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’ve been researching mostly for skin care EOs and found one for respiratory health.
Capaiba is supposed to be good for respiratory health. It is also good for inflammation.
I add it to a moisturizer alone with myrrh and frankincense for skin health. I haven’t used it look enough to know if it works but I’ve only used it a few days.
It does help with pain and relaxation for sure though.
EOs are just like supplemsnts, you have to get a quality product if you want results.
With?th herbs that I can't tolerate the taste of, I will parachute it. You can look it up on You Tube if you don't know what it is. Of course I don't use toilet paper. I use sushi paper. Some people use rice paper.
I parachute kratom because it tastes horrible but it works great for pain. I really need neck surgery. It hurts so bad and the kratom really helps along with the curcumin and other supplements.
I've had three surgeries in the last nine months and I just can't tolerate any more right now. It's also not so great for my employment missing so many days from work.
If anyone does use capsules it is somewhat helpful to poke holes in each end with a thumb tack.
Another trick with capsules is to just pack the large part of the capsule tight and swallow without the smaller part or seal the larger part with butter for faster absorption.
I was fortunate to find a neurologist that understands Ayurvedic medicine. She will always try natural before resorting to western medicine.
She is from India and I have found most doctors from that area are much more open to natural medicine.
Thank you for the good suggestions of how to get herbs down the gullet. Everyone’s tolerance and taste buds are different, there are just a very few herbs I can’t handle, shilajit being one of them. An old friend used to take herbs wrapped in a bit of rice paper, maybe that’s the method you’re referring to. Half a capsule or the holes poked sounds good too.
The important thing is to get the herbs ingested somehow or other, of course if they’re the right ones for the job/person.
With kids I tell parents to mix them in something tasty as long as the kids get them down.
3 surgeries in last nine months - that is very tough. And very nice you have an understanding doctor.
I wonder if you could grate or mince fresh ginger and freeze in little piles on a cookie sheet and when frozen put in ziplock bags and use that way. Freezing ginger is a good idea, sometimes mind dries up if I don’t use it fast enough. Freezing mushrooms is a good idea too; what I’ve done with them is slice up and dry on cookie sheets next to the wood stove or outside if it’s summer, and when crispy dry I store in mason jars.
Anyone who uses EOs maybe could post their source. The place I get them from is very strict wholesale only so would not be useful for others unless they have a wholesale license. I actually don’t have a w/s license any more but still have a 3 sources that let me buy still, been customer for a long time.
Spearmint might be ok. I know for sure peppermint and wintergreen are out.
What do you know about morniga?
I will look up some other EOs for breathing.
Can you handle fir, spruce, pine, tea tree?
I’ve eaten moringa as a vegetable in HI, Filipinos eat it. It’s extremely bitter, don’t know what it’s like dried and powdered. It is nutritious, what else does it do?
When I freeze ginger I just leave it in the bag it came in with the bag all rolled around it and tuck it in the door.
When I need some I just grate it on one of those microplane graters.
I guess you could do little piles on a cookie sheet if you don’t have a microplane grater.
I picked up a dehydrator from the thrift store that was like new for just a few dollars. Maybe I’ll dehydrate some celery or mushrooms or something.
When I do the mushrooms I just slice them thinly and dump them into a ziplock baggie and toss it into the freezer right away. Sometimes you have to slap the bag a bit to loosen them up but no special preparation is necessary.
For those interested in lowering their cholesterol, I have had success with CITRUS BERGAMOT. Mine was 217 and doctor wanted to put me on drugs. I refused as I like to try natural ways before subjecting myself to drugs. Even my doctor son told me I was just borderline and not to take drugs. Thanks to someone on another thread, I bought CB and in a month my cholesterol went down 10 points. My doctor was happy and told me whatever you are doing keep doing...
I haven’t used it, just thinking about it. A lot of FB friends say it’s good for thinning hair. I don’t have that problem but it’s also supposed to be good for weight loss.
Because of my hip and lack of exercise I have gained about ten pounds ad am not happy.
Thanks for that info. Hibiscus is also good for lowering cholesterol, can be made into a tea or used as powdered herb. I take daily a blend I call Natural C plus, I take 1 1/2 t. a day.
Amalaki
Rosehips
Hibiscus
Hawthorne
Orange Peel
Lemon Peel
All powdered herbe, can be mixed with anything fruity, juice, with smoothies, applesauce, fruit salad, etc Pleasant sour fruity taste, needs some sweetener unless you’re hardcore. I can post proportions and benefits hopefully later today. I use all organic or wildcrafted herbs. I use Starwest Botanicals for one of my main sources, they test everything for contaminants of various kinds, verifying no admixture of other substances or plants, insect parts, heavy metals, etc. They label the source country. I’ve bought from them for 30 years.
I wondered about moringa for a long time since it became popular. I only ate it once as it was exceeding bitter. In Ayurveda, the bitter taste has specific therapeutic action, one of which would be to help reduce tissues. Hot taste would help as well, and astringent (think pomegrante skin).
Young Living EOs, for me.
If anyone has a business license they can get from here, the best EOs I’ve used. They sell “fragrances” as well as EOs, used to deal just in EOs.
You are inspiring me in using herbs. I take a lot of supplements, have done so all my life. If it wasn’t for the multi-level stenosis problems which keep me from standing for more than a short time or walking too far, my overall health is good. I have relief from CURAMIN (curcumin + boswelia).
I would love to afford them.
Lol, shilajit looks, smells and tastes like tar. I used it for a little while a couple years ago.
I found a trick to make it easy to take.
I had a small container of almond flour in the freezer. I warmed the jar of shilajit in warm water. I would dip my fingers in the flour, roll a pea size piece of shilajit between my fingers and drop it in the container of flour. I did that with the whole jar. I kept the container in the freezer. When I wanted a piece of it I took it out and swallowed fast. Very little taste or smell.
I have a very sensitive nose and taste buds
I will definitely pass that method on. I have a good friend who needs to take shilajit and she hates it as much as I do. My shilajit is powdered (more or less), not a solid chunk, so probably (?) no need to warm it up.
Since most people reading this thread may not know what shilajit is, I’ll copy some info.
Shilajit is mineral pitch, an exudate from certain rocks in the Himalayas during the summer season. It works on all tissues.
Systems affected: urinary including kidney, reproductive, nervous, circulatory
Properties: Diuretic (also for incontinence), rejuvenative, tonic, nervine, sedative, alterative, antihelmintic, anti-microbial, lithotriptic, aphordisiac. (note: in ayurvedic medicine, aphrodisiac generally does not mean “viagra” style, it means it strengthens the reporductive system, and the energy thus derived benefits the general strenghth and energy of the body, regardless whether the reproductive organs are used or not.)
Indications: anemia, asthma, bronchitis, kidney and urinary disorders, cystitis, obesity, edema, diabetes, glycosuria, general debility, fatigue, menorrhagia, dsymenorrhea, seminal debility, low sexual energy, enlarged prostate, enlarged spleen, nocturnal emission, premature ejaculation, gallstones and kidneystones, high cholesterol, nervous debility, epilepsy.
Cautions: high pitta (constitutional type or condition characterized by intolerance of heat and excess heat symptoms), use with care during pregnancy.
It is a source of minerals in ionic form such as manganese, zinc, iron and silica as well as humic acid and fulvic acid. It helps to build blood and bone. It is often taken with other balancing herbs depending on condition, age and health state, and season. [I can’t take it in the heat of summer for instance.]
What are stenosis problems?
I really depend on herbs. I take a lot daily. I experimented when I first found a book in English on Ayurvedic herbs, I had taken western herbs to some extent but not had great success, but then I was far from an expert anyway.
So after reading “The Yoga of Herbs” by Dr. Vasant Lad and Dr. David Frawley, I tried 3 herbs that sounded good for me, and took 1 t. of each twice a day.
In one month, basically with no other changes, my conditions improved so dramatically I was 100% convinced. It is important to take the right herbs (duh...) and in sufficient quantity, and very regularly, to feel the benefits. I was in my mid 30s and had chronic fatigue very seriously, frequent severe headaches and a few other things. The nervous and bodily exhaustion were the worst.
After one month I felt literally 15 years younger and as though I could dance and bounce around just for the fun of it, instead of dragging my body around like an unbearable burden and collapsing on the floor every afternoon.
Since I hate Amazon but still shop there, here is a search result for the Yoga of Herbs with lots of places to get it, if anyone is interested. I think I’m on my third copy, keeps getting worn out.
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