I find many of the people who come to me for help suffering from a disturbed or underactive sixth chakra. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this Far Eastern traditional medicine term, the sixth chakra is the energy center located between our eye brows. It is often referred to as the 3rd eye as it relates a lot to our intuition, inner instinct and innate wisdom. This major energy center feeds our pituitary gland, a small gland situated in our brain that acts as an orchestrating maestro for the whole endocrine system. It controls general body metabolism, growth and renewal, regulates the secretion of thyroid glands, adrenal cortex hormones, and sex hormones. The pituitary gland also plays a major role in controlling blood pressure, blood sugar level, stress reaction, inflammation, feelings of pain, and emotional responses. In short, mal-function in this energy centre knocks the whole physical body out of balance.
  Our sixth energy center is where we learn to embrace the present moment and to perceive the lessons behind our trials; it is there where we experience gratitude, content, peacefulness, and satisfaction even in the darkest moments of our life. It is the role of this center to help us use our instinct to reach wisdom behind life turbulences and challenges; and to perceive beyond material gains and losses.

Many of us find it difficult to trust this subtle guiding voice, trust our inner voice that innately knows how to discern right from wrong, truth from false. Many of us fail to see beyond their challenges and learn from their pitfalls and dis-eases. Many of us are afraid to dream big or to envision a life beyond their current reality that they find it hard to accept or embrace.

Lessons life deliver are not always straight forward, clear, or obvious They require us to still our mind so that we can hear this inner voice, so that we can listen and see beyond the surface. I know it is not as easy as it might seem, I’ve been there, we all have been, yet the fact remains: Life goes on. Whether we learnt our lesson or refused to embrace it, life will go on; and our lesson will return for us in another way, in another form or shape, till we heed the warning and out grow our challenge. And, when we do so, another lesson will be waiting for us round the corner, waiting to teach us a new meaning that help us further grow. This is life!

Here are 5 helpful guidelines for restoring energy of our sixth chakra centre. They have always helped me embrace the present moment, see the bigger picture, and perceive a wiser perspective:  

1.    Know that change can always start within your own mind. It starts as a simple idea, hope, or dream waiting for the room to blossom, flourish, and create a better reality.

2.   Be proactive. It is up to you to work on that thought and change your life for the better. Allah says: “Verily, Allah will never change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves” (Quran, 13:11)

3.   Ask for guidance and pray for help. While you can control all your inner world of thoughts, choices, decisions, and actions, you can’t always control your outer world. We all need our Creator’s Higher Guidance and Ultimate Wisdom.

4.   Acknowledge your feelings. We are all human, it is normal to experience fear, doubt, or anger sometimes. The first step in your restoration journey is to acknowledge your human feelings. Acknowledge your right to be scared, hurt, depressed, or angry. Then, it is up to you to choose how to express those emotions and how to vent them and transform them without hurting yourself or others.

5.   Embrace ambiguity. Trying to get every aspect of our life under control is futile and frustrating. While seeking all worldly means, remember to strengthen your connection with your Creator and surrender to His Will.

Have a great week!!

Since the dawn of civilization, human beings learnt the benefits of fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices. They used them not only for nourishment and energy production, but also for cure and healing. In our modern time, science has recognized the medicinal benefits of such plants. Active ingredients in natural plants were found capable of inhibiting, retarding and reversing acute and chronic human ailments. And, with the alarming increase of cancer cases despite our modern technological advancement, researchers are referring back to those natural cures in an attempt to find some answers.[1] 
Phytochemicals are huge group of natural plant compounds that not only provides much of the flavor and color of our edible plants; but also provide amazing biological and medicinal activity.  Many phytochemicals offer anti-oxidant, anti-cancer, anti-microbial activities, organ tonicity, detoxification, hormonal-like actions, and the list goes on and on.

How do they work?

“Cancer chemoprevention by phytochemicals may be one of the most feasible approaches for cancer control”[2]. These nature miracles have the amazing power of healing the body from inside out. There are thousands of them; each has its specific mechanism of action. Some are anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, immune-enhancing, or anti-hormonal; others execute their effect through modification of metabolism or enzymatic activity, influencing cellular action and cell differentiation, suppression of proliferation of cancerous cells, or interruption of blood supply to the tumor.[3] Yet, others affect body detoxification, enhance excretion of carcinogens, suppress inflammation, and/or inhibit tumor growth.[4]

Phytochemicals and cancer prevention:
  “According to Harvard University School of public health, poor diet, lack of exercise, and unhealthy lifestyle elements are responsible for about 65% of cancer deaths”. Another good percentage is caused by external factors like environmental pollution from air, water, chemical, pesticides…[5]
  Experts believe that all those factors have one thing in common: They increase our exposure to damaging free radicals and/or increase our susceptibility to their damaging effects. This incoming oxidative harm compromises our immune system abilities to maintain health. Our bad eating and living habits like smoking, poor diet, lack of physical activity, and chronic stress, add insult to injury.
    Hence, controlling free radicals and oxidative damage to our cells and DNA is a primary goal in cancer prevention and treatment. And here comes the role of phytochemicals.
    According to Dr. Balch, “7 to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables are found to reduce cancer risk by about 30% ”. 
This amazing action is largely attributed to their valuable nutrients and phytochemicals content:
  ·         Dark green leafy vegetables and broccoli contain lutein, a powerful antioxidant that decreases the risk of eye diseases and macular degeneration and shows promising results in treating prostate and colon cancer. 
  ·         Genistein and diadzein are antioxidant isoflavones found in soy products. They protect against prostate and breast cancer, leukemia, and bladder cancer.
  ·         D-glucaric acid in broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cauliflowers is effective against cancer of breast, lung, liver and skin.
  ·          Inositol hexaphosphate (IP6) is a form of the B vitamin inositol, it is an anticancer possessing natural killer cells activity. It shrinks tumors and prevents their growth. It is found naturally in whole grains, beans, lentils, veal, citrus fruits and nuts.
  ·         Chlorophyll found in green plants is a powerful anticancer, antioxidant and detoxifier.
  ·         Glucosinolates in cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, horseradish, and cauliflower are powerful anticancer compounds.
  ·         Beta carotenes in yellow and deep orange vegetables like pumpkins, squash, yams and carrots are powerful antioxidants and precursors of vitamin A in the body.
  ·         Lycopene found in some red vegetables like tomatoes, carrots, watermelons and papayas has shown promising activity against prostate cancer.
  ·         The organosulfur compounds in onions and garlic enhance immunity, improve blood circulation, and prevent oxidative damage.
  ·         Coumarins in celery, fennel, beets and citrus fruits offer a range of anticancer, antioxidant and immune boosting activities.
  ·         Laetrile found in raw and bitter almonds is a traditionally recognized anticancer remedy.
  ·         Cherries and berries contain anthocyanidins antioxidant, anticancer and circulatory and heart tonics.
  ·         Lignans and other phytochemicals in whole grains, seeds, beans, peas, and lentils reduce risk of hormone-associated cancers, osteoporosis, and cardiovascular diseases.

And, again, the list goes on and on…

Future challenges:
  Natural, God-given plants offer the perfect combination of balanced hundreds or may be thousands of phytochemicals, vitamins and minerals that work in perfect harmony and synergy to deliver the needed benefit for our body. They are naturally available, ready for our consumption and suitable for oral or topical usage. Yet, many challenges are still in the way. “Much of the research on phytochemicals has been conducted in vitro” or on laboratory and test animals. For effective application in medicinal field, full risk thorough analysis that determines the appropriate dosage, mode of application/administration, bioavailability, metabolism, long-term biological effects are still highly required.[6]
  Meanwhile, integrating fresh fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, whole grain, legumes, herbs and spices in our everyday diet holds tremendous health benefits. The word vegetable comes from the Latin word ‘vegetare’ which means to invigorate or impart energy. And this is exactly what vegetations do to us. With your everyday food choice you design your own state of health, not only your physical health but also your emotional, psychological and mental well being. The amazing and varied range of nutrients you choose to put on your plate in every meal gives your body the chance to heal, boost its immunity, detoxify and strengthen.

References:
[1] Singh, M., Singh, P., Shukla, Y. (2012). New strategies in cancer chemoprevention by phytochemicals. Front Biosci (Elite Ed):1;4:426-52.
[2] Nishino, H. et. Al. (2000). Cancer Chemoprevention by Phytochemicals and their Related Compounds. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev.; 1 (1):49-55.
[3] Tsuda, H. et al. (2004).  Cancer prevention by natural compounds. Drug Metab Pharmacokinet.;19(4):245-63.
[4] Johnson, I.T. (2007). Phytochemicals and cancer. Proc Nutr Soc. ;66(2):207-15.
[5] Balch, P.A. (2000). Prescription for nutritional healing. USA: Avery
[6] Johnson, 2007. 

I have a friend talented for making feast out of leftovers. She isn’t a superb cook, but she is a great food crafter. She manages to turn any food you have in your fridge or even any simple cans or wilted vegetables into a whole meal, appetizer, main course, dessert and all. With few simple artistic touches, with an amazing uplifting spirit and a great creative soul, a whole feast is ready in no time. It is of no surprise that her amazing talent was reflected into her everyday life. My friend is also known for turning problems, pitfalls, and challenges into lessons and opportunities. She sees potential in every trial; she perceives success behind every failure, and spots beauty hidden in every corner. She has quite a big share of trials and challenges in her life, but I never saw her frowning, complaining or fretting. A beautiful smile always shines on her face radiating love, care, content, and satisfaction and spreading an amazing spirit of peace around her wherever she went.

Life crafting, like food crafting, is a talent, a gift and a choice. You have the choice to eat the wilted lettuce leaves, stale bread crumbs, and the bland chicken breast that sat in your fridge for days now; or you can choose to turn them into a hearty Cesar salad and a scrumptious chicken pie that feed your senses before tickling your taste buds. In the same token, you have the choice to swallow you heart breaks, bottle up your anger, dwell on your losses; or rise above your circumstances and turn your grief and pain into opportunities and lessons. To be a life crafter you need to assume responsibility for your own life. You need to be realistic and courageous, yet optimistic and creative; and above all, you need to always keep your sense of humor.

Close to my house, there is a beautiful café with colorful and cheerful atmosphere overlooking the amazing blue azure color of the gulf sea. And, on every plate mat was carefully inscribe an amazing quote that immediately caught my eyes:
  “They asked me what I wanted to be when I grow up, I told them “happy”, they told me you do not understand the question, I answered, “you do not understand life!”
 This amazing quote was how the owner of the BoHouse café chose to introduce himself to his customers. I guess, he also is a life crafter. As the colors and beauty of the place reflect the artistic creative soul of its owner, his words reflect his determination to craft his life as he crafts his surroundings.

Remember, it is always about choices: Your Choices. We all have a creative spirit. You are the one who chooses to let it shine or burry it under endless life challenges.

Hi everyone,
For many of you who asked me about courses, here is an NLP course I highly recommend. It is a Certified Accelerated program taking place in Dubai over 7 days, offering a powerful combination of NLP, Time Line Therapy™ and Hypnosis.The trainer, Amina Khalifa, is a Certified Trainer and Professional Coach in Neuro Linguistic Programing (The American Board of NLP, ABNLP), Time Line Therapy™ techniques (Time Line Therapy Association, TLTA), and Hypnosis (The American Board  of Hypnotherapy ABH). 
She teaches: "NeuroLinguistic Programming (NLP) is a set of guiding principles, attitudes, and techniques about real life behaviour that allows you to change, adopt, or eliminate behaviors, and gives you the ability to choose empowering mental, emotional, and physical states. Time Line Therapy techniques are simple techniques of active imagination to  get rid of negative emotions and limiting decisions and to set goals in the future. And, Hypnosis is the process that produces a state of intensified attention and increased awareness, where the unconscious mind accepts suggestions".For more information about the course 
please check the link below:

FastTreck NLP course description

I come from a family with long history of hypotension. My father and I always fought for the salt shaker on the dinner table until my mother solved the problem by buying one for each. We didn’t really know why we loved or needed that much salt, until my brother got into medical school and bought a sphygmometer (blood pressure meter). He started practicing his medical skills on us. We discovered then that we had a surprisingly low blood pressure. Our taste buds were actually our medical adviser; they craved salt because our body needed it. They weren’t yet masked, over stimulated, or confused by the overwhelming amount of chemical flavors and synthetic tastes that infested our modern-day food chains.

Years ago, scientists tried to deprive a group of rats from their taste sensation. The deprived group and a control one (a group of normal rats) were supplied with the same diet. A short while afterwards, the taste-deprived rats all died. Surprisingly, autopsy revealed only one cause of death: Malnutrition. And, only one conclusion could be drawn out of their experiment: The sense of taste plays a more crucial role in physiological health than we actually know. To be fully nourished by food, we need to chew it properly, enjoy it properly, and fully experience it through our taste buds.

Tastes and flavors have always been integral part of medical diagnosis, from the 6 tastes of Auyerveda and the 5 tastes of Traditional Chinese Medicine, to the body temperament system of Greek, Unani and Arab folk medicine. Even conventional medicine is starting to acknowledge food cravings as part of its diagnostic toolbox. Cravings for tastes and foods actually mean a lot.

When we long for sweet, salty, bitter, sour, or spicy tastes, this longing has a meaning that our body understands as our taste buds translate it into comprehensive useful information. But, does the bitter still carry the liver stimulating properties, the sour brings along digestive aids, or the salty harbor the valuable missing minerals?  
When we ask for freshly baked bread, pickles, or butter, our body is desperately trying to convey a message that we, in our modern era, fail to understand. Our fresh bakery lost its B vitamins by refining; our pickles lost their natural bacterial flora and their digestive enzyme through canning and pasteurization; and the essential fatty acids and E vitamin in our butter are depleted and oxidized through over processing.  


We all desperately need to listen to our body, but first, we need to reconnect this body to nature, we need to re-root it into its natural habitat.
Here are few suggestions:
-          Carefully read your label
-          Enjoy more raw fruits and vegetables
-          Add natural herbs and spices to your cooking
-          Explore new herbal teas
-          Chew your food well and give your taste buds time to savor the taste and acknowledge the texture and aroma. 


Have a great week!