Herbal Health

If you want to modify your diet after you have been on it for a while, or change the days of allocation because you are bored with the combinations of foods, there are a few tricks which help in planning.

Step one

Most people find that the core of their diet, around which the rest is organised, are the proteins, milks, and grains and starches. Start with these, using the headings of the chart in Table 6 if you like, and allocate the proteins, milks and grains that you tolerate to the number of days that you want for your rotation.

Observe the food families unless you know that you have no tendency to cross-react. Allocate related foods either all to the same day, or keep them at least two days apart.

Step two

The next step for most people is to allocate other carbohydrate-rich and filling foods to balance up days on which there is not adequate proteins, grains or milk. Foods which are important here are potato, sweet potato, parsnip, swede, turnip, soya, lentils, nuts and seeds, mushrooms, avocado, and vegetable grains such as buckwheat, sago and tapioca, if these are not already allocated. Follow the food families.

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Some chemicals are very inert, and do not cause reactions. They do not give off vapours at all. Substances such as glass, china clay, cement, ceramics, clay, stone, marble, cork and non-resinous woods do not cause reactions. If other chemicals (such as varnishes) are used on them, then they can cause reactions, or if you are exposed to heavy levels of dust, you can get irritant reactions, but they virtually never cause sensitivity.

Metals can cause allergy, but do not cause sensitivity. Some chemicals are extremely simple in their chemical structure, as well as being inert, and again do not cause reactions – for instance, sodium chloride (ordinary salt), sodium bicarbonate, Borax and washing soda. Additives in table salt sometimes cause reactions, but pure sodium chloride dcas not.

There are three prime characteristics of those chemicals that commonly cause reactions. One category includes chemicals that are highly toxic at high levels of exposure, such as chlorine, ammonia and benzene. The second category is chemicals with complex structures, which appear more prone to cause reactions than other chemicals, for instance, complex hydrocarbons, such as organic solvents or many fragrances. Thirdly, and most important, are chemicals that release vapour or are more volatile so that they are readily inhaled or absorbed into the system.

It is worth emphasising that natural chemicals can be as troublesome as synthetic chemicals. Some natural chemicals (especially those that are volatile, give off fumes and have complex structures) can be very troublesome. These include natural plant oils and fragrances, such as menthol, lavender oil, oil of wintergreen, oil from orange or lemon peel; resins such as natural turpentine or rosin; terpenes such as grass sap; and other natural vegetable and plant products such as latex, acetic acid (vinegar), Balsam of Peru (a flavouring and perfuming agent), pyrethrum and derris (used as pesticides in organic gardening).

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Most people with allergies find that they can tolerate cotton, linen and silk reasonably well and are better off avoiding synthetics. Some people, however, are very sensitive to natural fibres and find they are

Formaldehyde-free cotton Chlorine bleach-free cotton Organic cotton Cotton jersey Cotton fleece Cotton corduroy Cotton shirts Soft collar cotton shirts Cotton casual clothes Cotton tailored clothes Cotton sweaters Cotton outerwear Cotton workwear Silk & cotton sweaters Silk polos & T-shirts Silk shirts Linen clothes more comfortable in nylon and purely synthetic fibres. It is now quite difficult to find sources of nylon clothing, although polyester, acrylics, viscose and polycotton blends are very easy to obtain.

Celic sells a range of nylon clothing (men’s and women’s nightwear, men’s nylon shirts) by mail order. Seymour’s Shirts sell men’s nylon shirts by mail order.

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Many chemicals in building and decorating materials will cause sensitivity at the time when they are applied or for a short period of airing thereafter, but will not cause reactions, even to the very sensitive, once they are aired. It is important to bear this distinction in mind as you read the advice that follows.

If you are extremely sensitive, you may not be able actually to use the materials suggested below yourself, or you may need to avoid the room or building where they have been used for a while. If you are less sensitive, you will probably be able to use the materials yourself and a little airing will be sufficient for you to be able to use the place.

All the alternatives proposed are ones which are well tolerated in the long term, once aired, even by the extremely sensitive, and which, importantly, actually do the job required.

Avoid Known Hazardous Materials

Some chemicals are particularly associated with chemical sensitivity, and give out fumes and gas at a low level for a long time after they have been applied. Even small levels of such vapours can be enough to cause reactions. These persistent chemicals include organic solvents which have a wide range of building uses (notably in gloss paints, varnishes, stains, some paint strippers, various wood and damp treatments) and formaldehyde, found in particle board, melamine, paper, and some types of cavity wall insulation. Other persistent chemicals – such as organochlorines, used in fungicides and pesticides; plasticisers; vinyls; rot treatments; some coal-tar based chemicals, such as asphalt and creosote – also give out fumes over the life of the over the life of the building.

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Skin tests are relatively reliable at detecting allergy to pollens and your doctor can refer you for these.

You can also use the description of when and where pollens occur to help you work out any pattern to your reactions. If you live in a city, for instance, and get reactions in mid to late evening in summer without any apparent cause, then windbome pollens may well be the reason. If you only get symptoms after a drive through specific crops or plants, then again pollens could be the cause. If you feel better after a shower of rain at tree pollen time from February to April, or at peak pollen times in midsummer, then pollens will be the reason.

Some people are also sensitive to plant fragrances and flower scents, and to grass sap (grass terpene). These can irritate or exacerbate reactions to pollens, or be mistaken for them.

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One common “erection problem” isn’t really a potency problem at all. Sometimes a man has trouble maintaining an erection simply because he ejaculates too quickly. He may ejaculate before entering the vagina, or just seconds later.

If this sounds like you, it’s important to realize that you probably don’t have an erection problem. Since you can get an erection, your physical system is probably working just fine—just a bit too quickly for your taste.

If you’re a little confused by the term “premature ejaculation,” you’re not alone. Premature according to whom? Therapists don’t agree on a single definition of premature ejaculation.

Premature ejaculation can occur when a man is anxious, distracted or simply hasn’t had intercourse for a while and so is extremely sensitive to the sexual stimulation. For our purposes, let’s say that the problem is however you and your partner define it.

It is sometimes true that when premature ejaculation persists, a man will develop an erection problem caused by anxiety. The scenario goes like this: Jeff has a problem with early ejaculation. He tries to ignore his problem, but it persists. After a while Jeff is convinced he will always ejaculate too soon, and he develops anxiety about having sex. This performance anxiety can actually result in impotence. This scenario is avoidable, and persistent premature ejaculation can be successfully treated.

Sex therapy can work wonders with early ejaculation; success rates of 50 to 100 percent have been reported. At least one study suggests that couples can teach themselves to avoid premature ejaculation without much more than written instructions and telephone conversations with their therapists, There are exercises to prevent premature ejaculation: the stop-start method, developed by Dr. James Semans, and the squeeze technique of Masters and Johnson.

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Semirigid Implants

Benefits

• The surgery can be performed under a local anesthetic, often on an outpatient basis.

• The recovery time is typically shorter than with the inflatables, because the surgery is less extensive.

• There is less chance of complications.

• There are no mechanical parts which can fail.

• These implants usually cost less.

Drawbacks

• The implant is more difficult to conceal since it is always erect. Some men may be embarrassed in locker room situations.

• Generally, the semirigid implants are less firm and smaller in circumference than an inflatable prosthesis when erect.

• Although the overall complication rate is lowerthan for inflatables, there is a small chance that the semirigid implant will”travel” within the penis, popping out of the corpora cavernosa. This situation can be corrected, but it does require removal of the implant and another operation.

Newer Inflatable Implants: Hydroflex and Flexi-Flate

Benefits

• The implant is similar to the semirigid type in its advantages: a short operating time, minimal postoperative complications, a short hospital stay or surgery on an outpatient basis.

• The implant is more concealable than the semirigid type.

• Total cost for the surgery may run less than that of other inflatables because of reduced hospital time, although the prosthesis itself is more expensive than semirigids or other types of inflatables.

Drawbacks

• The mechanical parts of the implant can fail. These new types haven’t been around long enough for anyone to know the long-term failure rate.

• The Flexi-Flate is deflated by bending it down towards the stomach. This limits the number of positions in which to have intercourse. For example, the woman-on-top position may not work because it causes the penis to bend down and thus deflate.

• The erection provided by the implant is like the erection of a semirigid prosthesis in that it doesn’t increase the diameter of the penis or the length, but only makes it harder and more rigid.

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Sometimes men wonder why they should bother having any tests and histories done. Since there are so many effective treatments like penile implants, penile shots and sex therapy available, why not just fix the erection instead of spending time and money on complicated tests?

For one thing, the tests are useful for detecting any undiagnosed ailments. Your erection problems might be a symptom of another disease that could cause you a great deal of trouble. And only with the tests will the doctor be able to determine the simplest and best treatment for your particula situation. Also, if your doctor finds a physical cause for your impotence, your insurance policy is more likely to cover your medical expenses.

Here are some questions to ask before you have any test:

• Why do you think I should have this test?

• How accurate are the test results?

• How will the results help you give me better treatment?

• Are there any tests that cost less or are less painful, that will provide the same information?

• What complications or side effects could result from this test?

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Cynthia’s experience illustrates some important points. A woman can see her partner’s erection as proof of her own desirability. If she’s insecure about her sexuality, an erection problem, even in a good marriage, can trigger a lot of painful emotions. And she may react as Cynthia did, by feeling rejected and not wanting to deal with the issue directly. communication problem might have been. Cynthia could have learned about the many causes of erection problems and understood the reasons for the tests; and perhaps a private discussion with the physician would have laid to rest many of her fears.

If you and your partner don’t discuss what is going on, there will be an information gap. And each of you will fill in this void by imagining what is happening to the other, and why. This will only lead to further problems.

For example, a man may wonder why his wife isn’t making their lack of intercourse an issue—doesn’t she enjoy sex with him? He may guess that she thinks him “less of a man.” He may become jealous, even if he’s never been jealous before. “In the back of his mind he questioned if I would be faithful,” remembers Terri, whose marriage of more than 20 years never had been troubled before by such doubts. “I felt this insecurity, and he mentioned it. This bothered me.” Fortunately, talking about the problem removed her husband’s fears that she would leave him.

And if s common, in the absence of other information, for a woman to assume that an erection problem is somehow her fault. While a woman who is very secure in her own self-image and in her relationship may not feel this way, many women take erection problems as a sign that something is wrong with them. Like Cynthia, they may feel they have done something wrong. Or they may see an erection as a sign that they are sexually attractive and capable, and see the lack as an indication of their own failure. The cure for such lack of communication: involvement, information and reassurance.

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There are other considerations where the meaning of sex in a relationship is concerned. Here’s another case, very different from Rick’s. Arthur, at fifty-seven, had been married for thirty years when his hypertension-related ED brought him and his wife, Elaine, to my office. A very handsome couple, they emanated a feeling of togetherness.

“We’re really distressed at this development,” Arthur began. “We’ve always had a good sex life and, frankly, we miss it.”

Expanding on her husband’s comments, Elaine added, “I have to confess—sex isn’t quite as earthshaking an event for me as it is for Arthur. But I enjoy the togetherness, and I’m distressed to see him so hot bcrcd and unhappy for so long a period of time.”

“Then the thought of a reinvigorated sex life doesn’t bother you,” I asked her.

“Oh no. In fact, I would welcome it. And if reinvigoration means what I think it does, then maybe it will do something for me, too,” she answered with a blush.

Reaching over to hold her hand, Arthur told me, “1 have to say that my own expectations aren’t huge—but I owe it to both of us to do what I can.”

This loving pair showed another dimension of a sex life:

• both partners were content with their pre-ED sex lives, but at different degrees of satisfaction

• friendship was the foundation of their relationship

• one had increased expectations, while the other did not

• they were willing to take the time to make the adjustment required

• they didn’t want to keep things the way they were just because it would be simpler that way

For this couple, the pill was much more than erection insurance. They clearly saw its implications for them. They could now build on what they already had. Because their feelings and trust for each other were so strong, the medication held the promise for even greater connectedness. To them, sex was an extension of their love for each other.

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