by Anna Karam
As the owner of a health food store and an active student of Universal Medicine, I would like to respond to the recent articles regarding Serge Benhayon and the suggestions he is ‘leading a cult’ in which members are supposedly asked or forced to make drastic changes to their diets.
In all my years of studying nutrition, never have I seen a food philosophy that is so freeing and yet so loving and supportive to the body as that which Universal Medicine offers. It is a philosophy that allows one to feel for themselves a way to be with food that brings more harmony to the body. Call me crazy, but isn’t this something we all truly want?
Along with this, Universal Medicine simply presents and offers the potential harming affects that certain foods and beverages have on the body, most of which have already been proven by scientific studies and with many of these actively felt by each of us on a daily basis in the form of bloating, constipation, IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), eczema and lethargy – the list goes on.
The foods here on issue include:
Gluten: known to have a sluggish or slowing affect on digestion, as well as being one of the leading causes of inflammation to the gastrointestinal tract which precedes mal-absorption issues (as is the case with Coeliac disease and Gluten Intolerance). Both of these conditions are escalating amongst the young and old: each day I see more and more people come into our store suffering from a medically supported condition and wanting advice on gluten-free eating.
Dairy: known to congest the lymphatic system leading to numerous problems, from weight gain and fluid retention to cellular toxicity. Also, and much less known, the high levels of calcium found in dairy are not readily absorbed by the human body – here big business and misleading advertising have us fooled. More and more people are claiming how much lighter and more joyful they feel in their body after stopping the intake of dairy.
Alcohol: a known toxin and poison to the liver, the organ in our body that is responsible for the removal of the toxins we accumulate in our bodies (through our indulgent and excessive ways), bringing greater harmony within. It is crazy that we still need to speak about this, when in truth we can all feel that alcohol is not in any way supportive or loving for the body, yet it continues to be used and abused by a great many. And lastly,
Caffeine and Sugar: both affecting the nervous system through over-stimulation, which then works to deplete the endocrine system and contributes to an exhaustion greater than that which we were already experiencing prior to needing the caffeine and sugar – a mouthful yes it is: the nervous system feels it this way also.
So there you have it, simple facts based on various scientific and nutrition-based studies. They are also simple truths that one can easily feel through the body for themselves if they so choose. What Universal Medicine does is present these simple facts / truths. It never preaches them, it is simply an offering.
For myself I can say this: in working with my diet in this way, my body feels amazing. And not just here and there, but the majority of the time. I feel lighter, more energised, more vibrant, more sexy (dare I say it), and more brilliant then ever in my life since discovering Universal Medicine. And yes, I still get the occasional craving for sugar at the end of the day, but I deal with it. The point here is that the choice is my own, and not Universal Medicine’s.
In all my association with the philosophies in question, I have never heard anyone be told what foods to eat or not eat. What is offered simply to those who are seeking a more true and loving relationship with food is to feel for ourselves, by working with our own body and its responses to our dietary choices. This asks of us a level of honesty, commitment and responsibility to our bodies and to ourselves.
It is the simplicity of the body in action if we truly take the time to listen.
The Truth about Serge Benhayon 
Anna, I started to let go of some of these foods well before I met Serge Benhayon or Universal medicine. My body had signalled countless times over the years, and one day I had no choice but to experiment with what worked and what didn’t, for my body.
It wasn’t easy at first because I’d think what other foods would I be able to eat and there were countless things out there, there were so much unadulterated foods and in some respect purer than what the supermarkets feed us. If we really take the time and read the labels, there is nothing pure in the ingredients. There’s always something in there and I am speechless with some of the ingredients they add to a simple dish that can be cooked from our own kitchen.
I feel the answers to our health and wellbeing lies with many things, and food plays a massive role. We feed our bodies things that isn’t meant for it.
Science doesn’t always prove what a body is going through. Do we really need to live our lives from what the scientists tell us, or what the body is communicating?…
Apply common sense and look after yourself – why does this recommendation cause such an uproar when someone shares this with genuine intent and care for all? Could there be vested interests in foods that do not support us?
Sometimes I feel we have given our common senses away to what others say via social media, magazines, TV etc. When something works for our bodies, we don’t need another saying it’s wrong because it’s not scientifically proven. So of course they would attack another. Our earthly science is prescriptive, whilst universal science is very much different. It’s wise, loving and for the all.
I too can share that after years of studying nutrition and exploring various diets, there are some very strict diets out there that are concern due to health risks. However, what has been presented by Serge Benhayon, such as considering the effects of caffeine or sugar on the body is not a dangerous or strange and new suggestion to try out at all. Caffeine and sugar are not essential nutrients to the body and the effects of sugar in terms of insulin resistance and diabetes alone is a known factor in aggravating both conditions severely, not to mention how much it can impact other conditions too. Removal of gluten and dairy is not new either and is known to alleviate symptoms of over 120 illnesses and diseases… there is much here that has been presented for many years now, and Serge Benhayon simply offers us an opportunity to reflect on how the body feels from certain foods and to confirm what we have felt and what research is now also showing when it comes to the effects of foods in our body.
Awesome sharing Anna and one of a simple message of saying listen to your body and use some common sense too when choosing what to eat! 😉
Most people accept my food choices when I explain that it does something to my body. Often it’s not the giving up of the food that makes people balk, but the dealing with the feelings underneath the food choices is what narks people and gets them upset if they don’t want to and see another who has done so/doing so.
Yes, we are being reminded to listen to our body and honour what it is telling us, that is empowering us to be true to our body’s innate wisdom, ‘It is a philosophy that allows one to feel for themselves a way to be with food that brings more harmony to the body.’
There is so much information now from qualified health experts, governments, books, the internet, social media, etc, on what is healthy to eat, and what is considered a healthy diet. In addition there are multitudes of weight loss diets which aren’t questioned even though weight loss diets have been proven to be ineffective. There are whole industries based on weight loss diets where you are told what to eat, even though research has proven they don’t work. Over the years I’ve been exposed to much information about nutrition and diet, yet what’s been the simplest for me is to listen to my own body and make adjustments for what works for me. In a world saturated with information around food and diet it seems quite common sense to consult with the very thing we wish to keep healthy – the body.
It is amazing when something is just simply presented as lived truth and we can see it as our truth too, it becomes part of our livingness – I wonder if that’s the bit some people find ‘cultish’ because there is consistency that many people cannot simply live with, so they want to blame it on being ‘brainwashed’. There are so many diets that seem to have come in and out of fashion and people’s attitude and relationship with it is usually not short-lived and inconsistent to say the least.
Anna, the info you wrote about the different foods is so interesting and highlights how some of our highest consumed foods can be very toxic and harmful to our body and health.
As you say, we know what is truly good for us or at least we know what does not sit right with us when it comes to food.
Thank you Anna for sharing all of this information about food, as it is very supportive for anyone who is wanting to make wise changes in their diet.
We do not realize the extent to which we live live in jails of our own making. Therefore, it is not surprising that we cannot truly value a philosophical approach to life that liberates us from…. us and our creations.
The facts are all there, it is our unwillingness to be honest about the simple cause and response conversation with our bodies that muddies the waters.
There is the myth with a lot of things that a little bit of everything is ‘good’ for us. Including all that is mentioned here. I know I once thought that. But now when I have a little bit of something, that I don’t ordinarily, I can feel the difference instantly. Discerning everything we put into our bodies is not only wise but will ensure a level of vibrancy and wellbeing that a little bit of everything simply won’t deliver.
Anna I agree our body is great at letting us know when we eat things that are difficult to digest or don’t actually support us, I have the experience of feeling bloated, getting mouth ulcers, or even feeling sick, especially when I have already clocked that a certain food is not supportive, yet I carry on eating it and my body firmly tells me it doesn’t want it. The one thing I have noticed is how much less food I actually need to eat.
Food is part of a package we choose to relate with our own body. By and large food cements the way a body that is locked in a specific way, seeks more of it. Breaking away from it requires us to start somewhere. Food is a great start once we have established that food does more than help us to keep going. It helps us to keep going in a specific quality of being.
Anna I love what you have shared: “It is the simplicity of the body in action if we truly take the time to listen.” So the question is: Will we give us this time to listen?
Our bodies are amazing, it will let us know when something doesn’t feel right or when certain foods are not supportive. We have the best guide in the world which is our body letting us know what foods are supportive and what is not.
In my experience of studying Natural Medicine, including nutrition modalities, anatomy and physiology and a vast array of dieting lifestyles etc., I have not ever come across a more supportive philosophy than that of The Way of The Livingness. You cannot get more loving than honouring and listening to your own body as to what foods support you best to live with greater vitality and well-being. The key is to develop a loving and honest relationship with your body, through which no-one else can tell you what feels true in your body. Through exploring this for myself I have re-discovered the greatest friend, guide and radar for truth not only with food but also with life in general, a guide that I now know was always with me from the day I was born.
Hear hear Carola – amazing the body is in its innate knowing.