One thing we know for sure from experience: we must not let the body go short of sleep since there is simply no substitute for it. Experience and observation also tell us that bedtime has something to do with the coming and going of daylight. We are aware of the fact that sleep before midnight is more refreshing and relaxing than sleep afterwards. If we postpone our bedtime to the hours after midnight we will not derive the strengthening benefits from sleep that we would by going to bed earlier, because the hours before midnight provide double the benefits. Not everyone needs the same amount of sleep. Individual requirements generally lie between six and ten hours.

If we want to derive the most from sleep as a source of energy we must definitely make sure that we allow ourselves the time we individually need. Anyone who cuts sleep short so that he can work more will soon notice that he has calculated wrongly. During the day his energy will decline and his efficiency will diminish. If we need a great deal of sleep in order to feel fresh during the day we should not compare ourselves with those who get by with less. We must by all means obtain the amount we personally need. May we therefore never forget the mysterious renewing power of sleep. It is essential for good health.

*1221/28/1*

We possess a heating element in our nose which warms the air as we breathe it in; thus air below freezing point will be warmed up to natural body temperature as it passes through the nostrils. Our lungs would suffer if we breathed in cold air all the time and it could not be warmed before entering. That is why it is important in cold climates to breathe through the nose and when it is really cold to wrap a woollen scarf over the mouth and nose to protect the membranes. In extremely cold weather no one likes to breathe through the mouth anyway, but if you did, you could become so ill that you would have to stay in bed and not be able to enjoy yourself in the mountain snow. If you persist in this lack of care, you might eventually suffer to such an extent that you stop breathing altogether and then, of course, will never again benefit from your vacations in the mountains!

It is different in the tropics, where the nose acts as a thermostat in the hot and humid air, cooling down the hot air that passes through it to approximately blood heat.

This air-conditioning system in our nose is a marvellous thing. It maintains the air temperature at a level that is appropriate for our needs.

*1152/28/1*

Since most coffee drinkers should give up drinking coffee completely for the sake of their health, the question arises as to how they can achieve this. Efforts to find a satisfactory substitute for coffee have been continuing for a long time, with the result that there are several good cereal and fruit mixtures on the market today, including our own Bambu Coffee Substitute.

These substitute coffees are healthy and have none of the undesirable effects of the coffee bean. Even the milk in fruit coffee suffers none of the drawbacks it encounters in ordinary coffee. Milk taken in ‘bean’ coffee coagulates or curdles in the stomach, with each mouthful becoming a little ball of curd in the acid medium of the stomach. However, if ingested in cereal and fruit coffee, milk curdles in fine flakes, making it much more digestible.

Bambu coffee also mixes well with raw milk for a cold drink in summer. Its bitter constituents, which come from acorns, and other minerals, are all of importance to the body in general and the liver in particular, which may well apply to bitter elements in other foods too. However, the principal benefit of this coffee is its coagulating effect on milk, as described above. Of course, if you are fit and healthy, none of these considerations will mean much to you, but if your health is not so good, or you are nervous, sensitive and highly-strung because of a life-style that is contrary to nature, it is a different question. In that case, you should definitely choose only mild food and drink.

*1083/28/1*

I shall never forget the Indian children we met in Central America. They would approach us slowly, smiling timidly, while chewing on a piece of sugar cane. This seemed to satisfy their sweet tooth and helped them to overcome their shyness. Practically all children like sugar, the peculiar carbohydrate that gives our taste buds the pleasant sensation of sweetness. The young Indians enjoy raw sugar cane and also the raw fresh juice that is then condensed over a fire, making what they call pilosillo. Most astonishing to me was the fact that although they ate a great deal of the sweet brown syrup their teeth were strong and beautiful. In fact, if they had no knife handy, I often saw them using their teeth like one.

*1013/28/1*

A health diet should be planned in such a way that it does not cause unnecessary disturbances in the system. Special attention should be given to the requirements of the individual organs that are weak. The liver and the pancreas cannot tolerate unhealthy fats or excessively sweet things; the kidneys react to too much salt and spices. As regards salt, the latest research has shown that sea salt is vastly superior to mined stone salt because in its unrefined state it contains many of the substances and trace elements that are found in healthy blood. Moreover, if the sea salt is enriched with herbs you have an excellent seasoning. We have such a tasty and wholesome preparation in Herbamare. For those who are prone to catarrh and similar infections or inflammations, there is also Trocomare. This herbal seasoning salt is also indicated as a prophylactic for infectious diseases. It is a dietary salt made up of natural sea salt and enriched with eight different fresh plants whose antibacterial effects are similar to those of penicillin, but without the danger of the body becoming resistant to them or the intestinal flora being damaged. As with herbal seasonings, Trocomare should never be boiled, but should be added after the food has been cooked so as not to destroy any of the active ingredients. Remember, Trocomare provides valuable remedial properties as well as flavouring.

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Modern life with its restlessness and worries, as well as all other detrimental influences, puts a great strain on the liver, this important organ in our body. To allay our concern, it is always good to be reminded of some simple remedies, one of which is sesame seed. There is nothing easier than eating sesame seeds every day for the sake of your health. You will never tire of this delicacy if you

sprinkle it on your bread. I recommend this practice to all who suffer from liver problems and depend on high-quality oil and vegetable protein, but also to anyone else who wishes to protect and care for his liver and keep it sound.

In addition to eating the seeds you can also use sesame oil, a good source of highly unsaturated fatty acids, as well as vitamin E, which is good for the glands. It definitely benefits our health if we eat sesame seeds regularly. They contain a protein with eight essential amino acids and vitamins of the  complex which are important for cell oxygenation and thus have a favourable influence on the liver cells.

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Some people complain about having spent a small fortune on laxatives, but all in vain. This should not be surprising when we consider the many chemical medicines sold over the counter, which, at best, offer only temporary help. It takes more to remedy the condition than just making it disappear for a few days. Just as a tree needs the right kind of fertiliser and pruning in order to grow strong, the natural functions of the human body need to be supported instead of suppressed. Instead of heeding the direction of nature, man has become too dependent on modern scientific research and reasoning.

The tribespeople in various parts of the earth would not know what to do with the best herbal laxatives, even when offered to them free. Neither the Berber tribes in the Atlas mountains, the Incas in the Cordilleras, the Vedda in the north east of Sri Lanka, nor many other aboriginal people would have any use for them. And why not? The answer is quite simple: their diet is not as opulent as ours in the developed world. Those people usually eat just enough to satisfy their hunger, whereas most of us tend to overeat.

Then there is another reason. The more primitive peoples usually have more fibre in their diet, and this provides the necessary roughage to stimulate the intestinal muscles. We gorge ourselves on white bread, rolls, pastries, puddings and all kinds of sweets and dishes made from bleached flour and refined sugar, which all contribute to a slowing down of the bowel movement, causing constipation.

*419/28/1*

Biologically-oriented doctors have come to the same conclusion, as a letter from one of my friends in New York indicated. He related the example of an eighty-year-old doctor who is totally nature-oriented. This well-known doctor also emphasises the excellent effect of calcium on the general state of health, especially when combined with vitamin D if the patient does not normally receive sufficient exposure to sunlight.

Although already pointed out, I would like to reiterate the importance of following a non-irritating or bland diet that is low in salt. No doubt some patients will be happy to learn that their condition can be treated by natural means, but others may find this too difficult and prefer to take a less demanding approach. Such people do not want to make changes to their life-style and prefer to lose a chance of improving or even curing their disease. What a short-sighted and unreasonable attitude! And how can help be given if it is rejected?

*362/28/1*

If we were to compare our body to a modern chemical plant, the air-conditioning unit responsible for getting rid of poisonous exhaust fumes would correspond to our lungs. In the case of a prolonged breakdown of such an air-purification unit, the workers would die from poisons released into the air. The result would be just as tragic if our lungs stopped functioning. Furthermore, in order to assure the workers’ well-being, it is of utmost importance to get rid of the poisonous solid waste materials too. In the body this is accomplished by the kidneys, with some help from the liver. If the kidneys were to stop operating for only two days, thus causing a retention of metabolic toxins, uraemia would set in. The accumulation of waste products, normally excreted in the urine, would cause metabolic poisoning.

This can be observed in cases of an enlarged prostate, hypertrophy of the prostate. If the enlarged prostate blocks the urethra completely — a not uncommon occurrence in older men – every effort should be made to correct the obstruction within forty-eight hours. This can be done with the help of hot herbal steam baths or by means of a catheter, a rather uncomfortable treatment. If immediate attention is not given, uraemia may develop, as already mentioned, and endanger the patient’s life.

Kidney stones may bring about the same condition, that is, when they block the ureter. In such cases, prolonged hot baths are very beneficial. They should be accompanied by a light underwater massage of the kidney and bladder areas. To prevent the formation of kidney stones madder root (Rubia tinctorum) is still the best remedy.

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Those who suffer from ulcerated legs usually are unaware that it is wrong to attempt to heal the ulcers externally without also improving the general condition of the blood. Even though a good ointment or other natural remedies may be used, it is advisable not to try to heal the ulcer too quickly. If the secretions with their metabolic toxins cannot drain away freely before the blood has been purified, the condition will give rise to increasing discomfort. This has been confirmed by many whose leg ulcers have been healed too quickly.

You must understand that, according to the principles of natural therapy, the body uses just such an ulcer, or similar afflictions, as a kind of safety valve through which it can expel material which otherwise cannot be disposed of. If this valve is closed, the toxins will remain in the body. The patient’s general condition will worsen and he will feel unwell. When he begins to feel dizzy and weak it is the body’s urgent plea for help to open another valve. This help is given when the patient is treated internally, with a view to restoring the efficient working of the veins.

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