Dear Subscribers,

Many people who write asking for recommendations give a lot of details about their health and seem not to realize that to shift the undesirable condition, we need to know what caused it. There is a huge difference between allopathic medicine and energetic medicine in that, for the most part, a medical doctor needs to have a diagnosis and a name for a condition before he can prescribe medicine or develop a protocol. With energetic medicine, we need to know the nature of the imbalance so we can move the energies into harmony. In many cases, this will be all that is necessary in order to resolve a condition. In some instances, more will be required, but this is still the starting point.

To make this clearer, let's change seats for moment. Someone writes a lengthy email with many details to which I respond, "Have you got amalgam dental fillings?" or "Have you ever been exposed to mold?" Some people react as though I hadn't paid any attention to what they wrote or they feel that my questions were a change of topic. In most cases, they are neither the fault of a lapse of attention or effort to change the subject, but I am, of course, often trying to get people to think about "why", not "what".

So, that is frustration #1 and the other big issue is the difficulty people have in understanding how regeneration occurs. I began a series of essays on the dhatus some time back. The dhatus are "ingredients" that nourish tissues and there is a sequence to regeneration that begins with plasma, lymphatic fluids, and other liquids that are supposed to be rich with nutrients that can be circulated throughout the body. Basically, anything that is introduced into the body will find its way into rasa dhatu within minutes. This includes water and other beverages, food and herbs, supplements and medications, and venoms from bites. If you use darkfield as I have, you will see some plasma that is so toxic that that the blood cells try to escape. Inside the body, the cells are trapped, but on a slide, they sometimes do escape.

Rasa and Rakta Dhatu

When the plasma is acidic, it literally blisters the blood cells, both red and white, and this is not a hospitable environment for the second dhatu which is called rakta dhatu. It includes erythrocytes and white blood cells. As we know, the red blood cells have hemoglobin and this enables them to transport oxygen, but they collect other nutrients that can be delivered to other sites in the body. My hunch is that the reason juice fasts are so successful is that within a matter of hours, the plasma shows significant signs of improvement and over the course of a few days, the blood cells also start to look better. These parts of the body regenerate relatively quickly if there are no interferences, such as from fluoridated water or toxic metals. It is also clear why so many facilities that offer fasting or special food regimes insist that people not smoke or take their prescription medications while fasting. You can appreciate that there are a lot of patients who will not suspend use of a medication for fear of what might happen. However, the benefits of fasting will be correspondingly limited.

Muscles and Fat

The third dhatu is called mamsa and refers to muscles. We all know that one day of exercise is not going to make one trimmer or more athletically competitive. Rather, the muscles will probably just be sore from activities that are not habitual. So, we do not expect instant results from the herbs that nourish the muscles any more than we expect quick results from weight lifting. I can easily remember what the first day on skis felt like after a six-month interruption in one of my favorite sports. However, just as with sports, consistency with food and herbs also has cumulative benefits.

The fourth dhatu is called medha and includes fats and all the other lipid structures of the body. This dhatu is lubricating and protective as well as soothing. Without the lipids, our myelin sheaths would expose nerves and result in both pain and a higher risk of infection. However, if you ever tried to lose weight, you know that this, too, is a process and not an overnight wonder as with the plasma. For those who tried austere weight loss programs, they could have damaged the desirable lipid structures in favor of a leaner look. So, while there are good and bad fats, there are also good and bad ways to perfect the lipids in the body.

Bones, Teeth, Nails, and Hair

The fifth dhatu is called asthi and usually refers to the bones, but, as with the other dhatus much more is included: teeth, nails, and hair. This is where I want to put the most emphasis today because this is where we can clearly see "regeneration" as opposed to modification that is due to indiscretions or detoxification. However, before going into this, it is important to reiterate that each dhatu nourishes the next dhatu, and at each level, the nutrients have to be "digested" by the particular fire associated with that dhatu. So fat becomes bones and low fire means heavier bones whereas higher fire means lighter bones and more risk of osteoporosis — and this, in turn, is aggravated by abnormalities in the large intestine such as excess gas. So, there is a juxtapositioning of asthi and vata, meaning that vata types have more risk of bone loss and bone degeneration than other types; and, of course, this risk is greater in women than in men because of hormonal changes, especially after menopause.

The foods that nourish the bones are sweet and astringent in taste. These therefore include most staples, especially grains and nuts, as well as lentils and beans, particularly urad dhal (black gram). Obviously, calcium rich foods are important, including leafy green vegetables. Spices, when used early in the cooking process (as opposed to sprinkling salt and pepper on food after it is served) aids assimilation so that there is more benefit from the meals. Freshly grated ginger as well as fennel seeds are very helpful in improving the assimilation needed for building quality bones. There is, as with everything nutritional, a need for balance. Too much of the "right" nutrients can lead to greater density and ossification; too little means fragility and more risk of fractures. The bones always take precedence over hair and nails, meaning, they get first dibs on nutrients because they are more vital whereas hair and nails are window dressing, very aesthetic and luxurious, but less essential than bones and teeth. It goes without saying that sunlight is also beneficial because we need to be able to metabolize the calcium by having sufficient vitamin D.

Many people may think of bones as sort of "constant" but in reality, calcium is often mobilized from the bones into the plasma in order to neutralize acidity. When the plasma is brought back into balance, the calcium is reabsorbed by the bones, but not necessarily in the exact same place from which it was first mobilized. So, bones are actually changing and just as they can become weak and brittle, they can also be regenerated through the right combination of diet, herbs, and exercise, especially walking. One must always, however, keep in mind the inverse ratio of asthi and vata. Any sign of intestinal blockage or putrefaction (leading to gas) would be a warning sign that the bones will suffer as a result of the intestinal distress.

Years and years ago, I developed a concept of the mid-life tune up program and posted the first step of this on kitchendoctor.com with the idea that people who were highly motivated to prevent degeneration would undertake the tune up program on a sequential basis, starting either with the first chakra and its related organs and issues or starting with the weakest system in the body. We could also, of course, start with rasa dhatu and work our way through to the penultimate goal which is ojas.

Vata Derangement

Meanwhile, if the vata dosha is deranged, people who are concerned about the impact on the bones could consider ashwagandha, bamboo manna, vidari kand, and arjuna which is high in calcium and is an important ingredient in my elegant new Hibiscus Elixir. For those who have both deranged vata and pain in the joints, Yogaraj Guggulu can be considered. Where there is less vata derangement, oatstraw and amla are excellent, but chyawanprash is an excellent general tonic that can be taken daily by almost anyone . . . and turmeric is also highly beneficial.

Mostly what I wanted to say today is that many people are interested in hair renewal formulas, both for internal and topical use. This is fine, but keep in mind that the results will rarely be instant. Oh, yes, color can change relatively fast, but new growth of hair will occur after the first four dhatus are improved and after the denser structures of the body, bones, teeth, and nails, have been nourished. Therefore, do not give up hope when results take 3-4 months to exhibit themselves. Instead, consider a celebration because it means that much more critical structures have probably been repaired.

Many blessings,

Ingrid

Copyright by Ingrid Naiman 2013

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