Mens Health Blog. Medical Blog

It used to be the custom in country homes to cover the mattress with a quilt for greater warmth and softness. But it is hard to understand how it was possible for the habit of sleeping on a soft foundation to creep in, especially in areas where the people are usually tougher. Soft beds that sag when you lie down are not healthy. And if there is a bolster and thick pillow as well, do not be surprised to find that the spine will adopt a distorted position. If the sleeping person could be X-rayed from the side, this would be seen quite clearly. That is why old beds in country homes, where great-grandmother had had difficulty in sleeping, are far from ideal for healthy sleep today.

A good bed must have a certain degree of firmness, because if it is too soft the blood vessels, in particular the veins, become congested and this impairs the circulation. Many people do not sleep properly on foam rubber, and those who suffer from rheumatism may find metal springs unfavourable to their condition.

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Comments (0) Apr 09 2009

The conclusion we must draw is that we should never go beyond what does us good. Brief spells of indirect sunlight are more beneficial and healing than the more common sunbathing. Moving around in the half-shade is a healthy exercise. People who suffer from high blood pressure and heart trouble should never expose themselves to intense heat or strong sunlight. Doing so could lead to sudden death.

When it is extremely hot you must be careful to avoid cooling down suddenly. Bathing in very cold water, for example in a mountain lake or a river with glacier water, can pose a great risk. Although I have mentioned the matter of drinking before, I would like to reiterate in this context that it is bad for us to drink water that is too cold. So, if you are on a mountain tour and nothing but cold water from a spring is at hand, add a little thirst-quenching Molkosan but no sugar and sip the water slowly while insalivating well. In this way you will avoid the chilling effect your body would otherwise experience and your thirst will be quenched much better than if you had taken a sweet soft drink. It is thus worthwhile putting a small bottle of Molkosan in your rucksack when going on a hike in the summer.

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Comments (0) Apr 09 2009

Milk is an ideal culture medium for all kinds of bacteria. If you leave unpasteurised fresh milk in a normally warm room in summer it will turn sour. The curdling is caused by lactic acid bacteria whose spores were either present in the milk or invaded it while it was in the kitchen. We do not recommend using milk that cannot turn sour because of chemical additives that make it stringy and go off if left outside the refrigerator.

There are various species of lactic bacteria, each one playing an important part in the preparation of special cheeses. Yogurt is made by inoculating the milk with lactic acid bacteria. Some of these bacteria should not be ingested constantly because they affect the intestinal flora. Thus yogurt is good for you if you eat it occasionally; if, however, you take it regularly all year round, its influence on the intestinal flora is one-sided and therefore detrimental. Some researchers claim that yogurt, if eaten every day over a long period of time, will cause the essential coliform bacteria in the intestines to degenerate. For this reason it is not recommended to eat yogurt continuously.

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Comments (0) Apr 09 2009

It is necessary to clarify certain questions connected with the various kinds of sugar, since many people are not sure of the difference between unrefined cane sugar and refined white sugar. In fact, it has been said that brown sugar (unrefined cane sugar) is treated with sulphur and is therefore no less detrimental to health than refined white sugar, which has been bleached and dyed for the purpose of preservation.

However, white sugar is dyed solely to enhance its whiteness, not to make it keep longer. This is done following the same principle as is applied in the manufacture of washing powder, to which is added ‘blueing agents’ to make the linen appear whiter than it actually is. Without this addition it would soon begin to look greyish. Sugar keeps indefinitely on its own and needs no preservative. If stored correctly, it will last a hundred years and still be sweet. It is ‘blued’ for eye-appeal and for no other reason.

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Comments (0) Apr 09 2009

Whole wheat also provides an ideal dish and should be prepared in the same way as rice. Instead of a risotto you would then get a ‘wheatotto’, so to speak. Other good carbohydrate foods containing nutritive salts are millet and buckwheat.

If you like soup, choose a vegetable soup, but only mildly seasoned. Meat soups are not particularly healthy for they promote the formation of uric acid in the system. Vegetable soups, on the other hand, are very beneficial for those who suffer from arthritis. Before you sit down to eat the soup, add some fresh herbs and raw vegetable juices. And if you do not like raw vegetables prepared as a salad, they too can be added to soup, finely chopped or grated. Finely chopped nettles, bear’s garlic (ramsons) and other herbs will improve both the nutritive value and the taste of the soup.

For those who like meat, beef or veal may be added to whatever dish they have chosen, but this should be considered as just a small addition to the main meal, for it is best to restrict oneself to a minimum of the protein-containing foods.

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Comments (0) Apr 09 2009