Health Tips

Sir William Osler, famed Canadian physician and one of the original four founding professors of Johns Hopkins Hospital, said, “Alcohol is for the elderly what milk is for the young.” For chronic pain sufferers, the painkilling compounds in alcohol can offer some relief.

Whether you prefer a stiff nightcap or a 5 o’clock Merlot, in moderation, alcohol can be an alternative to harmful pharmaceutical painkillers.

Read more: What’s the Magic Painkiller in Alcohol?

If you can’t take time for wellness, you’ll have to take time for sickness.

Ask Dr. Gifford-Jones’ grandchildren how many times they’ve heard that one! But really – it’s simple. Sickness and health are polar opposites. The farther you are from one, the closer you are to the other. So make every decision with the intent of moving yourself towards the physically and mentally healthier end of your individual spectrum.

Our predecessors survived for hundreds of thousands of years on collective knowledge and natural remedies. While today’s advanced medical solutions far exceed those of our ancestors, natural approaches still make good common sense.

Until we can be sure we have found remedies that will last the test of time, common sense is the best way to live an enduring life. “Going with your gut” seems extremely reasonable if you ask me.

Chances are you have a great piece of medical equipment accessible to you in your own home. Make your bathroom scale your best friend. The best advice is to step on the scale at least once a day. Doing so means you are never faced with surprises.

Get on the scale!  It’s an easy thing you can do for your health.

To paraphrase the immortal Buddha: ‘What you have become is what you have thought.’

The human mind is perhaps the most incredible tool in existence. Our thoughts have a direct impact on our emotions, actions, and general well-being. Make it a habit to spin negative thoughts on their head (no pun intended) and find the bright side of the situation instead. In the grand scheme of things, thinking happy thoughts will make you a healthier person!

Finding yourself at home more than usual in the face of the global pandemic? This extra time is an opportunity to revisit health goals such as losing weight or eating healthier. Your body will thank you. Studies show that shedding some pounds may drastically reduce your risk of COVID-19 complications.

Read more: Obese Patients at Higher Risk of COVID-19 Complications

You wouldn’t expect a cart without a horse to go very far; neither should you expect your body to protect your health without giving it the tools to do so and making sure the road is clear. Equip your body first; take environmental precautions second.

The actions you take throughout your day to day life to maintain your health can’t be effective if you aren’t taking care of your internal health first and keeping an eye on the conditions around you.

COVID-19 is a dangerous disease for those it strikes.  But even for those who avoid infection, there are significant challenges to mental health and resiliency stemming from economic crisis, family pressures, uncertainty about the future, and much more.  So one of the best things you can do for yourself and for others is to reach out and check in.  Share how you are feeling with others.  Seek out those who may be vulnerable, lonely, or isolated.

Read a recent article on this topic.

Your immune system will weaken when its component parts are stressed from overwork.  There is a reason we naturally sleep for many hours each cycle of a day.  Our bodies need the rest.  Make sure you get quality sleep — and get it naturally, not with the help of pharmaceutical drugs that come with side effects.

Read here for more good news about sleep, and here for our recommendation of a weighted blanket.

Whether seeking an answer to a simple medical problem, or grappling with the most challenging issues such as Medical Assistance in Dying, don’t let your own politeness get in the way of no nonsense health.  With COVID-19, read up on the natural preventative measures you can take to avoid getting sick.  And in all health care issues, be an informed health care consumer, and make sure you fully understand your options and their implications.

You can read an article here.

And if struck with a serious viral infection, including by the coronavirus causing COVID-19, then the therapeutic value of intravenous vitamin C must not be denied.  Dr. Frederick R. Klenner, a U.S family doctor, used IVC in 1950 when he treated 60 polio patients and none developed paralysis. Yet when he presented these cases at an international medical meeting, no one listened.

Between June 16 and June 22, a new daily Medical Tip will be posted each day that shares the Gifford-Jones philosophy for natural health as it pertains to the COVID-19 pandemic.  Read on…

First Tip: Know your history about the effectiveness of vitamin C as a means to protect yourself against viral infections, including COVID-19.

People Are Dying Needlessly

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Not all calcium products are the same.  Most use calcium derived from limestone, a sedimentary rock.  Look instead for Aquamin, something I’ve called “the perfect calcium” because it comes from calcified red algae that contains 74 minerals including calcium and magnesium. Clinical studies show that Aquamin decreases the activity of osteocytes that absorb bone and  increases activity of osteoblasts that build up bone.  Aquamin works well with vitamin K2 that directs calcium into bones rather than arteries.  Equally vital, added vitamin D  helps to absorb calcium from the gastrointestinal tract.

Research shows the enormous benefits of hands-on therapy.  It fosters a positive emotional reaction to something physical being done to ease whatever ails you.  That’s why a massage therapist has do much more to offer psychologically and physically than a doctor who simply hands out prescriptions across a desk.

Read more natural health tips like this in the new book, No Nonsense Health — Naturally! which explores the Gifford-Jones natural health philosophy.

Pumpkins are loaded in potassium, vitamin A, and iron.  So don’t think of them only for making jack-o-lanterns.  You can make pumpkin soup, pumpkin bread, and sliced pumpkin chips by baking thin slices in the oven.  If you make pumpkin pie, use fresh pumpkin instead of canned, which has too much added sugar and salt.  Pumpkin seeds are easy to roast and have high levels of magnesium, which lowers blood sugar.  Research has shown that eating any part of a pumpkin is helpful to people struggling with Type II diabetes.

Researchers at Harvard School of Public Health have pointed to omega-3 fatty acids as the magic ingredient in fish.  Fatty acids, similar to Aspirin®, add oil to the blood making it less likely that blood platelets will stick together forming a fatal clot.  They also decrease the chance of ventricular fibrillation (a severe abnormal health rhythm) causing cardiac arrest.

Myth #1  More men die of cardiovascular  disease than women.

This used to be true but not anymore. The turning point was 1984 and since that time more women have died of cardiovascular disease than men. One reason is that women believe this doesn’t happen and delay seeing a doctor.

Myth #2  Antioxidants cannot protect the heart from coronary attack.

We are constantly getting this message through the media. But the media continues to ignore studies that prove high doses of vitamin C and lysine can not only prevent but reverse hardening of coronary arteries. This misconception will result in needless deaths when the natural nontoxic remedy is available in health food stores.

Myth #3 Cancer kills more people than heart disease.

Not so. Cardiovascular deaths cause nearly twice as many deaths from all forms of cancer combined.

Every time you reach for a sugary drink, think again.  There is very little redeeming value in them.   To the contrary, soft drinks, sports drinks, fruit-flavoured or powdered drinks, and sweetened teas and coffees are among the most fattening things you can consume.   Drinks full of sugar lead to obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, dental problems, and more.

Enjoy a refreshing glass of ice water.  Add some lemon or lime.  Drink your tea and coffee black.  If you are looking to lose weight, combine calorie-free water with a small portions of healthy food at mealtime.  Go for a walk.  Take up a hobby.  Find ways to occupy your mind with other things than food and sugary drinks.

Here’s a hint: it’s not a donut and a double double.  The Mayo Clinic suggests oatmeal and oat bran.  These soluble fibres reduce low density lipoprotein (LDL), the “bad” cholesterol, by binding with bile which contains cholesterol.  So rather than being absorbed from the intestines, the cholesterol is excreted by the bowel.  You don’t like oat bran?  Add a banana or other fresh fruit and it becomes quite palatable.  Remember, to live longer and healthier, it’s sometimes necessary to do what you don’t like.

Every year, hundreds of thousands of people are injured due to accidents with lawnmowers.  The blades can chop fingers and toes with the force of a .357 Magnum gun.  A mower can eject pieces of wood or metal at 100 miles an hour.  This summer, don’t let your children use these powerful tools unless they are old enough to be trained on safety techniques, wear protective gear, and have the maturity to abide by precautions.

Diseases manifest differently in men and women.  But the medical establishment has not always provided information to consumers that has taken gender into consideration.  Over the years, clinical trials, for example, have rarely involved an equal number of female and male participants.  Ask your doctor about the medications you are taking, and probe to learn more about how you should expect those drugs perform in your case, given the different physiology of men and women.

A report conducted by the famous Framingham Health Study has this shocking news about osteoporosis (brittle bones). The study involved 1,402 people 65 and over who were followed for 17 years. Those who were taking a supplement of just 313 milligrams (mgs) daily were 44 percent less likely to suffer a fractured hip. In addition they were less likely to suffer from viral infection, hypertension and dementia. Each year, 300,000 North Americans 65 and over are treated for a fractured hip.

What is amazing is the small amount of vitamin C that is required to prevent this life-threatening event. So a single scoop of CardioVibe which contains 2,000 milligrams provides more than ample protection against all these health problems.

Who is the best person to direct you to a good technical surgeon? Your family doctor if she or he assists in surgery, but some may not do so. If you’re lucky to know a scrub nurse, one who hands instruments to different surgeons day after day take her or his advice. Then, if your find the recommended surgeon has the personality of Dracula, don’t panic. It’s the surgeon’s hands that performs surgery, so you should put personality as a lower-level concern.

A report in the Canadian Medical Association Journal proves what W. Gifford-Jones, MD has stressed for years. Namely, that practice makes perfect.  Whether you are a surgeon or a lumberjack. Surgeons who have performed over 1,000 major operations are less likely to make a technical error than less experienced surgeons who have done only ten major procedures.  The report shows it’s the same story for minor surgery —  more complications occur involving doctors having completed fewer procedures. As one Harvard professor remarked, “There is no such thing as minor surgery, but there are a lot of minor surgeons.”