what you do or don't eat, like a diet too high in fat. 16 27 of the best health "tips"
11. Treat diarrhea
without medication
If you have ever been to a tropical country, you have probably
experienced diarrhea: frequent and uncontrolled evacuation of liquid
stool caused by bacteria in local water, milk or food.
Diarrhea can also be caused at home by excesses in diet (a diet
that is too rich) or an allergic reaction to certain foods or medication
or even by stress.
To treat diarrhea, avoid all solid food on the first day. Drink
liquids like water, apple juice, meat or vegetable boullion and tea.
These will compensate for your loss of water - dehydration being one
of the main dangers of diarrhea - and will give your intestines a
period of rest.
If you have stomach cramps, rub your hands together for about a
minute. Then place both palms on your abdominal region. The heat
will soothe the pain.
On the second day, eat small quantities of solid food. Among the
least irritating are cooked cereals (especially rice), biscuits and soft
boiled eggs.
You can also try charcoal. It comes in tablet or capsule form (you
can also get it off burnt toast!)
Chinese medicine has always considered ginger one of the best
remedies for diarrhea. Dilute a tablespoon in hot water and
add honey.
27 of the best health "tips" 17
12. Use seaweed to
stimulate your immune
system
Japanese seaweed possesses remarkable immunizing properties,
especially in fighting cancer. Japanese researchers at the University of
Kitasato have discovered 6 kinds of seaweed which inhibit the
growth of colon cancer cells in rats, notably two types of Laminaria.
Laminaria extract has proven 70% to 84% effective in suppressing
intestinal tumors.
Wakame, another Japanese seaweed, is now familiar to many
Westerners, thanks to the arrival in the west of Japanese macrobiotic
cooking, which uses it a lot.
Pharmacologists at the University of Hawaii injected rats with an
extract of this substance. They found that the seaweed helped prevent
and cure cancer. The researchers claim that Wakame fights cancer by
activating and strengthening the immune system. It can be found in
most health food stores.
18 27 of the best health "tips"
13. How to prevent motion
sickness - naturally
Did you know that half a teaspoon of ground ginger is more
effective than chemical medication in suppressing motion or sea
sickness? And unlike most medication, it will not make you drowsy.
Ginger has been used in the Orient for centuries to prevent sea
sickness.
Researchers asked subjects who were especially susceptible to
motion sickness to sit in a reclining chair that spun around at high
speed. All the subjects who ingested a well known medication or
who took a placebo experienced violent nausea and/or vomiting.
On the other hand, six of the twelve subjects who took ginger
twenty minutes before the test experienced no discomfort. They
consumed only 840 milligrams of ground ginger, which is the
equivalent of half a teaspoon.
The Japanese have a very curious method of treating all kinds of
motion sickness. They use an adhesive plaster to fasten an
"umeboshi" (a very salty fermented plum, available in most health
food stores in the West) to their navel. The idea may seem a little
strange, but what have you got to lose!
27 of the best health "tips" 19
14. The anti-allergy
vitamin
So much has been said in praise of Vitamin C. So it is not
surprising that it is also effective in treating allergic reactions like
hayfever.
We recommend taking Vitamin C in the form of ascorbate rather
then ascorbic acid. When taken in ascorbic acid form, it can cause
gastro-intestinal disorders.
To fight an allergic reaction, you should consume up to 8 grams.
5 grams are necessary, on average. Start with a dose of 3 grams.
Every three hours, take another 1 or 2 grams, until the symptoms
disappear completely.
20 27 of the best health "tips"
15. How to prevent
Flatulence (Aerophagy)
Aerophagy results simply from "eating" air. The condition is not
dramatically serious, but it does bloat the stomach and can prove
embarrassing (stomach gurgles, etc.)
How to prevent it? Above all chew your food properly and savor
it fully. Swallowing too much is a direct cause of aerophagy. So don't
swallow needlessly.
Don't drink a lot when you eat. Avoid tobacco and alcohol,
cabbage, radishes, doughy bread, strong spices and bubbly drinks.
Don't eat food that is too hot or too cold.
And pay attention to the kinds of food you eat together: make a
note of any combination that seems to provoke an attack and avoid it
in future.
27 of the best health "tips" 21
16. How to put an end to
heartburn
Heartburn usually results from excess acidity in the stomach, or
from improper functioning of your digestive system.
At the point where the esophagus and stomach join, a special
muscle opens and closes the esophagus. When we swallow food this
muscle relaxes to let the food pass into the stomach after which it
closes again.
But it can happen that the muscle malfunctions. The contents of
the stomach then rise back up the esophagus, irritating the area. And
this results in the infamous feeling of heartburn.
How to stop it? Avoid acidic foods (lemons, etc.), alcohol, fat
or fried food, food that is overcooked, coffee, juice, tomato base
products and chocolate. But don't deprive yourself too much. Rather,
observe which foods bring on heartburn and avoid them. Also, don't
go to sleep right after eating (you should eat supper around 7 o'clock)
and don't smoke, especially after meals.
22 27 of the best health "tips"
17. A miracle remedy
If we offered you a miracle remedy that prevents cardiac disease,
certain types of cancer, diabetes, obesity, tooth decay and varicose
veins, would you buy it? Certainly you would.
There is such a product. But it is not a recent discovery and you
won't find it in a pharmacy but at the grocery store. We are talking
about fiber.
A study conducted in Holland on 871 men, over a period of ten
years, showed that subjects who had a low fiber diet were three
times more susceptible to mortal disease - causes notwithstanding -
than those who ate a lot of fiber (Future Youth).
This said, it cannot be confirmed at present that fiber prevents
the above mentioned diseases in all cases. But there is conclusive
proof that they occur more frequently in populations with low fiber
diets which is precisely the case in the west.
According to The Lancet (the British Medical Journal) a diet
which contains at least 37 grams of fiber per day (the equivalent of
one cup of bran, one apple, one potato and a half cup of cooked
spinach) can effectively protect the organism against chronic illnesses
common to western society.
So fiber is useful in combatting many disorders
besides constipation.
27 of the best health "tips" 23
LOW FIBER FOODS:
Notably white bread (since fiber is removed in white flour),
beef, pork, chicken, milk, butter, cheese, sugar, processed meats,
desserts, fish, seafood and noodles.
GOOD SOURCES OF FIBER:
· Fruits: especially apples and prunes.
· Vegetables: potatoes with their peel, spinach, artichokes,
cabbage, peas.
· Whole grains: barley, whole wheat (you should eat whole
wheat bread because of the bran it contains), oats, corn.
· Nuts: peanuts and almonds.
· Dried fruit: apricots, plums, figs, dates.
· Legumes: soy beans, lima beans, lentils, chick peas.
Note that there are numerous types of fiber, and that you should
alternate between them. For example, the fiber contained in apples
and the fiber in cereals are both essential, since they don't have the
same digestive function.
24 27 of the best health "tips"
18. Reducing your
cholesterol
To reduce cholesterol:
· First cut down on saturated fats. To do this:
· Eat lean meat. Select lean cuts and ask your butcher to cut off
the fat.
· Drink skim milk instead of whole milk.
Do the same for all dairy products. Note that vegetarians have a
much lower cholesterol level (almost twice as low as average) which
is perfectly understandable, since cholesterol is only found in
products derived from animals.
· Alcohol - in moderation. Not more than two glasses a day.
However, it does appear that drinking a moderate amount of alcohol
raises the number of HDL lipids (the good ones!), which break down
cholesterol. (Moderation = two 4 oz. glasses of wine or two 12 oz.
beers.)
· Do regular exercise, for example walking.
· Take Vitamin E. It reduces the risk of coronary disease.
· Calcium brewer's yeast, Vitamin C and Vitamin B-6 also
combat the accumulation of cholesterol. And don't forget lecithin,
which helps fight excess cholesterol, arteriosclerosis, hypertension
27 of the best health "tips" 25
and angina (as well as psoriasis, anxiety and diabetes - and reduces
the likelihood of contracting cancer). Losing weight is a good way to
raise your HDL level.
· Use poly-unsaturated, non-hydrogenated, cold pressed oil: corn
oil, sunflower seed oil, soy, flax etc. A mono-unsaturated oil like
olive oil can even raise your HDL level.
· Daily consumption of fish would be ideal for preventing
cardio-vascular problems, as demonstrated conclusively in a number
of studies on fish-eating populations (Eskimos for example). Ideally,
you would eat fish twice a day. And as strange as this sounds, you
should select the fattest kinds: mackerel, sardines, herring, salmon etc.
As for the oil in the fish, it is used to treat arterial disorders. Its
effects can be felt in about six weeks. Fish oil contains two
poly-unsaturated fatty acids which are very beneficial for the arteries.
26 27 of the best health "tips"
19. Digest better There is a plant for each type of digestion problem.
· AIGREMOINE is useful when the stomach problem is
accompanied by enteritis, diarrhea and/or chronic liver infection. It
helps tone a lazy digestive system. And it also helps regularize acidity
and soothe ulcers by improving metabolism.
3 or 4 cups a day. 3 1/2 to 4 tablespoons per quart of water.
· ANGELICA is a digestive, an aperitif, a stimulant, a tonic. It
decongests and soothes stomach pains and swelling.
Prepare an infusion (tea) preferably using the fresh plant: 3 1/2
tablespoons of roots per quart of water. If your stomach is very
swollen, prepare and drink 3 cups per day made of 5 tablespoons of
seeds per quart of water.
· ANISE is a soothing digestive. It aids digestion and the
elimination of intestinal gas, it soothes stomach cramps, aerophagy,
dyspepsia (contractions of the digestive organs, dizziness and a heavy
feeling after eating).
2 or 3 cups per day, after meals: 2 tablespoons of seeds per quart
of water.
· CAMOMILE: a digestive, sedative, anti-inflammation agent
and tonic. It helps painful or difficult digestion, stomach cramps,
gastro-intestinal spasms, loss of appetite, and it helps expulsion of gas
27 of the best health "tips" 27
(carminative). Particularly recommended for persons who suffer from
stomach cramps (and/or who are irritable, temperamental, angry etc.)
One cup of infusion, a half hour before meals, or one hour after.
To prepare the infusion, add 5 1/2 tablespoons to a quart of boiling
water and let stand for five minutes.
· CHERVIL: digestive, depurative and diuretic. It also acts as a
stimulant. For difficult digestion, drink 2 or 3 cups per day. Prepare
an infusion with one teaspoon of dried leaves per cup of water, and
let stand for 10 minutes.
· SAGE: The ancients had a saying - "Why die when your garden
is full of sage!" It is a digestive, diuretic, antispasmodic and helps
combat hypoglycemia.
It stimulates the appetite, fortifies the stomach and aids digestion,
especially when digestion is difficult. It is also a general tonic. 2 or 3
cups of infusion per day. 1 1/2 tablespoons of dried leaves per quart
of water. (Practical Guide No. 6, Vol. II).
28 27 of the best health "tips"
20. Menstrual
cramps - suffer no
more!
To reduce the intensity of menstrual symptoms, you can change
your diet:
· Less sugar, and slightly more protein.
· Diuretic foods such as eggplant, cucumbers and parsley can help
diminish water retention.
· Calcium supplements (1 gram per day) and magnesium (500
milligrams) can help reduce anxiety (always take both).
· Vitamin B-6 (not more than 50 milligrams per day) can alleviate
symptoms of anxiety and tension.
· Vitamins E and C also help reduce the intensity of cramps.
· Aspirin has a mildly soothing effect.
· And once again you can turn to plants to relieve your pains:
* ANGELICA in infusion: 3 1/2 tablespoons of root per quart of
water.
* MATRIX (derived from the Latin for womb): 2 teaspoons of
flowers per quart of water.
27 of the best health "tips" 29
* MILFOI OR YARROW which soothes and reduces overly
abundant menstruation: about 5 1/2 tablespoons of flower tops per
quart of water.
* SAGE in infusion: I 1/2 tablespoons of dried leaves per quart
of water.
In extreme cases, ask your doctor for medication to alleviate
pain.
30 27 of the best health "tips"
21. Stop catching colds
As much as possible, avoid coming into close contact with
infected persons, especially if they cough or sneeze.
A person with a cold is extremely contagious: he or she fills the
air with fine particles of saliva or mucous which transport the virus
microbe. Even if the person is careful to wipe his nose with tissue or
a handkerchief, the microbes will be transported to his hands.
And studies have shown that these viruses are transmitted through
hand contact. So if you have to shake hands with someone who has a
cold, you would better wash soon after!
What can you do if you do catch a cold?
It is useless to take antibiotics: they have no effect on viruses.
However, there are certain substances found in alcohol which help
decongest sinuses, that is why a good hot toddy can work wonders.
But take care of your liver: a toddy is just as good with a little rum as
with a lot.
You don't have to get drunk to get better. You don't even have to
drink it - just sniff some strong alcohol like cognac or brandy and
breathe in the fumes.
27 of the best health "tips" 31
22. Use heat to cure
Everyone has heard about how good a sauna feels, and of the
relaxing effect of a steam bath which bathes you in hot vapor.
But there are other heat treatments which are equally beneficial.
Heat relaxes the muscles and ligaments. When applied locally, for
example, with hot towels, it can ease muscle spasms. It can also
reduce arthritic pain. Heat dilates the blood vessels, which in turn
activates circulation.
Applied to a wound, it can prevent infection by helping white
blood corpuscles and fresh oxygen surround the area more quickly.
32 27 of the best health "tips"
23. How to combat
fatigue
First make sure you are sleeping enough.
Is your nutrition sufficient? In general women need at least 1200
calories per day and men 1500.
Avoid monotony: a varied diet will be more likely to provide the
nutritive elements you need to conserve your energy.
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