Positive Health (5th Edition, 2007)

SUMMARY

This book takes a fresh look at healthy living for people who are infected with or affected by HIV and AIDS – whether they are taking AIDS medicines or not.

Written by Neil Orr and David Patient, Positive Health looks at the whole of your life – your body, your mind and your spirit. David (someone who has lived a healthy life with HIV since 1983) and Neil have spent years putting together this valuable source of information, advice and guidance. Positive Health is written in simple language, with easy-to-follow instructions. It offers useful information, from where to get your daily vitamin requirements, to the importance of prayer.

The new 2007 revised and expanded edition contains 25 per cent more information, including malaria, STIs, TB and a whole section devoted to ARVs: how they work, and what to watch out for with food interactions. Whether you are a person living with HIV, a caregiver to people with AIDS, a person affected by HIV or AIDS, or just somebody who wants to improve your health, Positive Health is for you.

ISBN: 978-1-77009-354-6 | Authors: Neil M. Orr & David R. Patient

100mm x 210mm; 156 pages

Published by: Jacana Media (Ltd) 2007 / 10 Orange Street, Sunnyside, Auckland Park, 2092, South Africa / +27-11-628-3200 / www.jacana.co.za /

Bulk orders: David Patient

Introduction

Who is this book for?

Staying healthy now is easier than trying to regain health later

You can have long life

Part 1: MOTIVATION TO LIVE

Motivation towards health

Do I have a future if I live with HIV?

The power of hope and dreams for the future

How strong is your determination to live?

Recommendation 1: Create a good future

Part 2: your immune system

What is the immune system?

Cells

Germs

Parts of the immune system

Big germs and small germs

Recommendation 2: Prevent and treat TB, Malaria, STI’s and Stomach infections

Boosting versus balancing the immune system

How does medicine work?

How do food and other non-medical methods work?

Part 3: FACTS ABOUT hiV AND AIDS

What is HIV?

What is AIDS?

How does your body fight HIV?

How does HIV weaken the body?

Recommendation 3: Get tested for HIV

Why get tested for HIV?

What does ‘HIV-positive’ mean?

What does ‘HIV-negative’ mean?

Is there a cure?

High-risk and low-risk activities

What is not safe to do if you are living with HIV?

What is safe?

Wounds and cuts

Frequently asked questions about HIV and AIDS

PART 4: MEDICAL TREATMENTS FOR HIV AND AIDS

Recommendation 4: Seek Medical Care

Anti-HIV medicines (ART)

Nevirapine

Prophylaxis (Preventive Medicine)

AIDS illness medicines

PEP (Post-exposure Prophylaxis)

Combining medical and non-medical methods

PART 5: STAY WARM

Recommendation 5: Stay Warm

Fever and night sweats

Cayenne pepper

Rest properly

Exercise and physical activity

Calcium and Magnesium

Energy food: Starches

Recommendation 6: Get tested for diabetes

PART 6: GOOD FOOD

Recommendation 7: Eat a variety of foods

What does it mean to eat well?

What makes some food good for you?

What happens if I do not eat a variety of foods?

Vitamin and mineral supplements (pills)

Fortified foods

Different names for popular vegetables

Amaranth – the super green vegetable?

Eating plan

Example of a daily menu

Good food

Foods to be used with caution

Refined sugar

Fried food

PART 7: IMPORTANT FOODS

Recommendation 8: Important vitamins and minerals

Selenium - Top Priority

Aloe Juice

Zinc - Second Priority

Sexually active men and zinc

Vitamin A / Beta-carotene – Third priority

Vitamin B12

Vitamin C for general health

Iron

Summary of Recommendation 4: Important vitamins and minerals

Recommendation 9: Pregnant and breastfeeding women

Special needs of pregnant and breastfeeding women

Pregnant women: special medical needs

Infants and babies: Vitamins and Minerals

Breastfeeding

Children (4 years +) and vitamins

PART 8: HEALTHY STOMACH

Why protect your stomach?

Recommendation 10: Clean water

Why is clean water important?

General precautions about water

Treating clear water

Tea and coffee

Alcohol (spirits, wine & beer)

Fruit juice

Recommendation 11: Clean food

General hygiene

Cook all meat well

Cooking vegetables

Avoid eating left-over food

Recommendation 12: Clean your stomach

Anti-worming medicines

Anti-worming foods

Recommendation 13: Prevent and treat diarrhoea

Prevent diarrhoea

Stopping diarrhea

Emergency method to stop diarrhoea

Rehydration Formula

Recommendation 14: Keep your weight up

What should I weigh?

What to do if you are losing a lot of weight

PART 9: HOME REMEDIES

(Immune-strengthening and medicinal plants)

Caution: Interaction effects with ART medicines

African potato, Sutherlandia and ART medicines

Garlic, onions & ART medicines

Other medicinal plants and ART medicines:

Bitter tastes

Claims of curing HIV and AIDS

Recommendation 15: Balance your immune system

African Potato (Hypoxis)

Sutherlandia

Other plants and foods that help the immune system

What about other plants and products not mentioned?

Recommendation 16: Home remedies for minor illnesses

Anti-dandruff shampoo (Selsun Blue®)

Aspirin / Dispirin

Bulbinella / Bulbine

Cabbage

Garlic

Honey and Sugar

Lemons and lemon juice

Sour Fig

Tea Bags

Yoghurt

PART 10: HOME GARDEN

Food security

Recommendation 17: Grow your own food at home

Three methods to grow vegetables with little work and little water

Advantages of the Home Garden method (Trench gardening)

Disadvantages of the Home Garden (Trench Garden) method

Let’s start growing a Home garden!

Part 1: Plan and prepare

Part 2: Making the home garden

Insects and pests

Safe pest control mixtures

Planting from seeds and cuttings

PART 11: HEALTHY MIND

How does it work?

Important PNI research findings

Good and bad stress

True stories of long-term survival

Dealing with your diagnosis

What can I do to live longer?

Recommendation 18: Deal with your fears

Recommendation 19: Get your feelings out

Recommendation 20: Talk to the virus

Recommendation 21: Build your confidence

Recommendation 22: Get support

PART 12: HEALTHY SOUL

Choice and self-respect

Recommendation 23: Gratitude

Recommendation 24: Love heals

Recommendation 25: Laugh a lot

Recommendation 26: Prayer

Recommendation 27: Forgive