Tip 1. Colour Therapy: A Basic Guide to Putting Colour in Your Health
Are you suffering nervous tension, ulcers, sexual disorders, hay fever, colds, or even cancer? Consider colour therapy. This evening is an ideal time to begin putting your tensions away by enhancing your environment with the colour green. Green gently relieves tension and mildly sedates the body. It strengthens eyesight. Being highly medicinal and depressive, green is of great help in the treatment of inflammatory conditions. How can be sure to get benefits of green. One method of colour therapy is simple: Just be sure to eat green foods. Eat any of the green vegetables and fruits such as gourds, spinach, plantain, lettuce, pea, green mango, gooseberry, pears, and beans.
Tip 2. Recognize the Problem with Conventional Treatments, The Example of Tonsillitis
The treatment of the tonsillitis on the lines of modern medical system by means of painting and spraying is both harmful and suppressive. It does not help to rid the system of the toxins, which are the root of the trouble. In fact it forces these toxins back into the system, which may cause more serious trouble later on. The correct way to treat the disease is to cleanse the system of toxic waste through proper dietary and other natural methods.
To begin with, the patient should fast for three to five days by which time serious symptoms would subside. Nothing but water and orange juice should be taken during this time. The bowels should be cleansed daily with a warm water enema during the period of fasting. A cold pack should be applied to the throat at two-hourly interval during the day. The procedure is to wring out some linen material in cold water, wrap it two or three times around the throat and cover it with some flannelling.
The throat may be gargled several times daily with neat lemon juice. Gargle made from the fenugreek seeds is very effective in severe cases. To make such a gargle, two tablespoonful of fenugreek seeds should be allowed to simmer for half an hour in a litre of water and then set aside to cool. The entire quantity should be used as a soothing gargle in a day with beneficial results.
Tip 3. Use the Recovery Diet: The Example of the Recovery Diet for Tonsillitis
After the acute symptoms of tonsillitis are over, the patient should adopt an all-fruit diet for further three or four days. In this regimen, three meals of fresh, juicy fruits such as apples, grapes, grapefruit, oranges, pears, pineapple, peaches and melon may be taken. The juice of fresh pineapple is most valuable in all throat afflictions of this kind. After the all-fruit diet the patient may gradually embark upon a well-balanced diet on the following lines:
• Breakfast: Fresh fruits, or grated raw carrot or any other raw salad, and milk. Prunes or other dried fruits may be added, if desired.
• Lunch: Steamed vegetables, as obtainable, and whole wheat chapattis. Vegetables likes bitter gourd and fenugreek are especially beneficial.
• Dinner: A good-sized raw salad of vegetables as obtainable, sprouts seeds as mung beans and alfalfa seeds, whole meal bread and butter or cottage cheese.
Raw vegetable juices are also valuable in the treatment of tonsillitis. Juice of carrot, beet and cucumber taken individually or in combination are especially beneficial. Remember to use three parts carrot juice to one part beet and one part cucumber.
Tip 4. Anti-Aging Cures: The Example of Lecithin
To stay young, take lecithin.
Besides reducing the cholesterol level in the blood, there is mounting scientific evidence to suggest several other benefits from lecithin. It has been suggested that its intake in sufficient amounts can help rebuild those cells and organs which need it. Lecithin helps to maintain their health once they are repaired. It may mean that a deficiency of lecithin in the diet may be one of the causes of ageing and that its use may be beneficial in retarding the ageing process.
Edward R. Hewith in his book, The Years Between 75 and 90 says," with older people the fats remain high in the blood for from five to seven hours and in some cases as long as 20 hours, thus giving the fats more time to become located in the tissues. If lecithin is given to older people before a fatty meal, it has been found that the fats in the blood return to normal in a short time, in the same way they do in younger people."
Tip 5. Getting to Know the Basic Concepts of Human Nutrition: The Example of Potassium
Potassium deficiencies are associated with breathlessness, fatigue, insomnia and low blood sugar. Potassium is essential for healthy heart muscles. Nuts and unrefined grains are good sources of potassium. Calcium is a natural sedative. Deficiencies can cause fatigue, nervousness and tension. Dairy products, eggs, almonds, and soyabeans are rich sources of calcium. Magnesium is known as nature's tranquilliser and is associated with the prevention of heart attack. Deficiencies may lead to excitability, irritability, apprehension and emotional disorders. Magnesium is also necessary for absorption of calcium and potassium and is found in many fruits, vegetables, seeds, dates and prunes.
Tip 6. Get to Know Basic Diet Concepts: The Example of How Fibre in the Diet Lowers Cholesterol in the Blood
The amount of fibre in the diet also influences the cholesterol levels and LDL cholesterol can be lowered by taking diets rich in fibres. The most significant sources of dietary fibre are unprocessed wheat bran, whole cereals such as wheat, rice, barley, rye; legumes such as potato, carrot, beet and turnips; fruits like mango and guava and green vegetables such as cabbage, lady's finger, lettuce and celery.
Oat bran is especially beneficial in lowering LDL cholesterol. Expect effects of 8 to 15 mg/dl after consuming 30 g of oat bran each day for 30 days.
Tip 7. Get to Know Vegetarian Principles
Example: To Lower Blood Pressure, Be Faithfully Vegetarian Vegetables are also good for the patient of hypertension. They should preferably be taken raw. If they are cooked, it should be ensured that their natural juices are not burnt in the process of cooking.
Vegetables like cucumber, carrot, tomatoes, onion, radish, cabbage and spinach are best taken in their raw form. They may be cut into small pieces and sprinkled with a little salt and the juice of a lemon added to them so as to make them more palatable.
Tip 8. Get to Know Healthy Kitchen Practices
Example: Foods That Require Careful Cooking Certain foods, especially if they are not properly cooked, cause indigestion. Some people react unfavourable to certain foods like beans, cabbage, onions, cucumber, radishes and seafood. Fried foods as well as rich and spicy foods often cause abdominal discomfort and gas, and aggravate the existing condition.
What are some other important considerations?
• Excessive smoking and intake of alcohol can also cause stomach upsets.
• Constipation may interfere with the normal flow of ingested matter through the gastro- intestinal tract, resulting in gas and abdominal pain.
• Drinking too much water with meals, insomnia, emotions such as jealousy, fear and anger and lack of exercise are among the other causes of indigestion.
Tip 9. (Basic Healing Principles) Control Inflammation with Cold
For controlling inflammation, use the cold compress.
This is a local application using a cloth that has been wrung out in cold water. The cloth should be folded into a broad strip and dipped in cold water or ice water. The compress is generally applied to the head, neck, chest, abdomen and back.
The cold compress is an effective means of controlling inflammatory conditions of the liver, spleen, stomach, kidneys, intestines, lungs, brain, pelvic organs and so on. It is also advantageous in cases of fever and heart disease. The cold compress soothes irritations of the dermis and inflammations of external portions of the eye. When the eyeball is affected, the cold compress should follow a short fomentation.
Tip 10 (Basic Healing Principles) Control Pain with Heat
For relieving pain, use the hot compress.
This is a cold compress covered in such a manner as to bring warmth. A heating compress consists of three or four folds of linen cloth wrung out in cold water which is then covered completely with dry flannel or blanket to prevent the circulation of air and help accumulation of body heat.
The hot compress sometimes applied for several hours. The duration of the application is determined by the extent and location of the surface involved, the nature and thickness of the coverings and the water temperature. After removing the compress, the area should be rubbed with a wet cloth and then dried with a towel.
A heating compress can be applied to the throat, chest, abdomen, and joints. A throat compress relieves sore throat, hoarseness, tonsillitis, pharyngitis and laryngitis. An abdominal compress helps those suffering from gastritis, hyperacidity, indigestion, jaundice, constipation, diarrhoea, dysentery and other ailments relating to the abdominal organs. The chest compress also known as chest pack, relieves colds, bronchitis, pleurisy, pneumonia, fever, cough and so on, while the joints compress is helpful for inflamed joints, rheumatism, rheumatic fever and sprains.
Tip 11. (Basic Healing Principles) Fasting Is a Time of Rest
Fasting is a time of rest.
A lot of energy is spent during the fast in the process of eliminating accumulated poisons and toxic waste materials. It is, therefore, of utmost importance that the patients gets as much physical rest and mental relaxation as possible during the fast.
In cases of fasts in which fruit juices are taken, especially when fresh grapes, oranges or grapefruit are used exclusively, the toxic wastes enter the blood -stream rapidly, resulting in an overload of toxic matter, which affects normal bodily functions. This often results in dizzy spells, followed by diarrhoea and vomiting. If this physical reaction persists, it is advisable to discontinue the fast and take cooked vegetables containing adequate roughage such as spinach and beets until the body functioning returns to normal.
The overweight person finds it much easier to go without food. Loss of weight causes no fear and the patient's attitude makes fasting almost a pleasure. The first day's hunger pangs are perhaps the most difficult to bear.
The craving for food will, however, gradually decrease as the fast progresses. Seriously sick persons have no desire for food and fasting comes naturally to them. The simplest rule is to stop eating until the appetite returns or until one feels completely well.
Tip 12. Hydrotherapy, the treatment of disease with the bath, is one of the most useful nature cures.
The hipbath is one of the most useful forms of hydrotherapy. As the name suggests, this mode of treatment involves only the hips and the abdominal region below the navel. A special type of tub is used for the purpose. The tub is filled with water in such a way that it covers the hips and reaches up to the navel when the patient sits in it. Generally, four to six gallons of water are required. If the special tub is not available, a common tub may be used. A support may be placed under one edge to elevate it by two or three inches. Hipbath is given in cold, hot, neutral or alternate temperatures.
IMPORTANT PRECAUTIONS:
Certain precautions are necessary while taking these therapeutic baths. Full baths should be avoided within three hours after a meal and one hour before it. Local baths like the hipbath and footbath may, however, be taken two hours after a meal. Clean and pure water must be used for baths and water once used should not be used again. While taking baths, temperature and duration should be strictly observed to obtain the desired effects. A thermometer should always be used to measure the temperature of the body. Women should not take any of the baths during menstruation. They can take only hipbaths during pregnancy till the completion of the third month.
Tip 13. A simple nature cure for inflammatory conditions is the cold footbath.
Three to four inches of cold water at a temperature of 7.2 ºC to 12.7º C should be placed in a small tub or bucket. The feet should be completely immersed in the water for one to five minutes. Friction should be continuously applied to the feet during the bath, either by an attendant or by the patient by rubbing one foot against the other.
A cold footbath, taken for one or two minutes, relieves cerebral congestion and uterine haemorrhage. It also helps in the treatment of sprains, strains and inflamed bunions when taken for longer periods. It should not be taken in cases of inflammatory conditions of the genitourinary organs, liver and kidneys.
Tip 14. The cold hipbath is a routine treatment in most diseases.
The water temperature should be 10ºC to 18ºC. The duration of the bath is usually 10 minutes, but in specific conditions it may vary from one minute to 30 minutes. If the patient feels cold or is very weak, a hot foot immersion should be given with the cold hipbath.
The patient should rub the abdomen briskly from the navel downwards and across the body with a moderately coarse wet cloth. The legs, feet and upper part of the body should remain completely dry during and after the bath. The patient should undertake moderate exercise like yogasanas in a warm room, after the cold hipbath, to warm the body.
A cold hipbath is a versatile therapy. It relieves constipation, indigestion, and Obesity, and helps the eliminative organs to function properly. It is also helpful in uterine problems like irregular menstruation, chronic uterine infections, pelvic inflammation, piles, hepatic congestion, chronic congestion of the prostate gland, seminal weakness, impotency, sterility, uterine and ovarian displacements, dilation of the stomach and colon, diarrhoea, dysentery, haemorrhage of the bladder and so on. The cold hipbath should not be employed in acute inflammations of the pelvic and abdominal organs, ovaries and in painful contractions of the bladder, rectum, or vagina.
Tip 15. The Epsom salt bath is useful in cases of sciatica, lumbago, rheumatism, diabetes, neuritis, cold and catarrh, kidney disorders and other uric acid and skin affections.
The immersion bathtub should be filled with about 135 litres of hot water at 40ºC. One to 1 1/2 kg of Epsom salt should be dissolved in this water. The patient should drink a glass of cold water, cover the head with a cold towel and then lie down in the tub, completely immersing the trunk, thighs and legs for 15 to 20 minutes. The best time to take this bath is just before retiring to bed.
Tip 16. A simple nature cure is the hot footbath.
In this method, the patient should keep his or her legs in a tub or bucket filled with hot water at a temperature of 40ºC to 45ºC. Before taking this bath, a glass of water should be taken and the body should be covered with a blanket so that no heat or vapour escapes from the footbath. The head should be protected with a cold compress. The duration of the bath is generally from 5 to 20 minutes. The patient should take a cold shower immediately after the bath.
The hot footbath stimulates the involuntary muscles of the uterus, intestines, bladder and other pelvic and abdominal organs. It also relieves sprains and ankle joint pains, headaches caused by cerebral congestion, and colds. In women, it helps restore menstruation, if suspended, by increasing supply of blood especially to the uterus and ovaries.
Tip 17. A hot hipbath helps to relieve painful menstruation, pain in the pelvic organs, painful urination, inflamed rectum or bladder and painful piles.
It also benefits enlarged prostate gland, painful contractions or spasm of the bladder, sciatica, neuralgia of the ovaries and bladder.
This bath is generally taken for eight to 10 minutes at a water temperature of 40º C to 45ºC. The bath should start at 40º C. The temperature should be gradually increased to 45 º C. NO friction should be applied to the abdomen. Before entering the tub, the patient should drink one glass of cold water. A cold compress should be placed on the head. A cold shower bath should be taken immediately after the hot hipbath.
Care should be taken to prevent the patient from catching a chill after the bath. The bath should be terminated if the patient feels giddy or complains of excessive pain.
Tip 18. The hot immersion bath is a valuable treatment in chronic rheumatism and obesity.
It gives immediate relief when there is pain due to stones in the gall bladder and the kidneys. This bath also relieves capillary bronchitis and bronchial pneumonia in children. It relieves congestion of the lungs and activates the blood vessels of the skin muscles.
This bath can be taken from two to 15 minutes at a temperature from 36.6º C to 40º C. Generally this bath is started at 37ºC and the temperature is then gradually raised to the required level by adding hot water.
Before entering the bath, the patient should drink cold water and also wet the head, neck and shoulders with cold water. A cold compress should be applied throughout the treatment. This bath can be advantageously employed in dropsy when there is excessive loss of tone of the heart and blood. The bath should be terminated as soon as the skin becomes red.
In pneumonia and suppressed menstruation, the bath should be administered at 37.7º C to 40º C for about 30 to 45 minutes. This bath should be given when the menstruation is due and may be repeated for two to three days in succession. In dysmenorrhoea, this bath should be given at 38º C to 44.4º C for 15 minutes.
In chronic bronchitis a very hot bath taken for 5 to 7 minutes should be accompanied with rubbing and friction. This relieves congestion of the mucous membrane and provides immediate relief. After the bath, oil should be applied to the skin if necessary. The hot bath should not be taken in cases of organic diseases of the brain or spinal cord, nor in cases of cardiac weakness or cardiac hypertrophy.
Tip 19. Use the mud bath to remove impurities.
The mud or clay bath is another mode of the nature cure. It is applied in the same way as mud packs, but only on a larger scale on the entire body.
In this, mud or clay is first ground and sifted to remove all impurities, and then made into a smooth paste mixed with hot water. The paste is then spread on a sheet that in turn is wrapped round the body. One or two blankets are then wrapped over this, depending on the temperature of the room and that of the pack. A mud bath is followed with a cleansing warm water bath and a short cold shower.
The mud bath is found to tone up the skin by increasing the circulation and energising the skin tissues. Frequent mud baths help to improve the complexion, clear spots and patches on the skin following skin disorders or due to smallpox. It is very beneficial in the treatment of skin diseases like psoriasis, leucoderma and every leprosy. This bath is also valuable in getting relief from rheumatic pain or pain in the joints caused by injuries.
The duration of the bath should be from 30 minutes to one hour. Care should also be taken to avoid the patient catching a chill during the bath. Mud applications also form a vital part of natural beauty treatment.
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