This is a very important topic and I dont remember being it discussed before. So here it goes.

Simple tips from top of my head.

>Always clean your hands before eating by soap or alcohol sanitizer.

There is another technique- barrier substrate such as KISSCARE polymer. Basically it doesnt allow dirt, oils and microbes to bond to your skin. So hands can be easily washed with just water.

>Keep your nails trim so that they can cleaned easily.

I have read some people cut nails with scissors. If you want a nail cutter best solution is Wenger clipper.

>Stress, inadequate rest, and too much exercise will actually run down your immune system and make you more susceptible to illness.

>Avoid junk food, most of which are inflammatory. Better then to rely on Ibuprofen.

A diet low in red meat and high in fish, fruits, nuts, cereals, mushroom and vegetables is good. Green tea is considered good too and so is dark chocolate.

Any more tips??

I will put all the info in wiki when I get time.

Dehydration

One way the immune system relies on water is the same as for exercise. Dehydration causes the blood to become concentrated and torpid--not optimal conditions for immune cells to rush the invader. Furthermore, water helps regulate temperature--essential during fever--and flushes microbes and toxins out of the body. Remember, thirst is an indicator that you are already dehydrated.

Not sure if dehydration weakens immunity, but drinking lots of water is a good thing.

Read meat seems to be fairly safe as long as it's very lean. With that said, you shouldn't rely solely on it for protein but that's true for any food.

One can never stretch enough or do YOGA. A routine of simple body stretches can keep one limber for years-IMHO.

-Jay

The most effective things to keep in mind are hygeine and sanitation. Keep your hands clean, your food from spoiling, and stay away from contagious people. Boil or treat water if needed. And listen to your body. Activities such as yoga, martial arts, tai chi etc...train you to better listen to your body, which is the most priceless health promoting thing you can practice.

> Activities such as yoga, martial arts, tai chi etc...train you to better listen to your body,
> which is the most priceless health promoting thing you can practice.

What about activities like walking/trekking????

Cheers

"What about activities like walking/trekking????"

All things in moderation. There are many folks who carry loads that are basically crippling them, others that complete long distance walks (AT/JMT) who finish looking absolutely gaunt, and end up with rapid weight rebound. In my university tramping club days, youths used club trips as an excuse to walk as fast as they could all day, stay up all night partying, then do it all again the next day with horrible hangovers. And on and on...

Im a believer in traditional human diets i.e. Meats and greens
-high in healthy saturated animal fats and cholesterol vitamin k and A in organ meats.
I avoid SUGAR and refined grains,soy and eat real low on starches and whole grains. These things cause inflammation weight gain and blood sugar spikes. More so I avoid hydrolyzed vegetable oils (corn,canola,safflower ect.) as these things weaken cell walls and leave you susceptible to cancers like skin cancer.

Im going to try making a simple traditional pemmican using lard (from grass fed pastured organic cows) mixed with dried lean meat for protein and minerals. traditionally they may add berries but I would rather eat the berries separately. Pemmican is the original super trail food.

Brian, could you post the recipe for making traditional pemmican? I'd like to see what the Native Americans really used and try it out myself.

Here is a good article on traditional trail food:
http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/rohdenburg81a.html

recipe for Hudson’s Bay Company (the fur company)pemmican borrowed from the natives consisted of 50% dried meat and 50% fat/marrow.

You can buy lard from some organic farms and buy/make jerky. Grind the jerky into powder and simply melt it into the lard, add dry berries if you like. I will have to experiment with different containers but I think a zip lock should do fine.

Hi Lynn

> university tramping club days, youths used club trips as an excuse to walk as fast
> as they could all day, stay up all night partying, then do it all again the next day
> with horrible hangovers. And on and on...

Sound like jealosy to me ... :-)

Cheers

"Sound like jealosy to me ... :-)"

Hardly. I was a 'youth' too, just one that liked to take time to enjoy the scenery, to botanise, and then have a good nights sleep. Sharing a hut with other folks who have different ideas is actually torture when all you want to do is sleep and get up early in the morning to start the day, maybe have a nice lunch break, stop to take a picture etc...and your stuck with a group who tries to make each trip a new speed record. I had no physical problems keeping the pace, but didn't find it enjoyable, which was the main point of the trips to me. I am soooo over walking clubs!

aim for alkalinity

Edited by biointegra on 06/30/2009 15:17:52 MDT.

Hi Lynn

Chuckle. Sounds like Sue and me: a walking club of just two, with a tent.

Cheers

Lynn wrote "All things in moderation." -- the way I heard the saying is "All things in moderation, including moderation."

Sanitation is key. Keep your hands clean. And don't trust anybody else's hands.

Wash up your body every now and then. Don't bathe in water other people will want to drink.

Wash your feet.

Treat your water anywhere foolish people will have bathed or washed dishes or let animals walk in it.

Keep wounds clean, dry and covered. Use anti-bacterial ointment if you can.

Rest is good. Rest extra if you are tired. Food is good, too. A good meal and a good night's sleep can make everything so much better the next day.

Ahhh...footwashing in an icy stream.

Brain said: "Im a believer in traditional human diets......high in healthy saturated animal fats and cholesterol vitamin k and A in organ meats."

A diet high in saturated fats is not really 'traditional', as almost all wild game is quite low in saturated fats. It's only with the advent of grass and corn fed animals that the meat has become high in sat fats.

"eat real low on starches and whole grains"

Again, I believe all things in moderation, and when it comes to grains (and dairy products), here is one of my reasonings: People who have studied human evolutionary biology have determined many of the genetic changes which have occured recently (since the end of the last ice age) which have spread like wildfire through most human populations. This quick spread of a new genetic change is assumed (with good reason) to be because that change gave the individual some reproductive and survival advantage over others who did not inherit these changes. Two very notable of these change have been the aquisition of the amylase gene (to digest starches), and the lactase gene (to digest dairy products). It is clear that these genes have allowed us to exploit a huge new range of food sources that our ancestors could not exploit, and that these have become important and vital for human evolution. Not only that, but we couldn't possibly feed the current world's population without grains and legumes.

I propose that whole grains, dairy and legumes are not the evil they are made out to be. It is just the over-consumption of calories which these foods make easy, combined with too little physical activity, which are to blame. Unless of course you are lacking the enzymes needed to digest these foods, in which case it would be foolish to eat them. If you maintain a healthy (lean) and muscular body with plenty of exercise, I think most folks can handle whole grains, dairy and legumes quite well. Now sugars, processed grains, trans fats and soft drinks are a whole other beast. They are Baaaaaaad foods!

> Two very notable of these change have been the aquisition of the amylase gene (to digest
> starches), and the lactase gene (to digest dairy products).

Translation: French bread and French cheese! Way to go!

Cheers

"Translation: French bread and French cheese! Way to go!"

Oh yeah, and I forgot about the alcohol dehydrogenase gene which allows us to drink french wine :0

Poor old asians missed out on two outta three of the *best* genetic changes that have happened to man ;)

Edited by retropump on 07/01/2009 17:42:31 MDT.