On arrival, a Hispanic cab driver picks me up and asks me where we’re headed. “The Tree of Life” I tell him. He’s got a strong accent and an attitude. His cab looks like something out of an old Western movie. As I ride along the winding road to Patagonia Arizona, alongside my musings about whether I’d ever seen so many cactus trees in my life, I start thinking about the four weeks ahead.

I arrive at around three o’clock in the afternoon. It’s a remarkably simple place; red stone buildings set amongst the scenic Arizona desert. The weather in summer was hot, but dry. Thankfully, there was plenty of reverse osmosis water to go around, and a pool to cool off in.

The next few weeks were a download of nutritional and lifestyle information which was nothing less than sensational. The experience of being amongst health and spiritual enthusiasts from all around the world, having the chance to do my first seven-day juice fast and detox program all set the scene for what was to be a life-changing experience.

The intensive four week program, a requirement of the Masters Program in “Raw & Living Food and Spiritual Nutrition” offered through the Tree of Life Rejuvenation Centre and the University of Integrated Science was my first real contact with Dr. Gabriel Cousens and the start of an inspiring friendship.

The point of difference that has impressed me the most about Dr. Cousens’ work is that he successfully integrates the most cutting edge nutritional information into a strong spiritual framework where the divine element within all beings is at the centre of a truly holistic model of health.

What Dr. Cousens promotes is the idea that what we eat and how we live is not just about longevity, feeling great or looking good – it’s about using the physical body as an optimal vehicle for working towards spiritual liberation; something spoken about by the adepts of all spiritual traditions throughout the ages.

Ultimately, we cannot separate the mind, body and soul; we cannot separate our connection with the physical body or our connection with the living planet – to do so both diminishes and depletes us, both individually and collectively.

Dr. Cousens promotes the idea that both personal and planetary enlightenment is attainable, necessary and a responsibility that we can all actively participate in and provides a rationale and practical model for how this can be achieved in his inspiring books titled “Spiritual Nutrition” and “Conscious Eating”.

Dr Gabriel Cousens will be speaking on the topic of “Spiritual Nutrition” and the effects of food on mind, body and spirit in Brisbane on Thursday December 1st at 6.30pm.

Book your place.

Insomnia is one of the most common imbalances faced in today’s world.  A number of factors can contribute, including the use of stimulants, lack of exercise, excess stress and dropping melatonin levels. It is known that a good night’s sleep keeps your brain and body healthy, and is vital for achieving vibrant health. Here are some ways to aid getting a great sleep:

• HAVE A REGULAR TIME FOR SLEEPING.  Going to sleep at around the same time allows your body’s circadian rhythm to normalize.  The best times for being asleep are generally at 10pm until 2 am. It is during these times that the immune system regenerates.

• ADD SOME EXERCISE RELAXATION INTO YOUR DAY.  Making sure you have some time during the day for aerobic exercise, yoga, meditation or deep breathing techniques can do wonders to reduce stress hormones in your body and prepare you for a good night’s sleep.

• AVOID STIMULANTS AFTER LUNCH.  Caffeine-containing beverages, including tea/coffee/cola drinks will all interfere with getting restful sleep.

• MOVE ELECTROMAGNETIC DEVICES AWAY FROM YOUR BED.  Electric devices such as an alarm clock in close proximity to your body (ie within one metre) will affect your electrical conductivity of your brain, affecting your ability to sleep peacefully.  Consider attaining an EMF protection device, available from www.biopro.com.au or a Barefoot Connections ® Queen Size Earthing Sheet.

• CHECK YOUR MELATONIN LEVELS. Melatonin is an important hormone produced by the pineal gland in response to darkness at night. Studies have shown that those working shift work, keeping sleep times, or with adrenal fatigue may have low levels of melatonin. Melatonin levels seem to also drop around the late 40s to the early 50s.  You can check your levels via a simple salivary test, ordered by your practitioner.  Supplement melatonin if low.

• CHECK FOR AN ESTROGEN/PROGESTERONE IMBALANCE. A dominance of estrogens in the system relative to progesterone can interfere with sleep as progesterone is a relaxant.  Detoxifying excessive estrogens out of the system may be an important part of holistic treatment for insomnia.

Underactive Thyroid is a colloquial term for hypothyroidism, usually caused by an autoimmune condition called Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. This condition appears to be significantly undiagnosed and undertreated. There are a number of nutritional and dietary factors however which play an important role.

Common symptoms of an underactive thyroid include:

1. Fatigue and low energy levels
2. Weight gain and difficulty losing weight
3. Fuzzy thinking and poor concentration
4. Hair loss and poor quality of nails
5. Intolerance to cold weather and changes in body temperature

Some tips that may help the thyroid rebuild:

• Supplement with iodine, zinc, selenium, tyrosine and B vitamins
• Important superfoods to include are maca (a South American root which balances hormones), coconut oil, brazil nuts, kelp or dulse and B pollen.
• Avoid overfeeding on soy products and brassica vegetables such as cauliflower, broccoli and Brussels sprouts.
• Eliminate refined carbohydrates and sugars so as to balance blood glucose. This includes most grains.
• Determine your metabolic type and eat in accordance with it.
• Check for heavy metal toxicity in the system and get onto a holistic protocol to detoxify these out of your system
• Look into your glutathione levels, an important cellular defence nutrient. Supplementing this is particularly useful in autoimmune thyroid disease.
• Test for intolerance to gluten grains such as wheat, oats, barley and rye with anti-gliadin antibodies and tissue transglutaminase antibodies. Once tested, trial a two to three week exclusion and rechallenge of all gluten grains to observe for adverse symptoms.

The following tests and treatments can be useful:

• Take your basal body temperature for at least one week per month and aim for an early morning temperature of 36.5 degrees or above.
• Consider a thyroid reflex test to look at intracellular levels of thyroid function
• Have your thyroid levels checked including free T3 and free T4, a “reverse T3”, DHEA and vitamin D3 levels
• In some cases, natural thyroid extract or T4/T3 combinations may be needed.

Recent observations are that in some people, high-dose iodine can aggravate the immune response against the thyroid gland and worsen a thyroid condition. It is recommended to start with low doses with iodine and monitor with ongoing thyroid testing.

Insulin is the hormone produced by the pancreas in response to sugar entering into the bloodstream. Generally high glycaemic sugars such as white or raw sugar, white flour products, fructose, honey and cooked animal fat appear to all raise the insulin levels and cause the cells to become resistant to insulin. This causes an increase in abdominal fat, fatty liver disease, increases in blood pressure and cholesterol (particularly triglycerides) and promotes inflammation in the body. Other conditions associated with insulin resistance are polycystic ovarian syndrome, ischaemic heart disease, obesity and cancer.

Below are some tips to keep insulin levels down:

1. AVOID SWEETENERS OTHER THAN XYLITOL OR STEVIA. Most sweeteners (including honey) raise blood sugar levels, and thus insulin. Artificial sweeteners often act as excitotoxins in the brain and can contribute to neurodegenerative conditions. Xylitol is a polyol extracted from birch sap. Stevia is a sweet leaf and the sweetener contains no glucose or fructose. Both can be   purchased from your local health food store. The ideal type of stevia is a green powder, not the   clear drops.
2. MINIMIZE SOFT DRINKS.  Most soft drinks and even some commercial juices contain high fructose corn syrup, sugar and/or caffine. Stick with water and herbal teas for optimal reduction of insulin levels and longevity.
3. EAT LOW GLYCAEMIC FRUIT ONLY.  Sweet fruit such as mangoes, bananas, pineapple etc are often hybridized and contain high levels of fructose, which appears to also contribute greatly to insulin resistance syndrome. Stick to berries, cherries and grapefruit for insulin balance.
4. LOAD UP ON GREEN VEGETABLES AND SEA VEGETABLES.  These high nutrient foods contain important minerals to support the pancreas in insulin production.
5. CONSIDER SUPPLEMENTING WITH A GLUCOSE FORMULA containing chromium, vanadium, magnesium and zinc along with herbs with gymnema or bitter melon to support healthy blood sugar metabolism.
6. TAKE YOUR METABOLIC TYPE INTO ACCOUNT. Some people have a greater need for protein and fat then others in order to balance their blood glucose system. A fast oxidizer or parasympathetic constitution is the classic sign that this may apply to you. The advanced Healthexcel Metabolic Typing ®  test  is available here.

The ayurvedic medicine tradition is an ancient system of health care from India, and is based on the works of Charaka and Sushruta. It is based on nurturing one’s individual consistitution and living a life of balance with one’s season, constitution, lifestyle and food choices.
Here are my picks of some of the top herbs from this tradition:

1) Tulsi – also known as sacred Basil, tulsi is a strong antioxidant. It helps fight and neutralize free radicals which come through pollution, radiation and stress in the body. It is also an adaptogen, which helps us to combat the effects of stress, or increased demands on our daily routine.

2) Ginger – ginger is known as adarak (grated root) or sunthi (powder) in the Ayurvedic system. Ginger is also a powerful anti-oxidant, helps with nausea, and sooths digestion for those with low appetite. Topically powdered ginger can help with joint or muscle pains or headaches.

3) Turmeric – a very important anti-inflammatory herb which has been shown to switch off anti-ageing genes. It also has very powerful antioxidant qualities. It is the yellow pigment in many curries and can be purchased as a root, similar to ginger in appearance.

4) Shilajit – an important rejuvenative herb which contains fulvic and humic acids, important solvents which help neutralize toxic compounds in the body. Shilajit is also considered to be a powerful antioxidant and is helpful in a variety of disorders, including pain, nervous system problems and impotence.

5) Shatavari – also known as Indian asparagus, is another important rejuvenative herb, Shatavari is considered a tonic for most female reproductive disorders and increases breast milk production in nursing mothers as well as digestive fire in both males and females.

Phytonutrients are powerful and vital nutrients found in plant foods, particularly fruit and vegetables. Research has demonstrated that  obtaining adequate amounts of these nutrients on a daily level is vital to achieving long-term health and longevity.

Nature’s foods are often colour-coded to represent the nutrients that are contained within them. For instance red fruits and vegetables such as tomato, red capsicum, cherries and raspberries contain powerful nutrients such as resveratrol , lycopene and quecertin. Resveratrol has been shown to activate a “longevity gene” that appears to have a significant effect on life span. It also appears to block cancer-promoting genes and protect against heart and blood vessel disease.

Green vegetables such as parsley, lettuce, arugula and lettuce contain other important phytonutrients such as indole-3-carbinol (which has powerful effects in preventing breast and prostate cancer), zeazanthin (which is important for maintaining eye health and preventing macular degeneration), thiocyanates and more. They also contain the important nutrient chlorophyll, which is responsible for the green colour of these foods, and are also loaded with minerals.

Orange foods such as carrots, oranges and squash contain an important class of nutrients call carotenoids. They include beta-carotene, which is a precursor of vitamin A. Blue foods include anthocyanins and are found in blueberries and blue-green algae. Each of these colour groups also represents one of the chakra, or energy centre of the body.
Getting a good spread from the various colour groups throughout the day ensures that you have a good selection of phytonutrients to boost your system throughout the day. The standard recommendation of two serves of fruit and five serves of vegetables a day probably can be seen as an absolute minimum. One serve is approximately equal to a fist-sized serving.

Importantly, the majority of phytonutrients are degraded to some extent by cooking the food. With some foods, the loss can be up to 80%. Although there are rare exceptions, such as lycopene, which seems higher in tomato sauce than fresh tomatoes, in general one is wise to eat most vegetables in the raw state.  These foods are highest in water content, minerals, enzymes and electrical energy.

A great way to start the day is by getting a phytonutrient rich smoothie or shake, rather than the standard western practices of eating grains and sugars first thing up. This will set you up on the right foot towards  getting a good spread of phytonutrients for the day. Adding a vegetable juice through the day, particular one emphasizing green vegetables such as celery and cucumber is another huge boost.  As Victoria Boutenko states in “Green For Life”, green vegetables are an important missing factor in the current Western diet. They allow us to remineralize, alkalize and reach our highest potential.

In fact, the standard advice of having two serves of fruit and five serves of vegetables a day is an absolute minimum. One serve is around a fist-sized portion. Adding vegetable juice or somoothies into our regime is a sure way of assuring we get well above this “minimum level”. Adding high nutrient “superfoods” such as berries, maca or spirulina take us even further towards reaching a level of super nutrition capable of turning around any chronic health complaint.

Adrenal Exhaustion is a colloquial term for functional adrenal insufficiency, caused by prolonged internal or external stress. It has been described in the medical literature as hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis dysfunction.

Although not considered a conventional diagnosis by the medical world, common symptoms include:

1. Difficulty getting out of bed in the morning
2. Fatigue – often worse with exercise
3. Fuzzy thinking and poor concentration
4. Poor quality sleep and lack of refreshment from sleep
5. Dizziness and craving for salt

Some tips that may help the adrenals rest and rebuild:

• Seek life-work balance and learn to schedule “me time” as part of your daily routine
• Eliminate refined carbohydrates and sugars so as to balance blood glucose
• Determine your metabolic type and eat in accordance with it: click here for the test
• Add a pinch of himalayan or celtic sea salt to all your water and aim for 2-3 litres per day
• Try to sleep before 10pm, avoid stimulants late at night and remove electric devices from near your bed.
• In severe cases, further testing and cortisol replacement may be necessary.

Healing adrenal exhaustion is an ongoing process, and it can be helpful to find a holistic practitioner to work with.

Recent research on cardiovascular disease has suggested that although “traditional” risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking and diabetes indeed greatly increase the risk for cardiovascular disease, a number of other risk factors are also important in the process of plaque formation in the arteries. These include:

1) Inflammation – this means a low-grade response from the body causing redness, heat and swelling in the arteries, making plaques more susceptible to rupture.

2) Endothelial dysfunction – this includes high levels of homocysteine, a product of metabolism of the amino acid methionine. This can often be corrected by therapeutic doses of vitamin B6, B12 and folic acid.

3) Abnormal platelet aggregation – this can be related to high levels of fibrinogen in the blood and makes the blood more thick and able to form clots.

4) LDL oxidation – this relates to a subtype of cholesterol which when oxidized, or affected by free radical compounds, becomes more likely to be able to penetrate blood vessels and start the process of plaque formation.

The top three foods for preventing or reversing the above processes appear to be:

1) Pomegranate - a low-sugar extract of pomegranate can help increase the activity of “good” HDL cholesterol, lower LDL cholesterol, and prevent oxidation of LDL cholesterol.

2) Chocolate – dark chocolate (or raw cacao beans)  appear to have a beneficial effect on endothelial dysfunction, lower levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol and prevent oxidation of LDL cholesterol.

3) Green Tea – while black tea theoflavins appear to have a stronger effect on lowering LDL cholesterol, green tea extracts appear to have a significantly beneficial effect on reducing platelet aggregation and decreasing inflammation of the heart arteries.

Other important lifestyle factors include regular exercise and flossing the teeth, as periodontal disease also has a significant effect on increasing risk for cardiovascular disease.

Keeping on top of distractions and on task can be quite a daunting task when phone calls, emails, social networking messages and countless other distractions await us at every step.

For the author, although not an expert, a few simple disciplines have been profoundly helpful in allowing him to keep focused.

1. Dr Stephen Covey coined the phrase “First Things First” in his groundbreaking book “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People”. This habit means focusing on the truly “important” tasks rather than simply “urgent” but truly unimportant tasks. For instance writing a business plan is an example of a proactive and truly important task, while visiting a link about an unrelated topic is neither urgent nor important.

2. Mark Joyner has started a personal effectiveness system called “Simpleology”. You can create an account at his website www.simpleology.com for free and download some of the tools and even his foundation course “Simpleology 101″ for free. This website has a simple daily praxis for identifying important tasks and to schedule them in, as well as looking at factors which may be helping or hindering our main sources of power: time, energy and money.

3. Keep focused on the present moment during the day. This helps us from drifting off into thoughts and patterns which may not serve us, and allow us to harness the great opportunities available at each moment of our lives.

Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) is the common name for a series of common symptoms occuring in women in the days prior to their menstrual period. These can include anxiety, irritability, abdominal bloating, breast tenderness and swelling, tiredness and depression.

Physiological studies have showed that in many cases the underlying abnormality may be an imbalance between the two major female hormones: estrogen and progesterone. This causes a chain of effects in the body. Some studies have also shown that deficiencies of magnesium and vitamin B6 can also contribute towards the cause.

Some tips for getting on top of PMS:

1. Create a good relationship with a health practitioner experienced at treating PMS.

2. Try adding a magnesium and B6 supplement to your diet. High magnesium foods include all green vegetables, buckwheat (a grain), nuts and seeds and raw chocolate (cacao).

3. Exercise regularly and incorporate some relaxation or meditation into your lifestyle.

4. Try to avoid exposure to plastics, pesticides/herbicides and pollution, all of which can imbalance your female hormones

5. Try to take some “Me Time” every day and sleep six to eight hours per night (depending on your constitution).