Health Notes #6
Learning From the Groundhog
Imagine being a groundhog. When the frosts of October come, you curl up in
the ground. Your temperature drops from 98 degrees F. to somewhere in the
mid-thirties. Your heart rate slows to a third of its normal rate, your
breathing to a few breaths per minute. You become completely deaf and blind.
As winter passes, your brain's temperature increases. Your hearing and vision
return. Metabolism speeds up, and soon you scamper out of your burrow "to
see if your body casts a shadow!"
The groundhog illustrates one of nature's unique ways of conserving life's
resources and restoring depleted reserves -- through the rhythm of life.
You're got rhythm too. Your rhythm is rest and it is an extremely important
part of your day. You must rest to stay well. This is the time when your energy
is restored. Your body is designed so that it cannot function without adequate
periods of rest.
Your heart is one of the best examples of the balance between rest and
activity. It is the strongest muscle in your body. How does it rest? After every
contraction of the heart, there is a brief period of rest enabling it to
continue at peak efficiency.
Other organs of the body have this cycle of work and rest. In fact, every
cell of your body follows this cycle of rest and work.
"Early to bed, early to rise," is an old but important adage.
Keeping a regular schedule of going to bed early and at about the same time
every night, is also important. It has been shown that the more hours you can
get in before midnight, the better.
The amount of sleep needed for good health differs with age and individuals.
Newborn babies may sleep 16-20 hours a day. Young children need ten to twelve
hours of sleep. Before age 40 most adults need six or seven+ hours. After 40
there is a slight increase in the amount of sleep needed. This continues until
about age 70, when the need declines again.
Nature was put out there to teach us lessons. Let's learn from the groundhog
and get with the rhythms of our bodies.
- ½ c. orange juice concentrate
- 3 c. pineapple chunks/ or crushed
- 1½ c. pineapple juice
- 1 small banana
- 1 c. water
- About 3 Tbs. cornstarch (this depends on the thickness you want)
Whiz all together in your blender. Heat and serve hot, warm or cold.
Other topping suggestions:
1. Warmed Applesauce
2. Any canned or frozen fruit sweetened with apple juice concentrate and
thickened with cornstarch. Leave the fruit in chunks or whiz in the blender.
3. Cover dried fruits of your choice with water or pineapple or apple
juice. Let the fruit soak overnight or for a couple hours in your
refrigerator. Place in the blender, carefully push the fruit mixture down
until it is the desired consistency. (lumpy or smooth) Add more liquid
depending on its use or your desire. You may add vanilla, or almond flavoring.
This is the same as eating raw fruit.
Possible combinations: Apricot/pineapple; apple/raisin; papaya/apricot the
sky is the limit. Have fun using your family's favorite fruits.
If I cannot do great things, I can do small
things in a great way.
- Wisdom is knowing what to do next.
- Skill is knowing how to do it -- and
- Virtue is doing it.
- David Starr Jordan
  
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