Health

Restoring the Temple – Your Mind Can Make you Sick

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Science is beginning to confirm what certain wise men have said at different points in history. King Solomon said, “A merry heart doeth good [like] a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.” Proverbs 17:22. Your mind and mental state can have a profound affect on your physical body, your spiritual experience, and your over-all quality of life. The mind, the body, and the spirit are all inextricably interconnected. When one is affected, the other two suffer. We can live a healthy lifestyle and perform our spiritual duties, but if the mind is not healthy, the other two cannot make up for the lack, and we are not truly wholistically healthy or healed.

Physical Problems

Worry, anger, jealousy, hate, ill will, grudges, vindictiveness, irritation, resentment, guilt, depression, anxiety, lack of joy and happiness, and all other negative emotions and thoughts have a negative effect upon the body and open the door for sickness and disease. There are now quite a number of cases where a disease or sickness or altered health can be traced back to a mental cause. Here are a few: Decline of physical energy and vitality due to guilt following a series of sins or resulting from a string of lies; chronic aches and pains due to a long-held and suppressed grudge; skin rash after a quarrel with someone; colds due to mental stress over such things as exams, trips, and arguments; heart rhythms changing in response to positive or negative thoughts; high blood pressure from bouts of anger, fear, and stress, or imagined problems.

As a girl was about to be forced into an unwanted marriage, she experienced repeated attacks of rheumatoid arthritis. One physician was convinced that one of his patients died of “grudgitis” because of the hatred he held for so many years. Another doctor put it this way: “It is not a question of whether an illness is physical or emotional, but how much of each.” Dr. Flanders Dunbar, Mind and Body, Random House, New York, 1947.

Many health problems (often including cancer, chronic fatigue, depression, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, insomnia, irritable bowel disease, certain digestive disturbances) do not entirely clear up unless the mental aspect is also addressed. You may not have any of these diseases, yet be assured that your negative thoughts and emotions have their toll. There are physiological reasons why the body reacts so dramatically to our thoughts and emotions. Every part of our being, including our cells, sympathize or respond to the positive and negative states of our minds.

Emotional Problems

Negative emotions left unattended breed greater mental or emotional problems. This often results in sickness and sometimes death. Even though people experience negative results from their negative emotions, they often fail to trace their problems from cause to effect. The repetition of the same problem over and over again should lead them to seek answers that would totally eliminate the tensions, irritations, and anxieties, but, instead, they go right back to taking temporary solutions in the form of drugs or various medications.

It is very important that those who deal with individuals suffering from emotional problems approach such with a spirit of open-mindedness, sympathy, and understanding. Some people can handle more stress than others, and some can be so emotionally fragile that just a little pressure can cause immeasurable harm. Much care must therefore be taken to minister appropriately and tenderly to the abused and emotionally disturbed, especially since emotional problems can be so traumatic and long term that they can shut down all the vital forces of the body and the mind. The interconnection and sympathy between mind, body, and spirit is so strong that in the treatment of emotional problems a wise person will pay attention to every part of his or her being with the understanding that this is essential for total or complete healing.

Spiritual Problems

A disturbed mental state causes harm that can be manifested in various spiritual problems. This could include a decline in spirituality, loss of interest in spiritual things, pulling away from fellow believers, ceasing to attend worship or spiritual gatherings, and anger toward God or fellow believers. This is unfortunate because the true solution for mental unrest, and support for mental strength and health, must include the spiritual.

When a person is spiritually awake and uplifted, he or she usually exhibits a cheerfulness, faith, and boldness that gives consistency and momentum to all his or her pursuits in life. When spirituality is affected, reactions of discouragement, despondency, hopelessness, doubt, inconsistency, and laziness are exhibited, as well as guilt and fear, which have already been scientifically implicated with many mental and physical handicaps. If spiritual problems are not addressed, not only is our happiness in this world at stake, but also our future in heaven and the earth made new is in jeopardy.

Solution

Learn to become aware of the cause of the effect. A knowledge of this will help to get rid of many long-standing problems. Remember that all aspects of man—the mental, physical, and spiritual—are interconnected and therefore sympathize with each other. As one area is affected positively or negatively, its effects will overlap into all the other areas and have a similar effect on them as well. Thus, always try to work on every part of your being in order to get total healing when one part is affected.

More importantly, our thoughts affect both our emotions and our actions. Therefore, if we can change negative thoughts, we can also change our negative emotions and actions. Negative thoughts can paralyze or freeze up one’s entire being and inhibit progress in all pursuits or goals in life. Yes, my friend, the solution begins from within: transform the mind and you will transform the person. Hence we are told: “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what [is] that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” Romans 12:2.

For more information on having peace of mind and/or living a healthy lifestyle, please contact us at:

The Gilead Institute of America
6000 Live Oak Parkway, Suite 114
Norcross, Georgia 30093
Phone: (770) 270-1087
Website: www.gileadinstitute.org

Diane Herbert is a naturopath and lifestyle consultant. She received training from the NAD Lifestyle Consultant program, Thomas Edison State College, Clayton College of Natural Healing, and Bastyr University. Diane teaches health classes at the Gilead Institute located in Norcross, Georgia, gives health presentations, and contributes to the Institute’s literature and health flyer series. She may be contacted by e-mail at: gilead.net@usa.net.

Health – BDNF – Brain-derived Neurotrophic Factor

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We’ve all come to accept the notion that our brains will continue to shrink as we age. And nowhere is this decline more impactful than in the hippocampus, the brain’s memory center.

Researchers measuring the size of the hippocampus using MRI scans demonstrate a clear correlation between shrinkage of the hippocampus and declining cognitive function.

Challenging the status quo notion that loss of hippocampal function is inevitable is new and exciting research showing that we have the potential to actually grow new cells in this vitally important area of the brain, expanding the hippocampus in size and enhancing memory function.

The growth of new cells in the brain, neurogenesis, is enhanced under the influence of a specific protein called BDNF. And while there is no pharmaceutical approach to increasing BDNF, animal research has long recognized that aerobic exercise causes a robust increase in BDNF levels and as a consequence, increases both the growth of new cells in the hippocampus as well as increase in memory.

But while the animal research has long confirmed the relationship between aerobic exercise and the growth of new brain cells, this relationship has been only recently demonstrated to occur in humans.

Neuroscientist Kirk Erikson and his research team at the University of Pittsburg publishing in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science studied a group of 120 adults over a one year span.

Half the group was given a stretching program to perform 3 times each week while the other half engaged in 3 days of aerobics.

After one year, the two groups were evaluated looking at three parameters. First, using MRI scans, the change in size of the hippocampus was calculated. Second, serum measurements before and after the trial were measured. And finally, the study actually measured memory function at the beginning and end of the trial.

The results were breathtaking. While the group doing the stretching program manifested a decline in memory, hippocampal size and BDNF levels, the aerobics group showed not only improvement in memory, but actually an increase in the size of the hippocampus accompanied by an increase in their blood levels of BDNF. The authors concluded: “These results clearly indicate that aerobic exercise is neuroprotective and that starting an exercise regimen later in life is not futile for either enhancing cognition or augmenting brain volume.” Simply stated, this landmark research demonstrated that aerobic exercise increases the growth of new stem cells in the human brain, and these stem cells mature to become fully functioning neurons.

The important role of BDNF in preserving brain function was the subject of a landmark report in the prestigious Journal of the American Medical Association. In the report, researchers showed that blood levels of BDNF almost perfectly predict future risk for declining brain function as long as 10 years in the future.

The results of these studies have huge implications. Multiple studies have now confirmed the fact that aerobic exercise can turn on the genetic machinery to manufacture BDNF, the brain’s “growth hormone,” creating new stem cells that become fully functioning neurons in the brain’s memory center and actually improving memory. Despite the lack of any pharmaceutical development to enhance this process, you have direct control of your BDNF levels and thus the fate of your brain.

You can increase your BDNF levels and enhance the growth of new brain cells and memory. Here’s how:

Engage in regular aerobic exercise. I recommend 20 minutes per day, 6 days each week. A good target heart rate is around 180 minus your age. Your specific target rate will depend on your level of fitness as well as medications you may be taking. That said, it’s always a good idea to check with a healthcare practitioner before engaging in a new exercise program.

The omega-3, DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid), like aerobic exercise, has been shown to activate the genes that turn on BDNF production. So take a supplement that contains DHA. DHA is available in … algae-derived (suitable for vegetarians) products. … My recommendation is a dosage of DHA of around 800mg daily.

Curcumin, the main active ingredient in the spice turmeric, is currently the subject of intense scientific inquiry, especially as it relates to the brain. But curcumin isn’t new to medical research as it has been used in traditional Chinese and Indian medicine for thousands of years. Curcumin is known to possess a variety of biochemical properties including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, and antibacterial activities. But most exciting, as it relates to the brain, extensive research confirms that in humans, consumption of curcumin is associated with a significant rise in BDNF levels.

In a recent report in Food and Nutrition Sciences, researchers demonstrated how whole coffee fruit concentrate (WCFC) affected BDNF levels in humans. The study involved 20 young adults (25-35 years) who were asked to consume whole coffee fruit concentrate powder followed by blood evaluations of their BDNF levels. Remarkably, BDNF levels actually doubled in those individuals taking the whole coffee fruit concentrate in comparison to those who were given coffee or a placebo.

In another study published in the British Journal of Nutrition, researchers administered a single 100mg dose of whole coffee fruit extract to a group of volunteers and observed a 143% increase in their blood values of BDNF. WCFC is a patented extract of whole coffee fruit from the common coffee bean, Coffea arabica. It contains chemicals called procyanidins which are known to protect brain cells, as well as a unique profile of polyphenols that may well relate to its ability to raise BDNF so dramatically.

Again, BDNF is powerfully influential in determining your brain’s destiny, so these new scientific reports showing the dramatic rise in BDNF with whole coffee fruit concentrate is very exciting, especially for me as a neuroscientist.

Extracts from Extraordinary Health, vol. 32, 2018, David Perlmutter, M.D. (America’s Brain Health Expert, Board-certified Neurologist, #1 New York Times Best Selling Author, Fellow of the American College of Nutrition, and expert in the Human Microbiome.)

Studies have proven we can increase BDNF levels and enhance the growth of new brain cells and memory by engaging in regular aerobic exercise, incorporating omega 3s, curcumin and whole coffee fruit in the diet. But nothing will strengthen the intellect more than the study of the Bible. “The Bible is the best book in the world for giving intellectual culture. Its study taxes the mind, strengthens the memory, and sharpens the intellect … .”  Gospel Workers, 100. “The mind will enlarge if it is employed in tracing out the subjects of the Bible, comparing scripture with scripture, and spiritual things with spiritual. There is nothing more calculated to strengthen the intellect than the study of the Scriptures. No other book is so potent to elevate the thoughts, to give vigor to the faculties, as the broad, ennobling truths of the Bible.” Christian Education, 58.

Restoring the Temple – Why Do We Get Sick?

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Often when a person is diagnosed with a major chronic health problem, that person asks or at least wonders, “How could this happen to me? It came so suddenly.”

The fact of the matter is, it did not come suddenly. The disease process starts long before it is diagnosed. It can start as long as ten or twenty years before you know you have the disease. Usually the disease process begins when a sufficient number of factors come together to start you down the road to having a diagnosable disease.

Factors of Disease

These factors can be any number and combination of things. It could be too many refined foods, excess amounts of saturated fats and fried foods and protein, not getting enough vitamins and minerals, accumulation of toxins, not enough exercise, not enough rest, exposure to pollutants and chemicals, a weakened immune system, a high stress life, genetic predisposition to the disease, chronic bacterial or viral infection, and other factors. Not any one of these things is the reason for the sickness; it is the combined factors.

These combined factors merely set you on the road toward disease. Once you are on that road, it still does not guarantee that you will end up being diagnosed with the disease. You are kept going down the road by the initial factors being reinforced or continued, and perhaps by other factors being added. If the disease process continues uninterrupted, eventually it will come to a point where you will be officially diagnosed with a disease. However, at any point along that road you can halt the process and usually even reverse it by addressing the factors, the incorrect diet and lifestyle habits, that initiated it and/or reinforced it.

Natural Medicine’s Goal

From a natural medicine perspective, when the disease process started, you had fallen from optimum health. Once a person has less than optimum health, the natural medicine approach dictates that it should and needs to be addressed, even though the person has not yet been diagnosed with a disease and a medical doctor has pronounced him or her free of illness. The goal of natural medicine is to build and maintain optimum health, which automatically means disease and sickness are not present. Conventional medicine will not even recognize that a problem exists until the disease process is way down the road and clinical symptoms are being manifested that can be readily observed or tested in the lab.

Most people have at least heard of the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) set by the government, which are currently being reviewed and changed. RDAs are generally considered the guidelines for good health. However, RDAs have been set from the standpoint of preventing deficiency diseases (such as scurvy and rickets), as opposed to maintaining optimum health. Therefore, you may be getting the RDAs of the various nutrients, but not be in optimum or even good health, merely free of diagnosable disease. Many health problems with undetermined causes can be traced to vitamin and mineral insufficiencies, or not getting enough of certain nutrients to truly be healthy. Many in the natural medicine perspective believe that the nutrient requirements for optimum health are significantly higher than the RDAs. Therefore, one of the things that natural medicine considers is sub-clinical nutrient deficiencies (undiagnosable insufficiencies).

Nutrition

Natural medicine looks at other vital factors that conventional nutrition generally has not considered very important. These factors include antioxidants, enzymes, probiotics (providing sufficient friendly bacteria), dietary fiber, and plant pigments (carotenes, chlorophyll, flavonoids, and other vitamin-like compounds and dietary constituents).

Antioxidants are extremely important in protecting us from the damage inflicted by a certain kind of erratic oxygen molecule that we are exposed to every day. Excess calories, pollution, and chemicals increase our exposure. This dangerous kind of oxygen molecule damages cell walls, DNA, and causes fatty acids to become rancid (such as found in the brain). This damage affects the functioning of various aspects of our bodies and has been associated with aging, arteriosclerosis, arthritis, cancer, diabetes, multiple sclerosis (MS), senile dementia, and nearly every other chronic degenerative problem. Antioxidants work to neutralize this harmful substance and protect us from its cumulative effects. Antioxidants often used include vitamins A, C, E, selenium, zinc, magnesium, beta-carotene, flavonoids, and some of the B vitamins. Therefore, it is imperative to ensure that we daily take in a sufficient supply of antioxidants, and avoid unnecessary calories, pollutants, and chemicals.

Other Considerations

Natural medicine deals with other broader issues than those normally addressed from a conventional nutrition perspective. It also shows that our mental state as we eat has a significant impact on the amount of nourishment we receive from our food. Eating should be in a relaxed and peaceful setting, without hurry, tension, arguing, undue stress and excitement. We should be able to eat slowly and chew our food thoroughly, being conscious of what we are doing, including the taste of the food. Meals need to be approached with appreciation, including blessing the food in prayer, which prepares the body to receive this new nourishment. Natural medicine seeks to also promote thorough and efficient digestion, which is imperative for good health. This is accomplished through eating correctly and eating the right kinds of foods.

To answer the question, “Why do we get sick?” we must personally look at what we do and at our daily habits, and make sure that we do not allow factors to come together to push us down the road to being diagnosed with a major chronic health problem.

The natural medicine perspective can enrich anyone’s life and health. It has many benefits, and has helped many people achieve a richer quality of life with better health. See what it can do for you!

For more information on living a healthy lifestyle, please contact us at:

The Gilead Institute of America, 6000 Live Oak Parkway, Suite 114, Norcross, Georgia 30093 Phone: (770) 270-1087 Website: www.gileadinstitute.org

Diane Herbert is a naturopath and lifestyle consultant. She received training from the NAD Lifestyle Consultant program, Thomas Edison State College, Clayton College of Natural Healing, and Bastyr University. Diane teaches health classes at the Gilead Institute located in Norcross, Georgia, gives health presentations, and contributes to the Institute’s literature and health flyer series. She may be contacted by e-mail at: gilead.net@usa.net.

Restoring the Temple – Prevention Or Prescription

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Over the last decade, the subject of health has become more and more prominent. Health consciousness has tremendously increased everywhere. Also, many are concerned regarding new sicknesses and diseases that are baffling modern medicine. As a result, many important questions are being asked by individuals. Often the inquiry is made as to what must be done to stay healthy and avoid sickness. Others ask concerning what aspect of health needs to be stressed the most, since this is indeed a very broad subject that enters into many different areas. Surely these queries are quite valid for those in pursuit of healthy bodies and peace of mind.

Conventional medicine with its many different branches is well known by everyone. Preventative medicine and alternative means of healing have also been around for many years and consist of many different aspects which include such areas as natural remedies, holistic healing, hydrotherapy, homeopathy, reflexology, herbology, and much more.

Prevention Important

However, one of the most important aspects of health that many people often overlook is the necessity of prevention. What is very much needed by all is a knowledge of how to preserve their bodies from different diseases and ailments and exactly how to keep them functioning at their highest or optimum capability. Thus, while it is true that a prescription or remedy is essential when the need arises, it is more essential to recognize and concentrate on prevention. The logical conclusion is that prevention is better than prescription.

Although all the different departments of health are essential in themselves, most of them are unfortunately more concerned with treatment, cures, healing procedures or techniques, instead of preventing the development of health problems in the first place. The Creator never intended for any of His dear creatures to be sick. Thus God designed all nature in such a way that when His moral and natural laws are obeyed, our bodies, minds, and spirits will be able to continue functioning in a positive and healthy manner at all times. However, sin came in and interrupted the Lord’s original plan.

If the Creator’s natural laws of health were consistently incorporated into our lifestyle today, we would seldom experience sickness. Unfortunately, due to man’s disobedience to his Maker, sickness and death have become natural occurrences in life. Hence the use of various prescriptions, treatments, therapies, and vitamin and mineral supplements, as well as many different herbs, has only really become essential as a result of man’s disobedience. Their increased and ever increasing necessity can be seen in the negative effects of bad diets and other unhealthful practices on the minds and bodies of men and women today.

Healthy Lifestyle

Surely, a knowledge of such things as herbs and certain natural remedies is very essential to the healing of the mind and the body from various diseases and ailments. However, a knowledge of proper health practices and principles that aid in the natural maintenance of the human body will always prove to be more important and extremely essential to our happiness, health, and well-being.

Since the practice of a healthy lifestyle acts as a deterrent from sickness and disease, it is better to possess and promote a knowledge of the laws and principles of good health instead of only knowing about treatments and cures whose need arises as a result of failure to adopt preventative measures on a regular basis. However, again it must be stressed that the different treatments, remedies, and cures have their place, but always remember that prevention is better than prescription as much as caution is better than cure.

All should become aware of the laws of health and promote them as a lifestyle. We should see the need to learn more about the eight natural laws of health, which includes the proper understanding of the effects of nutrition, exercise, water, and sunshine. We believe that these laws should constitute the foundation of all our instruction to our children and others in the area of health. By so doing, we can prevent many health problems from arising in the first place.

It should be observed that when a person gets sick and goes to his or her doctor, the physician often prescribes at least one or more of the eight natural laws to help the person get well (such as the need for more rest, the necessity of drinking plenty of good, clean water, and the need to get out in the sunshine). Thus, it is evident that some medical practitioners also see the need for using some natural means.

Diane Herbert is a naturopath and lifestyle consultant. She received training from the NAD Lifestyle Consultant program, Thomas Edison State College, Clayton College of Natural Healing, and Bastyr University. Diane teaches health classes at the Gilead Institute located in Norcross, Georgia, gives health presentations, and contributes to the Institute’s literature and health flyer series. She may be contacted by e-mail at: gilead.net@usa.net.

Restoring the Temple – What is a Good Diet

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Choosing a good diet can be very confusing. Much too often we encounter this person promoting one type of diet, another person another diet, this magazine heralding this weight loss diet plan, that researcher proclaiming his diet is the best, one diet plan calling for only protein and fat, another telling you to only drink shakes. So what should we really eat? With so many contradictions, what is really the best diet? That is exactly what we are going to consider.

There are four basic guidelines or principles of a good, healthy diet. These guidelines outline a nutritious maintenance diet which will promote health for the rest of our lives, as well as form the basis of a therapeutic diet for those who are battling with health problems. These are the guidelines for a good diet:

  1. a diet high in complex carbohydrates,
  2. a diet high in fiber,
  3. a diet low in protein, and
  4. a diet low in fat.

Complex Carbohydrates

Complex carbohydrates are very long chains of various sugar molecules. This should not be confused with the sugar used in candies, cakes, pies, cookies, and virtually all other sweet, dessert-type foods. Those sugar molecules are very short and affect the body very differently than the long sugar molecules found in complex carbohydrates.

Complex carbohydrates are very important for the body because they are used as fuel for the muscles and the brain. If the body does not have sufficient fuel (glucose) from complex carbohydrates, it has to try and get fuel elsewhere, which is not nearly as efficient as getting fuel from where it is supposed to get it—complex carbohydrates.

Thus, we need an abundance of complex carbohydrates to fuel our various daily mental and physical activities. Athletes and other people who are very active need a predominance of complex carbohydrates for fuel for their muscles.

Complex carbohydrates should make up approximately 70 percent of our caloric intake. Complex carbohydrates are found in whole wheat bread, brown rice, beans, and in all plant foods in varying amounts. So the next time you feel tired and hungry, look for complex carbohydrates in natural plant foods (not a candy bar, a steak, or coffee) to refuel your body’s energy.

Fiber

Fiber is simply indigestible or partially indigestible plant parts. Thus, the only place you will find fiber is in food from plants. Fiber is very important for optimum health because it sweeps the colon clean. Just as in our homes, if we do not clean them often, we find a lot of dust and dirt and grime in them. If we do not eat sufficient fiber, our colons will become clogged with waste, and worse yet the waste will be absorbed into the body and open the door for various major health problems. Fiber is also very helpful in lowering blood cholesterol levels.

Fiber is especially found in unrefined plant foods such as whole grains, legumes (beans), and various vegetables and fruits. Refined plant foods have much of the fiber taken out, as well as many of the vitamins and minerals that are so essential for optimum health, and then you do not get the full benefit of the plant food. Examples of refined foods are white bread, white rice, and many prepackaged food items. When a person is on an unrefined plant diet, he or she will usually get sufficient fiber.

Protein

Protein provides the building blocks for body structure (muscles and tissues) and many body processes (hormones and enzymes). But protein is not a good source of fuel (energy) for the body. Actually, most people eat twice as much protein as they should, and it usually comes in such form as bacon, eggs, cheese, chicken, pork, fish, and milk. The problem is that protein from these sources generally alters the blood chemistry and causes calcium to be leached from the bones and promotes its excretion through the kidneys. This produces a prime environment for osteoporosis and other health problems.

We do not need a whole lot of protein because the body recycles much of what it already has. As cells get old and die, they are broken down, and many of the components are reused, including the protein. All we need is approximately 10 percent of our calories as protein. If you follow the first two basic guidelines and you eat a good variety of foods with sufficient caloric intake, you do not need to worry about getting sufficient protein.

Plant foods are wonderful sources of protein without the problems mentioned above. Plant foods especially high in protein include tofu, soybeans, spinach, beans, lentils, and broccoli.

Fat

Most people already know that too much fat contributes to or causes many health complications. These problems include heart attacks, strokes, deposits in the arteries, obesity, diabetes, and many other health issues. Therefore it is ideal if fat consumption constitutes only about 20 percent of our caloric intake. The easiest way¾and virtually the only way¾to do this is to concentrate on unrefined plant foods.

The best kind of fat is mono-unsaturated fat, which comes primarily from vegetable sources. Olive oil and canola oil are especially high in mono-unsaturated fat. While it is important to have some fat in the diet, fat is not a good primary source of energy. Excess fat hinders proper blood circulation, thus depriving the tissues of needed oxygen and nutrients.

All long-lived, virtually disease-free societies follow the above four principles of a good diet, along with the other aspects of living a healthy lifestyle. Let us learn a lesson from them and use more unrefined plant foods: fruits, vegetables, grains, and nuts (including legumes).

Diane Herbert is a naturopath and lifestyle consultant. She received training from the NAD Lifestyle Consultant program, Thomas Edison State College, Clayton College of Natural Healing, and Bastyr University. Diane teaches health classes at the Gilead Institute located in Norcross, Georgia, gives health presentations, and contributes to the Institute’s literature and health flyer series. She may be contacted by e-mail at: gilead.net@usa.net.

Restoring the Temple – The Fountain of Youth

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Over the centuries, explorers hoped to find the fountain of youth. Of course, they did not find what they expected to find. However, perhaps we have had the fountain of youth with us throughout history, but have not appreciated it for what it is. Perhaps the fountain of youth is simply water itself!

We all know or have some idea that we need to drink fluids from time to time, but few people know or understand the damage the body sustains when a person does not drink enough water.

The cells of the body are about 75 percent water; the brain is about 85 percent water, while the bones contain less water. Many consider that water is just filler material and that as long as they drink a little, things will function just fine. However, nothing could be further from the truth. When insufficient water is taken in, the body suffers in numerous ways, and it alerts us to its deficiency through a multitude of pains and diseases.

Dehydration

When a person does not drink sufficient water, there is a shortage of water in the body for its various functions. This is known as dehydration. When this happens, the body embarks on a strict water-rationing program. It starts to produce more histamine, which regulates water distribution to the various organs and parts of the body. Those areas of the body not considered as essential for survival—such as bones, joints, and skin—receive little water, whereas other areas that are considered vital—such as the brain—still get a fair amount, albeit less than necessary for full and proper function.

Many people think that any fluid will satisfy their need for water. This is not true. Caffeine-containing beverages—coffee, tea, colas, and other soda drinks—and alcoholic beverages—such as wine and beer—are all diuretics. These substances cause more water to be eliminated than is taken in. If a person drinks a cup of coffee, for example, one and a half cups of water will be excreted from the body. It is the same with the other caffeine and alcohol-containing beverages. Thus, people can drink themselves into dehydration, while thinking that they have fulfilled their need for water. Milk and juice should be considered foods and are not a satisfactory replacement for water. Only water will truly satisfy the body’s need for water.

Minimum Needs

At minimum, a person needs eight cups of water a day. However, the following is a more precise formula for determining your individual water needs: Take your weight in pounds; divide that number by two, and this is the amount of water in ounces that you need every day. To find out how many cups that is, divide the amount in ounces by eight, and you will get the number of cups that you need. If you are exercising, sweating, living in a hot climate, overweight, experiencing pain, sick or diseased, or under stress of any kind, you may need to drink more water than that. A good indicator for determining if you are drinking enough water is if your urine is clear or if it is very light in color. The darker the urine, the more dehydrated you are. When you drink the amount of water that you need, you should not go on a salt-free or salt-restricted diet. All that water will flush any extra salt out of your body. Also, you should drink your water between meals and not with your meals. “The more liquid there is taken into the stomach with the meals, the more difficult it is for the food to digest; for the liquid must first be absorbed.” Christian Temperance and Bible Hygiene, 51.

The following are a few of the health problems in which dehydration is a major cause:

High Blood Pressure

When there is not enough water in the body, the volume of blood decreases. To compensate for the reduced amount of blood, the blood vessels have to reduce their interior size; otherwise there would not be enough blood to fill all of the available area in the circulatory system and gas pockets would form. Thus, the muscles that line the arteries squeeze down so that the passageway for the blood is smaller. This tension in the arteries is then detected as hypertension. Also, because there is not enough water to go around, this extra pressure in the blood vessels is needed in order to force water into certain vitally important cells so that they do not get too dehydrated. Lastly, the body starts to retain salt in an effort to keep more water in the body, for water follows salt. The solution for this is to drink sufficient water and to take a little salt, preferably sea salt.

Stomach Pains

When the body is dehydrated, there is insufficient mucus lining the interior of the stomach. This mucus layer must be of a sufficient quantity to protect the stomach from the acid that digests the food. When stomach acid reaches the tissues under the mucus, pain is the result.

Water is also necessary to produce the digestive enzymes and alkaline solution from the pancreas. When there is insufficient water to produce adequate quantities of this solution, the stomach is not able to pass the food into the intestines in a timely manner, and digestion is greatly slowed. This can also result in putting pressure at the top of the stomach and causing heartburn. Constipation will result when there is a shortage of water, and the body is trying to recapture water from the waste in the colon. The solution for all of these problems is to drink one to two cups of water 30 minutes before each meal, and then wait at least one hour after eating before drinking more water.

Fatigue

Many times fatigue is merely due to dehydration. There are little mechanisms in cell walls that operate like the hydroelectric generators in a dam producing electricity. Much energy can be produced from these “cellular hydroelectric pumps.” However, in order for this to happen, there must be sufficient “free” water in the body. In other words, this operation requires water that is not engaged in any other activity. But in dehydration, all of the water is being put to use in other vital areas, and the person is not able to benefit from this source of energy. This source of energy is as important as food energy. To fight fatigue, drink your individual requirement of water.

Many other health problems are also caused or made worse by not drinking enough water. These include asthma, allergies, arthritis, edema, obesity, headaches, migraines, depression, pain of all kinds, autoimmune diseases, and more. Hopefully, you will decide to start drinking more water, and eliminate the diuretic beverages from your lifestyle. Your health will greatly improve just by doing this.

Water Source

The source of your water should be clean and uncontaminated. In today’s environment, it makes sense to use bottled water or filtered water. Filtration removes the chlorine from the water and enhances the water’s taste, helping you to enjoy it and to drink the amount you should.

Diane Herbert is a naturopath and lifestyle consultant. She received training from the NAD Lifestyle Consultant program, Thomas Edison State College, Clayton College of Natural Healing, and Bastyr University. Diane teaches health classes at the Gilead Institute located in Norcross, Georgia, gives health presentations, and contributes to the Institute’s literature and health flyer series. If you would like more information on water or other health topics, you may contact her at: The Gilead Institute of America, 6000 Live Oak Parkway, Suite 114, Norcross, Georgia 30093; telephone: (770) 270-1087; Website: www.gileadinstitute.org.

Health – Kids: Connection to Nature Lessens Distress, Hyperactivity, and Behavioral Problems

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City lifestyle has been criticized for being an important reason for children being disconnected from nature. This has led to an unhealthy lifestyle in regard to active play and eating habits. Even worse, many young children do not feel well psychologically – they are often stressed and depressed. Sixteen percent of pre-schoolers in Hong Kong and up to 22% in China show signs of mental health problems.

Recent research shows that spending time in nature may bring many health benefits, and many environmental programs around the world are trying to decrease ‘nature-deficit’ and ‘child-nature disconnectedness’ in order to improve children’s health. For example, the World Health Organization, in order to monitor implementation of the Parma Declaration commitment to providing every child with access to “green spaces to play and undertake physical activity,” has set a 300-meter target. Interestingly, 90 per cent of the Hong Kong population lives within 400 metres of such areas. However, despite the extensive, adjacent greenness, families are not using these areas.

“We noticed a tendency where parents are avoiding nature. They perceive it as dirty and dangerous, and their children unfortunately pick up these attitudes. In addition, the green areas are often unwelcoming with signs like ‘Keep off the grass,’ ” said Dr. Tanja Sobko from the School of Biological Sciences of the University of Hong Kong. Until now, it has not been possible to measure connectedness to nature in preschool children, mostly due to the fact that they are too young to answer for themselves.

A new 16-item parent questionnaire to measure “connectedness to nature” in very young children has been developed by Dr. Sobko and her collaborator Prof. Gavin Brown, Director of the Quantitative Data Analysis and Research Unit at the University of Auckland. The questionnaire identified four areas that reflect the child-nature relationship: enjoyment of nature, empathy for nature, responsibility towards nature, and awareness of nature.

The study consisted of two parts: the initial interviews with the families and the subsequent development of the questionnaire. Altogether, 493 families with children aged between 2 and 5 have participated in the study. Finally, the new questionnaire was tested against the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, a well-established measurement of psychological well-being and children’s behaviour problems. The results revealed that parents who ensured that their child had a closer connection with nature discovered that the child had less distress, less hyperactivity, and fewer behavioural and emotional difficulties, and improved pro-social behaviour. Interestingly, children who took greater responsibility towards their interaction with nature had fewer peer difficulties. The results give a new possibility for investigating the link between the outdoor environment and well-being in pre-school children.

The study is part of Dr. Sobko’s research-based program “Play&Grow,” which is the first in Hong Kong to promote healthy eating and active playtime with preschool children by connecting them to nature. Launched 2016, it has so far included almost 1000 families from all over Hong Kong.

The findings have been published in the multidisciplinary Open Access journal, PLOS ONE. The new scale has already attracted international attention and is being adopted by universities worldwide including Western Australia and Deakin Universities. In addition, the HKU-developed “Play&Grow” program is also on track to be conducted in Australia. …

The next step is to further fine-tune future health promotion/disease prevention interventions, which Dr. Sobko and the team are committed to. … The new exciting extension of this work is to test the effect of exposing children to nature and then assessing for changes in their gut microbiota.

(Adapted from https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/01/190111095125.htm.)

For children, play is learning. There is no better space for kids to learn than the outdoors, and there is no better play resource than nature.

One of the best lessons children can be taught in their early years is to play outdoors. Children innately reap great benefits as they grow connection with and appreciation of the natural environment. In the structured, busy and technologically-advanced world we live in, the role of outdoor play that we experienced as children is being forgotten.

“Nature play” significantly improves all aspects of child development – physical, cognitive, social and emotional. …

There are many benefits to participating in nature play as a child, which also resonate into adulthood. Such outcomes from nature play include achievement, innovation, creativity, positive relationship development, skill development, self-awareness directly related to employability skills planning, organizing, decision making, innovation, problem solving, communication and working with others. The connection between these skills and the skills that will contribute to success later in life are clear to see.

Conversely, children who are not supported, encouraged, inspired or provided the opportunity to develop an intrinsic love of outdoor play are increasingly becoming disconnected from nature, to their detriment.

Children who don’t regularly participate in outdoor play lead sedentary lifestyles and are put at risk. Richard Louv, the American social commentator who wrote Last Child in the Woods, coined the term “nature deficit disorder” to describe as an illness afflicting children disconnected from nature. Symptoms of nature deficit disorder (as outlined by Louv, 2005) include depression, hyperactivity, boredom and loneliness. It may also manifest in reduced motor development and diminished mental and psychological health, including lack of attention, learning ability and creativity.

According to “Beyond Blue to Green,” a 2010 Australian report on the benefits of contact with nature for mental health and wellbeing, if we don’t take drastic changes to curb current sedentary indoor lifestyle trends, it is foreseeable that obesity, depression, stress, anxiety and mental health issues – which are all closely linked – will also continue to rapidly increase.

(Adapted from https://www.natureplayqld.org.au/nature-play-in-early-years-education.)

“In early ages, with the people who were under God’s direction, life was simple. They lived close to the heart of nature. Their children shared in the labor of the parents and studied the beauties and mysteries of nature’s treasure house. And in the quiet of field and wood they pondered those mighty truths handed down as a sacred trust from generation to generation. Such training produced strong men.

“ … we may learn from them lessons that will make our seasons of recreation what the name implies—seasons of true upbuilding for body and mind and soul.” The Adventist Home, 501.

“For the first eight or ten years of a child’s life the field or garden is the best schoolroom, the mother the best teacher, nature the best lesson book. Even when the child is old enough to attend school, his health should be regarded as of greater importance than a knowledge of books. He should be surrounded with the conditions most favorable to both physical and mental growth.

“To the nervous child, who finds lessons from books exhausting and hard to remember, it [work in garden and field] will be especially valuable. There is health and happiness for him in the study of nature. …

“Working the soil is one of the best kinds of employment, calling the muscles into action and resting the mind.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 179.

“Little children should be permitted to run and play out of doors, enjoying the fresh, pure air, and the life-giving sunshine. Let the foundation of a strong constitution be laid in early life.” The Review and Herald, January 10, 1882.

“In order for children … to have health, cheerfulness, vivacity, and well-developed muscles and brains, they should be much in the open air … .” Counsels on Health, 177, 178.

Restoring the Temple – Simple Hydrotherapy

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Hydrotherapy is a wonderful science that has been used since ancient times. In certain ancient cultures, the use of various baths was their main method of treatment of disease. Today, hydrotherapy is still a useful and effective approach for assisting the body to heal itself.

Hydrotherapy is the use of water to treat disease. (However, it should not replace the services of a competent physician when needed.) It causes the body to react in ways that enhance its own healing mechanisms. These reactions include increased circulation with tissues receiving more oxygen and nutrients and enhanced removal of wastes; increased number and movement of white blood cells, which means a greater fighting capacity of the immune system; the nervous system and organs function with increased efficiency and vitality; plus various other benefits are obtained. We will look at just three hydrotherapy applications that you can start using today. They are simple, yet very effective.

Daily Cool—Cold Shower

This is an application that everyone should incorporate into their daily routine. By doing so, you will probably notice increased resistance to colds and flus and increased general vigor and muscle tone. In addition, certain ailments may disappear.

Take a warm shower as you normally do in the morning (or evening), and make sure you feel nice and warm. When you finish washing yourself, turn the shower toward cold. You do not need to turn the warm water off entirely, but you need to feel a definite and fairly dramatic change in water temperature. As you feel the cold water hitting your skin, take your washcloth and rub your skin briskly where the water is hitting you. Move around so that the stream of water can hit against the different areas of your body and continue to rub briskly where it is hitting you. Continue to do this for 30 to 180 seconds. The colder the water, the shorter the time you need to remain in the cold shower; the less cool the water, the longer you will need to stay in the shower.

When you finish, turn off the water and briskly rub dry with your bath towel. You will be pleasantly surprised that the air outside the shower does not feel so cold anymore. When you first start doing this daily application, you may not be able to tolerate turning the water very cold, but as the days go by, you will find that you can gradually turn it cooler, and thus, your body will give a greater reaction.

Hot Foot Bath

A hot foot bath is a wonderful application that feels good and has many different uses. It is good for relaxing, helping the body to fight colds and flus, relieving headaches and head and chest congestion, warming a chilled person, and reducing fatigue and pain.

Get one foot tub¾a dishpan, clothes tub, or even a household trash container can work¾that you can comfortably fit both feet into and so the water can at least cover your ankles, one pitcher or teakettle of very hot water, one bowl of very cold water, one washcloth, and one bath towel. Fill the tub 2/3 to 3/4 full with water that is quite warm but not too hot. Place it in front of where you will sit (you may want to put some newspaper down first to protect the floor from accidental water spills), and have all the items listed above accessible. Take off your shoes and socks and put your feet in the warm water. As the water cools, pull your feet to one side of the tub, or take them out, and add some hot water, taking care to not burn the feet. As you start to feel warm, or if you have congestion in your head, wet the washcloth with the cold water in the bowl, wring it out so it is not dripping, and apply it to your forehead. Continue adding hot water to your foot tub as needed to keep the water as warm as you can comfortably tolerate, and re-wet the washcloth as needed to keep it cool. Continue with the bath for at least 20 to 60 minutes. When you are ready to finish, remove the washcloth from your head, lift both feet above the warm water and pour the bowl of cold water over them, covering all surfaces as best you can. Dry your feet, including between the toes, very thoroughly with your bath towel. Now rest for the next 30 to 60 minutes. Caution: Never use this treatment on a diabetic or a person with poor circulation in their feet or lower legs.

Cold Mitten Friction

You can give a cold mitten friction to yourself, but this application is easier for one person to administer it to another. The friction feels wonderful and has many benefits; it increases functioning of internal organs, relieves muscle soreness and achiness, increases resistance to colds and infections, increases white blood cell activity, helps with poor circulation, tobacco and drugs withdrawal, and enhances energy and endurance.

Get a bowl of cold water, one washcloth, and one bath towel. Mentally divide the body into sections: right arm, left arm, right leg, left leg, back, etc. Have the person covered with a sheet or blanket. Wet the washcloth in the cold water and squeeze out excess water. Grab one corner of the washcloth under your right thumb (left if left-handed). Wrap the cloth around your hand. Take the free part of the cloth hanging down from your hand, fold it toward the palm of your hand, and tuck it under the edge of the cloth crossing over the palm of your hand. Uncover one section of the body (such as the right arm). Beginning at the hand, start to rub the skin briskly in an up and down motion. Proceed up the arm, rubbing all areas of the skin. Occasionally dip your cloth in the cold water and squeeze out excess water. The rubbing should be firm, but not so firm that it hurts; however, the skin should turn pink.

When you finish with one body section, dry it thoroughly with the towel and cover. Proceed to the next body section, repeating the above directions, until all body sections are done. When dealing with the chest and abdomen, rub carefully as the skin will be much more tender in these areas.

Diane Herbert is a naturopath and lifestyle consultant. She received training from the NAD Lifestyle Consultant program, Thomas Edison State College, Clayton College of Natural Healing, and Bastyr University. Diane teaches health classes at the Gilead Institute located in Norcross, Georgia, gives health presentations, and contributes to the Institute’s literature and health flyer series. If you would like more information on water or other health topics, you may contact her at: The Gilead Institute of America, 6000 Live Oak Parkway, Suite 114, Norcross, Georgia 30093; telephone: (770) 270-1087; Website: www.gileadinstitute.org.

Restoring the Temple – Nature’s formula For Health

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Health is an extremely valuable asset, and this is especially realized when one is in less than good health. Therefore, it is best if good and even optimum health be obtained and maintained.

There is a formula for optimum health, and all of its components are easily accessible to everyone. It is completely natural and has no side effects, except that of obtaining or maintaining good health. Use the formula consistently, and you will be pleasantly surprised with the results.

There are eight parts to this formula, and they have been rightly termed “the true remedies.” We will take a brief look at each aspect. The formula is:

Nutrition + Exercise + Water + Sunshine + Temperance + Air + Rest + Trust in Divine Power = NEW-START™ to optimum health.

Nutrition: What we eat is a major factor in what level of health, or lack of health, we experience. Our food should be nourishing, unrefined, have sufficient fiber, and be as free from chemicals and toxins as possible. A plant-based diet fulfills these requirements beautifully.

Exercise: Our bodies are designed for activity, and if we are not sufficiently active, degeneration and loss of body tissue and function result. Exercise increases circulation; strengthens the cardiovascular system, bones, organs, and muscles—thus, we have more energy. It also improves mental attitude and relieves stress; and helps in the elimination of wastes. Walking is a wonderful way to start an exercise program. For those physically capable, many other forms of exercise may be chosen. For best results, exercise should be at least 20 to 30 minutes per session and at least three times per week. Excessively vigorous exercise is not necessary and should not be done by those starting an exercise program or those with medical conditions. However, you should observe an increase in your breathing rate and your heart should be beating faster.

Water: Without water, blood would not circulate in our blood vessels, our joints would not move, and we would not be able to eat properly. Water purifies the blood and aids in the elimination of waste. Water plays an important part in virtually every body function. Most body fluids are primarily composed of water. Even cells contain a large amount of water. Thus, it is necessary that the body receive an abundant supply of clean, fresh water daily. Every day we need to drink approximately eight cups of clean, fresh water (not soda pop, juice, or coffee). This water should be taken between meals, because drinking with meals hinders digestion. Water may be drunk up to 10 to 15 minutes before a meal or 1 to 2 hours after a meal.

Sunlight: Sunlight strengthens the body and the immune system, destroys viruses and bacteria, improves the circulatory system, gives a healthy tone to the brain and nervous system, improves our mental outlook, and helps alleviate fatigue. If possible, try to get 20 minutes or more of sunlight daily, or at least several times a week. Individuals who are weak, very young, or very old especially benefit from daily sunlight.

Temperance: This means to stay away from that which is harmful to the body. This includes various things such as coffee and other caffeine-containing beverages, wine and other alcoholic drinks, and other substances such as tobacco in all its forms and drugs. These items are very harmful to the liver, nervous system, brain, lungs, cardiovascular system, and impair body functions. Temperance also means to be moderate in everything that is good, such as not overeating or getting too much sunlight, resulting in sunburn.

Air: Without sufficient oxygen, brain cells die in about four minutes; body functions stop; and the heart stops beating. Polluted air carries many poisons and toxins that destroy health; many illnesses and deaths have been attributed to polluted air alone. Pure air—both indoors and out—is what we need. Try to get outdoor air as often as possible. Those who live in the city, should take advantage of the times of less pollution to go outside, and go to the country as often as possible where the air is much cleaner. Be sure to breathe deeply. Exercise and good posture facilitate proper intake of oxygen. Open the windows to your home whenever conditions permit. Pure air gives life to the body, purifies the blood, and vitalizes every organ and cell.

Rest: Rest (sleep) and relaxation give the body time to replenish energy reserves, make needed repairs, and remove waste from the cells. Without sufficient rest, stress is not handled as well and the mind and body are less efficient. Most people experience best results with seven to eight hours of sleep a night. For best sleep, follow the other seven aspects of this formula, do not eat late, and have a regular time for bed. The best sleep is obtained before midnight. Relaxation can be obtained in enjoying nature, doing a hobby, taking a vacation, or even spending time with our families or our pets.

Trust in Divine Power: Peace of mind only comes through trusting in God. There is a profound connection between the mind and the body. Worry, anger, jealousy, resentment, guilt, depression, anxiety, and all other negative emotions have a negative effect upon the body; they break down the life forces and open the door for sickness and disease. We not only worry with our minds, but we worry with every cell in our bodies as well. King David stated a deep truth when he wrote, “A merry [cheerful, rejoicing, thankful] heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.” Proverbs 17:22.

Each part of the formula interconnects with every other part. We cannot use half of the formula and still expect to get the sum—optimum or even good health. The true power is in the whole package—in other words, in consistently using the whole formula, daily. If you give this formula a chance, you will feel better, be healthier, stronger, and more energetic.

Diane Herbert is a naturopath and lifestyle consultant. She received training from the NAD Lifestyle Consultant program, Thomas Edison State College, Clayton College of Natural Healing, and Bastyr University. Diane teaches health classes at the Gilead Institute located in Norcross, Georgia, gives health presentations, and contributes to the Institute’s literature and health flyer series. If you would like more information on water or other health topics, you may contact her at: The Gilead Institute of America, 6000 Live Oak Parkway, Suite 114, Norcross, Georgia 30093; telephone: (770) 270-1087; Website: www.gileadinstitute.org.

Health – Purposed in His Heart

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Sometimes we make our life so complicated, even though God wants to make life simple. “And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible” (1 Corinthians 9:25).

Daniel and his three friends stand out as a Biblical example of the benefits of a temperate, healthful, flesh-free diet.

What about today? As in the human race, disease in animals is increasing. Diseased meat and other animal products are a common source of food-borne illness. “Disease in cattle is making meat eating a dangerous matter. The Lord’s curse is upon the earth, upon man, upon beasts, upon the fish in the sea; and as transgression becomes almost universal, the curse will be permitted to become as broad and as deep as the transgression. Disease is contracted by the use of meat. …

“In a short time it will not be safe to use anything that comes from the animal creation.” Counsels on Diet and Foods, 411.

“Again and again I have been shown that God is trying to lead us back, step by step, to His original design—that man should subsist upon the natural products of the earth. …

“Among those who are waiting for the coming of the Lord, meat eating will eventually be done away; flesh will cease to form a part of their diet. We should ever keep this end in view, and endeavor to work steadily toward it.” Ibid., 380, 381.

“Grains, fruits, nuts, and vegetables constitute the diet chosen for us by our Creator. These foods, prepared in as simple and natural a manner as possible, are the most healthful and nourishing. They impart a strength, a power of endurance, and a vigor of intellect, that are not afforded by a more complex and stimulating diet.” Ibid., 313.

“Instructions on Eating: The disease and suffering that prevail everywhere are largely due to popular errors in diet. By carefully following the instructions in the table, one may avoid many diseases.

“Skip one to four meals periodically. Fasting is an aid to educating the appetite and a rehearsal for self-control. Fasting is the best remedy for many illnesses, especially for people who do not do much physical labor.” God’s Healing Way, Mary Ann McNeilus, M.D.

Will you purpose in your heart to begin right now implementing these suggestions into your lifestyle if you are not already doing so? May God bless your efforts to retain or restore the gift of health in you.

  • Eat largely of fruits and vegetables prepared in a natural yet tasty way.
  • Vary your diet from meal to meal, but do not eat too many varieties at any one meal. Keep both the meals and the dishes simple.
  • Use more of the whole grains such as whole wheat bread and brown rice. Use less food prepared from refined white flour and white rice.
  • Limit the rich foods. Eat less sugar, salt, and oils. Avoid spices, grease (especially lard), baking powder, baking soda, and vinegar.
  • Eat at the same mealtime daily and allow at least 5 hours from the end of one meal to the beginning of the next meal. The digestive system works most efficiently when kept on a regular schedule.
  • Do not eat between meals. Eating between meals slows stomach emptying and gives time for the partially digested food already in the stomach to ferment.
  • Eat a good breakfast. This should be the largest meal of the day. If eaten at all, supper should be the smallest meal of the day. Eat supper at least 2 to 3 hours before bedtime.
  • Eat all you need to maintain health and enjoy your food, but do not overeat. Too much food dulls the mind, causes tiredness, increases disease, and shortens life.
  • Eating slowly and chewing your food thoroughly will increase the enjoyment and the nutritional benefits of food. Mealtime should be pleasant and unhurried.
  • Drink enough water daily to keep the urine pale, but do not drink with your meals or just before or after meals.