Comprehensive men's sexual health information, tips and news about men's sexual health.

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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!

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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.

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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.

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For the best results, it will also be necessary to give the bowels a good clean-out beforehand. Soaked prunes or figs, freshly ground linseed or Linoforce, and psyllium seed will serve this purpose very well. But if they do not move the bowels sufficiently, give an enema with a warm camomile infusion in addition. To help even further, hot packs should be applied to the liver area for a few hours before and after drinking the oil. As soon as the bowels have been emptied you can take the oil. That accomplished, lie down, turn over on your right side, relax, and remain in this position for two hours. If you find it difficult to drink the oil by itself, try to take it in alternation with a cereal coffee {Bambu Coffee Substitute). Should even this prove to be obnoxious, you will then have to ingest the required quantity of oil spaced out, a little at a time taken over several days. This method will not be quite so effective, but at least the smaller stones may be eliminated and the remaining bigger ones may not cause any trouble for a while. However, anyone who is capable of drinking the whole quantity of oil at one time should not be surprised if all the stones are eliminated from the gallbladder. Of course, this is more likely to occur in cases which have not become chronic and where no large stones are present.

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There is a special soup which stimulates sluggish bowels if eaten every morning with a little crispbread or wholegrain (wholewheat) bread. The recipe is as follows. Cook freshly ground whole wheat, a small chopped onion and a crushed clove of garlic in some water. After taking the soup off the stove, add a little finely chopped parsley and a spoonful of pure olive oil.

This simple breakfast has cured many of their constipation. For more stubborn cases, psyllium seed or ground linseed should be added.

Alternatively, if you are bothered with intestinal sluggishness, have been overdosed with laxatives, if even natural plant laxatives no longer give relief, or if you simply want to normalise your bowel movement, the following recipe will be helpful.

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Electric and insulin shock treatments could be a step in the right direction. Although these treatments cannot strictly be termed natural methods, the principle behind them may be based on observations from life; for example, the shock brought on by a fright, an accident or other emotionally ‘shocking’ experience can jolt a person back to reason.

A change of climate, environment and latitude, long walks and hikes, breathing exercises (especially diaphragm-breathing), physical training, singing, vocal breathing exercises, etc., are all beneficial and may help to change the patient’s mental outlook. Hydro-therapeutic treatments such as baths, cold or hot showers, Schlenz baths (see pages 433-6), underwater massage, walking or stamping in cold water, walking barefoot, also walking barefoot in the early morning when the dew is still on the grass, are further sources of help which can be employed according to the doctor’s advice and bearing in mind the individual’s needs.

In accordance with the patient’s condition, doctors and nurses

should try various approaches and watch and note the patient’s reactions to each treatment, however small the influence of the shock effect may be. Moreover, anything contributing to a happy atmosphere should be encouraged by the nursing staff, as physical therapy and cheerfulness alone can quite often work small miracles.

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