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The Homer Simpson way to save lives
16th September 2005
You might think it's only ladies who shout 'YES! YES! YES!' when they experience a new hair product in the shower...
But at 9.40 a.m. on September 10th I did exactly the same thing in a crowded cafe in Bristol.
All right, not EXACTLY the same thing.
I wasn't washing my hair, I was reading a paper.
But when I came across the information I'm about to share with you now, I let out an embarrassing whoop...
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The kind of research I like...
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Scientists from the National Institutes of Health in America are convinced they've made a discovery that could help protect your heart, your lungs and even your brain.
If your body is starved of oxygen, that is...
Usually, when you run out of oxygen, cells in your body start to die... causing severe heart and lung problems... and eventually coma.
But now a surprise substance is being championed as a possible livesaver. And it's the weirdest remedy I've ever come across.
It's called sodium nitrate. (Yumyum!)
Until recently sodium nitrate had only two major uses...
As an antidote for cyanide poisoning... and...wait for it...
As a preservative in hot dogs!
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I'll have my remedy with onions
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A lifesaving sausage?
It sounds ludicrous, but it could be true...
Amazingly, your body converts the sodium nitrate contained in hot dogs into nitric oxide if the body's oxygen supply is cut off.
Nitric oxide then dilates the blood vessels, which gets more oxygen through to the danger areas more quickly.
For example...
If you had a heart attack, the oxygen would rush to the heart, or if you'd had a stroke, the oxygen would rush to your brain quicker.
However, this is NOT an excuse to go out and gorge on hot dogs. Eating a mountain of them would be extremely unhealthy.
But in an emergency, a hot dog really could save lives!
I can picture it now.. emergency hot dogs stuck next to fire extinguishers in hallways, with 'Break Glass Here' written above them.
I could install one at home, and insist we have a practice drill EVERY day.
With onions, mustard and relish, that is...
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The lazy man's guide to great health...
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We've seen how important it is to get ample oxygen into the blood.
But did you know that one of the best ways to do this is by yawning and laughing?
(Funnily enough, I have the ability to trigger both conditions in my family without even trying.)
Now, I know what you're thinking. Yawning is a simple mimic action, a primeval instinct that serves no purpose.
Au contraire (sorry - but I'm going with Lara to Paris soon, so I'm practising)...
Yawning is designed to prepare us for an imminent task. Whether it's getting up to go to work, going to the gym, or about to make a presentation at work, yawning gives us a quick-fix of oxygen to help us cope.
Just make a mental note the next time you yawn. It probably won't be as you go to bed, but it'll be just before, as your body musters up enough energy to finish the day. In my case that's cleaning teeth, doing 100 push-ups and getting undressed.
No, didn't think I fooled you.
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Why Santa could be the healthiest man ever!
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And as for laughter, it could be one of the most powerful ways to protect your health.
That's one of the reasons why I really recommend Ron Gettatley's book 'Internal Health'. If you haven't taken a look at it yet, you really should.
In the meantime, take a look at the list below. It's no wonder Santa could manage a glass of sherry and a few biscuits at every house.
- Laughter lowers blood pressure. People who have a good, proper belly laugh regularly have lower blood pressure than the average person. As you laugh, your blood pressure increases, then decreases to levels below normal. Breathing then becomes deeper which sends oxygen-enriched blood speeding through you.
- Laughter protects the heart. Laughter may help protect you against a heart attack, according to the study at the University of Maryland Medical Center.
The study, which is the first to suggest that laughter may help prevent heart disease, found that people with heart disease were 40 percent less likely to laugh in a variety of situations compared to people of the same age without heart disease.
- Laughter is a great exercise. It works your diaphragm, abdominal, respiratory, facial, leg, and back muscles. It is estimated that hearty laughter can burn off the same number of calories as several minutes spent on a rowing machine or exercise bike.
Laughter the stress-buster! It eases muscle tension and mental stress, which keeps the brain alert, the mind sharp, and makes you feel full of energy.
So there you go - have a good laugh. (Pictures of me in swimming trunks on request!)
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The Indian herb that prevents those nightly trips to the toilet
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Enlargement of the prostate is something most men aged 60 and over suffer from to some degree. But it's not something that's easily talked about.
In fact anything that falls into the 'down there' category is quite often swept under the carpet. Men still tend to suffer in silence.
But this amazing remedy might mean you don't have to suffer AT ALL!
It's called Himplasia, a mixture of traditional Ayurvedic herbs.
In a study in Varanasi in India, a group of men between the ages of 50-80, all suffering from Benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH), were each given two tablets twice a day for three months.
The results seem incredible.
Prostate weight was down an average 70%... the size went down 21%... and trips to the toilet were reduced by 45%!
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Remember, always chat to your doctor before you try anything I talk about, but Himplasia seems like it could be a way forward.
That's it for today. I trust you'll have a fantastic weekend, and I'll be back very soon.
Yours, as ever,
Ray Collins
The Good Life Letter
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