Muscle Testing for Allergies and Supplements

Last week I shared some basics about how to muscle test. Now here are a few more specifics that I hope will be helpful. 

Allergy testing - 

When testing for allergies, it's helpful to put a sample of the item you want to test in a glass jar (with a lid if it's something you're very reactive to). Then hold the jar and test, "Am I allergic to this ___?" I usually also test, "Am I sensitive to this ___?" Often I may not have a genuine allergy to the item, but my body is sensitive to it. 

You can also test for combination allergies. For example: "Am I allergic to the combination of this egg and the pollen in the air?" I often have combination allergies, so sometimes I'll test not allergic to individual substances, but when I check them in combination I find the allergy. 

When you're having an allergic reaction but you don't know to what, you can muscle test to help figure it out. We usually start by testing a few basic things: 

"Am I reacting to something I ate?" 

"Am I reacting to something in this room (or outside, or whatever environment you're in)?" 

"Am I reacting to something I was exposed to in ___?" (If you were out shopping and felt worse when you got home, you might be reacting to something you encountered such as perfume, mercury, pesticide, etc.)

Usually we can keep testing until we pinpoint the specific cause of the reaction, then we either remove the item or try to clear the allergy (see note below). 

Also, when you start to have an allergic reaction, it's really helpful to take some Tri-salts immediately. That will neutralize the reaction and hopefully keep it from getting worse. I carry Tri-salts in my purse so it's always handy. 

Testing supplements -

When testing supplements, we always start with checking for an allergy. "Am I allergic to this pill/capsule/etc.?" Then we usually test " Am I sensitive to this ___? And often we also check, "Am I allergic to one of the ingredients in this ___? ...sensitive to one of the ingredients?" We do this because if you try to test the dose of a supplement that you're allergic or sensitive to, you won't get an accurate test.

Once you know you're not allergic or sensitive to the supplement, then you can test the dose. First make sure it's something good for your body by testing, "Would it be good for my body to take this ___?" If yes, then test, "Would it be good for my body to take more than one today?" 

It's important to use this "more than..." phrasing, because that gives you the most accurate and specific information of how much to take.

For example: Would it be good for my body to take more than 5 vitamin C capsules today?" If the test is "yes," then you would ask, "...to take more than 6 today?" If the test is "no," then you know the best dose is 6 for today. 

Some of my supplements test pretty much the same dose all the time. Other ones seem to vary. Sometimes I need 7 caps a day. Other times only 5 a day. What the body needs will change from day to day and week to week. That's one of the reasons muscle testing is so helpful, so you can know what is good for your body right now. 

It's also helpful to test when is the best time of day to take a supplement. Believe it or not, this does make a difference. My mom almost always tests to take her potassium in the evening. If she tests it in the morning, it'll test not to take it. So you can test "Would it be good for my body to take this ___ right now?" Or "...with lunch? ...with supper? ...between meals?" etc. Certain supplements if I take them after 6pm will cause problems, such as allergic reactions before bed, difficulty sleeping, etc. 

Certain supplements sometimes are better taken together, other times taken apart. (I usually take my magnesium and calcium at different times in the day, though occasionally we test I should take them together.) Your brain knows what is best for your body in the moment.

Now, obviously you don't want to spend your whole day muscle testing stuff. =) I understand. These are just some tips we've learned that hopefully will help you take care of your body the best way you can. 

There are many other uses of muscle testing, such as locating parasites, viruses, candida, etc., identifying deficiencies, determining which treatments are most helpful, etc. But I think this is enough info for one post. =) 

Do you have any questions? Is this info helpful? I always appreciate your feedback. =) 

Note: A quick and easy way to clear allergies and sensitivities is something we learned from Dr. Smith who developed the CBT method. 

While holding the item in your hand, place the back of your hand (or have someone else do it with their hand) on the top of your head for 5 seconds. This basically tells the brain that the substance is ok and it doesn't need to react to it anymore. Usually, just doing this once will clear the allergy. But it's ok to repeat it again later if needed.

How To Muscle Test

I've mentioned muscle testing in posts before, and I promised to write more information about it. So for those who are interested, I'll give some basic instructions. I may write another post later about why I believe this is such a valuable tool, but for now let's look at how to use it.

Basically muscle testing is a way to use the muscles to glean information about the body. Your brain knows everything that happens in your body, with all that information stored on the non-conscious level. Muscle testing helps you access specific information you need to know on the conscious level. By applying pressure to a specific muscle, the response of that muscle will be either "weak" or "strong," indicating what is good or true for the body.

That's probably not the best explanation of what muscle testing is or how it works, but hopefully it'll make more sense as I continue.

There are several different ways to muscle test. You can use an arm test (holding your arm straight out and applying slight pressure to test). There are also different finger tests you can use. The simplest method we've found is to use a standing test and to ask very specific yes/no questions. 

Standing Test: 

Stand up straight. Ask a yes/no question. In response, your body will either lean forward or backward. Leaning forward is a "yes" answer. Leaning backward is a "no" answer. 

A good way to start to practice using the standing test is to simply state, "My name is ___" and insert your name. Your body should lean forward, as a "yes" answer. Then say, "My name is Bob" (or any name besides yours), and your body should lean backward, a "no" answer. 

With the standing test, you should get a pretty strong pull forward or backward, but even if it's just slightly leaning one way or the other, that's probably still a good test.

Since muscle testing does require some energy, I've found that I can usually only test myself on my really good days. Most of the time my mom is my "surrogate" tester. She touches my arm (needs to be skin-to-skin contact) then she asks the questions for me and does the standing test. 

Example: She might say, "Is Joanna allergic to this apple?" (When testing for food allergies it helps if you can put a sample of the food in a glass jar and hold it in your hand while testing.) Then if she leans backward, we know it's a "no" answer, I'm not allergic to the item. 

Most people are able to test themselves, with a little practice. If you aren't able to, maybe you can ask someone to help by doing the surrogate testing for you.

When doing the testing, keep your brain clear of other thoughts. If you're thinking about something else or worrying about the test, it usually won't work. Sometimes when we we test something and get an answer that I'm pretty sure is wrong, I look at mom and she laughs and says, "Sorry I was thinking about something else." So just try to stay relaxed and only thinking about what you're testing. 

At first you might find the muscle testing awkward or unclear, but as you practice a little, you'll get the hang of it. Once you get a clear response doing a test (leaning forward or backward), then you know what it feels like and it gets easier. 

A lot of doctors use the arm test, where you hold out your arm and have someone gently push on it to get a "weak" or "strong" response. Personally, I find this method harder to do and less clear in its results. Also your arm can get tired quickly. 

Lately we've been using a finger test sometimes, which is more convenient since you can't always stop what you're doing and stand up to test yourself. Here's a short video that explains this simple finger test. 

Some other tips to remember about muscle testing - make sure you're hydrated when testing, or results may be inaccurate. Don't have a cell phone in your pocket, as that can interfere with the testing. Don't stand right next to appliances, computers, or other electronic devices when testing. 

Once you get the hang of how to test yourself, you can test various things - such as allergies, use of supplements, problem areas in the body, toxicity, parasites, etc. Basically anything that the brain knows, you can do a muscle test for. Just make sure you're using very specific yes/no questions, otherwise the body may not respond with an accurate test. (Learning what kinds of questions to use also takes some practice. I'll try to share more on that next week.) 

Muscle testing does take some practice and some trial and error, but we've found it to be an extremely valuable tool. Next week I'll share some specifics on how to use it for allergies, supplements, etc. 

Any questions?

My Experience With Reflexology

I'd heard of reflexology a few times over the last ten years, but I hadn't tried it until recently. And I'm very glad I finally tried it! 

The basic theory behind reflexology is that there are reflex points on the hands and feet that correspond to the different areas of the body. By working on the feet and/or hands, you can stimulate various organs, glands, etc.

The reflexologist I went to said that the main goals of reflexology are to reduce stress and to improve circulation. In fact, having a reflexology session is in some ways similar to having a full body massage. This enables the body to function better and heal more effectively.

There's a lot more I could explain about reflexology, but instead I want to share my experience with it.

In my first session, the therapist was careful to work very gently on my feet. I had told her a little of my health history and that I still have ongoing challenges. She could tell simply from feeling my feet that I have some chronic issues. She worked very gently and for only about 10 minutes on each foot. That was enough for the first session. I was very thirsty afterward, and she told me to drink a lot because my body would be detoxing. The next day I noticed that I felt a tiny bit better, so that was encouraging. 

During the second session, she was able to work my feet longer, about 15 minutes on each foot. The most tender part was the ball of my foot. I asked which area of the body that corresponded to and she said the lung/chest area. That made sense because I'd been having more trouble breathing lately. After the second session, I noticed I felt a little better for the next two days. 

In the third session, she worked my feet a little harder and a little longer, but it felt good. After that session, I had three really good days! I actually woke up by 8am, my brain was clearer and I had more energy. It was wonderful! =) 

By the time the fourth session came, my feet were telling me they wanted more reflexology! =) During the fourth session, she worked my feet quite hard. For the most part it felt good, but I could tell about half way through that the toxins were really flowing in my body. I think I let her work my feet too long and too hard, because after the fourth session, I had about 10 days of major detoxing. In the long run I'm sure it was a good thing, but it wasn't pleasant in the process. It probably would have been better to not have her work my feet quite so hard, and let my body do the detoxing a little slower. 

So that's how the first four sessions went for me. Now that I'm mostly through that detoxing cycle, I'll probably go back for some more reflexology. Only this time I'll be more aware of when to stop the session. 

The therapist who helped me said for anyone with chronic issues, she recommends two sessions a week for 4-6 weeks. After that, she usually reduces it to once a week, and then as needed. She said it varies from person to person, what they need. For me, she was addressing the whole-body chronic issues I have, so more sessions and more frequent is better. For others, they may just need help with a specific area like a weak gut, or a shoulder injury, etc. Reflexology can help with pain from injuries and such. My therapist was able to help her husband avoid knee surgery through doing reflexology on him. 

She also said that prices for sessions can vary from $30-60 depending on who you go to. 

There are several reflexology charts available online, though they vary somewhat in specifics. While you can learn from these, it's still best to have a certified therapist help you address any ongoing health challenges.

For more information about reflexology or to find a certified therapist in your area, you can check out this website: 

http://reflexology-usa.net/

Well, that's all for now. If you have any questions or want to share your experience with reflexology, you can post a comment here. 

Other articles about reflexology:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/111671-benefits-reflexology-massage/

http://altmedicine.about.com/od/therapiesfromrtoz/a/Reflexology.htm

A Good Resource

Just a quick post today as I've been having some adrenal symptoms from detoxing this week and need to rest a lot. 

I wanted to share this great website which includes access to an online magazine, tv episodes, a blog, and more. It's all about health, knowing the cause of health problems, what you can do for your health, healthy recipes, etc. 

Check it out and let me know what you think. =) 

http://www.knowthecause.com/

Thankful

Lately the reality and abundance of toxins, mold, chemicals, etc. has been pretty overwhelming for me. Sometimes I feel like I belong in a different century when life was simpler and healthier. 

I keep asking God to teach me how to live in this crazy, toxic world of today. I know God chose to place me in this time in history. I know He has a plan and purpose for me here and now. So I can only trust that He will teach me how to do more than exist, how to live healthily, even how to thrive, overcoming the obstacles day by day to accomplish the good things He wants me to do. 

I think that an important part of this process is to continually be thankful. Instead of dwelling on all the challenges, I need to take time to give thanks for the gifts and blessings that pour over me. 

With Easter coming this weekend, I'm reminded that ultimately my life is in heaven. That is my home. That is my destiny. That is my glorious future!

Which means that I can live life here free from fear, full of joy, and empowered to bless others. 

I truly have MUCH to be thankful for! 

Whatever challenges you're facing right now, will you join me today for a few minutes in giving thanks? I'll help you out by listing some things I'm thankful for that maybe you can give thanks for as well. =) 

If you have a bed to sleep on and a pillow for your head - give thanks.

If you have water to drink - give thanks.

If you have windows to look out and see the sky, sun, clouds, trees, birds, etc. - give thanks. 

If you have shoes on your feet - give thanks.

If you can still smile - give thanks. =) 

If you have food in your fridge - give thanks.

If you have someone to laugh with - give thanks.

If you have a Bible in your own language to read whenever you want - give thanks.

If you know Jesus is always with you no matter what - give thanks! 

Yes, I am thankful! Here and now, come what may. I am thankful.