Over the the Christmas holidays I sat down to finish the manuscript for my next book, “Ten Steps to Abundant Health”. My son is away for a year and I had a week to myself. I could have partied with friends but the writing bug was whispering in my ear.

Funny thing happened, I couldn’t do it. I actually felt nauseous every time I sat down to work on my book. That had never happened before.

I took a nap, went for a walk and spent quite a while just looking at the clouds, moon and stars.

Then I remembered that I have always wanted to write a science fiction novel.

I couldn’t get back home soon enough. I sat down and wrote the first 30 pages over the next few days. I had planned out a trilogy by the end of the week. It will be called ‘The Chronicles of Exodus’ and will probably be 6 books by the time I tell the whole story.

Maybe I will never finish the first one. That has to be allowed.  I don’t recommend thinking about giving up. Not at all!

Staying committed and consistent is the only way that works. I am going to write a Sci-Fi novel. I don’t think I could stop myself even if I wanted to.

I want you to feel the same way about whatever you are passionate about. What is it? What keeps you up at night, dreaming of your dreams? Are you free to use your imagination any way you like?

I truly hope so.

So… This is what I have learned from unleashing my imagination.

Being busy for busy’s sake is a symptom of Chronic Distraction Syndrome. (I made that up, BTW).

Curiosity, passion and imagination never look for the snooze button. You know – those things people use to turn their minds off, of at least down. Imagine a week without TV, sugar and alcohol. How would that feel?

It feels great to be in a snooze-free zone.

When we are interested and inspired by something personal, we naturally become more interested and inspired by the world around us. People who are really engaged within are also the people who connect with others more deeply. By staying creative and imaginative we are more likely to get involved in doing what we can to make our lives healthier and more productive. My imagination works best when my body is happy, and most bodies wants a lot of movement and time in nature.

Emotions can be like two year old kids. They want your attention and they want it NOW. Becoming more emotionally aware and emotionally intelligent will be messy, like taking care of an unsure and agitated child. New clothing may be required. The trick in this metaphor of childcare is to avoid child abuse. Emotions, like children, do not do well with abandonment, punishment, shame or judgement.Do you have time for some inner child care?

Is it time for you to reacquaint yourself with your imagination?

Are you done feeling busy and or distracted most of the time?

Are you ready to feel what you are feeling – since you are feeling it anyway?

Me too, Lets do this!

What are you passionate about that is just for you?

Michael

PS. If you are not sure where to get started check out this podcast. It is called Emotional Intelligence and Traditional Chinese Medicine.

https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/ep.-13-emotional-intelligence/

The nine components that determine the progress of disease are external triggers, central nervous system distress, metabolic instability, incomplete detoxification, immune system dysregulation, chronic inflammation, gene expression, epigenetic dysfunction and uncooperative consciousness. Some of these are common sense and some are a bit technical. I hope this inspires you to learn more about your health and gives you some hope if you are feeling out of options. If you want to learn more about this there is a link to an article on my website.

External Triggers

External triggers include environmental toxins, food allergies, infections, drugs (recreational and pharmaceutical) and, believe it or not, the weather. Most external triggers cause inflammation and some central nervous system distress. Depending on the trigger, your symptoms and your medical history may tell you that your liver is overloaded, your immune system is highly reactive or barely doing its job or you may find that your hormonal metabolism is strained. I estimate that external triggers are involved in 70% of chronic adult illnesses and in 80% of children with chronic poor health. Luckily, removing the triggers makes a huge difference in most people’s lives and is as common sense as it gets.

Central Nervous System Distress
Central nervous system (CNS) distress is involved in over 80% of the processes of all chronic and autoimmune disease. Your CNS includes your brain, muscles and nerves as well as all of the governing hormones that regulate your metabolism. The most stressful things for your CNS are emotional trauma, physical pain, obesity, substance abuse, malnutrition and immune system dysfunction. When your CNS is in distress you are more likely to react to external triggers and more likely to have chronic inflammation. If there ever was a design flaw to human beings it would be how sensitive we are to chronic stress. Now is the time to investigate how much stress you are carrying in your body and your life. Sometimes each of us has to do a bit of spring cleaning with the stress in our lives and learn some tools to relax deeper and feel better about ourselves.

Metabolic Instability
Metabolic instability is the most common health concern that I see in clinical practice. At a certain point of CNS distress the combination of physical, mental and emotional stress puts a huge strain on your adrenalin metabolism, which regulates your ‘fight or flight’ responses and certain aspects of inflammation. The North American diet, which is too high in overheated saturated fats and an excess of refined carbohydrates over-stimulates your insulin metabolism and inflammatory metabolism, which affects your cravings, energy levels, weight, moods and ability to repair injuries.
The overuse of stimulants and intoxicants, which are often used to compensate for stress, makes deep relaxation, proper sleep and healthy choices more and more difficult. This eventually disturbs your serotonin metabolism, which greatly affects your moods and can cause insomnia, increases the urgency of your cravings and reduces your threshold for pain. When any or all of these hormonal regulating systems has been stressed for a few months, your thyroid metabolism can be thrown out of balance, becoming either overactive or under active. The thyroid gland regulates the demand for, and use of, energy in your whole body.
When any or all of these metabolic regulating systems are out of balance it becomes very difficult to tell which is the most affected. They share many of the same symptoms so doctors wanting to make a precise diagnosis can become very confused. It is my opinion that it is almost impossible to try and treat a person for any specific diagnosis while their metabolism is this unstable, even with blood tests. I have tried and chased many people’s symptoms all over their internal organs, leaving both of us a little worse for wear. Therefore, stabilizing a person’s metabolism is always my first step. Once this is accomplished, many of their symptoms have been relieved and we can both get to the root of their health challenges.

Incomplete Detoxification
Incomplete detoxification is another of the most common things I see in my practice. Your body has an amazing ability to handle toxins; digesting your food, breathing and exercising all create toxins that your body, especially your liver, has to break down into something safe. Our environment is becoming very toxic; at present there are over 70,000 industrially produced chemicals out there that your liver has to sort out, in one way or another. Your diet is likely to be toxic in two ways; it is probably full of additives, preservatives, colorings and industrial chemicals that are very new to your liver. As well, your diet may be very low in the essential nutrients that your liver needs to detoxify the rest of your body. This is especially true if your metabolism is unstable, because your body will produce more internal toxins. The process of detoxification that occurs in your liver is amazing and also a little confusing, so I will start with some basics. You will learn all about the details throughout the book.
Your valiant and hardworking liver has to perform two very specific processes that have to co-operate very precisely for your liver to do its job properly. The first process takes toxins, bacteria, digestive nutrients and wastes and certain kinds of fats and breaks them down or changes them chemically. During this process your liver actually produces some of the most dangerous substances imaginable, called free radicals. Free radicals are like little chemical vandals that can circulate through your body, damaging your blood vessels and your cell membranes, as well as making your immune system over-reactive. This situation is called oxidative stress and has been linked to almost every chronic disease.
The second process of liver function can usually take all of the byproducts of the first process and make them inert or non-reactive and water soluble, which makes them safe to pass through your elimination organs. This process requires a lot of specific and hard to store nutrients. If your diet or your digestion is poor then your second phase may have insufficient nutrients to function properly.
The trick with this two part process, or bi-phasal detoxification system is that both phases, must operate at the same pace. Most people that I have met have dietary (or other) habits that speed up the first phase and slow down the second phase of detoxification. This means that the rest of your body has to deal with the still reactive waste products of phase one detoxification plus several types of free radicals, causing more inflammation and even more free radicals. As you can see this is very important to your health so it is a major focus of the cleansing process.

Immune System Dysregulation

Just like your liver, your immune system is very amazing and very complex. In fact, your liver is a big part of your immune system. I will describe the specific aspects of your immune system as they come up throughout the book, but for now I would like to introduce you to what I call the Seven Layers of Immunity.
The First Layer of your immune system is your elbow. That’s right, every time you bend your elbow and put something in your mouth you may be affecting your immune system. You can protect this layer by separating what is good for you and what is not.
The Second Layer is the process of digestive assimilation. This starts with how well you chew your food, how much stomach acid and how many digestive enzymes you produce, and whether or not your bowels and body are infested with bacteria and yeast. We will learn about healing this layer, and the rest of your immune system throughout the program. The Third Layer is the integrity of your mucosal membrane. This is the membrane on the surface of your stomach and intestines which keeps your poop out of your bloodstream and keeps you from digesting yourself (usually). It is the point at which your food enters your bloodstream and is possibly the most important layer of your immune system.
The Fourth Layer of your immune system is the bi-phasal detoxification system of your liver. As I described above, it can produce inflammatory substances, free radicals and other irritants that can go anywhere in your body and cause the production of more free radicals.
The Fifth Layer is your elimination organs which is the largest part of your immune system. Your liver often releases toxins into your lymphatic system, kidneys, skin and Gall bladder when it’s bi-phasal detoxification processes are out of balance. The Rehabilitation of your elimination organs takes quite some time and can only realistically happen when the first four layers are working properly.
The Sixth Layer of your immune system is your individual cells, your trillions of little cells which are often wondering where all the toxins and erratic hormones are coming from. When cellular immunity is compromised you can develop some very serious problems like rapid aging, degenerative diseases and even cancer.
The Seventh Layer of your immune system is you, the person who has chosen to embark on this very personal healing journey. I have chosen to write this manual as if I am talking directly to you, and I hope that this will help you learn more about your health and help you make the best choices towards improving it.
Immune system dysregulation can happen at any one of the seven layers of you immune system. The most common kinds of dysregulation are hypo-immunity and hyper-immunity. Hypo-immunity means that your immune system isn’t strong enough to take care of front line defense which means you will catch whatever is going around. It also means you are more prone infections, especially in your gut. Hyper-immunity means that your immune system is over reacting to everything that it comes into contact with. This creates the conditions for allergies, food sensitivities and unexpected weight gain or weight loss. Then there is auto-immunity. This can look like a strange combination of hypo and hyper-immunity and can eventually make your immune system attack your own tissues, especially membranes. At present auto-immune disease is rising at an alarming rate and is a particular focus of this book.

Chronic Inflammation

Chronic inflammation is easily the most important place to start in improving your health. Inflammation is a natural part of day to day life and a natural part of any illness process. Inflammation helps your body fight infections, begins the wound healing process and protects you from things like the common cold. Chronic inflammation produces immune system substances called Interleukins that tend to promote more CNS distress and increase your body’s reaction to external triggers. Inflammation can also effect gene expression and epigenetic dysfunction. This makes chronic inflammation the all time winner for a negative impact on immediate and long term health.
Lowering inflammation lessens both your reaction to external triggers and the amount of CNS distress you carry in your body day-to-day; which, as it turns out, lowers inflammation in your whole body even more. Lowering inflammation can be as simple as avoiding sugar, alcohol, caffeine and processed foods as well as eating a lot more vegetables. As you investigate your relationship with inflammation you will find many opportunities to reduce the inflammation in your body.

Gene Expression

Every disease requires that you have the genetic potential or the specific gene to express the disease. If you have the gene for arthritis you may or may not actually get arthritis in your lifetime. Many people live their whole lives with the genes for any number of illnesses which they never actually get. Unfortunately, once the gene for a specific disease is turned on it can never be turned off. It can, however, be turned down. This is a new perspective in medicine and not everyone agrees, but it has been my experience that genetic potential can be turned down by doing everything that you can to stabilize the other components of chronic disease. As a health care provider and as a patient with an autoimmune disease this makes me want to do a happy dance!

Epigenetic Dysfunction

Your epigenetic system is made of thousands of enzymes that replicate and repair your DNA. Poor nutrition, chronic stress, chronic inflammation, poor detoxification and an overactive immune system can cause epigenetic dysfunction which can create the conditions for your DNA to express the gene of a disease you may have inherited from your parents and ancestors. Less inflammation, less stress and fewer external triggers will reduce the likelihood of your epigenetic system telling your genes to make any emergency decisions about your health. As it turns out the best thing any of us can do to reduce epigenetic dysfunction is to have a positive attitude, get enough exercise, play more, laugh more and get enough sleep.

Uncooperative Consciousness

From the perception of the Indigenous healing traditions that I am familiar with the greatest challenge most of us have in life, especially in the 21st century, is to make friends with ourselves. The Elders and Medicine People say that if a person cannot change their choices and behaviors while consistently losing their vitality then this person needs a healing. If they do not ask for any help with this need for a healing then all we can do is pray for them and do the best we can to help them do less harm to themselves and their community. That may sound passive but it is based on the experience of some the oldest cultures in the world.
Building and joining your personal health team is admitting you need some or a lot of help. It is also the first step to making consistently positive choices to improve your lifestyle, health and relationship with the gift of this life. Most of us who are living a life that is challenged with a chronic disease, myself included, became chronically ill because of a combination of the above “medical” components of disease as well as a difficulty feeling we deserve the benefits of good health. Or we were convinced by our upbringing and culture that how much money we have or how we look is more important than our wellbeing. We may have spent asking ourselves to make choices and sacrifices that we would never ask of a good friend.
In my personal experience this is the greatest challenge and the source of the deepest healing. Learning to cooperate with myself and consistently make the choices that will create the best conditions for health has been the source of the most life changing insight I have experienced. The opposite is also true. When I get too stressed or take the hurting that comes with living life too personally I sometimes become uncooperative with myself and make choices that are against my health which I end up paying for. Even after twenty years of this journey of healing I still have times when I go back to old habits and beliefs. The voice of shame, control and fatigue says “when will you learn?” The voice of patience and kindness says “I guess it is time to do some more learning and healing”

Ingredients:

• 2 Lbs Red Snapper fillets
• 1 Tsp Toasted Sesame Oil
• 1 Tsp Olive Oil
• 1 Cup Lime Juice approx. 4 limes
• 2 – Avocados cubed
• 1 Cup Cucumber halved and sliced thin
• 1 Med. Red Onion quartered and sliced very thin
• 1 Tbsp Garlic minced and crushed
• 2 Tbsp Scallion Greens (green onion) sliced thinly
• 1 – Jalapeno Pepper seeds removed and diced fine
• 2 Tbsp Cilantro chopped
• 1/2 Tsp Cayenne Pepper
• 1 Tsp Cumin
• 1 Pinch Sea Salt to taste
• 1 Pinch Fish Sauce to taste

Instructions:

• Soak the snapper fillets in salted water for 20 minutes, remove and pat dry.
• Slice the snapper into half inch strips, then half inch cubes and place into a medium sized serving bowl.
• Add the lime juice and mix in with the diced fish, coating completely as soon as possible.
• In a mixing bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and blend very well, pour over the fish, stir in and refrigerate for 4 hours.
• Taste, season and serve on slices of cucumber, or just leave in the bowl.

Recipe Notes:

Ceviche should be eaten within 3 days of preparation.

Servings: 20 People
Prep Time: 6 hours
Cook Time: 0 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 Large Green Cabbage
• 1 Medium Daikon Radish
• 2-3 Large Carrots
• 1 Bunch Kale
• 2 Large Garlic Bulbs
• 4-6 – Scallions (Green Onions)
• 2 Thumbs Ginger Fresh
• 1/4 Cup Fish Sauce
• 1/4 Cup Chili Flakes
• /2 Pound Sea Salt

Instructions:

• Quarter Cabbage and remove any outer layers that are dirty, significantly wilted or brown. Remove the heart from each quarter and cut the cabbage into thin shreds. Sprinkle salt liberally into a large pot or food grade bucket, and layer shredded cabbage and salt until done. Punch down the cabbage and salt with your fists or with the bottom of a strong glass bottle. Cover with a plate and place something heavy on top. Leave for 24 hours.
• The next day rinse the salt off of the cabbage at least three times with cool water. Squeeze water out of the cabbage and place back into your container. Shred daikon & carrots and mix with cabbage. Finely chop the green onions and add to the mix. Boil enough water to blanch the Kale. Once it is boiling add some salt, add the Kale and turn off the stove. Leave the Kale in the hot water for 2-3 minutes, drain and cool.
• While the Kale is cooling finely chop Ginger and garlic and place in a food processor. Add chili flakes, oil, fish sauce, and a tablespoon of salt. Finely blend these ingredients into a paste. Add Kimchi paste to the Vegetables, add Kale and stir with your hands until all of the vegetables are coated. Push down until you see fulid coming to the surface. cover with a plate and put a large plastic bag into the container. Fill the plastic bag with enough water to weigh down the Kimchi mixture and create an airtight seal. Leave in a cool place for 2 – 3 days.
• When the Kimchi is ready put in Mason jars and keep refrigerated. It is good to eat in about three days to about three weeks. After this the Kimchi will begin to taste stronger and stronger. After about four weeks use the kimchi as a strong condiment or starter for spicy sauces.

Ingredients:

• 2 – Eggs yolks
• 1 Cup Grapeseed Oil (or Avacado Oil)
• 1/2 Cup COS Oil lightly flavoured
• 1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
• 2 Tsp Red Wine Vinegar
• 2 Tsp Lime Juice
• 1/2 Tsp Sea Salt

Instructions:

• Allow all of the ingredients to warm to room temperature.
• In a medium sized bowl whisk the yolks, salt, mustard and lime juice together into a paste.
• Tilt the bowl to a 45 degree angle, (support with a twisted up towel) and drizzle the oil in VERY slowly.
• Add oil, a few drops at a time, to the yolk mixture and whisk together until the oil is fully absorbed or emulsified.
• Continue to add the oil, a few drops at a time, every five to ten seconds, whisking continuously until the mixture begins to blend together and thicken.

Recipe Notes:

The mayonnaise may be stored in the fridge for 6 days in an airtight container.

Servings: 6 People
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredient Group 1:

• 2 – Eggs yolks
• 1 Cup Grapeseed Oil
• 1/2 Cup COS Oil lightly flavoured
• 1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
• 2 Tsp Red Wine Vinegar
• 2 Tsp Lime Juice
• 1/2 Tsp Salt

Ingredient Group 2:

• 2 Tbsp Garlic chopped finely
• 1 Tbsp Capers fluid pressed out
• 2-3 Tsp Anchovy Paste to taste
• 1 Tsp Ground Pepper
• 1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese grated

Ingredient Group 3:

• 1/2-1 Tsp Cayenne Pepper to taste
• 1 Tsp Red Wine Vinegar to taste
• 1 Tsp Basil dried flakes
• 1/2 Cup Yogurt plain
• 1 Tsp Lime Juice to taste
• More Anchovy Paste to taste
• More Parmesan Cheese to taste

Instructions:

• Allow all of the ingredients to warm to room temperature.
• In a medium sized bowl whisk the yolks, salt, mustard, vinegar and lime juice together into a paste. Tilt the bowl to a 45 degree angle, (support with a twisted up towel) and drizzle the oil in VERY slowly, a few drops at a time, to the yolk mixture and whisk together until the oil is fully absorbed or emulsified. Continue to add the oil, a few drops at a time, every five to ten seconds, whisking continuously until the mixture begins to blend together and thicken. This will take a few minutes. You van also use a food processor, just pulse at each step.
• After you have added two tablespoons of oil this way, begin adding the oil one teaspoon at a time and whisk until completely emulsified. When you added approximately half of the oil start adding it by the tablespoon. Once all of the oil is incorporated, whisk until you have reached desired thickness. This is an art of sensitivity, if you go too slow it won’t thicken, if you go to fast you will “break” the emulsion.
• Now add Ingredient Group 2 and mix together.
• Now add Ingredient Group 3, tasting as you go.

Recipe Notes:

This will make a fairly thick Caesar dressing or dip. If you want to thin it some more just add more yogurt.

Ingredients:

• 6 Cups Turnip peeled and cubed
• 2 Cups Carrots scrubbed and chopped rough
• 2 Cups Daikon Radish or other healthy root (or potato)
• 2 Large Red Onions quartered and roughly chopped
• 4 Tbsp Organic Butter separated (2 Tbsp butter and 2 Tbsp bacon fat is nice too)
• 2 Cups Cheddar Cheese grated
• 1/2 Cup Organic Sour Cream
• 1 Tbsp Cumin
• 2 Tbsp Prepared Horseradish
• 2 Tsp Fresh Thyme finely chopped
• Salt to taste
• Freshly Ground Pepper to taste

Instructions:

• In a large stew pot, cover the turnips with water and add a teaspoon of salt.
• Bring to a boil for ten minutes and add the onions, carrots and daikon (or other roots) and enough water to cover them. Bring to a boil again and turn down to a rolling simmer 10 minutes.
• Drain and place in a large food processing bowl. Add the butter, sour cream, cheese and spices and blend together.
• Taste, season and serve.
]]>

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp Butter unsalted
• 2 Tbsp COS Oil
• 2 Cups Arborio Rice
• 1/2 Cup White Wine warmed
• 4 Cups Chicken Bone Broth simmering
• 1/2 Cup Cream
• 1 Cup Red Onions diced fine
• 4 Cloves Garlic minced and crushed
• 2 Cups Chicken cooked and shredded, skin included if possible
• 2 Tsp Cumin
• 2 Tsp Mild Smoked Paprika
• 3/4 Cup Smoked Gruyere Cheese grated
• 1/4 Cup Cilantro minced
• Sprinkling Sea Salt to taste
• Sprinkling Freshly Ground Pepper to taste

Instructions:

• Heat a large skillet to medium high, add the oil and sauté the onions, half of the garlic for 5 minutes and remove from the pan, leaving the pan juices in the skillet.
• Add 1 Tbsp butter, the rice and some salt and pepper. Sauté for 6-7 minutes, stirring constantly.
• Add the wine, stirring until absorbed.
• Add a cup of broth, stirring occasionally until almost absorbed. Repeat until rice is almost to the level of desired doneness.
• Add the cream, chicken, cumin, paprika, sautéed onions and remaining garlic to the pan, stirring for 5 minutes.
• Stir in the remaining butter, coat with the cheese and cilantro, cover and remove from heat.
• Wait 3 minutes, mix together, taste, season and serve.

Servings: 2
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp olive oil, coconut oil or butter
• 2 8 oz Steaks at room temperature
• 1 large Red Onion halved and cut into thick slices
• 2 large Carrots quartered and broken up by hand
• 1 whole zucchini halved and roughly chopped
• Sea Salt to taste
• cracked pepper to taste
• Red Wine Vinegar to taste (taste)

Instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 350 F.
• Quickly prepare the vegetables.
• Put the steaks on a cutting board, pour a little oil on them and rub it in by hand. Flip them over and repeat. Season with salt and pepper, flip and repeat.
• Add the remaining oil or butter to a baking pan. Add the vegetables to the pan and spread out evenly.
• Lay the steaks on top and roast for 15 minutes.
• Flip the steaks over with a fork and roast until desired level of doneness.
• They will be medium rare at 30 minutes and medium well at 40 minutes.
• At 30 minutes, either remove from the oven and let rest or flip the steaks over again. When you remove the steaks to rest, allow the vegetables to roast for another 5 minutes.
• A splash of red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar makes a nice addition.
• If you find un-caramelized fat unappetizing then trim it off and fry it with some eggs for breakfast tomorrow.
• Taste, season and serve with the roasted vegetables and a generous salad.

To call Qi energy makes Qi a noun, which is easy for English speakers to understand, but can over simplify the depth of Chinese Medicine’s understanding of health.

In today’s episode, Anthony Sanna discusses Qi with Michael Smith, a doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine, martial arts and Qi Gong expert. The conversation goes far and wide with many examples of how an understanding of Qi can help us all make some positive changes in our health, lifestyle and mindset. This is definitely one of the most passionate podcasts so far. Enjoy!