Meditation as Tonic, LLC: Vedic Flax

The Inspiration Behind Vedic Flax^TM

I originally started this Vedic Flax^TM project with the inspiration to treat Fibromyalgia (diagnosis close to my heart and soul) because of how well it helped my chronic pain. Plus I had struggled with depression and generalized fatigue for years. Then my recent health meltdown in 2006 included the diagnosis of Acquired Narcolepsy and central sleep apnea. I had lived on Celebrex^® (anti-inflammatory pain medicine) for 7-8 years. But now, with this delicious tasting "ready-to-eat" nutritional supplement recipe of Vedic Flax^TM,

Original Formula Ingredients:

Organic Flax seeds (roasted and then grounded) – Anti-inflammatory effects, excellent for good fats including Omega-3, 6 & 9 and for localized and generalized pain syndromes including Fibromyalgia
Ground chick pea flour – Excellent source of lean proteins
Whole wheat with bran – Complex carbohydrates
Organic Blue Agave nectar - Natural sweetener with one of the lowest glycemic index (a G.I. of only 11 compared to sugar which has a G.I. of 68-85). This means blood sugar levels increase slowly in the body.
Sunflower oil – Source of good fats and Ayurvedic medicine inspired for vata, pitta and kapha doshas
Ground and sliced almonds – Magnesium source, insulin-sensitivity benefit
Ground ginger – Anti-inflammatory for joint and muscle pain; truly a universal medicine (for all 3 doshas) depending on the other ingredients used with it as the "vehicle"
Ground cardamom – Main digestive herb used for absorption of nutrients

Vedic Flax^® Gluten-Free Formula Ingredients:

Organic Flax seeds (roasted and then grounded) – Anti-inflammatory effects , excellent for good fats including Omega-3, 6 & 9 and for localized and generalized pain syndromes including Fibromyalgia
Ground chick pea flour – Excellent source of lean proteins
Organic brown rice flour – Complex carbohydrates
Organic Blue Agave nectar - Natural sweetener with one of the lowest glycemic index (a G.I. of only 11 compared to sugar which has a G.I. of 68-85). This means blood sugar levels increase slowly in the body.
Sunflower oil – Source of good fats and Ayurvedic medicine inspired for vata, pitta and kapha doshas
Ground and sliced almonds – Magnesium source, insulin-sensitivity benefit
Ground ginger – Anti-inflammatory for joint and muscle pain; truly a universal medicine (for all 3 doshas) depending on the other ingredients used with it as the "vehicle"
Ground cardamom – Main digestive herb used for absorption of nutrients

I do not take any pain medicines!*

The American Cardiology Association recommends anywhere from 1 to 4 grams of Omega-3, fatty acid per day depending on the underlying lipid abnormality in an individual with secondary prevention guidelines. Moreover, underlying inflammation in the body contributes to the coronary artery heart disease. Organic flax seeds inVedic Flax^TMcombat inflammation. Plus the healthy Omega-3 fats in flax seeds are the ultimate appetite suppressant too.

The primary ingredient ofVedic Flax^TMis organic Flax seeds which have thermogenic effects

Thermogenic Effects Defined

The Thermogenic Effect, as it pertains to food, is a term used to refer to the way that the foods you eat can increase the amount of heat your body generates as it digests them, resulting in an increased metabolism for a short amount of time.

At its most basic level, the Thermogenic Effect is a result of your body having to consume energy in order to digest your food. Some sources of energy are less available than others, and thus require more effort to make use of in the body. It is important to note that this effect only applies on a macronutritional level--it will make either no difference or a ridiculously negligible difference if you try to make it harder for your body to digest foods by not chewing them as well. The rule still applies: liquify it. As you seek an increased metabolic rate, you'll likely end up with indigestion and bloating.

Protein is at the top of the hierarchy of macronutrients, as far as the Thermogenic Effect goes. A whopping 27% (on average) of the calories you consume from protein are used in the process of digesting the protein. Most of this is attributed to the fact that the protein has to be broken down into amino acids which then can be made use of, which is a labor-intensive process intracellularly. If you were to consume 300 Calories in pure protein (such as by a pure protein powder, or eggwhites, or something similar), the Thermogenic Effect would burn off 81 of those calories just during the act of digestion, leaving you with 219 calories.

Information above cited from "Understanding the Thermogenic Effects of Food" on www.associatedcontent.com

Other ingredients give you complex carbohydrates of whole wheat and bran, lean protein of chick peas flour and an excellent source of magnesium from almonds. My friends have shared that they enjoy eating a serving of Vedic Flax^TM with tea or coffee, while others have mixed Vedic Flax^® with non-fat yogurt. It is recommended that you takeVedic Flax^TM year-round.

- Raman K. Dhillon, D.O.

* Individual results may vary

Meditation Blended With Vedic Flax^TM

I encourage everybody, from all walks of life, to join me by awakening your innate spiritual energies through Medical Meditation. With this spiritual energy, you can tap into the universal knowledge of Self Healing. You possess the power to heal yourself. It does not matter where you start. I teach Yoga Nidra which is Yoga with principles of Medical meditation. You can achieve the proper positioning of your extremities and torso while lying down, so if you have any medical limitations you can learn Yoga Nidra.   The word, “Nidra” in Sanskrit (ancient language of India) means, “sleep”.

One of the most basic principles of Integrative medicine is a comprehensive approach, consisting of two or more modalities rather than one isolated approach to treat a medical condition. This ideal will better foster the treatment endpoint of any diagnosis. Research on Medical Meditation includes one study designed by Gurucharan Singh Khalsa, Ph.D., one of the world’s leading academic researchers on Medical Meditation, and was conducted by Sara Lazar, Ph.D. of the Mind/Body Medical Institute through the Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital. This study disclosed that in basic meditation, only a small area of the brain is engaged, according to advanced brain-image scans. However, when the Medical Meditation, which involves relaxation techniques via Proper Breathing techniques, breadth control, postures/poses, movements, the hand positions, the mental focus, and the “mantras”. Mantras are certain vowels and consonants put together in words. They are sounds that trigger eighty-four reflex points on the upper palate of the mouth. These points are connected to the nearby pituitary and hypothalamus glands through nonphysical energy channels. The ultimate effects are similar to acupuncture meridians of Medical Meditation yet all performed together. However, there is new activity in deeper anatomic portions of the brains, including the amygdala and other areas of the hippocampus and the pons.

So, with that background of Medical Meditation and incorporating the nutritional aspect of a Vegan nutritional supplement, Vedic Flax, is how I teach you how to self-heal.
You learn helpful postures and breathing techniques to use everyday, based on your medical condition. It does not matter what your disability or medical diagnosis you are branded with, I will work with you in a group or individually. If needed, I can help you work through balancing your doshas and charkas (more on these later – stay tuned – you may wish to take a free dosha test to identify you constitution). I will give you background information of Ayurveda so it all makes sense; why I give a specific pose (asana) to one individual and another yoga pose to another patient. I encourage you to bring a yoga mat (or a towel), pillow and a blanket to prop yourself in a comfortable position. And be sure to dress in comfortable clothing.

I only see patients who already have a primary care physician and I make sure they have received a full physical through them within the last 6-12 months. On your first appointment you must bring all your prescription medicines and over-the-counter medications; as well as any herbs you use in addition to your medication. I do not treat any acute conditions that have not been addressed by your own doctors. I do not give any refills or write any new prescriptions especially narcotics. I am a family medical doctor, who has worked, and knows the ins and outs of practicing medicine in an office, hospital, as well as the nursing home environment. Taking care of the “whole patient” can be a daunting task, as well as balancing the various Medical Association guidelines and addressing that “gut feeling of what you really need”. I want to be a helper to your family doctor and would love to hear from them as to what they think I should address.   Then, I want you to tell me what you think is going on. I encourage those thoughts in my patients.

My interest in Ayurvedic Medicine has helped me to seek the origin of medical disorders. Treating patients on a symptomatic level alone does not satisfy the doctor of the patient. We must all seek a more healthy and mindful lifestyle to heal ourselves.   I will be very open-minded in finding the answers to your questions and concerns. I often consult my colleagues, each of whom is a respected professional of Integrative medicine. I will do research for you; tell you of any drug-herb interactions that you need to be aware of. As my background is in Osteopathic medicine, I am especially interested in working with you on the Ayurvedic medicine based marma points (not to be confused with acupuncture points).

According to Ayurvedic medicine, health is a harmony of the body, mind and spirit. Disease occurs in the body when the body and its doshas are unbalanced; when the spirit is oppressed. It may occur when one component of this triad is emphasized, becoming detrimental to the remaining two.

- Raman K. Dhillon, D.O.