Why wake up earlier to make time to meditate in the morning?

What difference will it really make?
A regular meditation practice:
*Allows you to set an intention to create a positive day
*Honors your true Self, and allows for a deeper connection with your true Self
*Shifts your body from the flight-or-fight part of your nervous system (sympathetic nervous system) to the restorative, healing part of your nervous system (parasympathetic nervous system)

From a medical perspective, I encourage meditation for the restorative, healing benefits.  In modern, western society we are so revved up that we live too much of our lives using the flight-or-fight part of our nervous system.  This overutilization of the sympathetic nervous system leads to disease.

Many studies suggest that those who meditate:

*During meditation reach a hypometabolic (low metabolic) state that is more restorative than sleep

*Have ↓ levels of lactate (a marker of stress/anxiety)

*Have ↑melatonin and serotonin (calming hormones)

*Have ↓cortisol levels (stress hormone) indicating less stress on the endocrine system

*Have lower Blood Pressures

Long-term meditators have:

*80% less Coronary Artery Disease and 50% less Cancer

*↑DHEA levels (a youth related hormone)- DHEA counteracts cortisol (stress hormone)

*Experience ↓stress, ↑sexual function and improved weight control

*75% of insomniacs become able to have normal sleep with meditation

*34% of people experiencing chronic pain had a significant decrease in need for medication

*Improved healing

Overall, a regular meditation practice supports total wellness (spirit-mind-body).  Start with just 5-15 minutes every morning.  A goal may be to increase your practice to 20-60 minutes every morning.

Morning is an optimal time to mediate because you are closest to the consciousness you experience during sleep.

Be Well,

Nayo Wills, MD

Khalsa, S et al. Meditation as Medicine. 2001: 8-40.

1. Start with your thoughts

Our thoughts are the basis of all our experiences, including our health. The foundation of remaining well and creating wellness is in knowing that in your essence you are well, regardless of any current experience with illness.

All experiences are temporary states that can change just as quickly as you are willing to change your mind and stop identifying with that experience.

Tip: Focus all of your attention on all the wellness you are experiencing, in this moment. 

2. Learn the Energetic Cause of Your Illness

Each illness is associated with an emotional issue that is unresolved.  Clearing the unresolved emotions will promote healing.

For example, upper respiratory syndromes are associated with being judgmental, critical, confused, indecisiveness or failing to express one’s self creatively or effectively (to name a few of the issues).

Tip: Go within and observe your behavior in the weeks and days preceding your illness.   Notice the emotion that you held that is/was out of accord with wellness.  Choose differently moving forward, and release the emotion.

3. Maintain a Healthy Gut

70% of our immune system resides in our Gastrointestinal Tract.  Therefore, to have a healthy fall & winter, it is important to maintain a healthy gut. 

For a healthy gut, we must maintain a healthy balance of friendly microflora (bacteria and yeast).  These friendly microflora help prevent the growth of unhealthy bacteria that are associated with illness or decreased immunity.

Tips: Eat a diet rich in vegetables, whole grains and fiber.  Enjoy fermented foods to restore the healthy microflora in your gut, including yogurt, sauerkraut, and fermented soy/bean curd.

An Integrative Physician can assess your stool and support you in maintaining or restoring gut health.

4. Know & Optimize Your Vitamin D Level

Vitamin D is important in building and maintaining a healthy immune system.

General Guidelines for Vitamin D Levels:

• <10 ng/ml- severely deficient
• <30 ng/ml- deficient
• 30-50 ng/ml- suboptimal levels
• 50-80 ng/ml- optimal levels

Vitamin D Supplementation is particularly important in people living in the Northern latitudes and in people with dark skin from October to May.  80-90% of Vitamin D results from sun exposure.

5. Support Your Adrenals

Chronic unchecked stress weakens your immune system leading to increased disease, including respiratory infections.

Your adrenal glands are the organs that secrete stress hormones with stressful events.  Prolonged secretion of these hormones weakens your immune system (as well as your heart and other vital organs).

To help restore or balance your adrenals engage in regular:

• Meditation
• Gratitude Walks
• Daily Exposure to Sunlight
• Laughing
• Journaling
• Exercise
• Healthy Eating
• Conscious Deep Breathing
• Enjoying Hobbies
• Developing Healing, Loving Relationships
• Giving

You can have your adrenal health assessed with a salivary test to optimize their function and your overall health.

6. Eat an Anti-oxidant Rich Diet

Antioxidants are another essential element in building a healthy immune system.

Below is a ranking of Top 20 Antioxidant Rich Foods (June 2004 edition of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry):

Rule of Thumb:  Eat plenty of Vegetables and Legumes that are bright in color (greens, reds, etc.).  Enjoy fruit 1-2 times/day and choose low glycemic fruits (less sweet fruit like berries, grapefruits, etc.)

Enjoy plenty of green leafy vegetables, including kale, collards for their antioxidant capacity.

For the antioxidant Vitamin C:  enjoy broccoli, red & orange bell peppers, kiwi, strawberries, spring greens, brussels sprouts and curly kale

An Integrative Physician can assess markers of oxidative stress and markers of your antioxidant reserve to address inflammation and oxidative stress (that cause disease and a weaken immune system).

7. Optimize Diet 

Enjoy a diet rich in antioxidants, whole-grains, vegetables, fiber and clean protein (mostly fish & legumes).  Avoid sugar, caffeine and alcohol—all can weaken your immunity and ability to prevent infections.

Eliminate white, processed and high glycemic (high in sugar or simple carbohydrates) foods. These foods are easily breakdown into sugar.  Sugar serves as fuel for bacteria, viruses, and weakens your immune system.

High glycemic diets are associated linked to most diseases.

Insulin and blood sugar levels, antioxidant markers and a nutritional panel can be assessed to determine the quality of your diet and your ability to absorb the nutrients to support wellness.

8. Make sure you get an adequate amount of protein

Protein is essential for maintaining great health.  Unlike simple carbohydrates, protein yields even blood sugar levels.  Even blood sugar levels are associated with improved immunity and health.

Tip: Be sure to incorporate a healthy protein with every meal, and start your first meal with a healthy protein.

9. Skip the Antibiotics, when possible

Antibiotics weaken your immune system over the long-term, and their overuse wipes out many of the healthy bacteria and yeast in your gut (see above).

Be sure to work with a competent physician to know when spirit-mind-body medicine and natural remedies are appropriate (vs. when antibiotics may be appropriate for you).

10. Create Optimal Air

Clean air supports whole health.

Tip: Create optimal air with humidifiers, plants, electrostatic or pleated air furnace filters, clean furnaces, and clean carpets.

Maintaining a loving vision is one of the most healing practices we can exercise, for ourselves and the planet.  It requires that we stop seeing ourselves as separate, and instead start seeing every person as an opportunity to practice: compassion, forgiveness, love, and understanding.  Not for the other person by for our One True Self.

Our whole world is colored by how we choose to see ourselves and our circumstances, be they financial, physical, mental, emotional or relational. Changing the world we see, starts by first accepting that no person is separate from any one of us.  Therefore, it becomes intelligent to see every person and circumstance with an open heart and loving vision.  When I can see the Divine or Universal Intelligence in myself as being connected to the same Divine or Universal Intelligence in others, then I am up to something good.
When we surrender fear, judgment and a sense of separation from others, we are opening up our 6th Chakra.  This is the doorway to connecting with wisdom, insight, new ideas, intuition, and true intelligence.  When we free our channel with the Divine of any negative, obstructive energy, we are allowing for a greater expression of Universal Intelligence to flow through us.

To allow the expression of the Universal Intelligence to flow through us, we are always being asked to choose what is more important:

• Holding on to “my world” limited by fear, judgment, separation, anger, and disappointment, OR
• Surrendering that small world for true vision, insight, and intelligence which is dependent on how I choose to see myself, others, and the Universe

True Vision is being able to see the Divine in a person irrespective of your/his/her behavior.  It is a recognition that at our core we are all a part of a shared Consciousness that in its essence is perfect.

Loving vision asks that every time you see your brother, you see yourself (your presence) and ask  ”How am I going to choose to see, treat and be with myself”.  If we could all ask ourselves this question throughout our day, everyday, the world could be healed in an instant.  Loving vision would have everyone choosing to offer love to him/her Self in every instant.  To do so, we must remain awake to the fact that every interaction is  an exchange with our Self, and not some “person” with a different face.

Does science support a healing effect of loving vision?

• Neuroendocrinolgists (doctors who look at our brain/nervous system and hormone function) have looked at the impact Love vs. Stress has on the body.  We now know love and optimism support the part of the Nervous System that promotes wellness and healing (including improved immunity, mood, sense of well-being, and overall health).  Whereas stress, drives the part of our nervous system that leads to heart disease, and decreased immunity, mood, memory, brain/nerve health, and overall health.   (Tobias Esch et al. Neuroendocrinology Letters No.3 June Vol.26, 2005)

• In  a study of 999 men and women over 9 years, those defined as optimists living healthy lifestyles had a 55% lower risk of death from all causes and 23% lower risk of cardiovascular death compared to pessimists living healthy lifestyles ( Gltay, E.  Archives of General Psychiatry, Nov. 2004; Vol 61: 1126-1135)

Take a step toward reconnecting with your/our Source of Wellness.  Practice loving vision with yourself and others.  Choose today to put down your criticisms, judgments, presuppositions, etc.

See God in everyone, and start with yourself.

Be Well,

Nayo Wills, M.D.

Step 5:

Speak and Hold Only Positive Loving Thoughts

(The Truth)

As we progress through these 7 steps of wellness, we are called to wake up, and become aware and responsible for each of our thoughts.  If we have an intention to live a more conscious, loving, peaceful, abundant, and well life, we must be responsible for all that we create.

It is important for me to remember that in every moment of Now…I AM creating.  I can choose to create in alignment with the Divine/Universe where all power and goodness resides; OR, I can choose to make up a life devoid of love, peace, abundance, joy and health.

As many of you already know, all of our power is always in this moment of NOW.  The past and future are non-existent and if we choose to focus our attention on either of them, we lose the infinite wisdom and power that is available to us in each moment of the present.

One can see how important this step becomes in creating the healthy, wealthy, loving and joyous life that we are entitled to share.  This step asks each of us to be consistently awake to EVERY thought we are holding.  Then, we must ask ourselves if the thought is true.  The truth test simply is: 

• Is this a loving thought that supports all life, and diminishes no one?
• If the answer is, yes, then, hold it and speak it often to uplift yourself and the planet
• If the answer is, no, then do some work around why you are choosing to hold that thought
  • Learn from it.  Do not just dismiss it; there is a learning opportunity that you could receive in this moment that allows you to expand and evolve

The bottom line, is that when we are speaking and holding LOVE, we are speaking and affirming the Truth, thereby, supporting, uplifting, and healing all life.  This step compels us to speak the Truth to claim the power we collectively share in creating our One life.  In this effort, we must consciously and consistently speak and hold only love (the Truth) in thought.

The moment we choose anger, hate, greed, impatience, prejudice, judgment, and so on, we are choosing a life of separation.  This life of separation is only concerned with preserving a small life with our few material possessions, friends, family members, and experiences.  This life will always be small no matter how many bobbles, doodads, and money we may accumulate.

If we choose thoughts of separation instead of those of love, we are turning our backs on the unlimited abundance the Universe offers.  It is only when choose uniting thoughts of LOVE that we are available to create with Universal Intelligence.  It is with this Intelligence that all creation takes place, and then, we turn our backs on any motivation or desire to live a little, disconnected, and selfish life.

This expression of loving thoughts must be authentic.  If it is contrived and done from a place of trying “to get” or acquire something, we are not conscious and in alignment with the Divine.  We then abdicate our power to create.  We simply spin our wheels and make up a life devoid of love, peace, abundance, health, etc.

You might ask, “Why is a medical doctor writing about this?  What does this have to do with my health?”.  Well, it has everything to do with our experience of wellness.  To the extent to which we can remain in alignment and creating with the Divine, we will experience abundance and love in all ways, including our health.  It is our alignment with the Divine that our vibration (energy) is the highest.  This high vibration (energy state) is protective against all illness and disease.

As many of us already know, disease is the result of a breakdown in our connection with the Divine that is reflected in unloving thoughts, and then behavior.  When we are One (or in alignment) with Universal Intelligence, there is no breakdown in our connection with the Source of All health, wealth, peace, etc.

The more we truly love, the more connected we are, the higher our vibration, and the more protected we are from disease because we are connected with the Source of all wellness.  We are not asking our bodies to embody these negative, misaligned thoughts…eventually, manifesting as disease.

Where is the proof?…

Well, science is now supporting the fact that when we speak and hold the Truth (Love), we allow healing to occur. The below studies illustrate the power individuals have on their loved one’s health when they hold and speak loving thoughts (or when they do not).

*Effects of remote, retroactive intercessory prayer on outcomes in patients with bloodstream infection: randomised controlled trial (Leibovici, L. BMJ, 2001; 323: 1450-1451)

-Studied 3393 patients with a bloodstream infection detected on admission to the hospital to determine if remote, retroactive, intercessory prayer as an intervention impacted their outcomes

-This remote, retroactive, intercessory prayer was prayer done by one individual on behalf of others (intercessory) that was done from a distance for people with an infection in the past

-The patients who were prayed were admitted to the hospital1990-96, however, the prayer occurred in 2000

-There was a control group receiving NO prayer and an intervention group receiving prayer; the patients and hospital staff had no knowledge of the prayer as an intervention

-The person offering the prayer for the group prayed for the well-being and full recovery of the group as a whole

-Bottom Line:  People with a bloodstream infection receiving this form of prayer had fewer deaths (though not “statistically significant”, there was a small difference between groups),  significantly shorter hospital stays and shorter duration of fever

-This study is extremely important in highlighting the power of prayer/love to breakthrough our concepts of time to heal

-Interestingly, the author of the study was intending to disprove Alternative Medicine with scientific research…but he did the opposite (McTaggart L. “The Intention Experiment”, 2007, 161-2.)

*The Hopkins Study (Grooves et al. Cancer Detection and Prevention,1991; 15 (1): 59-64)

-1,100 male students were evaluated for the degree their closeness with their parents had on cancer development

-Bottom Line: After 50 years, cancer rates correlated with the degree of closeness the medical students shared with their parents

* Impact of Compassion and a Sense of Community on Heart Disease (Seeman, TE and SL Syme, Psychosomatic Med, 1987; 49 (4) 341-54.

-This study looked at 149 men & women with angina (chest pain)

-Before having cardiac catherization (procedure to evaluate heart), they were assessed for their sense that they were loved and supported

-Bottom Line:  Patients with the greatest perception of love and support had the least amount of heart disease found during the procedure

*Impact of Social Support on Depression and Cardiac Death Rate (Frasure-Mith, et al, Circulation, 2000; 101: 1919-24)

-They evaluated 887 patients 1 year after their heart attacks

-Patients who were most depressed had the highest risk for cardiac -related death

-Of those with depression, those who felt supported had a decreased mortality rate

*Optimism’s Impact on Health (Giltay, E. Archives of Gen Psych, 2004; 61: 1126-1135)

-Studied 999 men & women for 9 years

-The optimist group had 55% lower risk of death from all causes and 23% lower risk of cardiovascular deaths

-Bottom Line: It was not just living a healthier lifestyle that accounted for optimists good health because when matched to pessimists with healthy lifestyles, optimists still were healthier

* Mayo Clinic Study on Pessimism on Health (“Mayo Clinic Study Finds Optimistic People Live Longer,” Mayo Clinic Rochester News, Feb. 8, 2000)

-800 patients over 30 years

-Pessimists had a 19% higher rate of early death compared to optimists

*Positive Emotions (Thoughts) have led to:

-Increased Longevity (Danner 2001)

-Reduced Morbidity (Goldman 1996)

-Increased Cognitive Flexibility (Ashby 1999)

-Improved Memory (Isen 1978)

-Improved Decision Making (Carnevale 1886)

-Improved Job Performance (Wright 1994)

-Improved Problem Solving (Estrada 1997)

I hope that these studies help to emphasize that our thoughts are powerful and healing.  It is important to consistently and consciously express our authentic, loving thoughts to remain well, and heal ourselves, others and the planet.

There is nothing our loving thoughts cannot heal.  It is our responsibility to stay awake to our thoughts and create from this place of Power and Intelligence.   The Power is exercised in every moment of Now that we choose to Speak a Loving Thought or simply Hold it in the Universal Consciousness.

In Esther and Jerry Hicks’ Book “Ask and It is Given”, Esther as a Channel shares that the only reason people who have lost arms/legs do not grow them back…is because they do not they think can.  She shares that when we hold a thought (loving and unattached) as Truth with Universal Consciousness, the Law of Attraction must respond in like kind.  But, we must hold it as true, and not be attached to receiving.

SPEAK & HOLD THE TRUTH!

With Love, Be Well.

Nayo Wills, M.D.

Give Often, Be Compassionate, Love Intensely & Trust

This step is one with which we are all familiar.  There are tons of clichés that express this important step in personal and collective transformation.

So, why do so many of us limit our ability to give to fellow mankind?  Why do we make the choice of judgment over compassion? Why do we no longer trust our Higher Selves to provide for all of our needs?

These are important questions for each of us to ask ourselves.  In my view, the answer to why we limit our giving, compassion and willingness to trust in the Divine is because we have made the error of viewing ourselves as having separate lives with separate problems, needs, desires, etc.  We have also wrongly convinced ourselves that if we do not meddle in our lives and micromanage every detail, then, our needs and desires will not be provided.

In reality, we are all connected and we share One life as One Self.  In this One Life, all is available to all.  There is no shortage of anything we might desire or need in any given moment.  When we are able to truly surrender to the Divine, all of our needs and desires are provided.  The rub is we cannot be attached to having any thing, person, or outcome, and be in a receiving mode.  We simply express our desire and release it to the Divine in ourSelves.  In this release, we are thankful for whatever we receive knowing that it is for Our collective and “individual” higher good.  The more we can live from this place the more we can live in great health, love, abundance, peace and bliss.

The vibration of being loving, giving and compassionate is a healing one.  It essentially raises the energy level in our bodies to heal illnesses, diseases, etc.  It also creates any energy field that, if high enough, prevents illness and disease from developing.

The Medical Community is now conducting research that proves that love, compassion, and trust in the Divine (in each of us) are directly correlated with healing and wellness.  Below is a summary of just a few of these studies.

Impact of Creating Community and Loving Environment on Wellness

*Harvard Mastery Study (Russek, L and G. Schwartz. J of Behavioral Med, 1997; 20: 1-13.)

• 126 male students were evaluated and followed for 35 years
• Researchers assessed their relationships with their mother and father for the resulting impact on developing illness (heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure, ulcers, alcohol abuse, etc.)

- Bottom Line:  Those with warm, close relationships with their parent(s) had significantly less disease compared to those who had strained, less loving relationships

*Alameda County Study (Berkman L and Breslow L. “Healthy Ways of Living: The Alameda County Study”.  Oxford Press, 1983.)

• 17 year study of 7,000 men and women
• People who lacked social contact from friends, relatives, church, and social groups had a 3.1 times higher death rate
• This finding was independent of traditional risk factors: age, gender, race, self-reported health, smoking, overeating, exercise, and alcohol consumption

*Connection and Acquiring the Common Cold (Cohen S et al. JAMA. 1997; 277:1940-44)

• 276 healthy volunteers were given nasal drops containing the cold virus and were made sure to have contracted the virus
• They were queried on their social relationships

-Bottom Line: Those who had only a 3 out of 12 relationship score developed cold symptoms 4 times more frequently than those with a high score

Impact of Giving and Being Loving on Wellness

*Impact of Giving on One’s Health (Depner, CE and Ingersoll-Dayton. Psychology and Aging, 1988; 3: 348-57.)

• A study evaluating 700 adults

-Bottom Line:  Those who offered love & support to others had fewer health issues

*Impact on Being of Help/Service on Alcoholism (Pagano et al. J of Studies On Alcohol, 2004.)

• A study looking at individuals in 12 Step AA programs revealed that those who were “helpers” were 22% likely to relapse vs. 40% for “non-helpers”

Benefits in Trusting in a Higher Power

*Religious Strength/Comfort and Social Interaction Effect on Death After Heart Surgery (Oxman T et al. Psychosomatic Medicine, 1995, 57:5-15.)

• This study followed 232 older patients 6 months after having heart surgery
• They were assessed as to whether their participation in organized groups and religious strength and comfort predicted death
• Of the 21 who died within 6 months, those not participating in groups and not deriving strength or comfort from religion were 3 times as likely to have died compared to those actively involved in groups
• Additionally, those who lacked both group participation and religious strength and comfort were even more likely to have died

-Bottom Line: this suggests that the more social contact, support received and perception of being supported by the patient helped the patient to have improved quality of life leading to improved survival

*Religious and Spiritual Involvement Impact on Health (Koneig, H, et al. JAMA, 2000; 284:1708)

• Of 350 Studies, the majority of those who had religious involvement were physically healthier, lived healthier lifestyles and required less medical services

*Religious People Live Longer (Mueller, et al. Mayo Clinic Proc. 2001; 76:1225)

• This study looked at 18 trials and those who had religious involvement lived longer

When we look at these studies on religion’s impact on wellness, in my view it is not about organized religion.  It is more significant that the person has a sense of connection with the Divine…however, that looks for each of us.

So, this simply scratches the surface of the data on the power of love, community, and trust in the Divine on healing and wellness.  If being well is our intention, it behooves us to start looking at what we are creating in our relationships with others and our Self.  The more love, compassion, and trust we can create in our lives the more healing can occur for everyone in our lives and the planet.

So, what kind of community and relationships are you creating?  Are there opportunities to love, be compassionate, trust ourothers higher selves to handle the details, and to create community?

How open is your heart?

With Love, Be Well.

Nayo Wills, M.D.

Hippocrates said “Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food.”

Over the last century, we have forgotten this simple, sage wisdom.  We no longer remember that what we consume supports, sustains and heals us, OR it has the ability to weaken our body temples and make us more vulnerable to illness.

First, I would say that all dis-ease and illness comes from unloving, judgmental, fear-based thoughts.  When our thoughts are consistently infused with love, acceptance, peace, gratitude, and joy, it leads to an elevation of our energy or vibration.  With a high vibration, disease cannot persist.  The love in each of use either will melt that disease away, OR if our vibration is high enough the illness or dis-ease can never enter our body temple.  This is the most important factor in staying well or reaching a state of healing.

With that said, we can help to raise our vibration and dissolve dis-ease through the healing properties of foods.  A low vibration, invites in and harbors negative energy in organs where it manifest as sickness and dis-ease.  On a biological and physical level all disease is represented as  inflammation.  This is an imbalance of our energy that derails the proper functioning of our body.

In the Paleolithic Ages, our ancestors ate an anti-inflammatory, nutrient-dense diet.  This was a whole food and unprocessed plant-based diet.  This diet was rich in anti-oxidants, fiber, and other healing chemicals. Their diet was supplemented with free game meat and fresh fish that was high in health omega-3 fats.

In the 1900s,  there was a shift in our diet.  We started eating a nutrient-deficient, processed diet.  This diet has been referred to as the “Great White Diet.”  The grains we eat are processed and therefore, white.  These include white flour-based products, white sugar-rich foods, white rice, white potatoes, etc.  Whole foods that are rich in color are often rich in nutrients.  For example, sweet potatoes orange hue represents healing chemicals, including beta-carotene (not present in white potatoes).  Green Kale is rich in anti-oxidants, minerals, fiber, and other healing and detoxifying nutrients.

When we choose to eat colorless grains and starches, we do not even eat them as whole foods.  We eat them in a very processed state. Our diets today lack natural color, and therefore, they lack naturally occurring nutrients called phytonutrients (anti-oxidants), as well as vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients.

We also have become a society that eats a large amount a red meat and poultry that is pro-inflammatory. The overconsumption of red meat supports inflammation manifesting as heart disease, diabetes, allergies, cancers, etc.

Red Meat takes several days to digest, and it takes a significant amount of your vital energy to digest it.  The meat that is widely available these  days is high in the pro-inflammatory fat.  Additionally, most red meat and poultry consumed is of low quality.  The meat is pumped with antibiotics, growth hormone, and is often not coming from a healthy animal.  This all leads to meat that is high in chemicals and fats that leads to inflammation in our body temples.

So, how can we learn to change the healing capacity of our diet?  There are several dietary changes we can all  make today to support healing.

1.  Start eating whole foods

• Eating a food in their whole state allows you to receive the synergistic effect of the healing nutrients, chemicals, anti-oxidants, and fiber

2.  Up the anti-oxidant intake with fresh, organic vegetables, and some fresh, organic fruits

• Eating these fresh (or frozen fresh) and organic yields a higher anti-oxidant capacity than vegetables and fruits that are not fresh and organic
• Eat vegetables at least 3-5 times a day
• Dirty Dozen List (a list of what need to buy organic): http://www.foodnews.org

3.  Eliminate or drastically reduce white, processed foods

• Most importantly reduce sugar intake
• White processed foods are pro-inflammatory, supporting all dis-ease

4.  Increase intake of detoxifying foods

• Including broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, kale, collards, arugula, cilantro, spinach, wheat grass, garlic, rosemary, turmeric, ginger, basil, cherries (sparingly), etc.

5.  Stop Eating Foods that increase inflammation in your body temple

• Red Meat, “white” foods, processed foods, artificial sweeteners
• Limit red meat to < 1 time per month, if at all

6.  Work with a competent doctor to decrease intake of medications, when possible

• Medications alter/impair your ability to efficiently and effectively detoxify
• Antibiotics alter the balance of healthy bacteria in our bodies, thereby impairing our ability to heal

7.  Switch to eating more of a plant-based diet with legumes and fish being the main sources of protein

• Legumes are rich in fiber, healing phytochemicals and protein
• Fish like wild Salmon , Trout, Sardines, and Herring are high in Omega-3
• Fish to eat: http://www.edf.org/home.cfm

8.  Work with a competent doctor to choose supplements to help increase anti-oxidant intake and detoxification capacity

9.  Eliminate intake of artificial sweeteners, artificial coloring and additives

• Replace diet sodas with fresh, filtered water
• Artificial sweeteners and other artificial additives also may interfere with our ability to detoxify other food

10.  Avoid Heavy Metal Intoxication

• If you suspect that you’ve been exposed, work with physician to eliminate heavy metals

The final and very important step in improving your ability to detoxify and heal is to find a competent physician to determine whether your bowel is healthy.  If your gut is not healthy, it is an important place to start on a physical level. There are things your doc can offer to help to bring it back in balance.

Please remember that all of the above suggestions are things to support healing and wellness.  However, if your thoughts remain misaligned and unloving, lasting wellness or healing cannot occur.  My suggestion is always identify the unloving thoughts and correct them before intervention with a physician or simultaneously.

Be Well,

Nayo Wills, M.D.

All information shared is for informational purposes only.  All changes in your healthcare regimen should be done in partnership with a physician. Discuss all health questions and issues with a competent, experienced physician who can address your questions and wellness needs directly.

References:
Northrup C et al. Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom, 2006
Murray M, et al. Healing Foods, 2005

Step 2 in Healing:

Look for Opportunities to Create Wellness

As I see it, this next step is where many of us become distracted from our ability to achieve total wellness.

This step centers around our ability to create.  Our creativity is manifest in how we choose to create in the World through our relationship with others, our attachment/non-attachment to the material and physical world, and how we choose to express all aspects of our creativity.

At this time, more and more we are being asked to start creating through expressions, and acts of love and kindness.  We are charged with learning to be present to see that we are all connected.  By Universal Law, everything that I choose to create or extend with others must have a direct effect on me as it does on my brother.

I cannot continue to produce, consume, and take in the world as if acts of mindless, unloving production, consumption, and taking will not affect me as it will my brothers.  The come around for unconscious, unloving acts seems to be quickening.  I am able to notice the direct effect of all my acts of creation or mis-creation much quicker for correction…that is if I am awake.

To be awake to Universal Law and to get on the loving side of the Law is key to achieving true wellness.  Just as unloving acts have a quick come around, so do loving acts.  How we choose to love/not love OR create/not create in the world will determine the degree to which we allow healing and wellness in our lives.

We all are having relationships with people on a daily basis.  To get on the right side of the Law, let’s look at how we choose to create in the World:

• How do I choose to treat every person who comes into my space (via face-to-face, phone,  or email interaction, etc.)?
• When I see the security guard at work, do I greet him as if he is just another representation of cosmic love and intelligence, OR do I value/judge him based on his “rank” in society?
• When I see someone who is “less than” by societal standards, how do I view, treat or judge him/her?
  • Am I loving, and accepting of all aspects of life regardless of weight, height, color, credentials, income, “attractiveness,” etc.?
• When I am having an unloving moment or thought, how do I deal with others? In love or fear (attack, judgment, etc.)?
• When I see someone who is asking for help, do I walk away because I feel that’s his/her problem?
  • OR, do I see my brother as me, and help him/her in accordance with our union?
• At home, am I creating a loving, clean, inviting environment?
• Do I regularly prepare meals for my family, friends and me with love and care?
  • OR, do I rush through the preparation of meals or grab fast food because, it’s another “have-to” on my list?
• How do I treat my spouse, mate, friends, and/or co-worker?
  • Do I look for every opportunity to use our relationship for extending love?
  • OR, are our relationships a conditional space for me to get what I want out of them?  (i.e., marriage, “happily-ever-after”, stuff, etc.)

When someone is having an unloving moment, how do I choose to respond?  In love or fear (anger, yelling, derogatory put-downs, etc.)?

The bottom line that I ask myself as often as possible is “How am I creating in this world through my relationships?”.  If I am creating through love, acceptance and non-judgment, then by Law I must receive that back in every aspect of my life, including my health.  If I am experiencing, a lack of health, then it might behoove me to look at how I am creating and extending love through my relationship with others.

A lot of times, there is resistance to the fact that the poor health I am experiencing is the direct result of a lack of love.  This is understandable, but let’s look at how we might easily and unconsciously be producing the negative effect in our life sometimes manifested in our health.

Since creating is synonymous to extending love in the World, then mis-creating or producing negative effects in our lives is synonymous with acting out of a lack of love.  How might I do this?

• I might choose to be attached to obtaining and securing personal possessions (cars, purses, clothes, homes, etc.) instead of being connected in all of my relationships with my fellow humanity.
• I might be on the “hustle” to make as much money as possible to secure my lot in society, instead of being on the pursuit to extend love in the World through relationships.
• I might value jobs, things, and money over relationships with others.  This may manifest as being absent from my family because we are trying to maintain a certain income and lifestyle.
• I might easily act out of lust in interactions with people, rather than developing relationships on a soul-soul level.  As a result, I may use sex as a tool to remain disconnected rather than a means of connection.
• I might find it difficult to connect with others because I fear being hurt, so I remain detached and disconnected in my relationships.  Alternatively, I could go within to learn why I am feeling this way and use the relationship as a vehicle for healing.

The bottom line is that anything in the material or physical world that serves as a distraction or obstacle to connectivity or creativity with fellow humanity, is an obstacle to total wellness & great health.  Additionally, any past negative experiences or fear that is keeping us disconnected will not serve us in our individual or communal healing.

• We will never be able to be well while remaining disconnected and unloving with others.
• Therefore, it follows that we will never be wholly well,  if we allow ourselves to replace our natural ability to create and be connected with an attachment to worldly possessions and status symbols.

With this 2^nd Step to Healing it is important to look at how we choose to relate to others and create in the world.  Let’s ask ourselves two things:

1. On a person-person interaction:

How I am choosing to create and extend love through this relationship?

1. In Moments of Awareness:

Am I using my life to create & extend love in the World?

OR

Am I using my life unloving to accumulate & consume to secure MY personal material and physical existence without regard for my fellow brothers?

Be Well,

Dr. Nayo Wills

1. Developing & Maintaining a Deep Connection with our Self and others
2. Minimizing Stress
3. Changing our Perception

A recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association looked at 276 healthy volunteers.

• The volunteers inhaled nasal drops with the rhinovirus (common cold virus)
• The volunteers were asked about the nature of 12 types of relationships (i.e., parental, childhood, group, etc.)
• The volunteers who scored only 3 out of 12 on survey (meaning they had less connections/relationships with the different types groups), developed cold symptoms 4 times more frequently
  • This in essence was people who were connected to fewer groups in society
• So in this study, the less connected you were the less healthy your immune response was, and you were more likely to develop the common cold. ¹

Another study looked at the impact of groups under a lot of stress.

• They looked at medical students just prior to exam time and found they have:
  • A significant decrease in different immune cells needed to maintain healthy immune response to prevent infection and cancer
  • They looked at caregivers taking care of people experiencing dementia, and the Caregivers had:
    • A decrease immune response
    • Increased upper respiratory infections
    • However, the caregivers who were more socially connected had better immune response/function²

A different study, had undergraduate students watch a moving, motivational film on Mother Teresa’s work and others watched an emotionally neutral film

• The average student watching the film on Mother Teresa had increased levels IgA in their saliva
  • IgA is an antibody and adequate levels suggest a healthy immune response in our respiratory tracts, stomach/colon, and urinary tract
  • However, a few of the people who watched the Mother Teresa film had decreased IgA
    • This group was then asked to look a picture of a man and woman on a bench
    • They were asked to write about what was going on with the man & woman
    • Those whose stories involved distrust, manipulation or abandonment had lower IgA responses
    • This group with the less positive, loving perception of life developed more illness over the prior year (they spent more time in student health)
    • So bottom line of this study…the more positive your outlook was on life, the healthier your immune response was, and you spent less time in student health with illness.

The moral of the story is that in all three studies, those who were more loving, deeply connected to others, and had a more favorable perception had better health and a better immune response.

So, we might consider this in preventing fall/winter illness.

Be Well!

With Love,

Nayo Wills, M.D.

I Bar Physician

¹Cohen, S et al, JAMA, 1997, 277:1940-44

²Kiecolt-Glaser, J and Glaser R, Mind Body Medicine, Consumer Reports Books, NY, 1993

³MCClelland DC and Krishnit, Psychology Health, 1988, 2:31-52

Spiritual Wellness

Step 1 in Healing:

Be Willing to Be Well

What does this mean? It is important to understand and become aware of this because it is the foundation for all healing.

First, we must distinguish healing from curing. To cure means to provide a medicine or therapy for a disease or illness. To heal is to recover or make healthy again. This could also be understood as returning to great health, your natural state.

The difference between the two is that curing implies that there is something that needs fixing…it implies we are less than perfect in creation. Healing is simply returning to our natural state of health, our birthright.   Healing acknowledges that great health is always present, and we just need to return to that state.

Curing is at the level of the body, and will therefore, always be impermanent.  Healing is at the level of Spirit, and will always be permanent.  When we are referring to Spirit, we are not talking religion.  We are speaking of the omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, omniactive, Universal power that is present in us all.

We must be aware that if we attempt to cure ourselves it can only be temporary because:

1) By seeking a “cure”, we are defining ourselves as imperfect. Imperfection breeds more imperfection. So, if I say that I am vulnerable to being sick once, then I must continue to be vulnerable until I change my mind about my state of wellness. So I will need a “cure” for every new form of illness I attract.

2) A cure is limiting you to being a vulnerable body that has no say in determining your state of health. A cure by definition makes you a victim to every disease that crosses your path.  Seeking “cures” makes you a magnet for disease. This is an affirmation that you are a victim of disease, and that you believe wellness lies outside of your power. With each cure something will be done to you, as another victim of disease.

This removes all your power to heal yourself because you reduce yourself to a helpless body.  As disease’s victim, you will need innumerable cures that will never lead to permanent great health.  As a victim, you will always be vulnerable to declining health.

3) A cure never addresses the cause of you experiencing poor health. Temporarily, it puts a band-aid on the presenting symptom or problem.

It may be wise to change how we look at “symptoms” and “illness”. Perhaps, the symptoms are there to get our attention, and have us redirect our energy and lives. Each organ and symptom has a message to offer if we will listen. We lose the opportunity to gain that wisdom when we bandage it with a “cure”.

Oftentimes, there are many ignored opportunities to learn and redirect our energy, attitudes, behavior, and thoughts prior to developing a serious illness/disease. Advanced disease may be a louder call to heed to the Wisdom that has been awaiting us.

So a “cure” will never make you well, and it deprives you of the infinite Wisdom from within.

Unlike a cure, healing can be permanent, if you say so.

1) The body’s natural state is one of wellness and great health. As long as our thoughts, behavior, energy, nutrition and intention support this state, we will continue to be well.

Any negative thought, behavior, nutrition or other negative activity can move us away from this natural state of great health.  This is because by engaging in negativity, we change our biochemistry and allow ourselves to be vulnerable to illness.

In essence, any negative behavior is an act as defining ourselves as imperfect, and therefore vulnerable to disease.

So healing is simply returning to this natural, well state and denying any negative thoughts or behavior that says otherwise. If you can stay in this vibration, you will stay well and achieve permanent healing.

2) Healing is acknowledges that we are well by definition and creation. It simply asks that you continuously embrace thoughts, behavior, and activities that support good health.

You can see that unlike curing, healing places all the power of great health in your hands. There is no victim in the healing paradigm.

3) To maintain good health and well-being the healing power that dwells within us is always conspiring for our highest good and great health. But we must be awake to connect to this unlimited Source of guidance and health.

If for some reason, we slip out of great health, we can turn within and ask for the wisdom that our bodies are trying to share. Ask with a very attentive ear.

Find and work with a physician who can support this healing opportunity, and offer the best partnership to reach a state of great health.

Understanding the difference between curing and healing is the first key to Being Willing to Be Well. So now, you can take a step in choosing to be well by choosing whether you want a temporary “cure” that takes away all of your power to be well, or if you want to choose to heal by turning within and finding a doctor who can support this effort with other supportive modes of healing.

What do you choose?

Be well.

With Love,

Nayo Wills, M.D.

I Bar Wellness Center Physician