I have noticed that in the West (or the Western way of living), we’ve acquired some fairly dangerous habits that when built up aren’t necessarily good for us. I do most of these however unfortunately I don’t have an Asian toilet.
- Sit or Squat in the Toilet. I can’t emphasise how much better it is to squat in the toilet than it is to sit. In fact in the gym, the Squat is called the “King of the Exercises” and therefore to squat regularly is not only good for the bowels but also good as a general work out. Also while toilet hygiene is a separate matter on a like for like basis squatting is far cleaner because there is no contact (as opposed to sitting in a public toilet).
“You have a muscle that’s connected to your pelvis that in a sitting position cinches closed your colon and stops you from going completely and quickly, as you should do. In the squatting position this muscle is relaxed and you can go and your colon is straightened, which enables you to go quickly and much more completely,” Codling told Reuters. Sit or Squat? New Toilet Design Encompasses Best of Both Worlds [VIDEO]
- Toilet paper vs. Lota. Continuing the East and West clash of civilisations in the toilet; it’s fairly self-evident that water washing is more hygienic than tissues. If you spill sticky liquid on a table you have to use wet tissues, which seems to me the best solution of them all. Of course technology again is helping as with the below.
“Paper just distributes the problem,” said Lenora Campos, a spokeswoman for Georgia-based Toto USA. Toto, the Japanese company that pioneered the modern electronic toilet seat, has sold 34 million of them globally. “We wash most things with water and wouldn’t dream of wiping a dish or anything else with a piece of paper and calling it clean. So why should personal hygiene be any different?” Home trends: High tech toilets may wash away need for toilet paper
I know this this is not common practice, but it is actually quite important! Fluoride, one of the active ingredients in toothpaste, doesn’t spend much time in contact when your teeth when you are brushing. Thus, it is crucial to let it work after you have already brushed your teeth. According to dentist Dr. Phil Stemmer, from The Fresh Breath Centre in London, “Rinsing washes away the protective flouride coating left by the toothpaste, which would otherwise add hours of protection.” If you are thirsty drink a glass of water before brushing your teeth!
- Daily Showers are disastrous for your skin. I used to be obsessed with a daily hot shower in the morning before I realised just how much damage I was doing to myself.
Anytime you take a shower — especially a hot one — with soap and a scrubbing device like a washcloth or a loofah, you’re undermining the integrity of your skin’s horny layer. The soap and the hot water dissolve the lipids in the skin and scrubbing only hastens the process. The more showers you take, the more frequently this damage takes place and the less time your skin has to repair itself through natural oil production. What’s more, the horny layer of your skin can be sloughed off by scrubbing, exposing the delicate skin cells beneath. The result of showering too frequently is generally dry, irritated and cracked skin.
Another problem related to showering too often is the use of a towel to dry off. While rubbing yourself dry with a towel is common practice, it’s also a damaging one for your skin. Air drying is the optimal way to dry off following a shower, but if you don’t have time to wait for evaporation or don’t like tracking bathwater throughout your house, you can still use a towel. Just make sure it’s a soft one and use a gentle patting motion to absorb water.
- Shower with Freezing Water. I’ve started to do this and it’s an amazing way to take on a life-changing habit that is beneficial to your hygiene, immunity, skin, metabolism and testosterone. You can google it but here are 7 reasons for showering with cold water.
- If you want to stay fit just go on chewing your food. We’ve forgotten how to enjoy flavours in the rise of the Fast food culture but now I chew at least 10 times a bit and on Saturday night after a 12hour fast (we are in the Baha’i fasts at the moment up to Naw Ruz) I only had 2 pizza slices & a meat samosa. That’s roughly 400-800 calories after 12 hours of not eating. Here is (another) 7 Reasons why Chewing food is important for you.
- This particular point is less empirical but I tend to take Aloe Vera (benefits are here), am looking at acupuncture, eating with chopsticks for East Asian foods and try hands for South Asian food (obviously I make sure my hands are thoroughly clean). Also because I chew thoroughly I tend to be more relaxed about what I eat because my portions are so much less. I don’t drink or smoke or do drugs (I don’t use a razor) but I’ll finish off here.