Anorexia nervosa refers to loss of appetite resulting from nervous anxiety. This worrying condition is self-induced and seen mainly in young women. It is considered to be a psychological disorder which begins in efforts to slim. The women reduces the intake of food more and more until, she is virtually eating nothing and becomes very thin. She develops a distorted image of her own body and is not able to realize that it is very harmful and that it spoils the appearance rather than enhance it. A woman suffering from anorexia nervosa refuses to eat, sleeps very little, although she remains very active. She may lose weight up to 25 per cent of the normal weight. She is often impatient, irritable and depressed. In course of time, emaciation becomes severe and may even result in death, if not treated properly.
The best treatment for anorexia nervosa is to fast on orange juice and water for three to five days. After the juice fast, the patient may adopt an all-fruit diet for further two or three days. Thereafter, she may adopt a restricted diet of easily digestible foods, consisting of lightly-cooked vegetables, juicy fruits and buttermilk for about 10 days. After the restricted diet, the patient may, depending on the progress, gradually embark upon a well-balanced diet consisting of seeds, nuts, grains, vegetables and fruits.
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An anal fissure is a crack in the skin surrounding the anus, the excretory opening from the bowel. The irritation usually extends down to the muscle fibres. It is generally associated with other bowl disorders.
Anal fissure is very painful. The patient feels a sharp pain on passing motions. There may be bleeding and very often itching round the anus. Any stretching of this area cause intense distress. The most common cause of anal fissure is chronic constipation and the resultant hard motions, which damage the tissue and the mucous membrane. Once this had been done, the fissure is reopened at the passage of subsequent motions and further infected by the faeces. However, the root cause of this disorder is wrong feeding.
The treatment for anal fissure should aim at softening the stools, keep them regular and avoid constipation. To begin with, the patient should fast on raw juices for about five days. Juices of orange, mosambi, pineapple and carrot may be taken during this period. After the juice fast, the patient may adopt an exclusive diet of fresh fruits for further five days. Thereafter, the patient may gradually embark upon a well-balanced diet.
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Anaemia, which means “lacking in blood” is among the most common diseases affecting human beings. It denotes a shortage of rich red blood cells and colouring matter and usually results from consumption of refined foods. The blood flowing in our veins and arteries is really living tissue. Nearly half of it consists of red blood cells which carry oxygen to the tissues. Approximately one trillion new blood cells are formed in the bone marrow daily. The raw materials required in the production of these cells are iron, proteins and vitamins, especially folic acid and B12.
The red colouring matter, called haemoglobin, is a protein which is composed of an organic iron compound called “heme”. The globin is a sulphur-bearing protein which makes up 96 per cent of the molecule. The formation of haemoglobin thus depends on adequate dietary supplies of iron and protein. Symptoms of anaemia include haggard look, premature wrinkles, grayish skin, fatigue, lack of energy, slow healing of wounds, headaches, mental depression and more.
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Like tea, coffee is also one of the most widely consumed drinks all over the world. It is stimulant and helps get over a feeling of tiredness and fatigue. Thsi leads to coffee drinking habit which is difficult to leave in course of time. Most of the coffee’s pharmacological impact comes from its high concentration of caffeine, a psychoactive drug of great power, and the most active alkaloid principle in it. This is an addictive drug similar to cocaine in as much as it stimulates the central nervous system. These effects are short-lived, but it has been observed that they lead to withdrawl symptoms of irritability, headaches and anxiety. If coffee is taken in excess, then it may also cause psychiatric disturbances.
Coffee beans are the seeds of coffee trees that are widely cultivated in the tropics. There are a variety of coffee trees. Most of them are 10 to 15 feet high with evergreen leaves. Shade trees are necessary to protect them from excessive sun. They bear clusters of white flowers which develop into the beans. There are large plantations in India, Indonesia, Africa and Brazil.
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Tea is one of the most widely consumed drinks. It is taken mainly as a hot drink for its stimulating effect. It helps to get over a tired feeling and one needs feels refreshed after drinking it. This reputation leads to tea drinking habit which in course of time becomes so deep rooted that it is difficult to give it up after some time. The most active alkaloid principle in tea is caffeine. This is an addictive drug similar to cocaine in as much as it stimulates the central nervous system. These effects are short-lived but it has been observed that they lead to withdrawl symptoms of irritability, lethargy, headches, anxiety and insomnia. This shows that it is quite a strong drug to constitute a potential health hazard.
The wide-spread consumption of tea is a striking example of the manner in which commercial forces cultivate poisonous habits in man for a profit. It is believed that almost a billion cups of tea per day are consumed all over the world.
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There is a growing tendency in modern times to make the articles of diet as artificial and pleasing to the eye and tasty to the tongue, without any regard to their ultimate effect on health. This has led to the refining and demineralising of cereals and sugar and addition of salt to various foodstuffs to make them tasty and delicious. Fortunately, there is a realisation now among the enlightened people that the artificial and concentrated dietary, to a large extent, is responsible for the vast array of present day diseases.
Foods such as bread, cereals and sugarare very acid-forming. If eaten in the refined state as white bread, white sugar and polished rice. But these foods are far less acid-forming in character if eaten in the natural state as natural brown sugar, whole meal bread and natural brown rice. Similarly, the excessive use of salt also leads to the formation of acids in the body.
Of the various artificial foodstuffs being used today for their delicious taste, white flour, sugar and salt, known as three Ws (white products) have been found especially harmful. They constitute serious health hazards and their excessive consumption can lead to several degenerative diseases.
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The wheat grass is a wonder plant. Dr. Ann Wigmore, the founder director of the Hippocrates Health Institute, Boston, U.S.A., is one of the proponents of the wheat grass therapy. According to her, “guided by spiritual mentality and nourished only by live uncooked food, the body will run indefinitely, unhampered by sickness.” Dr. G.H. Earp-Thomas, a scientist and soil expert, isolated over one hundred elements from fresh wheat grass and concluded that it is a complete food.
The chief constituent of wheat grass is chlorophyll which nature utilises as a body cleanser, rebuilder and neutraliser of toxins. Dr. Fisher, a Noble Prize Winner, used chlorophyll to treat anaemia. The chlorophyll molecule bears close resemblance to haemoglobin, the red pigmentation in human blood, and differs only in the central element which in blood is iron and in chlorophyll, magnesium. Wheat grass juice furnishes the body with vital nourishment, providing extra energy to the body. The juice contains nearly 70 per cent of chlorophyll. It is a rich source of vitamins A, B, C and contains minerals like calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, phosphorous, sulphur, cobalt, zinc and sodium. The chlorophyll contained in wheat grass juice is very beneficial for the body.
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Eating should not be considered as a trivial affair. Serious thought should be given in planning our daily diet. For, what we eat has a profound effect on our health and longevity. Latest researchers show that food can provide health, vigour and vitality and free us from various diseases, or it can make us unhealthy and miserable.
Before the discovery of fire, man’s evolution and development depended on the consumption of natural, raw foods, as provided by nature. After fire came into existence, man started cooking natural foods without much thought. Cooking of natural foods led to their debasement and destruction of most of their essential nurtients needed for the maintenance of good health. Further loss of nutrients took place when man started refining and processing of natural foods. This has inevitably lead to ill-health and vast varieties of diseases from which modern man suffers. He can get rid of these diseases and regain health, if he discards unnatural refined, processed and too much dependence on cooked foods.
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Water is one of the most precious gifts of nature. It is an essential and major component of all living things on earth. Water is one of the essential nutrients. Though not a food, it carries nutrients throughout the body. In fact, it is more essential to human life than food; for a person may live for weeks without food but only for days without water. The most important property of water is its versatility. It can be used effectively both inside and outside the body. It can be used in any form, be it liquid, solid or stream. It can be used hot, cold or lukewarm, depending on the need.
Water is the largest constituent of human body. About 60 to 70 per cent of the total body weight consists of water. Water is essential to the composition of the body for the smooth functioning of the different processes. It helps the absorption of the food materials through the intestinal tract. It keeps blood in a liquid state thus enabling easy circulation even in the tiniest blood vessels. Water also helps the kidneys to remove unwanted body wastes like urea and salt in the form of urine.
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Lecithin is the most abundant of the phospholipids. It is a fatty food substance, which serves as a structural material for every cell in thebody. It is an essential constituent of the human brain and nervous system. It forms 30 per cent of the dry weight of the brain and 17 per cent of the nervous system.
Lecithin is also an important component of then endocrine glands and the muscles of the heart and kidneys. It makes up 73 per cent of the total liver fat. Nervous, mental or glandular overactivity can consume lecithin faster than its replacement. This may render a person irritable and exhausted. It is therefore, of utmost importance to add lecithin to the diet, if the body’s own supply decreases as in old age or working under stress. 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.
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