Herbal Health

Of course, you know that their times were quieter times, even though the people in their day had to work hard to be successful. But there you have it, an easier life is not always a successful one. You cannot help pondering over all this. You may have come to know just the tail end of their days, before humanity was plunged into wars and many disastrous cravings, putting an end to peace and quiet.

You eye the radio in the corner as if it were an enemy. Why, is it not a source of noise? Does it not force foreign thoughts on to you, robbing you of your peace? And what about television? From the moment you let it in through the front door, it is in the home like an intruder, like some evil thing intent on stealing your time and tranquillity, while parading before your eyes all the disastrous happenings in the world. How fortunate are those of us who never let it in and have never become used to it! However, it is up to you to keep your room quiet and peaceful if you want to!

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Thousands of years ago the Chinese princes would order their builders to test the ground of a new building site before work commenced to see that it corresponded to the requirements for healthy living. We do not know exactly how they went about it, but we can see from old records that the order was carried out each time. In order to provide the healthiest possible conditions, it is important to consider whether a house is to be built on rock or gravel, on clay or marshy ground, whether the foundation is laid in wet earth with a high groundwater level or whether the ground is dry. One might have no other choice but to accept the plot of land that does not have the best conditions, in which case it is up to the builders to minimise the existing deficiencies and disadvantages by means of technical devices, perhaps by drainage and insulation or lagging.

You may have never given any thought to the importance of checking a building site from the standpoint of whether it provides a basis for healthy living.

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Scientists have calculated the daily iodine requirement of the entire Swiss nation to be only 25 g (less than 1 oz). Perhaps this small estimate is correct. At any rate, only minute amounts of this mineral are necessary to meet our needs. On the other hand, if it were lacking, an abundance of the best nutrients and vitamins could not prevent the stupefaction and death of the Swiss people. It is a fact that a deficiency of iodine especially affects the thyroid gland and triggers strange symptoms. For example, a goitre can form, or myxoedema can result, leading to mental stupefaction. Conversely, an iodine disorder can cause exophthalmic goitre. This problem is recognised by the symptoms of hypersensitivity accompanied by frequent heart palpitations and nervous internal fluttering, which uses up nervous energy through overstimulation of the sympathetic nerves. The intestinal glands, the liver and pancreas, indeed most organs, will thereby be overstimulated. Even the perspiratory glands will be affected, and excessive perspiration can break out and weaken the body. Depression, characterised by mental imbalance and emotional ups and downs, is often the unpleasant consequence. This condition only deteriorates and becomes insupportable if massive doses of iodine are given.

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Wheat germ – those tiny yellow flakes – is far too little valued and used. If people only realised how wonderfully nourishing and curative these flakes are they would serve them every day in one way or the other, including in their breakfast muesli. Girls and young women in particular would eat more wheat germ if they appreciated what marvellous properties it has to offer.

Wheat germ contains a first-class protein and much oil. More important, however, are the phosphates in it, and we should all know the vital role phosphates and their combinations play in keeping our nervous system healthy. Still more important than phosphates is the high content of vitamin E in wheat germ. Let me briefly remind you of what vitamin E means to us.

It is not for nothing that vitamin E is also called the fertility vitamin, since it plays a considerable part in the development and function of the reproductive organs. But the ovaries and testicles are more than just reproductive organs, they actually discharge their secretions into the bloodstream and therefore belong to the category of organs known as the endocrine glands. Vitamin E is of great importance for the correct functioning of these glands and thus for the entire metabolism.

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A doctor friend of mine told me once that he was of the opinion that a certain patient’s anaemic condition had its basic cause in his vegetarian diet. This patient, who was otherwise quite healthy, was unable to overcome his condition, and the doctor was adamant that the man should add meat to his diet because it is rich in the haematinic vitamin B12. But when the doctor found out that I have been a vegetarian since I was seventeen, and have a constant haemoglobin count of 100—105 and otherwise excellent blood, he was extremely astonished and had to change his opinion. Mind you, a healthy vegetarian diet must include plenty of green vegetables and all the green culinary herbs, such as all kinds of cress and parsley, because these contain sufficient levels of vitamin Bu. All these green herbs, in particular parsley, stimulate the kidneys and urination and should therefore be used regularly, and not just as an occasional garnish on prepared dishes. In fact, your health will benefit greatly if you chop up some kitchen herbs daily, mixing them in your salads and cottage cheese and sprinkling them over vegetable and potato dishes. You can ensure a regular intake of these green herbs by always using the herbal seasoning salt Herba-mare, which is made from fresh green herbs. If you use natural products regularly in your kitchen you will reduce the risk of succumbing to vitamin deficiency.

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