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I Wear Red to Bed

kruuyai posted on Oct 11, 2007 | views: 434 | Tags: health, salt, red, light, color, therapy
Step into my budoir and you will learn some amazing secrets!

I have a nasty sinus infection going on (probably from living in this overheated gulag), so I was snurfling my way through my private English lesson yesterday, and my student gave me some health advice when the lesson was over.  She said that she studied Chinese medicine for four years and told me to drink only hot water, and before I went to bed, I should soak my feet in warm water with Epsom salts.  She also recommended flushing my sinuses with warm saltwater (preferably not the same warm saltwater that I had just soaked my feet in!)  Finally, she said it was very important to wrap myself in a red blanket, because that was a warm color and would keep me warmer. 

Well, I'm always open to new ideas, so I thought I'd give it my best shot when I got home, especially since it's so hard to find herbal remedies here in Prague.  So, I drank only hot water with lots of lemon juice squeezed into it.  I don't have a bucket for soaking my feet, and I didn't want to fill up that huge schooner of a bathtub just for that, so I skipped the foot soaking. 

I remembered seeing Wai Lana demonstrate the nose irrigation thing on her yoga program, so I went too YouTube to see if I could find anything on it.  I found some interesting videos showing people irrigating their sinuses with this thing called a neti pot. It looks like a little tea pot with a spout just the right size for sticking up your nostrils.  You pour the saltwater in one nostril and it comes out the other.  Ewww!  The only problem was that they warned against using regular table salt.  There's a special salt that you're supposed to use just for this.  Well, I'd been willing to try it, but good luck finding neti salt around these parts. 

The last thing left to do was wrap myself in a red blanket.  The only problem was that I don't have a red blanket.  I sleep in a blue sleeping bag with a white and purple blanket over that.  So, I did the next best thing.  I slept in my red, turtleneck jersey.  I put it on and instantly felt warmer.  It's really soft and cozy, too.  I was very warm sleeping in it (of course, I'm always very warm when I'm sleeping).  In order to prolong the benefits of the color red, I continued wearing the shirt to work the next day, and today, I'm still wearing it. 

I do feel a little better.  Could be the red shirt, or could be the antihistamine that I took.  Or the red cherry liqueur that I was sipping on last night (a present from TT).  There could be some scientific basis to the wearing of the red.  After all, color is nothing more than reflected light.  And different colors reflect different wavelengths.  The only problem is that red has a longer wavelength than blue and purple, the so-called cold colors, and a shorter wavelength is associated with a higher energy, which, to my way of thinking, would generate more heat.  So, why isn't blue the warm color?

Any thoughts on this?


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Comments

  • kruuyai said on Oct 11, 2007....

    Here's a demo of the neti pot!  Enjoy!

  • silverwhisper said on Oct 11, 2007....
    that's some wacky stuff, kruu. i'm generally suspicious re: chinese medicine stuff--or indeed, most non-traditional medicines, but hey, if it's working i suppose it's all good!

    i'm glad you're feeling better. :>

    i have absolutely no idea re: colors, i'm afraid.

    ed
  • kruuyai said on Oct 11, 2007....
    ed:  Chinese medicine is very traditional.  :p
  • silverwhisper said on Oct 11, 2007....
    ...for the chinese, sure! :>

    ed
  • kruuyai said on Oct 11, 2007....
    exactly
  • uniquely-ironic said on Oct 11, 2007....
    Both my ex husband and ex BF have terrible sinuses, so I'm very familiar with the sinus rinsing.  It really does help.  You can use a squeeze bottle and sea salt if you don't have the fancy stuff.  Just don't use too much salt or it stings.  The foot bath thing is also a favorite cold treatment for me.
     
    I use and believe in a lot of traditional chinese medicine (TCM) in my health care.  I'm not as sold on the feng shui thing, but it could be true and it doesn't hurt to try it.  Maybe wearing red socks would help.  Hope you're feeling better soon.
  • kruuyai said on Oct 11, 2007....
    uniquely:  I wonder if I could just go swimming in the sea and let the waves crash over my stuffy head?  Red socks.  Now that would be a fashion statement, wouldn't it?  
  • uniquely-ironic said on Oct 11, 2007....
    kruuyai - Okay, now you have me stumped.  I'm sure the saline water would be good for your sinuses, but more than salt water is found in the sea. ;)
     
    Live boldly, make a statement, wear red socks.  Or maybe just at home and in bed.
  • kruuyai said on Oct 11, 2007....
    uniquely:  That's true.. more than saltwater is found in the sea.. .and seaweed is supposed to be, like, really healthy, right?  So, I should just, like, um ... maybe turn myself into human sushi and sea what happens?  Should I wear the red socks to sea, too, or will that attract sharks, do you think?
  • uniquely-ironic said on Oct 11, 2007....
    Why waste time going to the sea?  Just find the nearest sushi shop and offer yourself up to be rolled in seaweed.  Aren't sharks colorblind?
  • mobil said on Oct 11, 2007....
    Here's my advice Kru, drink more of that red cherry booze you have there and if you're going to snort anything up your nose. Snort the booze for that too.
     
    Here's the deal, even if you don't get better, you'll feel better !
  • kruuyai said on Oct 11, 2007....
    uniquely:  But how, pray tell, will I get the seaweed up my nose?  And if I stick it up one nostril, will it come out the other?  And more to the point... will I be able to stand being around all those yuppies?  Sharks, colorblind?  Oh no, my dear.... why do you think they always snort, paw at the ground and charge when you wave a red cloth at them?

    mobil:  lol.  I may just give that a try.  :D  Thanks, mobil.
  • uniquely-ironic said on Oct 11, 2007....
    uhhh, kruuyai, it's Bulls who snort and paw the ground around red.  Not sharks.  As for seaweed up the nose, you're on your own.  But while you're there, try a nice big dose of wasabi.  If that doesn't clear you up it may be fatal.
  • beyondtheveil said on Oct 11, 2007....
    kruu- With a sinus infection I don't go to the seaside, or stick a teapot up my nose and half drown in saltwater, or soak my feet, or buy red blankets. I run to the doctor and get pills. They work really great. Even for the Chinese.

    As far as the color thing goes, I believe its associated more with psychological and emotional aspects rather than wavelength.

    Don't they have antibiotics in Prague?
  • kruuyai said on Oct 12, 2007....
    uniquely:  Oh, yeah.  I always get those two mixed up.  And I guess it isn't seaweed, but sage that you're supposed to stick up your nose, like they do in the desert in Morocco.  Wasabi!  Yes!  I can do that!  Have you ever tried those wasabi encrusted dried peas?  They're so good.  What a way to go!

    beyond:  Do you have any idea of the long term health hazards associated with the overuse of antibiotics?  And did you further know that, although antibiotics will only be effective against bacterial infections and not viral infections, doctors regularly prescribe antibiotics to their patients with viral infections as a sort of placebo or just to "do something" in spite of those health risks?  Think long and hard before running to the doctor for pills.
  • DesertMermaid said on Oct 12, 2007....

    kruu : good that you are feeling better. I do believe in color therapy. Its like each color has its own vibration and effect. Red, orange are warm colors while blue, black etc are cool colors. I have read about color therapy in linda goodman's book : starsigns.

    I'm always interested about alternative therapies. You take care. See ya!

  • kruuyai said on Oct 12, 2007....
    Desert:  Thanks!  I will!  (I think colors can affect our mood, too... I once had a sage green bedroom.  The color was so soothing that I never wanted to get out of bed... lol)
  • beyondtheveil said on Oct 12, 2007....
    kruu- All true. But sinus infections are bacterial infections, aren't they?

    I don't know kruu, some things you just don't want to mess around with, such as strep.
  • uniquely-ironic said on Oct 12, 2007....
    I've tried wasabi freeze dried peas.  They kick my ass.  I do know that for congestion that spicy hot foods are helpful.
  • kruuyai said on Oct 12, 2007....
    beyond:  Yes, technically, a sinus infection is bacterial and can be eliminated by antibiotics, but I'm not absolutely sure that's what I have, and I'd prefer to let my body's immune system work on it in its own time anyway.  I went to work today to pick up my money, and my boss called a doctor in to the office to see me (can you imagine?).  This guy also prescribes homeopathic remedies, but I was amazed at the speed, after asking me a couple of simple questions like, did I have a fever and a sore throat (I didn't)... I was amazed at the speed at which he suggested antibiotics... without even doing any kind of exam to check out whether what I had was viral or bacterial.  It's really scary.  Not only does the overuse of anitbiotics create resistant strains, but there have been studies that show that people who use antibiotics more than 7 times in their lifetime, have a much higher incidence of several serious and life threatening diseases (I can't remember which ones offhand, but I remember how much it scared me when I read it).  Overuse of anitbiotics is also starting to be linked to breast cancer, and you can tell someone who's used a lot of antibiotics because it discolors and weakens their teeth.  Antibiotics have been known to save lives and can still play a valuable role, but they should be reserved for the truly urgent cases, like strep... which, by the way, I don't have.  My nose is just running. 

    uniquely:  They sure make your nose run, I know that.  Now, if I could find something to make the rest of me run, I could really get in shape.
  • uniquely-ironic said on Oct 12, 2007....
    well, you could give yourself food poisoning to get "things to run", but that's not a lot of fun.  I once lost 5 pounds from having stomach flu.  Hmmmm, maybe I need to hang out with sick people until I'm thinner.
  • kruuyai said on Oct 12, 2007....
    uniquely:  Oh, there are probably better ways to lose weight.  Have you tried the blood type diet?  I was doing it for health reasons, at a time when I actually needed to gain weight, and although I was eating like a horse, it was impossible for me to gain.
  • uniquely-ironic said on Oct 12, 2007....
    Doesn't sound too successful if it didn't accomplish your goal, but I'll look into it.
     
    I just need to cut out the sugars and eat smaller portions.  The old fashioned way.  Obviously self discipline has been a problem.
  • kruuyai said on Oct 12, 2007....
    uniquely:  I didn't expect the diet to help me gain weight.  It did augment my health significantly, (more details later if you're interested).  But my point was that the diet is so finely tuned that it specifies which food regulate insulin production (and thereby weight gain), and other factors having to do with weight, that it is the best way to lose weight while staying healthy and not having to starve yourself.  Yes, calories count for something, but the way in which the food interacts with your whole system counts for more.  
  • kruuyai said on Oct 12, 2007....
    uniquely:  I didn't expect the diet to help me gain weight.  It did augment my health significantly, (more details later if you're interested).  But my point was that the diet is so finely tuned that it specifies which food regulate insulin production (and thereby weight gain), and other factors having to do with weight, that it is the best way to lose weight while staying healthy and not having to starve yourself.  Yes, calories count for something, but the way in which the food interacts with your whole system counts for more.  
  • uniquely-ironic said on Oct 12, 2007....

    Is it sustainable?  That's always my big question when looking into diets.  I did the southbeach a few years ago and lost a ton of weight.  Unfortunately

  • kruuyai said on Oct 12, 2007....
    uniquely:  It's totally sustainable.  In fact, it's meant to be a regular diet for healthy living, and weight loss is just a side effect, although you can tweak it to lose more weight.  The book is called Eat Right 4 Your Type by Dr. Peter D'Adamo (and of course, you have to know your blood type).  The info is also available for free (although it's a more labor intensive way of getting the info) on the internet at www.dadamo.com   The diet is also designed to help you avoid illnesses such as heart disease and certain types of cancer that people with your blood type have a predisposition for.
  • kruuyai said on Oct 12, 2007....
    BTW, another thing I did the other night to bring warmth to my body (besides wearing red) was to watch the entire movie "Double Indemnity" on YouTube.  How did that help, you ask?  I'll tell you, I watched it on my laptop which was sitting right on my chest and giving off a ton of heat!
  • uniquely-ironic said on Oct 12, 2007....
    I'll look for it, and I do know my blood type.  I'm always open to something that will enhance or sustain my health.  Thanks for the tip.  I'll let you know how it goes if I decide to try it.
  • kruuyai said on Oct 12, 2007....
    uniquely:  Cool... so what do you think about my laptop idea?  Should i get it patented?   This could be the start of something big.
  • uniquely-ironic said on Oct 12, 2007....
    Well, I think it's a good idea for you, but the minute you patent that idea some fool will watch so much YouTube that his laptop will burst into flames and there'll be a lawsuit. (think McD coffee lady)  I'm more in favor of you making yourself a good old fashioned rice sock and heating that up to keep yourself warm in bed.
  • kruuyai said on Oct 12, 2007....
    uniquely:  What's that?  You put hot rice in a sock?
  • uniquely-ironic said on Oct 12, 2007....
    No.  You get a man's white cotton tube sock, fill it with uncooked pear rice, fasten off the end and toss it in the microwave until it's warm.  It's a poor man's version of those expensive comfort pillows, but it's worked well for me and the family for the past few years.  The rice allows it to conform to your body shape and it holds heat reasonably well.
     
    When I was active in jujitsu I used to keep a bowl of these handy to use for the inevitable aches and pains.
  • uniquely-ironic said on Oct 12, 2007....
    Oh!  BTW, I just bought the Type Diet book on amazon used.  Got it for under $5 and should have it in a few days.
  • kruuyai said on Oct 12, 2007....
    uniquely:  Okay, just one more dumb question... what's pear rice?  Cool about the book.  Let me know how it works out for you.  When I first started, I bought and ate only the foods on my highly beneficial list.  That winter, there was a terrible flu going around.  Everyone had it and couldn't get rid of it.  I usually catch everything that's going around and cant' get rid of it, but that winter, in spite of being closed up in a classroom with my coughing and sneezing students, I never got even a little bit sick.  I'm a believer!  
  • uniquely-ironic said on Oct 12, 2007....
    Pear rice?  never heard of it.  I think you could use pretty much any rice or bean, but the trick is to get one that's dense so it holds the heat.  I'm looking forward to reading the book and giving it a try.  The worst case is that I spend a little money and learn something, the best case is that I'm better for it.
  • kruuyai said on Oct 12, 2007....
    uniquely:  Umm?  You just told me: "You get a man's white cotton tube sock, fill it with uncooked pear rice,..."    Why does it have to be a white man's sock?  What if my boyfriend is Asian.  Won't his sock work?  Good luck with the diet.  :)
  • uniquely-ironic said on Oct 12, 2007....
    Oh my dear!!  I have managed to use my "stupid finger" typing technique to describe the rice and a poor choice of words to describe the sock.  Okay, here we go, I'll try again.
     
    I use a tube sock, the kind men wear, in all white so that color doesnt bleed.  My, who would have thought I'd come across like I had some sort of sock discrimination?!! (he he he)
     
    The rice I meant to tell you about is Perl Rice.  Not Pear Rice.  But now that you mention it, I bet pear scented rice would be unusual and perhaps good.  Barley is another good choice, though I've used mung beans and pinto beans before.  I didn't find them as comfortable.
     
    I'm so sorry I mess it up.
  • kruuyai said on Oct 12, 2007....
    uniquely:  You silly girl... you didn't mess it up (with the socks that is)  I was just playing around with you.  I will have to try that sock thing. It would make a good neck support for flying, too.  And a lot cheaper than those things they sell.

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