Organise and plan ahead as much as you can, even if it is not in your nature. Keeping a Foods Diary for the week ahead is a help for shopping and catering, especially if you have more than one household member on a special diet.

Do not go shopping for food when you are really hungry or withdrawing from a food. You are much more likely to buy forbidden things, break your diet or eat naughty snacks. Go shopping just after a big meal.

For running a rotation, if you tolerate frozen food well and you have a freezer, you can cook casseroles, sauces, purees or bakery in batches and freeze the surplus, labelled for each day of the rotation. This will help avoid food wastage, and save buying and cooking small amounts every few days. Use colour code labels for each day of the rotation. Frozen vegetables, although expensive, can save a lot of waste. Divide up fruit juice cartons and freeze them in portions for one day of the rotation.

Do not forget when working out a rotation diet to include things which can be eaten as snacks or fillers. These are particularly useful for babies and children. Use nuts, dried fruits, fresh fruit, seeds, rice-cakes, rice puffs, rye crispbread, oatcakes.

If running a rotation diet for people taking packed lunches to work or school, try to work out lunch menus which look as normal as possible. It helps psychologically to cope with a special diet if you are not too conspicuous in public.

Put herb teas or strange juices in thermoses. Mixed salads are useful, as are oatcakes, rye crispbread, ricecakes, and wholefood crisps.

Use colour codes if you are running a rotation diet. Use red jars and labels for Day One, and so on. Alternatively, keep separate shelves or cupboards for each day of the rotation and colour code them. Then you know that on a given day you can reach into that jar or that cupboard and eat anything in it. Particularly useful for hungry children just home from school.

*140\117\8*

Start from zero. Put in the room only what you actually need to have. For most people, at first, this is a bed and a light. Start from that base, and then add to it. For testing and elimination purposes, move anything not essential out temporarily. Reintroduce them one by one to see if they cause a reaction. Only put in what you really want to have and things that are important to you for decoration and pleasure. Have the minimum of furniture and objects. If you put things in that are made of materials that can upset you, make sure they are not new and are well aired off. If you have a radio and clock, make sure they are aired off. If you have veneered chipboard furniture, for instance, it will probably not be a problem once it is a few years old and has gassed out the fumes. Keep pictures to a minimum, and make sure they do not smell. If you have toys, air them off and wash them well.

Keep things elsewhere if you can. Do you need to have all your clothes in your bedroom, for instance? Could you not keep them in cupboards or drawers elsewhere, in a passage or in the bathroom? Do you need a bookcase or toy shelf actually in the room? Keep toiletries and cosmetics in the bathroom cupboard or in another room. Do make-up in the bathroom or elsewhere. If you do keep things in the room or by the bed, keep them covered up in drawers or behind a cupboard door. Put things away when they are not in use. Put books and magazines in a drawer overnight and keep their number to a minimum.

Once you know what you react to, if you find that things already in your bedroom (such as the bed, carpet, curtains, bedding, furniture, or even building and decorating materials) upset you even when aired off, it may help to go further and replace them. Ban things that upset you from your oasis. Make your own rules about what comes into it. If you do not want perfumes, aftershave or hairspray in your oasis, or tobacco smoke, then people may have to stay outside, or change clothes or shower before entering. If you do not want polish or detergents, keep them out. Negotiate with family and housemates, but stick to your conditions if they are important to you. Be prepared to have to retreat to your oasis when other people do what they want to, elsewhere.

*71\117\8*

Masonry paints

For exterior walls, it is not possible to find a masonry paint which is free of fungicide. If you have to use one, get someone else to apply it for you. The following are water-based acrylic masonry paints: Dulux Weathershield Fine Texture Masonry Paint or Dulux Weathershield Masonry Paint, Sandtex Matt and High Cover Smooth Acrylic, Crown Stronghold and Smooth Stronghold, and B & Q Textured Masonry Paint and Smooth Masonry Paint. The Sandtex paint has very low levels of fungicide and small samples are available from them for the matt paint. As an alternative, you can use a cement-based masonry paint, such as Snowcem Cement Paint.

Metal paints

For metal paint, you can use any exterior or interior water-based gloss paint, as above, provided that the metal has been properly primed. Livos sell Duro metal primer which is linseed oil-based, and can be used on iron and any other metals. You can obtain a water-based metal primer from B & Q, Dulux, Green and International Paint but it cannot generally be used on iron. It will cause the iron to rust unless the metal is very clean and totally free of any rust or corrosion. Water-based metal primers are thus best used only on non-ferrous metals such as zinc, aluminium, brass or copper.

*277\117\8*

There are three basic types of air clearing and filtering device:

• air purifiers

• ionisers

• air filters and cleaners

There are also built-in, and radiator systems, discussed below.

Air Purifiers

Air purifiers are on sale in many High Street shops. They are small electrical devices, relatively cheap (about £15 at 1992) and work by drawing the room air in, and passing it through a thin fabric filter and over a perfumed insert. They are sometimes called fragrancers or vapourisers. Their main function is to mask smells and they are not very effective at removing either particles or vapours. They are generally of little benefit to people with allergy or sensitivity, and the fragrances can upset the chemically sensitive.

Ionisers

Ionisers work by producing negative ions. Dust and other particles have a positive electrical charge and are often suspended in the air. The negative ions from an ioniser neutralise the positive charge and the particles from the air are attracted to the walls and floor. The air is thus cleared by particles being attracted to other surfaces, not by them being filtered or removed. Ionisers do not remove chemical fumes or vapours.

Studies carried out on the effectiveness of ionisers in reducing the level of airborne allergens have failed to produce any evidence that they actually help allergic respiratory problems. The National Asthma Campaign does not endorse them. However, people who use them often do feel that they bring benefit. In March 1992, a Which? survey of 130 people who wrote to the magazine about ionisers reported that slightly more of them ‘thought that their ioniser helped them, compared with those who thought it had not’. Which? tests also found that ionisers can clear cigarette smoke much more quickly than allowing the smoke to disperse or settle naturally.

One major drawback of ionisers is that the dirt clings to walls behind furniture and around the edges of furniture and objects. The dirt is often greasy and difficult to clean, creating permanent dark marks for which the only solution is to redecorate – a serious disadvantage if you are chemically sensitive.

The simplest ionisers are relatively cheap (from £25 at 1992 prices), light and portable. They are usually of hard plastic cases which do not upset the chemically sensitive once aired. Ionisers are also often built into other filtering devices (see below).

The Which? survey (March 1992) found that a number of makes of ioniser did not actually produce ions on test. The Pifco 1072 (£25) performed best on their tests.

Ionisers are readily available from electrical shops and wholefood shops. They are also available by mail order from the Air Improvement Centre, Allerayde, The Healthy House, The London Ioniser Centre and Medivac.

*209\117\8*

Dilation of small blood vessels

This can lead to hives, fluid retention and swelling, nasal blockage and headaches.

Smooth muscle spasm

This can produce contraction of the airways and gut spasm.

Increased secretions

Mucus flow and discharges increase and are manifest in hay fever, conjunctivitis, asthma and ear complaints.

It is the functioning of this mechanism that goes wrong in most allergic reactions. For some unknown reason, IgE antibodies are produced in response to harmless molecules. Any substance that triggers this abnormal reaction is called an ‘allergen’.

Further research into the immune system has shown that there are other mechanisms whereby other antibodies are involved in hypersensitive reactions, such as in delayed contact dermatitis, or when antibodies form immune complexes with invading molecules and are deposited from the bloodstream into tissues. However, the IgE mechanism is the principal one involved in allergy and the most important to understand.

Allergic reactions often happen immediately or within a few hours of encountering an allergen. If you are repeatedly in contact with an allergen, such as a commonly eaten food or house dust mites, you may have continual symptoms which occasionally worsen. You can also get late or delayed reactions, resulting from the on-going chemical changes in your body. These can happen up to several days later in the case of reactions to food.

*3\117\8*

The first of the modern semirigid prostheses was the Small-Carrion, named for the two doctors who developed it. It’s been around since 1973 and is still being used by some physicians.

Now, other variations on the same theme have been introduced. The newer models—the Flexirod, invented by Dr. Roy Finney, the Jonas Silicone-Silver prosthesis, named for its developer Dr. Udo Jonas, and the AMS 600—were designed to make the implant more concealable and bendable when not in the erect position.

The Small-Carrion prosthesis is bendable and allows the penis to be moved up, down or to the side. It has no portion specifically designed to bend, however. It is uniformly stiff throughout.

Unlike the Small-Carrion implant, the Flexirod was specifically designed to bend at the base of the penis to be more easily concealed. And the Flexirod is slightly stiffer along the shaft.

Yet another variation of the semirigid implant has a kind of memory: When you bend it, it will stay where you put it, and not snap back. Both the Jonas and the AMS 600 prostheses have this characteristic, made possible by their twisted wire core covered by silicone rubber. The advantage of these models is that once the penis is bent down, it will stay that way, so the penis won’t always look erect. The one drawback to this type is that rarely, a wire may break, and although the wire is still covered by the silicone rubber, the penis then becomes more floppy at the base.

*151\184\8*

Blood tests are a crucial part of a workup for erection problems. Here’s what your blood is being tested for, and why:

• Testosterone and prolactin. Testosterone is necessary for sexual desire, and, apparently, also for erection. Prolactin is a hormone from the pituitary gland which, in excess, can sneakily sabotage erections. If your body makes too much prolactin, low sexual desire, decreased testosterone and impotence may result.

• Fasting blood sugar and glucose tolerance. To see if diabetes may be contributing to your problem.

• Thyroid function. Too much or too little thyroid hormone may be connected with potency problems. (Ifs an easily treated condition.)

• Liver function. Because liver disease can affect potency.

• Kidney function. Kidney function can also affect potency.

Not all of these tests may be required in each case. In the absence of any suspicious evidence of disease, the last three tests may be omitted. Discuss this with your doctor.

*120\184\8*

Gary manages a furniture store and he met Cynthia, his second wife, when she began working at a nearby business. Gary and Cynthia dated for almost a year before they married.

Cynthia was burdened by a painful history when she married Gary. She had previously been married to a man who constantly criticized her and belittled her appearance and her sexuality. For a long time, she believed that she was incapable of enjoying sex or of pleasing a man sexually. But being with Gary changed all that. «It opened up a whole world to me, it was wonderful,» says this petite, shy woman. Then, after a couple of years of marriage, Gary developed erection problems. «It came on gradually. There was absolutely no problem when we first married,» says Cynthia.

Gary and Cynthia didn’t talk about the change in their sex life and their painful silence continued for three long years. «I kept thinking it was an isolated problem. But it was driving me up the wall and the last year I finally had to accept the fact it just was not working, and I tried to talk to Gary about it,» says Cynthia. She prepared herself for this discussion by reading a book on sexual responsiveness. But just mentioning the topic upset Gary tremendously. Concerned that she had caused him such pain, Cynthia dropped the matter. «We went for two weeks without talking about it—at all. Then he said, ‘Okay we really should do something.’ So we tried to follow some of the recommendations in the book—sort of doing sex therapy at home. And it helped some. But I got impatient. I short-circuited the whole thing.»

Gary finally sought medical help several months later, but he didn’t tell his wife until after he went to the doctor. She was greatly relieved when she learned that he had finally taken the first step. «I didn’t want to bring up the subject again because felt guilty. I mean, on some level, when a failure occurs, when he can’t get an erection, I feel he must hate me. It feels like rejection.

Gary went through several tests, and much to the surprise o his physician, was found to have extremely low levels of testosterone. In addition to causing Gary’s erection problems, the abnormality could even have contributed to his lack of motivation to correct the situation, since low testosterone can reduce desire. Gary was placed on shots of the hormone, and severe weeks later reported that his erections were normal. And he and Cynthia were able to make love again.

«If s been reasonably successful,» says Cynthia of the treatment. «But Gary still doesn’t talk about the cause. We don’t tall about it.» Tears well up in her eyes. Although her husband has c demonstrable physical cause for his potency problem, she still feels rejected. And his silence hasn’t helped her.

*91\184\8*

Sexual expectations are not always conscious, nor are they regularly communicated to another person. As a result, partners are often at cross-purposes when their pleasure-seeking goals are on the line. That was the situation of Gina and Paul, both in their mid-thirties, who had been married for four years. Their mutual attraction bad been based on their shared work—both were dedicated medical researchers—but now they seemed to be going in opposite directions.

«Ever since Paul began lo experience his ED. something has changed,» Gina began. «I don’t mean just the physical side; I mean the emotional one as well. He’s pulled away from me. Anytime I start to talk about how I feel about our situation he walks out of the room. He’s taken up a hobby—coin collecting—which he works on alone, in the middle of the night.»

His face reddening, Paul replied, «That’s because the last thing I want to do is discuss my erections with her. I feel strongly that it’s my problem. I realize she’s affected by it but I don’t see how having a sensitivity session about it is going to make it any better.»

«It’s not going to make it worse,» she pointed out.

«I disagree. The truth is—I never felt that we had such a great sex life to begin with. Now I have the opportunity to change it—»

«And you’d rather explore that brave new world with someone else,» she finished the sentence for him.

As he nodded his head in assent, Gina excused herself and walked out of my office.

«I’m sorry about this,» Paul told me. «It’s not that I don’t have feelings for Gina. It’s just that we were each other’s first real lover, and then we got married and spent so much time working that we—I— never had the time or inclination to explore what I really wanted from sex. I didn’t even want to, until my ED occurred. Now I have another opportunity—and I want to take it.»

Not surprisingly, Gina and Paul split up a short time later. The basis for their marriage—shared work—was not enough to keep them together. Sadly, their breakdown in communication prevented them from trying to find another bond to keep them together. Today, Paul’s ED is under control and he is excited at the prospect of exploring his own sexuality more fully.

The emotional issues in their situation included:

• dissatisfaction of one partner with their sex lives

• a change in feelings toward a partner

• unwillingness to discuss the problem

Think about your own feelings concerning:

• how satisfied you are with your sex life

• how content you are with your present partner or partners

• how pleased your partner is with your sexual relationship

• the frequency of your sexual encounters

• what the core of your relationship is, and whether it is based on sex, friendship, or family

• your comfort level in discussing your sexual attitudes

• the reaction of your partner

• the likes and dislikes in the sexual history with your partner

• things you would like your partner to do

• things you wish your partner wouldn’t do

• any changes you would like to make

Remember that a satisfying sex life is a major component of a healthy life. When the physical aspects of a relationship are on track, you and your partner are in sync. Anticipating each other’s needs and wants, you create an experience that is greater than the two of you. Boosting vitality, vigor, and optimism, a mutually gratifying sex life adds to overall mental and physical contentment.

*63\183\8*

A healthy young man in his teens and early 20′s should have no trouble getting erections. In fact, he may embarrass himself with erections in awkward situations.

Paul can remember what that feels like. Now 39 and married for more than a decade, Paul recalls his adolescent potency with a mixture of fondness and humor: «I’d be sitting in class with an erection—I’d sometimes have an erection all day long. And it could be embarrassing—you’d have to lose it before you could stand up. I was actually looking for the day when that didn’t happen.» His tanned face breaks out in a big grin. Maturity hasn’t diminished his sense of humor. «Now, Lord knows, I can sit for hours.»

A man who’s in late adolescence or early adulthood can have intercourse two or three times within a fairly short period of time. (One man recounted with great pride a memorable afternoon in which he had intercourse four times in four hours.) At this age, a man’s sexual appetite is strong, and so is his ability to get an erection. Consequently, on a purely physical level, foreplay may not be tremendously important. In fact, for some men this age, foreplay doesn’t exist.

*18\184\8*

Protein is the second most plentiful substance in our bodies next to water. Protein builds new tissue and repairs damaged cells. Protein also is needed in our bodies for the formation of hormones and enzymes which play a variety of roles in the body such as metabolism, growth, and sexual development. It is also used by the body to regulate the body’s fluid level and help control the acid alkaline level.

Protein consists of around 22 amino acids which are the building blocks of protein. Protein is classified into two types: complete and incomplete proteins. Complete proteins supply all of the 8 essential amino acids: lysine, tryptophan, phenylalanine, methionine, threonine, leucine, isoluecine and valine. Eggs are the best source of amino acids (complete proteins), followed by dairy products and meats.

Vegetarians can obtain their protein from seeds, nuts and lentils but it is best to vary the diet and obtain your dietary protein from a range of different foods. Remember eggs, dairy products, and red meats are high in cholesterol. The use of egg whites, skim milk, lean meats and fish is best.

*4\26\8*

Fats, or lipids, furnish us with twice as much energy for our bodies than that of protein or carbohydrate. Fat is needed in our daily diet for the correct usage of fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, K.

Fat insulates our bodies giving us protection from sudden changes in temperature and at the same time protects the vital organs of the body against damage.

The average Australian consumes around 40 per cent of their total calorie intake in the form of fat. Fat is important in the diet because it gives the diet staying qualities as fat is absorbed in the body at a much slower rate than that of carbohydrate or protein. This is very important because it makes the meal satisfying, so, by having a little fat in our diets the feeling of hunger will be delayed.

There are two types of substances that give fat different flavours and textures. They are known as fatty acids, either saturated (which come mainly from animal sources) or unsaturated, including polyunsaturated fatty acids (which come from the vegetable kingdom) and are found in foods such as nuts, vegetables, and seeds’. There are three essential fatty acids. They are linolenic, arachidonic, and linoleic. All are very important and because they cannot be manufactured in our bodies they must become an integral part of our daily diet.

*3\26\8*

There are three types of carbohydrates that are important to us:

Polysaccharides: These are the most complex of the carbohydrates and they are made up from many carbohydrate units. The most common polysaccharide in our diet would be in the form of starch which is found in grains such as rice, wheat, corn. Other foods such as potatoes are another good source of complex carbohydrate.

The other carbohydrates are monosaccharides and disaccharides.

Disaccharides: These are double sugar: sucrose, lactose, and maltose: sucrose, or table sugar is the most widely consumed disaccharide. The average consumption of sugar in Australia is around 60kg per person per year. In these quantities sugar is a health problem, leading to heart disease and other health problems.

Monosaccharides: There are three types of monosaccharides: glucose, fructose, and galactose. Glucose is the most important monosaccharide. All other carbohydrates are either obtained from it or changed into it. The body stores glucose by changing it into glycogen which is stored in the muscles and liver. This can be easily changed back to glucose when the body requires it for quick energy.

The main function of carbohydrates is to supply the body with energy and for the formation of cellular constituents.

A lack of carbohydrate in the diet (as with some of the liquid quick weight-loss diets) can lead to the production of ketones in the body. This increase in ketones decreases the alkalinity and increases the acidity of the blood resulting in a condition known as Ketosis and metabolic acidosis. It is important to balance the diet as metabolic acidosis can be very serious.

Your carbohydrate intake should be around 60 per cent of your food intake in the form of complex carbohydrates. Eating too many monosaccharides such as table sugar is not the way to get your sugar requirement. Although it will give quick energy (because of the increased blood sugar level) these levels soon drop and leave you feeling run down and craving for more sugar. Eat fruit instead.

*2\26\8*

First, what is this thing we call nutrition? All of us have seen a never-ending number of fad diets: some to control weight, others supposedly to stop us growing old. Where will it end? We seem to be getting further and further away from the basics. In this chapter, we will look at the six basic nutrients that make our food and what part they play in our bodies. Nutrition is not just what we eat but what we absorb from our foods.

The Six Basic Nutrients

1 Water

2 Carbohydrates

3 Fats

4 Proteins

5 Vitamins

6 Minerals

Water

The first nutrient that we have on the list is probably the most under-rated and yet the most important.

Did you know that your body is made up of around 70% water? This water is needed to form blood and body fluids without which our bodies would not be able to dissolve and carry the essential nutrients to all parts of the body. Water is needed in the body to help maintain the body temperature and it is also needed to carry away the body’s waste products.

The human body will die if deprived of water for only a few days. Yes, our water supply is very important to us and the average Australian should consume around 8 to 10 glasses of water each day in the form of foods containing water or liquids.

*1\26\8*

Take the case of Robert and Jane. Their six-year marriage had hit serious snags and they were working—seemingly to no avail—with a psychiatrist to iron things out. Robert had trouble getting an erection, and seven months of very expensive therapy was fueling his anger, making his ED a burden that grew heavier day after day.

The primary conflict in their marriage was Jane’s career. While Koberi was proud of her accomplishments—she was a successful and highly visible banker—he chafed at her absences from home. And although he certainly admired her financial acumen and respected her choice to keep her personal finances and investments separate from his, the fact that she was more savvy at it than he was bothering him.

Jane, on her part, craved intimacy with her husband. She knew that her extended absences were a strain on their marriage and she felt that closeness was even more important those times when she was home. But when she was there, she was tired and sex wasn’t necessarily what she needed or wanted.

Robert, on the other hand, began to feel that Jane’s frequent absences were growing proof that she didn’t really love him. And when they did have time for sex, he found, to his growing dismay, that he was often unable to achieve an erection. His anxiety increased, leading to more erectile failure, which, in turn, led to even more worry about his performance in bed. Eventually, he avoided any kind of physical closeness altogether.

Jane took his behavior as a clear sign that he was no longer interested in her. One night, they finally had the confrontation that had been building for months. When Robert, after two glasses of Scotch, told Jane that her career left no room for him and made him feel worthless, she was stunned. The ultimate accusation was even worse: his ED, he said, was her fault.

Stung by his words, Jane knew they were at a turning point in their marriage. Fortunately, she had heard about the clinical trials of the new oral ED medications from a colleague. Feeling there was nothing to lose, she mentioned them and offered to accompany Robert to my office.

Now they began to make headway in their work with the psychiatrist, and they were willing and able to address the issues that concerned them. Defining what intimacy and sex meant to each of them, as well as dealing with the problems brought about by careers and finances, brought them closer. And as their communication skills improved, their relationship flourished. Over time, Robert’s’ erectile difficulties began to vanish. Soon, he found that he didn’t always need a pill to achieve an erection.

But the best part of this story is this: the effect of psychotherapy is jump-started by the medication, and the time an ED patient will spend in a therapist’s office is, therefore, vastly reduced. Had Robert come to me for the medication as soon as his problem began, I might have been able to shorten his time on the psychiatrist’s couch by half.

Mark, Jim, and Robert are just three of my many patients who have had their sex lives fully restored using the new medications. Whether the syndrome is provoked by changes in circumstances, which cause a temporary and easily rectified problem, or by ongoing worries about endurance, past performance, or other conditions, this medication regimen can help. Its effect is so profound that it is capable of aiding those men who suffer from ED as the result of certain diseases. 11 can even produce startling results for men who have suffered with ED for a decade or more.

*4\183\8*

An amazing number of people find it extremely difficult to talk directly and honestly with their partners about their sexual desires, fears and problems. Many people have been trained to perceive discussions about sex as being so private, so embarrassing and so revealing, that they hesitate to talk about their own feelings and wishes even with the person they’ve been married to for years.

In this context it is absolutely essential for partners to talk to each other about sex, so that their bodies can adjust mutually and their pleasures increase. Despite this, in my experience, most couples never talk to each other about what they do in bed, whether it is good or bad, or whether it gives them any satisfaction. I, for one, find it hard to believe that during the most intense moments of a couple’s relationship, neither partner knows what the other is thinking; their minds remain separate whereas their bodies are striving to get as close as two bodies can.

Many women talk freely to their friends about unfulfilled desires, disappointments and frustrations, but men generally keep their sex lives secret. I’m convinced that there would be far fewer misunderstandings, arguments and conflicts if both partners would talk openly about their physical and emotional expectations. I believe that nothing but good would come of sharing these innermost desires, however strange and fantastic they might appear to be.

*103\79\2*

Many women think of masturbation as unnatural and disgusting and a complete waste of time, and don’t understand why anybody does it and are unsympathetic to the view that people might continue to do it even though they have sexual partners. The majority of men, though they may keep their feelings to themselves, don’t agree.

For most people, once it is faced, masturbation in front of, or with a partner, and particularly if it is mutual, can be an extremely enjoyable and exciting way of making love, especially if it comes at the end of an extended period of foreplay. Differences in attitudes can be ironed out only if you are candid with your partner and voice your feelings about masturbation. You may get a shock; you may find that you are both mutually attracted to the idea.

There are many myths about masturbation, but it is important to realize that masturbation cannot cause any trouble for anyone unless it is against one’s own moral sanctions. View it as an excellent opportunity for self-education. You should be open and comfortable with it; it should never end up leaving impressions of hurriedness, guilt or secretiveness about sex. More importantly, masturbation can lead to intense orgasms, and it is the one way to develop sexual comfort, security and self-esteem.

Above all, masturbation is not something that means sex with your partner is not as good as it should be, or even that your partner cannot stimulate your genital organs in the way that you like. Many partners have their best sexual experiences when masturbation or mutual masturbation is engaged in prior to or during sexual intercourse.

*77\79\2*

Many people find it worthwhile to take a good, hard look at themselves as a way of getting in touch with and appreciating their bodies. Most of us are far too hard on ourselves. It will buck up your feelings quite a lot if you concentrate on your good points rather than emphasizing the bad.

Doing the following should help to lessen self-consciousness and make you more comfortable with yourself and with your body as a source of sexual pleasure. It is best to do these «exercises» in private, when you have plenty of time and feel as relaxed as possible.

The Sexual Repertoire-The activities described here are practised by most people. There are more bizarre practices, but these aren’t included since they occur rarely and may not be embraced whole-heartedly by both partners. Your sexual experience may include some if the former, you might like to try out the new ones. Remember that for truly satisfying experiences, partners must learn how to receive as well as give.

*53\79\2*

Sexual tension in the initial stage increases more slowly in women than men, frequently taking 20 or 25 minutes but, on average, 15 minutes. The more varied and stimulating the foreplay, the more rapidly a woman passes through this initial arousal phase. Her pleasure then rises in a parallel and step-wise fashion with the thrusting of the penis within her vagina. If direct stimulation of the clitoris is maintained simultaneously throughout this period, a woman can proceed quickly to the point of orgasm. After orgasm there is a slow and gradual return to normality often extending up to half an hour. During this resolution phase, the breasts return to their normal size and the swelling of the labia diminishes.

Woman’s experience-With penetration and the man’s thrusting movements, her pleasure increases in step-wise fashion and she proceeds to orgasm.

The woman becomes fully aroused more slowly than the man during foreplay. Tension increases until the plateau phase, when she longs to be penetrated.

After the climax, a woman’s return to normality is slow and gradual, unlike a man’s. Sometimes she can delay this phase and remain at least at plateau stage, experiencing multiple orgasms if further stimulated.

*26\79\2*

The changes that mark a boy’s physical development into a mature man begin in the pre-teen and early teen years and are completed when he is between 14 and 18. These changes — when boys become taller and more muscular, with wider shoulders, more developed genital organs and with hair appearing on their genitals, underarms, faces, chests, arms and legs – are caused mainly by the male hormone, testosterone. As well as having the characteristics set out below, the adult male has experienced his voice «breaking», caused by the larynx enlarging and the vocal cords becoming longer and thicker so that the pitch of the voice drops, and an increase in sweat and sebaceous gland activity.

After testicular activity is established at puberty it normally continues for the rest of life with only slight impairment in later years. In old age there is a slight reduction in the production of sperm and androgen. This is associated with some degenerative changes in the testes, but there is no abrupt testicular decline comparable to the female climacteric.

The «average» man is approximately 173 centimetres (5 feet 9 inches) tall and weighs 74 kilos (162 pounds); his chest, waist and hip measurements are 98, 80, 93 centimetres (39, 32, 37 inches).

*2\79\2*

Much good may also be derived from taking natural remedies. Ideally suited for this purpose is Urticalcin, a natural calcium supplement of proven worth. Another natural medicine for colds is Usnea (larch moss or lichen), which builds up the resistance of the mucous membranes. To combat a susceptibility to catarrh and to alleviate colds, take Santasapina or Drosinula Cough Syrup.

As a prophylactic for the throat, use Echinaforce and Molkosan, since Echinacea extract counteracts infection and diluted whey used as a gargle disinfects the mouth and throat. If a throat infection is already under way, it is advisable to paint the throat with undiluted Molkosan. Also, massage the chest with Po-Ho-Salve every day.

Severe catarrh and even bronchitis may be tackled with Imper-atoria (imperial masterwort), as it will help in every case. I often recommend to people who like to take walks through the woods and forests, even in winter, to chew larch (tamarack) and pine buds or shoots, as the sap has a preventative as well as a healing effect.

*149/28/1*

Even more bothersome than polyps is ozaena, a disease of the mucous membranes of the nose, giving off a foul-smelling discharge or odour. Relief is obtained by sniffing up or drawing in a solution containing sea salt, followed by sniffing up Urticalcin powder. For internal treatment, Kali iod. 4x and Mercurius 4x have proved very helpful.    

Rhinitis (inflammation of the mucous membranes of the nose) can also be very annoying, especially in the spring with its changeable weather pattern. As for all other kinds of inflammation and infection, Echinaforce taken internally is a reliable remedy for rhinitis. For a more speedy cure you could also try soaking a cotton bud in Echinaforce and painting the nostrils with it. If sores or scales should develop on the inner walls of the nose, apply Bioforce Cream for an immediate healing effect.

A ‘runny nose’ can be stopped with relative ease. Cut a slice of fresh onion and dip it briefly into a glass of hot water. It is enough to dip the slice in just once, and then drink the water in small sips. This treatment will soon cure your sniffles.

*126/28/1*

Diabetics have to blame their ailment not only on a failure of the islets of Langerhans – located in the pancreas – to produce sufficient insulin, but also on a functional disorder in the anterior lobe of the pituitary as a contributory factor. No matter how much bile the liver produces, the process of breaking down fat will suffer if the pituitary fails to manufacture the necessary hormones. A change in the blood pressure, too much or too little elimination of water, even the start of labour pains, are all connected with the function of the posterior lobe of the pituitary and its secretion of hormones.

Until recently, science had not succeeded in fully understanding the complex hormone structure of this interesting little gland. And this is the reason why it has not yet been possible to produce its hormones synthetically. It is always a risk to prescribe medicine that has a direct effect on the pituitary, except in small homoeopathic doses. Such medicines can have a very detrimental effect on the patient if he is sensitive to drugs.

*103/28/1*

Children with a weak constitution who have inherited a disposition for tuberculosis and suffer from swollen glands should be treated with the following prophylactic medicines:

Calc phos. 4x alternated with 6x: 2 tablets, three times daily.

Urticalcin. This is even more effective and, if given for several months, can work wonders.

Ars. iod. 4x. This is indicated for thin children who grow fast. It should be taken over a period of several months in alternation with Urticalcin.

Kali phos. 6x. This should be given when the lungs and bron-chials are affected.

Sulph. 4x. This is indicated when, in spite of packs, the rash is slow in breaking out and very mild.

When the disease has subsided the child should not be allowed outside in the cold air right away. Especially in winter, the child should be kept in bed for another week or in a warm but well-ventilated room. Such care is particularly essential for delicate children who could otherwise suffer from complications.

*81/8/1*

Frequent baths are absolutely essential for a baby, not only for hygienic reasons but also because of their importance in maintaining proper skin activity. Bathing removes congestions and stimulates the functions of internal organs and the endocrine glands. We must not forget that the baby had been in the warm, even temperature of the mother’s womb for nine months, protected from the discomforts of the outside world and hidden under the mother’s heart. The newborn baby is suddenly introduced into a much cooler environment to which its little body has to adapt. For this reason the baby’s first baths should never be hotter than blood temperature, that is, not more than 37 °C (98-6°F). In summer the water may even be a little cooler, especially if the water has been warmed by the sun. The lively splashing and joyful shouts bear witness to the pleasures babies derive from their baths. This can also be seen in their frequent protests at being taken out of the bath when they evidently think they should be allowed to stay longer.

Any medicinal additions to a baby’s bath should be chosen with the greatest care, since they can do much harm. It is impossible to stop babies from sucking their wet fingers and swallowing some of the bath water.

*58/28/1*

Since hypnosis is not sleep, what is its relationship to sleep? I am going to illustrate this with the familiar experience of ‘highway hypnosis’. When a person is driving a long distance on a highway, his eyes are focused only on the highway; he cannot look at anything beyond the highway for more than a few seconds. His eyes and his attention have to come back to the highway all the time. His awareness of the surroundings becomes narrower and narrower. This affects the content of his thoughts, which also become narrower. Although he is in a fully awake state, his awareness is submaximal and is continuously constricting to a narrower span. During this period of extremely limited awareness, it is as if he is in a trance state. He is dissociated from the awareness of his surroundings. Highway hypnosis is very dangerous. Eventually, if he does not pull over and stop driving, he will most likely fall asleep and lose control of the car.

After driving a period of time on a highway, a person goes into highway hypnosis, and very often highway hypnosis leads to sleep. This raises the possibility of a continuum from the fully awake state through the hypnotic state to the sleeping state:

Awake → Hypnotic state → Asleep

With the invention of the EEG machine, we now know that hypnosis does not equate with sleep. Schwartz, Bickford, and Rasmussen in 1955 reported that hypnosis and the awake state have identical EEG patterns. But typical sleep patterns on the EEG can be brought about in hypnotized individuals by means of appropriate suggestions. Hence, although hypnosis and sleep are two different states, given the appropriate suggestions of heaviness, tiredness, and sleepiness, one can pass from the hypnotic state to the sleeping state easily.

David Foulkes, a US scientist, made a detailed study of the mental state of people falling asleep, and distinguished different phases. The first step is the loss of control over the flow of thought. Thoughts begin to wander and go their own way. In the sleep laboratory, if the subject is awakened and questioned just before the appearance of a sleep pattern on the EEG, he reports that he has lost his orientation in time and space and is no longer aware of the reality of life around him. It is as if he is in a dream state resembling that of REM stage sleep, and sometimes it is impossible to tell them apart. However, the EEG recording does not indicate any REM sleep and there is no rapid eye movement.

Well, what is the best way to cope with stress? Let us discuss this under the following ten categories:

The danger of destructive behaviour. Never make things worse than what the stress calls for. In other words, do not punch the bonnet of the car. Violent reactions to stress are uncalled for and are normally regretted afterwards. This is the number one rule. Stress itself is bad enough; there is no need to make it worse.

The rule of exaggeration. Albert Ellis called this ‘catastrophization’. We all magnify stress and this is a normal psychological reaction. This is useful as we want to examine the details of the stress so as to resolve it. However, catastrophization is dangerous, as it blows things out of perspective. A small incident becomes a big incident, and our reaction is consequently out of proportion to what is called for.

Inability to sleep. Insomnia is useful in stressful situations, as it allows us to stay awake and search for a solution to resolve the situation. However, insomnia is useless if we just stay awake, feeling all distressed and sorry for ourselves, wishing the stress would go away. This kind of insomnia is not constructive, and perhaps some mild sleeping pills may help. If you are awake at night because of stress, tell yourself this is only useful if your thinking is constructively helping you sort out the issue so that you eventually resolve it. Sometimes, when it is quiet and you are all alone, thoughts and intuition may come which may help you to tackle the challenge better. Of course, good sleep hygiene demands that you do all the thinking in another room and leave your bed for sleep and sex. The best way is, once you are in bed, to dissociate yourself from the stress you are experiencing. Practice self-relaxation, and be confident that you will sleep. Let tomorrow look after tomorrow.

Change irrational thoughts to rational ones. Along the lines of the rational emotive theory developed by Albert Ellis, some of our irrational thoughts are: ‘I must be loved and approved by every person in my life, I must achieve at all times, and it is the end of the world if things are not how I expect them to be’. We have to reconstruct a more logical and rational way of thinking. Cars break down everyday, although it is inconvenient, and this is an everyday ordinary stress. A car has to break down now and then; even a Rolls Royce has its hiccup.

Correct appropriate action. This is not easy, but, if you keep your head cool and follow the logical steps to resolve or minimize the impact of the stress in question, you will turn distress into success and become proud of how you handled yourself under stress. This is why astronauts need to practice all possible mishaps and emergencies, so that when they are under stress they know exactly what are the logical steps to take to avoid catastrophy and they can handle emergencies with ‘military precision’.

How? Look at the alternatives, use your imagination, spend all your time in constructive activity, use your head, solve the problem. If your boss misunderstands you, do not feel distressed. Use your magnifying glass and examine why. Explain to him, assert yourself, or change your behaviour so that the same misunderstanding will never happen again. If the car breaks down, use your head, not your fist. Use your magnifying glass to examine what is wrong with the car, and take appropriate action. If the car cannot be fixed, just bad luck, call a tow truck, and arrange alternative transportation.

A comfortable room and surroundings are beneficial to a good night’s sleep. Noise from the street, or noise from your snoring partner, may be disturbing. Bright light or an uncomfortable bed may distract you from concentrating on falling asleep. A bedroom that is too warm or too cold is not suitable.

Some beds nowadays are not specifically designed for the purpose of sleep. Someone has told me that he gets seasick when he sleeps in a water bed. On the ether hand, some people are so used to water beds that they can no longer sleep in an ordinary bed when they take a holiday.

Bed manufacturing is a huge industry, as everyone needs a bed. Ideally, beds are designed to give good support to the spine and the body during sleep. A firm bed is essential. As discussed earlier, when the sleeper enters REM sleep, the whole body is paralysed. If the bed is very soft and sagging in the middle, during REM sleep the spine will conform to the curve of the sagging bed. In the morning there will be muscle pain because the muscles have been stretched in an abnormal posture for about 25 per cent of the time spent in sleep. For people who have back problems, a soft comfortable bed is not ideal.

The bed should be restricted to two basic forms of activity. Sleep, and the familiar reproductive activity starting also with the letter ‘s’. However, some people use the bed for other activities, such as reading, watching television, drinking, thinking, and planning. All these activities have the tendency to distract you from sleep, and may let you form a habit of thinking about your past and planning your future in bed. This generates unnecessary tension and anxiety, which obviously leads to insomnia. From now on, remember, the bed is reserved purely for the enjoyment of the two activities starting with ‘s’: sleep and sex, or sex and sleep, and nothing else. A bedside TV set or a reading lamp are not recommended in the bedroom of the problem sleeper.

A clock is bad for someone who is conscious of the number of hours they feel is necessary to sleep each night. A common experience for most people who wake up in the middle of the night is to look at the clock by their beds. Some will exclaim, ‘My goodness, it is now one in the morning. This is it, I will be unable to sleep again and will stay awake for the rest of the night’. The worry of what time it is in the middle of the night can give rise to tension and anxiety. Of course, this tension and anxiety will prevent the person from falling asleep again. Then when they look at the clock again after a while, they will panic and say to themselves, ‘It is now two, and there is only a few hours before morning’.

There is a self-fulfilling prophecy for some people. They believe that, once they wake up in the middle of the night, they will not sleep again. Their tension increases as they mark the hours through the night. This tension is in fact reducing their chances of sleep. So, as the night approaches, they already predict that they are going to wake up in the middle of the night and will not be able to fall asleep again. The night comes and they wake up in the middle of the night and immediately look at the clock to find out what time it is. Each time they look at the clock, they generate more anxiety within, which prevents them from sleeping. Each time they fail to sleep, they are convinced once more of their own prediction.

Anxiety is cumulative and their confidence to sleep is reduced with succeeding nights that they fail to sleep. Looking at the clock and marking the hours of the night is to be avoided completely, as this generates tension and reduces the confidence to sleep.

I always tell my patients who have sleeping problems to put their clocks either under the bed or in a drawer, so that they will have no way of looking at the clock when they wake up during the night. It has been discovered in sleep laboratories that it is perfectly normal and healthy to wake up in the middle of the night. A normal sleep pattern always consists of a few awakenings at night. The older we are, the more frequent we wake up in the night. However, it is common that we do not always remember these awakenings, and we fall back into sleep. Next time when you wake up in the middle of the night, tell yourself it is perfectly normal and healthy to do so. Do not bother to find out what time it is or try to work out how much time you have slept or how long it will be before daybreak. I know it is very tempting to look at the clock, but once you get used to putting the clock away you will surely sleep much better. Just lie back, do nothing, practise self-relaxation, and you will fall back into sleep.

*36/23/5*

There are many causes of insomnia. The following are some of the more common causes:

(1) Pseudo-insomnia

This is probably the most common cause in the normal population. These people believe they cannot sleep because of one or more of the above mentioned reasons. Their confidence to sleep is gone, and they become worried as the evening approaches since they predict they will not sleep. Because they experience insomnia in bed, some develop a phobia about their beds, as they can sleep anywhere and at any time except in bed. They may be quite happy sleeping on a sofa or in front of the television, but when they are in their beds at night they are wide awake and feel distressed.

(2) Biological clock related insomnia

We all have a biological clock within us. Sometimes we have to reset out biological clock abruptly; for instance, because of jet lag or a change in shift duties, and the clock is thrown out of phase. The biological clock governs a number of biological functions in the body; the most important is the sleep pattern. The other functions are body temperature, hormonal balance, metabolic rate, urine output, stomach and bowel activity, and so on. Each biological function follows the biological clock differently, and any sudden changes to the clock throw them out of phase with each other. Besides not being able to sleep, we feel below par and are unable to function normally.

(3) Situational insomnia

This is normally transient and is precipitated by some situation that a person is experiencing. Anxiety, stress, and worry of what is going to happen are typical causes of insomnia. Stress is a common cause of insomnia.

(4) Physical illness

It is a fairly common practice for the sister in charge of a hospital ward to ask the resident doctor to prescribe sleeping pills for the patients just in case they cannot sleep. This is a much more common practice in nursing homes. There are two reasons why sleeping pills are prescribed in hospital. The first is that it is reasonable not to be able to sleep in hospital. You are sick and in a totally new bed in a new environment with a new routine. On top of all this there is the additional stress of your own physical illness and not knowing its outcome. The second reason is that if some patients are not sleeping they may interfere with the other patients and, in the end, no one gets any sleep. This is especially true in nursing homes. In this instance sleeping pills are given for the benefit of the patients who would normally sleep but who are being disturbed by those who cannot.

(5) Pain

We all experience pain at some stage in our lives, whether it is toothache, headache, stomach-ache, or whatever. The pain we feel drags us down, we feel awful, our whole routine is ruined. Chronic pain is even worse, as there is no escape; the pain is with the sufferer all the time. People who suffer from chronic pain may find sleep the only escape, but if they have insomnia there is no escape at all.

6) Drug-withdrawal insomnia

It is now recognized that the modern sleeping pill is effective for about two weeks only. These pills supress REM sleep. When the pills are stopped, the sleeper experiences a rebound of excessive REM sleep. This means the sleeper will have an excessive number of dreams and sometimes nightmares. This will be experienced as disruptive sleep and insomnia. The person who experiences drug-withdrawal insomnia believes that his innate ability to sleep is lost, for once he stops taking the pills he cannot sleep anymore. In fact, of course, he has not lost his ability to sleep. It is just that the symptom of drug withdrawal is insomnia. When the drug-withdrawal insomnia has passed, the normal sleeping pattern returns. It is important to distinguish drug-withdrawal insomnia from insomnia resulting from unresolved stress. It is a common experience for a patient to see his doctor and say, ‘I ran out of sleeping pills two nights ago and I cannot sleep at all. I guess I do not know how to sleep anymore. Please prescribe me another 50 tablets’. This should of course be rephrased as, ‘I ran out of sleeping pills, and I cannot sleep because I am addicted to them, but once the withdrawal effect passes I will be sleeping again’. Ideally sleeping pills should not be stopped suddenly, but rather the dosage reduced gradually and finally stopped.

7) Excessive daytime sleepiness or EDS

This includes narcolepsy and sleep apnoea. Narcolepsy is abnormal sleep attacks and sleep apnoea is frequent waking at night because of an inability to breathe. Sufferers fall asleep easily in the daytime and most of them do not have the distress of not sleeping at night; hence their chief complaint is normally not insomnia.

(8) Mental illness

Insomnia is a common symptom of mental illness, but frequently there are many other symptoms at the same time. This book is not written for sufferers of mental illnesses, as they always need the care of professionals. People with these conditions should not stop their medications, as very often the medications provide the only effective treatment.

*30/23/5*

‘Apnoea’ means not breathing. Sleep apnoea is the inability to breathe whilst asleep. The frequent attacks of sleep apnoea disturb sleep profoundly. Because sufferers do not have enough sleep at night, they feel tired all day and have no energy to do anything. They are unable to concentrate at work, and lose interest in sex and other things they enjoyed before. This is another common cause of excessive daytime sleepiness, and is now studied extensively in sleep laboratories. As a result, this condition is now believed to be more common than was previously believed. It is estimated that over 1 per cent of the adult population is suffering from sleep apnoea.

Sleep apnoea becomes more frequent as we grow older. The typical sufferer is a man over forty years of age who is grossly overweight and has high blood pressure. His sleeping partner invariably complains that he is snoring every night. A keen observer may be able to report that the sufferer snores very heavily, then wakes himself up, takes a few deep breaths, and falls back into snoring again. This may happen many times throughout the night. In fact people suffering from sleep apnoea do not have any real sleep. They keep waking up throughout the night However, in the morning, they may not remember that they have been waking up frequently, but somehow have the feeling that they have not slept. They also fall asleep very easily in the daytime, at the most inappropriate times. Many road accidents involve people who have sleep apnoea.

This condition is caused by obesity; in particular, the accumulation of fat around the throat. During sleep, air is sucked into the lungs, creating negative pressure around the surroundings of the throat and the tongue, which leads to a reduction in the diameter of the throat. This reduces air flow into the lungs. In normal people this reduction in the diameter of the throat is minimal, and may create only a snoring sound. Snoring results from the vibration of the palate, which is the roof of the mouth, as air is blowing across it. The flute and other woodwind instruments work on the same principle. In some obese people the air passage is narrowed far more than in normal people because of the accumulation of fat around the throat. This causes an even greater reduction in the flow of air to the lungs and results in obstructive sleep apnoea.

The condition is made even more severe during REM sleep. In REM sleep the muscles of the body are almost paralysed. Hence the muscles in the throat become flaccid and the diameter of the opening is further reduced. Because there is a reduced air flow into the lungs the person is virtually suffocating; this subsequently reduces the amount of oxygen circulating in the brain.