Ideas 23...How To Wash Hands & Live Longer

What is plainly obvious to me, though obviously not to the government and medical professionals, is that the general public should be informed about how to stay healthy. What does it take for HMG to mail a health booklet to every home in the country, detailing all common problems from washing your hands, brushing your teeth, bathing and eating the right food, to the dangers of kerb crawling and incest. It could of course be put on the internet along with the NHS AI GP, for everyone to access. After all, most of the latter is only a database or spreadsheet, with expert systems software operating a criteria selection procedure. It would only cost a billion quid and five minutes to set up.

Washing your hands Due to the Covid-19 pandemic the UK government embarked upon a campaign called 'hands-face-space'. That is wash your face thoroughly, wear a face mask when you go out, and keep two metres from everyone else. HMG recommends that people wash their hands with anti-bacterial liquid handwash for 20 seconds, preferably immediately after being on public transport, handling money, etc. and before handling food. Yours hands should be scrubbed, including under the nails. Although you cannot see it, bacteria under the nails is almost impossible to remove. If you don't believe me, go out into your garden, handle a strongly scented plant and then try to wash off the odour. As for keeping two metres apart, you can easily smell the perfume of someone you walk past, even whilst wearing a mask. In a conversation spores can spread further than two metres and be active for 24 hours. Often building ventilation, particularly in night clubs and disco bars is woefully inadequate, whilst bacteria destroying copper on handrails is non-existent. However, just because these recommendations are inadequate or absent is no reason to give up.

To reduce your chances of being contaminated, clean your keys, money, computers, phones, door handles, leather clothing and bags, in fact everything you handle that you touch regularly, particularly when you go out to the shops, workplace, etc. And don't forget to wash the sink and washbasin taps before you wash the soap off your hands. In hospitals, the staff close the taps with their elbows. Unfortunately that style of tap I have not seen at a DIY store. I know it sounds over-the-top, but you can never be too clean. Remember never to touch your face when you are out, and hang on to those face masks. You may have had your inoculations, but there are Covid-19 variants out there, and the longer this pandemic continues, the more variants will be created, and some will probably become more lethal than your vaccines can handle. The annual booster jab maybe necessary for decades.

Bathing Let's take a look at bathing. I only have a shower. I shower at least twice a week, replace my underwear daily and the rest weekly. I'll shower again if I've been doing heavy work in the garden. To save energy, wet your body all over. Wash your anus last then turn off the water, then cover your body with soap and brush all over before turning the water back on. I use anti-bacterial liquid soap ejected onto a back-scrubber applied all over my body, from the follicles on my head to the soles of my feet, including the private parts. Scrub the back of the legs in particular and keep the toilet seat clean to prevent infection. Women are also advised to douche themselves externally. I also remove hair with a razor from under the arms, as this improves evaporation, preventing smelly sweat accumulation. I use a tweezer to remove hairs from nostrils and ear canals. Scrubbing your body removes the accumulated sweat between the hair on your head, and also helps to remove hard skin on your feet and elbows. I suspect that it helps hair to remain healthy, as I still have some on top at the age of 72. I don't use hair shampoo as I only use anti-bacterial liquid soap. If you've got a partner, I suggest you get them to scrub your body in the bath after work. It also helps meld a relationship. As for ear wax removal, you need to go to a chemist to get the chemical treatment. I use the cap from a BIC Biro. The shape prevents one from inserting it too far into the ear canal and accidentally piercing the diaphragm, thereby causing you to go deaf. If you have a bidet, you should use it to clean the area between the vagina and anus. The NHS does not approve douching (flushing with a hose, water jet or sponge) the vagina, as this removes helpful bacteria. When it comes to sexual intercourse, always use a condom. As for youngsters with skin problems, don't use a face flannel as this is often a vector for infection from one person to another.

Due to the energy crisis in late 2022, I now only shower once per week and change my underwear twice per week. I also only have the combi boiler on for one hour periods, and set the controller thermostat to 19.5C. When having a shower, set the combi boiler water temperature to the lowest endurable level. I started off in August 2022 by eating only salads, to reduce gas consumption. For the same reason I now only cook meals in the microwave oven, which is far more energy efficient. Remember also to keep your home warm by checking that there is 200mm of insulation all over the loft floor. Your cavity wall insulation and double glazing can be checked with an infra-red camera in a mobile phone. Remember to seal all draughts, especially in the kitchen. Air bricks and unused cooker vents should be sealed with expanding foam, whilst the gap between the plastic sink pipe and sewer pipe should be sealed with formwork and concrete. I have also had to raise my kitchen door 5mm, as there was a gap between the top of the door and the door jamb. To do that you use a car jack, plus a 50mm x 600mm approx. piece of wood, between it and the door. Remove one of the three hinges and add the necessary number of washers, which you can buy on the internet. Each hinge on my door was secured to the door itself with four screws. I had to buy a grinding set to remove the head of one stubborn screw, as the screwdriver, then drilling, didn't seem to work. No sooner had I done this than I found that the porch door suffered from a similar problem, making locking the door more difficult. Remember also that a half hour of electric blanket use is more energy efficient than space heating, whilst extra duvets above and below you can work wonders. Of course shared bodily warmth can be more enjoyable...usually.

Teeth When it comes to brushing your teeth, many people do it randomly. That is a mistake. First, put a small amount of toothpaste on your wet brush, and brush the front of the lower teeth, then upper row, followed by the gums. Brush the tops of the teeth, then the backs, then the back of the gums. Teeth should be brushed at least once a day either before going to bed or going out in the evening. Next brush the bridge of the mouth. Make sure you replace your toothbrush every three months. You don't need an electric toothbrush, although I find that the small brush head is far more effective. I have used both electric and manual. I use anti-bacterial toothpaste, but I find that some brands cause my lips and tongue to swell up, probably because they contain sulfite. It's not a pretty sight. At the same time I found that I was allergic to spices. It can take months or even years to work out what's causing it, because it can take a whole day before these substances manifest themselves. In Xmas 2019 the same problem occurred again due to sulfite in mince pies. Why was this ingredient put in when it was clearly unnecessary in previous years? You are then left with the question, why doesn't the government and food retailers prevent this? These ingredients are poisons, and it's about time that politicians woke up to that fact. Ban them; ban all of them.

Because of this allergy I only rarely use a tongue scraper, as it is my belief that good bacteria can be found at this location in the mouth. I do however use floss to remove food trapped between teeth. You can get an electric water flosser, whose jet is ideal for cleaning between teeth and around dental bridges, braces and crowns. I use Listerene mouth wash before going out in the evening. It makes the lager taste better. With any luck, this will make your snogging more enjoyable. You may also wish to have your teeth whitened by your dentist. I went to the dentist to have a tooth ground down that appeared to be cutting into my tongue. Do you know the difference between Pension Credit Guarantee Credit and Pension Credit Savings Credit, which are added to your state pension? I didn't. Don't make the same mistake as me. See the following images. Whilst the courts appear to have found in the claimants favour, I have still not received a refund. That was the first time in over ten years that I'd been to a dentist, and I haven't been to one since. Looking at this letter, it does make me wonder whether these people are sane, but that's nothing compared to the DHSS in the 1980s.

Should you use a teeth whitener kit. Well the above is a good reason for not going to a dentist. I have never used one, but that doesn't mean that my teeth aren't healthy. It's just that they reflect my age. There are plenty of websites out there selling them, and plenty of warnings about the dangers. After careful thought, I suggest you buy 'Amazon's choice' and hope they have got it right. If your teeth and gums drop out, you can always sue them, not me.

Also on Amazon you will find numerous dental care kits, used for the removal of plaque and tartar, the latter caused by cigarette smoking. My advice on the latter is don't smoke. It's a filthy, disgusting, immature habit that will probably lead to a long lingering death before your worried dependents. It will most certainly ruin your sex appeal and probably reduce your employment chances. Both my father and my step father died as a result of smoking cigarettes, so I know what I'm writing about. As for a dental care kit, one with a vibrating tooth cleaner is probably a good choice.

Next in dental care are teeth straighteners. Long long ago in the mists of time I went to a dentist to have the gap between my two front teeth rectified. I needed two crowns. Over the decades they have given me problems, so in recent years I have wondered how things would have been if the latest teeth straighteners had been available instead of braces. I could only find one kit on Amazon. Good luck.

Diet And now the subject of eating the right food. Meals should contain anti-oxidants, which prevent breakdown in one's DNA, and anti-cancerous foods.
Anti-cancer foods, consist of raspberries, turmeric, asparagus, green tea, aragula (rocket salad), onions, blueberries, Brazil nuts, avocados, carrots, oranges tomatoes, and celery. Anticancer foods tend to be potent only with certain cancers.
Antioxidant foods, the most potent first, consist of dark chocolate, milk chocolate, prunes, raisins, strawberries, raspberries, broccoli, oranges, red grapes.
Dark chocolate is by far the best. There are many lists on the internet, which use ORAC units per 100 grammes. One of the most informative websites is:

I eat two slices of honey on toast for breakfast, with decaffeinated coffee.
My main meal is usually a frozen meal plus a bag of frozen vegetables (including broccoli), with a cup-a-soup.
My evening meal is two slices of toast with marmite and a sliced tomato, an orange, with decaffeinated tea.
My late evening meal consists of a small chocolate roll and decaffeinated coffee, and later a night cap.
I drink decaffeinated green tea and coffee in order to stop heart palpitations. I drink Tesco decaffeinated coffee, because I find that some brands are not decaffeinated enough. I have learned to minimalise my food intake, through sheer willpower. There is nothing easy about maintaining a healthy body mass index, when you are old. When you are young, you are constantly eating and growing. Then one day you realise that you must reign in this gluttonous behaviour you have been pursuing for years, or become obese. The state does not pay enough interest in personal health, particularly when it comes to obesity.

In February 2021 it was announced that in a trial where two thousand people received a weekly injection of semaglutide which is designed to suppress appetite, it was found that the average loss of weight was 15kg over a fifteen month period, or one fifth of their body mass.

Just to make sure they're on the right track, the NHS provides extensive blood tests every six months for the elderly. Your medical record contains the following, plus details of blood tests, etc. Readings for myself are not listed, but the two abnormal results are mentioned. Three blood samples are taken from the arm. It doesn't hurt. The first test on myself was done in April 2024.

Body Mass Index

QRISK2 cardiovascular disease 10 year risk score

GPPAQ usual level of walking pace

GPPAQ hrs in last week spent walking

Body weight

Standing height

O/E observation/expectation blood pressure reading

Pulse rate

The units used in the above tests are different to those shown on the internet. Results showed low body fat, probably as I only eat chicken. Results for my kidney were conflicting. Looks like I have to exercise more to reduce muscle wastage in old age. You can also have annual tests for ailments such as arthritis. Register on your GP's website and look up what's available.

Based upon the above blood test results, I added a boiled egg to my breakfast. I also took cod liver oil, walnuts and olive oil daily. To increase bady fat I also added a sweet course to my main meal. Usually a small tart plus custard, or ice cream and strudel. I rapidly put on weight. Since I would not have another blood test until Septembe 2024, it would be a long wait to see whether this addition to my diet was beneficial and cured the arthritis I have with my right knee.

In a technocracy, all employers would be required to provide a gymnasium, and a work's canteen. Using SPEV's, you would be rewarded for successfully completing your gym workout quota and for controlling your BMI through the diet your food SPEV would dictate. SPEV's (Specific Person Electronic Vouchers) would supersede money. As for its impact on health, SPEVs will reduce lung cancer by banning smoking, reducing alcoholism by rationing the intake of alcohol, probably limiting its intake to liqueurs, reducing obesity by rationing food through individual diets, and eliminating sexually transmitted diseases.