Ethnomedicine/Disease Prevention Practices/Disease Prevention Practices Q-S

Quercetin

Quercetin may have positive effects in combating or helping to prevent cancer, prostatitis, heart disease, cataracts, allergies/inflammations, and respiratory diseases such as bronchitis and asthma.

Naturol is a company which sells high quality pure quercetin, and users of Wikibooks have found it to be helpful in relieving the symtoms of allergies and colds. Don't take more than the recommended dosage or you could get a bloody nose.

Red Wine

Heart disease is an increasing worry among middle-age and older people all over the world and the greatest killer in the United States. Recently, questionable studies conducted in Western Bio-medicine have proved that a daily minimal intake of red wine is beneficial for those of a certain age. According to them, one cup of red wine per day for a woman, and two cups daily for a man can boost protection of heart disease by as much as 50%. These studies also suggest that red wine may prevent additional heart attacks if you have already suffered from one. Other studies also indicated that red wine can raise HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol) and prevent LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) from forming. Red wine may help prevent blood clots and reduce the blood vessel damage caused by fat deposits. This is a great study funded by wine makers!

See the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine's websites (5,000 medical doctors) to find more believable and plausible research that shows that one has to stop drinking the acid wine (besides it has awful molds which can cause very strange behaviors according to Dr. H. Clark) in order to save one's bones from being decalcified. Dr. Esselstyn, of the Cleveland Clinic, has published a book "Curing and Preventing Heart Disease" which shows that no alcohol and a 10% fat diet will clean out the arteries without doing damage to their lining.

Reiki

Reiki is a Japanese form of energy healing. It originated from Mikao Usui who did ascetic practices of the Zen. It is administered by "laying on hands" and is based on the idea that an unseen "life force energy" flows through us and is what causes us to be alive. If one's "life force energy" is low, then we are more likely to get sick or feel stress, and if it is high, we are more capable of being happy and healthy.

The word Reiki is made of two Japanese words - Rei which means "God's Wisdom or the Higher Power" and Ki which is "life force energy". So Reiki is actually "spiritually guided life force energy." It has been found effective in relieving all known maladies, and creates a beneficial environment for recovery and healing. Generally speaking, Reiki is performed by Reiki masters who have been initiated by a ceremony, called Atunement. This atunement is used on the student by another Reiki master, to help the student tap into the universal energy. Reiki is flexible enough that it can be learned by anyone While Reiki is spiritual in nature, it is not a religion. You do not even have to believe in Reiki for it to work. A healer does not take claim or take responsibility when healing or non healing the recipient.

When Reiki is used in common practice, the practitioner, lays hands on specific points of the body like, the heart, the face, shoulders, etc. This way, the universal energy is more directed to the part of the body that requires more healing energy.

Refraining from tuna during pregnancy

In Western society, one disease prevention practices concerning bearing a healthy child, is refraining from eating fish with high levels of mercury such as tuna while pregnant. This is because high levels of mercury can cause damage to the developing nervous system of a fetus. Mercury is a chemical element that is used in many industrial processes such as the combustion of coal in electric power plants in our society. It is released into the air and dispersed across land which in turn accumulates in streams and oceans. Methylmercury has become a particular problem in aquatic food chains because the fish begin to accumulate high levels of methylmercury in their tissues; especially the fish in higher trophic levels. One fish higher up on the food chain is albacore (or white) tuna. This specific tuna contains higher levels of methylmercury than cheaper types of canned tuna; therefore buying cheaper canned tuna is potentially better than expensive tuna. U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends that you eat no more than 6 ounces of tuna per week. In other words, do not eat more than 2 meals of low mercury fish per week. 3 recommendations for selecting and eating fish or shellfish are: 1. Do not eat Shark, Swordfish, King Mackerel, or Tilefish because they contain high levels of mercury. 2. Eat a small variety of fish and shellfish per week with lower levels of mercury such as shrimp, canned light tuna, salmon, pollock, and catfish. 3. Check local advisories about the safety of fish caught by family and friends in your local lakes, rivers, and coastal areas. If no advice is available, eat up to 6 ounces (one average meal) per week of fish you catch from local waters, but don't consume any other fish during that week. http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/admehg3.html

Romana Sambuca

Anywhere from one to two shots of this licorice alcohol or eating some black licorice will help prevent constipation. Or if already constipated drink a couple shots before sleeping and all will be cured by morning.

Running

When stress levels run high or a little extra weight is in need of some excavation, hitting the gym to do a little cardio always helps. Whether it’s the elliptical, treadmill, or the great outdoors, any form of running can do the trick as long as the number of visits is kept consistent. Try going to the gym three to four times a week every other day for 30 to 45 minutes each session. Be sure to stretch beforehand to prevent muscle problems and changing the incline and speed often (every two to three minutes) helps burn more calories. Overweight people should start out by doing lower intensity cardio exercises in order to keep their heart rate and bodily condition at a healthy level.

http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Physical_Activity/Running_a_Marathon

Saliva

Saliva is an important component in preventing bad breath, or Halitosis. Halitosis is the third most popular reason that people in Western society seek professional dental help for. Bad breath is caused by a build up of bacteria in the mouth. Saliva prevents bacteria from accumulating because it helps wash away food particles that can provide places for bacteria to grow. Having a dry mouth allows bacteria to grow and for bad breath to be cultivated. Ideally, keeping one’s mouth eternally salivated would help prevent bad breath. However, eating healthy meals regularly will help salivation, as well as help clean the back of the tongue (another breeding ground for bad breath). Also, using mints or gum that is sugar-free creates more saliva and helps prevent bad breath, although be sure to find gum or mints that are sugar-free otherwise the sugar in them will stay in the mouth and cause bad breath.

There certainly are other ways to help prevent bad breath, such as daily brushing, tongue scraping, or mouthwash. However, one thing to watch out for with mouthwash is whether or not it contains alcohol. Mouthwashes with alcohol may freshen breath for a short period of time, but the alcohol in them will actually dehydrate the mouth and therefore cause bad breath. So be sure to use mouthwashes that do not contain alcohol, and keep the saliva flowing to prevent bad breath.

Sexual Abstinence

Sexual contact can spread hundreds of diseases. Many of these are life-threatening, including AIDS. There are precautions that can prevent the spread of these diseases, including condoms and dental dams. Abstinence is another precaution. Abstinence is when one refuses to have sex with another. This, of course, stops all chance of contracting an STI. Many abstinence programs have a religious basis and urge people not to have sex until they are married, an important tradition in many religions. Of course there is the chance of contracting an STI once married, if one or both partners lie about their previous or current sex lives. There are a few risks when using abstinence as an STI prevention. First off, it is biologically correct for people to want and to have sex. This makes it an extremely large commitment that takes determination and willpower. Sex has its health benefits as well- increased endorphins and a good physical workout to name a few. Abstinence for religious purposes is worldwide. As an STI prevention, it is receiving more attention as AIDS becomes a larger problem. Many sex education programs in the United States are now abstinence-only, with the same wait-till-marriage thrust. In places in Africa, where AIDS is a huge problem, they reward women who abstain from sex. Abstinence continues to be more about religion than disease prevention. With all the available contraceptives, sex can still be safe.

Silver Nasal Spray

Originating in traditional Chinese herbalism, silver was a highly cultivated healing property. Also coveted in the Indian Ayurvedic system, silver has been deemed a healing property in many cultures. Silver is an age-old infection fighter and known to kill over 650 different viruses, bacteria and germs (compare that with an antibiotic that maybe kills 12). Hence the old saying born with a silver spoon in his mouth which means deriving from a rich family. But the real reason why rich people fed their children food on silver spoons is because they knew that an infection can't survive on silver.

Used for preventing sinus infections, silver nasal spray is used 1 to 6 times daily. To use one just places the applicator in nostril, squeeze the container and inhale. Silver nasal spray shouldn't be used if you're pregnant or breast feeding without a doctors consult. When the symptoms of a sinus infection commence, silver nasal spray should be taken immediately. Because your nose can get stuffy when you have a condition like the common cold, you may confuse simple nasal congestion with sinusitis. A cold, however, usually lasts about 7 to 14 days and disappears without treatment. Sinuse infections often last longer and typically cause more symptoms than the common cold. These symptoms commonly are pounding, pressure headaches (located around the eyes), congestion, sore throat, fever, and a cough which is more severe at night.

Sleep

In today’s corporate culture, we live under the influence of caffeine, pills, diet supplements, and countless other chemicals to prevent many things that can be prevented by something that really is quite enjoyable: Sleep. Sleepytime is a coveted third of a human’s life, but today stress rules our lives and makes human people think that nothing can be accomplished whilst sleeping. WRONG! Sleep can prevent a variety of health maladies, including everything having to do with the immune system. Dreamland is also a good place to go when you are feeling stressed, which can lead to other bad things if it is allowed to ferment. More sleep leads to more creativity, puts the sleeper in a happy state most of the time, and saves them money because he or she won’t eat as much, spend frivolously, need to buy a cup of joe every morning, need to buy all those other pills that we spend all of our money on and it is also pretty much a great feeling to wake up well-rested. Therefore we should all sleep more. It is the most natural cure. It is quite silly that it is even a cure because the things that it prevents would never need preventing if one were to sleep when he or she is supposed to.

If having troubles sleeping, one should try turning towards the method of auromatherapy. One product is Lavendar eye pillows. Their aroma helps to relax your senses enough so that it is easier to fall asleep.

Sleep has a lot to do with health and disease prevention. I'm sure everyone's heard that teens need at least 8 hours of sleep a night, well it's true. Not getting enough sleep can stunt growth, weaken the immune system, cause halucinations (extreme sleep deprivation), and cause a lot of stress.

Soap

Soap works by lowering the surface tension of water, by emulsifying grease, and by absorbing dirt into the foam. An emulsifier is capable of dispersing one liquid into another liquid. This means that while oil (which attracts dirt) does not naturally mix with water, soap can suspend oil and dirt in such a way that it can be removed. Humans absorb about 60 percent of substances put on our skin and hand washing with soap is the single most important way to get rid of those germs. Germs that cause not only the common cold, influenza and several gastrointestinal disorders, such as infectious diarrhea, but also food borne diseases like salmonella and E. coli infection. For more information on what to do with soap, see the hand washing section.

Spiderweb bandage

If you ever cut yourself while camping or hiking or your just out of bandaides, you will be able to utilize the following techniques for preventing infections or excessive bleeding. Spiderwebs are completely sanitary and they carry certain clotting properties, quickening the scabbing process. The problem is finding enough webs. The best places to look are in crevases, and tree branches. Some people think that tourniquets are the way to go, but, they can sometimes be dangerous because they stop blood flow past the point of the cut on the limb. Also, depending on the cleanliness of the tourniquet, the chance of infection may get worse. This is where the spiderweb supersedes.

Sterile Disposable Gloves

Sterile Disposable Gloves prevent the transfer of blood borne pathogens and any other bodily fluid from one person to another for protection against infectious disease and other biohazards. All over the world many different kinds of people are using disposable gloves. They are most common used and required by doctors, nurses, dentists, dental assistants, medical aids, and any person in the medical field. Boxing trainers, hockey coaches, and other sports trainers also wear disposable gloves on a daily basis. Sterile gloves should be worn any time there might be blood or any bodily fluid transfer, and changed for each person you come in contact with. It was not until the late 19th century when most doctors started to wear disposable latex gloves. Many doctors and surgeons operated with bare hands, or even cotton or silk gloves.

Stevia

Stevia is a South American plant that can be used in place of artificial sweetener. It is sweeter than sugar and contains no calories. Its use is still limited in the United States, but stevia is useful for several ailments, including diabetes and hypertension. ¼ of a teaspoon of the ground stevia leaf is equivalent to 1 teaspoon of sugar, and can be taken as a natural aid against diabetes, hypertension, and cavities. Stevia is one of many plants used for medicinal purposes in South American culture.

Stop Smoking

Smoking can cause Coronary heart disease, lung, throat, stomach, bladder, and kidney cancer. It also can cause Chronic bronchitis, emphysema and other lung diseases, the list goes on and on. 440,000 people in the US die every year from smoking related diseases. The best way to prevent these diseases is to stop smoking or to never start. There are many herbs and tablets that can be taken to reduce cravings and help people quit, also patches and gums. Whatever way is best to stop smoking should be done to help prevent disease.

Stretching

Stretching is a preventive practice that will save one from possible future Muscle Aches and pains. Every morning after waking, sit down, straighten one's legs and proceed to reach for one extremity at a time. Hold each stretch for at least thirty seconds. Do not reach farther than the point where one's muscles begin to feel tense to prevent pulling them. Feel free to retroflex one's back and reach for the ceiling as well to completely loosen up one's muscles.

Cats are very practiced at this form of exercise and make for great instructors if one is not too inhibited by social norms and feel comfortable mimicking a cat. In parts of Chinese Taoist culture, it is also a common belief that Tai Chi stretches can assist in opening up passageways for the chi, similar to energy, of your body to flow uninhibited. This also is said to promote health and a better-balanced life in general. For more information on this topic, please visit http://taoist.org/english/index.php.

Sunscreen

So everyone these days is dying to get a nice tan to show off to all the babes or hunks. This is something that is not very hard to do while lounging on the beach. But more and more people are getting skin cancer every year and are in real trouble. By using sunscreen you can prevent skin cancer. People think that you can't tan at all when you wear sunscreen but this is not true. There are a lot of brands out there that protect you from the harmful rays of the sun and still allow you to get a nice tone in your skin. It may take a little bit longer but it is well worth it in the long run. It is recommended that you reapply sunscreen every 2 or 3 hours to ensure the blocking of the harmful rays. There are even brand out there that are water proof so you can be protected while swimming. So by using sunscreen you can be sure that you will live a long healthy life free of that awful skin cancer.

Daily Sunscreen

It’s important to wear sunscreen when you’re out in the sun, but when an unexpected nice day comes along, you may find yourself with without sunscreen. One good way of protecting your skin everyday, regardless of the weather is to use a foundation and/ or moisturizer with a built-in sunscreen. Apply moisturizer or foundation evenly on face and neck 1-2 times per day, and you will be ready for those spontaneous sunny-breaks. Lancome, Netrogena, and Clinique are just a few brands with moisturizers and foundations with SPF 15 and above. There are no additional risks to using these products than the regular ones, but when planning a long day in the sun use additional sunscreen. This practice is believed to have originated in Europe and North America.

Sunshine

Most people think that being out of the sun will prevent illness and disease. But in fact, people especially children are not getting enough sunlight to meet their body requirements for vitamin D. Being exposed to sunlight can cause serious risks for skin cancer so precaution is recommended. Research says that 15 minute exposure of hands and face two to three times a week at ‘off-peak’ times will provide enough vitamin D. Sunshine is also known to boost endorphins which make you happy. What if you can’t get into the sun because of the weather or season?
You may want to think about luminaries. They are lighting systems that brighten and dim as the day progresses. There are also lights that mimic the sun (full spectrum lights).