Health News and Information

The above case shows that rules formulated on the basis of experience and observation do have exceptions and that some people respond well to something to which they should not. Most people suffer and experience intense disturbances when the seasonal winds blow, for instance the fohn, khamsin and monsoon, but there are some who feel well in this kind of weather. The sea air may not agree with some individuals, while they may feel good in the mountains, perhaps when engaging in winter sports. Whatever good advice the doctor can give you, it would be appropriate to get to know yourself a little better, to find out what your body needs in order to feel fit and well. You cannot always go by what others think or tell you. It is useful to watch yourself and see what benefits your well-being so that you can be guided by the favourable effects and so be able to choose the best place for your holidays or work. I can tell you from experience that some people suffer from liver trouble in Europe but the moment they change their habitat and move to the United States they are completely rid of their disturbances. Then I know patients who simply did not feel well while living in Basle, but after moving to the Appenzellerland where the fohn is often blowing, they had no complaints whatsoever. The opposite is also true, for many people feel unwell in areas with much fohn, but when they go to the Jura where it is unknown, or stay by Lake Geneva, even with a northeasterly wind, they remain fit and well.

Unfortunately, there are not many books that deal with biocli-matic influences on general well-being and the various illnesses. The only such manual so far published that I am aware of is one by the American physician Dr Manfred Curry.

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Although milk is a popular food in Switzerland, it should be used much more for drinking. Many other countries have a much better arrangement, for everywhere you go in the United Kingdom or the United States, for example, milk is available in small cartons, so that workers, schoolchildren, travellers, in short, anyone who wants a cool, nourishing and strengthening drink of milk can obtain one without difficulty. I have even seen some railway stations where milk automats have been installed. It is definitely better and cheaper to enjoy a cool, fresh drink of milk in the heat of summer rather than alcoholic beverages or sweet soft drinks with artificial additives.

Milk is a natural product with many benefits. It is only regrettable that not every dairy farmer is well enough equipped to produce and supply uncontaminated milk, but efforts are being made to improve the quality.

Unfortunately, deliberate interference in nature can reduce the value of the best quality milk, especially when the cows are inoculated. It is necessary, therefore, to raise this subject and draw the dairy farmers’ attention to the problem.

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People who have problems with the liver and pancreas must take care not to eat stone fruit, such as plums and peaches, in any great quantity, for if they do, they will probably pay for it with increased discomfort and pain. It is also important to remember that stone fruit should never be eaten on an empty stomach. What is more, be absolutely sure to eat slowly and insalivate the fruit thoroughly before swallowing. If you eat some crispbread, rusks or wholewheat bread along with the fruit, the gastric reaction to the acids, especially hydrocyanic acid, will be diminished. Healthy constitutions used to raw foods can probably digest stone fruit very well and eat it at any time, but sick or delicate people should not take the risk. It is better to abstain from eating stone fruit than to eat it and suffer the consequences, only because other people might be able to enjoy it. If you should happen to eat some and upset the gastric and intestinal mucous membranes, you can obtain relief by taking a tablespoon of clay in water, morning and evening for a few days. Should excessive gastric acidity develop, take a teaspoon of wood ash before each meal and the disturbance will quickly disappear.

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When you buy fruit, make sure that it has not been sprayed with pesticides. Traces of lead, arsenic and other chemicals pose health hazards and will make the fruit inedible. Eating sprayed fruit need not necessarily bring on an acute case of poisoning, but chemical pesticides may have a cumulative effect and continuous doses, however small, can, sooner or later, lead to the development of pathological conditions.

In any case, fruit purchased at the market should always be properly cleaned and it is a good idea to peel it if spray spots can be seen. Many orchards are sprayed with chemicals to which has been added a substance with a special adhesive property so that the rain cannot wash the spray off the fruit. It is true, however, that by peeling the fruit you will lose valuable elements that are found in and under the skin, so it would be much better still to be discriminating when buying your fruit and to look for organically grown produce. If you have fruit trees of your own, make sure that no hazardous sprays are used.

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We do not even make the time to sit down and eat our meals in peace anymore. But if you are not willing to take your time when eating, you will one day have to take it being ill. For it is inevitable that we will harm our health if we do not learn to relax in spite of the daily hustle and bustle around us. Instead of listening to an exciting news item on the radio or, worse, reading the newspaper while eating, we should relax and make every meal a special occasion with the family. Instead of gulping down our food in a hurry, we should enjoy it calmly, eat it slowly, insalivating well and chewing everything thoroughly. In fact, every fast eater should be condemned to eating with chopsticks, as it is the custom in the Far East. You see, this technique takes more than just practice and skill, it takes patience, because if you are fidgety and restless you will hardly be able to keep any morsel between the sticks and pass it to your mouth. I am convinced that eating with chopsticks is a wonderful method for learning how to eat in a relaxed and quiet way!

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Intensive diaphragm-breathing eased the pain considerably, but it kept returning and woke me up again and again. At the break of day I tried to obtain some relief by going out into the open air. While there I collected some giant dock leaves which I placed on my abdomen to alleviate the pain. For a short time I did experience some relief, but later that morning the pain returned. My bowel movement was good, but I passed very little water. This surprised me until I began to realise that the body was retaining the liquids so that it might eventually help to expel the toxins. And so it was. A violent bout of diarrhoea set in, recurring several times during the morning, yet in between trips to the bathroom I did try to get on with my work. At the end of five hours, however, I had to give up.

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Depending upon the person’s constitution, physical exertion may cause severe tonic contractions in the rectal region. These cramps can be so violent as to make the afflicted person cry out in pain. He may well believe that he is suffering from some malignant disease. In reality, however, it is nothing but a temporary cramp that can easily be relieved by taking a hot shower, as described above, for one or two minutes.

Menstrual cramps, which cause great discomfort to many women, fall into the area of cramps caused by spasms. Many different kinds of headaches may also be brought on by spasms, particularly migraine and the much-feared headache caused by the fohn, a warm dry wind blowing down into the Alpine valleys. Such a headache is worse when accompanied by a stiff neck, but the stiffness can usually be alleviated by massage.

It is a relief to know that there is no need to take hazardous medication that may even lead to addiction in order to alleviate severe pain and cramps. Instead, Petadolor, a preparation derived from butterbur {Petasites officinalis), is usually all that is necessary. This wonderful herbal remedy has proved very reliable in controlling cramps without causing harmful side effects. In addition, arnica flower tincture, when rubbed on the affected area, has an antispasmodic effect, and Kali phos. 6x builds up the autonomic nervous system.

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If goitre is present and is not caused by a hyperthyroid condition, kelp tablets will help the patient, since they contain ail the minerals found in seaweed. These tablets also help to reduce obesity without any side effects. I have also found that goitre due to hypothyroidism reacts favourably to treatment with potassium iodide.

Goitre not only detracts from one’s appearance and is physically annoying, but it also places a burden on the mental processes because of its detrimental effect on the memory and nervous system. It is therefore advisable not to put off the treatment of goitre but to do something about it quickly. Surgery can be avoided in many cases if the proper treatment with natural remedies and therapies is administered early enough. Natural treatment will restore the normal body functions and physical strength, which is not always the case after surgical removal of a large part of the thyroid.

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In order to raise low blood pressure it does no harm to drink a glass of natural, unadulterated red wine now and again. ‘Buendner meat’ (slightly salted and air-dried beef) is also indicated for this purpose. Vegetarians, however, will no doubt prefer to take bee pollen, which helps to increase low blood pressure due to its stimulating effect on the sex glands. The combination of Auroforce, Kali phos. 6x and bee pollen has been found to be effective. But here is a word of warning: bee pollen is so effective in raising the blood pressure that people who suffer from hypertension should not take any at all since doing so could provoke a stroke. I remember the case of one patient who had taken some pollen and could have had a tragic end if immediate counteracting measures had not been taken in time. You can see from this experience that even natural remedies are not always harmless if improperly employed.

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Description and Possible Medical Problems

If you’ve been reaching for the salt shaker more often lately because food doesn’t seem to taste as good as it used to, you need to determine whether the change has been gradual or sudden.

A gradual loss of taste is probably due to the fact that you don’t have as many taste buds as you once did—and those that remain gradually lose their effectiveness. However, a noticeable loss of taste doesn’t usually occur until a person reaches the 70s or 80s, if at all. A vitamin deficiency—of zinc and/or vitamin B^—can also cause a gradual loss of taste. And habitual cigarette smoking is one of the most common causes of taste loss.

A sudden loss of taste is usually caused by a specific medical condition; it may be a sign of stroke, infection, or a tumor in the lung.

Treatment

There’s not much you can do if you find you’re gradually losing your sense of taste. Quitting smoking or taking zinc and/or vitamin B12 can help you to determine if these are responsible for your loss of taste. Taking a multivitamin with 100% of the RDA of all recommended vitamins and minerals each day will provide you with sufficient dosages of both zinc and vitamin B12.

However, if you suddenly lose your sense of taste, you should check for recent changes in your lifestyle or health. For instance, antihistamines are frequently responsible for reduced taste sensation, which is frequently accompanied by a dry mouth. And because taste is so closely related to smell, if you have a cold or an upper respiratory infection, you’ll probably lose some if not all of your sense of taste. Psychotropic medications that alter your consciousness—such as marijuana and cocaine—are another cause.

However, if none of these is the cause, you should check with your physician as soon as possible to determine what the cause is. Your doctor may give you a taste test to determine the kinds of tastes you can detect—sweet, salty, sour, and bitter—that is akin to a scratch-and-sniff test. He will place sugar, lemon, bitters, and salt on your tongue in order to determine what specific tastes you can detect.

After a thorough examination, if your physician determines that your taste loss is temporary, you should concentrate on selecting foods that give you at least some sensation of taste. Tangy, sweet, or spicy foods, along with foods that are crunchy or have some texture, will help alleviate the annoyance of not being able to taste your food. If, however, your doctor suspects that your loss of taste is due to an underlying illness, such as a stroke, he will probably order more tests to make a positive diagnosis and then begin treatment for the illness itself.

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