A few odds and ends should be mentioned in discussion of equality. A couple after marriage may find certain serious differences in their habits which were neglected by them during courtship, neither because of romantic illusion nor because of accepting the popular opinion that there are inescapable differences of sex, but because the segregation of the sexes makes it impossible for a man and woman to know one another thoroughly before marriage. The reference here is to intimate personal habits which do not come to light in the usual social contacts. Anyone who has lived in a men’s dormitory, for example, knows that some men conduct themselves like swine in a bathroom. The same may be said of some women to a lesser extent. And some people’s Zooms always look as if a cyclone had struck them. With our present barriers between the sexes, these very important elements of compatibility or incompatibility cannot be known until marriage. Then one may wake up to discover that he is tied for life to a person of unbelievably repulsive habits. The irrepressible disgust that one feels in such a situation eventually may undermine the finest romantic feelings so that contact with such a person becomes anything but pleasurable. It would seem logical that in marriage we should at least have as good an opportunity to become thoroughly acquainted with one another as in friendship. But this is not the case. Many a budding friendship has been cut short because of unendurable personal habits that came to light. Not until the irrational taboos that now exist between the sexes are removed will the same opportunity to test a growing romance be afforded.

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The amount of sodium the diet is important for people have high blood pressure or congestive heart failure. For some people who have high blood pressure, reducing sodium take will help reduce blood pressure. Excess sodium encourages your be to retain fluid. Restricting sodium may therefore improve the effects of medications such as diuretics and other drugs used to treat high blood pressure or congestive heart failure.

The average American consume about 4,000 milligrams or more of sodium a day. The new food labeling regulations establish 2,400 milligram of sodium as the uppermost limit, ever if you have no signs of heart disease. Most people with heart disease should limit their sodium intake to less than 2,000 milligrams a day.

Table salt is the most obvious source of sodium (it contains 40 percent sodium and 60 percent chloride). Just one teaspoon of salt contains 2,000 milligrams of sodium. The salt you add in cooking or at the table may be only the “tip of the iceberg” in  your total sodium intake. Even many natural foods such as milk, meat, and vegetables contain sodium. But by far, sodium that  is added to foods  in processing is the biggest source (at least two-thirds) of sodium in your diet.

Food manufacturers are offering an expanding array of reduced-sodium products, such as luncheon meats, canned vegetables, salad dressings, and cheeses. Read nutrition labels to find the sodium content (shown in milligrams). You may need to avoid some reduced-sodium foods because they may still be high in fat. Dairy products are a natural source or sodium. Three cups of milk a day contain 375 milligrams of sodium; which is not an excessive amount. But if you drink more than 3 cups and eat yogurt, cheese, and ice cream, the amount of sodium quickly adds up.

Use fresh foods in place of processed foods so that you can control the amount of sodium that is added. And when you are cooking, go for fresh flavors instead of masking the natural flavor with salt. Use herb and spice blends for added flavor. Do not add salt to your food at the table.

It may take 6 to 8 weeks to learn to appreciate less salty flavors. You will begin to taste the other flavors after you reduce the salt.

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Contraindications are medical conditions you may have, or be at risk of, which mean you should not take a particular drug or medicine. For HRT these are listed in the British National Formulary as:

•   liver disease,

•   breast cancer,

•   history of thrombosis.

Another list of risk factors is given under the heading ‘Cautions’. If you suffer from any of these you should think twice before taking HRT:

•   high blood pressure,

•   benign (not cancerous) breast disease e.g. breast cysts,

•   fibroids (benign tumours in the womb),

•   migraine,

•   endometriosis (the lining of the womb growing in other places than just the womb).

HRT has an effect on the whole circulatory system – your blood circulation, your veins and your arteries. So it can increase the risks of raised blood pressure, migraine, strokes and thrombosis. It also increases your levels of oestrogen, the ‘building’ hormone, and hence the risks of breast tissue changes, fibroids and endometriosis. And there is the ‘domino’ effect on other vital organs: the liver, for instance, which is your ‘waste disposal unit’ and helps remove excess hormones from the body. If it has to work overtime to remove hormones added into your body from HRT, its function can be affected, increasing the possibility of liver disease.

It is obvious from looking at the evidence that there are risks involved in taking HRT. There are also some women who cannot take it because of their medical or family history. The scientists don’t all agree over the percentage of the risks, especially with breast cancer, but they do agree there are increased risks. In a situation like this it is necessary for us as women to weigh up the positive and negative benefits of HRT. For some women who have had a surgical menopause early in life, HRT may be necessary. The sudden fall in hormone levels when their ovaries are removed is a tough challenge for the body. But women going through a natural menopause (with or without a womb) are in a very different situation.

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