Scanning through the many options for health insurance, many are immediately drawn to plans with the lowest premium, or monthly cost. There are a few important reasons why choosing the cheapest plan isn’t always the best option. If you have a health condition, or plan on seeing doctors often, or need medication, the cheapest plans will often leave you paying out-of-pocket for everything, in addition to the premium.
In other words, at the end of the year, you’ll have spent more than you would have with a better plan with a higher premium. Generally, a higher premium means that more medical expenses will be covered, and the deductible will be lower.
You need to look at what the plan offers in terms of copayments, coinsurance, deductibles and premiums, and budget your expected health needs.
Many people take prescription medication consistently. Before you decide on any plan, you need to make sure the plan covers the medication you need, or you’ll be stuck paying a lot of money out-of-pocket. Also make sure you understand the refll policy.
This is one reason why there is no one plan that is best for every individual. Every person has different needs, and the different plans available are a better ft for some than others. What makes sense for one family might be unnecessary for another.
Sometimes physicians or hospitals don’t have a connection with certain insurance groups. Verify with both your preferred doctors and with the insurance company that they work together. Sometimes insurance plans do no cover any cost associated with doctors not in the insurance company’s network.
Some insurance companies will offer plans with perks and incentives that are worth paying attention to. For example, a plan may offer an especially discounted co-pay for visits to a doctor. This could amount to substantial savings for a family over the course of time.
Herbs that heal ulcers
Many herbs have been used to heal ulcers. Look for combinations that contain several of these herbs and take them as needed, up to 3 times daily. These include the following:
Aloe vera
Stomach tonic that is anti-inflammatory—Drink 1 shot glass 10 minutes before each meal. You can also blend aloe vera with the herbs mentioned below for extra soothing benefits.
Licorice
Contains carbenoxolone, which protects the stomach lining from gastric acids-Three chewable tablets can be taken daily. Using deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL) is safe and effective in healing ulcers, according to a study in the British Journal of Clinical Practice in 1972. Consult first with a health practitioner if you have high blood pressure or edema.
Marshmallow root
Rich in mucilage, which reduces inflammation in the digestive tract
Plantain
Rich in mucilage, which soothes inflamed and irritated tissues.
Psyllium
Soothing stool softener, provides mucilaginous intestinal bulk—Drink 1 teaspoon (5 g) in a glass of water or juice three times daily.
Slippery elm
Rich in mucilage and calming minerals that soothe irritated mucus membranes.
This Herbs that heal ulcers article is taken from :
The Country Almanac of Home Remedies - Brigitte Mars
Aloe vera
Stomach tonic that is anti-inflammatory—Drink 1 shot glass 10 minutes before each meal. You can also blend aloe vera with the herbs mentioned below for extra soothing benefits.
Licorice
Contains carbenoxolone, which protects the stomach lining from gastric acids-Three chewable tablets can be taken daily. Using deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL) is safe and effective in healing ulcers, according to a study in the British Journal of Clinical Practice in 1972. Consult first with a health practitioner if you have high blood pressure or edema.
Marshmallow root
Rich in mucilage, which reduces inflammation in the digestive tract
Plantain
Rich in mucilage, which soothes inflamed and irritated tissues.
Psyllium
Soothing stool softener, provides mucilaginous intestinal bulk—Drink 1 teaspoon (5 g) in a glass of water or juice three times daily.
Slippery elm
Rich in mucilage and calming minerals that soothe irritated mucus membranes.
This Herbs that heal ulcers article is taken from :
The Country Almanac of Home Remedies - Brigitte Mars
Best foods for ulcers
Cabbage has been found to especially helpful in curing ulcers. Research done at San Quentin prison and published in the medical journal, California Medicine in 1949 showed that 92 percent of patients with ulcers who ate cabbage were cured in 3 weeks. In fact, there is a vitamin present in cabbage known as vitamin U, named after its ability to help ulcers. Find ways to include it in your diet 3 or 4 times a week.
Other foods that soothe ulcers include avocados, barley, buckwheat, chia seeds, oatmeal, cream of brown rice cereal, sweet potatoes, Irish moss, kudzu, tapioca pudding, bok choy, green leafy vegetables, blended carrots, okra, sea vegetables, turnips, apples, bananas, plantains, persimmons, yogurt, and fresh ground flax seeds.
Thrifty Cures!
Castor oil compresses applied over the abdominal region where the ulcer occurs can bring relief. (See page 18 for directions on how to make a compress.)
It is wise to eat small, frequent meals and avoid having the stomach either too full or empty. Be sure to chew food well to allow it to mix with digestive juices. This will help protect intestinal linings from erosion.
Drinking water between meals rather than with meals also improves digestion as this avoids diluting digestive secretions.
Skip This!
To heal an ulcer, it is wise to avoid coffee (even decaf), black tea, and cola drinks, which stimulate stomach acid production. Fried foods, sugar, acidic fruits like citrus, tomatoes, vinegar, alcohol, and carbonated drinks are all best eliminated. Avoid hot spicy foods if they bother you.
It was once believed that milk helped neutralize stomach acidity, yet it has been found that milk actually stimulates acid production. If you do consume dairy products, those of a cultured variety are the easiest to tolerate. Studies show that those who don’t smoke or who quit smoking, heal faster. Aspirin can have a damaging effect on the stomach lining.
Cures from Grandma’s Kitchen
Take 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of aloe vera juice 4 times a day before meals and bedtime to help restrict gastric juices and heal an ulcer. A teaspoon (5 ml) of olive oil taken with each meal helps to soothe the irritated mucosa. Or take 1 teaspoon (5 g) of umeboshi plum extract in 1 cup (235 ml) of hot water and sip slowly.
WHEN TO SEE YOUR M.D.
Bleeding ulcers occur when the ulcer corrodes a blood vessel. Excess bleeding can cause anemia, lower blood pressure, and leave you feeling in a weakened state. If you experience blood in the stool or the vomit or have severe abdominal pain, see a competent health professional.
KEEP IN MIND
Focusing on breathing more deeply and slowly will allow the life force to flow more evenly through your body. Acupuncture, hypnosis, and guided imagery have all provided relief to people who suffer from ulcers.
Yoga exercises also help to relax the mind and body. In a study of 40 ulcer patients who took up yoga, 90 percent of them claimed benefit.
It may take 2 to 6 weeks to improve an ulcer, though the symptoms may be relieved in a few days. Initially, bed rest, even for a couple of weeks, may be helpful.
Having an ulcer is an opportunity to find ways to nurture yourself, de-stress your lifestyle, and make the changes necessary for a healthier lifestyle! It Be sure to look at “what’s eating you” from the inside.
This Best foods for ulcers article is taken from :
The Country Almanac of Home Remedies - Brigitte Mars
Other foods that soothe ulcers include avocados, barley, buckwheat, chia seeds, oatmeal, cream of brown rice cereal, sweet potatoes, Irish moss, kudzu, tapioca pudding, bok choy, green leafy vegetables, blended carrots, okra, sea vegetables, turnips, apples, bananas, plantains, persimmons, yogurt, and fresh ground flax seeds.
Thrifty Cures!
Castor oil compresses applied over the abdominal region where the ulcer occurs can bring relief. (See page 18 for directions on how to make a compress.)
It is wise to eat small, frequent meals and avoid having the stomach either too full or empty. Be sure to chew food well to allow it to mix with digestive juices. This will help protect intestinal linings from erosion.
Drinking water between meals rather than with meals also improves digestion as this avoids diluting digestive secretions.
Skip This!
To heal an ulcer, it is wise to avoid coffee (even decaf), black tea, and cola drinks, which stimulate stomach acid production. Fried foods, sugar, acidic fruits like citrus, tomatoes, vinegar, alcohol, and carbonated drinks are all best eliminated. Avoid hot spicy foods if they bother you.
It was once believed that milk helped neutralize stomach acidity, yet it has been found that milk actually stimulates acid production. If you do consume dairy products, those of a cultured variety are the easiest to tolerate. Studies show that those who don’t smoke or who quit smoking, heal faster. Aspirin can have a damaging effect on the stomach lining.
Cures from Grandma’s Kitchen
Take 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of aloe vera juice 4 times a day before meals and bedtime to help restrict gastric juices and heal an ulcer. A teaspoon (5 ml) of olive oil taken with each meal helps to soothe the irritated mucosa. Or take 1 teaspoon (5 g) of umeboshi plum extract in 1 cup (235 ml) of hot water and sip slowly.
WHEN TO SEE YOUR M.D.
Bleeding ulcers occur when the ulcer corrodes a blood vessel. Excess bleeding can cause anemia, lower blood pressure, and leave you feeling in a weakened state. If you experience blood in the stool or the vomit or have severe abdominal pain, see a competent health professional.
KEEP IN MIND
Focusing on breathing more deeply and slowly will allow the life force to flow more evenly through your body. Acupuncture, hypnosis, and guided imagery have all provided relief to people who suffer from ulcers.
Yoga exercises also help to relax the mind and body. In a study of 40 ulcer patients who took up yoga, 90 percent of them claimed benefit.
It may take 2 to 6 weeks to improve an ulcer, though the symptoms may be relieved in a few days. Initially, bed rest, even for a couple of weeks, may be helpful.
Having an ulcer is an opportunity to find ways to nurture yourself, de-stress your lifestyle, and make the changes necessary for a healthier lifestyle! It Be sure to look at “what’s eating you” from the inside.
This Best foods for ulcers article is taken from :
The Country Almanac of Home Remedies - Brigitte Mars
How to make a natural lice shampoo
To make a natural lice shampoo out of herbs, add 5 drops each of essential oils of tea tree, rosemary, lavender, peppermint, and eucalyptus to a base of 5 teaspoons (28 ml) of pure olive oil. Add a small amount of regular shampoo to the mixture and put this all over the hair to the ends. Leave on an hour under a shower cap to prevent drips. Rinse and shampoo the hair.
You can also add 20 drops of these same essential oils to 1/2 cup (120 ml) apple cider vinegar and an equal amount of water. Shampoo, rinse, and pour the solution over your head. Leave on for 20 minutes before rinsing out. Avoid getting any essential oils in your eyes or mouth. Repeat in 10 days.
Another remedy is to blend 12 cloves of garlic in 1 pint (475 ml) of water and work the solution into the hair and scalp. Cover the head with a plastic shower cap, leave on one hour, and then wash your hair.
Repeat treatments again in 10 days. After shampooing, rinse the hair and scalp with vinegar. This loosens the glue that holds the nits onto the hair shafts. Rinse with hot water—but not so hot that it burns. Follow the same procedure as with the mayonnaise to remove remaining nits.
KEEP IN MIND
Every person in the household will need to be checked. Human lice do not live on animals (and vice versa). And it is only polite to let the parents of any children your child was in contact with know that they should inspect their own children.
This sounds embarrassing, but it’s not a great idea to let other children get more and more lice before their parents notice. Also, you do not want any of these children giving lice back to your child! It is especially important to inform the school office and your child’s teacher.
Pregnant wmen or infants should consult with a competent health-care professional before following any of the remedies for treatment of parasites. Essential oils can be too strong for young skin, and essential oil use during pregnancy has not yet been well researched.
This how to make a natural lice shampoo adapted from:
The Country Almanac of Home Remedies - Brigitte Mars
You can also add 20 drops of these same essential oils to 1/2 cup (120 ml) apple cider vinegar and an equal amount of water. Shampoo, rinse, and pour the solution over your head. Leave on for 20 minutes before rinsing out. Avoid getting any essential oils in your eyes or mouth. Repeat in 10 days.
Another remedy is to blend 12 cloves of garlic in 1 pint (475 ml) of water and work the solution into the hair and scalp. Cover the head with a plastic shower cap, leave on one hour, and then wash your hair.
Repeat treatments again in 10 days. After shampooing, rinse the hair and scalp with vinegar. This loosens the glue that holds the nits onto the hair shafts. Rinse with hot water—but not so hot that it burns. Follow the same procedure as with the mayonnaise to remove remaining nits.
KEEP IN MIND
Every person in the household will need to be checked. Human lice do not live on animals (and vice versa). And it is only polite to let the parents of any children your child was in contact with know that they should inspect their own children.
This sounds embarrassing, but it’s not a great idea to let other children get more and more lice before their parents notice. Also, you do not want any of these children giving lice back to your child! It is especially important to inform the school office and your child’s teacher.
Pregnant wmen or infants should consult with a competent health-care professional before following any of the remedies for treatment of parasites. Essential oils can be too strong for young skin, and essential oil use during pregnancy has not yet been well researched.
This how to make a natural lice shampoo adapted from:
The Country Almanac of Home Remedies - Brigitte Mars
How to kill lice quickly
Head and public lice can be killed quickly, easily, cheaply, and safely with mayonnaise. Buy a new jar of real mayonnaise as one in the refrigerator may be too cold and old. Grab several handfuls— to cover all the hair, being sure to get behind the ears and down the neck a bit.
Cover with a disposable plastic shower cap to keep the mess to a minimum. Leave the mayonnaise on for two hours to smother the lice and developed eggs. Remove and dispose the shower cap, wash the hands well, and shampoo. It may take two or more shampoos to get the hair clean.
The mayonnaise may not kill the newest nits since the unborn lice inside may not have developed enough to need air yet. To deal with nits left behind, under good lighting (such as natural sunlight), comb out any remaining eggs with a fine-toothed metal comb. Nits are usually found near the scalp.
Check the hair by tiny sections, especially around the edges of the hair, at the neck, and behind the ears. Put each nit or hair into a bowl of vinegar. Flush away any contaminated tissues. Boil the comb for three minutes in water or throw it away after use.
Repeat the smother-the-hair-with-mayonnaise-technique seven to ten days after the first application to kill any survivors. Continue to check the hair daily for a few weeks since you or your child may still be around others who are infected.
This How to kill lice quickly adapted from:
The Country Almanac of Home Remedies - Brigitte Mars
Cover with a disposable plastic shower cap to keep the mess to a minimum. Leave the mayonnaise on for two hours to smother the lice and developed eggs. Remove and dispose the shower cap, wash the hands well, and shampoo. It may take two or more shampoos to get the hair clean.
The mayonnaise may not kill the newest nits since the unborn lice inside may not have developed enough to need air yet. To deal with nits left behind, under good lighting (such as natural sunlight), comb out any remaining eggs with a fine-toothed metal comb. Nits are usually found near the scalp.
Check the hair by tiny sections, especially around the edges of the hair, at the neck, and behind the ears. Put each nit or hair into a bowl of vinegar. Flush away any contaminated tissues. Boil the comb for three minutes in water or throw it away after use.
Repeat the smother-the-hair-with-mayonnaise-technique seven to ten days after the first application to kill any survivors. Continue to check the hair daily for a few weeks since you or your child may still be around others who are infected.
This How to kill lice quickly adapted from:
The Country Almanac of Home Remedies - Brigitte Mars
Best foods for breastfeeding
Good nutrition is as important when you are breastfeeding as it was during your pregnancy.
To support healthy milk production, choose plenty of calcium-rich foods like almonds, apricots, asparagus, barley, string beans, beets, carrots, green leafy vegetables such as beet and dandelion greens, kale, parsley, watercress, peas, pecans, sesame and sunflower seeds, oatmeal, brown rice, sea vegetables, sweet potatoes, and winter squash.
Do your best to eat at least three servings of a selection of these foods daily.
When you are nursing, it’s common to get depleted of essential fatty acids, especially the omega-3 fatty acids. A deficiency can result in postnatal depression and developmental deficiencies in your baby.
Flax and chia seeds, a good source of essential fatty acids, also increase milk supply. Sprinkle freshly ground flax seeds (get them at your health food store) on cereal and yogurt. Soak chia seeds overnight and eat as an omega 3 source.
Thrifty Cures
Check and see if you already have any of these galactagogue herbs on your spice shelf such as anise, dill, fennel, and caraway. It’s simple to make a tea from them by steeping 1 heaping teaspoon (5 g) of the crushed herb (use a mortar and pestle or blender) in 1 cup (235 ml) of hot water for 10 minutes.
Nursing mothers need to drink plenty of fluids, at least half a gallon (3.8 L) a day. Good choices include barley water, green smoothies, and carrot juice (diluted with at least 50 percent water).
Read more...
This How To Produce More Breast Milk article is taken from :
The Country Almanac of Home Remedies - Brigitte Mars
To support healthy milk production, choose plenty of calcium-rich foods like almonds, apricots, asparagus, barley, string beans, beets, carrots, green leafy vegetables such as beet and dandelion greens, kale, parsley, watercress, peas, pecans, sesame and sunflower seeds, oatmeal, brown rice, sea vegetables, sweet potatoes, and winter squash.
Do your best to eat at least three servings of a selection of these foods daily.
When you are nursing, it’s common to get depleted of essential fatty acids, especially the omega-3 fatty acids. A deficiency can result in postnatal depression and developmental deficiencies in your baby.
Flax and chia seeds, a good source of essential fatty acids, also increase milk supply. Sprinkle freshly ground flax seeds (get them at your health food store) on cereal and yogurt. Soak chia seeds overnight and eat as an omega 3 source.
Thrifty Cures
Check and see if you already have any of these galactagogue herbs on your spice shelf such as anise, dill, fennel, and caraway. It’s simple to make a tea from them by steeping 1 heaping teaspoon (5 g) of the crushed herb (use a mortar and pestle or blender) in 1 cup (235 ml) of hot water for 10 minutes.
Nursing mothers need to drink plenty of fluids, at least half a gallon (3.8 L) a day. Good choices include barley water, green smoothies, and carrot juice (diluted with at least 50 percent water).
Read more...
This How To Produce More Breast Milk article is taken from :
The Country Almanac of Home Remedies - Brigitte Mars
Natural remedies to ease breast tenderness
If your breasts aren’t emptied, it is easy for them to become painfully engorged. As a first step, you’ll want to increase lactation.
It can also be soothing to alternate hot and cold compresses, simply by soaking a cloth in hot or cold water briefly and then wringing it out and applying the hot compress until it cools down and then the cool compress until it warms up (about 5 minutes each).
Cover the wet compress with a dry towel to hold in either the heat or cold longer. Cover the chest after doing compresses to prevent getting a chill.
Soothe sore nipples by applying a salve of calendula and comfrey available at natural food stores. Aloe vera gel can be used but it must be rinsed off before nursing. You can even apply some of your own breast milk, which has antibacterial properties and lubricating oils.
KEEP IN MIND
To promote healthy lactation, it is important to have a good “latch on.” Elevate your baby to the level of your nipple and encourage him to latch on to the areola rather than the nipple.
Start each nursing time with a different breast and vary positions so that the areola doesn’t get too much intense pressure.
Have your baby do all of her sucking when breastfeeding. Frequent use of pacifiers can reduce nursing time, and many of them are made of polyvinyl chloride, bisphenol, and pthlates.
Be calm when you are nursing. Relax and nurture the relationship and focus on the nursing experience rather than nurse while cleaning house or watching TV.
Read more...
This How To Produce More Breast Milk article is taken from :
The Country Almanac of Home Remedies - Brigitte Mars
It can also be soothing to alternate hot and cold compresses, simply by soaking a cloth in hot or cold water briefly and then wringing it out and applying the hot compress until it cools down and then the cool compress until it warms up (about 5 minutes each).
Cover the wet compress with a dry towel to hold in either the heat or cold longer. Cover the chest after doing compresses to prevent getting a chill.
Soothe sore nipples by applying a salve of calendula and comfrey available at natural food stores. Aloe vera gel can be used but it must be rinsed off before nursing. You can even apply some of your own breast milk, which has antibacterial properties and lubricating oils.
KEEP IN MIND
To promote healthy lactation, it is important to have a good “latch on.” Elevate your baby to the level of your nipple and encourage him to latch on to the areola rather than the nipple.
Start each nursing time with a different breast and vary positions so that the areola doesn’t get too much intense pressure.
Have your baby do all of her sucking when breastfeeding. Frequent use of pacifiers can reduce nursing time, and many of them are made of polyvinyl chloride, bisphenol, and pthlates.
Be calm when you are nursing. Relax and nurture the relationship and focus on the nursing experience rather than nurse while cleaning house or watching TV.
Read more...
This How To Produce More Breast Milk article is taken from :
The Country Almanac of Home Remedies - Brigitte Mars
Eczema Home Remedies
Eczema is a skin condition that may make the skin hot or cold, dry or suppurating. Each type must be treated accordingly to its symptoms and, depending on its severity, may require more individual and specialized help. It can be caused by food allergies and is likely to indicate inefficient digestion, particularly low levels of hydrochloric acid and pepsin, and a sluggish liver. Stress will exacerbate the problem, as will a delicate nervous system.
Cold, scaly skin will best be helped by keeping to a diet of slow-cooked, warming foods, including grains and root vegetables, with additional warming ingredients such as cinnamon.
Wheat and dairy products are common problem foods, but ensure that the soy foods and soy milk you substitute do not cause allergic reactions.
Drink lots of water daily.
Foods with oxalic acid can cause disturbances, so be aware of sources such as tomatoes, oranges, gooseberries, strawberries, and rhubarb.
Use virgin olive oil in cooking and raw on salads, the latter with apple cider vinegar; both are good for the skin.
Flaxseed oil (rich in omega-3 fatty acids) is a good supplement; also use evening primrose oil (GLA), for omega-6.
Immune- and nervous-system herbs will be important—olive leaf, echinacea root, chamomile flower, skullcap leaf, and a little lobelia leaf.
Digestive herbs like meadowsweet leaf and flower, blessed thistle leaf and flower, and aloe vera juice will be vital.
Use blood-cleansing herbs, such as a mixture of two parts burdock root, one part red clover flower, and one part dandelion root.
Use eczema ointment.
The liver, bowel, and stomach all need attention in terms of function, cleansing, and support.
Destressing by dancing, exercising, and meditating is ideal.
Infantile Eczema
Sometimes babies are born with eczema—in which case, the mother, if she is breast-feeding, must be treated as above.
Tea made with very small amounts of simple herbs like burdock root and meadowsweet leaf and flower can be put into a bottle and given to the baby separately, if the baby can drink from one. If not, then the mother should drink the tea two or three times daily.
This Eczema Home Remedies article is taken from :
The complete home guide to herbs, natural healing, and nutrition / Jill Rosemary Davies.
Cold, scaly skin will best be helped by keeping to a diet of slow-cooked, warming foods, including grains and root vegetables, with additional warming ingredients such as cinnamon.
Wheat and dairy products are common problem foods, but ensure that the soy foods and soy milk you substitute do not cause allergic reactions.
Drink lots of water daily.
Foods with oxalic acid can cause disturbances, so be aware of sources such as tomatoes, oranges, gooseberries, strawberries, and rhubarb.
Use virgin olive oil in cooking and raw on salads, the latter with apple cider vinegar; both are good for the skin.
Flaxseed oil (rich in omega-3 fatty acids) is a good supplement; also use evening primrose oil (GLA), for omega-6.
Immune- and nervous-system herbs will be important—olive leaf, echinacea root, chamomile flower, skullcap leaf, and a little lobelia leaf.
Digestive herbs like meadowsweet leaf and flower, blessed thistle leaf and flower, and aloe vera juice will be vital.
Use blood-cleansing herbs, such as a mixture of two parts burdock root, one part red clover flower, and one part dandelion root.
Use eczema ointment.
The liver, bowel, and stomach all need attention in terms of function, cleansing, and support.
Destressing by dancing, exercising, and meditating is ideal.
Infantile Eczema
Sometimes babies are born with eczema—in which case, the mother, if she is breast-feeding, must be treated as above.
Tea made with very small amounts of simple herbs like burdock root and meadowsweet leaf and flower can be put into a bottle and given to the baby separately, if the baby can drink from one. If not, then the mother should drink the tea two or three times daily.
This Eczema Home Remedies article is taken from :
The complete home guide to herbs, natural healing, and nutrition / Jill Rosemary Davies.
Water Retention Remedies Using Herbs
Retaining excess water in the body is a problem that women in particular are prone to, especially premenstrually. Both men and women can be susceptible, however. Particular “holding” areas are the fingers, under the eyes, and (thanks to gravity) the ankles and feet. Water retention may be one of the many symptoms of a faulty or congested liver. It can also be connected to the hormone system, the heart, and the kidneys. When the liver becomes overburdened with toxins, it cannot keep up with its work and so passes on the job to the kidneys, which in turn may overload and stagnate. The same applies to an overburdened circulatory or lymphatic system. Constipation, diabetes, and thyroid problems can also cause edema, so individual diagnosis and treatment will be necessary.
Avoid refined salt, unless you are told specifically not to do so by a practitioner. Avoid foods that exacerbate the problem, like dairy and wheat products.
Include plenty of leeks, parsley, celery seeds and sticks, and cucumber. For fruits, choose apples, pears, melons, peaches, pineapples, and bilberries.
Eat plenty of dark green vegetables, chlorella, and other algae, which are rich in B vitamins, particularly B6. Drink superfood.
Herbs that remove excess water are easy to find, the safest being dandelion root. Use in teas or tinctures. In addition, when in season, the leaf can go into fresh salads.
A colon cleanse will help balance the water level in the body and relieve the edema.
A liver cleanse will be useful along with a kidney cleanse; this combination will make the kidneys work much more efficiently.
Massage the affected areas with one teaspoon of juniper oil in one cup of base oil, or add 4 drops of juniper oil to your bathwater.
This Water Retention Remedies article is taken from :
The complete home guide to herbs, natural healing, and nutrition / Jill Rosemary Davies.
Avoid refined salt, unless you are told specifically not to do so by a practitioner. Avoid foods that exacerbate the problem, like dairy and wheat products.
Include plenty of leeks, parsley, celery seeds and sticks, and cucumber. For fruits, choose apples, pears, melons, peaches, pineapples, and bilberries.
Eat plenty of dark green vegetables, chlorella, and other algae, which are rich in B vitamins, particularly B6. Drink superfood.
Herbs that remove excess water are easy to find, the safest being dandelion root. Use in teas or tinctures. In addition, when in season, the leaf can go into fresh salads.
A colon cleanse will help balance the water level in the body and relieve the edema.
A liver cleanse will be useful along with a kidney cleanse; this combination will make the kidneys work much more efficiently.
Massage the affected areas with one teaspoon of juniper oil in one cup of base oil, or add 4 drops of juniper oil to your bathwater.
This Water Retention Remedies article is taken from :
The complete home guide to herbs, natural healing, and nutrition / Jill Rosemary Davies.
What Causes Endometriosis & Natural Treatment
The cause of endometriosis is unknown, but poor hygiene, the use of manmade fibers in underwear, repeated infections including pelvic inflammatory disease, dirty surgical implements, dirty hands and fingers, tampons, retained placenta, and all manner of outside poisoning sources create infections.
Sluggish periods with inadequate emptying of the womb each month could also be a possibility. Endometrial cells have been found in young girls, however, which does suggest a genetic link.
While the causes of endometriosis are not really understood, recent information suggests that a poorly functioning immune system might, in part, be responsible. If the immune system is not functioning properly, any invasive straying cells, which should be instantaneously killed off, are not. Instead they travel through the bloodstream or lymph system and are deposited in other organs, such as the lungs.
If this disorder is caught early, many positive steps can be taken, but treatment must be very committed and consistent. Orthodox methods of surgery and drugs can be used, but male steroid drugs like danazol, which prevent menstruation, have alarming side effects. Many patients feel very depressed on it, and an increasing number of doctors prefer not to use it.
As in pregnancy (another suggested “cure” for endometriosis), it is designed to work by giving the body a chance to stop menstruating. Another treatment consists of giving synthetic progesterone, but this does not suit all women or even help the situation.
Symptoms can include pelvic pain—especially at the times of ovulation and menstruation—irregular or excessive menstrual bleeding; backache (lower back especially); painful lovemaking; infertility; discomfort in the stomach, small intestine, and large intestine; painful urination; prolonged menstrual bleeding; and constipation and diarrhea in fluctuation.
Areas that should be considered when treating endometriosis are as follows:
Maintain a good diet of whole grains, vegetables, and plenty of citrus fruit. Include superfood.
Avoid meats, dairy products, and eggs that have been produced using synthetic hormones.
Avoid coffee, tea, and chocolate, as they also produce extra estrogen. Avoid alcohol because it harms the liver, which must remain healthy.
For excessive bleeding, use equal parts of yarrow leaf and alfalfa leaf. (With the supervision of a qualified herbalist, the herb beth root could also be used.)
There is always a possibility that infection may be lurking. To deal with this, use barberry root bark at the beginning of the program.
Liver herbs like wild yam root, barberry root bark, cinnamon stick, dandelion root, and milk thistle seed will be essential.
The immune system should be functioning efficiently; include herbs like pau d’arco inner bark, chamomile flower, and echinacea root.
Use endocrine herbs to balance and tone the system (avoiding those that encourage estrogen production). Use a combination of two parts each of squaw vine leaf (and other aerial parts) and chaste tree berry; and one part each of nettle root, sarsaparilla root, Chinese licorice root, and red raspberry leaf.
For excessive cramps and pain, use equal parts of lobelia leaf, pasqueflower, black cohosh root, and cramp bark.
For pain herbs, try corydalis tuber and poppy petal tincture.
The colon, liver, and kidneys will all vitally need to undergo cleansing.
Lose weight if you need to, because fat stores estrogen. Take a daily dose of GLA and spirulina to facilitate weight loss and help with pains and cramps. Increase fiber in your diet; this also absorbs estrogen and helps remove it through the bowel.
Use vaginal pessaries every third night and douche with herbs at least once a week—these methods will help the body to rid the area of localized infection and encourage the regrowth of normal tissue.
Hot and cold showers and sitz baths will help to maintain circulation in the womb area; this is vital for the healing process.
For pain, use a hot castor-oil pack over the area.
This What Causes Endometriosis article is taken from :
The complete home guide to herbs, natural healing, and nutrition / Jill Rosemary Davies.
Sluggish periods with inadequate emptying of the womb each month could also be a possibility. Endometrial cells have been found in young girls, however, which does suggest a genetic link.
While the causes of endometriosis are not really understood, recent information suggests that a poorly functioning immune system might, in part, be responsible. If the immune system is not functioning properly, any invasive straying cells, which should be instantaneously killed off, are not. Instead they travel through the bloodstream or lymph system and are deposited in other organs, such as the lungs.
If this disorder is caught early, many positive steps can be taken, but treatment must be very committed and consistent. Orthodox methods of surgery and drugs can be used, but male steroid drugs like danazol, which prevent menstruation, have alarming side effects. Many patients feel very depressed on it, and an increasing number of doctors prefer not to use it.
As in pregnancy (another suggested “cure” for endometriosis), it is designed to work by giving the body a chance to stop menstruating. Another treatment consists of giving synthetic progesterone, but this does not suit all women or even help the situation.
Symptoms can include pelvic pain—especially at the times of ovulation and menstruation—irregular or excessive menstrual bleeding; backache (lower back especially); painful lovemaking; infertility; discomfort in the stomach, small intestine, and large intestine; painful urination; prolonged menstrual bleeding; and constipation and diarrhea in fluctuation.
Areas that should be considered when treating endometriosis are as follows:
Maintain a good diet of whole grains, vegetables, and plenty of citrus fruit. Include superfood.
Avoid meats, dairy products, and eggs that have been produced using synthetic hormones.
Avoid coffee, tea, and chocolate, as they also produce extra estrogen. Avoid alcohol because it harms the liver, which must remain healthy.
For excessive bleeding, use equal parts of yarrow leaf and alfalfa leaf. (With the supervision of a qualified herbalist, the herb beth root could also be used.)
There is always a possibility that infection may be lurking. To deal with this, use barberry root bark at the beginning of the program.
Liver herbs like wild yam root, barberry root bark, cinnamon stick, dandelion root, and milk thistle seed will be essential.
The immune system should be functioning efficiently; include herbs like pau d’arco inner bark, chamomile flower, and echinacea root.
Use endocrine herbs to balance and tone the system (avoiding those that encourage estrogen production). Use a combination of two parts each of squaw vine leaf (and other aerial parts) and chaste tree berry; and one part each of nettle root, sarsaparilla root, Chinese licorice root, and red raspberry leaf.
For excessive cramps and pain, use equal parts of lobelia leaf, pasqueflower, black cohosh root, and cramp bark.
For pain herbs, try corydalis tuber and poppy petal tincture.
The colon, liver, and kidneys will all vitally need to undergo cleansing.
Lose weight if you need to, because fat stores estrogen. Take a daily dose of GLA and spirulina to facilitate weight loss and help with pains and cramps. Increase fiber in your diet; this also absorbs estrogen and helps remove it through the bowel.
Use vaginal pessaries every third night and douche with herbs at least once a week—these methods will help the body to rid the area of localized infection and encourage the regrowth of normal tissue.
Hot and cold showers and sitz baths will help to maintain circulation in the womb area; this is vital for the healing process.
For pain, use a hot castor-oil pack over the area.
This What Causes Endometriosis article is taken from :
The complete home guide to herbs, natural healing, and nutrition / Jill Rosemary Davies.
How to Treat an Ulcer with Herbs
Ulcers are very often the culmination of long-term stomach problems that many doctors believe often result from untreated bacterial infection. The resulting excessive acidity can literally burn the stomach walls, leaving them inflamed and even bleeding. These problems can also mean that the mucous membranes of the gut wall are no longer able to function in a healthy way, so that acid and digestive enzymes come in contact with the wall and erode, disturb, and irritate. The result is an ulcer, which is very painful. A condition known as leaky gut syndrome can also develop, to which the body responds by increasing barrier protection. This “armoring” produces a further complication of larger-than-normal molecules being absorbed by the gut, which in turn creates an immune response and a generalized allergic reaction. Both conditions should be treated in the same way.
Start each morning with a glass of springwater and fresh lemon juice—this combination eradicates excess hydrochloric acid and removes any lingering food from the night before. It can also encourage the correct production of hydrochloric acid.
Foods should be easily digestible and nonfatty, with no highly fibrous food, nuts, or cooked spices.
Include culinary herbs such as fennel, garlic, caraway, tumeric, mint, ginger, and basil, to aid digestion and ward off bacterial opportunists.
Eat apple puree, rice, pureed vegetables, and all easily digestible foods (see chapter 4) while the healing process is taking place.
Eat pineapples and papayas for extra digestive help; include aloe vera juice as a drink to prevent any harm to the stomach walls.
Take one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar daily in half a cup of apple juice.
Food intake should be slow, unhurried, and calm. Chewing should be thorough and slow. Eating without talking can be helpful initially.
If a major cause of the ulcer is stress and worry, take chamomile flower tea to feed and calm the nervous system. Valerian root will be invaluable in the short term.
Daily meadowsweet leaf and gentian root will help to soothe and balance stomach acids and general digestive enzymes.
Besides bacterial infection, the cause of gastric ulcers can be nerve-related, so nerve soothers and feeders will be useful. Try equal amounts of chamomile flower, wood betony leaf, skullcap leaf, and wild lettuce leaves. On a short-term basis, take valerian root.
To heal the ulcer, use powders of slippery elm inner bark, marshmallow root, licorice root, and chamomile flower. These powders can be mixed with aloe vera gel and eaten as a mush sweetened with honey several times a day. These herbs will coat, heal, allow tissue regrowth, and sustain a lubricated seal between incoming food, stomach acids, and the painful ulcer.
Liver and bowel cleanses will be vital..
Exercise, sing, dance, and meditate to relieve any stress.
This How to Treat an Ulcer with Herbs article is taken from :
The complete home guide to herbs, natural healing, and nutrition / Jill Rosemary Davies.
Start each morning with a glass of springwater and fresh lemon juice—this combination eradicates excess hydrochloric acid and removes any lingering food from the night before. It can also encourage the correct production of hydrochloric acid.
Foods should be easily digestible and nonfatty, with no highly fibrous food, nuts, or cooked spices.
Include culinary herbs such as fennel, garlic, caraway, tumeric, mint, ginger, and basil, to aid digestion and ward off bacterial opportunists.
Eat apple puree, rice, pureed vegetables, and all easily digestible foods (see chapter 4) while the healing process is taking place.
Eat pineapples and papayas for extra digestive help; include aloe vera juice as a drink to prevent any harm to the stomach walls.
Take one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar daily in half a cup of apple juice.
Food intake should be slow, unhurried, and calm. Chewing should be thorough and slow. Eating without talking can be helpful initially.
If a major cause of the ulcer is stress and worry, take chamomile flower tea to feed and calm the nervous system. Valerian root will be invaluable in the short term.
Daily meadowsweet leaf and gentian root will help to soothe and balance stomach acids and general digestive enzymes.
Besides bacterial infection, the cause of gastric ulcers can be nerve-related, so nerve soothers and feeders will be useful. Try equal amounts of chamomile flower, wood betony leaf, skullcap leaf, and wild lettuce leaves. On a short-term basis, take valerian root.
To heal the ulcer, use powders of slippery elm inner bark, marshmallow root, licorice root, and chamomile flower. These powders can be mixed with aloe vera gel and eaten as a mush sweetened with honey several times a day. These herbs will coat, heal, allow tissue regrowth, and sustain a lubricated seal between incoming food, stomach acids, and the painful ulcer.
Liver and bowel cleanses will be vital..
Exercise, sing, dance, and meditate to relieve any stress.
This How to Treat an Ulcer with Herbs article is taken from :
The complete home guide to herbs, natural healing, and nutrition / Jill Rosemary Davies.
Gastritis Causes & Herbal Treatment
Gastritis literally means “inflammation of the stomach.” It may have a number of causes. Very often it is not so much an infection as a condition brought about by the fierce acidity of the digestive juices (which is usually enough to kill most bacteria). Often, poisons have been swallowed—sometimes in the form of bacteria on food or from improperly prepared or preserved foods. Alcohol, aspirin, and even tar from cigarettes are other causes of gastric inflammation.
Fasting is recommended in this situation to give the stomach as little to work on—or to revolt against—as possible. It is best to drink water at room temperature (that is, neither hot nor cold).
The first foods should be onion and garlic soup, alternated with slippery elm inner bark powder stirred into water or a ripe banana. (Or try the herbal formula of powdered slippery elm inner bark, marshmallow root, licorice root, and peppermint leaves.)
Take acidophilus capsules to help repopulate beneficial bowel flora.
When you are able to keep things down, take echinacea root tincture diluted in water.
Take cayenne pepper to rebuild the mucous membrane lining, and drink meadowsweet leaf tea daily.
This Gastritis Causes & Herbal Treatment article is taken from :
The complete home guide to herbs, natural healing, and nutrition / Jill Rosemary Davies.
Fasting is recommended in this situation to give the stomach as little to work on—or to revolt against—as possible. It is best to drink water at room temperature (that is, neither hot nor cold).
The first foods should be onion and garlic soup, alternated with slippery elm inner bark powder stirred into water or a ripe banana. (Or try the herbal formula of powdered slippery elm inner bark, marshmallow root, licorice root, and peppermint leaves.)
Take acidophilus capsules to help repopulate beneficial bowel flora.
When you are able to keep things down, take echinacea root tincture diluted in water.
Take cayenne pepper to rebuild the mucous membrane lining, and drink meadowsweet leaf tea daily.
This Gastritis Causes & Herbal Treatment article is taken from :
The complete home guide to herbs, natural healing, and nutrition / Jill Rosemary Davies.
Hay Fever Symptoms & Natural Treatment
Poor digestion and a weakened immune system can lead to hay fever, a pollen allergy. Itchy, streaming eyes and nose along with sneezing are the unpleasant symptoms, which can progress to asthma. This allergy is starting earlier and earlier in the year in Britain with the warming of the climate. It is more common in the hay and summer season, but it can start as soon as the first flowers bloom.
Change your diet. Start by cutting out wheat, dairy products, tea, and coffee. If your diet is already good, you are probably low immunally or simply have poor digestive abilities, stress, exposure to pollutants, or some other challenge to your immune system.
Taking local organic honey year-round can build your resistance to the pollens in your area. One to two grains of bee pollen daily, taken consistently, is the key, especially for the one and a half months prior to your particular pollen season.
Your immune system needs strengthening
Liver and bowel cleanses will be vital to address intestinal and digestive imbalances.
General herbs to address all of the relevant issues would include four parts of mullein flowers; three parts of echinacea root; two parts each of barberry root bark, elder flowers, marshmallow root, Astragalus root, St. John’s wort flower, and eyebright leaf and flower; and one part each of gentian root, lobelia leaf, burdock root, cayenne pod, dandelion root, and licorice root. Many others will work for different reasons.
Plantain leaf is a natural antihistamine and soothes irritated mucus membranes as well as helping with actual infections. It also dissolves mucus, and being so common, like elder flowers, it’s an easy plant to identify and collect away from car fumes.
Make your own rose petal oil—it helps all allergies.
If your sinuses are very congested, use snuff to relieve the pressure.
If your eyes are itchy, use the eye formula Refrain from rubbing them.
Rub castor oil around the eyes if itchy and swollen.
This Hay Fever Symptoms & Natural Treatment article is taken from :
The complete home guide to herbs, natural healing, and nutrition / Jill Rosemary Davies.
Change your diet. Start by cutting out wheat, dairy products, tea, and coffee. If your diet is already good, you are probably low immunally or simply have poor digestive abilities, stress, exposure to pollutants, or some other challenge to your immune system.
Taking local organic honey year-round can build your resistance to the pollens in your area. One to two grains of bee pollen daily, taken consistently, is the key, especially for the one and a half months prior to your particular pollen season.
Your immune system needs strengthening
Liver and bowel cleanses will be vital to address intestinal and digestive imbalances.
General herbs to address all of the relevant issues would include four parts of mullein flowers; three parts of echinacea root; two parts each of barberry root bark, elder flowers, marshmallow root, Astragalus root, St. John’s wort flower, and eyebright leaf and flower; and one part each of gentian root, lobelia leaf, burdock root, cayenne pod, dandelion root, and licorice root. Many others will work for different reasons.
Plantain leaf is a natural antihistamine and soothes irritated mucus membranes as well as helping with actual infections. It also dissolves mucus, and being so common, like elder flowers, it’s an easy plant to identify and collect away from car fumes.
Make your own rose petal oil—it helps all allergies.
If your sinuses are very congested, use snuff to relieve the pressure.
If your eyes are itchy, use the eye formula Refrain from rubbing them.
Rub castor oil around the eyes if itchy and swollen.
This Hay Fever Symptoms & Natural Treatment article is taken from :
The complete home guide to herbs, natural healing, and nutrition / Jill Rosemary Davies.
Herbal Headache Home Remedies
Head pain can be of many types and have many causes. Among the most common causes are a toxic bowel, constipation, liver overload, premenstrual tension and other hormonal imbalances, high blood pressure, or a faulty diet rich in stimulants, chocolates, and sweets. Occasional headaches can often be part of a circulatory problem. A simple way of finding out whether they are is to test with a hot washcloth or ice on the temples (see below for details of these tests). An acid buildup can also produce migraines. Correct diagnosis of the type of headache you have will be all-important.
Dietary changes will be vital, particularly omitting dairy products, wheat products, alcohol, tea, and coffee. Drink plenty of water.
If a hot washcloth calms the headache, it means that the blood vessels are constricted and need dilating. Rosemary leaf tea will calm and feed the nervous system, yet dilate the blood vessels; ginkgo leaf and prickly ash berry will help get oxygen to the brain, if this is what is needed.
If ice on the temples relieves the pain, you need to calm and close down your overdilated blood vessels; in that case, use lime tree (Tilia) flower and chamomile flower made up as tea.
Herbs for the nervous system will help to relieve stress headaches, while other headaches may come from the liver, diet, or bowel—you may need some further diagnosis to determine exact causes and treatment.
Willow bark and meadowsweet leaf both contain salicylic acid, which helps to relieve the pain of headaches—make decoctions.
Feverfew leaf tea can particularly help migraines.
Liver and colon cleanses will be necessary if the headache originates from toxicity.
If you suffer from sinus headaches, you will need to use herbal snuff and inhalations of essential oils.
This Herbal Headache Home Remedies article is taken from :
The complete home guide to herbs, natural healing, and nutrition / Jill Rosemary Davies.
Dietary changes will be vital, particularly omitting dairy products, wheat products, alcohol, tea, and coffee. Drink plenty of water.
If a hot washcloth calms the headache, it means that the blood vessels are constricted and need dilating. Rosemary leaf tea will calm and feed the nervous system, yet dilate the blood vessels; ginkgo leaf and prickly ash berry will help get oxygen to the brain, if this is what is needed.
If ice on the temples relieves the pain, you need to calm and close down your overdilated blood vessels; in that case, use lime tree (Tilia) flower and chamomile flower made up as tea.
Herbs for the nervous system will help to relieve stress headaches, while other headaches may come from the liver, diet, or bowel—you may need some further diagnosis to determine exact causes and treatment.
Willow bark and meadowsweet leaf both contain salicylic acid, which helps to relieve the pain of headaches—make decoctions.
Feverfew leaf tea can particularly help migraines.
Liver and colon cleanses will be necessary if the headache originates from toxicity.
If you suffer from sinus headaches, you will need to use herbal snuff and inhalations of essential oils.
This Herbal Headache Home Remedies article is taken from :
The complete home guide to herbs, natural healing, and nutrition / Jill Rosemary Davies.
Heart Attack Causes & Herbal Remedies
Many circulatory and heart problems can lead to a heart attack. These episodes can be demoralizing and scary, and may leave permanent damage or impairment. Yet a warning can be just the jolt needed to get you to change your eating habits and lifestyle radically, with very beneficial effects, as many people have discovered.
High cholesterol levels and fatty and plaque deposits, with resultant severe blockages in the system, can cause heart attacks. Other causes can be high blood pressure, clotting of blood vessels (thrombosis), and blood stickiness, caused by platelets clumping together and blocking veins. Thus anyone who has any of these problems should be aware that there are some very useful herbal first-aid measures available; I have seen them prevent what could probably have been much more serious situations, time and again. The following first-aid measures can be used in cases of suspected heart attack or stroke, while waiting for an ambulance:
Cayenne tincture should always be the first step. It helps to relieve the heart spasm, partly because it is rich in magnesium. It also stabilizes blood pressure quickly. Always have some tincture at hand—in your handbag, car, or kitchen cupboard. Put one teaspoon in a glass of warm water and drink as much as possible immediately.
Next, take a few drops of lobelia leaf tincture. This will also relax spasms, relieve shock, and balance whatever extremes of the nervous system are being displayed. The patient will usually feel a difference in moments.
If you have it at hand and can remember to use it, place a drop or two of camphor essential oil over the patient’s heart and under the nose. Camphor is a vasoconstrictor and increases blood pressure quite quickly. It’s a useful item to have at hand for those in a risk category.
The following suggestions are useful for long-term treatment:
Eat an appropriate diet.
Long-term use of heart herbs such as hawthorn flower, leaf, and berry can make huge improvements.
If you smoke, then stop.
Good food, exercise, and a generally good lifestyle are essential.
Doctors often prescribe aspirin for people who’ve had a heart attack because it helps to thin the blood. Unfortunately, aspirin can really disrupt your stomach lining and your digestion. You may wish to include meadowsweet leaf and white willow bark tea—both rich in salicylate—or red clover flower tea, which is rich in blood thinners.
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is often recommended as a protection against heart attacks in older women. In fact, a nineteen-year study by the department of family and preventive medicine at the University of California, San Diego, found no change in heart attack death rates among menopausal women taking HRT. Balanced hormone levels are important, however, including thyroid function, so women should use herbs to balance these—as should men.
Massage oils made with lavender, frankincense, geranium, or ylang-ylang (grades 1 or 2) would also be useful, and a few drops in the bath would be calming.
This Heart Attack Causes article is taken from :
The complete home guide to herbs, natural healing, and nutrition / Jill Rosemary Davies.
High cholesterol levels and fatty and plaque deposits, with resultant severe blockages in the system, can cause heart attacks. Other causes can be high blood pressure, clotting of blood vessels (thrombosis), and blood stickiness, caused by platelets clumping together and blocking veins. Thus anyone who has any of these problems should be aware that there are some very useful herbal first-aid measures available; I have seen them prevent what could probably have been much more serious situations, time and again. The following first-aid measures can be used in cases of suspected heart attack or stroke, while waiting for an ambulance:
Cayenne tincture should always be the first step. It helps to relieve the heart spasm, partly because it is rich in magnesium. It also stabilizes blood pressure quickly. Always have some tincture at hand—in your handbag, car, or kitchen cupboard. Put one teaspoon in a glass of warm water and drink as much as possible immediately.
Next, take a few drops of lobelia leaf tincture. This will also relax spasms, relieve shock, and balance whatever extremes of the nervous system are being displayed. The patient will usually feel a difference in moments.
If you have it at hand and can remember to use it, place a drop or two of camphor essential oil over the patient’s heart and under the nose. Camphor is a vasoconstrictor and increases blood pressure quite quickly. It’s a useful item to have at hand for those in a risk category.
The following suggestions are useful for long-term treatment:
Eat an appropriate diet.
Long-term use of heart herbs such as hawthorn flower, leaf, and berry can make huge improvements.
If you smoke, then stop.
Good food, exercise, and a generally good lifestyle are essential.
Doctors often prescribe aspirin for people who’ve had a heart attack because it helps to thin the blood. Unfortunately, aspirin can really disrupt your stomach lining and your digestion. You may wish to include meadowsweet leaf and white willow bark tea—both rich in salicylate—or red clover flower tea, which is rich in blood thinners.
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is often recommended as a protection against heart attacks in older women. In fact, a nineteen-year study by the department of family and preventive medicine at the University of California, San Diego, found no change in heart attack death rates among menopausal women taking HRT. Balanced hormone levels are important, however, including thyroid function, so women should use herbs to balance these—as should men.
Massage oils made with lavender, frankincense, geranium, or ylang-ylang (grades 1 or 2) would also be useful, and a few drops in the bath would be calming.
This Heart Attack Causes article is taken from :
The complete home guide to herbs, natural healing, and nutrition / Jill Rosemary Davies.
Heart Disease Causes & Herbal Treatment
The pains across the chest experienced in angina are caused by a lack of blood supply to the heart, resulting in a lack of usable oxygen in the heart tissue. Nitroglycerin (an explosive!) is given to angina sufferers—the drugs used are often called calcium channel blockers because, just like many other muscle pains, a heart pain, or angina, is often due to a lack of calcium. This lack of calcium causes an uncomfortable tightening or tensing. Usually when the symptoms are diagnosed as angina pectoris (which simply means “pains across the chest”), no doctor knows what the specific cause is. Indeed, I have seen this diagnosis given to a variety of conditions, from simple emotional upset to sudden strenuous exercise, high cholesterol, or excessive plaque in the arteries. The clogging effect of excess cholesterol, general debris, or calcium (plaque) causes the arteries and veins leading to and from the heart to become blocked, occasionally only allowing a trickle of blood through at a time. This blockage results in chest pains. Another cause of circulatory blockage can be pieces of this plaque breaking off and floating around the circulatory system, perhaps finally lodging somewhere where a natural narrowing occurs, and blocking off the vessel to a greater or lesser degree. What makes it worse is the formation of fresh blood clots, which increase the size of the obstruction. These could be fatal, causing a heart attack. Angina can be a warning of that ongoing possibility. Stress can also cause a lack of oxygen availability to the heart (and chronic candidiasis and indigestion can mirror and cause angina pains).
For lesser problems, the vessels need immediate dilation to allow more blood through. For long-term treatment of the cause, the blockage—whether it be fat or calcium—must be cleared.
Fats to avoid are polyunsaturated margarine, dairy products, and meat. Soy margarine would be safe. Virgin olive oil, either heated at low temperatures (not above 90°F) or raw, is also beneficial.
Vitamin C and lysine will be vital.
Avoid coffee, tea, alcohol, and spicy cooked foods.
You need lots of garlic—at least two fat cloves of garlic for lunch and two for supper. There is no cheaper or more perfect medicine.
Lots of leeks, onions, and spring onions would be good, too.
You should take some source of GLA: evening primrose seed oil or black currant seed oil.
If you usually feel cold, add cayenne powder to your regime. Take up to three capsules, three times daily. Start at a much lower dose than this and gradually build up as your body becomes acclimated. Continue for three months, then stop if you wish.
A herbal formula that will immediately help the heart and will work long term would be two parts hawthorn berry, and one part each of ginkgo leaf, motherwort leaf, and cayenne pod. They can be used in tincture form if capsules are unsuitable.
Herbs to calm and relax would be skullcap leaf, black cohosh root, oat straw, passionflower, gotu kola herb, lobelia pod, and, in the short term, valerian root.
A nutritional herbal drink would be equal parts of alfalfa leaf, red clover flower, and nettle leaf tea.
Cleanses and hot and cold showers will be vital.
Exercise, but pace yourself. You will need expert help and guidance, because overdoing it could be dangerous. Taking no exercise at all, however, could be equally dangerous. You need to find the correct middle way for your own needs. Start with gentle walking interspersed with frequent rests, making sure that you have someone else with you in case any problems arise. Increase as your heart and chest pains allow. You could eventually walk alone, but always let someone know you’re out and roughly how long you intend to be. Eventually, cycling and a wider variety of exercise may be possible.
This Heart Disease Causes & Herbal Treatment article is taken from :
The complete home guide to herbs, natural healing, and nutrition / Jill Rosemary Davies.
For lesser problems, the vessels need immediate dilation to allow more blood through. For long-term treatment of the cause, the blockage—whether it be fat or calcium—must be cleared.
Fats to avoid are polyunsaturated margarine, dairy products, and meat. Soy margarine would be safe. Virgin olive oil, either heated at low temperatures (not above 90°F) or raw, is also beneficial.
Vitamin C and lysine will be vital.
Avoid coffee, tea, alcohol, and spicy cooked foods.
You need lots of garlic—at least two fat cloves of garlic for lunch and two for supper. There is no cheaper or more perfect medicine.
Lots of leeks, onions, and spring onions would be good, too.
You should take some source of GLA: evening primrose seed oil or black currant seed oil.
If you usually feel cold, add cayenne powder to your regime. Take up to three capsules, three times daily. Start at a much lower dose than this and gradually build up as your body becomes acclimated. Continue for three months, then stop if you wish.
A herbal formula that will immediately help the heart and will work long term would be two parts hawthorn berry, and one part each of ginkgo leaf, motherwort leaf, and cayenne pod. They can be used in tincture form if capsules are unsuitable.
Herbs to calm and relax would be skullcap leaf, black cohosh root, oat straw, passionflower, gotu kola herb, lobelia pod, and, in the short term, valerian root.
A nutritional herbal drink would be equal parts of alfalfa leaf, red clover flower, and nettle leaf tea.
Cleanses and hot and cold showers will be vital.
Exercise, but pace yourself. You will need expert help and guidance, because overdoing it could be dangerous. Taking no exercise at all, however, could be equally dangerous. You need to find the correct middle way for your own needs. Start with gentle walking interspersed with frequent rests, making sure that you have someone else with you in case any problems arise. Increase as your heart and chest pains allow. You could eventually walk alone, but always let someone know you’re out and roughly how long you intend to be. Eventually, cycling and a wider variety of exercise may be possible.
This Heart Disease Causes & Herbal Treatment article is taken from :
The complete home guide to herbs, natural healing, and nutrition / Jill Rosemary Davies.
Treating Hemorrhoids With Herbal
Hemorrhoids are ballooning flaps of skin in the rectum or anus that are very painful, usually more so when passing a bowel movement, as they are irritated by the pressure. An anal fissure forms when weakened and stretched tissue has split, remaining as a wound that is constantly sore and difficult to heal. With hemorrhoids (or piles) it’s important to consider the state of the whole digestive system, including constipation, diarrhea, bowel irritability, and liver function, which is often found to be faulty in this situation.
Drink plenty of water, and eat fiber in the form of fruit and vegetables.
Aloe vera juice and meadowsweet leaf and flower tea will be two basic herbs to start with.
Use a mixture of black walnut hull, a little oak bark, and some yarrow leaf; marshmallow root to soothe; myrrh resin to disinfect; a touch of cayenne pepper in case of bleeding; and some Chinese rhubarb root as an all-round bowel balancer. Make this combination into an ointment using a base of olive oil and coconut butter, along with benzoin essential oil and witch hazel essential oil. Use the ointment very frequently, before and after bowel movements and in between if possible. The same herbs can be mixed as powders. Add equal parts to capsules and take daily. Pure or diluted witch hazel can help for quick relief.
A slant-board treatment will be useful.
Take cold sitz baths, which can help severely prolapsed piles, as can sitting on bags of frozen peas at intervals.
An anal suppository will help heal and support the area. Useful herbs would be barberry bark powder, black walnut hull powder, a pinch of cayenne, and witch hazel essential oil.
This Treating Hemorrhoids With Herbal article is taken from :
The complete home guide to herbs, natural healing, and nutrition / Jill Rosemary Davies.
Drink plenty of water, and eat fiber in the form of fruit and vegetables.
Aloe vera juice and meadowsweet leaf and flower tea will be two basic herbs to start with.
Use a mixture of black walnut hull, a little oak bark, and some yarrow leaf; marshmallow root to soothe; myrrh resin to disinfect; a touch of cayenne pepper in case of bleeding; and some Chinese rhubarb root as an all-round bowel balancer. Make this combination into an ointment using a base of olive oil and coconut butter, along with benzoin essential oil and witch hazel essential oil. Use the ointment very frequently, before and after bowel movements and in between if possible. The same herbs can be mixed as powders. Add equal parts to capsules and take daily. Pure or diluted witch hazel can help for quick relief.
A slant-board treatment will be useful.
Take cold sitz baths, which can help severely prolapsed piles, as can sitting on bags of frozen peas at intervals.
An anal suppository will help heal and support the area. Useful herbs would be barberry bark powder, black walnut hull powder, a pinch of cayenne, and witch hazel essential oil.
This Treating Hemorrhoids With Herbal article is taken from :
The complete home guide to herbs, natural healing, and nutrition / Jill Rosemary Davies.
Herbal Hepatitis Treatment
Hepatitis is a form of liver disease that has several different causal agents, its types currently labeled A, B, and C. Less common ones also exist. It takes the form of liver inflammation, usually caused by a viral infection, which leaves the liver enlarged and unable to function properly. Treatment before travel to countries where hepatitis is endemic is preferable to vaccination; I have known of many cases in which the patient felt that the vaccination was responsible for later symptoms and, occasionally, for the full-blown disease. Conventional medical practitioners will openly admit that vaccination does not necessarily stop one from contracting hepatitis. Symptoms include headaches, facial flushing, inflamed gums, tenderness from inflammation in the liver area, diarrhea, a yellow coating on the side of the tongue, a profound sense of fatigue and loss of well-being, and possibly migraine headaches. Hepatitis A is transmitted through food, blood, water, bodily fluids, and other sources of infection, and is usually acute and infectious. Hepatitis B is more likely to be transmitted by bodily fluids including blood. It has an incubation period of three months, and is usually chronic. Hepatitis C is also infectious, present in blood and in broken, weeping skin. Current treatment of hepatitis C involves prolonged doses of interferon, which can make the patient feel permanently ill with flulike symptoms while simply delaying the regeneration of the liver. Hepatitis is known to increase the likelihood of other liver disease in later life.
Hepatitis is called chronic when it lasts longer than six months. Chills, fever, and malaise accompany acute hepatitis. Although liver function tests can be useful, generally no specific treatment is recommended except rest for hepatitis A and B. Isolation may possibly be recommended, depending on the type.
Hepatitis needs different treatment depending on the type. But all types will respond to the following treatments:
Bile needs to be decongested in this situation, and the “fire” and “heat” of the problem purged and cooled. Many herbs common to the kitchen and garden will help: dandelion root, turmeric root, mint leaf, oregano leaf, and burdock root. Avoid cooked and raw hot spices and alcohol at all cost.
Gentian root is a bitter tonic to be taken before meals. It is an ancient European remedy for all digestive and liver and gallbladder problems. Meadowsweet leaf, common in Europe, will also be useful. Siberian ginseng root for tonic support will be vital, as may other tonic herbs depending on the symptoms displayed. Expert advice will be vital.
Use milk thistle seed though cautiously and in small doses so as not to push the liver too hard. The silymarin it contains has been found to have protective and regenerative properties, making it effective in chronic and postacute hepatitis. Milk thistle is known to protect liver cells from injury, toxins, free radicals, and viral toxins, and to increase the population of liver enzymes—all of which encourage a quick recovery from injury, while stimulating regeneration of liver tissue. Schisandra berry and dandelion root will also be vital for their powerful and balanced liver detoxification abilities.
The spleen will need to be assisted to perform better (it can occasionally show slight enlargement with hepatitis C). Use echinacea root, olive leaf, and turmeric rhizome to assist immunity.
Under supervision, liver and gallbladder cleanses, along with a colon cleanse are essential. Use barberry root bark and other liver and bowel cleansers as well.
Castor-oil packs over the liver will help.
For more natural-healing practices, diet, and routines for the liver, gallbladder, and spleen. A bland diet with steamed, stewed food is essential. Vigilance will keep this disease to a minimum, so that it neither recurs nor worsens.
This Herbal Hepatitis Treatment article is taken from :
The complete home guide to herbs, natural healing, and nutrition / Jill Rosemary Davies.
Hepatitis is called chronic when it lasts longer than six months. Chills, fever, and malaise accompany acute hepatitis. Although liver function tests can be useful, generally no specific treatment is recommended except rest for hepatitis A and B. Isolation may possibly be recommended, depending on the type.
Hepatitis needs different treatment depending on the type. But all types will respond to the following treatments:
Bile needs to be decongested in this situation, and the “fire” and “heat” of the problem purged and cooled. Many herbs common to the kitchen and garden will help: dandelion root, turmeric root, mint leaf, oregano leaf, and burdock root. Avoid cooked and raw hot spices and alcohol at all cost.
Gentian root is a bitter tonic to be taken before meals. It is an ancient European remedy for all digestive and liver and gallbladder problems. Meadowsweet leaf, common in Europe, will also be useful. Siberian ginseng root for tonic support will be vital, as may other tonic herbs depending on the symptoms displayed. Expert advice will be vital.
Use milk thistle seed though cautiously and in small doses so as not to push the liver too hard. The silymarin it contains has been found to have protective and regenerative properties, making it effective in chronic and postacute hepatitis. Milk thistle is known to protect liver cells from injury, toxins, free radicals, and viral toxins, and to increase the population of liver enzymes—all of which encourage a quick recovery from injury, while stimulating regeneration of liver tissue. Schisandra berry and dandelion root will also be vital for their powerful and balanced liver detoxification abilities.
The spleen will need to be assisted to perform better (it can occasionally show slight enlargement with hepatitis C). Use echinacea root, olive leaf, and turmeric rhizome to assist immunity.
Under supervision, liver and gallbladder cleanses, along with a colon cleanse are essential. Use barberry root bark and other liver and bowel cleansers as well.
Castor-oil packs over the liver will help.
For more natural-healing practices, diet, and routines for the liver, gallbladder, and spleen. A bland diet with steamed, stewed food is essential. Vigilance will keep this disease to a minimum, so that it neither recurs nor worsens.
This Herbal Hepatitis Treatment article is taken from :
The complete home guide to herbs, natural healing, and nutrition / Jill Rosemary Davies.
Herbal Hypertension Treatment
Hypertension is a well-known and common condition in society nowadays, probably because of our diets and lifestyle. It can be hereditary or caused by individual habits and stress levels. Its physical causes can include heart and circulatory imbalance, troubled kidneys, sluggish or overactive hormones, a lack of calcium or defective calcium metabolism, obesity, clogged arteries, nervousness, and worry. The dangers of persistent high blood pressure are damage to the brain, heart, and kidneys. The brain, kidneys, adrenal glands, and autonomic nervous system control blood pressure.
Eat sensibly and cut out tea, coffee, salt, alcohol, sugar, chocolate, fats, and cigarettes.
Avoid hot cooked spices except for cayenne capsules, and take large amounts of garlic with cool herbs like thyme, chives, marjoram, coriander, fennel, and cumin.
Search out potassium-rich foods, such as bananas, dried fruit, nectarines, melons, potatoes (with skins), broccoli, pumpkins, and potassium broth .
Good oils to take internally are those rich in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. These can be found in the form of flaxseed oil capsules, GLA capsules, and olive oil.
Good basic herbs to support, buffer, elasticize, dilate, and clear blockages in the veins and arteries are ginkgo leaf, lime tree (Tilia) flower, and hawthorn flower, leaf, and berry.
If your high blood pressure is known to be emotionally based, then learn to relax and breathe. Consider valerian root in the short term, and oat straw and skullcap leaf in the long term, in order to feed the nervous system.
If the body is physically tense, use three parts cramp bark accompanied by one part lobelia leaf.
Exercise and hydrotherapy are vital for increasing circulation.
This Hypertension Treatment article is taken from :
The complete home guide to herbs, natural healing, and nutrition / Jill Rosemary Davies.
Eat sensibly and cut out tea, coffee, salt, alcohol, sugar, chocolate, fats, and cigarettes.
Avoid hot cooked spices except for cayenne capsules, and take large amounts of garlic with cool herbs like thyme, chives, marjoram, coriander, fennel, and cumin.
Search out potassium-rich foods, such as bananas, dried fruit, nectarines, melons, potatoes (with skins), broccoli, pumpkins, and potassium broth .
Good oils to take internally are those rich in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. These can be found in the form of flaxseed oil capsules, GLA capsules, and olive oil.
Good basic herbs to support, buffer, elasticize, dilate, and clear blockages in the veins and arteries are ginkgo leaf, lime tree (Tilia) flower, and hawthorn flower, leaf, and berry.
If your high blood pressure is known to be emotionally based, then learn to relax and breathe. Consider valerian root in the short term, and oat straw and skullcap leaf in the long term, in order to feed the nervous system.
If the body is physically tense, use three parts cramp bark accompanied by one part lobelia leaf.
Exercise and hydrotherapy are vital for increasing circulation.
This Hypertension Treatment article is taken from :
The complete home guide to herbs, natural healing, and nutrition / Jill Rosemary Davies.
Hypoglycemia Causes & Treatment
Low blood sugar is currently a very prevalent problem, especially among women, and is often at its worst when a woman is premenstrual. Men can also suffer, but they are in a minority. Sugar cravings can take the form of outright sugar bingeing with the consumption of unusual amounts of chocolate, or more discreet searches for dried fruit around the kitchen. Like diabetes, hypoglycemia is an imbalance of blood sugar levels, which often stems from imbalanced glycogen levels in the liver. To treat this problem, the liver and the pancreas will both need balancing and fortifying. It shows as a deficiency of sugar in the blood owing to overproduction of the hormone insulin in an attempt to provide much-needed supplies of energy. Excess insulin causes too much sugar to be driven into the cells, resulting in a sudden blood sugar drop. The brain is particularly affected; normal thinking will become difficult, as will talking, driving, or making sense. Never leave low blood sugar untreated, because when brain function is inhibited and therefore poor, the nervous system will deplete. The need to stop and sleep can be overpowering, should chocolate, coffee, cigarettes, or alcohol not be available to prop the situation up! Low blood sugar can also produce impatience and aggression.
So what causes this problem? There are many things—for instance, skipped meals and crash diets; unremitting stress; sudden weight loss; the intake of excessive amounts of refined carbohydrates, such as chips, cakes, snacks, and candy; excessive sugar intake; or excessive tea, coffee, and alcohol intake. In women, causes may include general endocrine imbalances, including premenstrual problems, menstrual imbalances, pregnancy, breastfeeding, and menopause. For both sexes pancreatic weakness and vitamin and mineral imbalances can contribute, including deficiencies of B vitamins, magnesium, chromium, manganese, zinc, and potassium. Poor liver function, digestive excesses and insufficiencies, and adrenal and thyroid function can also be factors. Candida is also a highly likely cause.
Many people do not know that they are hypoglycemic, but “swimming” feelings, shakiness, driven hunger, irritability, fatigue, indigestion, headaches, hyperactivity, anxiety, paranoia, sudden energy drops, even blackouts or “must sleep” times may all be indications of this. The list of symptoms seems endless—sweating, bad dreams, lack of libido, epilepsy, stomach cramps, and general allergies. It may be necessary to find a specialist to make a diagnosis for you. Very often the problem is constantly covered up and “supported” by increasing sugar intake when the worst feelings arrive. If left untreated, anemia, calcium depletion, immune deficiency, cancer, premenstrual syndrome, and many other conditions may arise. If too many refined-sugar foods and drinks are succumbed to, then protein requirements will increase. If this cycle continues, one often sees an alternating meat and sugar desire becoming stronger and stronger. A desire for sugar can also arise from a deficiency of protein, because of the controlling function that protein has on sugar; the metabolism decreases if protein is not provided, and consequently the sugar cravings increase. The conventional medical profession rarely diagnoses hypoglycemia, so many people are left untreated or confused. The truth of the matter is often seen when sugar in all its forms, apart from fresh fruit, is removed from the diet. At first this change will feel incredibly drastic, but by exchanging sugar for food and herbs that support blood sugar levels when they are very low, the problem will begin to even itself out. For sugar substitutes, see chapter 4. If you treat this condition carefully, you will avoid its possible development into something worse.
Follow the diet and herbal advice for diabetes and look at the adrenal glands, as they need support. Pay special attention to the intake of garlic, fiber, and water.
Superfood is wonderful for sustaining blood sugar levels between meals.
Take evening primrose oil capsules (GLA).
Take herbs to stimulate, tone, and support all digestive processes: meadowsweet leaf, aloe vera gel, gentian root, sorrel leaf, and dandelion root.
Take acidophilus capsules.
Liver and bowel cleanses are vital.
Take gentle exercise; walking and deep breathing are initially the best until your balance and stamina are developed. Exhausting activities like swimming, saunas, and so on should be avoided until the body is stronger.
This Hypoglycemia Causes & Treatment article is taken from :
The complete home guide to herbs, natural healing, and nutrition / Jill Rosemary Davies.
So what causes this problem? There are many things—for instance, skipped meals and crash diets; unremitting stress; sudden weight loss; the intake of excessive amounts of refined carbohydrates, such as chips, cakes, snacks, and candy; excessive sugar intake; or excessive tea, coffee, and alcohol intake. In women, causes may include general endocrine imbalances, including premenstrual problems, menstrual imbalances, pregnancy, breastfeeding, and menopause. For both sexes pancreatic weakness and vitamin and mineral imbalances can contribute, including deficiencies of B vitamins, magnesium, chromium, manganese, zinc, and potassium. Poor liver function, digestive excesses and insufficiencies, and adrenal and thyroid function can also be factors. Candida is also a highly likely cause.
Many people do not know that they are hypoglycemic, but “swimming” feelings, shakiness, driven hunger, irritability, fatigue, indigestion, headaches, hyperactivity, anxiety, paranoia, sudden energy drops, even blackouts or “must sleep” times may all be indications of this. The list of symptoms seems endless—sweating, bad dreams, lack of libido, epilepsy, stomach cramps, and general allergies. It may be necessary to find a specialist to make a diagnosis for you. Very often the problem is constantly covered up and “supported” by increasing sugar intake when the worst feelings arrive. If left untreated, anemia, calcium depletion, immune deficiency, cancer, premenstrual syndrome, and many other conditions may arise. If too many refined-sugar foods and drinks are succumbed to, then protein requirements will increase. If this cycle continues, one often sees an alternating meat and sugar desire becoming stronger and stronger. A desire for sugar can also arise from a deficiency of protein, because of the controlling function that protein has on sugar; the metabolism decreases if protein is not provided, and consequently the sugar cravings increase. The conventional medical profession rarely diagnoses hypoglycemia, so many people are left untreated or confused. The truth of the matter is often seen when sugar in all its forms, apart from fresh fruit, is removed from the diet. At first this change will feel incredibly drastic, but by exchanging sugar for food and herbs that support blood sugar levels when they are very low, the problem will begin to even itself out. For sugar substitutes, see chapter 4. If you treat this condition carefully, you will avoid its possible development into something worse.
Follow the diet and herbal advice for diabetes and look at the adrenal glands, as they need support. Pay special attention to the intake of garlic, fiber, and water.
Superfood is wonderful for sustaining blood sugar levels between meals.
Take evening primrose oil capsules (GLA).
Take herbs to stimulate, tone, and support all digestive processes: meadowsweet leaf, aloe vera gel, gentian root, sorrel leaf, and dandelion root.
Take acidophilus capsules.
Liver and bowel cleanses are vital.
Take gentle exercise; walking and deep breathing are initially the best until your balance and stamina are developed. Exhausting activities like swimming, saunas, and so on should be avoided until the body is stronger.
This Hypoglycemia Causes & Treatment article is taken from :
The complete home guide to herbs, natural healing, and nutrition / Jill Rosemary Davies.
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