health myths

The robust apple fibers (pectins) promote digestion and metabolism. And phytochemicals such as quercetin reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, according to a study by the National Public Health Institute in Helsinki/Finland. On top of that, apples keep the hormone insulin in check and thus regulate blood sugar. Four top varieties:

Jonagold: With 27 milligrams per piece, the low-acid apples contain a lot of vitamin C and neutralize harmful substances.

Red Delicious: is the best vessel cleaner and heart protector. It fights cell-damaging aggressive oxygen molecules.

Braeburn: Due to the high content of chlorogenic acid, it acts almost like a tooth cleaning: it destroys caries bacteria.

Elstar: activates the immune system with an above-average number of bioenzymes. And it protects against joint inflammation.

Targeted training of vocabulary and memory can even increase learning performance into old age. This was proven by the Zurich longitudinal study on memory performance in old age (Zulu) on 334 healthy Swiss people between the ages of 66 and 81.

Fitness for the brain: Endurance training increases cerebral circulation and stimulates the formation of new neurons. A brisk walk of 30 minutes 2 to 3 times a week is sufficient for this. And talk to someone as often as possible, advises Prof. Hans Georg Ne hen, Memory Clinic in Essen: “Social contacts do more for mental fitness than just solving crossword puzzles.” Brain food such as omega-3 fatty acids in salmon, lentils or Rapeseed oil protects the brain, nuts or berries every day improve the ability to think by up to 20 percent.

A study by the University of Chicago has shown that mindfulness meditation strengthens the immune system. The immune cells become more active, the chances of healing diseases increase. Meditation also has a positive effect on chronic pain, depression or stress.

How it works: Imagine you are standing on an island in the sea. You look into the calm water, see only deep blue. You dive in to the bottom. It’s absolutely quiet there too. Now imagine how the sea gently floods your whole body, how its peace and power spreads through you.

After just a week of sleeping just six hours or less a night, the immune system begins to degrade. Stress reactions and inflammation are increasing, according to a recent British study by the University of Surrey. Poor sleep weakens the heart in the long run, and the risk of catching a cold triples. Light sleepers also become fatter. Seven to eight hours of sleep per night is considered optimal.

Tips for healthy sleep: Do not eat after 7 p.m. Always go to bed at the same time, ban your laptop or TV from the bedroom. The optimal temperature is 16 to 17 degrees, the best wall color is pink. Just no wild wallpaper patterns – they only cause trouble. Put all your worries on a “pond chair” or jot them down in a notebook. That makes the problems smaller. And: A tea made from valerian, lemon balm, hops and passion flower lets you sleep well.
Restful sleep also helps with weight loss. It is not for nothing that the “slim while sleeping” diet has a particularly good reputation.

Women around 40 are fit,Tolfioow and attractive like no previous generation. And even those over 70 today feel around 13 years younger than their age, says Prof. Jacqui Smith from the University of Michigan/USA. And because they feel younger, they act “younger” and are also perceived as younger.

Anti-aging program with power food: Tomatoes, apricots, carrots and ketchup contain the wrinkle killers lycopene and carotene. 5 tablespoons of olive oil daily lower cholesterol levels. It also protects the vessels. Probiotic yogurt strengthens bones with calcium and gut with “friendly” bacteria. And red wine, in moderation, strengthens the heart and metabolism, it also slows down the aging process.

In fact, no one would need to have a goiter. Because although Germany is considered an iodine deficiency area, we could get enough iodine through food to keep the thyroid gland healthy. But around 40 percent of Germans suffer from an enlarged thyroid gland, and the trend is rising. One in four children between the ages of 6 and 12 already has too little iodine in their blood, according to the Research Institute for Child Nutrition in Dortmund.

How to avoid iodine deficiency: Adults need around 200 micrograms of iodine per day. Therefore, season with iodized salt, eat lots of mountain cheese, fish, rye bread, shrimp, lamb’s lettuce and drink whole milk.

That’s right – except for the word “or”. After eating, the autonomic nervous system puts the sympathetic nervous system, one of its main nerves, on the back burner. And its opponent, the parasympathetic, on turbo mode. This directs energy and blood to the abdomen, away from the head. The biorhythm sinks to a low, longs for recovery. Give it to him. After that, the body needs exercise to activate digestion. 3000 steps would be significantly better than 1000.

Ideal for a quick return of strength: a power sleep of 20 minutes. Or a yoga pause for thought: Sit at a table about half a meter away from you. Now place your forearms and forehead on the tabletop and then breathe in and out slowly 30 times.

Herbal medicines often work as well as laboratory drugs for many ailments. A study by the University of Cologne shows, for example, that comfrey helps with sprains just as effectively as chemical painkillers. Another seven super medicinal herbs: plantain for colds, meadowsweet for diarrhea, sage for a sore throat, chamomile for gastrointestinal complaints, chasteberry for PMS, marshmallow for coughs, nettle for bladder infections.

Tea recipe against migraines: Brew 2 heaped teaspoons of cinquefoil from the pharmacy with 1/4 l of boiling water. Leave for 10 minutes, strain. Drink 2 to 4 warm cups a day during migraine attacks.

The leading cold researcher Prof. Ronald Eccles, director of the Common Cold Center at the University of Cardiff/Great Britain, is convinced: If the feet are cold, the blood supply to the mucous membranes is reduced and the immune cells do not work at full capacity. We catch a cold more easily and get a bladder infection more quickly. In one study, Eccles cooled the feet of 90 people, while a control group of the same size kept their feet warm. Every 10th person caught a cold from the “ice feet”, in the control group only every 24th. And a cool head? It stimulates the immune system.

That warms your feet: Fill a small tub with 38 degree warm water. Add 1 teaspoon mustard powder (health food store) per liter and stir. Soak your feet in it for 20 minutes.

This cools your head: Rub peppermint oil (e.g. “Euminz”, Apotheke) on your forehead.

When we laugh, we activate more than 100 muscles. The body relaxes, oxygen floods the cells, the heart and immune system are strengthened. The brain ramps up the production of happy hormones. 15 minutes of laughter even reduces pain, researchers at the University of Oxford/UK discovered. But adults only laugh 15 times a day.

Laughter yoga can help: Bend far forward, let your arms hang loosely for 3 minutes, swing around. Laugh to yourself: “Hoho, haha, hoho, haha.” And practice the “inner smile”: close your eyes, then imagine the beach, sun and smiling faces all around. Now just smile.