Herbal Health

One of the most successful car safety inventions in recent years doesn’t require you to do anything-one of the reasons, perhaps, for its success. We’re talking about the air bag. When it comes to head-on collisions, air bags help reduce the death rate by about 34 percent. While it’s true that in certain circumstances an inflating air bag can actually cause injury, those cases are generally avoidable and also pale in comparison to the number of lives that air bags have saved. The key to getting the full-blown benefits from your air bags is proper usage. Here’s how.

Buckle everyone in. “Unfortunately, many, if not most, of the people who have been hurt by inflating air bags were not properly restrained,” Kennedy says. “Never rely on the air bag alone to save you. You and your passengers, in the front and back, should always wear your seat belts. Younger children-up to 6 years old-according to their size and your state’s regulation, should always be in approved child safety seats.” When taking Junior to batting practice, be sure he’s securely buckled up in the back seat if he’s younger than 12. The impact of an inflating air bag can be fatally overpowering for kids. The same is true for infants in child seats. Always keep them in the back, properly restrained, adds Kennedy.

Use the 10-inch rule. The Department of Transportation recommends that people sit as far away from the steering wheel as possible, while still having full control of the car. If you can hold a piece of paper lengthwise-roughly 10 inches-between your chest and the steering wheel hub, that’s a safe distance.

Move up, not in. Not everyone is 5 feet 10 inches or taller. And not everyone can comfortably see over the dashboards of bigger cars and trucks. If you’re one of them, don’t squeeze in close to the dash to peer over. Kennedy’s suggestion: Buy a “booster cushion,” which lifts you a couple of inches, instead. If you’re dreading getting ragged by your buddies, buy one for the passenger seat, too, then cover both with seat covers. You’ll both see better on your next trip and be safer, too.

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Stress phobics are the opposite of stress seekers. A phobia is an irrational fear, and stress phobics have a tremendous fear of confrontations—indeed, of life itself.

Stress phobics suffer in silence rather than assert themselves. They turn their anger and frustration inward. This is manifested clinically as depression. Stress phobics see the world as an unfriendly, unhappy and frightening place. These depressed stress phobics have strong feelings of hopelessness and helplessness. Nothing seems worthwhile.

The negative thoughts in their heads are turned into hormones that actually attack and suppress their immune system, making them more susceptible to disease. Stress phobics seem to have more arthritis and cancer than do stress seekers or stress handlers.

Are You a Stress Phobic?

Are you a stress phobic? Check off the items that apply to you. Do you . . .

( ) Have difficulty expressing your feelings?

( ) Feel helpless to change your personal or work situation?

( ) Accept things even if you know you could improve them?

( ) Wish that once, just once, they would listen to you?

( ) Have vague feelings of dissatisfaction?

( ) Put up with things because you’re afraid they’ll get worse

if you try to change them?

( ) Often wonder if suicide might not be a good way to end

your problems?

( ) Figure you’re never going to amount to much?

( ) Have trouble picturing yourself as a successful person?

( ) Wonder if anyone would notice if you died?

( ) Wonder why you were ever born?

If you checked more than two items, you may be a stress phobic. Your mind is stuffed with “impossible” and “I can’t” and “why bother” and “no one cares.” These thoughts are turned into chemicals that handcuff your “doctor within” by suppressing your immune system. Your negative thoughts actually make you more vulnerable to disease. And diseased you will be unless you learn how to keep your mind clear of immune-suppressive thoughts.

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Then one day, while running in a 10K race at UCLA, I saw a paraplegic man, lying face down on a small, lightweight gurney, pulling himself along the course with two canes. He’d put one cane down and pull the gurney forward a few inches. Then he’d put the other cane down, pulling his gurney foward a few more inches. I wondered how he was going to make it up the hill, so I slowed down and trotted right behind him. He went right up that big hill, slowly, a few inches at a time. Drenched with sweat, huffing and puffing, he proudly finished the race, smiling at the applause he received as he struggled across the finish line.

If he can find the time, energy and discipline to exercise, I vowed, so can I. Since then, the dog has never looked too tired to go walking with me.

Do you set aside time for exercise? Have you the energy and discipline?

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I tell my patients to fill their kitchens with these Super Foods and other healthy foods (Super Foods are starred):

VEGETABLES

Artichokes
Chard
*Parlsey
Asparagus
Cucumbers
Parsnips
*Beet Greens
Eggplant
Potatoes
Beets
*Garlic
Radishes
* Black
*Ginger
Rutabagas
Chinese
Green
<, *Scallions
Mushrooms
Peppers
*Spinach
* Broccoli
Jicama
Squash
*Brussels
Kohlrabi
* Sweet
Sprouts
Leeks
Potatoes
*Cabbage
Lettuce
*Sweet Red
* Carrots
Mushrooms
Peppers
*Cauliflower
Okra
Watercress
Celery
*Onions
Zucchini
• Vegetables are low in fat, sugar and sodium, and contain no cholesterol. Vegetables provide you with complex carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, minerals and enzymes.

• Eat more raw than cooked vegetables. Cooking destroys many nutrients.

• Instead of boiling or baking vegetables, steam them—just until they’re tender, yet crisp. Steamed vegetables are tasty and nutritious.

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If you think you have nothing to worry about because your doctor has told you’re in average health, think again:

• The average American in average health has the average heart attack.

• The average American in average health gets the average cancer, diabetes, stroke.

• The average American is tired and unhappy

• The average American has no idea what it’s like to feel really great.

• The average American stumbles from doctor to doctor, pill to pill, disease to disease—until he dies.

• The average American dies too young, feeling old and worn out.

• The average American is scared—and should be!

As a physician who has worked on the front lines of crisis medicine, treating patient after patient in the intensive care units and coronary care units, and seeing thousands more in my office, I can tell you that the average American is a medical disaster waiting to happen.

One of my patients complained: “It started about a year ago, Dr. Fox. I had a cold, and then a flu, then another cold, then another flu, and my nose was always running and one thing after another. No matter what I did, I couldn’t get well. A whole year of being sick! What’s wrong with me?”

What was wrong? For any number of reasons, his body’s defenses were down. As you will learn, colds, flus and other problems are clues, telling us to take a look at the patients’ entire defense system. The colds and flus aren’t diseases in themselves; they are symptoms of the underlying problem, which is a breakdown of the “doctor within.”

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Sex therapists say that in order to extend sexual response, both partners should learn more about their physical and mental control systems. Mental control involves learning to concentrate by narrowing the individual focus of attention. The goal of mental control as a means of extending sexual response, such as erection, is to filter out and eliminate distractions.

Without our realizing it, our thoughts can be like background noise, causing us to be distracted at the most inopportune moments. One technique for focusing your concentration and taking control of your thoughts is a countdown exercise. Sex therapists recommend this technique because, with practice, it will enable you to eliminate distractions and focus on sexual enjoyment and response.

In the countdown technique, you simple close your eyes and count backwards, slowly, from 20, all the way to zero. If you are distracted by an unwanted thought, proceed with your countdown, taking up with the last number you remember. This technique of counting backwards from 20 as a means of helping you focus your attention, will probably require a good bit of practice before you are able to eliminate all distracting thoughts. The key to maintaining an erection for up to one hour, lies in your ability to concentrate.

Another technique often recommended by many sex therapists is the “Sensate focus technique”. The aim of this technique is to make each partner more aware of his or her bodily sensations during intercourse. Men who have practiced this focus technique with their partners have reported great success in extending their sexual response.

The Sensate focus technique involves three basic steps:

1) Each partner gives the other as much pleasure as possible by caressing and fondling any part of the body except the breasts or genitals.

2) This stage of the technique progresses to stimulation of the genitals and breasts, but should stop short of orgasm.

3) The final stage of the Sensate focus technique is sexual intercourse. Both partners should concentrate on pleasure and enjoyment rather than on orgasm. The main goal of this technique is not orgasm, but rather extending the sexual response.

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When choosing a dishwashing detergent, take care to read the label of contents before taking it home. Try to buy a brand that has the least amount of potentially harmful chemicals. Look for liquid products that contain little or no dye which is sometimes added to make the liquid yellow, pink, blue, or green. Also try to avoid those products that contain “perfume” to give the liquid the scent of strawberry, lemon or lime. The appealing color of the dye and the “flowery” or fresh fragrance can make these products especially appealing to an inquisitive child.

Swallowing these detergents usually results in immediate vomiting which reduces the chances of any serious,or lasting harm. The most common problems with products that contain dye and perfume may be allergies and irritations. The colors of the dyes are primary allergens and can, to a large extent, be avoided by choosing a product without added coloring. It’s much harder to find a dishwashing detergent without some sort of perfume. The perfumes are also primary allergens, and most dishwashing detergents contain a certain amount of perfume.

While there may be no completely safe dishwashing detergent, those with little or no dye and the lowest amounts of perfume are probably the safest. It’s also advisable to wear gloves to avoid irritating your skin, especially if your skin is very sensitive. You should also rinse all your dishes in warm water to make sure no dishwashing detergent remains.

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A recent study suggests that cardiac overreaction to stress may increase the risk of heart disease in some people. The study revealed that people who were hiding psychological troubles—even from themselves—showed an abnormal jump in heartbeat and blood pressure when performing stressful tasks.

Earlier studies have linked such cardiac overreaction to heart disease, which often leads to heart attacks. Researchers say that while it is already known that being constantly anxious or constantly depressed is unhealthy, the new study suggests that suppressing such distress may be even more harmful.

In a related study, conducted at the University of Michigan, 58 people with an average age of just under 22 years and no known history of heart disease, were analyzed and tested in relation to their responses to stress. The participants filled out assessments of their psychological health as well as a test which dealt with their earliest memories. The tests of the subjects’ early memories were used by a psychologist to uncover signs of emotional distress.

The subjects’ responses to stress were analyzed while they performed assigned stressful tasks, such as timed mental arithmetic, making up stories about ambiguous drawings and saying the first thing that came to mind upon hearing certain phrases, according to researchers, the drawings and phrases used were designed to raise ‘hemes that many people find “psychologically threatening”. A measure that combined elevations in blood pressure and pulse rate was used to analyze the subjects’ responses to stress.

The results of the test showed that, of the people participating, those with hidden Stress were twice as reactive to stress as genuinely healthy people. The participants with hidden stress were also more reactive than people who admitted that they were stressed.

While neither study provides conclusive proof linking heart disease and cardiac overreaction to stress, many scientists consider the evidence convincing. And, according to the researchers, the studies serve to emphasize the need to deal with anxiety and tension in an open and healthy manner.

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Most nutritionists recommend a reduction in daily fat intake as a means of maintaining a more healthful diet. Weight-watchers are advised to cut down on the amount of fat they consume each day as a way to reach and maintain their ideal weights. Does fat really make that much difference?

Perhaps the answer to that question can be found in the difference between the typical American and typical Oriental diet and the much higher prevalence of obesity in the U.S. than among Oriental people, such as the Japanese. A typical Japanese diet contains approximately 2,300 kilocalories per day. Fifteen to twenty percent of those calories come from fat, Another thirteen to fifteen percent come from protein, and from sixty-five to seventy percent from carbohydrates (less than 10% from refined sugar).

In America, the typical diet also provides about 2,300 kilocalories per day, but from thirty-eight to forty percent of those calories come from fat. Protein is responsible for twelve to fifteen percent, and the remainder—less than fifty percent—comes from carbohydrates (about 15% from refined sugar).

Besides a diet much lower in fat and sugar, some nutritionists believe that Oriental people get more exercise than most Americans, which could also contribute to their lower incidence of obesity.

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Even though you may learn how to decipher the information contained on product labels, you may still be misled by labels that do not “tell the whole story”. For example, fruit juices come in a wide variety of choices, from drinks that are rich in vitamins and minerals to fruit-flavored sugar water, and it can be hard to tell the difference. Health-minded shoppers can make the right selections by following these suggestions:

1) Try to find fruit drinks that are labeled “100 Percent Fruit Juice”, “100 Percent Fruit Juice Blends”, “100 percent Juice From Concentrate”, or “100 Percent Pure Juice”.

2) Avoid juice drinks with labels such as “100 Percent Natural” or “100 Percent Real Juice”. Such concotions are not guaranteed to contain 100 percent fruit juice.

3) Beware of juices labeled “juice cocktail”, “fruit drink” or “juice beverage” drinks may contain only as little as 10 percent juice.

Such

4) Pay close attention to the first ingredient listed on the label. Since ingredients on the label are listed in quantity, your best choice is usually a drink whose first ingredient is juice, not water.

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