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Why you should have a lemon and a cup of coffee next to your alarm clock
11th November 2005
If the health police had their way, caffeine would be classified as a class A drug.
Kitchen doors would be kicked down and users like me would be hauled in for questioning...
...and Lara would be facing 14 years in jail for possession every time she left Tesco's with two jars of Nescafe.
Honestly, the reaction to caffeine is so strong I worry about people sometimes.
I remember an American lady I met a few years back who practically threw Holy Water over me.
'Eeeuw! How can you drink that stuff?!'
It's easy. Just add milk and two sugars.
Still, even though she thinks I'm Satan, I still love my morning coffee.
Not only does it getting me going, studies also suggest that:
Coffee has lots of antioxidants, substances that are thought to help protect the heart and reduce risks of cancer.
Coffee can reduce the risk of developing gallstones, improve cognitive function and reduce the risk of Parkinson's disease and diabetes.
Of course, there's a stack of stuff that 'proves' it's harmful as well. And that's the trouble with stats you can pretty much twist them towards any argument.
But nearly EVERY study misses a vital point a little of what you fancy can help you smile, relax, and enjoy life.
And what's healthier than that?
So unless a doctor tell me point blank I have a condition that means I must give up coffee immediately, I'm going to continue with my morning kickstart.
BUT...
...there is something I ALWAYS take first...
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The extraordinary power of a lemon
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Fresh lemon juice is an excellent way to gently stir the body and prepare it for the rigours of the day ahead.
Don't get me wrong a jolt of coffee will open your eyes, get your heart pumping and send you hurtling through the door ready to face life...
...but a dash of lemon will quietly prepare you in the right way.
Lemon juice and it HAS to be fresh is an excellent antiseptic that helps prevent disease and help clean your system of impurities
It literally works its way through your intestines, rounding up all the impurities and waste lurking in the folds and flushing them from your system.
So no matter what you throw down after it, the lemon juice will help your body cope during the day minimising heartburn and bloating.
And because it cleans out waste, it can protect you against constipation and diarrhoea.
Just cut two slices of lemon, squeeze one of the slices into a glass of hot water, then let both slices steep in the water for 35 minutes.
And now that you've got me started on lemons...
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The swissarmy knife of healing fruits
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For a sore throat, dilute lemon juice with water and gargle frequently to kill germs dead. If you can stand the sharpness, use neat lemon juice.
Suffer from corns? Try taping a slice of lemon over it at night to relive the pain.
To relieve asthma, take a tablespoon of lemon juice one hour before each meal.
To beat a heavy cold, drink a large glass of hot water with the juice of a whole lemon added. At the same time sit on the edge of your bath and place your legs in the tub filled with hot water and two tbsp of added mustard. (That's right mustard!). Keep adding hot water till it's as hot as your can stand and until you're sweating the illness out. Go straight to bed after the treatment.
For rheumatism, take a few drops of lemon juice diluted in water three times a day: one hour before meals and at bedtime.
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LADIES! Here's another reason to avoid 'the real thing'
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A new study suggests that fizzy drinks can promote a greater risk of high blood pressure -- but only in women.
Scientists are at a loss to explain why women seem to be the ones affected.
And if scientists can't explain it, I'm certainly not going to have a go.
But here are the facts from a recent study:
'Those who drank at least four cans of sugared cola drinks daily had a 28 percent to 44 percent increased risk of high blood pressure, compared with women who drank few or none. Diet sodas also increased the risk, although slightly less than the non-diet drinks.'
Yup - diet drinks were as guilty as the sugared ones. And yet the drinks industry would have us believe that diet drinks are harmless.
For what it's worth, my advice is to avoid fizzy drinks altogether. If one of your guilty pleasures is a can every now and then - fine. Go ahead and enjoy it wholeheartedly.
But don't make fizzy pop your staple drink. Use plenty of water and fresh juice to quench your thirst instead.
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Magnetic tales from around the world
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I must say, I was pleasantly surprised by the response to my recent letter about the healing power of magnets.
You had some amazing stories to tell me of how magnets have helped you. These fly in the face of stuffy scientific sceptics who love expensive drugs made by the big pharma companies who pay their research salaries...
...but hate inexpensive, natural solutions that have existed for millennia.
(Why IS that, do you think?)
For example, I received an email from E.B, who wrote to say:
'THIS DOES WORK. I'm a great fan of magnets both for healing and also a sense of general well being. I've worn magnetic bracelets now for over 3 years and found wearing one to be very beneficial.
'I used to suffer from dizzy spells and feeling 'off balance' which my GP kept putting down to low blood pressure (which I'm told is very healthy). Someone told me about magnets and I thought - well why not try it and see?
'So I did and, curiously, no more dizzy spells. You may say that this could have been mind over matter, but a few months ago I unfortunately lost the bracelet I had been wearing and within a week, the dizzy spells came back.
'I went straight out and bought another bracelet and, hey presto, the dizzy spells stopped.'
R.D also had great things to say about magnets:
'I have suffered with a bad back for quite a few years now. My brother in law came to stay in July and he had a magnetic belt that he loaned to me. I wore this belt for three days and from day one, I could feel the heat going into my back. I was back pain free.'
Another email from I.F said:
'My Magno-Pulse underlay sends me off to sleep within minutes. I can recommend them.'
And finally, Good Lifer, E.J.W discovered therapeutic magnets at a craft fair.
'We came upon a gentleman selling magnets in the shape of bracelets, necklaces and even ones for pets. I purchased one for myself after talking to the gentleman concerned, and my wife also purchase one for Katie [their elderly cocker spaniel].
'After wearing mine for less than 20 mins I felt the benefit as the tiredness was slowly easing off and still use it today.'
Even more astonishingly, it also relieved their spaniel of spinal pain in its final month.
If you want to test the power of magnets for yourself, then take a look at this:
bracelets
Yours as ever
Ray Collins
The Good Life Letter |
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