Jonathan's
Health
Service
Welcome to a page about body and health!
Contents:
- Why this page?
- About your diet
- About your life style
- About vitamins
- About body and exercise
- Links to other web sites
Why this page?
Over the years I have tried many techniques and methods to better understand the body and its health. That has given me some experiences, wich others may like to share. I believe:- That we have the opportunity to improve our health, to better manage a stressed existence.
- That maintaining our health in the long run is our own responsibility.
About your diet
Unfortunately many of us eat a diet that is too fat and heavy. If we check the average consumption of foods, you would get a picture like this:| Too little | Too much |
| Fruit | Meat |
| Vegetables | Milk and cheese |
| Fish | Other food products with colors and other additives |
Many times an improper diet leads to excess weight, illnesses, and reduced quality of life.
Look at this example of a week's menu with healthy meals.
About your life style
One of the most important factors is our attitude towards life style and health. If you recognize that we are capable of changing our life style, we have come a long way! You can change your life style. Here is one way to start: You can not change everything, but you can choose a direction and decide:- I want to change my diet.
- I want to improve my physical condition and mobility.
- I want to quit smoking.
- Etc.
In this way you keep track of your goals, and gradually you will develop a better life style. Remember, Rome was not built in a day - Changing old habits may take a long time. Think about how long it took to deveop the bad habits. Often such problems are inherited from previous genertions. It can take years to correct.
About chewing your food properly
Saliva is extremely important for food digestion. I wrote above that we eat too much meat and cheese. The problem is that these foods are hard to digest. They can remain in your intestines for days before they are fully digested! That reduces the effectiveness of our digestion.About fasting
Fasting can mean many tings. Typically it implies that you do not eat solid food for a specified period of time, like for 10 days. But the principle can also be applied to other areas of life style: Speak fast (be quiet), as is practiced in certain therapy courses. Mahatmah Ghandi for example never spoke on Mondays. How about a TV fast/news fast?Fasting is really a god thing. It can get your self health improvement going. There are some good books about this subject. And if you can not abstain from regular food you could try a a fruit fast; just fruit, cooked vegetable juices, and water
About vitamins
The daily vitamin need is extremely important. Today we know of 13 vitamins, which are essential to humans. Those are vitamins A, C, D, E, K, and the B vitamins: thiamin (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin, folacin, panthothen acid, biotin, and B6. Vitamins are divided in:| Fat soluble | Water soluble |
| A, D, E, and K | B and C |
The fat solubles are deposited in the body, if your intake exceeds your needs. An excess of the water solubles are "flushed" out with your urine.
The word vitamin derives from the latin vita which means life, and vitamins are certainly vitally important. Only recently have researchers realized the preventive forces of vitamins. Many vitamins can help prevent varous cancer types, and they can strengthen your immune system.
There are strong indications that modern humans with a very stressed life style can benefit from megadoses of vitamins. In the United States a science has developed regarding vitamin doses based on living conditions. Here you see the factors which might increase vitamin needs above the average:
- Any kind of stress
- Monotonous work
- Changing work shifts
- Travelling
- Smoking
- Alcohol consumption
Personally I take a common vitamin/mineral pill with the recommended daily dose. Then I usually take a strong B deposit tablet, an E vitamin, 5-6 of the small C vitamins (you can take up to 500 mg), plus a Q10 capsule. The latter is not a vitamin but a so-called antioxydant, which also is good to strengthen the immune system. There are some indications that the gingko balboa preparation has a similar effect.
With this daily dose I feel on top of the world. I also think it provides good resistance.
About body and exercise
Unfortunately we need some exercise to make the body function properly. If you are not the avid sports person , you can manage with some basic exercises, which can eaisly be fitted into your weekly schedule:- Walking at a fast pace, a minimum of 20 minutes twice a week.
- Weekly swims at the beach, your pool, bathing institute, or wherever available. Swim as much as you can, and take time for a visit to a sauna if available.
- Bicycling
- Jogging, relaxed and easy. Start slowly - 2 km very slow jog - Almost anyone can do that.
See the Shanghai web site, or buy buy the book Wushu! from your book store. It will give you enough exercises for the rest of your life.
Links to other web sites
There are lots of resources to get from the net. Here are some starters:Ask doctor Weil Excellent web site where you among other things can calculate your needed vitamin doses.
About fasting site with lots of information and offers.
HerbNet All about herbs.
The Internet's Fitness Resource All about exercises. Great site with lots of commented links.
Epicurious. A site with everything about food and drinks - more pleasure than health...
Health.net An English site for children about health.
Balance - a fitness magazine online.
BIOMEDIC - a health course center, etc.
Keyboard Yoga - quite special programs....
Wushu, Tai Chi etc.:
Chinese gymnastics A site from Shanghai with excellent exercise descriptions.Chinese health exercises