Healthy By Nature

Complete Guide

Nature presents us eight remedies to preserve our health.

HEALTHY NATURE BY

Natural Medicine

Complete Guide

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The eight cures of nature

Throughout this work you will discover the most powerful natural agents to protect our health. When incorporating these remedies to our habits a whole effective plan of preservation of our health by natural means will start to work.

As well as preventing from diseases, natural remedies contribute to heal, that is, to bring us back the health we have lost.

Water and earth

The sun

Physical exercise

Rest The air

Avoiding toxic substances

Diet

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A positive mental attitude

HYDROTHERAPY - Health through water

Water, something as cheap and simple, and in principle accesible to all, is the main element for hydrotherapy (from the Greek ‘hidor’/’hydro’, water and ‘therapeía’, therapy).

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Health through water

THE GENERAL EFFECTS OF HYDROTHERAPEUTIC TREATMENTS ● Cardiovascular

System

● Metabolism

It regulates the hormonal system.

It is useful for cardiovascular disorders of a functional origin and slow cutaneous irrigation.

● Muskulo-skeletal

● Blood

System

It activates the blood flow. ● During

It tons up the muscles and stops the inflammatory stages.

convalescence

It favors the recovery during postoperatory convalescence periods.

● Nervous

System

It tons up the nervous system.

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AEROTHERAPY - Health through the air

A human being can last more than one month without eating, up to a week without drinking, but a mere few minutes without breathing.

We never stop breathing from the moment we are born to the moment we die, and we breathe in a completely natural, automatic way.

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Learning to breathe deeply Initially these exercises should be carried out lying on a bed or on top of a carpet.

Take three small books and place: • The first on the abdomen, INSPIRATION (breathing in) in three phases: • The second on the lower part 1. Breathe in and try to move the book placed on of the chest and your abdomen, by doing this we are getting the • The third on the upper part of the chest. diaphragm to work and ventilating the lower part of the lungs. You should not breathe in as deeply as possible, as some reserve is needed for the next two phases.

2. In the following step try to get the next book placed on the lower part of the chest to move, and this means that the intercostal muscles (the muscles found between the ribs) are at work, which boosts ventilation of the middle area of the lungs.

3. In the last part try to move the third book, working the auxiliary muscles of respiration that are found at neck height, which help improve the ventilation of the upper part of the lungs.

EXHALING is carried out in reverse order but taking twice as long for each step.

These exercises deeply ventilate both the lungs and their anatomic regions (known as the pulmonary lobes).

Once you have learnt to use the respiratory muscles lying down, these movements can be easily carried out standing up.

More diseases than we can imagine could be avoided by breathing correctly. Through this wonderful natural remedy we can improve our lifestyle.

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HELIOTHERAPY - Health through the sun

People who live in cities have little exposure to sun, air and natural changes in temperature most of the year, and tend to spend their summer holidays trying to make up for the benefits they have missed by spending far too long out in intense sunlight. However, over-exposure during the summer is just as harmful for our health as the deprivation of sunlight during the rest of the year.

The importance of the healing power of the sun was well known in ancient times by the Egyptians, Assyrians, Greeks and Romans who deified it as a source of light and health.

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Health through the sun

Parts of the body and recommended exposure times to the sun

1st day

5 min.

nd

2 day

5 min.

10 min.

5 min.

10 min.

15 min.

5 min.

10 min.

15 min.

20 min.

10 min.

15 min.

20 min.

25 min.

rd

3 day th

4 day th

5 day

5 min.

th

–

10 min. 15 min.

20 min.

25 min.

30 min.

th

7 day

–

15 min. 20 min.

25 min.

30 min.

25 min.

8th day

–

20 min. 25 min.

30 min.

35 min.

40 min.

6 day

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PHYSIOTHERAPY - Health through movement (physical exercise)

Nowadays, it is essential we rediscover the therapeutic value of movement as a remedy for many diseases, and not forget that this is the real “engine of life”.

The harm caused by inactivity Underneath is a list of diseases that may appear or worsen as a result of a lack of physical exercise: • Migraines and other types of headache.

• Exhaustion and apathy.

• Constipation.

• Insomnia.

• Thrombosis, embolism and heart attacks.

• Hyperlipemia (excess fat in the blood).

• Degenerative osteoporosis of the extremities and the spine.

• Premature disability.

A walk from time to time, do-it-yourself, or a sporadically practiced sport is not sufficient to keep the parts of our bodies devoted to movement—muscles, bones, tendons and joints—in good shape. To do this, we should follow a constant exercise program that involves the entire body.

If an organ of the body is not exercised it will atrophy; the best way to practise physical exercise is to do it every day.

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Rest

Rest is as necessary as activity. In nature there are fixed activity-rest cycles, and neglecting these will lead to adverse consequences for all aspects of our health.

There is nothing like a good rest, aptly known as a refreshing rest. â—? It

reinforces the healing processes of the body. â—? It allows the immune system to activate its defenses against infectious agents.

Life is developed following a rhythm. In nature, this rhythm is marked by day and night, and by the seasons. Even the movement of heavenly bodies follows a precise pattern.

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DIETOTHERAPY

- Health through nutrition

«May your food be your medicine and your medicine be your food.»

(Hippocrates, Greek physician, 5th century B.C.)

COMPLETE NUTRITION: TOTAL HEALTH ● Carbohydrates

● Proteins

Preferably whole-grain: cereals (rice, millet, corn, wheat, rye), which make you feel full and provide energy. ● Fats

Meat protein does not have the highest biological value, but its level is similar to that of vegetable protein. ● Fruits

We should ideally consume oils as unsaturated as possible.

and vegetables

They supply vitamins, minerals, enzymes, phytochemical elements and fiber.

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What we eat in the 21st century • Refined flour and potatoes have replaced whole-grain flour.

• Our consumption of fast food or industrially processed food is excessive, while the amount raw and fresh vegetables and fruit in our diet has decreased.

• We prefer soft fare avoiding tough food that makes us chew well and increases the amount of saliva produced.

• Day after day, the consumption of industrially processed— and therefore unnatural—products increases. These include several artificial elements that are of no nutritional value.

• We eat an excessive amount of animal protein.

• In many places, animal fat is overused to the detriment of vegetable fat (oil).

• Too much common table salt is consumed.

• There is a growing tendency to use spices, and “enhancing” chemical products and preservatives while the use of herbs and natural aromatic seasoning is on the wane.

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• In general, the supply of vitamins, enzymes, minerals, phytochemical elements and chlorophyll is insufficient.

• The average diet is lacking in fiber.

In the view of these nutritional habits it can be said that, in general, we eat too much food that is not good for us and too little food that is.

So, in the industrialized world, most people follow poor diets and consequently their nutrition is consistently deficient, as will be explained in detail in this chapter.

TOXIC SUBSTANCES

HEALTH THROUGH ABSTINENCE Drugs: Prevention at home and at school • It is important to develop and promote the talents of each child from very early infancy.

• We should make the most of the educational value of television and other means of communication and information.

• Educating children about values such as solidarity, living with and respecting all cultures and social classes is essential.

• It is essential that the family members communicate well with each other and that the family as a group communicate with the school.

• Adolescents and young people should be offered a meeting place and attractive activities that do not include alcohol, cigarettes, or any other type of toxic stimulant.

• Young people must be encouraged to take part in attractive, educational activities.

• Pay careful attention to low-quality preventive programs that may actually have the contrary result of promoting drug addiction.

Drugs: a serious problem for the public and social health.

As the saying goes, “prevention is better than cure”, this is the best treatment to this problem, and the best prevention is INFORMATION. 14

Socially tolerated drugs

The effects of alcohol on the body Central Nervous System: Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, Cerebral Atrophy

The consequences of a bad habit

Skin:

Inhibition of the cilia static function

Thread veins

Respiratory system:

The irritants in tobacco end up paralyzing the ciliated cells which are constantly “sweeping� the bronquial tree clean.

Bronchitis, emphysema

Liver: Hepatitis, cirrhosis

Muscles:

Heart: Myocardiopathy High blood pressure

Loss of muscle mass and strength

Chronic bronchitis

The cancerous lung of a smoker.

Blood: Anemia

Digestive system: Pancreatitis, intestinal malabsorption

Swelling of the front of the leg and ankle

Shaking, lack of muscle coordination

Microbes or dust settles on the bronchi leading to inflammation and purulence: and after a few years, a cough becomes more and more frequent and exhausting.

Emphysema Tar damages the pulmonary alveoli, they lose their elasticity and when subjected to the pressure of ventilation, they tear open and form blebs (blisters).

Cancer Stomach: Esophagitis, gastritis

Peripheral nervous system: Neuropathy, and loss of balance

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Today there can be no doubt, as tobacco has been categorically proved responsible for between 95% and 98% of the cases of primary lung cancer.

SOLUTION:

5 DAY PLAN to give up smoking

HEALTH PROGRAM Simple, practical advice for both the healthy and the sick -the foundations for following a new, healthy way of life.

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2

3

Get sufficient sleep.

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On awakening, take one or two glasses of water and take ten deep breaths.

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6

Every day we should include a salad and five pieces or portions of fruit.

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Breakfast has to be natural and abundant and must be chewed well.

It is a good idea to fast one day a week or to eat only fruit and dextrinated bread.

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Do at least 30 minutes of physical exercise every day.

9 In order to get a restful sleep, it is a good idea to take a hipbath or a footbath before going to bed.

Have a very light supper at least two hours before you go to bed.

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It is essential you abstain from all types of addictive drugs.