Health Ideas, Part IX

by

John Stephen Mauldin, MLA (not AI assisted)

All right reserved, copyright © 2025

Hair

Eating green leafy vegetables every day may possibly slow down graying or even stop it from happening at all, whereas fried and processed foods will probably hasten graying.

Another way to keep hair healthy is to use a filter in our showers that eliminates chlorine and other harsh chemicals in our water. And, as you may have read, I discourage the use of shampoo since almost all shampoos contain Sodium Lauryl Sulfate or Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLS), which causes the bubbling, sudsing action. This is nothing less than poison and will clearly crash the human immune system. For, the last nine years, I have simply scrubbed my scalp vigorously with water, and from the beginning, my hair improved noticeably.

I use shea butter on my hair, and this keeps it shiny and in place. Apple cider vinegar can be used as a rinse and may also give our hair a shiny, healthy appearance. These foods might help your hair, too:

• Pumpkin seeds

• Strawberries

• Almonds

• Beans

• Shiitake Mushrooms

  
  

Headaches

A migraine or a severe headache requires the examination of a physician. In such cases, we always make the right decision by seeking the advice of our doctor right away.

While there are many different types of headaches, including cluster, sinus, migraine, and chronic, the most common is a tension headache triggered by stress, anxiety, or depression. The discomfort is usually mild to moderate and may feel as though a band is squeezing around our head, which is simply because a headache is inflammation, especially across the forehead.

I suggest keeping a few bags of frozen green peas in the freezer for a quick, healthy remedy for such headaches. Lie on your bed and place a bag behind your neck; this will affect the inflammation in your forehead. You may also want to place another bag directly on your forehead, but because it may be difficult to endure the cold, you first might want to allow it to warm a little.

Lie there in silence for an hour or so if you wish. Falling asleep is recommended. This is a way to literally, and figuratively, chill out.

Avoid aspirin and other headache pills. Aspirin can cause stomach and brain bleeding, and a host of other maladies, including, irony upon irony, headaches if used repeatedly. Ibuprofen attacks the liver and kidneys so never use this toxin.

Ensuring that prescription lenses, if you wear them, are the correct strength may eliminate headaches since an inaccurate strength will cause eye strain and headaches.

Keeping the head and neck in the same position over time can cause headaches. Holding a phone to our ear, working on a computer, or working at a desk and from a chair that is not ergonomically designed, and doing so in a sustained position may induce headaches. In such cases, the upper trapezius and levator scapulae muscles become shortened, tightened, and inflamed, leading to a headache.

Dehydration will cause a throbbing ache in our heads. One of the first things we should do each morning is drink plenty of purified water. At least 16 ounces are needed to help our body begin its holistic cleansing process; for example, 8 ounces of pure water followed by 8 ounces of a fruit smoothie. Coconut water is a superb hydrator, too. Even while remaining indoors, dehydration can sneak up on us quickly, so drink several glasses of clean water if you begin to feel light-headed or even slightly disoriented.

Height Loss

I have always been six feet tall, but recently I measured my height and was dismayed to discover I had lost almost two inches. But I regained this lost stature by doing something very simple.

I purchased a chin-up bar designed to be set on the top of a doorway and, while grasping it with both hands, would hang there for thirty seconds, three or four times each day. From the first experience, I could feel the invigoration of my spine extending and straightening. After about six weeks, all my height was regained, and my posture improved as well.

Ibuprofen and Pain Killers

“Taking common painkillers can raise heart attack risk by half after just one day, a major study warns,” says Nick McDermott, Health Editor for the Sun. “Experts looked at nearly 450,000 adults given non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). They include popular over-the-counter pills such as ibuprofen, and prescription-only drugs such as diclofenac. Both are taken by millions for conditions such as headaches, back pain, and arthritis.

“The study, published in the British Medical Journal, said their effect on heart attack risk was almost immediate. But it was not long-lasting and wore off over time. Past studies have found the common painkillers increase risk of cardiac arrest by up to a third. Scientists fear the drugs may cause blood vessels to narrow, increase fluid retention and alter blood pressure. Canadian experts found taking any regular dose of ibuprofen for between one to seven days raised chances [for heart attacks] by 48 percent. For diclofenac it went up 50 percent, and naproxen 53 percent.”

The National Kidney Foundation states, “Heavy or long-term use of some of these medicines, such as ibuprofen, naproxen, and higher dose aspirin, can cause chronic kidney disease known as chronic interstitial nephritis.”

These dangerous drugs are often taken to ease the pain caused by inflammation, which can be more effectively reduced with the medicinal powers of celery, white onions, or cayenne pepper. A soup made from these natural painkillers is also suggested. Of course, celery, white onions, and cayenne pepper have no side effects and, depending on the severity of the pain, usually act reasonably fast.

Inflammation

The most intelligent way to avoid inflammation is to not eat inflammatory foods, such as those that are fried, processed, have too much salt or sugar content, or are derived from animals. These fake foods harm and prematurely age our bodies, even turning our hair gray, and so they should be replaced with a diet of predominantly life-giving organic fruits and mostly vegetables, particularly the green, leafy variety.

Sugar may be the leading cause of inflammation as it permeates modern diets and releases small secreted proteins known as cytokines, which are essentially inflammatory messengers. Table sugar and high-fructose corn syrup are the two types of sugar in most people’s diets and are often disguised on labels as any word ending in “ose,” such as fructose or sucrose.

Although some sugar is integral to our bodies, if we eat too much, we will experience an inordinate amount of inflammation, which is profoundly damaging. This occurs when eating fake foods processed with added sugar and refined carbohydrates, such as soda pop, drinks sweetened with sugar, drinks made with concentrated juices, white rice, white bread, white flour, cookies, crackers, potato chips, cake, and ice cream.

These destructive fake foods can lead to heart disease, poor mental health, diabetes, obesity, Alzheimer’s, aches, and pains incorrectly attributed to aging. Rather than suffer from these maladies and the high cost of fake medicines to cure them, which are often maladies in themselves, they can be prevented by simply eating healthily.

We will probably receive enough sugar by eating two or three servings of fresh fruit each day; so, sprinkling sugar on our food or adding it to recipes is nothing more than an unhealthy habit, and this can be broken in three weeks.

Another of the foremost causes of inflammation is sodium, which is an ingredient in salt. Sodium is needed, however, to maintain our electrolyte balance, which allows healthy transmission of nerve impulses such as normal contraction and relaxation of muscles. Without sodium, we would be unable to maintain our appropriate fluid equilibrium, experienced most notably when dehydrated on a hot day.

Our kidneys are the central repository of sodium, releasing it into our bloodstream upon demand while excess sodium is secreted in urine. Yet, when our kidneys are unable to eliminate excess sodium, it accumulates in our bloodstream, causing our blood volume to swell since sodium retains water. In such cases, a greater demand is placed upon our heart, for it must pump with increased force to keep the excess sodium moving through our veins and arteries. This is the cause of high blood pressure.

As we can see, swelling of our veins and arteries may affect our joints, causing or exacerbating arthritic conditions. A swollen, puffy face, pleurisy, and tinnitus, or ringing in our ears, are also complements of excess salt. Indeed, over time, sodium imbalance commonly leads to a host of health maladies, the most serious of which are congestive heart failure, chronic kidney disease, and cirrhosis of the liver.

Most of us can maintain the proper level of sodium without sprinkling salt on our food or adding it to recipes, for sodium is already in much of our food. I stopped adding salt to my meals several years ago and benefited by eliminating pleurisy, tinnitus, puffy eyes, and occasional dry throat.

Alcohol is also an aggressive inflammatory, particularly affecting the pancreas and joints, accelerating the graying of hair, and aging of skin. Drinkers, considered those who take only two drinks a day, will over time exhibit loss of facial collagen since alcohol subtracts fluid from the skin, most readily observed in a sagging, wrinkled, pale complexion accompanied by red blotches on the nose and cheeks. Coffee dehydrates and inflames the skin, as well. Rather than drinking these toxins, maintain hydration by drinking plenty of purified water—the amount depends upon diet and climate—to avoid inflammation.

If, however, you experience inflammation from a strained or twisted ankle, for example, make an appointment with your physician, think twice before taking aspirin or ibuprofen, and remember RICE—Rest, Ice, Compress, Elevate.

Your physician might suggest that you use RICE at least one week after your affected area assumes its healthy appearance and feels as though it is healed. Be especially nice to your body, giving it ample convalescence. In addition to RICE, your doctor might suggest avoiding the foods and drinks described at the beginning of this section and enjoying the following anti-inflammatory recipes:

Breakfast:

Cayenne Buckwheat: One of my favorite anti-inflammatory dishes is buckwheat cereal mixed with cayenne pepper and olive oil. This is ideal for breakfast since it not only fights swelling but is also a good clean carbohydrate burn, meaning it is a carbohydrate that is easily assimilated into energy, whereas processed carbs require significantly more energy to burn, giving us a tired sleepy feeling after eating them. By contrast, one-half cup of buckwheat cereal will provide the needed energy throughout much of the day.

Cayenne pepper is a powerful anti-inflammatory that helps reduce inflammation in the sinuses and throughout the body. If, however, you are unaccustomed to it, I suggest testing a tiny portion with a quarter cup of cooked buckwheat cereal before adding it to your full serving of buckwheat.

Olive oil is also an ingredient we want on our inflammation-fighting team because one of its compounds is oleocanthal, which inhibits the production of pro-inflammatory COX-1 and COX-2 enzymes, similar to the method of ibuprofen. By the way, you may find that the olive oil helps tone down the heat of the cayenne rice.

Lunch:

The Sylvan Salad: For a delicious anti-inflammatory salad, using all organic ingredients, mix fresh spinach leaves in a bowl with chopped walnuts, chia seeds, flax seeds, blueberries, and strawberries. Pour on coconut oil and mix. Together, all the ingredients taste marvelous, and each one reduces inflammation. Enjoy the wonderfully healthy, anti-inflammatory Sylvan Salad and relax.

Dinner:

Celery Soup: Chop up a stalk of fresh organic celery, place it in a blender, and add filtered water. After it is blended into a soupy substance, pour it into a bowl, and enjoy this cool idea that is especially refreshing on a summer day. Be sure to eat it plain without adding ingredients such as spices, oils, dairy products, and salt, which destroys the medicinal properties of the celery.

Or, you may prefer White Onion Soup. Peel a white onion, chop it up, place it in a pan of filtered water, and heat for thirty minutes or so. Eat it plain also and enjoy the power of this natural anti-inflammatory.

Irritability

Please read the section about depression.

Knees

Our knees are a major load-bearing part of our body, and should they become compromised, we may lose our mobility; if this happens, the rest of our health might rapidly deteriorate since we cannot rejuvenate ourselves through vigorous daily exercise. So, it is not an exaggeration to say that to a large extent, our health depends upon our knees.

Consequently, it is critical to avoid any drinks, even fruit drinks, that are made from concentrate. They, like sodas and coffee, are so acidic that they subtract lipid acids from our bodies, and knees in particular.

Eventually, they wear away knee cartilage. Acidic and processed foods can also be a knee threat.

Glucosamine may be a way to recover lost knee cartilage (see the section titled Cartilage). However, it is not a good choice for everyone. So, I do not recommend that you take glucosamine since it may cause allergic reactions or side effects. Yet you may wish to read a little about glucosamine or seek your physician’s opinion about it. You may also want to ask your doctor about hyaluronic acid’s ability to protect the cartilage of your knees.

Health writer Derek Bryan says, “Leafy green vegetables, such as collard greens, spinach, and kale, tend to be moderately high in calcium and high in vitamin C and selenium. Vitamin C is an essential vitamin for the protection and function of cartilage in the body because it provides cushioning and support for major joints.

"Selenium, too, is thought to support bone and joint health because it has antioxidant properties that protect against damage and play a critical role in producing new cells. One cup of cooked collard greens contains more than 250 milligrams of calcium, about 25 percent of your Recommended Daily Allowance, and 35 milligrams of vitamin C, more than 30 percent of your RDA.”

Should your knees become inflamed, you may also wish to read the section about inflammation.

Lungs

Our lungs must be filled with fresh air each day during exercise such as walking outdoors. Even a short walk will revitalize our lungs and, therefore, our heart, mind, and, indeed, the whole body. This holistic enlivening from so little movement illustrates the extraordinary effect of oxygen on our body and the need to protect its single portal of oxygenation—our lungs. As we consider the complexity of the biomechanics of our lungs, many of us will appreciate the importance of protecting them.

Alveoli, which in Latin means “little cavities,” are the hollow cavities within our lungs, exclusively responsible for respiration, the transport of oxygen to our blood as we inhale, and the elimination of carbon dioxide when exhaling. There are approximately 700 million alveoli in our lungs, suggesting their intense intricacy and preponderance; for, without them, we would quickly suffocate.

It is notable that they can be compromised by something as innocuous as lack of activity; in such cases, they can be partly smothered by excess phlegm or simply weakened as any other part of the body becomes with insufficient use. This may cause immediate symptoms such as coughing, a dull, lifeless complexion, lack of energy, the absence of alacrity, or a mental fog, along with many other maladies.

Smoking, albeit, is supremely destructive of the alveoli, covering it with black, sticky tar, limiting and eventually ruining the tobacco user’s ability to inhale or exhale. A slow asphyxiation ensues, extending over several months or even years, in which the victim’s skin may assume the deathly hue of a cadaver.

And because the alveoli absorb gaseous toxins at an isotopic rate, it is imperative to avoid aerosols such as perfume, cologne, hair spray, deodorant, and air fresheners that almost unexceptionally contain poisonous chemicals. So, it is wise to eliminate any gaseous household substances or grooming products that we might inhale.

Instead, fill your lungs and, in turn, your entire body, with fresh, life-giving oxygen from walking in the mountains, the woods, the seaside, or the riverside, holistically invigorating yourselves until sleek with radiant health.

While on such a walk, we may try inhaling deeply, holding our breath, then counting to ten, counting each number as our left foot strikes the ground, exhaling completely. This helps us breathe deeply, clearing, and enlivening our lungs. As was previously recommended, discuss this routine with your physician before trying it.

Running, of course, is possibly the best way to achieve oxygenation of the lungs and the whole body.