In Part One of The Colony, we discussed the physical implications of nourishing the cellular life of the body that allows us to have an existence as human beings. In this part, we would like to address the mental and spiritual implications.

To review Hering’s Law of Cure: The body has the ability to heal itself if given proper nourishment. It heals from the top down, from the inside out and illnesses in reverse of their original chronological order of appearance.

Constantine Hering, M.D. (1800-1880) observed that healing occurs in a consistent pattern. He described this pattern in the form of three basic laws, which homeopaths can use to recognize that healing is occurring. This pattern has been recognized by acupuncturists for hundreds of years and is also used by practitioners of herbalism and other healing disciplines.

According to the first of Hering's laws, healing progresses from the deepest part of the organism - the mental and emotional levels and the vital organs to the external parts, such as skin and extremities.

Healing from the top down: The Brain is the physical organ that allows us to have a mental and spiritual life. Many substances that we ingest cannot get through what is called the blood-brain barrier as the brain protects itself from many harmful substances and toxins. However, substances such as alcohol, caffeine, nicotine and most prescription drugs, can pass the blood brain barrier. In most instances, they gradually impair the ability of the cellular structure of the brain to function properly. [Not only substances which cause impairment, such as the ones mentioned, but lack of particular substances that are needed by the brain also cause impairment over long periods of time.] For example, as people age, their short and long term memory erodes. For instance, if a person never remembers dreams, his frontal cortex is gradually becoming impaired because of lack of certain elements in his diet. But this can be changed.

In this article, we would like to discuss some of the substances that can be added to the diet to improve brain function:

Lecithin

Lecithin, a lipid that consists mostly of choline, and includes inositol, phosphorus, and linoleic acid, helps to prevent arteriosclerosis, protects against cardiovascular disease, improves brain function, benefits and keeps the liver and kidneys healthy. Lecithin aids in thiamin and vitamin A absorption and can even help to repair liver damage caused by alcoholism.

The choline and inositol in lecithin protects against [heart disease] hardening of the arteries by promoting normal processing of fat and cholesterol. Lecithin helps to bind fats and cholesterol to water so that they can pass through the body rather than cause a potentially harmful buildup in the heart or liver. Cell membranes, (the protective sheaths surrounding the brain,) and nerve cells also contain this essential fatty substance.

The choline found in lecithin helps the body produce acetylcholine, a substance that acts as a chemical messenger to parts of the nervous system and is essential to the brain’s memory function. Studies have shown that people taking lecithin have significant improvement in memory test scores and fewer memory lapses than those who took the placebos. Dr. Safford, who conducted studies that show that lecithin and choline supplements seem to actually boost memory, also noted that the health benefits of lecithin are seen almost immediately. “ The fascinating thing about lecithin is that when it helps, it’s right away. It’s one of the few substances like alcohol, which crosses the blood-brain barrier and produces an immediate reaction.”

Lecithin is found in a wide variety of foods. Good sources include cabbage, cauliflower, chickpeas, green beans, lentils, soybeans, corn, split peas, brewer’s yeast, grains, legumes, and wheat germ (the information about lecithin was found at vitaminstuff.com).

Most important: It is better to get your lecithin in a natural or living form: One of the highest sources of lecithin which contains choline and inositol is FENUGREEK SPROUTS.

In our next newsletter, we will discuss Chia Seed which is very high in Omega 3, a substance highly demanded by the brain.