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That Amazing Weed—The Dandelion
Dandelions “are reviled as Public Enemy No. One by golf course superintendents and fastidious lawn owners everywhere” and as “the weed that won’t go away,” states The News of Mexico City. Yet, the dandelion “is one of the world’s most healthful plants” and can contribute much to your health and diet. Rich in Vitamin A and potassium, the dandelion is more nutritious than broccoli or spinach. All its parts are useful. The young leaves can be used as greens in salads or in almost any recipe calling for spinach; the dried, roasted roots, for a coffeelike beverage; and the blossoms, for wine. Historically dandelion has been used as a liver tonic and cleanser, as a blood purifier and builder, and as a mild diuretic. The dandelion is “one of the top six herbs in the Chinese medicine chest,” declares The News. And for people who have a lawn or access to a pasture, dandelions are free.

Gardening Is Good for You
DO YOU enjoy gardening? You could be deriving more than pleasure from your hobby. Researchers have found evidence that “gardening is good for your health, reducing stress levels, lowering blood pressure and even helping you live longer,” reports London’s Independent newspaper.
“After a busy, stressful day it’s a great escape to come home and potter about in your garden,” says author Gay Search. Not only is it rewarding and absorbing but gardening may even provide better exercise than going to the gym. How so? According to Search, “activities such as digging and raking are good steady exercise, which burns more calories than cycling.”
Tending a garden especially benefits the elderly. Waiting for a new shoot or bud to appear helps them to look ahead positively. Additionally, “the garden provides an antidote to the pain and frustration” of old age, states Dr. Brigid Boardman of the Royal Horticultural Society. The elderly often feel discouraged because of an increasing dependency on others. As Dr. Boardman notes, though, “the need to be in control is met by our control of what we plant, how we plan the garden, and how it is tended. And the need to care is again fulfilled.”
Those suffering from mental-health problems often feel relaxed when working in a beautiful, peaceful environment. Further, growing flowers or food for others may help such individuals to regain confidence and self-respect.
However, it is not just gardeners who benefit from greenery. Professor Roger Ulrich of the University of Texas experimented with a group of people who had been subjected to a stress-inducing test. He found that those who were taken to a green space surrounded by trees enjoyed a speedier recovery—as measured by heart rate and blood pressure—than did those not exposed to a natural setting. A similar test found that patients recuperating in the hospital after surgery benefited from staying in rooms that overlooked trees. Compared with other patients, they “recovered quicker, went home sooner, needed less pain relief and complained less.”

Laughter—Still the Best Medicine!
“A dose of comedy taken daily for four weeks has now been found to reduce significantly the symptoms of depression,” reports The Independent of London. “Some of the patients who were told to spend 30 minutes a day listening to therapeutic tapes of comedians were cured, while others found that the severity of their symptoms had been halved.” More than 100 studies in the United States have indicated that laughter induced by humor can be beneficial. Not only people who are depressed but also those who had allergies, high blood pressure, weakened immune systems, and even cancer and rheumatoid arthritis have responded. Laughter has long been known to promote well-being, but just how is not clearly understood. Psychotherapist Dr. Ed Dunkleblau offers some cautionary advice though: Avoid abusive and sarcastic humor, and be careful about being too funny. Otherwise, the patient may feel that his problem is not being taken seriously.

Disadvantages of Bed Rest
“Prolonged bed rest can do patients more harm than good,” claims The Times of London. Some 50 years ago, physician Sir Richard Asher questioned this standard medical practice and drew attention to such health dangers as thrombosis, muscle wasting, loss of calcium in the bones, kidney stones, constipation, and depression. Studies have since confirmed this warning, and autopsies show that the risk of thrombosis followed by a lethal pulmonary embolism is directly related to the length of bed rest before death. On the other hand, doctors advocate bed rest in cases of acute back pain with sciatica and late complications of pregnancy. Indeed, with other acute and serious illnesses, there may well be no alternative but to rest. Doctors believe that once the crisis has passed, however, getting up and moving about accelerates recovery.

Upbuilding Experiences Help to Keep One Healthy
“Grueling stress and emotional problems lower the body’s resilience, whereas joy and pleasure stimulate the immune system and strengthen the resistance to illness.” That is how the German newspaper the Nassauische Neue Presse summarizes the evidence gathered by the new science of psychoneuroimmunology. Negative influences at work or at home weaken bodily resistance. On the other hand, according to Dr. Anton Mayr, a professor and microbiologist, positive emotions and experiences have a strengthening effect. Some examples he cited: “Faith, hope, love, trust, security, communication, positive stimulus in life, recreation—and the will to live and to be healthy.”

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