Library of Blogress: Healthy Living Information

Though many do not consider water a food for the reason that it does not furnish energy, it nevertheless constitutes a large part of the body, and is as necessary to life as any other element which enters into its composition. The importance of pure water can hardly be exaggerated. That which comes from springs is usually considered the most wholesome. Well water, in numerous instances, has been found to be about as pure, though where a well is located adjoining outhouses–stables, privies, etc.,–there is always very serious danger of their impurities contaminating the water. The water supplied in cities, though in some instances very bad, is usually far better than the well water secured in such localities.

Referring to the mineral waters that are on sale everywhere I would say that as a rule they cannot be commended. About the only advantage possessed by these waters is merely the fact that one drinks a larger quantity of them than ordinary water, and the body is thus flushed and cleansed. If one would simply se- cure some pure water and by adding salt or any harmless element that will cause him to drink largely increased quantities of it, exactly identical results can be produced, to those brought about by the use of mineral waters. The principal ingredient in most of these mineral waters which causes one to largely increase the amount used, is salt. This may have an advantageous influence, upon the system when the body is filled with impurities, as the purifying quality of salt is well known, though some hygienists claim, probably with grounds for their conclusion, that salt if used continually in great quantities, has a tendency to dry up the tissues. The best way to judge as to the purity of the water is to carefully note as to whether it has the slightest taste, and if there is no indication of this, you can depend upon its purity. Of course where one’s taste has been blunted by over-eating and other intemperate indulgences it would be difficult for taste to distinguish the difference. Read the rest of this entry »

But whenever one leaves a warm room the face and hands or other parts not covered would come in direct contact with this cold air, while the covered parts remained in the warm air, retained by the clothing; therefore, any time one goes out in cold weather he submits himself to exactly the same conditions as when encountering a draught in a warm room. This caused me to immediately conclude that the supposed effects of draughts existed in the imagination only, and for many years I have made a practice of sleeping with one of these much-libeled draughts, blowing directly upon me, for then, I can breathe air rich in oxygen and pure in quality. I am unquestionably stronger and healthier because of this practice, and never have known a single occasion when it has produced any ill effects, though I have actually felt its wonderful health-giving influence on innumerable instances.

Now let me state clearly my conclusions: Cold air, whether a draught or otherwise, never has in a single instance produced any ill effects, unless preceded by very serious suffering because of severe cold; and even in this case, no possible harm can result unless the individual is not accustomed to cold air, or part of his body has actually been frozen by the extreme cold.

You may ask, why does cold air sometimes produce colds? Read the rest of this entry »