One of the most serious threats to health in modern developed societies is the western health care system. I kid you not. The evidence is rather hidden but not that difficult to uncover if you know what to look for and what questions to ask.
Do you know the rates of iatrogenic (doctor caused) mortality and morbidity? What about the documented drug error rate inside accredited hospitals? Or the rate of hospital acquired infections? There are many hundreds of such questions and the answers would give any intelligent person cause to pause at the use of "health" in the phrase "health care system".
In so-called less well developed, or more correctly just less industrialized, societies the health care systems are sometimes far more worthy of the name. I was very impressed with the essential soundness of the health advice provided in an article appearing in the main newspaper serving the Kingdom of Swaziland, The Swazi Observer.
This is not your typical American, British or Australian newspaper article. It is not a predictable piece extolling the claimed virtues of some new offering from a multinational pharmaceutical company. It is not talking about safe topics like colds or arthritis. It is not seeking to capture reader share with sensational rubbish about hypothetical bird flu pandemics. And it is not waffling on with fluff about the latest "discovered" benefit of some herb that has actually been used for centuries.
No, this is a well reported article about the health needs of people with HIV and AIDS. And it is brim full of high quality, sound and practical health promoting information. There is no hidden agenda to sell something and there is enough quality information to be really useful.
What is more, with only very minor qualification, I regard it to be equally useful health advice for anyone, with or without positive HIV status, living in any western developed nation. So make the time and take a few minutes to read the following article. It is titled: Are you HIV positive? and was written by Glory Mavuso.
Let thy food be thy medicine
SOME people living wth HIV are leading healthy lives for long periods.Some of them, especially adults, have remained healthy for over 14 years after contracting the virus.
It is still unknown why some survive long, while others do not.
However, information gathered from the Swaziland Aids Support Organisation (SASO) somewhat gives answers.
"To a larger extent they survive because of support from family and friends; little stress; enough money to buy medication; low exposure to the virus; early medical treatment for infections; traditional medical treatment; gentle exercise and healthy eating. If you are living wth the virus, you can use good food as medicine. If you are not sick, appropriate food may help keep you strong for a long time. If you are sick, the right food may help you get well," says a member of the organisation, who preferred anonymity.
It was also gathered that HIV positive people might have problems with digesting food.
"Their digestive system tends not to work properly and, as such, they have difficulty absorbing what their bodies need from whatever they eat. They also have difficulty with eating. All this leads to serious weight loss," she adds.
Malnutrition, which is caused by lack of healthy food, is often the cause of death for such people.
"Digestion begins in the mouth, so remember to eat slowly and chew your food well. Listen to your body. It can tell you what food it needs. If you feel uncomfortable after eating a particular kind of food, then it is better not to eat it again. Listen to your body, love, and nourish it," says another member.
Traditional African food can give one a healthy diet. Foods bought in shops, are often less healthy. To eat a healthy diet, one must avoid the following types of foods;
Foods that are processed
Processed foods are those that are changed in food factories. The more the food is changed, the less healthy. This is because many of the nutrients in food are destroyed during the processing. For example, when fruit and vegetables are canned, most of the health-giving nutrients are destroyed.
Refined foods
Refined foods have some of the essential nutrients removed when they are processed. For example, to get white rice, the husks and germ of whole rice grains is removed; to get refined maize-meal, the husks and germ of the grains are removed before the crop is milled.
Refining removes the protein, vitamins, and fibre from foods. Fibre is important for bowels to function properly.
Foods that contain preservatives, artificial flavours, and colourants
Preservatives are chemicals added to food to stop it from rotting. Most processed meat and foods in bottles and tins contain preservatives. Artificial flavours are also chemicals added to food to change its taste.
The chemicals are harmful to the body and may interfere with digestion and stress the immune system. For example, if the food contains chemicals such as tartrazine or monosodium glutamate, it is better not to eat that food.
Canned foods
Canning foods involves heating it at high temperatures. The heating causes the food to lose many nutrients. Canned foods usually contain preservatives. Canned fish, meat, and beans are healthier than other canned food because canning destroys many of the vitamins but not the protein or minerals.
Junk food
Junk foods are made in factories. They contain preservatives, artificial flavours, and colourants as well as few nutrients other than refined sugar, starch, and fat. Cool drinks, sweets, chocolates, and chips are examples of junk food.
NO GO ‘ZONES’
Foods grown with pesticides
Many farmers use pesticides to grow their crops. Pesticides are poisons that kill pests and diseases which damage crops. The pesticides often go into the food or remain in it after harvest. Try to buy fruit and vegetables grown without pesticides, especially those from farmers and home gardens.
Alcohol
Do not drink alcohol excessively because such can have an adverse effect on the body. It prevents the body from using nutrients in the consumed food, stresses the digestive system, and stops the immune system from working properly. Beer and other alcoholic drinks made in large factories contain large amounts of alcohol. Home-made traditional African beer contains less alcohol.
Getting the nutrients you need
Water
Water makes about 70 percent of the body. If you do not drink enough water, you can have problems with every part of your body. Drink at least eight glasses of water a day. Spice teas are a good way of drinking water.
Vitamins and minerals
There are at least 17 different vitamins and 14 minerals. Each has a special function in the body. The body cannot work properly if anyone is missing. As the immune system weakens, the body’s need for vitamins and minerals increases.
Vitamins and minerals positive people are often short of; deficiency symptoms and treatment.
If you are tired, confused, and have anemia, numbness, nerve problems, ringing in the ears, dementia, and memory problems, you probably have a shortage or deficiency in vitamin B12.
You must eat lots of foods that contain vitamin B12 such as seafood, liver, kidney, heart, sardines, whole grains, tuna, yogurt, eggs, cheese, meat, and chicken.
Proteins
Proteins build and repair the body. With HIV and AIDS, the body has an extra need for protein. Proteins are sourced from plants and animals.
Protein combination
Food combine with
legumes: lentils, beans , peas grains, nuts, seeds
Grains: rice, maize barley, oats wheat, rye, sorghum, millet legumes, milk products
Nuts and seeds legumes, milk products
Example of complete protein meals;
Brown bread with milk, brown bread with beans, beans or peas with maize kernels, brown rice or millet.
Meat
Meat is a good source of protein and contains Zinc and Iron. People with HIV and Aids may find meat difficult to digest. Minced meat is easy to digest, but is more exposed to bacteria.
Organ meats – heart, liver, kidneys, tripe, blood and gut- contain the same nutrients like meat. Liver, especially, is an excellent source of many nutrients.
Poultry- Chicken and turkey is a good source of protein, fat, and minerals, and is easier to digest than meat.
Dairy Products
Dairy products that are cultured, such as sour milk, yogurt, and cottage cheese, are the best. Hard, yellow cheese and milk are more difficult to digest than cultured dairy products. Avoid processed cheese spreads and wedges. Avoid canned milk.
Fish
Fish is a good source of protein. It is easy to digest and contains good fat as well as minerals.
Seafood
Seafood is a good source of easily digestible protein. It contains minerals, especially zinc and copper, for instance, oysters.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are starches and sugars which provide the body with energy and are cheap and easy to find. Foods rich in carbohydrates are; fruit, grains (maize, wheat, millet, sorghum, rice barley, rye, oats), nuts, seeds, sugars, potatoes, cassava, sweet potatoes, yams and dry legumes (beans, peas, lentils).
Fruit
Fruit is easy to digest and contains natural sugars as well as many vitamins and minerals. Steam and mash fruit if you have sores in your mouth or your body is cold. Fruit cleans the inside of the body. Dried fruit is rich in nutrients, easy to digest, and good for gaining weight e.g raisins.
Grains
Grains build the body and contain important vitamins and minerals. Eat a variety of grains such as rice, maize, millet, sorghum, oats, barley, wheat and rye.
Sugars
Sugars that are natural and unrefined, such as honey and molasses, also contain minerals and vitamins. Eat sugars in small amounts, however, you may have problems with candida, which is a fungus that feeds on sugars.
Candida, which is also called thrush or yeast, infects the mouth, digestive tract, and vagina. Avoid sugar if you have candida.
Fats and oil
Fats and oil are good sources of energy. They help the body to absorb some of the vitamins. The body uses fat to make other chemicals it needs to work properly.
Fats and oils are good for gaining weight. Good sources of fat and oil are meat, chicken, coconut, avocado, peanut butter, olives, seeds and nuts.
As the immune system of people living with HIV and Aids weakens, the body needs greater amounts of essential fatty acids because of difficulty with fat digestion and they increase chances of infection.
Skin problems can be a symptom of shortage of essential fatty acids in the diet. Excess fat also causes heart, liver and digestive problems. Diarrhoea can be worsened, or caused by too much fat. Avoid eating fried foods.
Using food to control your body temperature
Normal body temperature is 37 degrees Celsius. HIV lowers the body temperature. This is caused by frequent infection, side effects of drugs, incorrect diet, and toxins.
To raise your body temperature, use warming spices: garlic, cayenne, ginger and cinnamon.
Also eat foods with lots of protein such as meat, fish chicken, and chicken soup. Eat steamed rather than cold and raw foods.
Garlic
Garlic strengthens the immune system. It helps fight infection caused by viruses, bacteria and fungi. Eat garlic every day to prevent and fight diseases which come with HIV and AIDS.
Food remedies for digestive problems
Weight loss, malnutrition, and wasting
Serious weight loss is a problem for many people living with HIV and AIDS. This is caused by HIV infection, other infections, and medical treatments. Your body needs extra nutrients to fight-off infection.
Weight loss is also caused by not eating enough food for your body’s needs. This can be the result of nausea, a sore mouth, no appetite, diarrhoea, vomiting, poverty, and depression.
With Aids, the body may lose it’s ability to absorb nutrients properly. It is not clear why this is so.
Foods to give you weight
Avocados, coconut, full-cream milk, or milk powder, yogurt, soya products, cheese, meat, fish, chicken, peanut butter, nuts and seeds, dried fruit, eggs, beans lentils, potatoes, sweet potatoes, banana, olives, cassava, millet, sorghum, oats, barley, wheat, and maize.
Ways to help gain weight
* To help digestion, squeeze fresh lemon juice to fatty foods like meat, chicken, and nuts.
* To increase your appetite and help digestion, use spices in food. To help the absorption of fats, add the grated skin of oranges and lemons to fatty foods.
* Eat many small meals a day.
* Drink between meals, not with meals.
Positive thinking
Positive thoughts that create love, joy, and laughter produce substances in the body that help the immune system to work well. Negative thoughts that develop anger, hatred, fear, and sadness stress the immune system.
If you think living with HIV means a death sentence, then it will be just like that. But if you believe you will be strong and healthy, then there is a chance that you will be.
Belief and hope
Have hope. Believe that you can live a healthy life. Think of love, light and God. Listen and talk to Him in whatever way you do. It does not matter what religion you follow. Know that your God will love, guide, and protect you. Think of a good future. Others have done so and remained strong.
NB: Some of the information sourced from Swaziland Aids Support Organisation (SASO) and Network of African People living with HIV and Aids (NAP+).
The article may be found at http://www.observer.org.sz/main.asp?id=13946&Section=main
Everyone, especially westerners, must ensure that accumulated toxins are removed from their body and any and all allergens must be avoided if the immune system is to perform optimally. After herbal cleansing and addition of immune boosting herbs and nutritional supplements (vitamins and minerals) careful attention should be paid to the elimination of allergens, especially food allergies.
Since gluten bearing foods (wheat, rye, oats and barley), soy based foods and dairy are very common food allergens I would strongly advise avoiding these until their tollerance is thoroughly demonstrated. Some shellfish should also be approached with caution.
With these riders addressed, I would say that the advice given to the residents of Swaziland could be followed by anyone with good health effects. Gloria Mavuso’s sources have plenty of "in-the-trenches" experience from which to draw and they are not playing commercial games. For them it is about quality and quantity of life and death. Enjoy your day.
