How do you know which of the many food and health items in the store are good for you? A simple test helps you determine this important information.

We are extremely fortunate to live in the culture of abundance we share.

From health food to pets’ needs, from lawn furniture to golf equipment everything our minds can imagine is available to us daily. The theme of abundance, even excess continues through into health foods, health aids, and healthy practices. The obvious positive side of our extremely rich experience of life comes with a practical problem: how do you decide what is right for you?

From lifestyle to the smallest items in your house, your life is deluged with decisions: what to buy, what to wear, where to go, when to use. Every decision has of course some consequence. You want to make the best possible decisions especially when it comes to health for you and your family. Yet how do you know what of the wonderland of items is right for you? One easy, simple and reliable test, used widely by many people, is the muscle test.

This one step before you purchase items helps you make the important decisions based on what your particular body needs. Go shopping with a friend or partner. Pick up the item you are interested in, whether it is fresh fruit, a container of vitamin C capsules, or even when you are looking at furniture. Of course, picking up the furniture is not what we're talking about!

Start with a small item, such as the vitamin C container. Hold out your arm, right or left does not matter, and put your other hand to your heart. Now, have your friend push down on your arm so you both have a standard of how much effort is needed to move your arm. In other words, you both have a standard of how strong your arm is in the "at rest" position.

Now pick up the item, in this case the container of vitamin C. Hold the container at your heart center and put your arm out as before. Now have your friend push down again on your extended arm. If your arm moves more easily than before, if there is less resistance in your arm's strength with the container near your body than when you are "at rest" this product is not for you! This product or item will actually deplete your body of precious energy.

On the other hand if your arm is stronger, is more resistant and your friend needs to use more pressure to move your arm down, then the product is good for you. The reason this small, simple, quick and easy test is so useful is it helps to eliminate some standard mistakes. We often believe an item or substance is good for us at all times and in all circumstances. Not true. Sometimes, for example, if our systems are over-acidic, vitamin C or fresh fruit may make the situation worse. Some people are slightly intolerant to all forms of vitamin C and therefore have to be careful how much they take.

The simple muscle test helps determine which substance is good for you at that moment.