Health is Wealth

Health is Wealth, really. When one is young, one never really thinks about wellness and most certainly didn't delibrately take steps to ensure that one is healthy because youth is careless of the issue. When young, you never feel for a moment that you will fall ill, unless you are caught in the rain and a cold results. So it was with me; I would lie down on the cold cement floor in my grandma's house because it was so cool while the weather was so hot. We never had any air-conditioning. And Grandma would go on nagging," Don't lie on the floor. You will regret it when you grow old. All the aches and pains will be upon you but it will be too late!" Of course she was venting to the air. No one took any notice of her.

Alas, how true her words are today. When the weather is turning, I can feel it in my bones. It begins with a slight ache and then grows in intensity with a vengeance. Quickly I resort to a small bottle of "viper" oil, purchased during one of my trips to China. It brings some relief, for a while.

Then a few days ago, I received an email from a friend detailing the usefulness of a paste of honey and cinnamon powder ( 1 part honey to 2 parts lukewarm water mixed with 1 tsp cinnamon powder). Massaging it on the offending limb will make the pain recede within 15 minutes.

Another tip based on research done in Copenhagan University was this. Drink one cup hot water mixed with 2 tbsp honey and 1 small tsp cinnamon powder daily and this will relieve your pain within one month.

Well I have yet to try this out as we have been having very hot weather lately.

On another note, I have also read that the common lemongrass which most Malaysians grow in their backyard and which we usually use in our cooking, especially in curries and laksa, has another use. Apparently, drinking lemongrass tea can help in someway to preclude cancer. How far this is true I do not know but I read of people making a beeline to a farm somewhere in Israel to look for lemongrass because of its properties in the battle agaist cancer.

I tried boiling a few stalks of lemongrass, locally known as "serai" and drank it as a tea. It tastes very pleasant actually. The fragrance is lovely. I know I boiled it together with ginger for my daughter to bathe in when she was in confinement after delivering her baby. It was very fragrant bathwater indeed. The idea was to get the "wind" out of her system after childbirth since we could not procure the actual herbs used normally, in the UK. Bathing in cold water after childbirth is a no-no as it will lead to aches and pains when one is old. Back to the arthritis again!

So at my age, I'm willing to try out tips that have been given in good faith and friendship to enjoy a better quality of life. Maybe someone has something to share as well. I remember sharing sometime ago that people with kidney problems should not eat starfruit because it could have disastrous consequences. I believe a few people suffered fatal consequences. So beware, good folks. No starfruit if you have kidney problems.