Health ‘Myths from our Elders Proved True
We’ve all been there, our parents or grandparents catch us doing something, and throw a word of caution our way that at first sounds ridiculous!
“Those electronics will fry your brain someday!”, “Eating before sleep will give you nightmares!”
Many of us have been guilty of rolling our eyes without taking these comments very seriously. Guess what? They weren’t so wrong after all. More and more evidence is proving that those “myths” have a lot of truth to them. Here are some health tips, de-mythed!
1. “Eating before bed causes nightmares”
Parents often caution against eating heavy food before sleep, scaring us with the threat of bad dreams. Modern science shows that eating food, particularly sugar, impacts our sleep. However, ancient wisdom of natural medicine has been advising against late or heavy meals for centuries.
During sleep, our body cells are focusing on rest and regeneration. When we eat late meals, particularly after sunset, our body isn’t optimized for digestion. This means instead of our body rebuilding at the end of the day, it’s struggling to also try to digest food. This leaves us feeling unrested, tired and heavy the next morning, rather than rested and refreshed.
TIP: Have your last meal around 6-7 pm, and make sure it’s something light and easily digestible to improve the quality of your sleep and allow the body to remain strong and balanced! This brings us to the second point…
2. “You can’t catch up on lost sleep ”
It’s been a long week full of late nights, but it’s okay because the weekend is just a few days ahead…! We’ve often looked forward to that weekend lie-in to allow us to cram up some extra hours of sleep and stock up on what we’ve lost — regardless of how much it may have bothered our parents!
A recent scientific study has proven that it is nearly impossible to catch up on lost sleep, as it still affects the body’s performance significantly. Traditional medicine did not need to wait till the 21st century to figure that out! When you pile up more and more sleep ‘debts’, you increasingly reduce the body’s regeneration process. This means that when cells are broken down and lost, which is a normal and ongoing process every day, it does not restore for the next day. This leads to dis-balance, weakening of the immune system and the eventual accumulation of toxins – not to mention the ongoing fatigue and tiredness you may feel from the moment of waking up.
TIP: One thing to keep in mind the next time there’s temptation to stay up a little bit later: sleep debts cannot be repaid! Get to bed on time!
3. “Electronics ‘fry’ the brain”
No one can argue that we have become dependent on our devices during our day-to-day lives. However, with all the added benefits come a lot of harmfuleffects. Although we may have dismissed our parents’ warning as a scare tactic to get off our phones, science has proven that there is some truth to it after all. There are significant effects electromagnetic fields have on our brain! Natural medicine has always cautioned against the importance of distancing from electronics to support the body, mind and soul – encouraging consciousness and awareness.
TIP: An easy way to practice limiting your use of devices is avoiding using them first thing after waking up, while eating and at least 30 minutes before sleep. Instead, be conscious and be present to avoid life (and your brain cells) from passing you by. In turn, you’ll notice yourself enjoying more mental clarity, better sleep, positive mood and easier digestion.
4. “Deodorant will cause health issues”
An odd health-concern expressed was often related to deodorant. But why? Off the shelf deodorants are loaded with all kinds of chemicals that we can’t even pronounce, much less know what they are. Additionally, deodorants, particularly antiperspirants – block the pores in order to trap sweat and over perspiration. However, sweating is just another normal function of the body used to detoxify itself and let go of its toxins. When the body is blocked from sweating, this keeps the toxins inside, leading to an additional accumulation with no means of release (not to mention the additional toxins that enter the body from the deodorant itself).
TIP: Instead, opt for a natural deodorant, or try this easy and natural DIY recipe for a deodorant that is both effective and beneficial to your skin:
– 2 tsp beeswax (optional, but ideal)
– 3 tbsp shea butter
– 3 tbps coconut oil
– 1 tsp baking soda
– 4 tsp cornstarch
– 50 drops of frankincense oil (try lavender!)
Simply melt the solids, and add the powders followed by the frankincense once fully mixed. Allow to set in a pot and store until use.
5. “Regular detoxes are a must”
Have you ever heard stories of your grandparents having regular routines throughout the year, where they have to drink a “not so pleasant solution” that results in a “not so pleasant” 24 hours? It definitely sounded horrifying to us, and we couldn’t fathom why on Earth anyone would willingly do so! Contrary to what you may think, the Holistic approach to health believes in regular detoxification. From time to time, the body requires a cleanse to the system. This eliminates all toxins that are likely to accumulate over time, which relieves the load of organs such as the liver and kidney and optimizes digestion. The body is refreshed to continue functioning efficiently, and leaves you feeling lighter, more focused and more energetic.
6. “Mixing dairy and seafood will give you a stomach ache”
Whether or not you’ve been warned against mixing dairy and seafood in the past, you may have noticed a ‘funky’ or unpleasant feeling following a meal involving the two. That’s because even if you are eating the healthiest food, it doesn’t matter if the body isn’t able to process them properly. Both modern and ancient findings have concluded that’s the case. Specifically, in Ayurveda, there is a strict recommendation to avoid this combination. This is because dairy and seafood come from very different sources, with contradicting effects on the body and so the combination leads to great internal imbalance. Additionally, combining the two is shown to cause issues with digestion – and when the body struggles to digest anything this leads to an accumulation of mucous and toxins with multiple other side-effects to follow.
Were you shocked about any of these? It might be surprising that some of these myths are true, but after all, our ancestors must have known what they were doing if they got us here today! Did you grow up hearing any recommendations from your parents or grandparents?
Share with us and our team will let you know how true they are!
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