2002 Oct-Dec
Chiu-Nan Lai, Ph.D.

A person’s health is significantly influenced by his/her emotional and mental states, particularly those that are habitual. Emotional tendencies and personality traits that are present from childhood generally originate from prenatal,perinatal, or childhood experiences. Early negative experiences and trauma not only lead to childhood pain and ailments, but lead to even more obvious harmful health effects after middle age.

Although we spend only nine months in the womb, the time spent there can influence our physique for the rest of our lives. The child’s entire life can be adversely affected should the womb lack particular nutrients, or is harmed by cigarettes, liquor, toxins, chemicals, electromagnetic radiation, or negative parental emotions.
Take child asthma as an example. Some doctors believe that child asthma is related to modern child delivery methods such as the use of the Caesarean section, and separation of mother and child after delivery. Dr Tony Madrid has a unique perspective on healing child asthma. He does not need to examine the child, but work instead with the mother. He noticed that 80% of asthmatic children did not develop bonding with their mothers. He also discovered that about 25% of all children did not develop mother-infant bonding. The term “bonding” was first rcoined by two doctors, Dr Marshal Klaus and Dr John Kennell, in their book published in the 1970s titled “Maternal-infant Bonding”. Bonding refers to the intimate body-spirit-mind relationship between mother and child, and is generally developed before or just after the child is born. Whether this special relationship exists or not is known to both mother and child. When it does not exist, mother and child will have many difficulties relating to each other—the mother is more impatient, and the child is also more problematic and throws tantrums easily. These children are prone to numerous small ailments. They readily become vexed and uneasy, and are prone to asthma and gastric pains.

At the time of birth, physical and mental separation between mother and infant is a major obstacle to developing mother-infant bonding. Should the mother be under anesthesia, or have premature delivery or twins, or the newly-born baby may be sent to the infant room, all these prevent the mother from seeing, hugging and breast-feeding the child. Bonding will be difficult to establish in this case. Likewise, bonding will be difficult to develop should the mother encounter pre-delivery emotional upheavals such as experiencing the death of a close relative (particularly, the father), or, within the last two years, had a miscarriage after feeling fetal movement, or he husband left her. Dr Madrid found that if he could heal the mother-child bonding, the child’s asthma would be cured. He would first let the mother understand the reasons behind the bonding difficulties, and then have her mentally re-create the bonding. He would direct her to relax and visually create a physically and mentally ideal delivery that is immediately followed by a warm and tender re-union with her infant. This approach can also be accomplished using other methods, or by way of prayers. Using this approach, the child’s asthma improves, and as does the mother-child relationship.

Negative thoughts and emotions can interfere with one’s health, and has effects not only during childhood, but during adulthood as well. These adverse health effects can also be rectified through positive thoughts and emotions. For example, Ling county in Henan province is district with a high incidence of esophageal cancer. Although esophageal cancer is associated with external factors (e.g., soil lacking nutrients; local people’s habit of eating fermented pickled vegetables), it generally occurs among people who experienced emotionally upsets. The local people believe that cancer occurs among family members who have been excessively angry after conflicts.

Another example relates to heart attack, a major cause of death among American males. Heart attacks occur most frequently on Monday mornings, and interestingly, around 9 a.m.. Many years ago, a survey found that 90% of US workers are mismatched with their jobs, which become a source of stress for them. Hence, going to work on Monday mornings is not a happy occasion for these people.

Through training, one can transform negative emotions into positive ones. Heartmath, a research centre in North California, teaches a simple method: when we feel vexed, angry or sad, immediately focus our attention on our heart, and simultaneously recall events or people that will bring feelings of loving kindness and appreciation. With practice, we can instantaneously transform negative emotions into positive ones. People who can do this show improvements in their immune systems and electro-cardiograms within five minutes. Heartbeats that were originally irregular became regular and stronger. With respect to tests of immune systems (secretory immunoglobin A(S-IgA)), a person’s S-IgA decreaseds a lot when he/she recalls someone or an event that arouses anger in him. S-IgA remains below normal even six hours later. In contrast, when feelings of appreciation and loving kindness arise in the person, S-IgA begins to rise, and continues to be above normal levels six hours later.

Dr William Tiller was the former head of the Stanford University’s electrical engineering department. In his spare time, he has been investigating the relation between mind and body, as well as para-psychology phenomena. He has knowledge and research background on acupuncture and related treatments. After learning the Heartmath method, he wanted to use himself as a human subject to test the method’s efficacy. He had two problems (1994) — one related to frequent urination, and the other to the outbreak of rashes the morning after he has taken sweet things. At first, he thought that abstaining from desserts and sweet food will cure the problem. However, he felt that his problem had to do with his pancreas, stomach, and liver functions. When he entered into a state of loving kindness, he sent this loving kindness to his pancreas, stomach and liver, and repeated this four times to each of his organs. The whole process took thirty minutes, and he did this once a day. Two weeks later, his problem with rashes was cured. He then followed up with treatment of his frequent urination problem, and felt that this problem had to do with his urinary system and prostrate glands. As before, he spent thirty minutes daily to send loving kindness to these organs. Again, two weeks later, this problem was also cured. Dr Tiller emphasized that he is not advocating dispensing with the need to see a doctor when one is ill. Rather, when ailments are not that serious, it is worthwhile using one’s mental states to recover one’s health.

Dr Tiller’s method reminds me of a Chinese qigong methods—Le gong (Happy Gong) or Xiantian Zhiran gong. The method is also effective in treating ailments, as long as one possesses joy, happiness, and an open heart. One begins by pretending to be happy and eventually the happiness becomes real. Both eastern and western healing approaches, although seemingly different, do share the same underlying principle—using positive emotional states to regulate one’s health.

The current living environment is replete with conditions that can lead to ailments. Hence, as a preventative and curative approach, it is important to generate within us mind states that are filled with loving kindness, joy, appreciation, and gratitude.

References:

Nathanieklsz, Peter. The Prenatal Prescription, Harper Collins Publishers, 2001.

Tiller, William. Science and Human Transformation, Pavior, 1997.

Extracted from Lapis Lazuli Light Magazine 2002 May Issue
Translated by Lapis Lazuli Light Singapore

Chiu-Nan Lai, Ph.D.

The medical field offers many perspectives related to the fetus and the development of a newborn child. These perspectives offer weights and answers to parents, teachers, doctors, and society. Some of these questions include: Why do children deprived of love grow up as adults with poorer health than those who were loved as children? A 35-year longitudinal study of Harvard graduates showed that 81% of those who indicated that they had not received maternal love as an undergraduate  suffered from chronic ailments at middle-age; in contrast, only 25% of those who indicated that they received maternal love had these ailments at middle-age.

Why is it that those who do not receive love when they are young do not know how to receive love when they grow up? Why do children who are neglected when young grow up with poorer ability to handle pressure and suffer from more ailments?

When a pregnant mother feels safe and loved, the newborn child’s neocortex will be better developed, the hind brain (which is most primitive) will be smaller, and intelligence will be higher. On the other hand, when a mother feels threatened and unloved during her pregnancy, the child’s will have a smaller neocortex, larger hind brain, larger physique, but lower intelligence.

While giving labour, a mother will feel more relaxed if she receives mental and physical support by accompanying female friends, relatives, and a mid-wife. Her delivery will be smoother and shorter, the pain she feels reduced by 30% to 40%, and the likelihood of Caesarean section reduced by half (based on U.S. research). If the accompanying person leaves her for 5 minutes, the mother requires an hour before she resumes her relaxed condition. Also, if the mother breastfeeds her child immediately after delivery, both mother and child will secrete bliss-inducing hormones that also reduce feelings of pain. The prenatal and early experiences have critical influences on the development of the child’s brain, body, and mind. Below is a comparison of some old beliefs and new findings.

1.Old belief: Genes have a definitive influence on the development of the brain. New  finding: The development of the brain is interactively influenced by genes and the child’s experiences.

2.Old belief: A child’s experiences before the age of three have limited influence on the brain’s development. New finding: A child’s early experiences (including the period in the womb) form the blueprints for the brain’s development.

3.Old belief: The person caring for the child only provides an environment for the child’s growth. New belief: The person caring for the child directly influences the brain’s development.

4.Old belief: The brain’s development is linear over time. New finding: The brain’s development does not follow a linear function. There is an optimal time for the development of each of the brain’s functions. It is difficult to compensate for this once the optimal time has lapsed. For example, the dextrocerebrum (right brain) largely develops before the age of two.

5.Old belief: A child’s brain activity is less than that of an undergraduate. New finding: A child’s brain activity is three times that of an adult, and decreases after adolescence.

For a newborn child, the mother’s emotional expressions are the biggest catalysts for the brain’s development. A child is attracted by the mother’s face, and mother and child communicate with each other through facial expressions. A child laughs when the mother laughs, and becomes serious when the mother becomes serious. During this “conversation”, many hormones are secreted. The feelings between mother and child are developed under these circumstances. During its development, the right brain stores many memories of the mother’s rich emotional expressions (note that facial expressions devoid of emotions do not have similar effect). The development of the brain directly influences the heart, the entire nervous system, and internal secretions. In the last decade, western medical research has found that the heart is not merely a pump that pumps blood.

New neurocardiology research considers the heart and brain to one. The Chinese culture has always associated thoughts and emotions with the “heart”. Likewise, traditional Chinese medicine puts the heart and brain on the same meridian channel. The latest Western medical research reveals similar findings: 60% to 65% of the cells in the heart are identical to those in the brains; the heart is an important organ for internal secretions; it is the centre for thoughts and emotions; and, resonating with the limbic brain (responsible for part of the emotional processes), the heart produces the body’s most important electromagnetic field.

The newborn child’s heart is connected with his mother’s heart. When the child is next to the mother, his heartbeat follows the rhythm of his mother’s heartbeat. When the child is separated from his mother, his heartbeat becomes irregular and cortisol (stress hormones in the blood) increases. The mother’s heartbeat forms the blueprint for her child’s heartbeat. A child’s learning, from the beating of the heart to emotional expressions and internal secretions, are all influenced by environmental factors after his birth. A child immersed in love as he grows up will know how to give love and receive love. A child who has been played with will know how to play. In contrast, a child who has not been loved will not react to love when he grows up, as both his brain and the electromagnetic field in his heart do not respond. This probably explains why some people are unresponsive to human love.

According to the Chinese literature, “heart” includes the consciousness and emotional activities. This perspective is at odds with old western medical beliefs, but is closer to new medical research findings.

At the beginning of the last century, Dr. Rudolf Steiner predicted that western medical science will discover that the heart is not just a pump. This prediction has now come true. He also said that the heart is the meeting point of the nervous system, the digestive system, and the excretion system. The heart is a sensing organ, so that when the eyes see a colour, the body’s reaction depends on the heart to feels. This is akin to what we mean when we say “inner feelings”.

The psychology of the fetus and the child, along with neurocardiology research, are new scientific findings that support the role of a mother’s instinctive feelings. A mother has a definitive influence on the child’s entire life. Family members and society are making the best investment for the future if  they can value and support a mother’s sacred role during pregnancy, delivery, and post delivery. May every new life grow up in love, and may every mother be loved and cared for.

Extracted from Lapis Lazuli Light Magazine 2002 Feb Issue
Translated by Lapis Lazuli Light Singapore

Chiu-Nan Lai, Ph.D.

Seeds from plants and fruits are the best sources of oils. Plants that grow in hot climate produce oils which are of a ‘cool’ nature, those that grow in cold climate produce oils which are of a ‘hot’ nature, those that grow in warm climate produce oils which are of neutral nature. Coconuts that grow in hot climate are of a cooler nature. Olive which grow in the warm climate of the Mediterranean have a neutral nature, but sesame are of a hot nature. Nuts and grains are also sources of oils, for example soy bean oil, rice bran oil etc.

It is best to take oils directly from unprocessed seeds. If one needs extra oils, choose cold-pressed or expeller pressed oils and not oils extracted with chemicals; bottled oils after opening should be kept in the refrigerator. Also avoid buying huge bottles of oils and keeping them under room temperature because oils after oxidization will produce compounds which are harmful to the body.

Oils are especially important to women after middle age because the secretion of progesterone also occurs through fat cells in the body. After menopause, the secretion of progesterone is greatly reduced, thus obtaining reasonable amounts of oils is necessary.

The following are recipes of seeds and nuts provided for suggestions::

OATS PORRIAGE WITH NUTS.

Ingredients :

1 cup of oats.
3 cups of water
8 – 12 Almonds
1 tablespoon of sunflower seeds
1 tablespoon of Chinese wolfberry
4 Chinese honey dates
4 dates
4 red dates

Method :

Soak almond and sunflower seeds in water overnight, then pour away the water.
Cook all above ingredients. Cook over a small flame for 15 minutes, then leave it to brew for 1 hour.

 

Muesli with Nuts

Ingredients :

8 cups of oats
½ cup of  buck wheats
2 cups of  wheat germ
2 cups coconut bits
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup almond or walnut (soaked in water overnight), cashew nut
1 cup sunflower seed oil or sesame oil

Method :

Mix both together and pour into a baking pan. Bake at low oven temperature (150 degree F or 65 degree C) for one to two hours. Stir a few times. Store in a glass jar after cooling. Can be served with warm water, soy milk, almond milk, rice milk, sweet fruit juice, or sesame milk. Those who like to have it sweet can also add dates.

 

ALMOND MILK

Ingredients :

½ cup almonds
2 cups water (warm to hot)
4 dates

Method :

Place almonds which have been soak overnight (with skin removed) into the blender and blend with ½ cup of water. Add remaining ingredients and the balance water to blend.
May also use sunflower seeds, walnut, sesame or cashew nuts for substitute.

 

SESAME AND MILLET WAFFLE

Ingredients :
1 cup millet
½ cup sesame (ground)
2 tablespoon oil

Method :

Add millet  which has been soaked in water overnight to 1 ½ cups of water to blend. Leave under room temperature for 8 hours to ferment. Add sesame powder and 2 tablespoon of oil. Pour into a waffle mould to cook.
May add moderate amounts of malt sugar or brown sugar syrup to taste.

 

COCONUT MILK, BLACK GLUTINOUS RICE, GREEN BEAN, BLACK BEAN PORRIDGE

Ingredients :

½ cup green beans
½ cup black beans
½ cup black glutinous rice
10 cups water
½ of a fresh coconut

Method :

Soak beans and rice in water overnight. Pour away the water. Add 7 cups of water to cook. Use another 3 cups of hot water to blend with coconut meat and strain out the pulp, then add coconut milk to the cooked porridge.
Those with a sweet tooth may add black sugar.

Note :

Before consumption, it is best to soak almond and walnuts in water for 8 hours or soak in hot water for 1 hour and pour away the water to remove tannin.

The above are mainly for breakfast. Food that contain fat are best consumed before lunch for easy digestion.

Extracted from Lapis Lazuli Light Magazine 2000 Nov Issue

Translated by Lapis Lazuli Light Singapore

Chiu-Nan Lai, Ph.D.

In the past two years, the world has been plagued by a series of calamities: floods, droughts, forest fires, earthquakes, abnormal weather, abnormal seasonal changes, unease among animals and humans, preponderance of crimes and suicides, and increases in minor and major ailments that generally have no known cures. Are these the consequences of mankind’s destruction of nature for many years?

The proliferation of wireless communication and mobile phones in recent times has accelerated the changes in on our bodies and minds. Many medical experts consider that microwaves and radiowaves that permeate our surroundings are the biggest threats to public health. Yet, many people are unaware of this. They get one for every family member as if the mobile phone is indispensable. They continue to be ignorant of the threat of electromagnetic radiation even when they get strange ailments. In recent years, I often hear of people getting these ailments: insomnia, sudden weight loss, the body heating up, miscarriages, infertility, appetite loss, abdominal abnormalities, sudden immobility of the limbs, shortness of breath, and prickly sensations on body. What is more serious is that often people afflicted by cancer have been generally healthy and strong. I also hear of the following emotional afflictions: irritable, anxious, fearful, autistic, suicidal, and hearing voices in the mind.

After in-death investigation into the effects of electromagnetic radiation on the body, nature and outer space, I have managed to connect these seemingly unrelated occurrences.

A few years back, New York began installing wireless transmission systemss. Every time a new system was installed, some residents would notice changes in the colour of the sky due to pollutants being attracted to the ground. Around this time, thousands of satellites have been sent to outer space. The exhaust fumes of rockets contain chlorine that can destroy the ozone layer. In 1989, Russian experts warned that the ozone layer would be completely destroyed if three hundred rockets were fired in a year. Without the ozone layer, there will be no life on earth. Furthermore, there will be acid rain and contamination to the seas near the areas where the rockets are fired. Currently, the transmission stations on earth and satellites in outer space have interfered with the Van Allen belt, which are the charged particles that surround the earth. When these charged particles enter the greater atmospheric layer, they increase the production of clouds and electrical charges, leading to heavy rain and winds. Wild life, insects, and plants have similarly been harmed by electromagnetic radiation. Since 1994, the bee population in the USA has greatly decreased: wild bees have declined by 95%, and domestic stock have fallen by 50%. Without bees, how long can plants survive?

Whenever cancer patients seek advice from me, I will ask: “Do you have mobile phones?” In nearly 100% of the recent cancer patients, the answer has been either “yes”, or “my colleagues or family members have them”. However, when I advise them to stop using the mobile phone, I hear many kinds of excuses for not being able to do so: nusiness needs, maintaining contact with children, emergency uses, etc. It seems that our pace of life has progressed to the “age of the mobile”. Some people may think that there is no harm in merely turning on the mobile phone. However, experiments conducted at the Montpellier University in France have found the following results: when turned-on mobile phones were left 4 cm away from fertilized chicken eggs for 21 days, 70% of the eggs did not hatch. This is five to seven times the mortality rate among eggs. Farmers have also noticed a similar finding: ducks reared near transmission stations do not have offspring. In another experiment, mice were left with a mobile phone that was turned on for five weeks. Two weeks later, the mice had a 42% to 43% decrease in two key hormones (ACTH and Corticosterone) that are essential for handling stress and changes, and for controlling glucose levels and metabolism.

You may think that infrequent usage of the mobile phone is not harmful. Research at the Zurich University in Switzerland showed that men who had only 15 minutes of mobile phone usage experienced changes in their brain waves during sleep. With respect to the cordless phones used at homes (i.e., those that require plugging the transmitter into a socket), research has found that usage for a few minutes would reduce 10 Hz brain waves, and change the movement of blood vessels on the skin from a natural pattern to oscillating pattern. When we are at peace, our brain waves are at 8 to 10 Hz, which is similar to that of the an earth’s field. Radio/Microwaves frequencies can range from 106 to 109, which is many times that of the natural brain waves. When the frequency of our brain waves is raised, we feel irritable , and may even commit some violent, senseless actions. The rise in violence around us is related to brain wave interference.

What will happen if we stop or reduce these radiowave radiations? A small town in Switzerland conducted such an experiment. The town called Schwarzenburg had, since 1954, begun using a short wave radio station. There were three antennas between 6.1 to 21.8 MHz, each of which had a power of 150 Kilowatt. For over twenty years, residents in the vicinity had complained that the short-wave station led them to experience several ailments (common to current complaints by residents living near mobile phone transmission stations): insomnia, lack of strength, tense feelings, pain in joints and limbs, inability to focus, rapid heartbeat, cough, phlegm accumulation, shortness of breath, headache, drowsiness, etc. In 1990, the Swiss government made an investigation, and also measured the residents’ blood pressure and melatonin. They found that residents who lived within 1.5 kilometer of the radio station had more of these ailments—their blood pressure was abnormally high or low, and their sleep interference had a direct relationship with the strength of the short waves. When the radio station stopped its transmission for three days, residents experienced better sleep patterns, even though they were unaware of the timing of the transmission stoppage.

During the forty years that the radio station operated, promotion rate of neighbouring schools from primary to secondary grades was lower than that of schools further away. Even electromagnetic radiation that are only 5000 times beneath international safety limits can damage health. In the three days that the radio station stopped operating, cattle bred in the vicinity had increased melatonin secretions in their saliva increased. Melatonin is closely related to sleep, immune system, and anti-cancer functions in the body. The radio station finally stopped operations on 28 March, 1999. It plans to move its operations to Asia.

In December 1999, residents who had lived in Schwarzenburg for over 40 years documented their observations. They noticed that after the radio station had stopped operations, they found that they recovered their joy and sincerity. Those who had bouts of depression or aggressive behaviour in the past no longer had these experiences. Farms that had been neglected were restored, old buildings were repaired, and farm animals were cleaner. Many residents engaged in renovation projects. Residents no longer had the air of resignation. A fifty year-old farmer said that a fortnight after the radio station stopped operations, he managed to have a sound uninterrupted sleep for the first time in his life, and felt refreshed in the morning. Another fifty year-old no longer needed to take any of high dosage of medicine he had been taking for his depression. Many people with rheumatism were cured, and business was down for the doctors. Trees recovered their vitality, and grew twice as tall. Small trees grew upright, not slanted away from the direction of the radio station.

The experience of Schwarzenburg is worthy of our contemplation. Is the price of wireless communication worth paying? How much harm has been caused by the usage of mobile phones? Humanity, return to nature! We pray for timely rain, peace and harmony on earth, and everyone be joyful.

Extracted from Lapis Lazuli Light Magazine 2001 Nov Issue

Translated by Lapis Lazuli Light Singapore

Chiu-Nan Lai, Ph.D.
The title of this article is actually the title of a book written by Jane Hersey. Twenty years ago, she had a ‘problem kid’. A book written by Dr Benjamin Feingold changed the eating pattern of this problem kid completely and also changed his life.

Dr Feingold discovered that our behaviours and emotions are closely related to the food we eat. This not only affects children, but also adults’ performance in schools, at work places and homes. Grateful parents who have benefited from Feingold diet, formed a Feingold Society to provide solutions and assistance for parents with ‘problem kids’. The point that they strongly advocate is the elimination of artificial colours, preservatives, artificial flavours, aspirin, fruits and vegetables which are high in salicylates from our diet.

A pediatrician shared a real-life example in the foreword of Dr Feingold’s book. Twelve years ago, a mother brought an adorable girl with blonde hair and blue eyes to see him. The little girl behaved as if she had been possessed by some evil spirits. She screamed continuously and seemed very fearful. Her mother broke down and said her daughter would behave like that at any time and at any place. She was completely helpless. After examining the girl, the pediatrician suspected that her behaviour might be linked to her diet. He recommended that the mother and the girl sought advice from Feingold Society. 6 weeks later, the mother and girl came to see the pediatrician and kissed him to show their gratitude. The pediatrician was then fully convinced about the diet-behaviour connection. Within the next 10 or more years, he witnessed many examples of behaviour disorders being corrected by changing the eating patterns.

Some examples of behaviour disorders that can be greatly improved by changing the eating patterns are:

1.Impatient
Low frustration tolerance
Demands immediate attention
Irritability
Frequent crying
Destructive behaviours: throws, breaks things

2.Short attention span
Distraction
Failure to complete projects
Inability to listen to whole story
Inability to follow directions

3.Poor sleeping habits
Resistance to going to bed
Difficulty falling asleep
Restless / erratic sleep
Frequent nightmares, bad dreams

4.Marked hyperactivity
Constant motion
Running instead of walking
Inability to sit still when having meals
Inappropriate wiggling of legs/hands

5.Impulsive and aggressive actions
Playing pranks in school and at home
Unresponsiveness to discipline
Little or no recognition of danger to self
Repeating actions impulsively
Unkindness to pets
Fighting with other children, abusive behaviour
Poor self-control

6.Compulsive actions
Unpredictable behaviour
Inappropriate noises
Excessive talking
Loud talking
Interrupts often
Biting nails and scratching skin
Chewing on clothing and other objects
Overreaction to touch, pain, sound, light

7.Common problems
Headache
Stomachache
Ear infection
Bedwetting
Daytime wetting
Rashes

8.Muscle nerves disorder
Dyslexia / reading problems
Speech difficulties / delays
Difficulties with playground activities, sports
Eye muscle disorder
Tics (unusual or uncontrollable movements)
Accident-prone
Clumsiness
Poor coordination of eyes and hands
Difficulties drawing, writing

Dr Feingold proposed that although a person could be allergic to certain things, the things stated below are most closely related to learning disabilities and behaviour disorders:

Artificial colours (all artificial colours used in food)
Artificial flavours (including artificial vanilla essence)
BHA, BHT and TBHQ, these 3 types of preservatives
Aspirin and food containing salicylates

Food high in salicylates are: Almonds, coffee, green peppers, cucumbers, plums / dried plums, grapes / raisins, oranges, all berries, peaches, all tea, cherries, tangerines, tomatoes, nectarines and cloves.

Feingold diet comprises of a two-stage plan. During the first stage (about 2 to 3 weeks), avoid eating any of the food mentioned above. For children who are not on medication, their conditions will improve within a few days. As for those on medication, it will take more than a week. During the second stage, you can slowly reintroduce fruits and vegetables high in salicylates to the child’s diet. Observe how the child reacts to the new adjustment. If the problems resurface, it shows that you should avoid giving the child this type of food for the time being. Food is not the only factor that affects our behaviour, synthetic chemicals found in school and family environments will also affect sensitive children and adults negatively. Hence, it is better to wait till school holidays to repaint the school, change the carpet, use cleaning agents or use asphalt to mend the roof.

In 1993, some US scientists did a research on the connection between food and ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder). 78 children with ages ranging from 3 to 12 years old underwent strict dietary control programme for 3 to 4 weeks. Among them, 59 children’s behaviour had improved significantly, 17 children’s behaviour had improved and behaviour of 2 children had deteriorated. In America, the usage of artificial colours is very much higher than other countries, hence the number of hyperactive and ADD children is 10 times the number found in Britain and France. Japan does not have this problem, however for Asian countries in which eating patterns have been westernized, such problem is on the rise.

‘Prevention is better than cure’, it is always better to take precautions. For more information, you may contact Feingold Society at:
Address: P.O. Box 6550, Alexandria, VA22306
Telephone (U.S.): 1-800-321-3287

If you would like to order the book ‘Why Can’t My Child Behave?’, please contact Pear Tree Press at: P.O. Box 30146 Alexandria, VA22310. Retail price of the book is US$22 (in US) and US$27 (inclusive of postage fee) for overseas purchase.

Extracted from Lapis Lazuli Light Magazine 1997 Apr Issue

Translated by Lapis Lazuli Light Singapore

Chiu-Nan Lai, Ph.D.

Dietary habits can be changed anytime

Wang:   Can people change their dietary habits? How do we eat more healthily to avoid illnesses?
Lai:       I had been eating a traditional Chinese diet till I was nineteen when I changed to a vegetarian diet.

To change our diet, we can start with eating vegetables and wholegrains. In general, the wholegrains refer to rice or wheat, but the Chinese have many varieties of grains, including millet, buckwheat, and barley. These can be taken depending on the season. Eat a variety of grains. It is advisable to eat every part of the vegetable. In this way, we will naturally not rely on sweets, biscuits, and other processed food, and the temptation to eat meat will decrease. If we develop this habit from young, we will not have the desire to take junk food.

The diets of adults can also be changed. I have always wanted to be a vegetarian from young, but my parents were against it as they feared that a diet without meat would inhibit growth. It was when I turned nineteen that I found out from books that we do not need to consume meat for our nutrition. The natural diet of humans ought to be the wholegrains, vegetables, and fruits. This had been the traditional diet of Chinese for thousands of years.

Animal fat contains all kinds of harmful farm chemicals and environmental pollutants. For example, polar bears have problems producing offspring because they eat seals, which in turn eat fish, and pollutants get transmitted through the food chain. Eskimos have been found to have the world’s highest pollutants in their bodies, and this is also because of the food chain.

Some people think that since they should not eat land animals, they can eat the ocean fish. However, pollutants and toxins can accumulate in the flesh of animals and fish. For example, whales eat small fish, and the amount of chemical pollutants in the whale’s body is equivalent to that of a toxic waste dump.

In addition, avoid food that has been artificially processed. For example, food that has been irradiated or genetically modified is against nature.

Wang: You have previously conducted research related to wheat grass, chlorophyll, and cancer. How do wheat grass and chlorophyll relate to cancer?

Lai:       My research is not related to cancer treatment, but to cancer prevention. I investigated the types of chemicals that would cause sudden genetic changes, and those that are carcinogenic.

I discovered that when measuring the impact of carcinogens, and wheatgrass is added to the carcinogens, the chlorophyll in the wheatgrass can suppress the operation of the carcinogens. Scientific reports have also documented that smokers who frequently eat carrots or green vegetables have a lower incidence of intestinal or lung cancer. This is because chlorophyll has some protective function.

Wang: Besides vegetables, what other common food can prevent cancer?

Lai:       Vitamin C can reduce the incidence of stomach cancer. For every meal, it is best to consume some fresh vegetables or fruits that have not undergone cooking; the vitamin C in them can help protect the stomach linings. In the past, when I visited Beijing, I found out that Chinese like to cook a pot of meat and eat it over a week. This will encourage bacterial growth and increase the production of nitrosamine which can lead to stomach cancer. Thus, it is best to not eat leftover rice or food.

Cancer is the result of imbalance energy flows

Wang:   In terms of clothes, we observe more and more artificial fabrics in the market. Would this have any impact on the incidence of cancer?

Lai:       The body and mind are one. The things we are exposed to (including furniture, decorative items, and electrical appliances) will influence our qi. The Chinese have investigated the subject matter of qi for thousands of years. From the perspective of modern science, our bodies have their own electromagnetic fields. When we wear artificial fabric, there is no flow of energy current, and our qi will be weakened. Research by Dr. Valerie Hunt found that when people wore synthetic fabric, their strength decreased to one-third or half their original levels. However, if they were in a natural environment or wore natural fabric, their strength increased. This means that when we go to a forest or a natural habitat, our qi will increase. Thus, we will not feel tired when we walk in a forest, but we will feel exhausted if we shop for the same period of time. This shows the impact of the environment on our qi.

Cancer can be said to be an illness related to qi. My research has shown that the electromagnetic fields of cancer cells are different from those of normal organs. Cancer can be viewed as some imbalance in the energy flow. Therefore, maintaining our qi in a healthy condition can help prevent cancer.

Wang:   How do we strengthen our qi? Can you give examples?

Lai:       I have conducted experiments measuring people’s electromagnetic fields. One day, I found that my assistant’s electromagnetic field potential was reversed and was very low. I asked her what had happened. She told me that her husband had lost his job. Thus, an emotional distress alone could adversely affect her electromagnetic field. Our emotional states can influence our electromagnetic fields, which in turn influence our bodies. When you are with relatives and good friends, you can happily chat for long hours and not feel tired. When we are happy or appreciate something (e.g., appreciating the flowers in mountain), we will be in a good mood and our qi will be strong.

Be with nature in our daily lives

Wang:   Overall, how do we reduce the incidence of cancer?

Lai:       Try to live naturally as much as possible. When we grow up in an urban environment, we may forget what nature means. It is best to spend at least one day a week to breathe in fresh air. If your home has a park nearby, go there everyday to breath in fresh air or to exercise.

Eat natural food whenever we can. Select food that has no additives. It is possible to purchase organic food now in Taiwan. Select food that is natural, high in fibre so that your bowel movements are normal, and carcinogens do not accumulate in your intestines.

In terms of sleep, sound sleep plays a very important role in cancer prevention. Sound sleep helps to maintain the health of the body. Before you sleep, try not to do things that you have been busy working on during the daytime. Give yourself some time to slow down your pace and relax. I encourage everyone to paint or listen to music before you sleep. This is because the arts can release the tension in a busy lifestyle.

Soak your feet in hot water—when we engage in too much thinking in the daytime, blood will flow to the brain. After soaking for ten minutes, rub the soles of the feet, and rub both left and right feet for a few times. It is also possible to add some aromatic oil or lemon juice to the water. This will help one to sleep better. Eyeball rotation is also a good way to discharge disturbances. Rotate the eyeballs clockwise a few times, and anti-clockwise a few times. This is a good way to release tension, and to forget the unhappy occurrences during the daytime.

It is best to sleep without lights. Use dark coloured curtains to block out the light from outside so that our five senses can completely quiet down. Use natural cotton for the bed; if we use artificial fabrics, our sleep quality will not be so good. Do not keep electrical appliances in the bedroom. Have it as natural as possible, and with as few man-made disturbances as possible. In addition, we should learn to hibernate like the animals. During winter, sleep earlier and longer. To conserve our qi, we need more sleep. If we cannot avoid keeping late nights, we can supplement our diet with friendly bacteria, and observe a simple light diet.

Spend adequate time with loved ones. This is because a warm, loving relations will help improve our immune system.

Suicidal tendencies originate from childhood experiences

Wang: Recently, there have been many suicides in Taiwan. Do you have any views on this psychological problem?

Lai:       Suicides can occur because of several reasons, some long-term and some short-term. There are a few possible long-term reasons. Neonatal psychology, a field developed in the west, has found that when a person goes through a traumatic experience during childhood, his/her brain secretions are different from those who have not undergone childhood trauma, and will also have less ability to handle stress.

The trauma we refer to need not necessarily refer to violent behavior. Sometimes, neglect, lack of love, or constant criticism can cause great emotional harm to the child, who will then be less able to handle stress.

Andrew Feldman, a Canadian psychologist, has investigated four cases where the mothers were unsuccessful in their abortion attempts. When the children were in their teens, they had suicidal tendencies every year at a particular month. The chemicals and tools used in these suicide attempts were similar to those used by their mothers in their abortion attempts. Thus, these suicidal tendencies were hidden in the children’s subconscious minds. When they knew the source of these tendencies, they no longer wanted to commit suicide.

Also, those who live in especially high-rise apartments may have some strange suicidal tendencies because they are unable to be in touch with the earth’s 8 Hz magnetic field. When we live everyday within steel and concrete structures, we are separated from the earth’s magnetic field. In addition, when we are exposed to radiation from computers and mobile phones, we may slowly lose our ability to judge.

Wang:   Modern society has made tremendous progress in technology and economic development. However, interpersonal relationship seems to be under pressure. How do we handle this?

Lai:       I feel that the best method is also the simplest method. Get closer to nature, so that our bodies will be massaged by nature’s magnetic field.

How do we adjust our electromagnetic field to a serene level, given the constraints in our daily lives? Deep breathing is one method. During our free time, notice our breath: is it too hurried? Are the muscles relaxed? When our breaths are hurried and tense, our brain waves will certainly be fast and tense.

Another method that I will introduce is that of colour visualization. Visualizing blue light can improve our interpersonal relationships. Blue represents unconditional love. We are continually and mutually communicating with each other through our minds and thoughts. Therefore, when we find ourselves in a strained relationship with poor communication channels, we can visualize sending clear, sky blue light to the other person. You will find that within a short time, your communication will improve as you have sent out positive vibrations.

Our own bodies also need love, so we must not forget to periodically send love to ourselves. After visualizing sky blue light, absorb them into the cells of our bodies. We sometimes forget to appreciate our hands, legs, nose, digestive system, liver, and other organs. Therefore, we can spend some time everyday to send love to our body, mind, and spirit. Our bodily functions and organs will improve.

The importance of clearing emotional wounds

Wang:   Besides colour visualization, are there other methods to avoid suicidal tendencies?

Lai:       Learn some methods to clear our emotional wounds. Otherwise, these wounds will lead to impulses that will be impediments to good human relationships; they will also weaken the immune system. Clearing our emotional wounds is a very important homework, and is something that I have focus my study in recent years. I can introduce some of these methods.

Many people have been subjected to anaesthesia, or undergone surgery. In particular, surgery has very strong after effects on the body, qi, and emotions. Some of the people suffering from panic attacks are the result of trauma of surgery. Emotional wounds are generally hidden from our memories, and we do not seem to remember them. In actual fact, they are stored in our right brain stem, which controls our breathing, blood circulation, and essential bodily functions. Thus, emotional wounds can influence our physical health.

If a patient shivers after an operation, the surgeon will inject some medicine that will stop the shivering. As a result, what should have been discharged via shivering is stored within the body and mind, and this can lead to anxiety attacks.

Dr Peter A. Levine found that although wild animals undergo life-and-death encounters everyday, their brains are able to discharge the negative emotions and prevent them from being stored in their bodies and minds. After a wild animal has successfully escaped from its predators, its body will shiver to dissipate the fear away.

How then does a person elicit deep emotional wounds that have been forgotten? The right brain stem is related to bodily feelings. Therefore, if you gently tap the whole body, you may hit a spot and begin shivering, upon which the fear from past surgeries will suddenly be evoked. You should let the shivering continue, and let the unpleasant memories be discharged. I have a friend who was tapping his body, and when he hit his hand, he suddenly remembered an occasion when his dentist did not give him anaesthesia and he had seen lots of blood. He was able to discharge the unpleasant memory through this exercise.

Do not overlook a mere fall, as this may also lead to shock.  People have a tendency to rush over to help a person who has fallen down. This is not a good practice. After a person has fallen, let him calm down and allow his body to discharge his fright through shivering. Then, let him slowly get up. Similarly, in emergency cases, those who are given the opportunity to calm down and keep warm have a higher survival rate. Do not rush to move the victim’s body.

There are also some harmonizing energy (qi) methods that not only are able to release stress, but increase our potential as well (see related article in 2001Sept issue of Lapis News). By practicing these methods once a day, we can also be more grounded in our work.

 

Extracted from Lapis Lazuli Light Magazine 2001 Nov Issue

Translated by Lapis Lazuli Light Singapore

An environmentally-friendly, cost-effective, and healthful solution. Many years ago, a lady told me that she and her family had lived for nine years in a natural environment without electricity. When they first moved back to the city, she had great difficulty adapting to an electricity-permeated environment. She was constantly tired, and had to switch off the refrigerator at night before she could sleep. Bob Cannard, a farmer in Northern California, works all day in the farm and has few opportunities to step into the house. He also firmly refuses to watch television, even good programmes. He says that even if he watches television for a little while, in the following three months, he is unable to see the aura of plants (an ability he possesses that enables him to ascertain the needs of plants).

Actually, the use of electricity in our daily lives has an impact on our mental and physical health. When the alternating current in our bodies exceeds 20 mV, it will interfere with our brain waves and our hearts’ biological current. People who are under electrical lighting or cables are usually exposed to 3 V of alternating current. Because we are constantly living in an electricity-permeate environment, we have no basis to compare the loss and diminishment in our innate abilities (e.g., seeing plants’aura) resulting from this exposure.

To experience what it feels like to live without the influence of an electricity-filled environment, we experimented rising and resting with the sun’s movements. We rested when the sun set, and woke up automatically when the sun rose. We cut off the electricity in our bedroom and office. Within days, we noticed a difference. Our quality of sleep improved, and we needed fewer hours of sleep. Our minds were clearer in the day, we felt more serene, and our productivity increased. We also felt the nourishing influence of sunrise. When we rise and set with the sun, we also appreciated the daily natural rhythm, and the four seasons. This practice of rise and set with the sun came at an opportune time. There was a power shortage in California and power shutdowns were rotated throughout the state. The practice is environmentally friendly, keeps us healthy, and saves money. Last month, our electrical bill was halved.

There has been a rise in the number of people suffering from multiple chemical sensitivities. The estimate is that 30% have such sensitivities, with the percentage expected to rise to 70% in the future. This rise is attributable to damage to the environment, deforestation, and pollution to the air and water. The people with such sensitivities are also likely to be sensitive to electromagnetic fields. Some scientific research has found that electromagnetic fields and chemical pollution harm humans in similar ways, and that the presence of one accentuates the harm caused by the other. In the presence of electromagnetic field interference, it is easier for chemicals to enter the brain and to overcome the blood-brain barrier.

People sensitive to electromagnetic fields frequently have these symptoms: headaches, nausea, fatigue, dizziness, prickly or numb feeling on skin, hot feeling on the eyes, inability to focus, memory loss, pain in the muscles or joints, and irregular heartbeats.

Since November 1996, many American cities have installed transmission stations for mobile phones (for 2GH digital services). This has led to people having an unprecedented exposure to electromagnetic fields 24 hours a day for 365 days a year. A survey found that within 6 months of these installations, many people have these reactions: pressure on the back of the eyeballs, sore throats, dryness and swelling of mouth, headaches, vomiting, insomnia, loss of appetite, chest discomfort or pain, pain in the ovaries or testicles, pain in the legs or feet, shaking, muscle cramps, agitation, memory deterioration, fever, red swellings, nosebleeds, sight deterioration, and dry eyes. People living near these transmission stations frequently have sinusitis and bronchitis.

A lady was working in a building that had a transmission tower installed on the top of the building. She did not know when the station would start operating nor was she prepared for its effects. One day at work, she had symptoms of a cold and dizziness – she was fine one moment, and totally unwell the next. She walked to the front of the door, and asked the people working outside: “Has the transmission tower started operating yet?” The workers were surprised and answered: “It was activated half an hour ago. How did you know?” The lady’s colleagues were also adversely affected by the electromagnetic field interference, and the whole work unit was forced to re-located to another place.

Recently, I observe that there are many strange ailments including mental illnesses, phobia from hearing voices in the head, etc. Electromagnetic field interference and chemical pollution harm the adrenal gland, which is impaired by stress. The adrenal gland works intimately with other endocrine glands and the brain. When the adrenal gland is impaired, the body and mind undergo changes. Many mental illnesses arise from the impairment of the adrenal gland.

Modern civilization has an increasingly adverse impact on our health. Only with everyone’s cooperation can we avoid this. Rise and set with the sun is a good start.

Extracted from Lapis Lazuli Light Magazine 2001 Aug Issue
Translated by Lapis Lazuli Light Singapore