Our bodies are an amazing, unfathomable series of systems and seemingly-limitless cells that contribute to the most (if not, one of the most) unique species on this planet: Humanity. And, as humans, our health is one of our strongest bonds, and greatest necessities.
However, our economies’ health is failing; this means that creativity, ingenuity, and resourcefulness (in regards to our health) is a necessity. So, here are 10 bizarre, unusual ways to combat common health problems:
10th
Disinfecting A Wound
When people get cuts or wounds, they usually use hydrogen peroxide to clean them. While the chemical is a great disinfectant, in can prevent healing.
However, there is another way: Honey. It’s hard to believe, but, according to the “Archives of Surgery”, honey has great antibacterial properties, and can destroy most known strains of wound-infecting bacteria! Just put a little honey on the wound, and then put on a band-aid. Speaking of cuts…
9th
Stopping The Bleeding
Taking care of a cut isn’t just about the cleanliness of the wound, but also the prevention of [excess] bleeding. Putting pressure on the wound is a good way to stop bleeding, but here’s another: Black Pepper. The Vice Chair of the department of integrative medicine at the Beth Israel Medical Center, Dr. Roberta Lee, M.D., says to clean the cut with cold water (and soap, if you were handling meat when the cut occurred), sprinkle some black pepper on the wound, and apply pressure.
Black pepper has remarkable antiseptic, analgesic and antibacterial properties. Oh, and don’t worry about the pepper causing any pain: It won’t sting.
8th
Lowering Your Cholesterol
When most people think of Metamucil, they think of fiber. What most people don’t know, is that it can also lower elevated cholesterol levels! In one study, men who consumed Metamucil before each meal saw a decrease in cholesterol levels (specifically, LDL cholesterol) by an average of 7%! It gets better!
The National Fiber Council indicates that Metamucil also helps to prevent heart disease, and to lower blood sugar and blood pressure!
7th
Overcome Claustrophobia
Claustrophobia is a fear of confined, small spaces. It is arguably one of the most wide-spread of phobias. Many have tried everything from hypnosis to experimental therapies to conquer this fear.
However, conquering claustrophobia is but one apple away! A green apple, to be precise. Dr. Alan Hirsch, M.D., is the Director of The Smell & Taste Treatment And Research Foundation. He stated that smelling a green apple can help to get rid of claustrophobic sensations. Dr. Hirsch indicates that the smell causes us to perceive and/or feel a place as larger than it really is.
This benefit can also help those who are selling their house: Simply place a bowl of green apples on a counter or table, and it will cause the potential buyers to perceive that the house is larger than it really is (no, I’m not kidding)!
6th
Resolving Memory Issue
Google is one of the most easily-recognizable, and most helpful, web-sites ever devised. Question: Could it be harmful to our memory? Answer: Yes.
Constant repetition builds and bolsters our memory. Whether it is cooking, driving, working or playing, the same actions repeated over and over again reinforces our memories, and helps us to continue that activity in less and less time, and with more and more efficiency.
Google, however, helps us to forget. When information is so easily and readily accessible, we don’t have to remember how we got that information, and our memory doesn’t become as well-reinforced.
5th
Weight-Loss
With food (and money, for that matter) becoming less and less available as time goes on, people have to conserve and ration. Could this rationing work in our favor?
Allow me to demonstrate how this could work. Here are two hypothetical situations:
(1) You have $100 in your pocket, and you’re at a grocery store. You have to purchase enough food to last 4 people (including yourself) for a full week (a seemingly insurmountable task, but one that millions of Americans endure each week). Due to your lack of money, you realize that purchasing impulse-items (.i.e.: the candy near the register), rarely-used food-items (.i.e.: coconut milk), and foods that are eaten too quickly and aren’t very filling (.i.e.: potato chips) would not benefit you, or your family. Instead, you purchase the bare necessities (.i.e.: bread and milk), mostly healthy food.
(2) You have a brand-new [unused] credit card, with a $3,000 spending-limit, and you’re at a grocery store. You have to purchase enough food to last 4 people (including yourself) for a full week. Due to the large spending-limit on the card, you don’t second-guess decisions to purchase impulse-items and foods that are eaten quickly, and you decide to try food that you’ve never tried before (.i.e.: calamari). Therefore, you splurge on mostly unhealthy, or unnecessary food.
In the second hypothetical situation, the primary focus is happiness, curiosity, and general well-being. While small amounts of healthy and nutritious foods are purchased, most of it is unhealthier foods. Also, foods that you purchased (such as ice cream) doesn’t last long in a 4-person-household, which requires more trips to the super-market. In addition to that, $3,000 is a lot more money than $100 (obviously), and so a persons’ spending becomes more impulsive and inquisitive (like purchasing 3 pints of clams, just because you haven’t eaten clams before).
The moral to these stories: On average, people who purchased groceries with cash didn’t gain as much weight as those who purchased with credit cards.
Not only does this moral apply to health, but to life, in general. For example, if you went to purchase a car in cash, and you had a limited amount of cash, how many options would you buy? Would you use the same thinking when purchasing a car with a credit card that has a $50,000 spending-limit?
4th
Vitamin D and/or Calcium
Vitamin D is a pretty important vitamin; one of its many purposes is to keep us happy. It also fortifies muscles, making them harder to injure and quicker to heal. “Where can I get Vitamin D?”, you ask. Easy: The Sun.
Exposure to sunlight helps your skin to produce Vitamin D. Vitamin D is also found in milk, beef-liver and [chicken] egg-yolks. Calcium is also an important element in the human body, especially for women. It strengthens the bones and teeth, among other things, as well as helping to prevent osteoporosis.
The best source of Calcium is, believe it or not…egg-shells! Simply grind them into a powder, and add them to any food or beverage! They’re tasteless, odorless and can equal (or exceed) a person’s recommended daily Calcium intake!
3rd
Relieving Back-Pain
Back-pain can be one of the most troublesome kinds of pains a person can experience. Could your legs be the problem?
According to Dr. Steven McCaw, Ph.D., a researcher at Illinois State University, one leg that is longer than the other leg could easily be to blame. Even the smallest imbalance (I’m talking quarters of an inch here) can lead to painful pressure on the disks in your spine (over time). If you are experiencing back pain, go to a tailor.
Have him/her measure the lengths of both of your legs. If there is a difference in length, get a shoe-insert (.i.e.: Dr. Scholl’s), or visit your podiatrist and obtain a custom-made orthotic, to compensate for the shorter leg.
2nd
Quitting Smoking
There are millions of smokers in the world today, many of which are fighting arguably one of the world’s strongest addictions.
However, a simple massage may be the answer. The next time a craving shows its face, rub the center of your palms, and/or the skin between your thumb and index fingers of either or both hands. A study found in “Preventative Medicine” indicates that smokers using these simple massages smoke, on average, 25% percent less cigarettes every day, compared to those using nicotine-patches or gum! It is said to keep your hands busy, and to keep you calm (which means that this technique could also potentially help with everything from boredom, to day-to-day stress, even pain!).
1st
Living Longer
What is in a name? According to the University of California in San Diego, a longer life! People with initials that double as “negative” words (like D.U.D., I.L.L., or D.E.D., for example) can expect to see a decrease in life-expectancy by as much as three years!
Those with initials that double as “positive” words (like W.O.W. or J.O.Y.) can live almost 4.5 years longer than the average life-expectancy! No one is sure why this is the case, however. The only known way to confront this issue is to change your name!
