The bottom line: It is your personal lifestyle on which the foundation of wellness is anchored on.
So the question is, what are you doing every single day of your life that forms your habits?
Here are some food for thought and action:
While drugs can control gout, it is wise to completely change your eating habits. High uric acid levels respond well to dietary changes immediately. Avoid the following items that are high in purine: liver, veal, beef, lamb, shellfish, sardines, mackerel, herring and anchovies.
If you are fond of alcohol, then it is time to quit. However, if you were to be selective about it, wine and hard liquor have fewer purines than beer.
Guess what? Berries can help ease a gout attack. Have your fill of cherries, blueberries, hawthorn berries. Note: The darker the color (red-blue), the more effective.
You can also fight uric acid by gradually losing weight. Adopt a high-fiber, low-fat diet consisting of fruits, vegetables, beans or whole grains.
A wonder beverage is water. Drink 12-15 glasses of water daily to keep uric acid crystals from forming in your kidneys.
When you have a gout attack, your fastest natural remedy is water. By keeping your kidneys from forming uric acid crystals, you are warding off kidney stones and kidney damage. So drink up!
Supplements can help. Folic acid, a B vitamin when taken in large doses can inhibit the production of xanthine oxidase, the enzyme whose job is to produce uric acid.
Vitamin E also has gout-relieving abilities because of its anti-inflammatory properties. Suggested dosage is 400-800 iu.
The vitamins to avoid during a gout attack is vitamin C and niacin. These two increase uric acid levels. By the way, go easy on aspirin as it raises blood levels of uric acid.
Removing the itch
There is a superstition that if you have itchy palms or nose, money is on its way to you. Nothing could be further from the truth.
It is the most common of feminine problems: yeast. The symptoms may be familiar: vaginal discharge, unpleasant odor, burning sensation and itching. Do you know that during their child-bearing years, 3 out of 4 women would have developed a yeast infection?
Blame it on a fungus called Candida albicans which lives in the mouth, vagina and intestines.
The immune system keeps this under control together with lactobacillus acidophilus, a bacteria which keeps the vagina acid. Remember that Candida cannot live in an acidic environment.
There is an ecosystem inside the vagina. Once it has been upset, Candida reigns. Things that can disturb the balance: skintight jeans and leotards, leggings, tight panties, pantyhose, sweaty clothes and wet bathing suits.
When the temperature rises and moisture increases, Candida will multiply. Other factors: the use of antibiotic (which kills good bacteria), hot and humid environment.
To do:
Say no to sugar/sweets as fungus feeds on sugar.
Say yes to probiotics, take acidophilus daily.
Take yogurt.
Consume more garlic or garlic oil supplements; garlic has antibacterial benefits. It is rich in the anti-microbial allicin.
Improve your diet.
Boost your immune system with vitamins A, C and E.
Add the mineral zinc. It boosts the production of T lymphocytes which fight infection. Zinc is also used in preventive medicine to fight illness.
Increase consumption of bright orange and yellow vegetables for natural beta-carotene nutrition.
Removing bloatedness
Human beings are made up mostly of fluid. People who retain fluid experience bloatedness. This occurs when fluid gets trapped in tissues found in tiny channels between cells. Waterlogged tissues can be caused by allergic reactions to certain foods, heart and kidney problems, prescription drugs.
To do:
Cut back on commercial salt.
Avoid alcohol (a diuretic, however it can put you in a state of dehydration) and synthetic food flavorings. If it is not natural, it cannot make you healthy.
Diuretic—take ginger tea to raise your metabolism.
Exercise—move it in order to lose it. Good sweat improves circulation and prevents bloating.
(Reference: “Healing with Vitamins: Prevention Magazine Health Book”)
This week’s affirmation: “I claim only the best.”
Love and light!
E-mail the columnist: coryquirino1@yahoo.com