According to an expert, “The difference between quick recovery and prolonged sickness, or death, might depend on how much vitamin C the body has available when the germs of viruses invade it.”

Vitamin C also seems helpful in opening up stuffy breathing passages and has been shown to increase the body’s supply of oxygen. It detoxifies a wide range of poisons and helps clear our toxic metals such as lead and mercury out of the system. It has also been noted that the vitamin enhances the effects of aspirins and antibiotics.

But one expert believes that millions of enough vitamin C to ward off colds, other diseases and infections, or to produce the collagen “glue” the body uses to heal wounds and to rebuild tissue.

Scurvy is rare among animals because virtually every animal manufactures its own vitamin C. One of the few living things that cannot do it, however, is man. To maintain itself, the human body normally stores a month’s supply of the vitamin, roughly 1500 mg. for a man and slightly more for a woman. But illness and stress can substantially decrease the body’s vitamin C reserves. A 1971 study in Scotland showed that within 24 hours after the onset of a cold, the level of vitamin C stored in the victim’s white blood cells fell drastically and was close to the level of people suffering from scurvy.

Should you take vitamin C supplements? The answer may depend on who you are and how much you already get in your daily diet. Among the factors to consider; older people require more vitamin C than young people; stress may deplete the vitamin in the body, as can smoking, drinking and a variety of drugs. It may also vary with the time of the year. People seem to have the lowest level during the cold months.

Generally, baths are classified as those that invigorate and those that sooth.

Invigorating

• For energy – keep water just above the body temperature to increase your circulation and your energy level. Top the bath up with cold water after five minutes. A drop or two of aromatic oils will revitalize and help get the circulation going.

• To focus – a cool bath will give your body a boost and increase the blood flow to the center of the body and the brain. Four to five minutes will do to get your adrenalin going.

• To cleanse and purify – Soak in a warm bath for 15 to 30 minutes to unclog those pores.

• To lift your mood – for an emotional pick-up, stick to tepid baths and stay put until you feel better. This brings serenity back to your life. Citrus or mint oil will clear your head and open your breathing passages.

• Add spice to your sex life – soak in a moderately warm bath for about 15 minutes. A few drops of ylang-ylang added to your bath make a fragrant aphrodisiac.

Soothing baths

• To treat stress – A close-to-body temperature bath for 15 to 30 minutes will help relieve stress.

• To ease muscle pain – No more than 10 minutes in a bath that is just under hot-tub temperature is best. Epsom salt and sea water are wonderful for soothing muscles and a few drops of peppermint will also help.

• For headaches – Soak a cool bath for just 5 minutes to constrict blood vessels. One or two drops of peppermint oil will have a cooling effect on the skin, while lavender has an analgesic effect and chamomile will reduce tension.

• To induce sleep – Relax and soak in a very warm bath – not too hot or you will strip your body of its natural oil. Sleep will come easily with the help of a few drops of ylang-ylang, lavender or rose oils. While the bath was considered a luxury by people of old, it has become a necessity to modern man. Despite the pressures of the times people will take time out to discover its sensuous and restorative powers.

One of the most common food-related illnesses is salmonella, from raw meats, poultry and dairy products. Other bugs include E. coli, found in salami, contaminated veggies and salads which cause diarrhea, organ damage and, occasionally, death; and Listeria from pate, soft cheese, unpasteurized dairy products and uncooked seafood. The flu-like symptoms and vomiting can lead to miscarriage in pregnant women.

Storing food properly and throwing it out reaches its expiry date can assure you that you are keeping germs out of your system.

In the refrigerator

Store most perishables below 40C. Opening the fridge door raises the temperature so it is a good idea to place a few magnetic thermometers in different sections for easy – and efficient – monitoring of temperature levels. Store protein foods in the coldest part (the temperature can vary by 30C indifferent places).

Use most items within a few days. If you are not sure how fresh the foods was to begin with, or if you brought it home in a hot car, use it as soon as possible. Take note of the following maximum storage times:

• Leftovers-1 day

• Sausages-2 days

• Chicken-3 days

• Cured meat-2 weeks

• Oily fish (salmon)-4 to 5 days

• Lean fish-5 to 7 days

• Shrimps and prawns-3 days

• Oysters-eat them fresh (and never on an empty stomach)!

• Milk, cheese and butter-keep until the “use by” date

• Eggs-hard-boiled eggs will not keep as well as uncooked eggs so use them within a few days

In the freezer

The following are recommended storage times for a freezer at minus 180C. Food safely lasts longer but flavor and texture deteriorates:

• Whole joint-4 to 6 months

• Minced meat-2 months

• Sausages-1 to 2 months

• Oily fish-3 months

• Steaks-3 to 4 months

• Pork cops-3-4 months

• Bacon-1-2 months

• Whole chicken-6 months

• Chicken pieces-4 months

• Lean fish-4 to 5 months

• Shrimps and prawns-3 months

• Squid-4 to 5 months

Tip: When freezing fish, glaze it with a layer of water to stop it dehydrating. First, freeze the fish, dip in cold water to “glaze” it, then wrap well and put it back into the freezer.

In the pantry

• Dried foods generally do not go bad, but the quality deteriorates, especially after the pack is open. Dried foods usually last for around six months in an unopened container placed in a cool, dark place.

Tip: Once water is added to dehydrated food, the bacteria become active again, so it must be stored in the refrigerator.

• Canned food. For best results, use canned food within 12 months if they do not have a use-by date. Food is fresh when canned and loses flavor and color over time. When food is canned, the heat kills the bacteria and keeps food safe without preservatives: Always beware of cans which:

a. are leaky – watch out for strains on the label;
b. bulge at the end (this means the germs are at work inside);
c. have been dropped or are damaged in any way;

Tip: Store canned food in a cool, dry place – not in the fried, as moisture could cause rust.

Once you have opened a can treat the contents like fresh food and use quickly; transfer leftovers from the can to an airtight container in the refrigerator the food may react with the metal once it is exposed to the air. Remember; do not put steaming hot food inside the ref because it will spoil.