On the benefits of Lime (Citrus Aurantifolia)

It’s hard to imagine a day without lime in the Thai diet. The sour and acidic fruit gives many Thai dishes their distinctive and pungent “wake-up” taste. Cultivated in Southeast Asia and other tropical areas like Brazil, Mexico, Egypt and the Mediterranean countries, lime is valued for its tangy juice and fragrant aroma.

Traditionally used to treat numerous ailments and health-related conditions, this small green citrus fruit contains more vitamin C than its larger cousin, the lemon. An age old remedy is a glass of warm lime juice and some honey to relieve sore throats and cold symptoms. Warm lime water helps to cleanse and stimulate the liver, liquefying bile and preventing excess bile flow. In his book Biological Ionization as Applied to Human Nutrition, A.F. Beddoe writes that lime juice triggers the production of more enzymes in the liver than any other food.

The oil extracted from lime contains flavonoids, a large family of compounds synthesized by plants that offer potential health benefits due to their capacity to regulate and adapt cell signals. Lime oil extracts are widely used in balms, inhalers and vaporizers.

In 1996, a cholera epidemic broke out in several West African villages. To stop if from spreading, researchers conducted a case control study in the community. They experimented by adding lime juice to the peanut sauce in villagers’ lunches. Lab tests indicated that the cholera strain spread rapidly in rice with the peanut sauce, and the scientists knew that cholera was triggered by bacterial activity called Vibrio cholera. Their experiment proved that lime can inhibit Vibrio cholera growth.

Vitamin C deficiency initially causes you to feel down in the dumps. In this case, a glass of nam manoa (lime juice) will perk you up. Vitamin C accelerates the healing of wounds. With regular consumption, the pectin content in lime pulp will lower your blood cholesterol. Teeth and gums become stronger – and bones too. Don’t brush your teeth immediately after consuming lime because the acidic content may damage your tooth enamel. It’s best to wait until your saliva normalizes the acidity.

Lime has been the traditional curve for scurvy, a vitamin C deficiency disease characterized by coughs, colds, cracked lips and mouth corners, bleeding gums and ulcers in the tongue. In former days, lime was distributed to sailors at sea to prevent the much dreaded scurvy.

The scent of lime causes digestive saliva to fill the mouth even before you taste it. The flavonoids in the oils extracted from lime stimulate your digestive juices. While the acids break down the molecules in the food, the antioxidant and antibiotic actions inhibit microbial growth.

Lime rinds contain volatile oils which also aid digestion and prevent stomach gases. They are acidic, but once they are digested in the stomach, they have an alkalizing effect and help to treat peptic ulcers. This is because the atomic make-up of lime resembles saliva and hydrochloric acid, which is present in your digestive juices.

The acids in lime cleanse the tracts of the excretory system, while the fibers help to ease bowel movements. Several glasses of lime juice provide relief from constipation. Drinking lime juice during a fast helps eliminate waste from your body as the lime dissolves mucus from toxins. With its high fiber content, lime helps to flush out toxins regularly, reducing their build-up in your body. Adding lime juice t other juices during a liquid fast will accelerate the detoxifying process.

The high potassium content in lime works in coordination with sodium to regulate the smooth flow of electrical transmission in the brain and nervous system. Low potassium levels can cause anxiety, depression and forgetfulness. The potassium also helps to remove toxins and substances that have been deposited in the kidney and urinary bladder.

Contrary to popular belief, citrus fruits such as lime, lemons and grapefruit do not raise your metabolism causing you to burn more fat. The American Council of Exercise says that only exercise does that. However, if you replace high-calorie beverages, such as sodas and lattes, with lime juice or water spruced with a slice of lime, you’ll reduce your overall calorie intake.

Limes can enhance the flavor of food without adding many calories. Your taste buds will be satisfied without an extra salt, sugar or cream. You can squeeze lime over your salad or use it as flavoring a minty ice tea. You also can use lime in Mexican or Mediterranean inspired recipes. Try squeezing a lime over a vegetarian burrito or a grilled chicken from your local vendor.

Lifestyle Thai Guru Tanyakamon Pramualratana

Bangkok Post, the magazine, Life

Article's original title: Limes for Health 

One (or two) lime a day keeps the doctor away...

Caution: The seeds of all citrus fruits (and also apples) are poisonous and if ingested in large quantity (even a small handful) can be fatal. So, avoid chewing or swallowing the seeds.

'Running barefoot' vs 'Wearing high-tech running shoes' ...

A few months ago, while reading an article titled 'Your Feet, Your Shoes, Your Choices' on the IDEA Fitness Journal, I got amazed by the story of a Californian chiropractor whose client was getting repetitive injuries while wearing 3,000 US$ running shoes. He jokingly advised his client to buy cheap basic running shoes at the outlet store next door, which the client did (as a joke too), coming to train the next day with a 20 US$ pair of sport shoes. A few weeks later, the client's injuries problems had disappeared.

The first though coming through my mind reading this paragraph was actually, "Well, weren't Native American Indians running barefoot on the North America plains before their genocide? What's the need of spending millions researching & manufacturing high priced running shoes, advertising them, building the industrial machinery to measure the impact of the foot on earth, while destroying Mother Earth's resources along the way? All this in the name of progress..." It seemed to me that this discovery of the fact that running barefoot was healthier than wearing hyper protective expensive shoes is a huge step forward showing us how futile the

notion of progress is. We are fighting against Mother Nature instead of living in communion with it. No wonder we aren't in touch with ourselves and the energies around us.

An anecdote about barefoot running: Adidas, the shoe sponsor at the Rome 1960 Summer Olympics, had few shoes left when Abebe Bikila (who had been added to the Ethiopian Olympic team only at the last moment) went to try out shoes. He ended up with a pair that didn’t fit comfortably, so he couldn't use them. A couple of hours before the race, Bikila decided to run barefoot, the way he'd trained for the race. Abebe Bikila won the gold medal while running barefoot at the Rome 1960 Olympics Marathon.

Workaholics, beware!

Apple Inc founder Steve Jobs' death from pancreatic cancer at age 56 on October 5, 2011 affected many people around  the world. He was a very rich businessman but also widely regarded as 'the best CEO of the century'. Jobs' early demise made many people wonder how someone so young and prosperous could succumb to cancer. Jobs identified a possible cause in a best-selling biography, speculating that his illness might have started while he was managing two companies at once and had no spare time to eat, sleep or rest or even go to the toilet. His body clock was thrown off balance.

It's widely accepted that stress and imbalance in health can prevent the body from healing itself, thus inviting serious disease.
In Zen philosophy, which Jobs studied and utilized in his inventive creativity, there is the story of a master asking a disciple, "Do you know the greatest miracle in life?"
"To walk on water or disappear," the disciple answered.
"That is not a miracle," the master scoffed.
"Then what is the greatest miracle?"
"When you are hungry, just eat. When you feel sleepy, then sleep. This is the greatest miracle."
Perhaps Steve Jobs forgot this lesson. But let's imagine he had had more time. How different our world would be today?

Bill Gates, born the same year as Jobs, opted to resign from his company 10 years earlier, recognizing that there were more important things in life than work, such as his health and 'sharing'.
If we have everything except good health, then the 'everything' amounts to nothing, doesn't it? As the Lord Buddha reminded us, our time in each existence is limited. Modern humans can live no more than 120 years, and that's only in rare cases.
On the other hand, many humans live far shorter lives. Those who work too hard for too long are their own worst enemies. They work, work, work as though their mind and body belong to a robot. It should be no surprise that workaholics' lives are often short.
"Our time is limited," Steve Jobs repeated when he fell sick, and he tried to spend less of it working, but, even at age 56, it was already too late.

People who still enjoy good health should ask themselves whether they'll be the next Steve Jobs, dying inappropriately early, or whether they can design their lives to balance achievement at work and a pleasurable life.
If you don't want to leave before they're old, if you want more time, you should review the way you think, the way you work and the way you live.
In Buddhism we have an important term that workaholic 'Steve Jobs types' might not be familiar with: The Middle Way. It's one of the Buddha's core teachings. Whoever understands the concept will have more time to live in pleasure.
As for those who don't understand the term or ignore it, their time is limited. And their time will run out shortly.

Phramaha Vudhijaya Vajiramedhi (V. Vajiramedhi).
The Nation, Sunday March 3rd 2013.
Article's original title: Zen and Steve Jobs.

Cancer Patients Need Physical Activity - by David Haas

In a discussion by the Advisor Board Company’s Oncology Rounds, a number of studies with cancer patients were analyzed. Regardless of whether patients had a mesothelioma diagnosis, breast cancer, colon cancer or other forms of the illness, it was found that physical activity has a positive impact on patient survival rates and overall health.

Quality of Life Improvements
Many patients facing cancer treatment see dramatic changes in their quality of
life. They may feel depressed, anxious, or have difficulty in seeing hope for the future. Not surprisingly, physical activity can actually help cancer patients cope with the emotional challenges that come with their health condition.
Cancer is an illness that is difficult to navigate. Side effects of the illness can
include decreased stamina, fatigue, pain and malaise. However, physical activity
can actually help with these symptoms. By being active, your body will produce
neurochemicals that help increase energy, improve mood, manage pain, and
improve your overall well-being.
Physical activity also helps because it improves your stamina and strength. For
many patients, one of the most difficult factors is a lack of energy or interest in
normal social activities that were enjoyed in the past. By becoming more active,
confidence about one’s appearance can improve and patient’s can begin to
enjoy previous social outings and hobbies.

Health Outcomes
The most convincing arguments for becoming more physically active come from the improved outcomes for cancer patients. Study after study has found that individuals who exercise help their health in many ways. Not only does strength and stamina improve, but cardiovascular health improves and better weight control is gained as well. The risk for developing diabetes declines as well.
Other studies have shown that the benefits of exercise go beyond immediate health improvements. Patients diagnosed with breast cancer have shown better survival rates when they exercise regularly. Additionally, the recurrence of cancer decreases for individuals who continue to exercise even when in remission.

Beginning Exercise
Rigorous exercise is not necessary to see health benefits. Even regular stretching can improve stamina, strength, and flexibility. If you are not currently active, talk to your doctor and find out what kinds of exercise you can safely engage in before you start. They may recommend that you work with a physical therapist to find the best activities for your needs.
Easy exercises include water aerobics, walking, and yoga. If you already are physically active, you may enjoy hiking, biking, or spinning classes. As long as your doctor approves and you are not injured, you should find a way to be active every day. Some days, it may simply be taking the stairs or parking farther away when you go to the store.
It used to be that when a patient was diagnosed with cancer, their doctor would recommend rest and relaxation. Today, doctors are much more likely to encourage you to get up, be active, and continue to do the things you enjoy. Not only will it help keep your mood up, but it will maintain your quality of life and improve your overall health now in and in the future.

David Haas (davdhaas@gmail.com)

New routine: Swimming + steam room + Yoga

Have you ever been bored by your workout routine?

I've been these past weeks...

So, this morning, I decided to change my usual 'cardio + weight + stretching' routine to:

Half hour (to 45 minutes) of swimming for cardio and muscles' warm-up, 10 to 15 minutes in the steam room to prepare articulations and muscles to stretching in yoga asanas, and 45 minutes to one hour of an Asthanga-Vinyasa Yoga routine.

- Am usually swimming 15 to 20 laps(50m) of freestyle, a few laps of breast strokes and back strokes to cool down and then do some aquagym movements with hand's paddles to increase the water pressure.

- The steam room's heat doesn't provide a warm-up (swimming does) but improves flexibility and physical strength, even after leaving the steam room for the yoga practice. Standing, bending over stretching the hamstrings, twisting the waist, prepares the body for yoga.

- My yoga routine includes 3 to 5 rounds of Salutation to the Sun, 10 to 12 standing poses, back bends, forward bends, inversions, Pranayama, Shavasana.

Tip: This combination of warm up in the pool and heat in the steam room is one of the best preparartion for a yoga session I've ever experienced.

I felt fully energized after this morning exercise session; a good break in my routine, to be added to my weekly program...

On the benefits of raw egg yolks...

My grand-father was born in 1912. He has started working in the fields as a peasant at the age of 7. He is gonna reach 99 this year on March 3rd. He has been eating all his life raw egg yolks straight from the chickens' butt, vegetables and legumes from his gardens, meats bought from or given by farmers, honey and royal jelly straight from the hives. We are talking more than 9 decades here; longevity...

When surfing the internet and reading the latest 'scientific' discoveries about nutrition, it seems to me that the food scientists from the city are just rediscovering what people from the countryside have known from generations and generations. We just have lost this knowledge on our way to the cities where years after years we've been putting more and more easy-to-eat processed foods, devoid of their nutrients, in our malnurished bodies. Look where a non-meaningful superficial life based on over-advertised material happiness has led us: obesity, diseases caused by food chemicals, mal-nutrition, raping of Mother Earth's resources in the name of progress...

And now science tells us that it is good to eat whole food. Well, do we really need to study 4 to 8 years post highschool diploma to know what some people have always known for centuries just by living and working in communion and harmony with Mother Nature and listening to their natural instinct about how to feed themselves?

Tip: I do swallow the egg yolk topped by some drops of lemon juice from the half egg shell straight down the throat.

A Google search will provide you with the different (and often contradictory) articles about the tremendous helth tonic benefits of raw egg yolks and the many ways of checking out the freshness of the egg.

Welcome to Healthy Body Tips !!!

"Mens sana in corpore sano." - Juvenal (Roman poet, late 1st-early 2nd century AD). ("A healthy mind in a healthy body.")

"May your food be your medicine, may your medicine be your food." - Hippocrate (Greek physician, 460BC-370BC)

"A good physician first find out the cause of the illness, and having found that, he first tries to cure it by food. Only when food fails does he prescribe medication." - Dr Sun Ssu-mo (Taoist doctor, 590-692), 'Precious Recipes (Chen-Chin-Fang)'.

Trophology, the science of food combining, isn't taught in schools; neither are yoga asanas and pranayama (breathing techniques).

Learning to combine your food leads to an easy digestion, proper cholesterol levels and a balance metabolism. Streching your body in yoga asanas makes your body and immune system stronger, your body and mind more flexible, opens your chackras and releases your energies (kundalini). Knowing how to breathe (stomach breathing) releases your stress.

Weight lifting (it can be simply lifting your body) makes you stronger and fitter, increases your energy level, helps lose fat and builds stronger bones.

Cardiovascular exercises (cardio) increase blood circulation in your body and your metabolism, improve your hearth condition, release 'feel good' hormones easing symptoms of depression and fatigue, and help you lose fat.

Swimming is soft on the muscles and, if you do a variety of strokes, is a total body workout. It also builds endurance, muscle strength and cardiovascular fitness. I also noticed that swimming, with the help of the water element, heals your body from the aches and stresses of weight/body lifting and cardio.

In my preparation to become an ACE Personal Trainer, I have been combining all these disciplines in my daily training for the last six months of 2010, along with some anatomy & nutrition studies, and couldn't help noticing the benefits of this training along the way.

I would like to share with you in this blog some of the knowledge acquired during my different training sessions, along with some summaries of my readings.

I hope this knowledge will help you on your path to a healthier body and mind...

Sincerely
Richard Palumbo