daily health tips

To harness the power of enzymes in your health, consider raw juice therapy. Raw juice therapy is a method of treatment of disease through an exclusive diet of juices of fruits and vegetables. It is also known as juice fasting. It is the most effective way to restore health and rejuvenate the body. During raw juice therapy, the eliminative and cleansing capacity of the organs of elimination, namely lungs, liver, kidneys and the skin, is greatly increased and masses of accumulated metabolic waste and toxins are quickly eliminated. It affords a physiological rest to the digestive and assimilative organs. After the juice fasting or raw juice therapy, the digestion of food and the utilisation of nutrients is vastly improved.

One sure method of reducing weight is by practicing what is known as "Fletcherism." It was discovered in 1898 by Horace Fletcher of the U.S.A. Fletcher, at 40, considered himself an old man. He was 50 pounds overweight, contracted flu every six months and constantly complained of indigestion and a tired feeling. After a deep study, he made some important discoveries and prescribed the rules for "Fletcherism" which are as follows: 1. Chew your food to a pulp or milky liquid until it practically swallows itself. 2. Never eat until hungry. 3. Enjoy every bite or morsel, savouring the flavour until it is swallowed. 4. Do not eat when tired, angry, worried, and at meal-time refuse to think or talk about unpleasant subjects. Horace Fletcher followed these rules for five months. As a result he lost more than 60 pounds and felt better than he had for 20 years. A weight reducing programme built on Fletcherism works wonders and is worth a trial.

Recent studies have revealed an important link between dietary calcium and potassium and hypertension. Researchers have found that people who take potassium-rich diets have a low incidence of hypertension even if they do not control their salt-intake. They have also found that people with hypertension do not seem to get much calcium in the form of dairy products. The two essential nutrients seem to help the body throw off excess sodium and are involved in important functions which control the working of the vascular system. Potassium is found in abundance in fruits and vegetables and calcium is found in dairy products.

Sprouts supply food in pre-digested form, that is, food that has already been acted upon by the enzymes and made to digest easily. During sprouting, much of the starch is broken down into simple sugars such as glucose and sucrose by the action of the enzyme 'amylase'. Proteins are converted into amino acids and amides. Fats and oils are converted into more simple fatty acids by the action of the enzyme lipase. Also during sprouting, the beans lose their objectionable gas producing quality. Research has shown that oligosaccharides are responsible for gas formation. For maintenance of health, some amount of gas production is necessary but it should be within safe limits. As the process of germination ends and sprouting begins, the percentage of oligosaccharides is reduced by 90. Sprouts contain a lot of fibre and water and, therefore, are helpful in overcoming constipation. Sprouts are an extremely inexpensive method of obtaining a concentration of vitamins, minerals and enzymes. They have in them all the constituent nutrients of fruits and vegetables and are 'live' foods. Eating sprouts is the safest and best way of getting the advantage of both fruits and vegetables without contamination and harmful insecticides.

For protection of the heart, take lecithin. The action of lecithin on the heart is the most important of all its proved benefits. It achieved its popularity initially in this area. Cholesterol is a fatty substance that tends to collect in the walls of the arteries and veins, thus narrowing them. This may eventually lead to a fatal blood clot. Scientific studies have shown that lecithin has the ability to break up cholesterol into small particles which can be easily handled by the system. With sufficient intake of lecithin, cholesterol cannot build up against the walls of the arteries and veins.

Cysteine is an up and coming nutritional supplement. There is some evidence that cysteine (not to be confused with cystine) has certain therapeutic value as a nutritional supplement. Dr. H. Ghadimi, chairman of the nutrition committee at Nassau country, (New York) medical centre uses cysteine supplements to treat his patients suffering from obesity. He considers that there is link between obesity and over-production of insulin and that cysteine supplements taken along with vitamin C at the end of the meals somehow neutralises some of the excess insulin, which is responsible for fat production. He regards this amino acid as ' anti-cancer and anti-ageing' and claims that like vitamin C, cysteine protects the body from damage by oxidants.

Glutamine is an "essential," highly necessary, non-essential amino acid (which the body can manufacture).This little known non-essential amino acid known as " sobriety nutrient." It is considered beneficial in the treatment of alcoholism. According to Roger J. Williams, a world-known nutritionist, glutamine reduces the usually irresistible craving for alcohol that recovering drinkers almost inevitably encounter. Taken with B vitamins and milk proteins, glutamine is wonderful in treating allergy. This "non-essential" amino acid also plays a role in focusing the attention and the maximum productivity of the mind.

The amino acids isoleucine, leucine, and phenylalanine often appear together in nutritional supplements. Isoleucine is the amino acid essential for maintaining the nitrogen balance vital to all body functions. It also regulates metabolism of the thymus, spleen and pituitary glands. Rich sources are sunflower seeds, all nuts, except cashew nuts, avocados and olives. Leucine the compliment of isoleucine, with a similar chemical composition although in different arrangement. Its functions and sources are also similar. Phenylalanine is essential to the production of hormone adrenaline, to the production of the thyroid secretion and the hair and skin pigment, melanin. It is effective in weight control because of its effect on the thyroid. Its use before meals suppresses the appetite substantially. Patients taking half a teaspoon of the powder 30 minutes before each meal, lose from a quarter to half a pound a day. It is also essential for the efficient functioning of kidneys and bladder. Major source are nuts, seeds, carrots, parsley and tomatoes. An important recently discovered therapeutic use of phenylalanine is its ability to overcome most conditions of lethargy through stimulation of adrenaline.

The best way to increase lecithin in your body is to take a lecithin supplement. You may, however, also obtain more lecithin by proper diet. The best way to increase lecithin in the diet is to eat the same amount of fat as usual, but reduce animal fat except that from fish. Oil may be used for cooking, seasoning and salad dressing. All hydrogenated fats such as margarines, cooking fats, hydrogenated peanut butter and processed cheese should be avoided as also foods prepared with

Lysine inhibits viruses. Its use along with vitamin C, zinc and vitamin A helps eliminate virus infections. Vitamin C protects this amino acid while in the body so that lysine plus vitamin C has a much stronger anti-virus effect than if either is used separately. Lysine also influences the female reproductive cycle. Lack of adequate lysine in the diet may cause headaches, dizziness, nausea and incipient anaemia. The main sources of this amino acid are most kinds of nuts, seeds, vegetables and sub-acid fruits. Lysine upsets in the body have also been associated with pneumonia, nephrosis and acidosis as well as malnutrition and rickets in children. It is considered a natural remedy for cold, sores, shingles and genital herpes. In a study published in 1983, a group of researchers polled over 1,500 people whose daily intake of lysine was over 900 mg 88 per cent said that lysine seemed to reduce the severity of their attacks of herpes virus and accelerated the healing time. These results have, however, been disputes by some scientists.