Functional Solutions For Living

Hi everyone!

I am still in Columbus attending a teaching with Tibetan lama, Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche on Mahamudra.

I am on on the run, so please forgive this Frankensteined blog!

Over the weekend I heard many people ask for Rinpoche’s advice on meditation…

Seems like many people just can’t (which means won’t) take the time to practice, or do practice and have many thoughts arising that they find undesirable.

Many people seem to think that proper meditation requires absence of thought which is entirely erroneous.

I came across some interesting words regarding meditation that many of you might find useful.

But before I get to that, some of you are probably wondering what Mahamudra is…

Mahamudra literally means “great seal” or “great symbol”.

Thubten Yeshe explains the use of the term: “Mahamudra means absolute seal, totality, unchangeability. Sealing something implies that you cannot destroy it. Mahamudra was not created or invented by anybody; therefore it cannot be destroyed. It is absolute reality”.

The term Mahamudra refers to the realization arising from certain advanced forms of Buddhist meditation practice, comprising methods of attaining a direct introduction to the nature and essence of the mind. Mahamudra also includes practices to stabilize the accompanying transcendental realization.

The practices associated with Mahamudra draw upon instructions from multiple levels of Buddhism, including Sutra and Vajrayana, to provide a range of approaches to enlightenment suited to the needs of various practitioners. Mahamudra is believed to enable one to realize the mindstream’s innate purity, clarity and perfection, summed up by the term “buddha nature”, the topic of the Third Turning of the Dharmachakra, the final phase of Gotama Buddha’s teachings.

Aryadeva summarises: “The discussion of how to attain mahamudra entails methods for meditating on mind itself as something having voidness as its nature.”

Another way of putting it is…”Mahamudra is the union of great bliss and emptiness – the very subtle mind that experiences great bliss and realizes ultimate truth. By enabling us to go within to uncover the deepest level of our mind and then to use the very subtle mind to meditate on ultimate truth, Mahamudra practice destroys all our delusions at their very root and thus propels us quickly to the state of full enlightenment.”

Now back to the issue of meditation…

I would like to share some words I came across that some of you may find useful. They are the words of a man I have never met or heard of until this weekend. I only know of him as “Kip.”

Here is what he had to say about meditation:

“I often hear people saying they can’t meditate.

But what they are really saying is they won’t meditate.

Whatever reasons they give, the truth is in meditation they have come across an experience they do not wish to experience.

Whether they are conscious of it or not, they have felt a sensation that they do not wish to feel.

The reasons on top of this are just excuses.

The moment you allow yourself to experience those sensations you are avoiding, then you see the futility of your reasons, the futility of your thoughts.

The futility of trying to figure it all out.

It really has nothing to do with mind.

You just didn’t want to feel a certain sensation, and once you did, it wasn’t so bad, ironically, it was quite blissful.

Suddenly you are filled with love and peace until the next sensation you unconsciously resist makes itself known.

Once you realize this one very simple point, that the reason you can’t meditate is that you do not wish to feel a certain sensation, then meditation becomes very clear.

Then you see the power is in your hands.

Most people are just looking for the bliss and they don’t want to do the work to get it.

And that is perfectly fine, a little relaxation and meditation will give you this.

But if you want more than this…

If you want freedom, from this constant conflict of seeking pleasure and avoiding pain and all the stress & suffering that goes with it, then you will be willing to sit through the uncomfortable experiences and enjoy the peace that goes with it.

Unconditional peace does not come from feeling happy all the time.

Unconditional peace comes by being present with what is here regardless of how you think it feels.

You give it a try and I bet you’ll really like it.”

Until next time…

Kind Regards,

Anthony

Welcome back. This weekend, I have the honor of meeting and attending a weekend retreat with Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche, so I will be out of town.

I wanted, however, to share some additional information on dairy before I hit the road.

Since my Post, Got Milk? Well Maybe You Shouldn’t Unless You Are a Baby Cow, I have received many emails and great comments.

One comment that stood out was from nutrion expert and co-author of The Horomone Revolution (you can find it in my bookstore), Kimberly Day in which she expanded upon the information I shared:

“Fantastic post as always! I agree that dairy is no good…for all these reasons and more. First of all, it is highly inflammatory; as you mentioned, it’s one of the most common food allergies. Plus, it’s high saturated fat increases cholesterol, and the artificial hormones worsen estrogen dominance in women.

It also contributes to weight gain. Which makes sense if you think about it. The truth is, cow’s milk is really the breast milk of another mammal and is intended to grow a calf into a 300 to 400 pound animal. Think what it’s doing to you!

Also, dairy is highly addictive…and not just because of the salt and mouth-feel. It has opioid properties. The enzymes that produce opiates are not confined to poppies; they also hide inside cows’ livers. So traces of morphine can pass into the animal’s bloodstream and end up in milk and milk products. These opiates hide inside casein, the main dairy protein. As casein molecules are digested, they break apart to release tiny opiate molecules, called casomorphins. One of these compounds has about one-tenth the opiate strength of morphine.

When you take all this into consideration, it makes sense that breaking free of dairy can be very difficult for many people. But the health benefits are so worth it…”

In addition, author, lecturer and intuitive coach Laura Kowalski shared the following video which sheds further light on this topic. After watching it, be sure to come back and weigh in because I am interested in what everyone has to say:

When it comes to dairy, the writing is on the wall.

Until next time…

Kind Regards,
Anthony

Hey everyone, welcome back. Today we are going to talk about the difference between food allergies and food intolerances.

This is a topic that I am very intimate with and consequently, for better or for worse know inside and out!

According to many doctors, food allergies and intolerances are becoming more and more common these days.

According to the National Institute of Health, at least 30 million Americans (10%) suffer from some sort of food intolerance.

According to the Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network, 8 foods account for 90% of all food allergies: Cow’s milk, eggs, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, fish and shellfish.

One in three Americans alters their diet with the belief that they or someone close to them has a food allergy.

What many of them don’t understand, is that what a large number of people think of as food allergies are actually food intolerances.

The difference?

A food allergy occurs when the immune system produces an antibody in response to the protein in a specific food or foods.

Even a small amount can produce symptoms. Sometimes immediate and sometimes delayed. These symptoms can range from hives, eczema, stomach upset, sinus problems to more serious and even life threatening ones such as swelling of the tongue and closing of the throat.

Ways to diagnose food allergies include: Food elimination diets, skin testing, blood and other lab tests.

Personally, my food allergies were found quickly with a blood test but the more troubling and problematic food sensitivities were finally uncovered when I went on an elimination diet.

A food intolerance occurs when there is a negative physiological response following the consumption of certain foods. In this case, the immune system does not respond like it does with allergic foods.

The tricky thing with food intolerances is that it may take up to three to four days for the symptoms to take effect. This makes food intolerances very hard to diagnose.

Elimination diets and other less known, specialty tests are the most common means of diagnosis.

Symptoms of food intolerance can include headaches, insomnia, muscle aches, chronic fatigue, irritability, gastrointestinal problems and the list goes on and on.

For example, when I eat corn I can get very agitated…but it takes effect about 24 hours later and lasts for about two days…fading in intensity until it clears out of my system.

Knowing this, I understand that it is just inflammation in my brain and body and don’t let it change my behavior. It does require an extra degree of mindfulness and use of energy so it is an inconvenience.

Before I figured out that I had Celiac disease, food allergies and food intolerances, I blamed the symptoms on any number of things…all of them inaccurate.

Of course, my doctors had many diagnoses (I now call them diagnonsense) ranging from seizure disorder to depression to ADD to cancer to temporal lobe epilepsy and a few others.

It was not a pleasant ride to say the least. There was much suffering, confusion and embarrassment, and of course much money spent trying to make sense of it all. I knew I wasn’t crazy but I also couldn’t figure out what was causing these strange physical, emotional and mental symptoms and reactions.

Eventually, I figured it out after doing a fast in conjunction with some meditative work I was doing. After four days of not eating, I started to feel much better. Once I started eating again, my symptoms returned.

From there, I started removing various foods from my diet and then reintroducing them. Eventually, I pinpointed several foods and eliminated them from my diet. I felt much better but their was still something else….

Armed with this knowledge, I went to my doctor who ordered a blood test which confirmed my results and actually revealed a few more foods which eventually revealed Celiac disease but that wasn’t for a few more years! That is a whole other story!

Here is a more detailed list of symptoms. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms on a regular basis it may be an indication of a food reaction:

Mood and behavior
Emotional ups and downs
Depression
Sleep problems
Fatigue
.
Respitory
Wheezing
Shortness of breath
Sinus problems
Throat closing
Excessive mucus (not specifically associated with Celiac disease)

Stomach
Diarrhea
Constipation
Gas
Cramps
Bloating
Vomiting
Reflux

Skin
Eczema
Dry skin
Hives/rashes
Itchiness
Flushed color
Welts

Aches
Joint pain
Muscle aches
Loss of strength
Migraines

Malnutrition
Anemia
Dizziness
Fainting
Weight change
Osteoporosis
Dental problems
Delayed growth in kids
Irregular periods
Infertility
Fatigue

If you have any of these symptoms, consult with your health care provider. If you suspect that you have Celiac disease or a gluten intolerance, it is important that you get tested before you change your diet. The reason being, is that the test will likely come up as negative following the implementation of a gluten-free diet.

Well, I think I’ve covered enough for this post. I welcome any questions anyone has and will answer them promptly. Just remember, that I am not a doctor nor can I give medical advice!

Until next time…

Kind Regards,
Anthony

Recently, a good friend of mine developed some very strange and troubling skin problems and contacted me for some input that might help him with his upcoming doctors appointment.

We took a look at his stress level, his environment, his lifestyle and finally his diet and came up with what we thought might be the culprit.

He then went to his doctor who quickly and politely dismissed the information we came up with.  He was certain it was stress related and of course, tried to put him on a steroid and an anti-anxiety medication.

The problem with that was that other than the skin problem and some fatigue, his life had never been better…

Got excessive stress?   Not him!

He passed on the anti-anxiety med but did take the steroid.  After three weeks he felt worse and stopped taking it and asked for my help.

The first thing I told him was to tell his doctor that he quit taking it and see what he had to say.

We then went back to where we left off…

What we found was that his condition coincided with a massive increase in dairy consumption.

He had never in his life enjoyed eating cheese but was trying to cut down on meat so he tried it again, loved it and became addicted.

He was eating over a pound a day!

I suggested that he pass on the dairy for two weeks and then reintroduce it to see if that was causing the inflammation…

It has been about a week and lo and behold, his skin is clearing up.  He is also reporting having more energy and a “clearer head.”

At this point he is convinced and does not want to reintroduce it but only time will tell…

I’d still like him to eat it at least one more time to see how his body reacts, but he’s the boss when it comes to his body!

I am not a doctor but after years of  helping others with mysterious physical, mental and emotional symptoms, I have come to the conclusion that dairy and gluten are two of the main culprits in people who have skin, sinus, allergy and fatigue problems as well as with depression, anxiety and ADD-like characteristics.

Of course that is not always the case but it is very, very common.

Remove the potential offenders for long enough and then reintroduce them one at a time and you will know without a doubt.

Unfortunately, many people go back to feeling like crap and/or taking medications rather than getting the problem at its root.  They are just so habituated and often get secondary gains that they are not willing to give up.

But don’t take my word for it…

Walter Willett, M.D., Ph.D — the second-most-cited scientist in all of clinical medicine and the head of nutrition at Harvard’s School of Public Health, who has done many studies and reviewed the research on dairy consumption has a few things to say about Milk and dairy:

1) Milk doesn’t reduce fractures.

Contrary to popular belief, eating dairy products has never been shown to reduce fracture risk — but dairy may increase risk of fractures by 50 percent (according to the large Nurses’ Health Study)!

2) Less dairy, better bones.

Countries with lowest rates of dairy and calcium consumption (like those in Africa and Asia) have the lowest rates of osteoporosis.

3) Calcium isn’t as bone-protective as we thought.

Studies of calcium supplementation have showed no benefit in reducing fracture risk. Vitamin D appears to be much more important than calcium in preventing fractures.

4) Calcium may raise cancer risk.

Research shows that higher intakes of both calcium and dairy products may increase a man’s risk of prostate cancer by 30 to 50 percent. Plus, dairy consumption increases the body’s level of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) — a known cancer promoter.

5) Calcium has benefits that dairy doesn’t.

Calcium supplements, but not dairy products, may reduce the risk of colon cancer.

6) Not everyone can stomach dairy.

About 75 percent of the world’s population is genetically unable to properly digest milk and other dairy products — a problem called lactose intolerance.

Based on such findings, Dr. Willet has come to some important conclusions:

* Everybody needs calcium — but probably not as much as our government’s recommended daily allowance (RDA).

* Calcium probably doesn’t prevent broken bones. Few people in this country are likely to reduce their fracture risk by getting more calcium.

* Men may not want to take calcium supplements. Supplements of calcium and vitamin D may reasonable for women.

* Dairy may be unhealthy. Advocating dairy consumption may have negative effects on health.

According to Dr. Mark Hyman M.D, there are “more scientific studies worth noting:

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently asked the UDSA to look into the scientific basis of the claims made in the “milk mustache” ads. Their panel of scientists stated the truth clearly:

* Milk doesn’t benefit sports performance.

* There’s no evidence that dairy is good for your bones or prevents osteoporosis — in fact, the animal protein it contains may help cause bone loss!

* Dairy is linked to prostate cancer.

* It’s full of saturated fat and is linked to heart disease.

* Dairy causes digestive problems for the 75 percent of people with lactose intolerance.

* Dairy aggravates irritable bowel syndrome.

Simply put, the FTC asked the dairy industry, “Got Proof?” — and the answer was NO!

In addition, dairy has been linked to conditions such as:

* Allergies
* Sinus problems
* Ear infections
* Type 1 diabetes
* Chronic constipation
* Anemia (in children)”

Many people claim that raw milk is different…

Is it?

Not really.

Again, Dr. Hyman:

“Although raw, whole, organic milk assuages concerns like pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, and the effects of homogenization and pasteurization, it is still milk.

From an evolutionary point of view, milk is a strange food for humans. Until 10,000 years ago we didn’t domesticate animals and weren’t able to drink milk (unless some brave hunter-gather milked a wild tiger or buffalo!).

If you don’t believe that then consider this: the majority of humans naturally stop producing significant amounts of lactase – the enzyme needed to properly metabolize lactose, the sugar in milk – sometime between the ages of two and five.

In fact, for most mammals, the normal condition is to stop producing the enzymes needed to properly digest and metabolize milk after they have been weaned.

Our bodies just weren’t made to digest milk on a regular basis.

Instead, most scientists agree that it’s better for us to get calcium, potassium, protein, and fats from other food sources, like whole plant foods — vegetables, fruits, beans, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and seaweed.”

What do you think?

Here’s Dr. Mark Hyman’s M.D’s advice for dealing with dairy:

* If you want healthy bones, get plenty of exercise and supplement with 2,000 IU of vitamin D daily — don’t rely on dairy.

* Get your calcium from dark green leafy vegetables, sesame tahini, sea vegetables, and sardines or salmon with the bones.

* Try giving up all dairy — that means milk, cheese, yogurt, and ice cream for two weeks and see if you feel better.  You should notice improvements with your sinuses, post-nasal drip, headaches, irritable bowel syndrome, energy, and weight.  Then start eating dairy again and see how you feel. If you feel worse, you should try to give it up for life.

* If you can tolerate dairy, then use only raw, organic dairy products, preferably fermented products like unsweetened yogurt and kefir, occasionally.

* If you have to feed your child formula from milk, don’t worry. The milk in infant formula is hydrolyzed or broken down and easier to digest (although it can still cause allergies).  Once your child is a year old, switch him or her to real food and almond milk.”

The bottom line…

Dairy is not essential for good health!

If you have strange health problems and even if you don’t, I suggest that you go dairy-free and see how you feel.

You might, like my friend and many others I have worked with, be pleasantly surprised!

Until next time…

Kind Regards,
A