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Applying Universal Principles to Health and Wellness

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Holy Hormones Honey! Interview with @DrNickCampos - Applying Universal Principles to WellnessI spent last Wednesday evening being interviewed by the fascinating Leslie Carol Botha for her radio show, Holy Hormones Honey! The Greatest Story Never Told. The show’s topic was Applying Universal Principles to Health and Wellness (listen to archived show here). While I have written previously on The Four Dietary Principles, I thought I would touch on some more universal principles as they pertain to physical health and wellness here. As a quick review, the four dietary universals are:

  • Food as an energy source
  • Food as a vital nutrient source
  • Food as a source of hydration
  • Food as a source of body composition

Remember that universal health principles are true for everybody no matter what age, gender, creed or color, while health nuances may be true for some people, or more exaggerated than true, as many cases tend to be. Take for instance the above universals—these dietary needs are true for everyone and all living things, no exceptions. Some associated nuances, however, might relate to a way of eating, like vegetarianism, or Paleo, or raw food diets, and so forth. While some people thrive on each of these diets, none is correct for all people.

So what are some other universal health principles? In no particular order:

  •  hydrationHydration — all living things need water; life cannot exist with out the good ol’ H2O. The universal solvent is a must and so getting sufficient amounts (two liters per day minimum) is imperative.
  • Movement — we live in a dimension of movement; movement is the hallmark of the physical universe. If you are not moving, you are stagnating, collecting cobwebs, degenerating, and your time in this plane will neither be long nor pleasant. Get moving regularly—stretching, contracting, and aerobically—and more than half of your physical problems will be solved.
  • Touch — all living things need to exchange energy with other living things; touch is the most effective form of this energy exchange (as well as a source of comfort and security). What would happen to a plant, a pet or a child if it were rarely or never touched? We know that children deprived of touch have different levels of circulating hormones, which has major affects on brain development.
  • Rhythm — this pertains mostly to cycles, although it can also refer to the universal sound (also cycles or oscillations) within space, the oceans, and of course, music. The universe has a multitude of cycles including the orbiting of planets, solar systems and galaxies. Our seasons are cyclical (sun), as are our months (moon) and days (earth). Being mindful of the changes that occur in accordance with these cycles is paramount, and operating within these cycles — sleeping more during winter months, planting seeds (goals) during spring, and so forth — will lead to the greatest growth, fulfillment and wellness.Touch is love
  • Rest — one such rhythmic cycle is the sleep/wake cycle. Getting sufficient rest is of utmost importance, and while everyone is different, we all need both REM and non-REM deep sleep. There was a movement some years back on conscious sleep deprivation, and I must say I have heard of nothing stupider. Many regenerative and storage/sorting processes occur during sleep. Consistent lack of sleep is one of the most damaging acts one can carry out. It is bad enough when one has trouble sleeping, but to deprive oneself when one actually can sleep is pure foolishness.
  • Moderation — which can also be thought of as balance. This is the true essence of a harmonious cycle—fluctuating calmly between two poles, around the center, avoiding the extremes. Extremes are body, mind and soul disrupting, while smooth and small fluctuations are more rhythmically enhancing and growth inducing. We can apply this principle to diet, movement, touch, sex, mind-altering substances, medications, herbs, teas, tinctures, caffeine and other foreign or toxic substances. And most crucially, balance is necessary with regard to the mind.
  • Balanced mindBalanced Mind — The Buddha said, “Whatever an enemy might do to an enemy, or a foe to a foe, the ill-directed mind can do to you even worse.” A chaotic mind is the foundation for all other “problems” and human suffering. We cannot control the circumstances of life but only our perception of those circumstances. A balanced mind is adept at being still. In stillness lies awakened perspective, insight and wholeness. All other aspects of wellness are enhanced by this most powerful of universal principles.

I am certain that these universal principles will get you farther than any particular diet, extreme fitness regimen, supplements, special pH water, or any other nuance you’ve been sold as the answer. Take it from me — I’ve studied health and wellness for going on three decades; I’ve met many of the masters. These universal principles are the common themes of all great teachings as they apply to wellness; they also happen to be common themes present throughout the entire universe in various forms. Apply these principles and forget about the fads. If you find a nuance that works for you, it is because it fits in a greater universal scheme as applied to your unique individuality; but in the end it is the universal aspect that nuance falls within that is bringing the most benefit. Think about it, and I believe you will see the truth behind this statement.

Plants Know When They’re Being Eaten!

By On · Add Comment · In Life, Spirit


Trees: Magic of LifeHeads up vegetarians—you’re eating living things. You know that, right? In fact, those living things—plants, vegetative life forms—have senses. Yes! And they know when they are being eaten—ewww…. This from a new study showing that plants can sense vibrations (see video below), they actually ‘hear’ themselves being chewed. I repeat, ewww… So brutal.

(Original paper here: Plants respond to leaf vibrations caused by insect herbivore chewing)

Researchers at the University of Missouri (MU) put caterpillars on Arabidopsis, a small flowering plant related to cabbage and mustard, and by using lasers and reflective material, measured the movement of the leaves in response to the chewing vibrations of the grazing larvae. They then played back recordings of the chewing vibrations to some plants and not to others, and they found that the plants hearing the chewing vibrations released more mustard oils—a chemical that is unappealing to many caterpillars—on subsequent feedings. Wow!

caterpillar-on-leaf

According to lead researcher Heidi Appel, “We found that ‘feeding vibrations’ signal changes in the plant cells’ metabolism, creating more defensive chemicals that can repel attacks from caterpillars.”

As a control the researchers also exposed the plants to different vibrations like gentle wind or “different insect sounds that share some acoustic features with caterpillar feeding vibrations,” explained study co-author Rex Cocroft, neither of which increased the chemical defenses. “This indicates that the plants are able to distinguish feeding vibrations from other common sources of environmental vibration.” Simply mind-blowing.

MU researchers

Heidi Appel (left) and Rex Cocroft (right) from the University of Missouri led the research.

Appel and Cocroft say future research will focus on how vibrations are sensed by the plants, what features of the complex vibrational signal are important, and how the mechanical vibrations interact with other forms of plant information to generate protective responses to pests.

This study fascinates me for a number of reasons. First it demonstrates what metaphysicians have claimed for millennia: all sentient beings express the same life force, and that force is expressed in the physical universe as vibration. Okay this may sound obvious to some, but there is at least one group that continues to deny Einstein’s mass-energy equivalence as having any relevant significance to the nature of consciousness (although they don’t classify it as such, as most keep as far away from consciousness discussions as they possibly can), and another group that takes an über self-righteous position on dietary practices. These findings show at the very least how nature uses vibration in a sensory manner, and also defensively for life preservation. Say the researchers:

“Plants have many ways to detect insect attack, but feeding vibrations are likely the fastest way for distant parts of the plant to perceive the attack and begin to increase their defenses,’ Cocroft said.

“Caterpillars react to this chemical defense by crawling away, so using vibrations to enhance plant defenses could be useful to agriculture,” Appel said.

life eats lifeAnd to the militant meat-is-murder set: looks like eating plants is murder too, by that type of irrationality anyway. Listen, if I’ve said it once I’ve said it a thousand times: Life begets life. We must eat living material to maintain our own existence. To vilify the consuming of one life form over another is purely nonsensical. All living beings vibrate at a certain frequency. You are not being more humane by consuming vegetation. Sorry. And this study shows exactly why: Plant life, like ALL life, wants to survive. Geez, it wasn’t that long ago that we humans were on the food chain. Playing the arrogant life-overseer who places judgement on the value of life forms is simply an exercise in egocentricity. Eat however you choose, but don’t berate those that eat differently on some feeble argument of being ‘more humane.’ Yeah right.

The other fascination for me is simply the intelligence present in all nature—the universal order if you will. If you haven’t read my pieces on Universal Intelligence or Innate Intelligence, please do so; I describe this order in detail so that you can better appreciate our profound connection to all things. This does not mean we refuse to take part in the process of life by renouncing the eating of living things. Duh! Instead it is to simply appreciate the magnificence that we are a part of, from the microscopic to the macroscopic. Appreciate life in its totality, and leave the foolish self-righteousness alone . So say the plants of the world—I know, they told me.


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