Curative Properties of Fruits

Certain fruits can combat specific ailments.  However, in the therapeutic use of any fruit as a treatment for specific disease, nothing except that particular fruit or its juice should be taken in the system at the time of treatment.  For example, when using lemon juice as a food remedy, the juice should be taken at least half an hour before consuming any other food.

It has been found that fruit sugars, calcium, iron, vitamin A, B-complex and C control the gradation of heart energy.  Hence, eating fruits like apple, lemon, orange and pomegranate can aid the proper functioning of the heart and keep it healthy even in old age.  Fruits like apple, date and mango have a direct action on the central nervous system.  Regular use of these fruits in the diet will sharpen memory and prevent nervous exhaustion, mental tension, hysteria and insomnia.

All berries, being extremely rich in iron, phosphorous and sodium, are highly beneficial for blood building and nerve strengthening.  The lemon can be a good food remedy in case of liver ailments, indigestion and rheumatism.  Watermelons make the best kidney cleansers.   Fresh and fully ripe fruits like grapes, apples, bananas and figs are best suited for all brain deficiencies.  The kernel of walnut is a positive remedy for weakness of the brain.  The soothing qualities of pineapple and pomegranates are helpful in catarrh, hay fever and other chronic nasal and bronchial ailments.  The common cold may be treated with grapefruit juice.

A generous intake of fruits in the diet will enable a person to lead a healthy life.  Fruits prevent all diseases and keep a person smart, energetic and active all through his life up to the ripe old age. 

Source: H. K. Bakhu, Foods That Heals  

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WHY SHOULD WE EAT FRUITS

The oldest form of food known to man is fruit.  Man started life with fruits as Adam the first man ate an apple, the heavenly “forbidden fruit”.  The Qur'an mention fruits like grape, date, fig, olive and pomegranate as gift and heavenly fruits of God.

Fresh and dry fruits are not only the natural staple food of man but good medicine.  They contain substantial quantities of essential nutrients in a rational proportion.  They are excellent sources of minerals, vitamins and enzymes.  Fruits are easily digested and exercise a cleansing effect on the blood and the digestive tract.  People that are subsisting on fruits will always enjoy good health.  Some of the natural benefits of fruits are:

Hydrating Effect

The most pleasant way of hydrating the body is through taking fruits and fruit juice.  The water absorbed by sick persons in this manner has an added advantage of supplying sugar and minerals at the same time.

Diuretic Effect

From studies, clinical observations have shown that potassium, magnesium and sodium contents of fruits act as a diuretic and diuresis (increased secretion of urine).  They lower the urine density; therefore, accelerating the elimination of nitrogenous waste and chlorides.

Alkalizing Effect

The organic acids of the salts in fruits produce alkaline carbonates, when transformed within the organism, which alkalize the fluids.  All fruits promote intestinal elimination.  This keeps the body free from toxic wastes which creep into the blood from an overloaded, sluggish intestinal tract.  The carbohydrates contained in fruits are mainly in the form of sugar, dextrin and acids which are easily digestible and are completely absorbed hence, are very useful for sick and invalids for quick energy and heat.

Mineralising Effect

Dried fruits such as apricots, dates and other fruits rich in calcium and iron are essential for strong bones and good blood respectively.

Laxative Effect

The fibrous matter in fruits, cellulose, aids in the smooth passage of the food in the digestive tract and easy bowel action.  The sugars and organic acids contained in fruits also increase their laxative effect.  Regular intake of fruits prevents and cures constipation.

Tonic Action

Fruits as dependable sources of vitamins exert a tonic effect in the body.   Fruits are usually eaten fresh and raw, thus making the vitamins fully available to us.  Several fruits contain good amounts of carotene which the body converts to vitamin A.  The common papaya (paw paw) is a good source of vitamin C and carotene.

Fruits are at their best when eaten in their raw and ripe state.  In the process of cooking, they lose portions of the nutrients.  Fruits are most beneficial when eaten as a separate meal by themselves, preferably for breakfast in the morning.  A combination of fruits with vegetables is not considered good.  If it becomes necessary to take fruits with regular food, they should form a larger proportion of the meals.  Fruits, however, make better combination with milk than with meals.  It is also desirable to take one kind of fruit at a time.

In case of sickness, it will be advisable to take fruits in the form of juice.  However, juice should be taken immediately after extraction as it begins to decompose quickly and loses its properties.

FRUIT CURE

Fruits are highly beneficial in maintaining acid alkaline balance in the body.  They neutralize the toxic condition of the body resulting from excessive intake of acid-forming foods and restore its alkalinity.  They help clear the system of morbid waste and cater for the body requirement of natural sugar, vitamins and minerals.

Fasting is considered as nature’s oldest and most effective method of treating diseases.  The best and safest way of fasting is “juice fasting”.  The procedure is to take the juice of an orange or any other juicy fruits such as grapes, grapefruit, pineapple, diluted 50:50 with water, every two hours from 8a.m to 8p.m.  Nothing else, whatsoever may be taken, as otherwise the value of the juice fast will be entirely lost.  Canned or frozen juice should not be used.  The total daily liquid intake should be about six to eight glasses.

Vitamins, minerals, enzymes and trace elements contained in fresh fruit juices are extremely beneficial in normalizing all the body processes.  They supply needed element for the body’s own healing activity and cell regeneration and thereby speed up the recovery.  Each day, while fasting it should be ensured that the bowels are cleansed of the toxic matter thrown off by self-cleansing process set up by the body.  This can be done by a warm water enema (an injection of a liquid through the anus to stimulate evacuation – udong udip in Oron language).

Next to the short fruit fasting, the all-fruit diet is nature’s finest eliminating medium.  The value of fresh juicy fruits in overcoming of all diseased conditions, especially chronic diseases, by the cleansing of tissues, is incalculable.  The all-fruit diet is highly beneficial especially in cases of bronchitis, rheumatism, chronic catarrh and constipation as it fills the body with life-giving mineral salts.

In case of all-fruit diet, one should take three meals a day of fresh, ripe juicy fruits such as apples, pears, grapes, oranges, grapefruit, pineapple, peaches, watermelon or any other juicy fruit in season.  Bananas should, however, not be taken, nor should any other foodstuff be added to the fruit diet.  For drinks, plain water or unsweetened lemon water may be taken.

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NUTRITION AND GOOD HEALTH

In our modern world today, the average man/woman has been better fed but so poorly nourished.  Civilization, the social process whereby societies achieve an advanced stage of development and organization has led to an increasing concentration of population in towns, cities and mega cities.  Consequently, man has been alienated and put far away from nature and its rich, beautiful bounty.  Time-assuring, preserved, refrigerated, treated, embalmed, processed, chemicalised and pasteurized food items are being promoted with all vigour and desperation to make them commercialised.  Such food that passed through the aforementioned processes can never be substitute to wholesome, natural food item.

According to Dr. H. K. Bakhru in his book Foods That Heal: The Natural way to good Health, the distance from nature has denied the present generation of farm-fresh foods prepared by nature to meet man’s nutritional needs.  Most food, especially the increasingly popular ‘convenience foods’ or ‘fast foods’ are largely denatured, artificially flavoured, turgid and semi-synthetic; devoid of their vital food values.  Whatever nutrients that are left in them after long processing, storage and transportation are poor substitutes for natural foods.  Such packed and preserved foods are nothing but food-less foods.

In the word of Hippocrates, the father of medicine, “your food shall be your medicine as there are illnesses that can only be treated by nutrition”.  There are numerous medical disorders that can be prevented and treated with a select of natural foods rich in mineral, vitamins, trace elements, vital nutrients and other substances which have positive medicinal and curative properties.

People of old knew that apple cleansed the blood, controlled high blood pressure and stimulated the flow of urine.  Modern science has shown how apples lower sodium chloride while increasing potassium and alkaline reserves.

Recent medical research has established onion as an effective preventive food against heart attack; they correct thrombosis and reduce blood cholesterol.  Garlic juice dissolves accumulation of mucus in sinus cavities, bronchial tubes, lungs, and reduces the severity of asthmatic attacks.  Scurvy resists treatment with synthetic vitamin C, yet responds quickly to certain vegetables and fruits like cabbage, lemon and limes.

Please stay tuned as we shall share with you numerous resources on food and good health from reliable sources.  Always feel free to share your knowledge with others on this blog for the benefit of humanity.

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EXPLORING THE BENEFITS OF SEX

You will agree with me that since the concept of sex came into creation, the world has not been the same again. One could imagine Adam’s first encounter with Eve that made him to scream, this is the bone of my bone. In this article, sex is conceived as those activities associated with sexual intercourse. Sexual intercourse is, therefore, an act carried out for reproduction or pleasure involving penetration, especially one in which a man inserts his erect organ into a woman’s organ.

Sex is one of nature’s precious gifts to mankind (is it womankind?). According to an educationist, Chief Mrs. Olufunmilayo Onwubiko, “sex is a cool tonic in the body of a woman, if she gets the right person at the right time. It is as sweet as sugar, very touching to the brain. There is no amount of delivery or delicacy or [sic] relaxation to be compared to it, especially when enjoyed in a cool environment. It nourishes the body. No wonder the bible says it is not good for a man to be alone” (Health Booster Vol.4 No.1)

The health benefits of sex extend well beyond the bedroom. A turn out sex is good for you in ways you may never have imagined. The first step is choosing the right partner, someone that will make you desire sex. If there is no convergence of body chemistry, sex will be devoid of excitement. When you're in the mood, it's a sure bet that the last thing on your mind is boosting your immune system or maintaining a healthy weight. Yet good sex offers those health benefits and more.

That may be surprising to many people, says Joy Davidson, PhD, a New York psychologist and sex therapist. "Of course, sex is everywhere in the media," she says. "But the idea that we are vital, sexual creatures is still looked at in some cultures with disgust or in other cases a bit of embarrassment. So to really take a look at how our sexuality adds to our life and enhances our life and our health, both physical and psychological, is eye-opening for many people."
Sex does the body good in a number of ways, according to Davidson and other experts. The benefits aren't just anecdotal or hearsay, they are backed by scientific scrutiny. Some of the benefits of healthy sex in a relationship are:

Relieving of Stress
A big health benefit of sex is lower blood pressure and overall stress reduction, according to researchers from Scotland who reported their findings in the journal Biological Psychology. They studied 24 women and 22 men who kept records of their sexual activity. Then the researchers subjected them to stressful situations such as speaking in public and doing verbal arithmetic, and noted their blood pressure response to stress.

Those who had intercourse had better responses to stress than those who engaged in other sexual behaviors or abstained.
Another study published in the same journal found that frequent intercourse was associated with lower diastolic blood pressure in cohabiting participants. Yet other research found a link between partner hugs and lower blood pressure in women.
Prolonged deep kissing has been observed to lower blood pressure and cholesterol level on the long run. On the short run, kissing releases bacteria that stimulate the production of antibodies, which help fight off infections. Even holding hands can bring immediate stress relief to loved ones (New York Times).

Boosting Immunity
Good sexual health may mean better physical health. Having sex once or twice a week has been linked with higher levels of an antibody called immunoglobulin A or IgA, which can protect you from getting colds and other infections. Scientists at Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, took samples of saliva, which contain IgA, from 112 college students who reported the frequency of sex they had.
Those in the "frequent" group -- once or twice a week -- had higher levels of IgA than those in the other three groups -- who reported being abstinent, having sex less than once a week, or having it very often, three or more times weekly.

Burns Calories
Thirty minutes of sex burns 85 calories or more. It may not sound like much, but it adds up: 42 half-hour sessions will burn 3,570 calories, more than enough to lose a pound. Doubling up, you could drop that pound in 21 hour-long sessions.
"Sex is a great mode of exercise," says Patti Britton, PhD, a Los Angeles sexologist and president of the American Association of Sexuality Educators and Therapists. It takes work, from both a physical and psychological perspective, to do it well, she says.

According to the author of the book “Sex and Society”, sex is the healthiest sport in the world. Love making (the totality) can burn up those calories you pile up during those romantic outings. It stretches and tones up every muscle in the body. It is more enjoyable than swimming, jogging etc.

Improving Cardiovascular Health
While some older folks may worry that the efforts expended during sex could cause a stroke, that's not so, according to researchers from England. In a study published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, scientists found frequency of sex was not associated with stroke in the 914 men they followed for 20 years.
And the heart health benefits of sex don't end there. The researchers also found that having sex twice or more a week reduced the risk of fatal heart attack by half for the men, compared with those who had sex less than once a month.

Boosting Self-Esteem
Boosting self-esteem was one of 237 reasons people have sex, collected by University of Texas researchers and published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior.
That finding makes sense to Gina Ogden, PhD, a sex therapist and marriage and family therapist in Cambridge, Mass., although she finds that those who already have self-esteem say they sometimes have sex to feel even better. One of the reasons people say they have sex is to feel good about themselves. "Great sex begins with self-esteem, and it raises it. If the sex is loving, connected, and what you want, it raises it."

Improving Intimacy
Having sex and orgasms increases levels of the hormone oxytocin, the so-called love hormone, which helps us bond and build trust. Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh and the University of North Carolina evaluated 59 premenopausal women before and after warm contact with their husbands and partners ending with hugs. They found that the more contact, the higher the oxytocin levels.
"Oxytocin allows us to feel the urge to nurture and to bond," says Britton.
Higher oxytocin has also been linked with a feeling of generosity. So if you're feeling suddenly more generous toward your partner than usual, credit the love hormone. Reflect on those juicy dishes and attention that come after a good round of love making.

Sex is reconciliatory, it heals the wounds/scars inflicted by misunderstanding in relationships. Yes!

Reducing Pain
As the hormone oxytocin surges, endorphins increase, and pain declines. So if your headache, arthritis pain, or PMS (a syndrome that occurs in many women from 2 to 14 days before the onset of menstruation) symptoms seem to improve after sex, you can thank those higher oxytocin levels.
In a study published in the Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine, 48 volunteers who inhaled oxytocin vapor and then had their fingers pricked lowered their pain threshold by more than half.

Reducing Prostate Cancer Risk
Frequent ejaculations, especially in men in their 20s, may reduce the risk of prostate cancer later in life, Australian researchers reported in the British Journal of Urology International. When they followed men diagnosed with prostate cancer and those without, they found no association of prostate cancer with the number of sexual partners as the men reached their 30s, 40s, and 50s.
But they found men who had five or more ejaculations weekly while in their 20s reduced their risk of getting prostate cancer later by a third.
Another study, reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that frequent ejaculations, 21 or more a month, were linked to lower prostate cancer risk in older men, as well, compared with less frequent ejaculations of four to seven monthly.

Strengthening the Pelvic Floor Muscles
For women, doing a few pelvic floor muscle exercises known as Kegels during sex offers a couple of benefits. You will enjoy more pleasure, and you'll also strengthen the area and help to minimize the risk of incontinence (involuntary urination or defecation) later in life.
To do a basic Kegel exercise, tighten the muscles of your pelvic floor, as if you're trying to stop the flow of urine. Count to three, then release and repeat. Try this during sex and share the experience.

Helping You Sleep Better
Sex is the safest tranquilizer in the world. In case you are in doubt, it is more effective than valium. The oxytocin released during orgasm also promotes sleep, according to research.

And getting enough sleep has been linked with a host of other good things, such as maintaining a healthy weight and blood pressure. Something to think about, especially if you've been wondering why your guy can be active one minute and snoring off the next.

This article was written with additional material by Kathleen Doheny of WebMD

On a last note, this article does not encourage sexual rascality. Be responsible and indulge in safe sex. The pains of sexual rascality far outweigh the benefits.

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HOW TO INCREASE LIBIDO - FOR MEN

It is typical for men to experience a down cline in their libido as they get older. The loss of libido is usually a result of bad health, hormonal imbalances, andropause or certain erectile dysfunctions. The sad story is sex can actually be a health balancer for many. It can actually work to raise levels of endorphins, DHEA, and growth hormones and lower stress hormones – all of which work to cure the very issues that cause sexual dysfunctions.

It becomes imperative therefore, that men take conscious effort to increase libido through other means. Many men would resort to Viagra to counter the effects of erectile dysfunctions. This however has proven to be risky as it can lead to the serious decrease in blood pressure that can result to fainting, stroke or heart attacks. Intake of Viagra can also decrease the blood flow to the optic nerves of the eyes, which can be the cause of temporary blindness.

It is due to this reason, men are recommended to increase libido naturally rather than resorting to artificial means. The good news is there are heaps of natural methods that increase libido without the need for pills and other medication. Among the many are exercise, proper diet and enough exposure to sunlight. Although these methods may require more self-determination than just popping the pill, the long term effects of which guarantee a healthier and more productive lifestyle that can bring back a few more youthful years to a man’s life.

Increase Libido through Exercise

The best way to increase libido is through exercise. Not only does regular exercise benefit an individual’s sex life but it is also a great way to increase the energy levels, which is required in order to cope with the modern day-to-day demands. A few hours of workout everyday is a great way to relieve stress. Exercise improves blood flow to the brain, which brings additional sugars and oxygen needed for mental soundness. When under tremendous stress, the body builds up toxic waste that can cause foggy thinking. Through exercise, blood flow is sped up to the brain, allowing the brain to expel waste faster. Exercise causes the release of endorphins into the blood system, giving the mind the feeling of happiness and a sense of well-being.

It has been noted that one of the best times to have sexual intercourse is right after a good workout. With the body and mind in full function, and the endorphins in the brain are at its peak and sex can only be most thrilling and satisfying.

Improving Sexual Stamina by Eating

The next best way to increase libido is through eating the proper food. Since the testosterone is the hormone necessary for sexual stimulation and vigor, the maintenance of this hormone should be a priority when choosing the right food to eat.

Almonds

Almonds are great aphrodisiacs. Not only do they taste good but they also smell good making them a great bedside partner during sexual intercourse. Almonds, however, are not merely sexual stimulants; they are also a prime source of fatty acids which are necessary in the reproduction of hormones. Regular consumption of almonds can increase the level of testosterone which is vital agent that increases libido during sexual intercourse.

Avocado

Avocados contain vitamin V6 which is an important nutrient that increases male hormone production. They also contain high levels of folic acid which help metabolize the proteins needed to boost energy. Whether in bed or out of the streets, avocados are great agents in keeping men alert and healthy.

Bananas

For many years, bananas have been known to reverse impotence in men. They contain an enzyme called bromelain which is believed to increase libido. Also, they are a great source of potassium and riboflavin, which are energy boosters that give men the stamina they need during sexual intercourse.

Garlic

Garlic contains allicin, an ingredient that increases blood flow to the sex organs. They are a wonderful ingredient that help increase libido when taken regularly. They can either be taken in their most natural state or in capsule form. Regardless of the taste or smell, a garlic capsule a day is a sure way of revitalizing the sex drive.

Raw oysters

Raw oysters are not merely aphrodisiacs. They are high-powered foods that help raise sperm counts and testosterone in the body. They also contain dopamine – a hormone known to increase libido and get the sex drive working.

Let the Sun Shine!

Surprisingly, one of the best ways to increase libido in men is through exposure to sunlight. Sunlight is a great agent that suppresses the growth of melatonin in the body. Melatonin is a hormone produced by the pineal gland in the brain. It is the body’s agent in killing different types of tumor cells. Unfortunately for many, when there is excessive melatonin in the body, it can also kill testosterone hormones. In order to balance if off, sunlight is needed to suppress it.

So for those who wish to increase libido, the formula is simple, first regularly exercise, second, eat the right food, and third, get yourself out there where the sun can find you. Remember that a good life improves sex and great sex improves life. It’s the cycle of life so take the effort to improve your libido, as it will definitely keep you alive.

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