9 Golden Rules for Health
from Traditional Medicine
from Traditional Medicine
Drink Warm Drinks
All Medicine Traditions state that warm drinks are healthier. Some traditional texts go as far as to state that drinking water is unhealthy! Drinking warm water infused with tea, fresh ginger, various flowers, Lemon juice or some dried fruit is much better than drinking cold water. Warm enhances digestion and circulation, activates the skin, thins mucus and stimulates bladder and bowels.
Cook Your Food
All cultures have traditionally cooked the large proportion of their Food. Cooking food warms the food, makes it more pleasing to the Stomach, and enhances digestion. Eating fresh, seasonal fruit is OK, but should be away from other food.
Cook with Herbs
The use of herbs and spices in cooking was traditionally done to enhance digestion and assimilation. It just happens that the herbs and spices that are used for this function tend to be pleasant tasting. Basically all culinary herbs have an effect of benefitting digestion. They also have other beneficial effects such as being rich in antioxidants, being carminative and expelling wind and relieving spasms, as well as supplying good nutrition. Some like Garlic, Turmeric and Ginger enhance circulation and thin the blood, others have shown useful anti-cancer activity.
Chew Your Food Well
Food should be chewed until it is well broken down. Chewing reduces the size of food particles and mixes with enzymes from the saliva. This allows for quicker and easier digestion. Chewing Food well also abates the appetite, so we tend to eat less. So you get more nutrition from less food, quicker and easier, without a build-up of undigested food and unhealthy fermentation. Chewing each mouthful of food 20 times greatly helps digestion. When you chew well, you also don't need to drink while eating.
Learn to Undereat
Most people in modern western society tend to eat too much compared to the energy they expend. By under-eating, we will digest and assimilate nutrition easier, taking excess burden off the digestive system, and reducing risks of Cancer, Heart disease and Stroke. Undereating is greatly helped by chewing food well.
Eat Seasonal Fruit and Vegetables
Ensuring adequate intake of fruit and vegetables is essential for health. Trying to source local, seasonal produce is best, and having some fresh greens straight from your garden is ideal. Seasonal fruit is likewise most suitable, and dried fruit can be used as a snack, added to food or used in hot drinks.
Eat Nuts and Seeds
Nuts and Seeds have been very important foodstuff since ancient times, and many nuts and seeds have been used medicinally, primarily for their high nutrition. They supply good oils and fats while tending to contain good levels of minerals. Almonds and Sesame seeds are 2 especially good examples.
Learn to Breathe
Most people don’t breathe properly. The Lungs are large organs yet they are typically only used very superficially. Taking several long, deep, deliberate breaths several times a day is very good for health. Deep breathing stimulates the abdominal organs, enhances digestion, increases oxygen and Qi, and freshens the mind.
It's also good to practice rhythmic breathing, otherwise called Pranayama, or Yogic breathing. The simplest form of this is to breathe in for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, breath out for 4, then hold for 4. This should be relaxed and effortless. If it is difficult, start with a 3 second pattern, increasing to 4 seconds. It's good practice to do this for 10 or more minutes daily. Doing it before sleep will relax the body and allow for a better quality, deeper sleep.
Oil the Body
The ancient physicians realised great benefit from oiling the body. By oiling the body, the finest channels of the capillaries are softened and lubricated, allowing obstructive toxins and metabolites to be carried to the eliminative organs. Oiling it truly the best way to detoxify the body–far better than drinking copious amounts of water. Oiling calms the nerves, nourishes the skin, frees up stagnant areas of circulation, removes waste from the body and supplies useful fats.
Disclaimer:
This information is general advice and may not be suited to everyone. Talk to Adam or your Healthcare Professional for more specific advice related to you personally.