Health News

During the process of evolution we have developed ways of coping with difficulties. If we feel ill we go to bed. We do this as if by instinct. The rest and warmth give our body the best chance of dealing with the trouble. If we are tense, we rest and relax and soon we begin to feel less tense. These very simple measures have evolved over countless generations. They are part of us. They are our biological heritage. And in general they are very effective. The difficulty is that with advancing civilization and sophistication we have to a large extent lost our natural heritage. We have forgotten how to relax. Watch a cat relax, or a dog, or better still a South Sea Islander, and then we realize just how much we have forgotten.

Aim for Relaxed Activity-Remember that being relaxed does not mean living like a vegetable. On the contrary, it means a greater capacity to work, to do things easily and quickly and with a minimum of effort. Relaxation is an important aspect in the training of

middle-distance and long-distance athletes, both runners and swimmers. While all the power of the body is being used, there is a feeling of relaxation of both body and mind, of rhythm, of ease of movement.

At different times I have seen a number of business executives who have complained of tension and irritability. When I have advised relaxing treatment, these men have often said that they do not want to be relaxed, or they would lose their punch, which, they said, was the key to their success as business executives. I explained to each that if he were relaxed and easy in his mind he would be able to carry out his executive duties even more effectively because his ability to be decisive would no longer be impeded by his inner tension. These men who tried the exercises now run their business empires without their former tension and irritability, without their ulcers, and with a good deal more graciousness to those around them.

The housewife can do her chores and still have energy left for other things; the student absorbs his studies more easily; the man at work tolerates his daily frustrations without fatigue and irritability.

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As you have learned from previous chapters, faulty nutrition is singularly the most important causative factor in the development of arthritis. An unbalanced diet of devitalized, over-processed, overcooked, and overrefined denatured foods combined with toxic and foodless items such as tobacco, alcohol, coffee, sugar, salt, irritating spices, chocolate, soft drinks, sweets, pastries, pies, etc., together with other negative environmental factors, brings about a general deterioration of health, biochemical imbalance, and systemic disturbances. These deleterious factors eventually lead to a total metabolic disorder and consequent pathological changes in the joints and tissues of the body.

Therefore, the first step in an effective program of treatment for arthritis must be a complete change of nutritional patterns. Arthritis can be conquered only by rebuilding and restoring the general health of the patient. The functions of his vital organs must be strengthened; the glandular activity stimulated; the eliminative processes activated; and the digestion and assimilation improved. All this can be done only from within with vital nutritive elements needed for the repair and rebuilding processes within the body.

It should not be too difficult to see that proper nutrition is the most important factor in restoring health. The question is: What is proper nutrition?

You may say, “I have been health conscious for a long time, I eat plenty of meat and eggs and drink lots of milk for my protein. I eat cereal for breakfast and one or two vegetables with my meat each day. And I take a one-a-day vitamin tablet each day, too.” This description of a “health” diet would about sum up the average American concept of proper nutrition: lots of animal protein; devitalized, foodless cereals; canned vegetables and instant mashed potatoes; white bread; sugared desserts out of the can… It is a miracle that not more than 8 to 10 per cent of the American people develop arthritis on such a monstrous diet! And yet, most Americans actually believe that they are the best fed nation in the world. Perhaps they are the best fed quantitatively speaking, but certainly not the best nourished!

There is much disagreement and confusion, even among the prominent nutritionists, as to what constitutes a wholesome diet. Many theories exist and too many popular or pseudo-scientific books are written to further confuse the issues. No wonder the average man is puzzled and confused.

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