Do people really DO this?

WillowTheWhisp · 28-01-2005, 08:53

Whilst wandering around some "health" websites yesterday - inspired by my latest resolution to lose weight and get fit (more about that elsewhere) we spotted a reference to "ear coning".

"Ear coning?" I hear you ask. "What the heck is that?" - That's what we wondered, so I did some googling and discovered that an ear cone is a hollow wax taper about 12" long made of cotton or hemp fabric soaked in beeswax and possibly various other ingredients. The cone is slotted through a paper plate and the end placed in one's ear. The other end is then lit and the whole thing is allowed to burn down as far as the plate before being removed from the ear.

The bottom of the cone is then said to hold impurities drawn out from the ear by a "slow vacuum" (eh?) and apparently it can clear the sinuses too - regardless of the fact that the sinuses are not connected to the ear!

Oh I forgot to add that the "patient" lies on their side whilst all this is going on and not surprisingly some people have suffered damage to their ear drums by the hot wax dripping down the inside of the "cone" into their ear!

What on earth possesses people to do this?

-pixie · 28-01-2005, 08:55

I think its either those people who have more money than sense, or the type of people that just want to lose weight without having to give up 5 chocolate bars a day.

Personally I recommend Yogalates. Nice and relaxing.

vorlon24 · 28-01-2005, 09:15

I went on a diet (against the advice of a lot of people) as I was beginning to put on a small amount of weight.

Instead of reducing my food intake, I just ate different, but healthier foods.

I see too many people who say that they have tried all sorts of diets which didn't work. What they don't seem to realise is that once you have lost your weight, you shouldn't go back to eating what you were before you went on your diet, as you'll put back on all that weight you lost.

entwisi · 28-01-2005, 09:56

Atkins here, Works for me and I can eat lovely rich decent food.

vorlon24 · 28-01-2005, 10:27

Haven't there been health concerns about Atkins?

entwisi · 28-01-2005, 11:13

It all depends on who you read(and believe!).

I'm happy it works for me. I have lost 3 1/2 stone, my BP dropped from 140/100 to 120/78, my good chloesterol went up and the bad went down. I feel healthier than I have for a long while. I now also play squash twice a week and walk over 3 miles a day. I can also control my weight so when I put a bit on at Xmas/holidays etc I know exactly what I need to do to get rid of it again.

Busman747 · 28-01-2005, 11:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by vorlon24

Haven't there been health concerns about Atkins?

Eer, Didn't he recently die after a heart attack?? like Jane Fonda, after releasing her "keep fit" video, she too had a "heart" scare.

Its not always healthy to get healthy

vorlon24 · 28-01-2005, 11:37

I heard he had died, but I wasn't sure what from.

I remember they mentioned about his diet at the time, but I couldn't remember whether he died from that or other causes

entwisi · 28-01-2005, 13:28

He died after slipping on Ice and banging his head. There were rumours flying around that he was 17 stone and had a dicky ticker. None of this was proven and is widely believed to be urban myth.

Whatever he died from it was always going to be linked to his diet. It was/is too controversial for them to not do so.

vorlon24 · 28-01-2005, 13:33

Has your pengiun gone on the Atkins diet? The weight has just fallen off him.

I would get him to a toilet though!!!

Sparkologist · 28-01-2005, 15:43

Yeah, since you mention it, Entwisi's penguin does seem to be doing the clenched-buttock march, as though it were in desperate need of some ablutions.

WillowTheWhisp · 28-01-2005, 15:47

The ear coning has nothing to do with diet/weight loss. It just cropped up on one of the websites in connection with health in general.

I must admit that the Atkins diet just doesn't sound healthy at all to me but then I know a lot of theory about eating healthily and having enough fruit and all that but it's putting it all into practice that I've got problems with.

I know someone who was all in favour of the Atkins diet but he seems to have doubled in weight so something went wrong there somewhere.

mez · 28-01-2005, 15:57

my daughter has lost over 3 stone with the weightwatchers diet all it is , as you say willow healthy eating.

Sparkologist · 28-01-2005, 16:28

There is a very simple equation that acts as a rule of thumb, when dieting: Calories out must be greater than calories in. If you have a weakness for choccy bars and other such delights, get some exercise.

As an example, a cyclist in the Tour de France will consume roughly 7,000 calories per day for three weeks of racing, and still maybe lose 5 kilos bodyweight.

Put a plateful of food in front of me and I'm like a slutch-pump hoovering it up, but I'll burn the calories off because I lead an active lifestyle.

WillowTheWhisp · 28-01-2005, 18:38

I'm up and down like a cat on hot bricks but apparently I'm an anomaly according to my doctor because the thing in my brain tells my thyroid it is overproducing so it produces less and is in fact underproducing! It's all to do with metabolism.

Anyway I'm hopeful that medication will sort that bit out and my new healthy lifestyle will help the rest.