In this blog I will be sharing with you a collection of health enhancing measures, practices and strategies, that I have incorporated into my life over the last decade.
These are my top picks, ranging from basic fundamental necessities and ancient remedies to the esoteric, alternative and cutting edge. All of these additions have been instrumental in greatly improving my wellbeing and vitality since integrating them.
As a cumulative health strategy, the combined benefits of these approaches, have been life changing.
Allow me to impart my Jedi-Yogic knowledge of healing, so that you can use the force to your advantage.
Clean water is my number 1, top pick. This is my GO Berkey water filtration system and Sport Berkey water filter bottle. The GO is a portable system that produces 3.8 liters of purified drinking water per hour, which is more than enough for a single person's daily needs. The Go also conveniently packs down into a very travel friendly size, perfect for camping and trips overseas. It breaks down into a rucksack with plenty of room to spare.
The Sport Berkey Bottle contains the same filtration system as the Go, but in a very handy, work/gym friendly size, providing the purest hydration solution for your day at the office and weekly workouts. Just refill, when needed, from the nearest tap.
"These water filters remove up to 99,999% of Chlorine, Viruses, Heavy Metals, Harmful pathogenic Bacteria, Cysts, Parasites and hazardous chemical contaminants and impurities, whilst leaving undisturbed the essential minerals our bodies need, and are recommended the the world over, as the No.1 water filters on the market, by health bloggers, magazines and millions of happy customers." - I would have to agree!
If there was only 1 thing in this list, that I was able to implement, it would have to be a Berkey water filtration system. I don't need to tell you how just how vital water is to each and every one of us. In an ever increasingly polluted world, why cut corners when it comes to the fountain of our very life-source?
Natural, organically grown (preferably) unprocessed foods, produced by the Earth, not by mankind - Vegetables, Fruits, Nuts, Seeds, Whole Grains & Meats (Although I am a vegetarian personally).
Basically, hunter gatherer food that our ancestors consumed, since the dawn of our very roots.
"Only 330 human generations have come and gone since the development of agriculture".
Anatomically modern humans have been around for about 200,000 years, and as such, our digestive systems haven't evolved to deal with the highly processed, mass produced FLP (Food Like Products) that are the main staple of the majority of the population in the developed world, processed foods account for up 70 percent of the U.S. diet, for example.
Processed and genetically modified foods are also thought to be responsible for a wide range of allergies and illnesses that are prevalent in the west, but aren't issues in cultures where a natural diet is primarily consumed .
I try and avoid anything with an ingredients list on it, for example, a Banana is a Banana. No ingredient list needed. An Organic Banana is even better. If you do have to buy products with an ingredients list, then there are a couple of things to bear in mind. If you don't know what a listed ingredient is, should you really be putting it in your body? and, another thing to consider is, if you can't pronounce a listed ingredient (Butylated hydroxyanisole, for example) you definitely shouldn't be putting it in your body!
Optimal well-being begins in the gut. Our health heavily depends on the colonisation of good bacteria that reside in our intestinal tracts. We can maintain the right balance of gut flora that we need in our bodies, by consuming good gut bacteria boosting foods. These fall in to 2 groups: Prebiotics and Probiotics.
Prebiotics: These come from types of carbs (mostly fibre) that humans can’t fully digest. The beneficial bacteria in our guts eat this fibre. Prebiotic foods are things such as Almonds, Asparagus, Bananas, Cereal grains, Garlic, Greens, Jerusalem artichokes, Kiwis, Leeks, Legumes, Mushrooms, Oats and Onions
Probiotics: These are live bacteria that are found in certain foods and supplements. Probiotic foods include Yoghurt, Sauerkraut, Kefir, Kimchi, Fermented Vegetables, Apple cider Vinegar...... and Kombucha, which I brew myself -
Kombucha is a fermented beverage made from black tea and sugar.
A SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture Of Yeast and Bacteria) feeds on the sugar, the nutrients and the minerals in the tea, and subsequently produces a rich mixture of b-vitamins, enzymes and probiotics.
When this fermented drink is consumed, it improves digestion, aids weight loss, increases energy, cleanses and detoxes, boosts the immune system, reduces joint pain and aids in cancer prevention .
It is the first thing I consume in the morning and the last thing I consume at night. I take 100ml 30 mins before breakfast and 100ml 30 mins before bedtime.
I started off with 1 SCOBY last year, but due to the fact that every time you make a new brew, each SCOBY grows a new SCOBY, I now have about 40 of them!
If there are any other Londoners out there who would like to start brewing Kombucha, then let me know. You're welcome to 1 of my 40 SCOBY's. It's actually starting to get a bit out of hand now. They are rampant!
Gaining the majority of the minerals and vitamins that we need, through food, is important. However, even with the best diet in the world, this is not possible, as soil and water depletion from improper farming practices and modern production methods have greatly reduced the mineral composition of the Earth. Even organically, nowadays, fresh fruits and vegetables lack the mineral abundance that they once had.
As a result, there are certain supplements that I take, to try and compensate for these deficiencies.
These are my top 3 picks -
Vitamin D: Due to a shortfall of natural sunlight, many people in the northern hemisphere are deficient in Vitamin D, and as this deficiency is linked to numerous health conditions, it is highly beneficial to supplement with it. I take a vitamin D spray, which ensures fast absorption and utilisation by the the body, fighting disease, depression and boosting the immune system.
Omega 3: Fish is a great source of Omega 3 fatty acids, but as a vegetarian, additional supplementation is required. I take Omega 3 rich flax seed supplements, improving mental health, reducing inflammation, boosting skin health, alleviating depression, soothing joint pain and improving the cardiovascular system.
Magnesium: The best ways to take magnesium are transdermally (via Epsom bath salts, for example) and ionically, which ensures maximum absorption and assimilation. I take Magnesium ionically, increasing energy, calming nerves and anxiety, relaxing muscles, alleviating aches and spasms, promoting cardiovascular health and aiding in digestion.
If most cleaning products are poisonous when ingested and harmful if inhaled or touched, then why the hell are we using them in our homes and on our bodies?! The logic defies common sense.
The main cleaning product I use at home for almost everything, is Vinegar water, dispensed in a handheld sprayer. It is perfect for cleaning most things hygienically.
Some people don't like the smell, probably because it doesn't smell of overly sweet chemical candy, but I happen to like really like it, as I know it's a natural aroma.
However, nowadays, you can find human and environmentally friendly hygiene products at some supermarkets, although, I still wouldn't advise ingesting, inhaling or rubbing them on all over you skin, like you could do with vinegar, if you really wanted to!
I wash my laundry with soap nuts, which are berry shells containing natural soap, I use a totally natural salt crystal deodorant, with just one ingredient in it - mineral salt, and I don't wear aftershave. I never have and never will, it's just headache inducing, stinky chemical crap that makes me want to be sick. Spraying this stuff on to our face is akin to self asphyxiation. I also brush my teeth with fluoride free, Aloe Vera based toothpaste, which is a much healthier alternative to the standard offerings, especially for those of us who value our Pineal glands.
Diesel fumes, Fossil fuel fumes, Geo-Engineering fallout, Greenhouse gases, Agricultural by-products and Industrial/Factory waste is all around us, especially in the developed world. We live under a blanket of pollution that is, at this point inescapable and ever worsening. Every necessary breath is saturated with heavy metals and other solid and liquid particulates that are responsible for many serious health problems.
To make matters worse, the air in indoor environments can be two to five times more toxic than that in outdoor environments, as a result of a lack of proper ventilation, building materials, the off-gasing of furniture, fabrics and materials, household hygiene products, cooking & heating and mould, amongst other things.
Aside from wearing a gas mask in public, which, I'm not at the point of doing, quite yet! What can we do?
Where else can you find the cleanest air on the planet?
Nature's lungs breath beneficial negative ions in to our beings. Negative ions are oxygen atoms that are charged with an extra electron, and they are very good for us. Negative ions are referred to as “nature’s antidepressants” and are found to have a relaxing and healing effect, increasing well-being and mental clarity. Nature is the greatest healer. Whenever I'm feeling down, I head for the hills! But more on negative ions a bit.....
A source of abundant invigoration through it's beautiful sights, sounds and smells, it's no coincidence that gardeners and those who spend their time in nature, live longer lives.
Indoor air, by contrast, is deficient in negative ions and is often dry and contaminated. Indoor air can actually be more polluted than outdoor air (the outdoor air in towns and cities, rather than that of nature)
House-plants bring a touch of nature into our homes and with it, a rich source of well needed, negative ions, that help to remove pollutants, toxins and carcinogens from the air in our living spaces, replacing them with lovely fresh oxygen.
As well as being hugely comforting to be surrounded by, inducing calmness and serenity, house-plants freshen up the environments where we spend a lot of our time.
NASA conducted a study called the "Clean Air Study" - "Its results suggest that certain common indoor plants provide a natural way of removing toxic agents such as benzene, formaldehyde and trichloroethylene from the air, helping neutralize the effects of sick building syndrome"
I utilise the health providing benefits of CBD (Cannabidiol) on a daily basis.
CBD derives from the Cannabis plant, but unlike THC, it has no psychoactive effects.
The Medicinal properties of CBD are vast, and it's applications in healing, numerous.
CBD is an anti-inflammatory, anti-spasmodic, anti-bacterial, anti-anxiety, anti-nausea, pain relieving vasorelaxant. It is a miracle compound that is only recently getting the mainstream appreciation and utilisation worthy of it's healing gifts.
I cook with a little CBD every day, usually sautéd in my morning porridge, serving as a great way to start my day.
For more on CBD, including some delicious recipes and inspirational CBD art, check out my CBD Therapy grow HERE
Over the last few centuries, as much of the planet developed and modernized, most humans unknowingly forfeited something fundamental for our health and wellbeing in the process: our electrical connection to the Earth. With the arrival and widespread adoption of rubber and plastic soled shoes, wooden flooring and other insulating materials covering our homes and places of work, we spend most of our lives disconnected from the Earth.
You only have to walk barefoot on the grass or on a beach for a while to feel the benefits of restoring this connection, and yet in our modern lives it is not always practical to do so. There is a physical and scientifically verifiable reason why we feel better when we do this:
The Earth provides an almost limitless source of negatively charged free electrons. Without a connection to this abundant, health enriching reservoir, the cells in our bodies are unable to balance the positive charges which result from things like electron-deficient free radicals. The result of excess positive charge in the blood can be seen very clearly by the way in which the cells are attracted to cluster together (see picture).
There are various things that we can do to balance out this electron-deficiency, such as consuming anti-oxidant rich foods and drinking living water. However, what has been mostly overlooked until recently is receiving free electrons from the Earth.
Connecting to the Earth is such a simple act and yet the effect can be so profound. In our modern lives we can't always be barefoot outside, but fortunately there are new technologies which provide this connection in a convenient and practical way.
There is another effect of earthing which is particularly relevant in this modern electrical age. Our environment is crowded with a wide range of electromagnetic radiation emitted by computers, mobile phones & masts, radio & TV broadcasts, WiFi, Bluetooth, power lines, domestic wiring, and other electrical appliances.
This electromagnetic radiation induces voltages in our bodies, disrupting the trillions of delicate electrical communications which are an essential component of the function of our body's systems. By being earthed we greatly diminish the levels of these induced voltages.
We are electrical beings, living on an electrical planet, and our connection is vital for our health and wellbeing.
Above, is my personal earthing kit. It consists of a silver lined cotton band, attached to a flexible cord, which is then connected to an earth socket of my home, and fits around the ankle or wrist.
I wear it whenever I'm using the computer, so that the excess electrical discharge being emitted, flows straight to earth, through me, rather than accumulating in my otherwise insulated body, which is something that would be causing damage until I am able to discharge it (through direct skin contact to earth).
Whilst plugged in, I also am accessing the almost infinite supply of electrons, that neutralise free radicals and heal my body as I work away on my latest content.
Just 40 minutes of earthing has profound effects on your health.
Earthed Yoga is both the past and the future of Yoga; The earliest roots of this ancient practice were planted through barefoot connection to the Earth. In many parts of the world, making bare skin connection to the Earth is not always possible or convenient. However, the earthed yoga mat, makes this health enhancing connection accessible to all, re-establishing the missing link to an authentic practice.
The sole of the foot (the plantar surface) is generously covered with some 1300 nerve endings per square inch. That’s more than found on any other part of the body of comparable size. The foot is akin to a plant root extracting moisture out of the ground, soaking up vital electrical energy from the Earth. We soak up this energy in the form of free electrons fluctuating at many frequencies. These frequencies reset our biological clock and provide the body with electrical energy. The electrons themselves flow into the body, equalising and maintaining it at the electrical potential of the Earth. Just as standard electrical equipment needs a stable earth connection to function well, so too do our bodies.
Thankfully, skin is a very good conductor. You can connect any part of your skin to the Earth, but if you compare various parts there is one that is especially potent, and that's right in the middle of the ball of your foot; a point known to acupuncturists as Kidney 1 (K1). It's a well known point that conductively connects to all of the other acupuncture meridians, essentially providing connective access to every part of the body. K1 therefore appears to be one of the major gateways of Earth energy into the body.
By being in conductive contact with the Earth during your yoga practice, you are benefitting from a vital array of health enriching freebies!
Here is my Earthed bedsheet. It is an 100% cotton sheet with soft, yet durable conductive silver fibres woven throughout the material. There is a connection point at the top of the bedsheet, which a lead plugs in to on one end, and at the other, it is connected to the earth socket in my bedroom.
Some people report feeling the sensation of a very slight buzzing energy, whilst they are resting on an earthed bedsheet. I haven't quite felt this sensation, but there is definitely a conscious, physical connection that takes place.
The first night I slept on the sheet, I had the most beautiful dream, where the earth was literally cradling me lovingly like a newborn baby, wrapped in her leaves, roots and vines. I felt wholly rested, restored, energised and revitalised upon waking and all throughout the following day, and from there on.
Soaking up 8 hours of uninterrupted, supercharged energy, every single night, whilst your body is in the most receptive state for healing to take place and be assimilated, is the optimal application of earthing in the home.
The deepest states of healing take place between 11pm-1am, so I try my hardest to make sure that I'm in bed, relaxed and ready to fall asleep before this window of opportunity for healing begins. Admittedly, this has not been the easiest of tasks since I signed up to steemit!
If my earthed bedsheet is the cradle of healing then my aroma diffuser is the gentle whisperer of bedtime stories that send me lovingly to the land of dreams, with it's soothing voice. I turn my diffuser on 15 minutes before I go to bed, by which time, my bedroom is welcoming a deep and restful sleep.
An aroma diffuser provides the easiest and longest lasting means of getting essential oils into your bloodstream, where they can then work their magic. They also, help to clean and purify the air by creating a negative ion rich environment.
A whole range of effects, from promoting relaxation and sleep, to elevating you mood and improving cognitive function can be achieved, depending on which essential oil or blend you use.
For sleep promotion, I use Lavender and Chamomile, for mood elevation I use Sweet Orange and Sandalwood, to ward off illnesses I use Tea Tree and Sage, for easing breathing I use Peppermint and Eucalyptus, for pain relief I use Ginger and Rosemary and to improve cognitive function I use Lemon and Pine.
Himalayan salt lamps purify the air through the power of hygroscopy.
This porous, negative ion rich lamp, attracts molecules of water from the surrounding air, and then absorbs these molecules, as well as any unwanted particles that they may be carrying, into the salt crystal.
As the lamp inside warms up, the heat produced by the light bulb inside evaporates that same absorbed water back into the environment, but traps the foreign particles of dust, pollen and smoke, that the water molecules were carrying, within the salt crystal.
Basically, it attracts unwanted irritants within the air, and then locks them up forever, cleaning and deodorising the environment, helping to reduce allergies and asthmatic symptoms, easing coughing, increasing energy levels, improving mood and concentration, inducing better sleep, reducing static electricity within the air and neutralising electromagnetic radiation.
I have one of these in every room. You can pick them up really inexpensively.
"The Geoclense is a negative charge resonance/pure orgone resonance (POR) field generator designed to balance positive charge resonance/deadly orgone resonance (DOR), otherwise known as a noxious, unhealthy energy created by all forms of EMR, RF, WIFI, earth and interdimensional radiation, to a potentially healthier negative charge resonance/POR"
You can read/see more about this harmoniser here.
The technology in this device is based on Orgonite; A discovery and invention of Wilhelm Reich.
Wilhelm Reich was an Austrian psychoanalyst and author of many influential books. He became known as one of the most radical figures in the history of psychiatry, becoming an increasingly controversial figure from 1932, up until his death in 1957.
After fleeing the nazis in 1939, Reich emigrated to America, where he started building Orgone generators, which were intended to aid the improvement of general health, as well as being useful for weather manipulation.
Ultimately, the FDA obtained a federal injunction, barring the distribution of orgone-related materials, on the grounds that Reich, and his associates were making false and misleading claims, and later jailed Reich and destroyed all of his forgone-related materials and research, after Reich violated the injunction.
Kate Bush wrote a truly beautiful song about this troublesome period of Wilhelm Reich's life, called Cloudbusting -
Also, This motherboard article is one of the best resources that I've found online, If you want to know more, about the life and work of Wilhelm Reich.
This Orgone based, radiation harmoniser also helps to keep me protected, by neutralising the noxious radiation, that is emitted and recieved by my mobile phone.
And again, this is wearable Orgone, in the form of crushed tourmaline infused into a silicon wristband, that I wear on my wrist. Notice how it says Ion Booster on it? See a recurring theme here?
The first day I ever wore one of these, I felt like I had a protective glow all around me, and my body felt light and energised. This was almost 10 years ago, and I still remember it clearly. It was a really powerful experience.
Many athletes use these bands as performance enhancing aids, and there are thousands of user reviews out there, that sing the praises of the many benefits, wearing one of these brings.
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Now, with all this talk so far, of Negative ions and electro-magnetic radiation/frequencies (EMR's & EMF's) etc. I wanted to introduce to you, a cool bit of software, that enables you to actually see this stuff, rather than just reading about it in somebody's blog!......
"The Architecture Of Radio is a 360 degree datavisualization of the infosphere, the interconnected system of communication infrastructure that supports our digital world"With this app we are able to see the ocean of man-made electro-magnetic radiation that we are living in. You can see from the visualisation above, the digital soup of Cell Tower, WiFi router and Satellite information flowing through and all around me, at the time I took this screenshot.
To find out a lot more about this subject, check out this excellent documentary -
Resonance - Beings of Frequency
Ah, finally, the healing power of music, and who else is a more fitting example of the healing vibes of the language of love, than Mr. Bob Marley? (Queue the tumbleweed here, whilst I wait for a response)
Above is a picture of my Bob Marley alter. He lovingly watches over my CBD mother plant.
I like to think that he serenades her whilst I'm away, but I can't confirm this as of yet.
However, what I can confirm, is the healing power of this Superyogi approved "Reggae Therapy With Bob Marley (@432hz)"
You've done very well young padawan, it's now time to reward yourself accordingly.
To claim your prize, all you need to do, is turn up your speakers, press play and enjoy!
(All pictures are either mine, or sourced through pixabay and are free for commercial use, with no attribution required)