HOW TO LIVE DISEASE FREE

Let's pause to take stock of all what we had been through in the area of our health - sound mind in sound body!

For years now we have been privileged, through some of my write-ups on diseases, you and your kitchen. Let us revisit some of these in a simple way of how we can remain healthy and strong. On getting out of bed first thing in the morning what should you do: The first thing is exercise and deep breathing exercise comes first. Reason for this is to take in some oxygen into the body to refresh the blood. Any other form of exercise may then follow. Next thing is take half a lire of lukewarm water on empty stomach and chew one to three cloves of garlic. Sip a glass of water with half of a lemon juice with some salt. If available and possible take some fruits like pawpaw or tomato. Or as an alternative to 2. above drink a glass of orange diluted if possible, half glass of juice to half of water) juice or tomato juice (fresh). Chew few leaves of garden basil (Efirin) (Nchuanwu). This acts as a cleanser. During the day, take sufficient amount of water, not fearing where to eliminate due to facilities. This habit helps to purify the blood. Stop the habit of gulping mineral water, coke etc. instead of water. This is dangerous and injurious to your good health. You consume too much sugar by so doing. Every evening, sip the remaining lemon in a glass of water with some salt before the evening meal. Make your evening meal a vegetable one, with whatever you desire to have, e.g. some potatoes, cabbage, carrots or beans with green and mostly take your vegetable half cooked. Add olive oil etc. And ensure to eat before 8 p.m. to enable the digestive organs perform its duty effectively during the night. (Remember the body (nature’s) rthymic cycle of 8 hours digestion; 8 hours elimination and 8 hours assimilative periods). Note: For any ailment try to take at least between 8 - 10 ounces of juices daily. Make sure you consume some grains, nuts and seeds during the day and reduce your intake of processed starch. Take lots of vegetables and fruits regularly. You must empty your bowels daily, if possible twice a day. This habit is healthy and important. We are blessed in this part of the world abundantly with lots of citrus fruits around this season. Therefore, we have no excuse for not making full use of this opportunity of nature’s abundance. Also we must note that the minerals and vitamins essential to good health and for the prolongation and propagation of life are contained in raw fruit juices and vegetable juices when taken fresh. Cooking destroys most of these essential minerals and vitamins. My humble advice is that these juices and fresh fruits be consumed mostly in their raw forms. Irish potatoes and even our local sweet potatoes can be taken raw. When finely grated with other vegetables as carrots, beetroot etc. They taste delicious. Finally, herbal teas ideal for general good health are red sorrel (Yoruba - Isapa Pupa), Rose hips; camomile herb, lemon grass tea; infusion of the seeds of basil (Efirin). Remedies for some ailments Acidity - what is acidity? This is a condition in which the stomach produces too much acidity. Certain foods taken fermenting in the stomach leave too (much) large acid residue in the body. Usual symptoms are heart burn, batching, and pain in the upper abdomen. It is a common ailment these days because a lot of people consume too much carbohydrates, meats, pastries, white sugar, white flour and their products without balancing their diets with vegetables. Indigestion and poor toilet habits aggravate this condition. Remedy for Acidity First thing in the morning, chew one to three cloves of garlic on empty stomach. Also last thing at night take another piece of garlic or chop about four cloves and take with water. Swallow this. This improves elimination next morning. Half ripe tomatoes (pinkish green) are very useful in acidity. Ripe pawpaw (papaya) is also very helpful in acidity. Lemon juice taken freshly will give prompt relief. Drink this about 4-5 times daily with a shot glass when suffering from acidity. Boil some cloves (Yoruba kanafuru and drink the vesultant liquid. Take carrot or any other juice that can alkaline the body. Allergy - What is an allergy? Allergy is caused due to the presence of excessive heat in the body some people react to drugs such as penicillin, aspirin etc. These reactions may produce fever, hay fever, nettle rash, eczema, asthma, dyspepsia and headache. Also synthetic clothing or contaminated foods in aluminum cooking utensils or chemicals in one form or the other may cause allergic reaction. Generally, pollution may cause allergic reaction. Remedy for Allergy Cucumber juice subsides heat in the body. It is therefore very good forget relief from allergic reaction. Onions are very useful. It subside heat in the body Papaw (papaya) fruit is useful in allergic reaction. Extract the juice of resurrection plant leaf by heat and rub on the affected parts. Take herbal laxative to cleanse the body (bowel). Abstain from foods such as cheese or any product containing yeast. Do not wear synthetic clothings. Anaemia - What is Anaemia? This is blood disease usually known as "thin blood". There are many symptoms of anaemia but the most common is the iron-deficiency anaemia and pernicious anaemia. Some anaemia result from the destruction of red blood cells through direct or hidden bleeding. However, the most common forms of anaemia are caused by failure of the blood forming system located in the bone marrow to produce enough blood cells. This is caused by deficiency of the iron content in the diet. The body normally gets plenty of iron from a well-balanced diet. The first thing to do is to restore the body’s ability to absorb iron and also to restore the function of the spleen. The following are essential in this condition of anaemia: Spinach, ugu, orange, lemon, grapes, carrots, beet-root, fish, meat, eggs, (prefer free-range animal). Large quantities of the above to be taken regularly. Remedies in anaemia to include: The young leaves of sarsaparilla. This is efficacious. Also the root boiled and drink is good. The fruit of immature coconut. A mixture of lime (Yoruba osan were) and orange juice if taken daily is good. A few drinks of lemon juice is highly useful in anaemia. Lemon contains most of the vitamins and minerals ideal for this condition. A mixture of carrots and beet-root is a highly efficacious remedy. Avoid soft drinks of any type. Take only organically grown vegetables and fruits. No fried foods, no alcohol, no white sugar or white flour products. Chew the leaves of resurrection plant. Free your bowel daily. Culled from The Guardian newspaper Lagos, Nigeria.