by Deborah Yaffee
Winter 2009
Part 2: The Three Pillars of Radiant Health
“Man Grows Third Arm through Hypnosis”!!
Now, there’s a headline you probably won’t be seeing anytime soon in your local paper (although there are some tabloids…).
First of all, the consulting hypnotist strives for his clients to help them attain “achievable” results that are also useful or beneficial for the client. If my sole livelihood happened to be as a vaudeville one-man band performer, I may desire to have a third arm, but it is hardly achievable due to the realities of human genetics.
The human body, under the guidance of the subconscious mind (SCM) can, and will, achieve remarkable things. We can quite radically change the way we look so as to seem a completely different person, but certain changes absolutely fly in the face of what is genetically possible for us. Therefore, it is incumbent on us as consulting hypnotists to keep ourselves from falling into the trap of believing that everything is possible through the power of the subconscious mind.
How many of you have helped a hypnosis client to successfully clear emotional issues that contributed to their excess weight? Helped them replace destructive behavior patterns with positive behaviors of healthy eating and exercise? They are doing “everything right” …and yet they are not experiencing significant weight release. What’s going on?
Our fabulous SCM will dutifully strive to fill out the mental blueprint we give it, and it will succeed, beautifully, provided it has access to the tools and building materials to execute those plans. For our human bodies, individual genetics are the primary power tools and over 90 essential nutrients are among the critical materials our faithful foreman needs to create the body and brain chemistry we so desire.
We can help clients to use their SCM to make better food choices, and yes, there are certainly better choices of foods and worse choices, but what is now coming more and more to light in the 21st century is that healthy eating isn’t what it used to be. For the weight loss client who is doing everything right, yet not getting the results they’d like, it may be that a nutritionally bankrupt food supply and the unavoidable stress of environmental toxins is just too much for one overworked SCM to make miracles with.
Did you know that 1 billion cells are produced in the human body every 60 seconds? And did you know that science has now determined that there are well over 100 trillion cells in the average human body? Incredible, isn’t it?
To function properly, every one of those cells needs at least 90 specific building blocks. Of those 90 building blocks, 30 are amino acids, essential fatty acids and vitamins and about 60 are minerals. When we give the body all the essential nutrients it needs to be the miracle that it is, we give it an opportunity to move toward homeostatic balance: hormonal systems may calm down, excess fat might be released, mental focus increases, the skin glows, and vexing cravings for excessive salt, sweeteners, sedatives and stimulants may even vanish without effort.
In Part 1 of this series, I introduced you to the Life Balancing Formula of Cleanse, Replenish and Revitalize and how important those principles are for the mind. In this article, I’m going to share with you how important they are for the health of our body. Hypnotists need to be aware of the role that Nutritional Cleansing, Replenishing and Revitalizing have for achieving and maintaining the results that they want, for their clients and for themselves. Nutritional Cleansing, Replenishing and Revitalizing are so crucial for the SCM that I call them The Three Pillars of Radiant Health. Maintaining the vast galaxy of cells that is us rests upon a lifestyle that consistently embraces the synergistic strength of these three foundational pillars.
Nutritional Cleansing:
How many of you regularly brush your teeth and take a shower so that you are cleans on the outside? Nutritional cleansing is like taking a shower on the inside.
Over the last 30 years, research from many prestigious universities, health organizations, and even the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have demonstrated that it is not a question of IF the environment is toxic, but HOW TOXIC is it, and how is this toxicity impacting the health of the planet and its inhabitants.
Heavy metals, petrochemicals, herbicides, insecticides, chemical fertilizers, noxious hydrocarbons, food additives, genetically altered materials, antibiotics, synthetic drugs, and hormones are among the substances that have created a life-negating broth in which our cells are simmering on a daily basis.
So who needs to cleanse? In a word: Everyone.
There are many types of cleanses and I am sure you have heard of some of them. You may have even tried one or two. The healer’s axiom of “First do no harm” is especially important when it comes to cleansing and detoxification. Without proper preparation, and without supplying appropriate nutrients to support the body, a cleansing or detoxification program can leave a person weaker and more toxic than before!
Given the proper nutrients, the body is designed to cleanse and detoxify itself, so before starting any cleansing program, it is critical to strengthen the body’s filtration systems. The liver is the body’s largest organ of detoxification. It has two major pathways of detoxification. Before being rendered harmless in the second pathway, dangerous toxins are converted into even more toxic forms. If the liver is not properly prepared to finish its work, these new, more toxic chemicals can flood the body, and that doesn’t feel very good.
Love your liver by nurturing it daily with dark leafy green vegetables, dark green herbs (like parsley, cilantro, dandelion), cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower), sulfur-rich foods (garlic, eggs, onions), and a spritz of citrus (1 orange, juice of half a lemon or lime). Toss in some good liver-healing foods (like artichoke, beets, asparagus, and dandelion root tea) and you’re good to go.
The type of cleansing that I prefer is one that is effective yet gentle enough to let the body cleanse at a pace that is steady and safe. For a gentle, daily cleanse, you might start your morning with this nutrient-rich alkalizing beverage:
8 ounces purified water
Juice of half a lemon
1 to 2 ounces of aloe vera juice
Suggested dose of ionic plant source trace mineral supplement
1 teaspoon of raw honey, blue agave nectar or some juice (for sweetness)
For a deeper cleanse, you may do a nutritive-fast day with this beverage and some snacks once or twice a month. Increase the amount of aloe vera to 4 ounces and take the drink four times throughout the day. Be sure to have a small snack (like celery or green pepper or sprout mix or some apple slices) every 90 minutes to help maintain blood sugar. Include additional glasses of water or herb teas. Teas with warming herbs like ginger and cinnamon, or a cup of cayenne-spiced vegetable broth can provide a cozy pick-me-up. On these extended cleanse days, the digestive mechanisms are allowed to rest while the body is provided with a concentration of nutrients traditionally extolled to strengthen its own systems of cleansing and detoxification.
Some form of regular meditation, skin brushing, deep breathing exercises and physical movement (especially rebounding and walking) can greatly enhance your cleansing lifestyle.
Nutritional Replenishing:
After cleansing, your cells are more ready to receive and absorb high quality total nutrition that will help to support a well-balanced blood and brain chemistry. We will flood the body with super nutrition that will help to build our immune systems, healthy cells and healthy cell membranes. Such a mixture will also support and enhance the important detoxification pathways in the liver.
For this, the body needs a full complement of amino acids, vitamins, minerals, essential fats, enzymes, probiotics, fiber, and organic soil acids. Modern advancements in food technology have made pure, total nutrition available in ways to use that are affordable, tasty and wonderfully easy to use on a regular basis.
Although organically grown whole foods are better for you than loading up on junk food, it has been known since 1936 that modern farming practices in the U.S. were depleting the soils to such an extent that the nation’s health was clearly declining. Most of us know how important vitamins are for our health. Less known is the critical importance of minerals, especially the trace minerals. Minerals activate crucial metabolic processes in the cells. Respected Nobel Prize winner, Dr. Linus Pauling, said, “You can trace every sickness, every disease, and every ailment to a mineral deficiency.” Even where savvy farmers have made the effort to re-mineralize their soils with rock-dust, acid rains destroy the micro-organisms that transform the minerals into the organic forms that our hungry cells can absorb and utilize.
To ensure your body is getting its daily dose of vital trace minerals, purchase mineral supplements that have the words “ionic plant source minerals”. These words indicate the minerals are tiny enough to be readily absorbed by our cells. To turbo-charge your program, supplement with fulvic acid. Known as “the miracle molecule”, fulvic acid literally recharges the cellular batteries and increases life force. It maximizes absorption of nutrients while binding and removing heavy metals and other damaging impurities. It is also a powerful antioxidant in its own right.
There is no one-protocol /fits-all. If necessary, a daily replenishing program might contain a high quality multivitamin, an easily absorbed magnesium/calcium supplement and a blend of soluble and insoluble fiber.
Healthy cells, and healthy cell membranes, are built primarily from amino acids and essential fatty acids (the good fats). Essential omega-3 fatty acids can be obtained from flax seeds and purified fish oils. The full spectrum of essential amino acids can be found in whole, un-denatured, organic whey protein. This can be combined with a special blend of natural sugars, digestive enzymes, probiotics, vitamins and minerals in absorbable forms to make super food shakes and is, in my opinion, an ideal food for replenishing our depleted bodies. Many people who are sensitive to commercial dairy products are able to tolerate pure, un-denatured whey protein remarkably well. There are many grades of whey protein and omega-3 oils on the market today. Do not skimp on quality with these! For a little more money, you will get a much greater nutritional bang for your buck.
About 20 minutes after your morning cleanse drink, prepare a superfood shake. Use fresh or frozen fruit and a touch of honey or maple syrup, or a small amount of juice, for the carbohydrate portion. For the whey protein, men will need an average of about 23 grams, women 10 to 20. Having a nutrient-dense superfood shake for breakfast enables us to safely reduce calories and burn excess body fat for fuel while setting up strong positive brain chemistry for the day’s activities.
Revitalizing the Body:
Since ancient times, Eastern medical practitioners recognized the need for tonification, or revitalization, on a daily basis. Tonics help the body to be more resilient to both internally and externally generated stress. They increase the body’s adapt-ability by strengthening the nervous system, the immune system, and the glandular systems. In doing so, they increase our resistance to disease and the adverse effects of trauma. Our 21st century lifestyles expose us to incredible amounts of stressors 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We need tonifying!
Tonics are herbs, foods, and other nutrients that may have a certain amount of detoxifying effect in the body but their most striking property is their ability to restore balance in the body. For example, ginseng is a tonic herb that contains some ingredients that lower blood pressure and some that increase blood pressure. The wisdom of the body discerns which group of ingredients it needs when the tonic is consumed. Whatever is not needed at the time is eliminated or metabolized.
Herbs, like ginseng, that help the body course-correct itself in this way, are called adaptogens. Adaptogens are fantastically effective in helping the body safely balance itself in the areas of sleep, energy, strength, stamina, and immune function. Some of the more useful adaptogens are Ashwagandha, Rhodiola rosea, Schizandra, Tribulus Terrestris, and Siberian Ginseng.
A good tonic formulation includes an ample supply of anti-stress, body-balancing herbs, minerals, enzymes and other substances to revitalize and rejuvenate the body.
Set Your Strong Foundation:
Dramatically better health comes from the consistency of a lifestyle of cleansing, replenishing and revitalizing. Start building your three pillars of radiant health today and very soon you will be enjoying a strong foundation that will support you on your journey. Better health is not an event, it’s a lifestyle. Begin with something as simple as a glass of fresh lemon water and build from there. Do what you can to take small, manageable steps toward your health goal each day. Consistency is the key. Set your strong foundation and dare to be surprised at how quickly your body will respond to your loving care.
Following the Life Balancing Formula has helped me become much more effective in my professional practice and in my private life. It has also become a wonderful framework for my work in guiding clients to better health in mind, body and spirit.
(The information contained in this article is not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease. Always ask your doctor about any dietary changes you would like to implement. To learn about the tried and true program of nutritional cleansing, replenishing and revitalizing that I am using for myself and sharing with my hypnosis and hypnotherapy clients, please visit www.nutracleansing.com. You will view a special video from Cal Banyan. )
© Deborah Yaffee 2009
