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Fruit and veg, exercise, frequent bloodletting and more tips on staying healthy from medieval travellers

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/megan-cassidy-welch-2265245">Megan Cassidy-Welch</a> Travellers have always faced health hazards when far from home. Medieval people were no exception. Pilgrims, crusaders and others <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/crusade-propaganda-and-ideology/425DB24A44F76AD40CE6A0CD113627D5">were warned</a> by preachers such as 13th century Jacques de Vitry of “dangers on land, dangers at sea, the dangers of thieves, the dangers of predators, the dangers of battles”. There were also dangers to health: disease, lack of good nutrition and water, injury, accident and poisoning. Medieval travellers were active and innovative in trying to prevent ill health while away. Although the adjective “medieval” continues to be used disparagingly to imply backwardness in medical and scientific knowledge, this history of preventive medicine shows us something different. <h2>From good sleep to ‘good’ leeches</h2> One especially interesting set of practical health care instructions for travellers is the De regimine et via itineris et fine peregrinatium (About the regimen and way of the journey for the traveller). The text was composed by Adam of Cremona in about 1227–28 for the German emperor Frederick II, who was about to set out on crusade. Unedited and <a href="https://archiv.ub.uni-marburg.de/ubfind/Record/urn:nbn:de:hebis:04-eb2020-0447/TOC#tabnav">surviving in a single manuscript</a>, Adam draws heavily on <a href="https://iep.utm.edu/avicenna-ibn-sina/">Ibn Sina’s</a> 11th century Canon of Medicine, used for medical teaching in medieval universities. Adam advised bloodletting (phlebotomy) should be performed prior to the emperor’s journey and then regularly throughout, depending on the “will and mood” of the stars. Bloodletting was central to medieval medical practice. It used leeches or sharp knife-like instruments to nick the vein and cause blood to drain from the body. It was performed both preventatively and, in the case of some medieval religious communities, periodically as part of monastic bodily regulation and discipline. Devoting some 25 chapters of his text to phlebotomy, Adam drew on the idea that bloodletting would regulate the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humorism">humours</a> (the four fluids thought to make up the body: blood, yellow bile, black bile and phlegm), evacuating “bad” ones and setting the body in balance to prepare for healthy travel. While the concept of the four humours has since been abandoned by modern medicine, bloodletting and “leech therapy” continue to be performed in some <a href="https://www.svhm.org.au/newsroom/news/medical-leech-therapy">medical settings</a> for specific purposes. Adam advised all travellers should be mindful of the instruments of bloodletting – especially leeches – while on the road. His writing included warnings to distinguish between leeches: good (round and shiny) and bad (black or blue in colour and found near fetid water). He also gave careful instruction on how to desalinate water, as well as advice about diet (as close as possible to the traveller’s home diet, with plenty of fruit and vegetables), the importance of rest and adequate sleep, and the importance of regular bathing. Dysentery was a well known hazard of travel, especially for crusaders, and Adam’s guide reflected all travellers’ wish to avoid it by keeping the digestive system in balance. <h2>Balancing body and spirit</h2> Knowledge about water supplies was especially important for travellers. <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Pilgrimage-to-Jerusalem-and-the-Holy-Land-1187-1291/Pringle/p/book/9781138107250?srsltid=AfmBOooE6jGCvBdtC2UYXgG96RwjAzt_iliVzYf-8dV7QZIuZs7NJqmB">One pilgrimage guide</a> informed travellers one of the best sources of water in the holy land was just outside Haifa, in modern-day Israel. <a href="http://italicapress.com/index063.html">Theodoric’s Guide for the Holy Land</a> reminded travellers there was no water in Jerusalem other than the rainwater collected by inhabitants and stored in cisterns for daily use. Medieval travellers were also reminded to take particular care of their feet. In 1260, <a href="https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/acref/9780198662624.001.0001/acref-9780198662624-e-5935?rskey=aEEXKs&result=1">Vincent of Beauvais</a> gave instructions to travellers to use poultices (a dressing for wounds) made of oil, plants and quicksilver (mercury) to prevent and manage blisters – an all too frequent ailment experienced by pilgrims walking long distances. Adam of Cremona suggested travellers regulate their pace as they walked, especially on unfamiliar and rough roads. The overall benefit of exercise was generally understood. Preachers such as Jacques de Vitry told his congregations <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1468-229X.13238">movement made the body healthy</a> both physically and spiritually, so should be undertaken regularly before and during a journey. Different climates and environments meant encounters with dangerous fauna. The holy land was said to be home to poisonous serpents. Travellers took with them <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/286847771_The_use_of_the_'Jericho_Tyrus'_in_theriac_A_case_study_in_the_history_of_the_exchanges_of_medical_knowledge_between_Western_Europe_and_the_Realm_of_Islam_in_the_middle_ages">theriac</a>, an antidote made in part from snake flesh in case of a bite. This would be ingested or smeared on the wound. Crocodiles in Egypt were also often mentioned as a hazard. There were no antidotes for an attack, but forewarning travellers with knowledge helped them to remain alert. Medieval travellers did not leave their fate entirely in God’s hands. Even the crusaders took precautionary measures to balance both bodily and spiritual health before and during their journeys. They confessed sins, sought blessings to protect their property and baggage and carried with them charms and amulets that were thought to ensure “the health of body and protection of the soul”, as <a href="https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1017/S0038713413000511">one 12th century Italian blessing</a> explained. This “divine prophylaxis” ran alongside more practical care of the physical body – a holistic view of health as corporeal and spiritual. The actions and remedies available to medieval pilgrims and other travellers may seem limited and perhaps dangerous to modern readers. But like all travellers, medieval people used the knowledge they had and tried hard to maintain good health in sometimes difficult conditions. The urge to remain well is a very human one, and its long medieval history reminds us that good health has always been carefully managed through prevention just as much as cure.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/244638/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/megan-cassidy-welch-2265245">Megan Cassidy-Welch</a>, Professor of History and Dean of Research Strategy Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/fruit-and-veg-exercise-frequent-bloodletting-and-more-tips-on-staying-healthy-from-medieval-travellers-244638">original article</a>.

Travel Trouble

How to make Jamie Oliver's bay salt prawn skewers with summer veg

Time to prepare 25 mins | Serves 4 Warmer weather brings memories of sun, seafood and barbeques - so why not combine them all? This recipe from Jamie Oliver puts a yummy twist on the good ol' shrimp. The bay salt flavour is unconventional but that's what makes this BBQ prawn recipe taste so delicious. Recipe from <a href="http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes">jamieoliver.com/recipes</a> Ingredients: <ul> <li>20 raw king prawns, from sustainable sources (ask your fishmonger), peeled and black veins removed</li> <li>4 small courgettes</li> <li>10 bay leaves</li> <li>1 tablespoon sea salt</li> <li>3 tablespoons good extra virgin olive oil</li> <li>Juice of ½ lemon</li> <li>2 large handfuls freshly podded peas</li> <li>2 large handfuls freshly podded broad beans</li> <li>1 small bunch fresh mint, leaves picked\</li> <li>A few chive flowers, optional</li> <li>Sea salt</li> <li>Freshly ground black pepper</li> </ul> Directions 1. First of all, get your barbecue good and hot. If you're using wooden skewers, soak four of them in some cold water for 10 minutes, so they don't burn when you put them on the barbie later. Thread 5 prawns on to each skewer, make sure you poke through the fat and the thin part of each prawn. Slice the courgettes into ribbons with a speed peeler or a mandolin. 2. To make the bay salt, crumble the bay leaves into a pestle and mortar and add the salt. Bash up the bay leaves until you have a vibrant green salt and all the bay leaves have broken down and released their natural oils. 3. Sprinkle each of the prawn kebabs with a good pinch of the bay salt. Drizzle them with a little olive oil and pat and rub everything in. Place the skewers on the hot barbecue for a couple of minutes on each side. Fill the rest of the barbecue with the courgette slices – as they are so thin, they'll only need cooking on one side. After 2 minutes, turn over the skewers and cook for a further 2 minutes while you start taking off the courgettes. 4. Pour 3 tablespoons of good olive oil into a large bowl. Squeeze in the lemon juice and add the peas, broad beans and grilled courgettes. Tear over the mint leaves and the chive flowers, if using. Season with a little salt and pepper and gently mix everything together. 5. Serve the vegetables in a big bowl in the middle of the table with the skewers on a wooden board next to it. Perfect light, healthy summer eating. Tips <a href="http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/seafood-recipes/bay-salt-prawn-skewers-with-summer-veg/">Jamie says: </a>The combination of bay leaves and prawns is quite an unconventional one, but I think it's a winner. This recipe will make enough for a decent batch of bay salt – you can use it instead of normal salt. You won't need as much as you would normally use though, as the bay gives it extra flavour. Bay salt is great if sprinkled over a shoulder of lamb, a chicken or a piece of pork before roasting. You can keep it in a container for a couple of months if you dry it out first. Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.wyza.com.au/recipes/bay-salt-prawn-skewers-with-summer-veg.aspx">Wyza.com.au.</a>

Caring

Eye fillet with mushroom sauce and roasted winter veg

This warm and delicious will be a hearty meal the whole family will enjoy. Ingredients: For the roasted winter vegetables <ul> <li>1 carrot, peeled, cut in half lengthways and sliced 1cm on an angle</li> <li>1 parsnip, peeled, cut in half lengthways and sliced 1cm on angle</li> <li>400g orange kumara, scrubbed and diced 1.5cm</li> <li>½ red onion, sliced 0.5cm</li> <li>2 teaspoons runny honey or maple syrup</li> <li>1–2 handfuls baby kale leaves (or use baby spinach)</li> </ul> For the eye fillet with mushroom sauce <ul> <li>300g beef eye fillet steaks (at room temperature)</li> <li>3 tablespoons white wine or Marsala</li> <li>½ red onion, finely diced</li> <li>125g white button mushrooms, thinly sliced</li> <li>1 teaspoon soy sauce</li> <li>½ cup sour cream</li> </ul> Method: 1. Preheat oven to 220C. Line an oven tray with baking paper. Toss all vegetables (except baby kale) with honey/maple syrup and a drizzle of olive oil on prepared tray. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20–25 minutes, or until vegetables are starting to caramelise. Toss halfway to ensure even cooking. 2. When vegetables have 10 minutes' cook time remaining, heat a drizzle of oil in a large fry-pan on medium-high heat. Cook eye fillet for 3 minutes each side. In the final 3 minutes of vegetable cook time, move the vegetables to one side and add beef to tray. Continue to cook for a further 3 minutes. 3. Remove tray from oven and cover beef until ready to serve. Sprinkle kale over vegetables and toss to wilt. 4. Return same pan to medium heat (do not clean). Add wine/Marsala to pan, let it bubble and use a wooden spoon to rub bottom of pan to release any pan brownings. Cook until liquid has almost evaporated. 5. Add a drizzle of olive oil to pan along with onion and mushrooms and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally (add a tablespoon of water to pan if onion starts to burn). Add soy sauce and sour cream, immediately remove from heat and stir to combine. To serve: Slice beef thinly against the grain. Divide roasted winter vegetables between plates and top with sliced beef. Spoon over mushroom sauce. Written by Nadia Lim. First appeared on <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/" target="_blank">Stuff.co.nz.</a> Have you ordered your copy of the Over60 cookbook, The Way Mum Made It, yet? Featuring 178 delicious tried-and-true recipes from you, the Over60 community, and your favourites that have appeared on the Over60 website, <a href="https://shop.abc.net.au/products/way-mum-made-it-pbk" target="_blank">head to the abcshop.com.au to order your copy now.</a>

Food & Wine

How to sneak more fruit and veg into your diet

When we were little, many of us balked at the mere mention of the word “vegetable”. As we get older, our palettes change and we begin to like new tastes and textures, and getting our 2 serves of fruit and 5 serves of veg isn’t as hard to achieve. However, we could all benefit from adding more fresh produce to our diets, particularly with some experts <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/health/body/2017/04/5-servings-of-fruit-and-veg-not-enough/" target="_blank">now suggesting</a> we should aim for 10 serves of fruit and veg. So, if you’d like to pack some more nutrients into your diet, we’ve thought of 8 clever ways you can sneak more fruit and veg into your diet without even realising it. 1. Make fruit your go-to snack – Have a craving for something sweet? Grab an apple, banana, or even blend the two with some milk to make a delicious afternoon smoothie. 2. Replace one meal a day with salad – No, this doesn’t mean you have to starve yourself. Add lean meat, beans, legumes and seeds to some colourful veg for a fibre- and protein-packed meal that will leave your tummy perfectly satisfied. 3. Add fruit to your breakfast – Any time you’re having cereal, oats or even toast for bread, why not add some blueberries or strawberries? Not only will it taste amazing, but the fibre will leave you feeling fuller longer. 4. Go crazy with pizza – Homemade pizza, that is. Grab a thin base, add some healthy pizza sauce, then cover with all the veg you can pack into it! Sprinkle with a small amount of cheese, cook until melted and golden and enjoy your tasty vitamin hit. 5. Get naked – Naked burgers, we mean. Most burger joints will be happy to replace your burger buns with lettuce leaves or Portobello mushrooms instead, saving you empty calories while still satisfying your cravings. You can even swap taco shells for lettuce leaves! 6. Swap pasta for veg – Using a spiraliser or veggie peeler, you can create “pasta” out of zucchini, carrot, squash, eggplant and more. Once you’ve added your sauce and protein of choice, you won’t be able to tell the difference to real pasta. 7. Make use of leftovers – Puree leftover vegetables into a deliciously healthy soup. Not only is it good for your body, but it’s good for your wallet and the environment, too. 8. Eat your veg first – If your typical meal consists of meat and three veg, make sure to eat the vegetables first. Often, we fill up on the meat first, leaving most of the good stuff on our plates. Do you have a trick to sneaking more fruit and veg into your diet? Share your tips with us in the comment section below.

Body

How to extend the life of fruit and veg

Making sure you store your fruits and vegetables correctly can help you cut back on unnecessary wastage and save you money. As part of UK supermarket chain Sainsbury’s “Waste Less, Save More” campaign, Sainsbury has released a helpful guide of what fruit and vegetables to store together and which ones to keep apart. Certain fruit and veg should be stored apart as they produce gas ethylene during the ripening process when stored together, which reduces the shelf-life of other fruit and vegetables nearby. “Apples and watermelons are long-term enemies while bananas don’t play well with others and should be kept on their own,” said spokesman for the supermarket, Paul Crewe. “But cherries are immune to the negative effects of the ethylene produced by others and can therefore be paired with a variety of partners.” Other fruit and veg that produce ethylene as they ripen include apples, pears, apricots, bananas, kiwis, mangoes, peaches and plums. Potatoes and sweet potatoes should be kept away from fruit to prevent early sprouting. Store them somewhere cool and dark. Asparagus, broccoli, carrots, lettuce and green beans are also sensitive to ethylene. Sainsbury’s other tips for extending the shelf-life of produce include refrigerating berries and grapes immediately and keeping carrots, beetroot and parsnips in the fridge. Related links: <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/home-garden/2016/04/household-cleaners-hiding-in-your-pantry/">5 household cleaners hiding in your pantry</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/home-garden/2016/04/tricks-to-cut-vegetables-faster/">Tricks to cut vegetables faster</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/home-garden/2016/04/foods-that-dont-need-to-be-refrigerated/">10 commonly refrigerated foods that don't need to be</a>

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