When you go to bed – when the sun sets if at all possible – the last thing you should do before going to sleep is to thank your Maker for the day he has given you. Rejoice in the good you have been able to do and if you have received a kindness, then remember it with quiet happiness and breathe deeply, for joy comes from the depths of the spirit and is carried on the breath of life. When borne aloft to higher spheres by this feeling of joy, you will realise how small and insignificant your everyday troubles really are. You will gently slip into the land of unconsciousness, like an aeroplane crossing from day into night. The higher the flight path the safer the flight because there is less danger of coming into contact with the obstacles on earth, the air currents and gusts. It is the same with us; the higher we reach in the spiritual realm of joy and peace, the more peaceful our inner lives will be, and thus our sleep. Our dreams, if they appear at all, will be quiet and no longer based on our former restlessness.

*1255/28/1*

During the last eighty years or so, the inventions made have been truly amazing. According to biblical chronology, thousands of years have passed since the days of Adam and Eve, yet during all those millenniums, until the turn of the last century, the achievements of technology amounted to nothing like the progress that has been made in my lifetime.

The modern developments have opened up a vast field of knowledge and the great number of inventions are certainly useful to us if we apply them in the right way and learn to strike a happy medium. However, many of us find this very hard to do. Already we feel lost without a motor car, because our business has to be done quickly. We have become so used to rushing around and the convenience of driving that, in time, we almost forget how to walk. That is a great pity. It is all very well to move quickly when there is a need, but it should not extend to our whole life. We should retain the pleasure of walking in our leisure time. Similarly, the modern business world is unthinkable without the telephone – it being a major disaster when the telephone is out of order, even for a short time. However, if the telephone worries us at all hours of the day and night, the otherwise useful invention turns into a nuisance which we could describe equally well as a ‘worriphone’. No wonder we look forward to our holidays without the constant ringing to disturb the peace. The blare of the radio can be another undesirable disturbance when it intrudes relentlessly from a neighbour’s apartment without any consideration for our peace. In such circumstances even this useful invention becomes annoying.

*1186/28/1*

Having become used to disregarding the health of human consumers, who worries about the welfare of the bees? Hardly anyone gives a thought to the fact that millions of bees and other useful insects are killed every year by poisonous sprays. Perhaps we will realise one day the extent of the damage that has been done. We should never forget that insects have other functions besides pollinating our fruit trees. To give one example, the ichneumon wasp is able to keep millions of the larch roller (tortricid moth) larvae, or caterpillars, in check before they can destroy all the beautiful greenery of the larch trees. On occasions, when insufficient DDT is available, the trees are cleaned up and saved from these pests by these small wasps, which finish them off.

*1117/28/1*

In the search for contributory causes of gout, arthritis, cancer, multiple sclerosis, liver trouble and other serious diseases, investigators always discover something new after years of research. Almost all experts agree that hereditary factors play an important part in the predisposition to certain diseases. Mental and physical strain, overwork, constant hurry, irritations, fears and worries cannot be ignored as contributory causes, or they may even trigger the diseases. Poisons finding their way into the system through drugs and unnatural foodstuffs, preservatives and additives, must be recognised as detrimental to health. Modern refined and nutrient-deficient foodstuffs also share considerably in the blame and invariably undermine our health. We are thinking especially of canned foods that are prepared in such a way that they retain none of their original nutritional value. Then there is a particular substance that has so far received little attention, but the absence of which may lead to degenerative diseases. I am referring to the polyunsaturated fatty acids that are contained in natural oils and fats but are destroyed by heating, refining, hardening and other factory processes. A lack of these acids gives rise to disturbances in the metabolism of the cells, and it is obvious that this must have a bearing upon other pathological processes as well. A few years ago, little was known about the unsaturated fatty acids and few, if any, references were made to the importance of natural oils and fats in a balanced diet. Only recently has it become possible to see what part these substances play in degenerative diseases or their prevention.

*1047/28/1*

Perhaps you do not know which juice will agree with you. Or the choice may be difficult if you want to recommend juices to relatives and friends. The following hints will provide you with the information you need.

The essential oils contained in carrots have an effect on the mucous membranes and stimulate the blood circulation in the stomach and intestinal tissues. Because of its balancing action carrot juice is good for constipation and diarrhoea. With small children it usually stops the dreaded attacks of diarrhoea and vomiting in no time at all, and also eliminates intestinal worms. Other complaints, such as headaches, eczema and skin blemishes (for example acne), may be connected with bad digestion and can be rectified with the help of this juice. Many women prize carrot juice as an ideal natural remedy that acts from within the body, keeping them slim and ensuring a good complexion. Carrot juice is refreshing and soothing if taken during convalescence after an operation or a serious illness, coughs and colds, and infectious diseases accompanied by fever. We owe it to the rich content of carotene (provitamin A) that this juice improves the eyesight and stimulates the production of rhodopsin (visual purple), the lack of which causes night-blindness.

*977/28/1*