posted by admin on Apr 21
You should be educating your daughters now about the need to eat nutritious foods rich in calcium. The recommended daily calcium intake for girls of eight to eleven is 900 mg (boys need 800 mg), which is equivalent to three or four daily serves of calcium-rich food (one serve can be 250 mL milk, 200 g yoghurt or 35 g cheese). Girls aged twelve to fifteen years should have around 1000 mg daily (boys 1200 mg), which is four to five serves of calcium-rich food. For women aged sixteen to fifty, three serves daily or 800 mg of calcium-rich food suffice (the same for men of all ages), and from fifty onwards women should increase their intake of calcium-rich foods to four or five serves (1000-1500 mg).
It is also important to remember that the growth patterns of boys and girls vary, with girls starting their spurt at around the age of eleven and boys later, at around thirteen. So an eleven-year-old girl will probably be eating more than her twelve-year-old brother. It’s important to realise this, otherwise parents may be critical of a daughter’s appetite.
Girls also tend to be excessively concerned about the amount of body fat they acquire during adolescence. They need reassurance that fat on breasts, legs and hips is normal. Otherwise they may turn to fad diets or excessive exercise and quickly become deficient in energy, protein, calcium and iron. In extreme cases this may lead to anorexia nervosa. Regular moderate exercise will improve appearance, even if it means gaining weight in terms of muscle.
*126\38\8*
posted by admin on Apr 21
Vaginal lubricating compounds such as K-Y jelly, and new hormone-free substances that last for several days and are not messy (such as Replens), are helpful. You can also make use of’male dew’, the natural lubricant from the tip of the penis. Masturbation, either alone or with your partner, can also help to promote
lubrication. Although frowned on in some religious circles, masturbation is widely regarded as a healthy way to handle sexual needs and expression with or without a partner. Some couples find that a hand-held vibrator and sexually stimulating magazines or videos also help. Think about your range of sexual positions. Be adventurous in trying new ones, bearing in mind that some will put less stress on vaginal tissues that would otherwise tend to be hurt by penetration. A woman on top, for example, has increased control of the situation. She should also take plenty of initiative in the type and duration of love-making and ensure that she is completely comfortable throughout.
*92\38\8*
posted by admin on Apr 21
Mood-altering medications such as antidepressants, antipsychotics and benzodiazepines (for example, Clozapine and Diazepam) can also contribute to bone problems. Elderly patients taking these medications are more likely to have falls and fractures’. The medications may add blood pressure changes and physical instability to existing vision problems, poor flexibility, and depleted muscle mass and strength.
As mentioned briefly, osteoporosis is more likely in women who have an early surgical removal of their ovaries, a hysterectomy without removal of the ovaries or a premature natural menopause (before the age of forty). In addition, you may be more likely to get osteoporosis if you have had anorexia nervosa, exercised so much at some time that your menstrual periods stopped for six or more months (known as amenor-rhoea), used steroids over a long period (for example, to treat asthma or arthritis) or been confined to bed for some months, perhaps because of a serious accident.
Bobbi was in her early fifties when she fractured her wrist after slipping on some wet grass. Her medical history included a three-year period of anorexia nervosa in her twenties, together with smoking throughout her adult years, so a DEXA investigation was ordered. This revealed a worryingly low bone density, which prompted Bobbi to quit smoking, improve her diet and start treatment with HRT. A bone density measurement two years later indicated that the deterioration of Bobbi’s bones had been arrested.
The most important factor of all in determining your risk of osteoporosis is the genes that control the way your body functions, and that may conspire with neglect of weight-bearing exercise, smoking, or a low calcium intake. If genetic vulnerability is combined with any other risk factor, the likelihood of osteoporosis multiplies. Attempts to put figures on these risks have proved controversial.
*57\38\8*
posted by admin on Apr 21
Women who are starting HRT for the first time some years after their menopause (whether it occurs naturally or as a result of medical treatment) should always be prescribed natural forms of oestrogen, and the dose should be low initially and increased slowly if necessary. Start low and go slow is a wise motto for any hormone therapy. Examples of widely used natural and synthetic oestrogens, and the typical dosage range, are listed on page 175.
Lydia was sixty-two when she went onto HRT with a view to halting a worrying deterioration in bone density. This had been diagnosed by comparing the results of bone density scans performed when she was fifty-nine and then three years later. She was prescribed a dose of oestrogen usually given to women immediately after the menopause and developed sore breasts, excessive nipple sensitivity and nausea. Her doctor should have started her on a lower dose and slowly increased it over a period of three to six months. When Lydia was prescribed a natural oestrogen at a low dose, she experienced no worrying side effects, and for her this was a sufficient dose to stabilise bone density.
*23\38\8*
posted by admin on Apr 20
Food intolerance can apparently cause aching joints in some people. It is likely to be the most heavily used joints, such as the knees, that are afflicted first, but it may later spread to other joints. Assuming that all the disorders mentioned above have been ruled out, then food intolerance is a very likely-cause for joint pain, especially in patients with a variety of other minor symptoms as well. Studies have found that between 50 per cent and 85 per cent of patients respond to an elimination diet.
Since immune complexes are known to produce joint pain in several other diseases, they are a logical suspect in food intolerance as well. In this case, the immune complexes might well consist of food molecules (absorbed intact into the blood from the gut) and antibodies to the food. At present there is no evidence to show whether this idea is right or not, and it is possible that food produces joint pain by some completely different mechanism.
An acute, immediate allergic reaction to a food, with characteristic symptoms such as swelling of the lips, can also include transitory pain and swelling in the joints, especially those of the hand and wrist. Other atopic (‘allergic’) patients experience more long-lasting joint pain, which may be due to food whether this is food allergy or intolerance is a debatable point but mast cells do seem to be involved in some of these patients.
*153\180\8*
posted by admin on Apr 9
Some old people take a constitutional walk every day, inhaling a good supply of oxygen in the fresh air, even though it is almost impossible nowadays to find a quiet country road free of all traffic. Everywhere you go there are cars, leaving only narrow meadow paths and remote trails in the forests where they have not yet been able to advance. So, if older people escape from the motor exhausts and flee to nature’s solitude, the exercise, healthy air and available oxygen will be a boon to them. In addition, older people should eat natural food and in moderate quantities, with only a little fat. Their protein intake should also be limited, which avoids the formation of too much cholesterol.
Experience teaches us that the normal signs of old age can be put off by years, even decades, if the right and natural measures are taken in time. But this is only possible if we do not let the speed of our times infect us; rather, we should remember Goethe’s advice and take things slower and calmer as we get older. The transition from a fast pace of life to a quieter one may not be easy; on the contrary, many people complain as different physical problems crop up and they find it increasingly difficult to cope. They confirm Solomon’s observation that the years of old age are far from welcome. For this reason the wise man of biblical fame admonished the young: ‘Remember, now, your Grand Creator in the days of your young manhood, before the calamitous days proceed to come, or the years have arrived when you will say: “I have no delight in them”.’ All those who maintain the right attitude towards the Creator throughout life will not moan about the difficulties of old age, because their heart will remain young.
*1229/28/1*
posted by admin on Apr 9
Monotonous work can be so tiring that our limbs feel heavy, while an interesting activity can involve our whole being to such an extent that we forget to breathe properly. The deficiency, however, can be rectified in a simple way if we take an evening walk in the fresh air in order to unwind. For the best results go uphill because this will necessitate deeper breathing. Our feeling of tiredness will soon vanish, faster in fact than if we decided to lie down and rest in a room with little oxygen.
The healing processes will proceed much faster in the case of illnesses that enable the patient to move around, if he increases his intake of oxygen by walking briskly in the fresh air, possibly through an aromatic forest or woodland, on a regular basis. Anyone putting this ‘prescription’ conscientiously into practice will enjoy positive results. As a rule, even depression can be overcome by taking a brisk walk in the fresh air for as little as an hour. Mind you, a slow walk will not have the same effect or benefit as would a strenuous march requiring vigorous breathing, which results in oxygen rushing to the brain cells and normalising their function.
*1160/28/1*
posted by admin on Apr 9
The distinctive nature of Arabic cuisine also depends upon its use of various seasonings and condiments. Arab cooks, however, indulge in one habit of which many Europeans are not so fond: they mix spicy things with sweet ones, and bitter with mild aromas or flavours, creating peculiar contrasts of taste that may indeed tickle the palate of some but, as a rule, put us off. It often takes a while for outsiders to get used to these contrasts, but the Arab is not bothered in the least by eating peppers together with oranges or other fruit, whereas it would take me a long time to enjoy the combination of these contrasting tastes. On the other hand, it must also be said that the Arabs do not just salt their food but season it. And this is to their credit.
French cuisine is famous, not least because its secrets are found in the kitchen garden where a great variety of herbs abound and beg to be used. Escoffier, the modest Frenchman of small stature, came to be known as the King of Cooks because he mastered the use of culinary herbs in our European gardens and markets in a way that no one else has been able to match. No wonder his skill and art enabled him to produce the tastiest and most stimulating sauces, gravies and dressings that inspired the enthusiasm of even kings and princes!
*1091/28/1*
posted by admin on Apr 9
It is quite a different story with commercially canned fruits and vegetables. The bleaching, blanching and chemical additives definitely affect the nutritional value. If I speak out against canned foods, it is because it so often happens that, just for the sake of convenience, factory-preserved foods are used when the meal could, with a little extra effort, consist of at least some fresh fruit or vegetables. Canned foods are served all too often in hospitals and sanatoriums. If sick people are to get well, they must have health-giving nourishment, which can be obtained at its maximum value only from fresh vegetables and fresh fruit. For this reason one should eat fresh foods as much as possible – fresh berries, fruit and vegetables – when they are in season. Eat your vegetables raw in salads and fruit in muesli or fruit salad. Any surplus that cannot be used this way should be preserved and bottled immediately, so that provision is made for the winter.
*1021/28/1*
posted by admin on Apr 9
When you are fasting and taking natural medication at the same time, take only a third or even a quarter of the normal dose of your remedies. While on a fast, your system works more efficiently and will respond to medicines much more promptly than usual.
During the fast it is necessary to maintain the normal rhythm of movement and take adequate rest. All extremes are harmful, so avoid them. For instance, do not spend your days on the couch or in bed in the mistaken belief that you must conserve your energy while not eating. On the other hand, do not engage in arduous sports or walks; it would do you no good. The balance of movement and rest during your fast will revive you, restoring vitality and giving you a new foundation for health and well-being. However, I want to stress that it is important to lead up to your fast days slowly and also to return to your normal diet in the same way.
*950/28/1*