increased harmony and coherence in heart rhythms, and improve balance in the nervous system. The health implications are easy to understand: Disharmony in the nervous system leads to inefficiency and increased stress on the heart and other organs, while harmonious rhythms are more efficient and less stressful to the body’s systems.

The Heart has a mind of its own

Pumping blood is just one of the heart’s many functions, even physiologically. The heart has 40,000 neurons. HeartMath researchers observed that the heart was acting as though it had a mind of its own and was profoundly influencing the way we perceive and respond to the world. In essence, it appeared that the heart was affecting intelligence and awareness. It sends more messages to the brain than vice versa! Therefore, we have to ask which one of the brains really is in charge, the thinking one, or the feeling one! The heart creates the largest electromagnetic field in our body – it is about 60 times more powerful in amplitude than that of the brain. The vital organ can feel, and it has memory. So when we say that we are heartbroken, that is actually what our heart is feeling. When we are upset, feeling bad in any way, our heart rhythm pattern is erratic. When we feel good and at peace, the heart rhythm patterns become smooth and balanced. They harmonise with the brain waves – it is called coherence – we feel calm and aligned – our body and mind can operate at full capacity. We are more productive, healthier, and happier.

Considering that stress causes about 80 per cent of diseases, the beneficial impact of decreasing tension becomes quite evident. By increasing coherence and reducing stress, you raise the pH level of your body, and you limit the risk of chronic and acute illness. Stress is not objective. It mainly has to do with the way we react to life and its challenges. Different people react to different triggers, and in various ways. By creating healthier, more productive ways of facing them, we decrease stress. You must have noticed that when you get up on the wrong foot, your day tends to go downhill from there. The opposite is true too. The better we feel, the less stressed and hassled we get by events. We even see and interpret them in different ways. Therefore, any method that helps calm you down will benefit your health. Meditation is, of course, a prime example, the only drawback being that it usually requires time, a certain discipline, as well as practice for it to work. The HeartMath method only takes a few minutes; all you have to do is remember to use it, particularly, when you are under fire.

Here is how it works:

  1. Recognise the stressor/ the problem that bothers you – What is it?
  2. Shift your focus to the heart – Put a hand on your heart and breathe deeply into your heart.
  3. Activate a heart feeling – Recall a positive memory, a beautiful, blissful moment of your life when you felt wonderful (we all have such memories, just search a little if it doesn’t come easily) .
  4. Ask – Heart, tell me a better way to deal with the situation/the problem.
  5. Listen to the message from your heart – Pay attention to the first words, pictures, sounds, feelings that come to you.

If it sounds encompassing and wise, you know that the answer truly stems from your heart. The voice of the heart speaks of wholeness and oneness; it is the song of your higher self and your soul – all-encompassing, drawing a bigger picture, and taking you to a higher level of awareness. It offers win-win solutions. Its messages are imbued with high vibrational emotions like gratitude, forgiveness, acceptance, happiness, peace, understanding, love, and unity.

Coherent hearts create a healthy world

Should the answers involve anger, blame, jealousy, pride, exclusiveness, intolerance, victimisation, separation or any other negative feeling or behaviour, you can tell that it is not the heart speaking; the ego took over. Repeat the exercise and make sure you spend enough time connecting with a beautiful memory. Feel what you felt, see what you saw, hear what you heard and let the memory take over your whole body. Emotions are felt in the body, not in the mind, so ensure that you are feeling the goodness of the memory in your heart as well as the rest of your body.

When you can keep a coherent heart in a critical situation, you can literally change the hearts and minds of those around you. Indeed, the institute’s research shows that the coherent heart of one person can have a scientifically demonstrable effect on the brain waves of another person. The implications for better relationships, teamwork, peace-making and health on a larger scale are profound. It becomes even scientifically evident why solving problems from the heart instead of the mind is crucial. When we act out of the heart’s wisdom, we automatically collaborate instead of compete. We take the other party’s well-being into consideration, not just our personal gain. We focus on the bigger picture. We think in terms of unity rather than differences and separation.

The more we come from that place of peacefulness and understanding, the more the world will change. Scientists now say that we only require ten per cent of the population to raise their awareness to create a tipping point (the hundredth-monkey effect) that will transform everyone’s behaviour. Are you willing to be part of that ten per cent? The HeartMath method can assist you in the endeavour.

Quench your Thirst with the Water of Life

The most crucial ingredients for your health, in order of importance:

  1. Sleep
  2. Hydration
  3. Food
  4. Exercise

It’s hot and we are losing a lot of water through perspiration. Hydrating yourself is essential especially in summer time. But how?

TO BE OR NOT TO BE (HYDRATED)

Why is water so important? We consist of about 75 percent water, a bit more in infancy, less in old age. The brain is made of 90 percent water – so yes, we do have water heads! A person of average build loses about two liters of water a day, more in hot climates and when doing strenuous exercise. If we don’t replenish those two liters, we go into a state of dehydration. 10 percent dehydration leads to death. Three quarters of people are chronically dehydrated by two to four percent. That means their cells underperform by twenty to forty percent! Over time, dehydration can produce symptoms like back problems, headaches, arthritis, high blood pressure, high cholesterol…

Living water. Water restored to its full beneficial potential. Like the kind that fell to earth centuries ago through a pollution-free atmosphere, washed over uncontaminated rocks, gravel and sand in creeks and streams, absorbing the minerals, the magnetic energy of the earth and the far-infrared energy of the sun. Sounds too good to be true?

It exists. Pi water was first detected more than 30 years ago in Japan. During research on plant growth cycles, Japanese scientists discovered a form of water they named pi. This pi water contained specially-charged iron particles. The scientists referred to it as “living water,” from the effects they perceived it had on plants and other growing things. Pi Water is one of the most basic yet innovative waters in the world. The word ‘Pi’ is the Greek word for ‘life’. It also means returning to the source. It helps to increase the body’s own regenerative healing energy and balance.

Ordinary Water and Pi Water
Kirilian Photography showing the energy emanating from a drop of ordinary water and a drop of Pi Water

THE WATER OF LIFE NOW AVAILABLE IN INDIA!

Pi water is 100 percent compatible with our cellular chemistry. And Pi water treatment cancels out the “memory” effect of former impurities (that still mysterious liquid carries the information of what it has been exposed to, ref. Masaru Emoto’s work), giving it the memory, or energy of life instead. Therefore the body instantly absorbs and completely utilizes Pi water on a cellular level, brining in nutrients, removing waste and assisting just about every process in that factory called cell. On the other hand, ordinary water, be it tap or bottled, is like a key that doesn’t fit the cellular lock. You drink it and it goes straight to the stomach, gets digested and eliminated. Only a portion of it hydrates your thirsty cells. The more you drink, the more you go the toilet. Pi water is also more effective than ordinary water in flushing out wastes and toxins that tend to build up in our cells, and it protects our cells by impeding further infiltration by toxic substances.

Pi water technology, which is achieved by passing tap water through a three stage pi filtration process, removes impurities like chlorine, heavy metals, pesticides, herbicides, fertilizing chemicals, bacteria and other solid matter. It restores natural trace minerals needed by the body. It enhances the transmission of information throughout the body. It transforms water so that it precisely matches the chemical composition of the protoplasm inside our cells. It improves cellular adaptation to stress and stressful environments. It carries much more oxygen than conventional water; and restores the water to the perfect pH (7.4) for healthy body functions. (Cancer cells require an anaerobic, acidic environment to thrive; they cannot survive in an oxygen rich, alkaline environment.) It transforms water into the finest, most pristine Living Energy water possible.

Dr. Batmangelidj, the author of several books on water, treats people with chronic illnesses by giving them water to drink. Some Japanese doctors treat patients with severe conditions like terminal cancer by giving them Pi water to drink. At an International Symposium on Preventative Oncology held in France in 1998, the Discussants were very excited about the extraordinary benefits of pi-water. The following was reported: Pi water possesses high anti-oxidation properties because of its ability to eliminate free radicals. And it provides bio-energy (or life energy).

Benefits of Pi Water in Agriculture

PiMag water is now available in India! Go to:

Nikken pimag waterfall

To understand the importance of a balanced body pH, please read the last Wellness Tip about pH.
For more information, call me at 9930 236706, or go to:

Importance of a balanced body pH

In agriculture, pi-water has been used for cultivating crops without chemicals and for producing larger, tastier, more nutrient rich and healthier vegetables. This experiment shows four potatoes after five weeks in tap water, reverse osmosis water, well water and PiMag water. While the first two dried out and started rotting, the potato in well water has made roots, while the potato in PiMag water has developed a rich root system and has sprouted into a healthy plant. Do you want to shrivel, or do you want to thrive? Your choice. (PiMag water stands for magnetized Pi Water as developed by Nikken.)

Health is a state of balance and harmony

Health is a state of balance and harmony in all areas of our life: 

  • Body
  • Mind
  • Spirit
  • Family
  • Society
  • Finances

If one of those areas is out of balance, it affects all the others. It’s like a tire that is punctured. The air does not just deflate where the hole is, but the whole tire gets flat. The same is true for our health. If you experience strive in your relationships with your family members, this will affect your emotional state. Bad feelings create toxins in the body which will impact your physical health over time. Getting sick may mean not being able to perform well at work which may impact your finances, and so on. On the other hand, financial problems will impact your mind very quickly. They will put stress on your family. When you can’t make ends meet, you are unable to contribute to your society the way you might like to. And eventually, the body will show symptoms of stress in the form of illness as well.

So when you think about getting healthy, do not expect that a bi-weekly visit to the gym will suffice. Instead, look at the areas of your life that are out of synch and strive to put them back into a state of harmony.


wellnesstip

One way to monitor your health is to check your pH daily, or when you feel out of sorts. You can do so with litmus paper from a pharmacy. Your ideal blood pH is at 7,34; for a saliva or urine test the litmus testing kit will show if your system is alkaline enough or too acidic. A low pH – or an acidic state – indicates that your cells break down too fast. Food turns bad when the pH goes below a certain limit. In the case of your body, your cells break down faster (turn bad) when your body becomes acidic.

Acidity can be caused by the wrong diet, insufficient water intake, stress, smoking, inflammation in the body. All of them cause disease. Therefore watching your pH helps you take corrective action. By that I don’t mean taking antacids! First, drink more water with a balanced pH (higher than 7), change from an acidic to a more alkaline diet, limit your intake of sugar, spend more time outdoors, preferably in fresh, clean air. Find something that helps you reduce your stress level like yoga, meditation, pranayam, tai chi or a sports activity. Get a good massage to detoxify your body. Do a liver cleanse. During the holidays, where alcohol consumption and the intake of food and sweets tend to increase, your pH is likely to decrease. It’s not just a matter of gaining a few extra pounds that you then make a New Year’s resolution to shed… Pay attention to the signs and take corrective action; otherwise, your body will age faster.

“Yeast and fungus (nature’s “recyclers”) can start their takeover while we’re still living. Because the microzymas are getting the chemical signal, from an acid terrain, that this organism is dead or disorganizing! The body naturally goes acid when it dies or when the cells begin to disorganize. And without respiration, oxygen is lost. One of the symptoms of terrain imbalance is lack of oxygen. These morbidly evolved organisms thrive without oxygen, i.e., they are anaerobic. We predispose ourselves to this takeover with various stresses. The main ones are chronic improper diet and/or other chronic toxicity. Emotional upheaval and unloving thoughts, anger, etc., have a strongly acidifying effect in the tissues.”