Heart Disease

An informative look at recent Holistic Fitness News

DR KAPLAN'S WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

Return to the Fitness training News and Holistic Health Archive

The big news item of the week is that too much work makes heart disease more likely. A Japanese study showed convincingly that men who work a 60 hour week are twice as likely to suffer a heart attack as men who are lucky enough to work 40 hours a week. This is not good news for the British, who work harder and take less holidays than the rest of the Europeans. And as for doctors, especially hospital doctors, who would regard a 60 hour working week as a bit of a holiday, well I'd rather not think about it.

Anyway for your heart's sake, please try not to work too hard, don't smoke, don't eat too many fatty foods, have a doctor check your blood pressure at least annually and of course, exercise regularly.

Just a brief reminder of the physiological benefits of laughter, using the mnemonic, SMILE. This may be the last time it appears in this newsletter, so be sure to save it somewhere.

S is for Stress Release

M is for Muscular Relaxation

I is for Increased Immunity.

L is for healthy Lungs

E is for EXERCISE and increased levels of Endorphins and Encephalins (the 'feel good' chemicals of the body)

The man who has devoted his life to showing how good laughter is for you is William Fry, who has now retired as a Professor of Psychiatry at Stanford University. The statistics above were established by him over 30 years of meticulous research. (For more on Bill Fry, have a look at him and a brief tribute to him on http://www.aath.org/fry.html )

So remember: Take life too seriously and you may end up with a serious disease. I'll keep you informed of more good reasons to laugh as and when they appear in the news. In future newsletters will also look at some of the great pioneers in the field of laughter and health.

Homeopathic Tip of the Week

MEN:
Is there a homeopathic remedy that will specifically increase your sperm count? Sorry, I haven't come across it yet. However if your sperm count is on the low side, there are some things you can try. Sperm production is increased by lower temperatures (that's why the testicles are vulnerably positioned outside the main body) Some men have tried spraying their scrotums with iced water. Unfortunately there is no proof this works though some time ago boxer shorts were considered better for you than tight 'posing pouch' type underpants.

A much better idea is to improve your health, holistically. This would involve less work and more play, exercise, a healthy diet, enthusiasm for life, plenty of laughter and in my opinion, consulting a homeopathic or holistic doctor for a therapeutic approach aimed at the whole of you. This is based on the simple idea that the healthier you are the more fertile you are likely to be and this applies equally to women.

WOMEN:
If you are having problems getting pregnant, here are some tips.

1. ENJOY the luxury of regular, contraceptive-free sex at least three times a week, rather than engaging in mechanical reproductive-orientated sex which you only do when you think you may be ovulating. Don't forget that over the millennia, billions of women have got pregnant without ever thinking of babies.
2. Consult a medically-qualified homeopathic doctor for advice. S/he will be able to assess your fertility from a conventional angle as well as give you a constitutional homeopathic remedy aimed at your whole health which of course includes your libido, fertility and menstrual cycle.

Next week we will look at the use of homeopathic remedies in pregnancy and childbirth. If you are expecting any day now, here is a tip. The remedy, ARNICA, is a famous, homeopathic remedy for bruising and injury. As some bruising is inevitable in childbirth (no matter which way your baby is born) it is not surprising that Arnica has a great homeopathic reputation in helping women feel better after childbirth. Take Arnica 30c one tablet twice a day for 3 days starting immediately after giving birth. It's safe and will have no adverse effects on your breast milk.

Dr Brian Kaplan MBBCh MFHom www.drkaplan.co.uk