The "O" Zone

Health is the ability to comprehend yourself in your environment. 

This capacity and level of living grows out of a vivid understanding of ourselves: who we are, what we are, what our potential is. As we act out of an intelligent understanding and awareness of this reality, we can begin to be accurately aware of our environment.   

Once we can connect to our environment, we can begin to sense the other people in our circle of influence.   

As we become aware of the realities of other people, we can start to gain insight into the full sense of our environment.  

As we come to know ourselves in our environment, we can seek the path of health, with growing knowledge and our most powerful intention.  

To review these steps again:

1.    A vivid understanding of ourselves: who we are, what we are, and our potential.

2.    An accurate awareness of our environment.

a.    Our geographic environment.

b.    Our physical environment.

c.    Our social environment.

d.    Our emotional environment.

e.    Our spiritual environment.

3.    With this accurate awareness, we begin to seek a balance of these factors to engender a powerful basis for our physical, emotional and spiritual being to thrive and grow in.

In this state our physical being will reflect this amazing integrity by flowing through life like a stream over a rough streambed. It creates a harmony of sound and sight, and an unending persistent rush to our fullness. 

In our full awareness, or intelligence, we are primed for more and greater wisdom, knowledge and enlightenment to be added to our heart, mind and soul.

There is a good example in the scientific literature. One study found that our "surroundings play a key role in [our diet choices and in obesity]." They found that “people who used to be satisfied by a 12-ounce can of soda may now feel that a 20-ounce bottle is just right.” They determined that “people learn how big an appropriate food unit is from their cultures. For example, yogurt containers in French supermarkets are a bit more than half the size of their American counterparts. Yet French shoppers don't make up the difference by eating more containers of the stuff.” 1

If we enjoy a full awareness of our environment, we will be aware of our own needs and the pressures of our society, and resist the pressure of society and meet the genuine needs of our body in our dietary choices, social choices and our interaction with both the people in our environment as well as the culture of our environment. 

The oft-repeated quote makes this principle plain and simple: “To thine own self be true.” But to be true to yourself you must know yourself as you really are, not as you have believed yourself to be in the past. I hear from people, over and over again, statements like: “My mother had degeneration in her hips, so I am sure that I am going to have it too.” Or, “It’s going to take a long time for me to change.” Or when we hear we have been diagnosed with cancer, we believe our culture, and the belief we acquire is expressed in the first question we ask, which is, “How long do I have to live?” This shows that we believe the doctor really knows what our potential is, and that we choose to take their opinion of what our likelihoods and possibilities are and accept these as real, and by so doing we make them real. Statements like, “Well I am the kind of person that…” are deadly traps in which disease finds a fertile, fresh Petri dish to grow on. 

Our environment only becomes a limitation to our expressed potential if we choose to let it be. If we don’t really understand that environment, it will likely take control of our destiny.  

We can become anything we desire; anything within the laws of nature, and they are very generous in so far as potential goes. If we are to be truly healthy, we will come to know what kind of a person we really are, and really can become. The reality is that we can become whatever kind of person we choose to be. 

Best,

Dr. O.

1. http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/tech/science/2006-07-30-eating-cues_x.htm

Short and Sweet!

Help Alzheimers by fasting: Several studies have suggested that fasting can have health benefits. A recent study from the National Institute on Aging found that fasting one or two days a week eases the symptoms of those suffering from Alzheimer's, and other studies have shown that fasting increases life span as well as being protective of the brain. 

http://www.newsmaxhealth.com/Health-Wire/mini-fast-Alzheimers-ketones-brain-health/2013/02/07/id/489390#ixzz2KLFy6B6u 

Fast food burgers contain only 7% meat; the 8 other ‘ingredients’ will disgust you: Americans consume somewhere in the ballpark of 5 billion hamburgers a year. A study published in the Annals of Diagnostic Pathology helped to discover that actual meat content in the burgers is only 2-14% of what you think it is! The other tissues were connective tissue, blood vessels, peripheral nerve, adipose tissue, plant material, cartilage, bone, and intracellular parasites known as Sarcocystis. http://www.realfarmacy.com/fast-food-burgers-only-7-meat/#uAHPFymstubXWbhO.99

New research explains statin-caused memory loss: In a new study published in the journal Disease Models & Mechanisms, UA investigators determined statin drugs may cause unusual swellings within nerve cells that appear to cause cognitive declines in some patients taking the widely prescribed class of cholesterol-lowering drugs. http://www.newsmax.com/Health-News/cholesterol-lowering-drugs-statings/2013/05/13/id/504235

Vinegar, not just for your salad: Vinegar is probably a staple in your kitchen for homemade salad dressings, but it's been known for its healing properties since the ancient Babylonians and Greeks. Vinegar has uses which effect the following: Weight loss, diabetes, arthritis, heart health, stomach problems. http://www.newsmaxhealth.com/Headline/vinegar-apple-cider-vinegar-folk-remedies-weight-loss/2013/07/07/id/513664#ixzz2YVY0AWSw 

Be careful next time you change the kitty litter: Cat feces can carry a nefarious parasite that may be much more widespread than thought, researchers say. Cats in the United States release about 2.6 billion pounds (1.2 million metric tons) of feces into the environment every year. Cat dung carries the parasite Toxoplasma gondii, a single-celled organism that creates infectious agents called oocysts. These oocysts can infect pregnant women, causing congenital problems in the baby such as deafness, seizures, eye damage and mental retardation. The parasite also infects people with compromised immune systems, such as those with HIV/AIDS. http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/07/09/cat-poop-parasite-is-dangerously-widespread/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+foxnews%2Fhealth+%28Internal+-+Health+-+Text%29#ixzz2YZlDpAAC

Gardasil may not be as safe was we were told: US court paid $6 million to victims of Gardasil, the vaccine for HPV (human papillomavirus). Judicial Watch announced it has received documents from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) revealing that its National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) has awarded $5,877,710 dollars to 49 victims in claims made against the highly controversial HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccines. To date (as of April 10, 2013), 200 claims have been filed with VICP, with barely half adjudicated. http://communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/stress-and-health-dr-lind/2013/apr/10/us-court-pays-6-million-gardasil-victims/#ixzz2QV4Fdx3L  

Fabulous Food: Megan’s Experience

This month’s Fabulous Food article will not be about one specific product, in fact it won’t even be backed with very much science but rather a small experiment I did and the fabulous impact that eating whole foods had on me.

I love eating great, clean, whole foods. I was raised to eat that way. But I also love chocolate. What’s a girl to do? I have a serious sweet tooth and, for whatever reason, I just couldn’t stop. I was eating gobs of my favorite treats almost daily for several months straight. I wasn’t gaining a ton of weight, so my usual motivation to stop the treats just wasn’t working. Well, lo and behold, my body wasn’t going to let me get away with that behavior for long. One day, my skin broke out with acne, pretty much all over. You would have thought I was a 14-year-old kid again! I knew that food could affect my skin from past experiences, like when I would juice for a period of time or eat a raw diet, and my skin would end up glowing. So I did a three-day cleanse and only ate and drank juiced fruits and veggies. As you can imagine, after eating junk food for months on end—and gobs of it—I could hardly make it through the three days, my skin was no better, and I was feeling defeated. Chocolate seemed like a good enough solution to help ease my suffering….

Ok, ok, I’m shallow enough that I just couldn’t let the broken-out skin continue, so I decided to get serious. I looked up lots of info on all my favorite blogs, health forums, and such, about what else I can do besides eating clean to help clear up my skin. But naturally, it did begin and end with eating clean. Lots of what I found said two key things to cut out of a diet during bouts of acne are sugar and wheat. And processed food should go without saying. When comparing vegan, vegetarian or paleo diets, I’m not of the mindset that any one way is better than another. I know lots of people would argue against that, but for me, I believe in finding what works best with your body, and as long as you stick to whole foods, and the chain between the sun and your food is as short as possible, you are on the right track.

Another key component to healing my skin was vitamin D. Getting out in the sun is a good way to get vitamin D, but when you have bad skin, you don’t want to be out too much because it could increase scaring. I tried to balance supplements and sun.

I also began taking somewhat large doses of probiotics—I was taking it in pill form, buying raw fermented foods, and drinking Kombucha. All of these are available at health food stores.

As far as the products that I put on my skin, I stuck with my guns and used whole foods: In a glass jar, I mixed up a concoction of 1 cup of organic cold pressed olive oil and 1-2 tablespoons of castor oil. Every evening, I would massage the oil into my face and then use a hot washcloth to rub it off, and that was it—that was all I would use on my face until the next evening. You can learn more about this process at theoilcleansingmethod.com.

I had the opportunity to work closely with Dr. Olson during this time, who was able to test me for various food sensitivities, which we are still in the process of clearing me for. I can’t say my skin is perfectly clear but I will say it is very close, and the best it has been in months. I love how Mother Nature has this way of restoring balance when we take care of our bodies naturally. I was able to get my skin to take a total 180 by using zero chemicals or toxins. I feel so grateful for the knowledge that I have from working with Dr. Olson so long, that if my skin is breaking out, it is probably a warning from my body letting me know there is an imbalance, and to try and restore the balance instead of masking the symptom.

**I want to be clear to all those who try to stick with a whole foods diet, especially if you are a chocolate lover like me: I’m not a cold turkey kind of a gal. I found alternative options to satisfy my cravings. I have a stevia chocolate bar that I love. The great thing about eating it is that there is no sugar, thus my addiction doesn’t get out of control. Two or three small pieces are enough to leave me feeling satisfied. If you are in the market for other tasty, whole-food, sweet treats, look for “RAW desert” recipes—it is always a good way to find stuff you can eat. They are usually made with a base of dates and nuts. Searching for “Paleo deserts” is another option because they are usually made with almond or coconut flour.  

"O" Zone

This month’s “O” Zone article is an excerpt from Dr. Olson’s book, “Children of Promise.” 

     The human body is a self-healing mechanism. A cut on your finger will heal with little attention on your part. The same is true thousands of times a day throughout your body. 

     When we create the ability to perceive ourselves in our

environment, the body’s natural inclination to heal will take place at a highly efficient rate. Our ability to perceive ourselves in our environment is the capacity to recognize our environment and correctly choose the most efficient and effective path to full and vibrant health within the realities of that environment. If we are unable to achieve our full potential because we misread our situation, we will simply adapt to the best of our ability. This adaptation is a common cause of many chronic health problems. 
    
     We settle for adaptation instead of healing. If our recognition of the outside environment or our inner healing mechanism is not correct, our response will be less than appropriate. The result will be an imbalanced adaptation and less than optimal health.

     This is exemplified by conditions like allergies, which are an abnormal reaction to a normal environmental substance. Some people react to dust by sneezing, having a stuffy nose, puffy eyes, and other symptoms of allergies. Other people can breathe in the same dust and have no response at all. The problem is not in the dust, but our response to a normal, environmental substance. By helping the body perceive itself and the environment more clearly, the need to react abnormally is resolved. I have personally experienced hundreds of cases of allergies relieved naturally by use of an approach called NAET, Nambudripad’s Allergy Elimination Technique. Autoimmune disorders such as multiple sclerosis, lupus, and Crohn’s disease all are incorrect responses within the body to common stressors. The body believes it needs to attack itself to adapt to its environment, when the body’s reaction is, indeed, the major cause of the condition and the symptoms that follow. As the body truly comprehends itself in its environment or understands its physiological needs and the real impact of the environment, it will not attack normal tissue in an effort to stay balanced. It will seek to heal and restore these tissues in a continuing cycle of restoration that is normal to our nature. These are only a few of the myriad situations of the body not comprehending itself in its environment. Therefore, we may be able to diagnose and manage a disease, but if we restore health fully, the disease will have no root to grow and will disappear.

     When we see the real, underlying cause, we can choose to eliminate it from our being. True health is a noteworthy objective in life, if our desire is to live up to our highest potential.