Health Notes

Hutt News, Volume 18, Issue 4, 28 June 1944, Page 7

Health Notes

By H. Iv. & D. W. Adamson, (Osteopaths).

To what extent are you helping' yourself to keep lit and -\velH Do you happen to be among the thousands of people who do all they can to shorten their days and as little as possible to prolong them —one of the unthinking mass of mankind who find it easier to allow his or her body machine to rust away or fall to pieces rather than lift a solitary finger in its support? Or, to put it in another way, do you practice as much as a single good habit as an antidote to the more numerous bad ones.' Cranting, of course,- that yo'i acknowledge that there are such things as "bad" habits and most people do even though' they may not feel themselves disposed to do much about curbing them or doing anything else to offset them. For instance, smoking curtails the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood by bringing" about degenern five changes in the red blood celis by which oxygon is conveyed from the lungs to the muscles. Smoking also interferes with the How of blood by reducing the elasticity of the liny capillaries which link up the outward and inward journey of the blood between the arteries and the veins a by no' means inconsiderable factor in high blood pressure. Smok ing u a typical example of a deleter? o'us habit and we ask you to ask yourself what are you doing about it. That is, apart from giving un the habit altogether which is bv far Hie better tiling to do. Well, first of all you can do sometlu..g ■ o compensate for some of the ueten i.vtion of the red blood cells by kivii'g more oxygen into your system by taking up some regular physical exercise for a few minutes night and morning. This should be done l.e'oi'o an open window" or in a well \en I Hated room. You can also cultivate the habit of breathing more deeply every t.ime you walk to and f; • .11 your train or bus stop. Rid yourself of the habit of shallow breathing by filling your lungs with every inhalation and empty then, completely when exhaling. Practice away and you will be surprised how quickly both breathing and circulation will improve. Of course you may have to make a slight eiiort at 4irst but your lungs will soon acquire |tiie habit of fully expanding and con trading automatically, and as more oxygen is taken into your system yon will feel batter, and look better, as your functions behave better. Then you can offset the damage to the blood ceils in. another way. iOat more of the foods which contain the iron that maintains the red blood cells. Such foods as liver (best o; < all), spinach, cabbage, Brussel [ sprouts, and all other green lealy 5 vegetables as well as peas, beans and [ other legumes. Raisins, peaches, to- • matoes, citrus fruits and others in . season as well as wholemeal breads and wholemeal products. This is all very easy and moderately effective. Not nearly effective oi course as giving up smoking.