Posted on 03/19/2019 5:52:42 PM PDT by little jeremiah
Many FReepers have knowledge to share about improving and maintaining health and would like to share it and learn from others; and others may not know much yet but want to learn. Some of us don't have much money for good insurance or doctors, some want to try other methods besides prescription meds, and some have experience in treating and solving health problems.
More and more "regular" doctors have accepted treatment methods such as the benefits of acupuncture, massage for many conditions, better diet, use of herbs and so on. There are limits, and often side effects, to some standard medical efforts.
My field is Ayurvedic herbalism and related measures, and have a lot of information I can post when I have time. I have seen herbs and sometimes dietary changes help people (including myself) with issues such as rheumatoid arthritis, high BP, gallstones, kidneystones, repeated boils, UTIs, prostate problems, insomnia, allergies, urinary incontinence, and many more. I hope to learn a lot from others with their knowledge and experience.
There are many "old fashioned" home care methods that were in common use a few generations ago that actually work and are cheap, such as castor oil packs, fomentations using alternating hot and cold water, and the like, which are easy to do. I am sure there is a lot of knowledge here on Free Republic that can be shared.
I would like this thread to stay civil without distruption, so my request is that people who think natural health methods are bunkum, make your own thread.
I just know about sciatic cause I have it, don’t know about the other condition. But then I’ve never been to a doctor about it.
I take Jatamansi in two formulas I make, one for the heart, and the other I described way back on the thread, I call it Relax and Sleep, does a lot of different things.
I would generally recommend taking Jatamansi with some other herbs, generally most herbs work better that way. But just starting out with it, might be useful to take by itself and see how that goes. It all depends on what condition you would be taking it for.
Here is a bit more info about Jatamansi, in addition to what I posted in #389, copying from Ayurvedic Herbs East & West by Vishnu Dass, with a few added comments by me:
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Jatamansi is a tridoshic (ie balancing for all constitutions) rejuvenative for the nervous system that shares the calming quality of valerian, its close Western relative (there is also an Indian valerian I use that is not as dulling), without creating dullness of the body or mind. It has affinities to the mind, nerves, muscles, heart, liver and GI tract. Its grounding effect on the mobile, erratic qualities of Vata (I need to explain these terms hopefully later today) makes it useful in the treatment of anxiety, restlessness, spasms, tremors, convulsions, and even epilepsy.
It has a sattvic quality (mode of goodness, peacefulness) that helps to cool and pacify the mind, improve memory and concentration, and enhance awareness. It is u seful for hyperactivity and the inability to focus, so it is expecially helpful for children labeled ADD and ADHD. For this, it can be formulated with herbs like Ashwagandha, Shankpushpi, Gingko, Bacopa, and Vacha.
When combined with equal parts Vacha, it revitalizes the mind and nervous system and helps balance Vata and Kapha. Its calming and stablizing actino helps to improve the functional integrity of prana vayu, the vital breath, and the aspect of vata which carries nutrients throughout the body via (sorry for the technical terms) rasa (basically plasma and lymph) and rakta dhatu (blood). It helps to relax the heart muscles and is a mild vasodilator used in the treatment of hypertension and hypotension (esp. when vata related), arrhythmia, and heart palpitations. In those cases, it combines well with Ashwagandha
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There is a lot more on the use of Jatamansi but those are the main uses. For heart, I would definitely use some other herbs as well, especially Arjuna which is the primary Ayurvedic herb for heart conditions, and Hawthorne is also very good but Arjuna is IMHO the superior herb for heart.
My heart formula is based on Arjuna:
6 pts Arjuna
3 pts Hawthorne
3 pts Jatamansi
2 pts Punarnava (good for excess water/edema)
1 pt Cardamom
If you want to post what your specific condition or situation you are thinking of taking Jatamansi for I could give suggestions of other herbs to use with it, if you want. You can PM me too if you’d prefer.
I promised medicated milk, and here are some. Pippali milk can be made in two ways, both good for lungs. The Pippali Vardhana is very good for helping improve lung function, I’ve done it about 3 times. It’s a bother and the simple way is easier and still good, best to do regularly for a while.
Hardest first: Pippali Vardhana (means increasing doses)
You use whole Pippalis for this. I usually try to soak the Pippali in the milk/water overnight as in the US Pippalis are not freshly dried.
Day 1:
Simmer 1/2 cup milk and 1/2 water and 1 whole pippali until the total liquid is 1/2 c. I often use more liquid so the final result is 3/4 c. or so. Add a bit of honey if desired. Drink it down.
Day 2:
Same thing but with two whole Pippalis.
Day 3:
Same thing but with three whole Pippalis.
Do for 7 to 10 days, each day adding another Pippali. Then do for another 7 to 10 days, reducing the Pippali by one each day.
It is extremely rejuvenating for the lungs and now I want to start doing this tomorrow.
A sinus flush is mixing 2 T Colloidal silver w/ 1/8 t Xylitol (the Xylitol adjusts the ph to stop burning sensation) and I heat it 9 sec in microwave using a short coffee cup, using a dropper, lay on your back with your head down towards the floor, fill each sinus with mixture, stay in this position for 3 minutes, have plenty of paper towels and sit upright and blow your nose. This will bring out all congestion. The colloidal is 10 ppm.
Here are more and easier medicated milks and some benefits; there are various ways to make them, so no real hard and fast rules. Skim milk is not useful for these, best is whole milk, as good quality as can be found. I don’t use organic milk since I can’t afford it but the local milk here is very good and no hormones.
Each of the herbs/spices below have many other benefits and can be looked up. Fresh is important and most spices (or all) sold at grocery stores have very little potency, generally. Better to get from an herb store or place with good fresh herbs and spices.
Medicated Milks Basic Directions
Simmer 1 cup milk and 1 cup water with 1/2 teaspoon powdered herbs and simmer until reduced to 1 cup liquid. Can sweeten with natural sweetener as desired.
Pippali: Bronchial congestion, clearing lungs, asthma, also digestion and colds
Black Pepper: Congestion, coughs, colds, flu, sinus problems, cold extremities, helps with slow digestion, lymphatic congestion, reducing weight (part of a program)
Turmeric: (if one doesn’t have turmeric paste): sore throat, hoaresness, lungs, antibiotic, and any conditions turmeric is good for.
Cardamom: Helps clear channels in the body, digestion, warming, energizing
Ginger: Digestion, respiratory system, nausea, dizziness, infective illess, congestion
Nutmeg: I’d recommend only 1/4 to 1/3 teaspoon.
Should be fresh grated if possible as nutmeg loses potency quickly. Insomnia, digestion, also said to be good for nocturnal enuresis. Nutmeg can help with nerve pain.
Thank you for the directions, I was thinking it was like Neti but it’s totally different. I wonder how it would work using salt instead of Xylitol, I don’t have any of that. Salted water in Neti removes sting, saltiness should be like tears.
I will copy this.
New posts on medicated milks, heart herbs, Jatamansi use, sinus flush with colloidal silver.
Also info on Kanchanar Guggulu for thyroid.
LJ do you know anyone that has an Inversion Table that you can try. A friend of mine had one and said it would take Sciatica away, so the next time it hit me I called her up and went over and “hung unside down” it worked in less than 30 seconds.
I bought one at an auction and every time it hits, I go hang upside down and the pain is gone within a minute.
Hope you get to try it. I know it works for 2 of us in the world.
I think the salt water would work, it’s getting it up in the sinus to get them washed out that is the key.
DH picked up a used one for free and has started using it, he has neck pain fairly often, had injuries. After lying on it his neck feels much better, stretched out, and spine gets adjustments. It doesn’t have to be totally upside down like a bat, can be just tilted. I will keep your recomemndation in mind. Normally I had being upside down or anything approximating it. I should try it.
I was at my doctor today for a routine visit.
I tell people he has forgotten more about the human body and how it works than most doctors learn.
He has a 7 year waiting list btw...
I have a friend who told me yesterday he was diagnosed with prostate cancer.
I asked my Dr. what he would suggest my friend do.
I’m passing it on here...
He said he has seen -*many* men cured of prostate cancer by taking large amounts of Essiac - particularly in the evening.
If you are unfamiliar with essiac, it is an old Indian remedy, rediscovered by a cancer nurse in Canada. It is used for other cancers as well.
Hopefully, this will help someone who reads this.
I take Naturethroid, a natural thyroid.
I like it a lot. I’m warm again and have energy.
By prescription. It is a bit hard to find, but there are places you can get it.
I’ve heard of Essiac and read the ingredients but can’t remember any more about it other than it is said to have helped people with cancer. I will read about it now, may have a reason to.
If a doctor with that much experience recommends Essiac, that carries weight.
Great thread littlej and thanks. Enjoying it.
Even that little tip about putting a flaxseed in the corner of the eye to get rid of a foreign thing in the eye is so good. DH is always getting stuff in his eye, working outside most of the time with shop tools, machinery, fire wood cutting etc.
Great information all around, FRiends, thank you. Wonderful thread, learning s lot.
Cardiac use was my interest. Where do you get Jatamansi?
Absolutely. I never recommend anyone to take vitamins indiscriminately. The whole “take massive amounts of vitamins” theory was a very bad one. In nature - in food and herbs - there are minerals, vitamins and other nutrients in balance, and there are many micr-nutrients - let’s call them “unknown vitamins” that balance the “known vitamins”.
One can very easily disrupt the body’s balance by taking large amounts of vitamins indiscriminately, and unless a person as a serious condition wherein they can’t eat enough food, it is childishly easy to get all the required vitamins and minerals in food (and herbs). Some vitamins store in the liver, ones that are fat soluble, and can cause health problems as they are not easily eliminated. Taking large amounts of Vit C means the body eliminates the excess required via urination, and a lot of Vit C can cause excess acid, causing (in my case, years ago) painful ulcers.
The only vitamins I would ever recommend are those actually made from food; almost all vitamins are synthesized, industrial products, and about 95% are made in China.
As far as a smorgasbord of herbs, they also need to be used with intelligence and care; but because it is hard to take large amounts of herbs, there is sort of a built in safety thing. Sort of. And even herbs that are said to be good for this/that/the other thing, work differently on different people.
I knew a woman decades ago who was on a big detox kick, and took tons of golden seal (as well as a very restricted diet) and she died at a young age. She starved and poisoned herself to death.
Antibiotic/antiviral/antifungal herbs should be taken with especial care and caution, and only for short periods of time, to take care of a particular infective condition. They are not long term tonic or spportive herbs, just as one should not take pharmaceutical antibiotics for a long time.
The best way, in my view, to learn about herbs is to read books about herbs, written by practitioners who use them. Online info can be interesting, but knowing the source of that info is very important.
Any info from sellers should be taken as advertising copy, one should always look for supporting evidence elsewhere from someone or some place that is not making money on that product/herb/ etc.
Also, any place that sells herbs has to be cautious about claims due to FDA regulations.
If someone wants to start taking some herb or herbs, a good way is to read about herbs, find one or two that seem useful, and try regularly for a while Although generally herb formulas are more effective, that’s a good way to start. Check for reactions, and improvements.
Of course some herbs one takes only as needed; herbs for constipation or diarrhea, for instance. And some herbs used as beverage teas are generally safe to take whenever desires, like peppermint, chamomile, cornsilk, hibiscus, lemongrass, lemon balm, and many more. They have therapeutic benefit but taken as a drink can almost never cause any problems. I say “almost never” because I suppose one in a million people could have some adverse reaction.
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