View Full Version : Improving Our Health
noahidelaws
02-28-2003, 01:28 AM
BS"D Our body is a gift and a safekeeping from Hashem; it must be carefully protected and may not be neglected. This is especially so in light of the Chasidic saying that one cannot imagine how precious the body of a Jew is to Hashem, and that the source of the body is even higher than the source of the neshama, as it is "chosen" by Hashem's Essence.
Does anyone have any practical advice on how to improve in the Torah rules below ( from http://www.panix.com/~jjbaker/MadaD.html - selected halachos from Hilchos Dai'os of the Rambam, chapter 4) relating to health, or other such halachos?
1) The body being healthy is of the ways of the Lord, for it is impossible to understand or know the knowledge of the Creator while unwell. Therefore, one should keep away from things which destroy the body, and accustom oneself to healthy and curing matters, which are as follows: One should never eat unless one is hungry, nor drink unless one is thirsty, and nor should one hold oneself back for even a single moment from relieving oneself, for whenever one feels the need to pass water or to defecate, one should do so immediately.
2) One should not eat until one's stomach is [very] full, but one should [only] eat until one's stomach is three-quarters full. Nor should one drink water during a meal, except a little mixed with wine, but once the food begins to digest one should what one needs to drink, but one should never drink too much, even when the food digests. One should nor eat unless one has checked oneself to make sure that one does not need to relieve oneself. One should not eat unless one has first relieved oneself, or until one's body gets warm, or unless one has worked at something else first. The general rule of the matter is that one should always answer one's body. In the morning, one should work until one's body gets warm, then one should wait until one's soul has settled, and then one may eat. It is good to wash in hot water after having worked, then wait a while, and then eat.
3) When one eats, one should always sit in one's place, or recline on one's left side, and one should not ride, work or agitate one's body until the food has been digested. Someone who goes for a walk, or works, after eating will bring upon himself bad and difficult illnesses.
4) The day and night [together] are twenty-four hours long. It is sufficient to sleep for a third of this, i.e. eight hours, which should be at the end of the night, so that there will be eight hours from when one goes to sleep to sunrise. One should get up before sunrise.
5) One should not sleep on one's front or on one's back, but on one's side; at the beginning of the night one should sleep on one's left side, and at the end of the night on one's right side. One should not sleep close to having eaten, but one should first wait three or four hours. One should not sleep during the day.
14) The Sages stated another general rule about bodily health: Whenever one exercises and works but is not satisfied with what one eats and one's bowels are healthy, one will not become sick and one's strength will increase, even if one eats bad foods.
15) Anyone who does not exercise, or holds back from relieving himself, or who has hard bowels, will have a painful life and his strength will weaken, even if he eats good foods and looks after himself medicinally. Overeating is like poison to the body, and is the cause of many illnesses. Most illnesses are cause by bad foods and overeating, even if one overeats good foods. Solomon said in his wisdom, "He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps his soul from troubles", that is to say that one should guard one's mouth from eating either bad foods or unnecessarily, and one's tongue from speaking except when necessary.
http://www.chabadtalk.com/forum/showthread.php3?s=&threadid=795&highlight=maimonides
noahidelaws
03-04-2003, 01:00 PM
BS"D That thread is about the Rambam, and this one is about health; I was just quoting the Rambam to get it started.
re #1 restrict most nosh to Shabbos and Yom Tov, special occasions, Rosh Chodesh (this is impt. for reasons other than health too)
in general, it's very important for parents, especially the mother, to instill good habits in their children, habits like making sure kids don't walk around while eating, not having as much as they want to eat, demonstrating when "enough is enough", asking children whether they need the bathroom, or better yet (since the answer is most often 'no') telling them to go before sitting down to eat, ensuring that they get adequate sleep and that they understand that this is for their good health, and that it's a mitzva to maintain it, and encouraging various forms of exercise.
zaque36
03-04-2003, 05:58 PM
making sure that the skewls don't sell so much junk food!
hishtatchus
03-05-2003, 12:47 AM
SLEEP!
Try sleeping 8 hours a night for 2 weeks- I guarantee you'll see a difference.
Even if you can't get 8 hours a night, at least try to get a regular amount of sleep, at the same time each night. The results will not be as dramatic, but it makes a real difference as to health!
noahidelaws
03-05-2003, 02:12 PM
BS"D yeah, I was going to say that the main problem I have in the list that Jude gave is not getting enough sleep
lambda, are you reading this thread? :ponder:
lambda
03-05-2003, 02:35 PM
Reports of my sleep deprivation are greatly exaggerated. ;)
Hishtachus - try living on four hours per night for a week, while staying up all night Thursday night. It's fun, really!
yehonasan
03-05-2003, 03:00 PM
Originally posted by hishtatchus
SLEEP!
Try sleeping 8 hours a night for 2 weeks- I guarantee you'll see a difference.
I DO NOT GET ENOUGH SLEEP TO EVEN DREAM OF SLEEPING 8 HOURS A NIGHT!!!
In truth, you couldn't be more correct. Good sleep helps everything -- mood, patience, shalom bayis, maintaining proper weight.
hishtatchus
03-05-2003, 03:09 PM
Hishtachus - try living on four hours per night for a week, while staying up all night Thursday night. It's fun, really!
Believe me, I know! Been there, done that, don't try this at home! ;)
mehalech
03-05-2003, 06:26 PM
Try sleeping 8 hours a night for 2 weeks- I guarantee you'll see a difference.
Makes sence, but about somthing practical ;-)
hishtatchus
03-05-2003, 09:43 PM
something practical
Seder! :)
BrookAve
03-05-2003, 10:23 PM
My wife and I dont need so much sleep. It is not unusual for her to be making a lemon merange pie at 2:30 A.M. followed by some delicious heimishe challa. I usually have a cafe latte with her while the kitchen-aid is humming. WHen else is there to talk. You DONT ever want to talk heavy with the kids around.
Bittul
03-06-2003, 08:13 AM
Originally posted by lambda
Reports of my sleep deprivation are greatly exaggerated. ;)
lol. How about - reports of my sleep have been greatly exaggerated?
Food for thought...
Water or Coke?
We all know that water is important but I've never seen it written down like this before.
Water
1. 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated.
(Likely applies to half world population)
2. In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is often mistaken for hunger.
3. Even MILD dehydration will slow down one's metabolism as much as 3%.
4. One glass of water will shut down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters studied in a U-Washington study.
5. Lack of water, the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.
6. Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.
7. A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.
8. Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by
45%, plus it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%, and one is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer.
Are you drinking the amount of water you should every day?
COKE
1. In many states (in the USA) the highway patrol carries two gallons of Coke in the truck to remove blood from the highway after a car accident.
2. You can put a T-bone steak in a bowl of coke and it will be gone in two days.
3. To clean a toilet: Pour a can of Coca-Cola into the toilet bowl and let the "real thing" sit for one hour, then flush clean. The citric acid in Coke removes stains from vitreous china.
4. To remove rust spots from chrome car bumpers: Rub the bumper with a rumpled-up piece of Reynolds Wrap aluminum foil dipped in Coca-Cola.
5. To clean corrosion from car battery terminals:
Pour a can of Coca-Cola over the terminals to bubble away the corrosion.
6. To loosen a rusted bolt: Applying a cloth soaked in Coca-Cola to the rusted bolt for several minutes.
7. To remove grease from clothes: Empty a can of coke into a load of greasy clothes, add detergent, and run through a regular cycle. The Coca-Cola will help loosen grease stains. It will also clean road haze from your windshield.
For Your Info
1. The active ingredient in Coke is phosphoric acid. Its pH is 2.8. It will dissolve a nail in about 4 days.
Phosphoric acid also leaches calcium from bones and is a major contributor to the rising increase in osteoporosis.
2. To carry Coca-Cola syrup (the concentrate) the commercial truck must use the Hazardous material place cards reserved for Highly corrosive materials.
3. The distributors of coke have been using it to clean the engines of their trucks for about 20 years!
Now the question is, would you like a glass of water or coke?
Here's the final word on nutrition and health. It's a relief to know
the truth after all those conflicting medical studies.
1. The Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks
than the British or Americans.
2. The Mexicans eat a lot of fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than
the British or Americans.
3. The Japanese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart
attacks than the British or Americans
4. The Italians drink excessive amounts of red wine and suffer fewer
heart attacks than the British or Americans.
5. The Germans drink a lot of beers and eat lots of sausages and
fats and suffer fewer heart attacks than the British or Americans.
CONCLUSION: Eat and drink what you like.
Speaking English is apparently what kills you.
zaque36
03-06-2003, 02:31 PM
hey jude, put that in the yiddish thread ;)
hishtatchus
03-08-2003, 10:26 PM
Coke is assimilating- I take mine straight.
Chabad Friend
03-09-2003, 10:38 AM
Regarding the alleged corrosive effects of Coke, I present the following from snopes.com, the website that investigates urban legends and rumors that make it to the internet.
-----------------------------------------
Claim: A tooth left in a glass of Coca-Cola will dissolve overnight.
Status: False.
Origins: I don't know of anyone who hasn't heard the rumor that too much Coca-Cola rots your innards, and the proof of this can be determined by dropping a baby tooth into a glass of it, then going back the next morning to find most of it eaten away. If Coca-Cola can dissolve a tooth overnight, imagine what it must be doing to your teeth, not to mention your stomach and digestive tract!
All such claims ignore a few salient points:
Coca-Cola will not dissolve a tooth (or a nail, or a penny, or a piece of meat) overnight. Anyone who says it does hasn't actually tried such an experiment.
------------------------------------------
There is more there. Ayin Sham
so it's not overnight, it takes two days, nu nu ...
the Rebbe says that some of the best ways to speed up healing are 1) hesech ha'daas - diverting your mind and 2) simcha
and this is up to the patient and not the doctor
chassidus
03-10-2003, 07:01 PM
I once heard in the name of the Rebbe Rashab that stress is the cause of all sickness, although I never saw it inside.
noahidelaws
03-22-2003, 10:29 PM
BS"D "stress" - I wonder what that is in Hebrew?
BrookAve
03-22-2003, 11:32 PM
In Yiddish it is OY VEY ! Hebrew - heedgeesh heeteem OR hey eek. Chill out, stress kills!
what about freedom fries?
"stress" - I wonder what that is in Hebrew?
"min ha'meitzar karasi Ka" - from the straits I called to G-d
also lachatz
when doctors don't know what the problem is , they blame it on stress
During the period of private audiences, there were many bachurim who waited until yechidus was over before going to sleep. One time the Rebbe left after yechidus and entered the zal. The main lights had been shut off and only a one small lamp was lit. The Rebbe found a tamim sitting and asked him why he was up at that late hour when he was supposed to sleep for eight hours. Then the Rebbe said, “You don’t believe me. It’s something the Rambam wrote. I’ll show it to you.” And the Rebbe looked around for a Rambam.
A bachur wrote a four page letter to the Rebbe in which he described his daily schedule in learning nigleh and Chassidus. He also wrote that he used his free time for mivtzaim which he enjoyed tremendously, to the point that he wasn’t eating or sleeping much since mivtzaim was his chayus even b’gashmius. He ended his letter by writing that he hoped that he gave the Rebbe nachas and concluded with the words, “v’zohi ha’derech ba neilech” (this is the path we should go on).
The Rebbe responded to this letter with one word. After the bachur’s words, “v’zohi ha’derech ba neilech,” the Rebbe added the word, “l’tehom” (to the depths).
Q. Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables?
A. You must grasp logistical efficiencies. What does a cow eat? Hay and
corn. And what are these? Vegetables. So a steak is nothing more than an efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables to your system. Need grain? Eat chicken. Beef is also a good source of field grass (green leafy
vegetable).
Q. I've heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life. Is this
true?
A. Your heart is only good for so many beats, and that's it. Everything
wears out eventually. Speeding up your heart will not make you live
longer, that's like saying you can extend the life of your car by
driving it faster. Want to live longer? Take a nap.
Q. Is beer or wine bad for me?
A. Look, it goes to the earlier point about fruits and vegetables. As
we all know, scientists divide everything in the world into three
categories: animal, mineral, and vegetable. We all know that beer and
wine are not animal, and they are not on the periodic table of elements,
so that only leaves one thing, right? My advice: Have a burger and a
beer and enjoy your liquid vegetables.
Q. How can I calculate my body/fat ratio?
A. Well if you have a body, and you have body fat, your ratio is one
to one. If you have two bodies, your ratio is two to one, etc.
Q. What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular
exercise program?
A. I can't think of a single one, sorry. My philosophy is No Pain - No
Pain.
Q. Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the
middle?
A. Definitely not! When you exercise a muscle, it gets bigger. You
should only be doing sit-ups if you want a bigger stomach.
zaque36
04-09-2003, 03:09 PM
hey jude, be careful! someone just might take you seriously...;)
my box of brown sugar says:
Sugar is a 100% natural simple carbohydrate. Carbohydrates are an important part of any balanced diet. Sugar contains no fat or cholesterol and 15 calories per teaspoon. (Brownulated sugar has only 10 calories per teaspoon)
they've convinced me! :cool:
RebYid
05-20-2003, 09:47 PM
Sure. Balanced diet means half good and half Junk, ask Brookave.
BrookAve
05-20-2003, 10:06 PM
Thanks Reb Yid, you are a wizard of a penman! Yes, a heimishe potato and lukshen kugel, and some challa with vodka to wash it all down. This is my junk food. The good food is a chicken soup with many veggies and that delicious pasternak. No soup should be without it. In CH, my mashpia's balabuste always had veggies. I ate them, the other 16 at the table never did. I eat 5 a day and feel great! Cut out those sugar snacks!
ah, maybe you'll be able to solve a riddle then
the Lubavitch Pesach cookbook mentions "pasternak" in a recipe, and nobody around here has a clue as to what it is
BrookAve
05-21-2003, 08:25 PM
Where do you live..in a cave like R. Shimon Bar Yochai? Parsnip. Perhaps there is a website where you can buy some. How can you appreciate any soup without it? Go please and start to surf.
what language?!
it's not in the dictionary and even excellent cooks never heard of pasternak, though of course they've heard of parsnip!
Website? how about the fruit and vegetable store down the street?
lambda
05-21-2003, 08:57 PM
Pasternak is a corrupted form of the Latin pastinaca, meaning parsnip.
Here is a link:
http://www.liberherbarum.com/Pn0268fd.htm
BrookAve
05-21-2003, 10:02 PM
Ok. Now you are all set. Let us all know how the soup comes out.
ah! petroshka as others call it, or white carrot or just ... parsnip ... great link lambda!
lambda
05-21-2003, 10:30 PM
Thanks, Jude. Anytime.
HOW TO SURVIVE A HEART ATTACK ALONE
From F. Daniel Rochman MD
If everyone who gets this sends it to 10 people, you can bet that we'll
save
at least one life.
Let's say it's 6:15 p.m. and you're driving home (alone of course), after
an
unusually hard day on the job. You're really tired, upset and frustrated.
Suddenly you start experiencing severe pain
> in your chest that starts to radiate out into your arm and up into your
jaw.
You are only about five miles from the hospital nearest your home;
unfortunately you don't know if you'll be able to make it that
far.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
You've been trained in CPR but the guy that taught the course
> neglected to tell you how to perform it on yourself. Since many people are
> alone when they suffer a heart attack, this article seemed to be in order.
> Without help, the person whose heart stops beating properly and who begins
> to feel faint, has only about 10 seconds left before losing consciousness.
However, these victims can help themselves by coughing repeatedly
and very vigorously.
A deep breath should be taken before each cough, and the cough
must
be deep and prolonged, as when producing sputum from deep inside the
chest,
and a cough must be repeated about every 2 seconds without let up until help arrives, or until the heart is felt to be beating normally again.
Deep breaths get oxygen into the lungs and coughing movements squeeze the heart
and keep the blood circulating. The squeezing pressure on the heart also
helps it regain normal rhythm. In this way, heart attack victims can get
to a hospital.
hishtatchus
02-03-2004, 02:58 PM
You can try coughing (http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/blcpr.htm), but DON'T drive if you might be having a heart attack! One of the signs of a heart attack is loss of consciousness. Don't faint and drive.
vBulletin® v3.7.3, Copyright ©2000-2026, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.