Posts classified under: 2013

2013 Apr-Jun
Chiu-Nan Lai, Ph.D.

A hundred years ago, the founder of anthroposophy, Dr. Rudolph Steiner, once raised the importance of nutrition to a young student who had his mind set only on spiritual practice. His student was curious why his teacher placed so much emphasis on nutrition.

Dr. Steiner explained that the reason why human spirituality has been unable to make progress all this while is attributable to the issue of nutrition or diet. The Western diet is relatively more meat-based, and Dr. Steiner, using his special abilities, could tell that animals’ emotional toxins such as fear, hatred, and their animalistic nature will enter a person’s body and mind when their bodies are eaten. A person’s physical and astral (emotional) bodies need to digest these pollutants, and this can cause long-term physical and mental harm. The astral body needs to be rejuvenated at night but if it is unable to leave the physical body to recharge itself in the spiritual world, the consciousness cannot be nourished or obtain guidance. This will cause daytime activities to be disconnected from spirituality, and is a source of harm both to the earth and, needless to say, to the person’s spiritual growth as well.

Ancient Indian wisdom also recognizes that the subtle energies and colours of food constitute the ingredients for our consciousness. They have a direct impact on our aura. Only plants have radiance that can nourish our consciousness and fill our hearts with radiance, bliss and joy.

For instance, consider suicide, the tenth most popular cause of deaths in the U.S. Suicide is related to depression. A vegetarian diet can prevent and cure depression. Research has found that a person’s mood can improve after two weeks with a vegetarian diet. Plants contain serotonin, a hormone that can stimulate happiness in humans. Ordinary fruits that contain serotonin include pineapples, kiwifruits, bananas, plums, tomatoes, and green vegetables. Not ingesting the fear and anger of animals can also improve one’s mood. A person who switches from a meat-based diet to a vegetarian diet will feel relaxed and joyful and have fewer afflictions. This is more effective than taking sedatives, with no side effects.

There are new research findings indicating that a vegetarian diet ensures good health and longevity. This research indicates that a vegetarian diet can prevent the 14 major causes of death in the U.S., including heart disease, cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, stroke, accidents, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, renal disorder, respiratory tract infection, suicide, inflammation, liver failure, hypertension, and Parkinson’s disease. The Harvard University’s Nurses Health Study, involving panel data that spanned 35 years, found that a vegetarian diet has protective properties that exceeded the researchers’ expectations.

Take the case of heart disease as an example. The health risk of a person who eats an egg daily is equivalent to that of a person who smokes 5 cigarettes every day for 15 years. The protective properties of a cup of oats daily or two servings of walnuts are equivalent to that of jogging four hours a week.

Having a normal cholesterol level does not mean that there is no risk of having heart disease. The so-called “normal” reading is actually too high-50% of heart attack victims have cholesterol levels within the ideal range. Only by lowering one’s cholesterol levels to that of vegetarians would one be safe from heart diseases. Finland originally had a high incidence of heart disease among its population. The Finnish government actively promoted vegetarianism and discouraged the consumption of animal-fat based products and dairy products, as well as chicken and pork, etc. The government also subsidized the conversion of dairy farms to orchard farms that produce fruit jams. The result was a 80% decrease in heart disease mortality, and an increase in female and male life expectancy by six and seven years, respectively.

Why is meat consumption so harmful? There are, of course, many reasons. One of them relates to a recent finding that the toxins produced by the bacteria in the decomposing flesh of dead chicken, duck and fish are not destroyed by high heat. Neither are they broken down by digestive juices after they enter the human body. Hence, they enter the blood stream through the digestive system. High fat content in the body accelerates the assimilation of these bacterial toxins into the blood stream, causing vascular inflammation paralysis. This inflammation reaction arising from a meat-based meal takes about 5 hours to subside, and if a second meat-based meal is taken then, the inflammation reaction repeats itself. Hence, the blood stream is continually infected. Once the consumption of these toxins stops, the body has an immediate improvement and the person’s life span is increased. The second cause of death in the U.S. is cancer, and its incidence is lowest among vegetarians. The use of a vegetarian diet to prevent and treat cancer has long been researched. Currently, there is more detailed research in this area.

The Pritikin Research Foundation investigates the relation between human blood and the growth of cancer cells. The researchers found that the efficacy of human blood in killing cancer cells was eight times higher among vegetarians compared to the average American who took a normal diet. After switching to a vegetarian diet, this efficacy doubled. With respect to exercise, those who took an ordinary American diet and also exercised for 30 to 60 minutes daily over 14 years had blood efficacies that were only half that of vegetarians who did not exercise. The amount of IGF1, the cancer-producing hormone in the blood stream that promotes cancer, is proportionate to the amount of meat consumed. After taking a vegetarian diet for 11 days, the liver will discharge IGF1 binding proteins such that the quality of IGF1 will significantly decrease. If IGF1 is injected into the blood stream of vegetarians and sportsmen, the protective qualities of a vegetarian diet and sports completely disappear. This proves that diet has an important relation to the occurrence of cancer.

Other than preventing these two major causes of death, a vegetarian diet can also prevent the following 11 causes of death.

The third cause of death is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The lungs can be inflamed as a reaction to the intake of meat, and thus can be immediately prevented by taking a vegetarian diet.

The fourth cause of death is stroke. This can be prevented by taking food with high potassium. Tomatoes, dates, green beans, and all vegetables and fruits contain the highest potassium content.

The sixth cause of death is dementia. The study found that the number of people with dementia who had been eating red or white meat was two to five times that of those who took vegetarian diets. The longer a person had been a vegetarian, the lower the chances of getting dementia. A vegetarian diet not only has preventive effects but has healing effects as well.

The seventh cause of death is diabetes, and this is also preventable and treatable by a vegetarian diet. The incidence of diabetes is very significantly lower than that for meat eaters. Further, a vegetarian diet has slimming effects. Among meat products, chicken meat intake leads to weight gain most easily.

The eighth cause of death is degeneration of the kidney function, which can be prevented using a vegetarian diet. The kidney is filled with blood vessels which can be easily harmed by animal protein, fat, and cholesterol. The kidney function can be improved within a week with a vegetarian diet. Hence, vegetarians tend to have better kidney functions.

The ninth cause of death is respiratory infection. Vegetables such as kale have immune system enhancing properties. Taking more fruits and vegetables can significantly improve one’s immune system.

The tenth cause of death is suicide. The role of fruits and vegetables in improving one’s mood has been previously discussed.

The eleventh cause of death is infection of the various body systems. Meat is generally the source of infection. Some research using DNA evidence has found that infection of women’s urinary tract comes from the faeces of chicken.

The twelfth cause of death is liver function degeneration. A vegetarian diet can protect one’s liver function.

The thirteenth cause of death is hypertension. Dr. McDougall’s research showed that hypertension declined after 11 days of a vegetarian diet.

The fourteenth cause of death is Parkinson’s disease, which is related to the consumption of pesticides, particularly those contained in dairy products. Those suffering from Parkinson’s disease tend to have higher concentration of the T1Q pesticide within their brains.

I have benefited physically and mentally since starting on a vegetarian diet when I was nineteen years old. Many friends, family members, and readers have also benefited. I also like to collect recipes, and had this idea of publishing a cooking book. Eventually, Lapis Lazuli Light in Malaysia published a cooking book containing Southeast Asian recipes, along with some of the recipes that I had written over the years. Hopefully, this cooking book will be a helpful reference to friends who have just embarked on a vegetarian diet, and also provide more sumptuous options to those who have been vegetarians for a long while. I hope to continue to collect special recipes from various countries, with the theme being grandma’s kitchen. This is to preserve some culinary methods that may become extinct. Busy people rarely cook-they either eat out or buy pre-cooked food. They have handed over their health (from eating) to the fast food operators, whose major concern is to make profits.

Nowadays, it is important to remember a Chinese phrase: “Better to nourish with food than with medicine”. The real hospital is the farm that grows plants/vegetables that have both complete full spectrum of colours and essential minerals. The real dispensary is the kitchen. The chef controls life and death, and can either be a doctor who saves lives or a killer who kills without mercy.

I hope that grandma’s kitchen will enable everyone to taste nature’s varied offerings, and experience nature’s warmth and love. May a blissful vegetarian diet lead everyone to a blissful new earth.

The original Chinese article is published in Lapis

Chiu-Nan Lai, Ph.D.

The first record of the appearance of crop circles came in the form of wood carvings, as early as the 17th century. The local people believed that this was the work of gremlins. In the 1980’s, many of these had circles as the main theme, and hence, they were generally labeled as crop circles. The degree of complexity in the design of these twenty-plus crop circles has far exceeded that of a circle. Many of these are patterns from ancient cultures, such as the yin-yang diagram.

Although these mysterious patterns also appear on sand, snow and ice, the ones that are most popularly known appear on farm land in Southern England. Among these, the largest concentration of crop circles appears in Stonehenge and Avebury in the Wiltshire County, where ancient stone circle monuments of more than 5000 years old can be found. In 2011 alone, there were 40 to 50 pieces of work. The appearance of these crop circles is not constrained by weather conditions or time of the day. Some appear within 15 minutes in broad daylight, while some appear at night and are discovered only in the daytime. The dimensions of these circles vary from 30 feet to 1500 feet. They are formed by the compression of the crops. The crop is not cut during the formation of the crop circles. If the crops are compressed in spring, they continue to grow. If the crops are matured and compressed in fall, they no longer grow.

People who enter these crop circles generally feel a strange energy. Balls of light sometimes appear on photos taken, even though these light balls are not visible to the naked eye. At night, some people see light descending onto the ground from above, and crop circles appear the following day. Pilots drive past the land to fetch passengers, and see crop circles 15 minutes later on their return journeys.

There are many different views on these crop circles, but in short, it is a difficult-to-explain mystery. Why do they appear frequently in Wiltshire County in southern England?  Glenn Broughton, who organizes annual tours to these crop circles in southern England, believes that there are special reasons. These crop circles all appear near ancient sacred sites, almost as if to remind people to know about these sites. At the same time, the farms in southern England are all located on hill slopes, and are easily visible from public access roads. Also, because these appear annually, they attract people’s attention, and tour groups are organized every year specially to view these crop circles. If this were a form of communication between those from the unseen world and humans, it has to appear in a location where it is visible to be effective. If it appears in uninhabited places, it would be meaningless. Glenn’s experience is that it is possible to connect with this unseen energy.

Once, a group of 19 people in England deliberately wanted to invite an “unseen” painter to produce a crop circle. Five of them had doubts and did not make sincere prayers. In the end, the crop circle that appeared had a “flower of life” pattern with 19 points, amongst which the connecting lines for five of these points were unclear. Hence, the overall pattern was also unclear. Glenn shared this story with participants at the 2011 American Society of Dowsers conference in the northeastern state of Vermont. At that time, the participants were willing to communicate with the “unseen” painter. A group of them sat and prayed in the space between two circles outside the conference venue. The next day, a similar crop circle appeared in a farmland in England. These crop circles are means of communicating with humans, and contain information. Readers can experience this by holding pictures of these crop circles to their chests, or by silencing the mind.

According to Glenn, every time a tour member enters these crop circles, they experience strong sensations. After returning home ten days later, they would write letters to their relatives and friends to share changes in their lives, as if they are starting all over again. Some marry, some divorce, and others change their jobs. Could it be that these crop circles appearing in the last 20 years were designed to help human personal enhancement and transformation?

Stephen Alexander (www.temporarytemples.co.uk), an English man who has been taking photos of crop circles for the past 20 years, observed that crop circles have an association with numbers and geometry. For instance, a circle equals 1; two intersecting circles equal 2; a triangle equals 3; and so on up to 13-sided polygonal shapes. These geometrical shapes appear in nature, and are inseparable from us. In ancient times, buildings, especially those used for worship purposes, are built according to these geometric proportions. They have a certain impact on our bodies and minds.

An octagon (see Figure 1) is common in Chinese culture, and has a peaceful energy. The number “8” also represents the beginning and end in the sound spectrum. Ancient Egyptians use half an octagonal shape to cleanse energy and man-made contamination. An octagonal shape folded ninety degrees into half produces two semi-octagonal shapes (Figure 2). These semi-octagonal shapes have transformational properties, and can be placed inside the room, or on top of the refrigerator, or on food and daily necessities. The hexagram has a special significance in ancient Western culture in that two alternating triangles form the Star of David.

CRYSTAL GRID

Crystal when placed in specific formation or array can be used to enhance the environment. It is best to use crystals that have been blessed. The crystals provided at Lapis Lazuli Light centres have been blessed by sacred objects. Their enhanced energy can be transmitted simply by contacting them with other crystals or mineral stones.

Based on reference materials and my own experiments, I found that the energy of the crystals can be greatly enhanced by following these steps. First, make this prayer:

May the perfect light from the universe enter my heart.
The light is in my heart.
I am light.

After repeating the prayer three times, move in a clockwise direction to activate the energy. The energy field will greatly increase. Placing these crystals in the room, or near computers or routers can have healing purposes.

The procedure is as follows:

Use the crystals or other mineral stones such as tourmaline to form a hexagon shape. You can use non-toxic glue or double-sided adhesive tape to fix them in a clockwise direction onto a thick piece of paper. Normally, a diameter of around six to eight inches (15 cm -20 cm) will be sufficient.  After that, make the following prayer three times: may light enter my heart; the light is in my heart; I am light. This light is the creation by the perfect wisdom and compassion of the universe.  After that, use a crystal that has its energy enhanced through blessings. Move the crystal from the centre of the hexagonal formation while visualizing that the light is connecting from the centre to the lower right corner (4 o’clock position). Then, follow the crystal clockwise in a circular motion to the next crystal, and then return to the centre. Use this visualization to link all the crystals together (see Figure 3). Crystals that have been activated have protective and energy enhancement properties.

During our tours this year, we had the chance to use some protective objects, including the crystal formation. Nowadays, hotels have wireless connections and the interference signals are very strong. Once I enter these premises, my body will have a reaction such as immediate skin itch, pain on the top of my head, or insomnia. Other than taking out some of my special protective objects I carry along, I will also use some crystals to create a few crystal formations. Once the crystals have been activated, my physical discomfort disappears. Someone told me that when she stayed in the hotel for a night, she got a pain on the top of her head, followed by cold symptoms. These days, some colds are not the ordinary ones we know, but are caused by wireless interference.

People desire fast internet connections and therefore, these wireless signals have also become stronger, leading to greater harm to humans. As a result, protective objects also have to be stronger. By forming another hexagon outside the original hexagon base, we form a “Flower of Life”. This name originates from ancient cultures which believe that this shape is related to the creation of life.
This “Flower of Life” pattern creates very peaceful energy and has protective functions. It can be placed on the body, in the room, or on photos, computers, or telephones. It can also balance any disharmony caused by chemical pollutants.

Flower of Life
Geometrical patterns that have colour added to them are even more useful. A green film placed on the crystal formation provides good nourishment for the body. You can place your photo or your family members’ photos on this green crystal formation. In addition, the colour blue has special protective properties. However, this energy cannot be leaked outside, and so, you can only place the photos in the centre or within the region that needs protection. Place the crystal or mineral stones in deep blue colour bottles and place them in a hexagonal formation, with a bottle in the middle. Then use the same method previously discussed to activate them.

In the past year, my friends and I have been trying these protective objects and obtained good effects. The manifestation of crop circles in the form of geometrical patterns is also designed to elevate the energy of the earth and its life forms.

Note.
The photos of crop circles are reprinted with the permission of Stephen Alexender, and come from his website www.temporarytemples.co.uk.

 

Original Chinese article is published in the Feb 2012 issue of Lapis magazine and is accessible online at:
http://www.lapislazuli.org/TradCh/magazine/201202/20120201.html

Chiu-Nan Lai, Ph.D., Compiled by Rachel Tsang

Cell tissues in the body need pH 6.5 to 7.5 to operate normally. The average pH should be a slightly alkaline 7.4. An environment which is too acidic or too alkaline can cause death of cells. Whatever we eat, breathe, drink and the invisible electromagnetic waves, radio waves and radiation can directly affect the body’s pH balance.

Concentrated high-protein food such as beef, seafood, eggs, coffee and chocolate are the most acidic. Second to these are hard dairy products (cheese), beer, wine, rice, noodles, and bread. The least acidic forming foods are whole-grain bread, nuts, soft dairy products (butter, cream). Milk, goat’s milk, whey (residue from cheese making) are pH neutral.

Among the grains, millet, amaranth, quinoa and sprouted grains are slightly alkaline. Sprouted nuts and seeds are also slightly alkaline. Fresh vegetables, fruits, sea vegetables, some beans (such as lentils, white beans, kidney beans, French beans) are also alkaline forming foods.

The most alkaline forming foods are cucumber, radishes, melons, ginger, spinach, soy lecithin, figs (dried), mushrooms, beets, celery, carrots, tomatoes, dandelion, olives, oranges and bananas. The least alkaline forming foods are the potato varieties, lentils, onions and garlic.

To maintain an acid-alkaline balance in the body, 80% of the intake of food should be alkaline-based and 20% acid-based. This means the intake of food each day should consist of six parts of fruits and vegetables, one part of concentrated protein and one part of grain or carbohydrates.

Other than the influence of diet, fresh air (oxygen) in the forest is alkaline forming. Take a deep breath, exhale carbon dioxide, inhale oxygen to alkaline the blood. Air pollution has the opposite effect, making the blood acidic. Radio waves and electromagnetic waves produce an acidic reaction in the body. Emotions, tension and pressure also make the blood acidic.

The easiest way to test the body pH is to use the pH test strips to test the urine. Usually the normal pH reading in early morning is pH6.5 and pH7.5 in the night. If it is higher than 7.5 or less than 6.5, it means it is that either too alkaline or too acidic and needs to be balanced. The early morning pH is generally the lowest, slowly increases during the day and begins to decrease in the evening.

Generally, most people have an acidic body, which is the cause of almost all degenerative diseases and ageing. This includes obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, kidney stones, incontinence, rheumatism, osteoporosis, cancer, diabetes and a variety of infectious diseases. Minerals are alkaline, and the main minerals required for different parts of the body are listed in the following table for reference.

The Main Minerals of a pH Balance Body

MINERAL	PARTS/FUNCTION	BEST FOOD SOURCE
Sodium	Gastrointestinal	Celery, seaweed, spinach, carrots, whey.
Calcium	Bones	Orange, lemon, dark green vegetables, cabbage, seaweed.
Magnesium	Nervous system	Polenta, apricots, stone fruits, vegetables.
Manganese	Brain	California walnuts, raw egg yolk, red algae, seeds of stone fruits.
Potassium	Muscles and Urinary System	Fruit, melons, grains.
Silicon	Skin, hair, nails	Oats, barley, lettuce, seeds of stone fruits, rice bran, kelp.
Iodine	Catalyst for metabolism	Seaweed, red seaweed, agar, asparagus, beans, blueberries

There are many human factors to cause the body to be acidic. That is why in the diet, it is necessary to add alkaline forming foods, especially for breakfast. This is because the body is more acidic in the early morning. Here are some recommendations for breakfast and other meals.

 

Rice and Porridge Varieties

Grains such as buckwheat, quinoa, millet, rice, amaranth, oats increase in nutritional value after sprouting. Sprouting also makes it easier to digest. Soak buckwheat for 15 to 30 minutes, drain and cover with a transparent lid. In 1–2 days, sprouting can be seen. Quinoa only needs to be soaked for 4–6 hours. Other grains need to be soaked overnight and then drain the water. Cover with lid and leave to germinate for 2 days.

Porridge — 1 part grain to 5 parts water

Rice — 1 part grains to 2 parts water

(Eg: 1 cup of dried buckwheat becomes 2 cups after sprouting. Add 5 parts water to cook into porridge)

For salty flavour: Add a little sea vegetable, or do not add anything and eat it as a side dish.

As a sweet: Add figs and raisins (soaked overnight) to pot 1 – 2 minutes before the dish is cooked. Appropriate amount of orange peel and ginger can also be added. Soak flaxseed overnight, 1 part flaxseed to 3 parts water and add both the flaxseed and water to the pot 3 minutes before removing from heat. The proportion of the porridge is 4 parts grain to 1 part flaxseed.

 

Cooked Porridge, Gruel, Rice

Thermos (or stew pot) Porridge

Grains, sprouted (2-3 days): buckwheat, wheat, barley, oats, quinoa, amaranth seeds.

Soak ½ – 1 cup of sprouted grains for each person the night before in a wide-mouth thermos flask or thermos pot. Add equal amount of boiling water and close tightly. Boil again the next morning and it is ready for eating.

If the insulation of the thermos flask is ineffective, then the water will be cool the next day. It would be better to change to a better insulated pot. According to personal preference, add a little sea vegetable, ginger, fennel, cilantro (coriander), raisins, dried figs, wolfberry, red dates, etc at the same time when adding water.

 

Rice Cooker Porridge, Congee, Rice

Millet and brown rice takes a longer time to cook. So if the rice cooker has a timer, add sprouted rice or other grains into the electric rice cooker the night before.

In cooking porridge, it depends on personal preference. When using dry grains, use about 5 parts of water (when using sprouted grains, use 2–3 parts water). When cooking rice, add 2 parts water for dry grains. For sprouted grains, use equal amount of water.

Rice can only be combined with grains of the same consistency: millet, amaranth seeds, quinoa and buckwheat (but not wheat).

If you have forgotten to prepare the night before, use the stove to cook over low heat. Millet and brown rice needs 20 minutes, whereas quinoa and buckwheat needs only 10 minutes.

A friend of mine has three school children. She would soak the buckwheat overnight and only need to quick boil it the next day and it is ready. Depending on personal preference, add different miso (some are made from red beans, some from chickpeas and some from barley – each has its individual taste). Miso contains enzymes, once it is mixed in, the buckwheat begins to break down, making it easy to digest and be absorbed by the body.

If the climate and physical constitution are suitable, you can make raw porridge. Only a blender is needed and no other equipment. Just blend the ingredients and it is ready to be eaten. Here are some methods for making raw porridge such as blended banana and flaxseed.

 

Traditional Porridge Cooking Method

To cook porridge the traditional way: Boil water over high heat. Add sprouted grains, beans and other ingredients. This makes it easier to soften and the taste is better. When water is boiling, lower the heat. Let it simmer and remove scum. Or put porridge into an electric pot and continue to cook till it is ready.

Put a little cooking oil into the water and the porridge will not overflow from the pot.

Traditionally, baking soda is added to soften the porridge faster. But baking soda can destroy the vitamin B group, so it is better not to add it. Pre-soaked sprouts can accelerate the process of cooking.

Traditionally, porridge has the unique characteristics of different regions, seasons and herbs (that tone the body). Northern Chinese eat herbal porridge in spring, mung bean porridge in summer, lotus root porridge and chrysanthemum porridge in autumn and eight-treasure porridge, raw ginger porridge and spring onion (white part) and others in winter. In summer, there are also some “cooling” porridge like lotus leaves porridge, winter melon porridge, water chestnut porridge, pear porridge, hawthorn porridge. Porridge suitable for those with weak stomach are millet porridge, raw ginger porridge. Walnut porridge complements the ‘yang’ deficiency. Fennel porridge balances ‘cold’ stomach, and for spleen and stomach deficiency, wild yam porridge, lotus seed porridge and ginseng porridge.

 

The “Lai’s Family Breakfast”

Millet Porridge

Millet, quinoa, oatmeal, black dates, red dates, wolfberry, barley, semen euryales (Qiànshí), almonds and raisins. Millet is the main component, so add a small amount of the other ingredients. Add black sesame powder, moss, kelp, pumpkin seed oil, flaxseed oil, miso and so on into the cooked porridge according to personal preference.

 

5-Flavours Porridge – 1 person portion (Not cooked)

Soak overnight 2 tablespoons of oats, a few cashews, almond and raisins with filtered water. In the morning, add 1 lemon juice, a little cayenne pepper and a little bit of brine (saturated salt water made from Himalayan Crystal Salt or other mineral rock salt).

 

Quick Breakfast

Amaranth and Flaxseed Gruel – 1 person portion (Not cooked)

2 tablespoons of sprouted amaranth

1 tablespoon flaxseed

2 dried figs (soak overnight in 3 tablespoons of water and do not drain water)

1 cup of water

1. Add amaranth in boiling water. Simmer for two minutes.
2. Pour into blender and blend with flax seed and fig. Optionally, you can add 2 tablespoons of sprouted buckwheat and ginger.

 

Ginger Banana Flaxseed Gruel – 1 portion (Not cooked)

1 banana

2 slices of ginger

1 tablespoon of flaxseed and 2 figs (soak in 3 tablespoons of water overnight)

¼ cup of hot water

Blend hot water and flaxseed, figs and ginger together. Pour over the diced banana.

 

Coconut Milk Rice Pudding (Gruel)

1 cup of rice (fragrant rice or mixed with other type of rice), sprout for 2-3 days

1. Add a cup of water and blend.
2. Add two cups of coconut milk (squeezed from 1 coconut).
3. 3 tablespoons of brown sugar or other natural sugar or stevia.
4. Put into rice cooker and put half a cup of water in the outer pot.

(Note: Rice cookers with inner and outer pots are used in Taiwan. For readers in Singapore, you may want to adapt this step by steaming the mixture directly.)

 

Variety of Dishes (to go with porridge, congee or cakes)

Sauerkraut

Basic ingredients:

1 red or green cabbage, cut into strips

1 teaspoon of natural sea salt or rock salt

1 teaspoon of pepper

1. Mix all the ingredients, allow juice to come out.
2. Pack tightly in a glass jar; let the juice cover the vegetables.
3. Cover with lid and leave at room temperature for about 3 days (if the weather is hot, maybe 1–2 days).

It can keep for about 3 months if refrigerated.

Other ingredients: coriander, ginger, pepper, chili, cucumber, turnip, radish. Add according to your preference.

 

Pickled Lime

8 thin-skinned yellow limes (yellow when ripe)

½ cup natural sun-dried sea salt or rock salt

1. Wash limes. When completely dried, add salt.
2. Put in a glass bottle and leave bottle under the sun (or on the windowsill where there is sunlight) to sit in sun for 30 days.
3. Stir twice a day to let the lime and salt mix thoroughly. Lime skin will shrink and turn brown.
4. It is ready for consumption in 30 days.

Refrigeration is not needed. Ensure that clean chopsticks are used when removing from the bottle. In this way, the lime can be stored for a long time. Each lime can be cut into 4 portions, each portion for 1 person. This dish came from India and is a breakfast condiment. If eaten with other meals, it can help digestion.

 

Lemon Pickled Ginger

200g fresh ginger (80 oz. or 1 large piece)

½ teaspoon of natural sea salt

Pinch of black pepper

3–4 lemons

1. Wash ginger, remove skin.
2. Cut into thin slices and add lemon juice, salt and pepper.
3. Leave at room temperature for 30 minutes before bottling and refrigeration. It can be kept for a week.

The best time to eat ginger is during breakfast. It warms the stomach and promotes digestion.

 

Salted Cucumber and Others

Cut off both ends of cucumber and then cut into long strips. Sprinkle a little brine (saturated salt water).

Other ingredients: Cut green flowering vegetable stalks, green papaya, turnip and cauliflower into thin slices. Leave at room temperature. Ready to be eaten after a day. Store in the refrigerator. Umeboshi vinegar can be added as seasoning.

 

Miso Cucumber (or Vegetables)

The above ingredients can be marinated in miso sauce for more than a day before it can be consumed. The longer it is marinated, the saltier it will be.

To be continued

The original Chinese article is published in the Feb 2009 issue of Lapis magazine and is accessible online at:
http://www.lapislazuli.org/TradCh/magazine/201202/20120201.html

Chiu-Nan Lai, Ph.D.

In recent years, the number of bees has been significantly reduced. Beekeepers often find the hives become empty just within a day. This has caused concerns in the agricultural community. Many of the foods we usually eat rely on bee pollination. If the bees disappear, we would not live well. At the same time I have also heard that more and more people get cancer and that the disease progresses very quickly. Are these two things related?

I recently saw a documentary “Resonance: Beings of Frequency”.

The documentary gave a very detailed description of how all wireless communication frequencies harm lives on earth, including bees and people. Earth’s frequency is 7.83 Hz and the lives on earth are inseparable with this frequency. The human brainwave’s frequency is 7.83 Hz when in a relaxed situation. This is also the frequency to maintain health and healing. In the laboratory, the formation of genes from RNA also depends on this frequency. 7.83 Hz is the frequency for the formation of life and without it, genes cannot be formed.

Lives on earth have taken a very long time to adapt to the environment. But within just over a decade, the frequency of electromagnetic waves in our environment is already several millions of times greater than before. This rapid change is unprecedented. Currently in the world, there are five million transmitting towers. Before these towers were installed, no research was conducted on their long-term impact on lives on earth.

In the past 10 years or so, it was obvious that electromagnetic waves have a very bad effect on humans and nature. The disappearance of the bees is just a very small part that we see. When researchers placed the base station of a DECT (Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications) phone inside a beehive, not a single bee came back. Bees rely on the earth’s magnetic field to distinguish directions and the radio waves have interfered with their navigation system. As a result they were unable to return home after gathering nectar. The DECT phone base is similar to a cellular tower, transmitting signals non-stop for 24 hours. Not only was the navigation system of the bees disturbed, even birds became disoriented. When the tower was first constructed, it was discovered that flocks of birds flew towards the ground at high speed and ended up killing themselves. Their ability to distinguish the direction of up and down was impaired. As a result, the population of many species of birds have greatly declined.

What is the impact of these man-made frequencies on human beings? Up to now, there are already ten million researches in this area. At www.bioinitiative.org, the 2012 study concluded that some of the most common reactions to these frequencies are headache, internal bleeding, dizziness, insomnia, decreased immune function in the long run, cancer and so on. One of the reasons is that the frequencies interfere with the human pineal gland secretion of melatonin. In normal circumstances, when it gets dark, the secretion of melatonin will increase, and sleep is the time when the body repairs itself as the cells proliferate to compensate for the loss of five hundred million cells during the day. This process produces lots of free radicals, and melatonin is the most effective anti-oxidant in getting rid of free radicals. Once the pineal gland is unable to distinguish light and man-made frequency, the secretion of melatonin at night will be similar to that in the daytime and does not increase. This causes insomnia and the free radicals in the body would destroy genes and cells.

The rapid increase of cancer in recent years is not accidental. The average melatonin level of a breast cancer patient is only 10% of a normal person. The formation of cancer is not in one or two days, but takes place over many years. Researchers found that the incidence of cancer was significantly higher for people who use mobile phones for more than five years compared with non-users. The incidence rate of cancer is even higher for those who use more than a decade.

The difference is not as obvious between non-users and those who have used mobile phones for four years.

Because most people do not know the dangers of radio waves, they do not associate the physical and mental discomforts with the use of wireless products in their daily life. This is why they are unwilling to give up these conveniences of life. In the past, only few people smoked and most people did not smoke, so we are able to distinguish that smokers have a higher than average incidence rate of lung and bladder cancers. But as electromagnetic radio waves are found throughout the world, a control group cannot be found. Even for those who do not use mobile phones and wireless internet access, they cannot escape the signal of their neighbours, in the streets and even in the car. It is impossible to escape the surrounding cell phone signals, let alone the signals from a cell-phone tower.

Albert Einstein once said:
“If the bee disappears from the surface of the earth, man would have not more than four years to live.”

The bees used their lives to tell us that if we do not reverse, we will be like them, disappearing suddenly. This is a matter of life and death and it is our choice.
http://www.benefits-of-honey.com/albert-einstein.html

Reference Documentary:
Resonance-Beings of Frequency, http://hbelc.org/about/objectives.html

The original Chinese article is published in the May 2013 issue of Lapis magazine and is accessible online at:
http://www.lapislazuli.org/TradCh/magazine/201305/20130505.html

Chiu-Nan Lai, Ph.D.

A newborn baby’s body is totally soft, almost like flowing water. The baby naturally cries and laughs without repression. A frightened baby naturally shivers to get rid of the physiological toxins caused by fear. As a child grows up, his natural tendencies are blocked by adults who are more rigid in body and mind. The growing child encounters the adult’s scolding, threats, angry looks, and various admonitions to not cry, not laugh, or not talk loudly. As a result, the child’s body begins to harden, his breath stifles, and his liveliness and joy are replaced by anxiety, nervousness, anger or numbness. If, in addition, the child undergoes surgery, meets with an accident, loses close family members, or encounters a fearful experience beyond what he can bear, this energy becomes trapped in his brain stem. This will interfere with his autonomic nervous system, and adversely affect his breathing, heartbeat, blood pressure, and digestive juice secretion. This interference with many of the bodily functions can lead to future ailments.

Our bodies store memories of all our physical and mental experiences, including traumas and emotional wounds that we have completely forgotten. Vipassana or insight meditation helps clear up stuck energy within the body through feeling the body’s sensations. In insight meditation, our bodily sensations are experienced “now” and “at this moment”, whether they relate to pain, cold, heat, or comfort. As long as we objectively experience and observe these sensations, we achieve release of these energies. Deeply buried stress energies take longer states of a quiet mind to be released. Hence, insight meditation retreats generally take at least ten days to achieve any noticeable effect.

In the west, Austrian psychiatrist Wilhelm Reich has performed in-depth research into physical and mental energies of humans. He linked a person’s character with the armouring (or level of rigidity) that he/she dons on as a self-defense reaction. This “character armour” leads to unique physical and mental qualities in a person. One of his students, Dr. Alexander Lowen, studied with him from 1940 to 1952. Inspired by Reich’s teachings, he later developed the field called bioenergetics. He shared how one of his counseling experiences led him to firmly believe that the body contains all memories of the past. He was lying in bed with his feet flat on the bed, and knees bent. Then Dr. Reich asked him to use his mouth to breathe and to relax his jaw. After a while, Dr. Reich told him that he was not breathing as his chest was not moving. Dr. Lowen then tried to breathe more deeply. After a while, he turned his head backwards, opened his eyes wide, and unexpectedly let out a scream, even though he did not feel any special emotional reaction. Dr. Lowen continued to receive his therapy sessions, during which he always screamed. It was nine months later that he recalled the reason for his frightened screams. He saw his mother’s angry look when he was nine months old. He was lying in a baby stroller outside the house while his mother was busy inside. He cried for his mother, who came out looking angry. Little did he expect this angry look would leave this traumatic imprint. In subsequent therapy sessions, Dr. Lowen no longer screamed. He was fortunate that while he was growing up, that was the only time his mother looked at him angrily as she normally looked at him with love. Imagine how much negative imprint a child would accumulate if he had been constantly scolded or had parents look at him with disgust. Dr. Lowen mentioned that our eyes easily store stress and fear. He believed that myopia occurs when our fear energy freezes. This is because during fearful moments, our eyeballs protrude out and our eyes are wide open. In fact, one of the methods used by Dr. Bates in his vision improvement programme is to release the pressure in our eyes. Meir Schneider is a formerly blind person who recovered his eyesight using the Bates method. Every day, he would cover his eyes with both his palms and let them relax for a few hours. The muscles surrounding his eyes would tremble during this process. Two months later, his eyes completely relaxed and his vision started coming back. Breathing deeply normally and relaxing the neck and shoulders can also improve our eyesight. When we read or use the computer, it is best to close and rest our eyes for a minute every half an hour. At the same time, breathe in deeply and then look upwards. Sometimes, our neck will shake to release the pressure when we look upwards.

I have personal experience in releasing repressed emotional energy through the body. Six years ago, a few months after my father passed away, I went for an aryurvedic oil massage. When the masseur touched my legs, my tears could not stop flowing. During the massage and throughout the steam bath at the end of the treatment, I did not stop crying. The sadness was released through the body. Hence, I generally recommend massage for people who lost loved ones.

Yoga, taichi, and qigong can also release stored energy. However, deeper layers of fear can be more effectively released by shaking the body. Animals tremble as a common response to fear. Humans are no different, only that our brains can suppress this natural reaction. In recent years, there have been an increasing number of victims of natural disasters and warfare. Tens of thousands of people, including soldiers returning from battlefields, or refugees who escaped from death, have post traumatic stress disorders. Whether the cause of the trauma originates from bomb explosions, earthquakes or tsunami, these people have difficulty living normal lives. They are stuck in their traumatic responses, whether in the form of numbness, resistance, or dissociation. They generally suffer from some of the following symptoms: sleep disorders, nightmares, quick to anger, inability to concentrate, depression, being easily frightened, coldness and difficulty to get along with others, loneliness, suspicious of others, and so on. These symptoms also appear among employees of companies that go through tumultuous times. Currently, Dr. David Berceli (PhD) has the most experience in treating post traumatic stress disorders. Dr. Berceli spent many years doing charity work in war-torn places such Africa and the Middle East. He saw many people who need to clear their traumas but they could not receive individual counseling. Hence, based on bioenergetics and his personal experience, he devised a simple set of actions that can trigger shaking and eliminate this trauma energy. He has taught this method (see note) to over 1.5 million people. Last year alone, he visited 23 countries. The body’s natural response to heal itself occurs regardless of nationality, race, or age, or whether one is a refugee or soldier. After shaking from performing these exercises, those who suffer from insomnia can sleep. The shaking directly accesses the brain stem where the trauma energy is stored. Thus, as long as shaking occurs, the energy can be released.

Dr. Berceli realized this point through his observations in the disaster areas. Once, he was in a bomb shelter in Africa where every adult was holding a child on the lap. Every time a bomb exploded nearby, the children would tremble but not the adults. Later, Dr. Berceli asked the adults why they had no reaction, and they replied that they had to suppress their trembling so that the children would not become more frightened.

Dr. Berceli observed that a self-defense reaction is to revert to the fetus posture, with the body leaning forward. The muscles in the front body are linked to the sympathetic nervous system, while those at the back are controlled by the parasympathetic control nervous system. When we lean forward towards the computer screen or to read a book, it is best to shake the body a bit to stimulate the parasympathetic or relaxation response.

Shaking the body is common among many cultures, including China. Waidangong has a history of 2000 years, and is based on extending the fingers to stimulate the movements. Only 2 out of the 12 steps do not involve shaking movement. This qigong exercise can heal those who have illnesses, as well as rejuvenate and raise the energy levels of those who don’t. The preparatory step lays the foundation for shaking. Stand straight with two feet parallel to each other, at a distance equal to one’s shoulder width. Look straight ahead into the distance. Keep both arms straight with the index finger raised backwards towards the arm. Breathe naturally. At the beginning, there may only be some tingling or heat sensation. It is fine to intentionally induce the upward and downward movement of the arms. Later on, once the qi is flowing smoothly, the body will move spontaneously. It is just as effective to induce movement ourselves and let the arms stimulate movement in the rest of the body. Once there is an initial movement, let the entire body react naturally. The shaking will be greater when a large blockage is being cleared. After that, the shaking will be more gentle. Each session can last 15 to 30 minutes. When we start practicing, the initial sessions need only last between 5 to 10 minutes. The positive effects will be more obvious if we can continuously persist in this practice for three months. Dr. Berceli also recommends doing this exercise three times a week, each session lasting 20 minutes. The stress stored deep inside can be released only after about three months.

1. In addition, the following release methods can be applied (based on my own experience):1. Our breath is linked directly to our brain stems. Deep breathing can release accumulated energy arising from trauma. It is possible to start by lying down, with feet flat and knees bent. Breathe into the abdomen until the entire front and back of the chest is sufficiently filled. After that, breathe out. Breathe into the hardened parts of the body. It is fine to breathe out through the mouth. Every in and out breath should be natural and relaxed. If you feel a need to emit a sound, do so. You can also breathe in and out through the mouth. Relax the jaw. At the beginning, do the exercise for 5 to 6 minutes. If the body is fully relaxed, deep breathing can also stimulate body shaking.

2.Stand straight with two feet parallel to each other, at a distance equal to two footsteps. Allow both arms to hang naturally along the side. Do a half squat. The extent of the squat depends on whether the muscles are relaxed. Let the tailbone stretch backwards. Stretch and relax 9 times in total. At this time, the legs may start to shake. If there is no movement, repeat this stretching and relaxing of the tailbone another 9 times. The tailbone is a switch that controls the energy in the body. This energy is stimulated through stretching and relaxing the tailbone. Let the shaking occur from the lower body to the back, neck, and head. Do so for a few minutes or longer.

3.When standing or sitting down, stretch all 10 fingers towards the back of the hand, and then relax. Do this for 9 times. The arms may begin to vibrate, extending to the body.

4.When standing or sitting, stretch the toes and back of the feet forward, then relax. Do this for 9 times. The entire leg may shake. Do this exercise one leg at a time. Different postures can release different blockages. Opening or closing our eyes can stimulate different energies. During this shaking process, maintain awareness of ourselves. Relax and do not do so too deliberately or forcefully. When we feel a surge of emotion and want to laugh or cry, let that happen. If you feel like making a sound, do so. Stronger traumas may need multiple sessions to clear. Stop the session when you feel that this is too much to bear. Our body remembers this during the next shaking session.

5.When our blocked energies are released, we will feel physical and mental ease and joy. Our love will also grow. This is a natural phenomenon. Dr. Berceli observed that trauma and emotional wounds can induce aggressive behavior in people, leading to a vicious cycle. Only by clearing this trauma will there be peace and harmony in the family, society, and nation. The founder of Waidangong, Mr. Zhang Zhitong, taught this exercise with the aspiration that it will bring peace to the world. It is only through shaking off the body’s trauma and stiffness that people will have harmonious and friendly co-existence. This may be the medicine that our generation urgently needs.

• Note: The instructional booklet on ‘how to release stress and trauma’ will be published by Lapis Lazuli Light. Please contact us for more information.

The original Chinese article is published in the May 2012 issue of Lapis magazine and is accessible online at:
http://www.lapislazuli.org/TradCh/magazine/201205/20120501.html