How To Change Our Life and Hearts For Better Health

Posted on January 29, 2023 by herbladyisin

How To Change Our Life and Hearts for Better Health

Health is dependent on the state of our mind, heart and soul. If we are to change our life for the positive, it needs to start with today. The main focus in this blog is about gratefulness, forgiveness, and mindfulness and how that can change our day and our life.

Gratitude and having a mindset toward being grateful is important to improving not only our health but how we see our world. Today we are snowed in. It has snowed on and off since December 13th. We cannot walk our dogs because of the ice on our street.  Our electric bill will be up another $50.00.  There are two ways to look at this situation. The first is to complain, be depressed, and feel down.  Is that view going to help my attitude?

My view on this month is up to me. I choose how I am going to view my situation. I am only in control of one thing, how I respond to events, conversations, and situations.

I am sitting here grateful that I don’t have to go to work, and that we are getting needed moisture for our area and the drought. I have more time than usual to write and get caught up on chores in the house. I am thankful for my husband who helped me vacuum yesterday and that I have him for company. I can list so many things that are a blessing. Blessings are not just big things but all the blessings such as food on the table, the bills paid, the rose blooming on our kitchen table, and the fact that I am breathing and well.

What are your blessings? Write them down.

When you are feeling blue, take time and list all your blessings. Most of us are so much better off than in other countries. We take for granted things like having a decent home to live in. People in many parts of the world are starving, are homeless, have no heat, no water and a sad life. Look at the Ukraine and their people. We don’t have to run from bombs and wonder if we are going to die with the next air assault.

Every day, in the morning take time to list your blessings.

This includes all the ones we take for granted such as breathing, being alive, our health even if it isn’t perfect, our family that is a blessing, and our mind being intact. After two concussions, I thank God every day that I have overcome the effects of those falls.

You are in control of your reactions!

It’s important to realize that YOU are in control of your thoughts, your interpretations, and your responses.

No one can offend you, if you don’t choose to be offended. No one can make you angry, if you choose not to be angry. No one can make you feel unappreciated if you don’t feel sorry for yourself.

It seems when life has given you some hard knocks, that you set up a defensive attitude. We just respond in a negative way, even when the remark was not intended to hurt us by the person saying it.

Where do these responses come from? They come from our childhood and parents. It may have been an ex-husband or friends from childhood.  Events and conversations wound us in the soul.  They are like splinters in our leg that we can’t remove, and they cause pain at times.   They often pop up in an instant from the past, and we respond to someone not from what they really said but from hurt from the past. So how do we stop responding from these past wounds?

One way is to mindfully stop our thoughts before anything comes out of our mouth. Strive to look at the situation first, before reacting.  That is difficult for those of us with a painful past. It is imperative we do that for our health and for the health of our relationships. It took me 2 courses in mindfulness, to help me see how I needed to change.

Let Go of Your Past

We must let go of our past to have happiness now and in the future. Your past, and we all have one, is ancient history. Many of the people who hurt you are dead or not a part of your life anymore.  If you let them continue to impact your life, they won. Look at this way. Those people who hurt you made you a fighter. They caused you to become stronger and to learn to overcome so much.  You are the amazing person you are today because of them.

We can either cry about events or learn from them. Instead of stumbling blocks, let them become steps to overcoming any circumstancing you have.  Success is about how many times you got up after being knocked to the ground, not that you were down. I say this after overcoming two abusive marriages. We are made stronger through the fires of life.

Forgiveness is upmost in importance to have happiness. 

Forgiveness helps you to be happy. It is not for the one who hurt you. Forgiveness is one of the hardest things to do in your life. I know that but it is the step you must take to put your life into a positive track. I forgave those who hurt me by understanding that those people were broken and did the best they could.  They did not have the ability to love or treat you in a positive way. This does not excuse what they did but it does allow you to move on. It was not your fault. You were in their path.

Forgive Yourself

Forgiving yourself is even harder. You keep asking yourself why was I so stupid? Why did I not see that coming? It seems that learning the hard way and being young is a part of life. We did the best we could with the tools we had at the time. We survived with scars and lessons learned. Stop holding your happiness hostage because of your past. I say this from experience. Let it go and live in today.

Do you want to die angry? 

I knew several people who died angry and that was sad. I have a relative who lives in an angry state all the time. No one wants to be around her, and she depresses everyone. I have never heard her be grateful for anything.

I made up my mind years ago, that this was not what I wanted for me.

Is this you?

Since we never know how many days we have in this world, you better really think about it.  This is a new year and it’s never too late to change, to adopt a different attitude and to make the conscious choice to live in love, gratitude and forgiveness.

Cathryn Freer, the Herbladyisin

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Do Holistic Medicine Therapies Always Work? Part one

Posted on January 18, 2023 by herbladyisin

Do Holistic Medicine Therapies Always Work?

Holistic Medicine is a whole different view of a patient and how to treat them than how standard medicine treats patients. Is standard medicine safer and more effective than holistic medicine?

The main purpose of the holistic doctor is to find the root cause for symptoms looking at diet, lifestyle and other factors that influence your health and wellbeing. The human body is so complex that it involved a lot of detection work by the holistic doctor. Their may be emotional or mental issues that are a problem as well such as depression.

Once he finds an issue or issues in their health, the patient needs to follow a plan, change his lifestyle, and follow through which can take months or weeks to see changes. Many people today just want a quick fix or a pill to make all the symptoms go away.

You have to invest time and some money often to secure results that take time.  So, you may not get the results as soon as you think you should see them or you may need to try a different doctor or change the progress plan.  The experience of some patients then give them this view, that holistic medicine does not work.

If you are new to this page, it might be you with this view. I hope you will read further to perhaps get more insight on why your herbs, herbal treatment or holistic treatment might have failed or work less effectively than you had hoped for.

I have been using natural medicine for over 40 years with success. Yes, here and there I did have to take medicine but rarely. This was not always my view and the way I dealt with my health challenges.

Just to give you some of my history, I worked for doctors in the late 80’s for about 5 years. I was part of a clinic in Ramona, Ca that went out administering to the Indian reservations in that area. I believed in doctors and the system then. I was entrenched in the system. I learned so much and it gives me a base to understand both worlds: standard medicine and holistic medicine.

It was when my doctors could not help me or my youngest daughter that I left that belief system. I now only go to doctors mainly to get a physical once a year. The occasions I have gone for treatment by the traditional health care system, I can count on both hands during the past 40 years. I do not get a breast exam, colon exam, shots, or other interventions.

You can stop reading now if you object to my view. If you do question my view, but still want to know more why I have this view, read on.

If you are NOT open to new information, a new view, or why possibly your health is getting worse, not better, this blog will go in one ear and out the other.

You must be open to a new view. One of my future articles will be written on why I do not get those standard tests, that doctors say you must DO to remain healthy.

I am 71 and have only been to the emergency room only once in my life. I have used holistic medicine for the past 40 years after going to get formal herbal medicine education. Even that one time left me with no answers and a $10,000 bill for 5 hours with no insurance.

I have not undergone any operations other than a tonsillectomy and a procedure performed in an outpatient status for a nerve condition on my foot. Both were done when I was working for doctors in the 1980s. This does not count having my children in the hospital but without intervention and spinal blocks. One of the three was born at home.

Does Standard Medicine always work is the first question you need to ask? No

You need to read the two articles below if you think that standard medicine is not flawed in many ways and the success of standard medicine treatments are questionable to say the least.  There are many thousands who get prescribed the wrong m.edicine for their problem or the side effects are so severe they cannot take the medicine.  Thousands of deaths occur every year from patients taking too much of the prescription medication.

Read the two articles below. They will really give you a new view on the question.

Twelve million patients misdiagnosed yearly in America, says VA

Why Getting Medically Misdiagnosed Is More Common …

It was a few months ago that I began experiencing pain in both ears. I went to three local doctors who said nothing was wrong. I paid $90 dollars in co-insurance fees to be told it was all in my mind. It got to the point several weeks later that I couldn’t sleep and then all the glands in my neck got swollen. My jaw got painful as well. I could not lie down or turn my head without severe pain. Nothing was working herbally.

The new doctor I went to at that time, immediately said it was a dangerous infection in the lymph nodes coming from my jaw.  So, the undiagnosed ear pain was the beginning of a systemic lymph node infection. Nothing got taken care of until it became deadly serious.

After taking 10 days of antibiotics, the infection in the lymph nodes had gotten better somewhat but was still very swollen and sore. My gut was in severe pain from the side effects of the antibiotics, and I couldn’t eat without stomach pain.  I was in bed with stomach pain at that point. So instead of going back to the doctor, I prayed for an answer.

It came to me that over the years, I had not tried essential oils such as myrrh and frankincense on my recurring jawbone infections. I spent several days researching essential oils, infections, and oral health infections. There is a lot of research on the success of using these two oils on oral mouth infections.

Essential Oils for health.

Essential oils are an important herbal medicine used to heal the body and mind.

The best quality essential oils are expensive. Oral herbs were not working at that point so that was out. The oral herbs and the antibiotics were not getting to the main cause of the infection. It was entrenched in the jawbone itself. The infection was now antibiotic-resistant or a MRSA infection.

I bought the oils and began using them both as an oral mouthwash and massaged them into my jawbone, throat, under my ears, and into the neck area where the discomfort remained. Within a week, I was remarkedly improved. I used them for a month in that way daily.  All of the pain and discomfort disappeared. I still use them as a preventive 3 times a week. If I would have stopped using the same herbs with no results, I would have said herbs don’t work. It was the form of herbs that was not reaching the infection in the bone.

Often it is the form of therapy or herbal regimen that is not the right one for your health challenge. You have to work with your body, your own individual immune system, and your health challenge to find the answer. Often it may take days, weeks, or months to find the answer.

You must take the right herb or essential oil for the problem, take it in enough dosage to secure results, and for enough time for the body to use that herb or herbs to repair the body system.

I did not grow up with any knowledge of using herbs, vitamins, or alternative medicine. We were taken to a standard doctor who I might add was not as good as the local vet. Later on, he was charged with sexually harming young boys at the school and blew his brains out before the court date.  He was not much of a doctor, but he remained in practice for many years until some young boys blew the whistle on him.

This same country doctor told my mother for years that her weight issues were food related. He refused to test her for thyroid problems. When two or three years later another doctor did test her, and he found she was severely hypothyroid. After taking the thyroid medication for some time, she lost weight and never had a weight issue for the rest of her life.

Despite that, I became a medical assistant with some doctors and became entrenched in the standard medical treatment world. I did everything from lab work, x-rays, input with the patients, vaccinations, and other shots, and working with the drug salesmen who came to influence the doctors into buying their products. They brought in sample packets of medicines and took the doctor out to lunch often. I never thought much about the issue at that time.

It was after my third child was born, had her first vaccines, then became deathly sick that I questioned the system.  These doctors could not find anything wrong in lab tests but kept her on potent antibiotics for almost a year. She became sicker and sicker. Her weight dropped and she would not eat. There was a nasty, red rash on her butt all the time. They had no answers.  When it was apparent that the antibiotics did not work, they told me people do not become resistant to antibiotics. I was crazy.  This was in the middle 1980s, when doctors did not realize that giving antibiotics for an extended time will cause the infection to become resistant to medicine which now is called an MRSA infection. I saw it from watching her get sicker by the week.

Standard medicine today is often a failure and there are thousands of statics to back that up.  Despite the fact that often standard medicine does not work, you will never see a traditional doctor advise you to try herbs or other holistic therapies. Instead, they will tell you it is snake oil medicine or doesn’t work.

There is a place for standard medicine which is in emergencies, life-threatening illnesses or diseases, and technology to help patients with operations needed to save lives and limbs. If I got hit by a car, I certainly would not go to a holistic doctor at that time. I would need expert doctors to keep me from dying.

It is in diagnosing health problems before they become a heart attack or diabetes that they fail the patients.

If holistic and standard medicine were used together in a manner to best serve the patient and their health challenge, that would be the best of both worlds.

In China, Asia, Japan, and many other countries this is what they do there. They combine the best of both modern medicine and holistic medicine to treat their patients getting outstanding results. It is so tragic, that this is not the case in the United States.  Here insurance often only pays for standard medical therapies.

This is part one of a series on the subject. Come back this week to learn more.

Signing off, Cathryn Freer, The Herbladyisin

Read my article next that explains the difference between how holistic doctors may treat you versus standard medicine doctors. 

Please read my other articles located here on The Alternative Medicine Article Directory 

 

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6 Ways to Use Medicinal Mushrooms in Your Everyday Regimen

Posted on January 18, 2023 by herbladyisin

6 Ways to Use Medicinal Mushrooms in Your Everyday Regimen

Today in this article, you will learn 6 ways to add medicinal mushrooms to your meals?

Do you use medicinal mushrooms in your cooking now or take them to bolster your immune system? Today, if you don’t, you will learn how to do that.

Cooking with different kinds of Fresh Mushrooms:  

6 ways to use medicinal Mushrooms into almost any part of your diet.

Adding medicinal mushrooms to your diet has numerous health benefits.

Using a variety of different fresh mushrooms in your different meals gives you different tastes, textures and health benefits!  

Cooking with medicinal mushrooms is so easy to do. Here is a small town with no Whole Foods or Sprouts within easy driving distance, I mainly use the button mushrooms in cooking meals.  I would love to be able to buy mushrooms of different varieties instead. If you do live in the city with a good health food store, buy different kinds of fresh mushrooms.

Try to experiment with different mushrooms in almost every dish you make including chicken, beef, pork and fish. Try different salads as well.  I use them whenever I make scrambled eggs, an omelet, or in breakfast burrito.

It is really funny that I have always craved mushrooms. It seems, my immune system was letting me know I needed them for my health. I did not research them until about 2 years ago when my go-to herbs that I had always used were not working for some health issues.

When I began researching medicinal mushrooms, I was amazed at the research and properties to help with cancer, the immune system, gut issues, and for almost every area of health challenges.

There are several in-depth books on mushrooms, with research studies and trials. Mushrooms have hundreds of studies on them. They have been used by the Asian culture for both good diet and health for centuries. Asian oncologists in China, Korea and in Asia as a whole use them in patient cancer treatments. So, I began first adding fresh mushrooms into salads, stir-fry’s, meatloaf, egg breakfast dishes and adding them to every

Here are more suggestions on how to Add Medicinal Mushrooms to Your Daily Regimen,

Salads: 

Cut up mushrooms for your salads.  They add a lot of flavor and depth to the enjoyment.

How to add Mushroom Powders

Then next I began buying the medicinal herb powders including Reishi, Turkey Tail, Chaga, immune-mushroom blends of mushrooms, and blends of mushrooms as well.

Each mushroom has different properties, although they are all beneficial to the immune system and to brain health. Taking the different mushrooms together, intensifies their health benefits. We also take Lion’s Mane mushrooms to keep our brain function healthy.

If you study the clinical trials and research as I have done, you find different mushrooms have more potent properties to strengthen the gut or the immune system. Reishi mushrooms are the king of adaptogen foods which help every system of the body to be healthier.  When you add Chaga mushrooms to Reshi then it is beneficial to you for gut issues.

Why do I have gut issues?  For the past years, I struggled with a jawbone infection from 20 years ago that stopped responding to oral herbs.  I became very sick and ended up having to take antibiotics to try to get it under control. Not only did the antibiotics not do anything to stomp down the infection, but it also completely destroyed my gut function for almost a year.  I use essential oils now to keep the jawbone infection in check but then I had not found that natural solution yet.

So, I began buying the medicinal mushroom herb powders and adding them to smoothies, protein drinks, and my own concoction of mushroom hot chocolate.  I added them to my husband’s coffee in the morning. You can add them into soups or broth. It is easy to buy beef or chicken mushroom broth in packages for easy usage.

Every day, I use the medicinal mushrooms into my diet one way or another.  Using the mushrooms, has been the base along with slippery elm and marshmallow, an herb as well, to reestablish healthy gut function once more. Aloe juice is also one of my mainstays for daily living.

You may say, I cannot afford to add mushrooms to our budget. We also are retired with on a limited budget.

We don’t go out and eat. We have a small fun budget. Junk food, soda, chips, packaged foods, pizza, and sugar laden treats do not go into our grocery cart. I hydroponically raise our own lettuce in the house and in the Spring outside in our small garden.

Other Ways To Use Mushrooms in the powder form

Mushroom Hot Chocolate

I use mushroom powder to hot chocolate  to make a Mushroom Hot Chocolate Mix 

Mushroom Coffee

Mushroom powder added to your coffee!

Mushroom Soup 

Mushroom Soup mixes ……they came as a packet you just add water and drink. They are very good on a cold day or when you want something good to drink that are warm and soothing.

Mushroom Smoothies 

I make a protein drink with goat milk or your choice alternate milk, chocolate or other flavored high protein mix, collagen and vanilla. We do that several times a week.

I found that buying the mushroom powders was so important to my health and my husbands that we found a way to fit it into our budget. There are many things we don’t buy to fit the mushrooms into our daily eating habits. Eating healthy takes dedication, time, and energy!

You must make your health a priority and a sacrifice of other things. I don’t buy makeup, clothes or jewelry but rarely. I don’t even wear makeup except for lipstick because of the chemical in the products. I use very simple, less toxic health care products at home. We try to live a clean, simple, holistic lifestyle. Herbs and mushrooms remain one of the important elements of our lifestyle.

Cathryn Freer, the Herbladyisin signing off for today.

Please FOLLOW ME on my website, Alternative Medicine Article Directory

This website above is where the rest of my articles are published.

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How Mushrooms Help Your Immunity and Disease Resistance.

Posted on January 17, 2023 by herbladyisin

Why you need to know more about medicinal mushrooms?

Learn how medicinal mushrooms can make a significant difference in your health and immune system.

Include mushrooms for your health and to boost your immune system.

Medicinal mushrooms are part of a diet that boosts immune function.

I found mushrooms late in life.  It wasn’t until my traditional go-to herbs did not work for me with an infected jawbone issue, that I dove into the research and bought my first mushroom powder. I so wished I had added them to my regimen years ago. I use medicinal mushrooms everyday either in a smoothie or hot mushroom chocolate. I personally take Reishi, turkey tail and a blend of a mushroom mix with various different mushrooms for my immune system. We also take Lion’s mane to support healthy brain function. After two concussions and Chronic Lyme disease that is very important to me.

I have had great success using mushrooms to bolster my immune system and my health. I encourage you to study them and try them. Mushrooms are something you need to use every day for them to work. It takes time to build up your immune system.

The more I study and research them, the more I am fascinated by their value for health, diet, cancer, and boosting immune function.  Take time to research them yourself! You will not be disappointed in what you read!

Why is it important to investigate medicinal mushrooms:

Deaths and Hospitalizations From Use of Non Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDS)

In 1997 it was estimated that “Each year, use of NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs) accounts for an estimated 7,600 deaths and 76,000 hospitalizations in the United States.”

(NB: NSAIDs include aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, diclofenac, ketoprofen, and tiaprofenic acid.)

In 2020—The CDC gives this data below on cancer deaths in the US 

  • 136,084 people died of lung cancer (63,135 females and 72,949 males).
  • 51,869 people died of colorectal cancer (23,826 females and 28,043 males).
  • 46,774 people died of pancreatic cancer (22,495 females and 24,279 males).
  • 42,275 females died of breast cancer.
  • 32,707 males died of prostate cancer.
  • 28,227 people died of liver and intrahepatic bile duct cancer (9,591 females and 18,636 males).
  • These numbers are despite billions of dollars spent on cancer research, chemotherapy drugs and radiation treatments.

How often does your doctor talk to you about your nutrition, your diet, your exercise habits, drug habits or smoking habits? Not one doctor, even my husband’s heart doctor asked about any of these important lifestyle factors.

It was myself doing research and paying out of pocket for lab tests proved that my husband had severe iron deficiency anemia and a thyroid issue because of the iron deficiency. It was my research work that now shows Rocky Mountain spotted fever can indeed impact health for months or years.

Doctors have no time to read research studies or keep up on journals with new information that could impact your health. They rely on what they learned in medical school, no matter how outdated that knowledge is.

Why medicinal mushrooms should be included in your tools for good health and to fight cancer and other immune disorders.

Medicinal Mushrooms have been consumed for thousands of years by its native people as part of their food and for medicine.  The fact that mushrooms have been consumed and used for thousands of years, is a tribute to their effectiveness. Medicinal mushrooms are today used by oncologists in countries like China, Japan and China to fight cancer and other diseases.

Researchers here in the US do not accept this historical usage whether it be for food or medicine. They only take the results from double-blind placebo-based research studies where mushrooms are given in huge dosages or given as injections along with medications.

Most research studies must include chemo or radiation along with mushrooms to get funding.  Mushrooms have been used for cancer treatment and to boost immunity for thousands of years with success but that does not count to your doctor. That is why your doctor will not in most cases talk about medicinal mushrooms or suggest you add them to your health protocol.

People in Japan, China, Russia, Mexico and other countries use mushrooms as part of their diet. For years people foraged for these medicinal mushrooms in the forests nearby. Most of these medicinal mushrooms must be processed before eaten. Many of these mushrooms grow from the bark of trees. Some grow in the ground.

I will interject a warning here that foraging mushrooms should only be done by people who are experienced and knowledgeable in which mushrooms are safe to eat and ones that are poisonous.

Once picked, each kind of mushroom has to be put through an extraction process to extract the medicinal properties from it. This mushroom extraction process may include water and or alcohol and heat.  The   mushrooms must be picked from areas free from heavy metal contamination and agricultural chemicals.

Here in this country, many people just use the button mushrooms on their pizza or in a salad. They have no idea on their real health or medicinal value. Even the button mushroom has much value for your health.

How Mushrooms Help Your Immunity and Disease Resistance.

Mushrooms comes in so many different forms for health. photo by Volodymyr Tokar on Unsplash

Mushrooms growing on trees in the forest.

If you have health issues or cancer, you need to upgrade to the mushrooms that have been most researched for their true medicinal properties.  What are the properties that make medicinal mushrooms tools to fight cancer and other immune system problems?

Beta-glucans 

Beta-glucans have been the basis for thousands of research studies in the fight against cancer.  Studies prove their effect on the immune system and in fighting cancers.

All mushrooms contain beta-glucans, but certain medicinal mushrooms contain higher amounts of beta-glucans. “Beta-glucans induce anti-cancer activity, through direct anti-tumor activity and prevention of angiogenesis. The former is mediated through a thymus gland dependence, activating cytotoxic macrophages, monocytes, neutrophils, natural killer cells, dendritic cells and various cytokines including interleukins, and interferons triggering complementary and acute phase response.” from Medicinal Mushrooms, the Human Clinical Trials by Robert Dale Roberts.

Water-soluble Polysaccharides

Important and essential nutrients for an effective, healthy immune system that has the capability to fight off disease and cancer.

“A major class of immuno-logically active molecules in mushrooms and other fungi and their action on the immune system has been extensively studied.” Medical Mushrooms, A Clinical Guide by Martin Powell.

More Medicinal Mushrooms Properties

Mushrooms contain Triterpenes, Phenols, Sterols, Statins, Indole compounds, enzymes including digestive enzymes, Chitin and other properties which all contribute to improving overall health, digestive health, gut health, immune system health and are protective to the heart, liver and other organs of your body.

If you really want to get into the scientific literature on what all these properties are and how they affect the body read the following three books:

Medicinal Mushrooms, a Clinical Guide by Martin Powell 

Medical Mushrooms, the Human Clinical Trials by Robert Dale Rogers 

Healing Mushrooms, a Practical and Culinary Guide to Using Mushrooms for Whole Body Health by Tero Isokauppila founder of Four Sigmatic.

These are all part of my mushroom library, but these are heavy reading with clinical studies so dive into these if you want to see how much research has been done on medical mushrooms. If you want to read in depth about how and why you should include mushrooms into your diet and health regimen…. these books will convince you!

I hope this site, its articles, research, and news will help you on your path to getting those answers. This publication is new. I do hope you will come back each week to review the new articles published. If you are interested in writing for my publication, email me below to discuss it.

Cathryn Freer, the Herbladyisin signing off for today.

Email me at herbladyisin@yahoo.com.

Please read my other published articles here at Alternative Medicine Articles Directory

 

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Learn 7 Factors That Will Help You Live Longer

Posted on January 17, 2023 by herbladyisin

Learn 7 Factors That Will Help You Live Longer

Do you want to live longer and with vibrant health? Learn about these 7 factors that will improve your health, your attitude and your longevity.

Running is good exercise and valuable to good health.

Running, walking, exercising at home all lead to improvements in the quality of your health.

Why do so many people die young?

Yet, there are others who are living way beyond their 90’s with joy and smiles.

What makes the difference?  

Do 7 things to start with  to live a longer and happier life: 

Turn off Politics!!!!

Watching continual news and politics is one of the worst uses for your time. Any news channel you turn to is negative and sickening.  Watch enough of it to keep track of what is going on in your world, then turn it off.  Once you have voted, there is not much you can do about what is happening.  Watching news raises your blood pressure, turns your mind and thoughts to the negative. My father was German, and he would get an asthma attack often when watching the news.  Put the remote down and garden.  Turn off the tube and read a good book or go out with coffee with friends.  Buy some mind game books to work on such as crossword puzzles.  Turn off the negative influences!

 Laughter

Comedians Bob Hope and George Burns both lived to be 100. George Burns smoked cigars his entire life. Milton Berle lived to be 93. They lived such long lives because they laughed and gave laughter to the world during their lifetime.  Laughter was their life. It is said that people have conquered cancer by watching comedy shows non-stop! If it didn’t cure it, it certainly helped them to deal with the pain of dying.  Laughter lightens your burdens and makes the pain of your life more bearable.

U-Tube has some fun videos to watch for free. Add groups to your Facebook account that focus on positive, fun things like animal videos, squirrel antic, wildlife and animals. Funny cat videos are over the internet.   Watch them to give you a happy lift in your day.

Positive Attitude and Gratefulness

Your way of looking at life, life events, and the future go a long way to determine how long you will live.  Those who deal with life with optimism and the ‘glass half full’ do much better in rolling with the twists and turns that life tends to give out.

These ‘agers with grace’ are grateful for each minute of every day along with all the little things they have. They don’t take things for granite. They believe with all their heart that life for them is good now and will get better.

Keeping an Active Mind and Body

Here in Yuma, we have many walkers, and several are getting up in age. These 85 plus senior walks all over Yuma every day.  One man who is in his 80s, goes to his ranch every day helping his son to drive the ranch trucks. He has survived covid, cancer, heart surgery, and looks very frail but he is durable. He is also dedicated to his ranch even at 86.  He makes every effort to keep his body moving and active. He loves his family and his ranch life.

If you are obese or have health issues with walking, there are chair exercises on U-Tube.  Start out with just moving your body and take a few more steps every day.  Take your dog or your grandchildren out for a walk.  Find a friend or neighbor who might want to walk with you. Often, people don’t want to walk alone. They are afraid they might fall.  Your friend may be waiting for you to ask them to go with you.  Try to choose a walking partner who also needs the exercise as well as you do.

Take Time to Enjoy Life -Create Memories to Cherish
Living life to the fullest and reaching 94 with good health until the very last.

My husband’s father who played golf up to 8 weeks before he died. He was 94

I was a caregiver for a few years on the side.  I learned so much from the people I took care of.  I listened to what they told me as they were leaving this life.  They regretted the trips they did not take or not taking time to enjoy life.  They regretted rifts in relationships that never got mended. They regretted not taking enough pictures and special moments lost because they were working so hard to put food on the table.

Those who had enjoyed life, in the end, got comfort from their memories, their trips, their family memories and having their spouse by their side.  When their limbs no longer moved and they were confined to bed or wheelchairs, they focused on their precious memories. Those memories got them through the pain, through the agony of cancer, and last moments of life. 

Friendship, Community, Family and Friends

It is a known fact that the elderly with community, family, and friends live longer and are happier than those that live alone.  This community helps them get through the tough times and live a more peaceful, fulfilled life. Depression in the elderly is one of the killers for those over 70.

Often, seniors are isolated from family and friends who have passed before them. There is food in the refrigerator, but they don’t eat because they have no desire to eat. If you are alone, fixing a meal is boring and just too much work.

Here in Yuma, there is a Meet and Eat group who go to different restaurants to talk and get some social networking in.  There are also senior meals at the local senior center which provide time to interact with others, relieve boredom, and eat better than you would at home.

Church is another option for meeting with people and having some companionship. It is nice when you are sick to know that someone cares and calls to see how you are doing. A church member may visit you at home to see how you are doing.  It is an avenue to consider.

Singles also suffer from being alone too much. It is imperative you get out to do something other than work and then work more.  If you don’t, you will burn out sooner or later. If nothing else walk where they are people to see and talk to for a few minutes.

Learn to turn off worry and fear about the future!

If you are a person who worries a lot, it is not a healthy trait. So much of what we worry about are events or things in the possible future, that we have no control over. All the worry in the world, will not change those things we have no power over or that are in the possible future.  Focus on what you can do today to change your life, your attitude, or your health.

At times, it is only possible to focus on the minute or the hour if we are caregivers. If there is any factor that shortens life, worry should top the list.

When you wake up in the middle of the night, pray for whoever you are worried about or the situation.  Deep breathing may help.  Get up and read a positive book for a while until you can sleep again.

Drink chamomile tea or valerian tea before bed.  These two herbal teas can be very useful to relax you enough to sleep again.  Melatonin and Tryptophan before bed help some people sleep better.

I hope this helps to perhaps give you a new view on living longer and with more peace of mind.

Cathryn Freer, the Herbladyisin signing off for today.

 

 

 

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Learn How Holistic Health Differs From “Standard Health” Treatment

Posted on January 17, 2023 by herbladyisin

Learn How Holistic Health Treatment Differs From “Standard Health” Treatment

You need to understand how a holistic medicine doctor and his treatment of you is different from standard medicine. Many of you are new to herbal and holistic healing. You may know little about how it works and even what it is. You may never have gone to a holistic doctor or used their therapies.

 How can you make decisions about your healthcare if you only have limited knowledge? Education is power.

Holistic medicine doctor who treats the body and mind as a whole.

Holistic medicine finds the underlying cause of illnesses.

Holistic Health Treatment by a Holistic Doctor.

Holistic Health looks at you as a whole person, not just at the outward manifestations of your health problem such as lab test results or having a sore throat. Your holistic doctor evaluates your physical symptoms, emotional state, and mental health issues that may be impacting your health or hindering your recovery.

Holistic health strives to get to the main cause of your health challenges whether it is grief, trauma, stress, diet, or lifestyle factors.

How has grief affected your life, your mental state, and your health.

For example, often when a person suffers grief, they may get sick and may even come down with cancer within the first couple of years after the death of a loved one. That is because grief, trauma, and severe stress impact your mental and emotional state which in turn affects your immune system.

Lisa Marie Presley just died of a heart attack. In her last social media entries, she described the terrible grief she was still feeling after her son’s death. Grief and stress are often one of the underlying causes of cancer and illness. Anger is another emotion that over time can have an impact on your health and state of mind and heart. Negative emotions do affect your health and productivity.

Standard medicine treatment with surgery, chemo and readiation.

How Standard medicine doctors treat patients.

Photo by Piron Guillaume on Unsplash

Standard Medicine Treatment Today

Does your doctor give you suggestions to lose weight or lower your blood pressure?

Does he listen to you and perform a thorough exam?

Does he consider your eating habits, your exercise regimen, your soda intake, ask about smoking or drinking habits?

Does he just write you another prescription, although you are having side effects from the drugs you are already on?

Your “standard medicine” doctor may spend an average of 20 minutes with each of his patients. He may see up to 50 or more patients per day. I have had doctors clearly state that you have 15 minutes to make your case. Your doctor doesn’t even have time to read the paperwork you fill out. Today in our overworked healthcare system, doctors are bogged down with piles of paperwork and insurance claims to file for each patient’s visit. If your doctor spent the time to go over these lifestyle factors, he would go broke. Most standard medicine doctors are also not trained in medical school on diet, nutrition, vitamins, or lifestyle. That is the reality.

Standard medicine waits to treat your disease until it turns into a labeled disease or cancer. They were trained to diagnose diseases and severe states of illness. He relies on solid physical symptoms such as swollen glands, temperature, sore throat, and visible signs of disease or illness. He needs your lab results to show positive results before he offers a treatment. He knows your insurance company will not pay for a test that they feel was unnecessary. The truth is an illness often takes months or years to manifest itself into the state where it shows up in tests, X-rays, and blood work.

Holistic Health versus Standard Medicine and your health.

Learn how holistic health is different from standard medicine.

How Holistic Health Practitioners will treat you. 

Your holistic doctor, on the other hand is looking to correct your body’s imbalances before those imbalances turn into a disease state. Diet problems turn into obesity and diabetes weeks or months later. Lack of a healthy diet and exercise may turn into high blood pressure and heart problems months down the road. That is why he questions your eating habits, your exercise habits, and other areas of your lifestyle. His role is to intervene before your bad diet needs more serious intervention such as prescription drugs. He looks at your gut issues before they turn into an ulcer or colitis.

Your holistic doctor will have you fill out an extensive questionnaire asking you about all aspects of your diet and lifestyle. He may order tests to assess your nutritional status. He will view your results from your other doctors as well. He may require x-rays. He will physically look at your eyes, skin, and overall physical appearance. He will look at lab results, but he understands you know your body better than anyone else.

Once he has that information he will design a particular individualized program, diet, exercise program, nutritional supplements, and a plan to improve your health. There are many treatments that a holistic doctor can use. It is confusing to those new to the idea.

No doctor, standard or holistic, can help you unless you are willing to listen to their advice and actually do the work to get well.

To heal completely you must get to the underlying cause, not just take a prescription drug to get rid of the symptoms. To attain true health, we must identify the factors impacting our health and brain function.

After identifying these factors, we must work to improve our whole lifestyle or the parts that need to be improved. There are no magic wands to magically bring back your health. It takes a steel mindset to take back control of your health!

Questions you need to ask yourself before going to a holistic doctor?

Do you want to be healed yesterday or just want a pill to take for a quick fix?

Do you believe in holistic health?

It is a known fact that if you do not believe in the therapy (standard or holistic), it has less chance of being successful. If you have no faith in your doctor to treat you, the success of your treatment will be influenced.

If you answered yes to the above two questions, holistic healing is not going to be your answer.

Ask yourself the questions below about your present treatment with your doctor.

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Look at the mind-expanding questions below to judge your reactions.

Do you believe you can get well?

Do you have the courage to look at the state of your mind and heart?

Do you have the strength to look at your diet and lifestyle, and do what it takes to change it for the better? Are you willing to invest yourself in the program?

How strong is your dedication to getting well?

Only you can answer those questions.

Holistic health is where you will find the real answers to your health challenges for the long haul. Standard medicine is valuable in the short term to save your life, stop a serious life-threatening infection, perform a life-saving procedure or operation, reduce severe pain or gain control of severe mental symptoms. The long-term answers are in your lifestyle habits and dedication to your health.

I hope this site, its articles, research, and news will help you on your path to getting those answers. This publication is new. I do hope you will come back each week to review the new articles published. If you are interested in writing for my publication, email me below to discuss it.

Cathryn Freer, the Herbladyisin signing off for today.

Email me at herbladyisin@yahoo.com.

Please Read more of my published articles on Alternative Medicine Articles Directory Here 

 

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Learn about Andrographis-An amazing versatile herb for health and Healing!

Posted on March 31, 2022 by herbladyisin

Learn about Andrographis-An amazing versatile herb for health and Healing!

Andrographis is an Ayurvedic herb that is a potent herb for infections.  It is used by doctors in India today and for hundreds of years. It is an important part of Ayurvedic medicine.

Why did I began using Andrographis after years of using traditional herbs?

Those traditional herbs I had always used, did not work on Lyme disease. While researching Lyme disease, after my lab tests and diagnosis, I found Dr. Rawls and his herbal protocols including Ayurvedic and adaptogen herbs. Dr Rawls had been through the Lyme disease journey after his diagnosis and fight for a treatment to get well.

I was not familiar with most of the Ayurvedic herbs at that point. Dr. Rawls book, Unlocking Lyme Disease, led me to a whole new world of Adaptogen herbs and medicinal mushrooms that can make all the difference in the world in your recovery from Lyme and other diseases. Medicinal mushrooms were also part of that discovery of new possibilities in supporting your health, immune system and brain function.  It proves there is so much in this world to learn about and discover to live longer and healthier. 

"Andrographis paniculata is an important Ayurvedic Herb

Learn about the properties and benefits of taking Andrographis.

Andographis is one of Dr. Rawls core herbs in his protocols for overcoming the effects of Lyme disease. It made a huge impact on my recovery and health. So, in today’s post, I want to introduce you to Andographis, an amazing adaptogen and tool to gain back your health.

Andographis is the “King of Bitters“. We buy the bulk product from Banyan, then put the powder in capsules. Banyan packages much of their products in tablets which I don’t digest well.

Banyan herbs is one of the only companies that tests their bulk powders for heavy metals, toxins, and other contamination. That is important for products coming from India and other countries. When the Andrographis powder is scooped out, you can taste it in all your senses, and it is more bitter than Goldenseal. That is why most people consume it in capsules. 

Although Andographis contains many compounds that make up its incredible healing properties, andrographolide is the main compound that has been researched.

Andrographolide is what makes Andrographis extremely bitter and comes from the leaves.  It is the leaves that have been more researched and tested than the root. This herb has been used in India for thousands of years by Ayurvedic doctors with their people.

Andrographis has been studied and researched extensively!

Andrographis has been studied extensively in India and China over the years. These hundreds of published research studies are double blind and well documented. The problem in the US, is that these studies are not accepted. Furthermore, doctors cannot make money advising people to take herbs. They have no background in nutrition or herbal medicine generally. They are taught in medical school about prescription drugs, surgery, and standard treatments with side effects that in some cases are worse than the illness they are prescribing the drugs for. Drug companies can make no money from using herbs in treatment, but herbs are used by doctors in many countries including India, China, Japan and others.

Learn about Andographis-An amazing versatile herb for health and healing below:

 

Andrographis is used in India for viral and bacterial health problems.

In the United States, Andrographis is best known as an herb that boosts your immunity against both viruses and bacterial infections. Yes, it is effective against viral infections where antibiotics are not.  This includes colds, flu, and other viral illnesses.  It has been shown in several double-blind studies to quickly reduce the symptoms such as fatigue, sore throat, coughs and other symptoms very quickly. It is used in India to fight HIV infections and the herpes virus that causes cold sores on your mouth and fever blisters.

Liver Support Health

In both China and India, Andrographis is used by doctors there to treat liver diseases such as cirrhosis of the liver. Research shows it reduces toxins in the liver. This research was published in the Journal, PLOS One along with several other research articles on Andrographis.

Digestive Complaints

Andrographis is used in India to help soothe many kinds of digestive issues from stomach inflammation to gastric and intestinal ulcers. 

Cancer 

Andrographis has been shown to help in fighting melanoma skin cancers, tumors, brain cancer, pancreatic cancer and other cancers by reducing inflammation, oxidation of cells, cancer cell replication and cancer cell invasion. Andographolide is the main constituent that has been studied in the research fight against cancer.  That does not mean that there are no other constituents of the plant that combined, assault the spread of cancers.  For centuries, Andrographis was used as in the whole plant tissue in Ayurvedic medicine.

Heart Protective

Andrographis inhibits cholesterol oxidation and lowers high cholesterol levels by relaxing your blood vessels. It helps to reduce heart artery damage. It is extremely protective and one of the tools in the prevention of heart problems.

Anti-inflammatory 

Helps in joint diseases by reducing inflammation. This anti-inflammatory action also helps with any health issue that produces inflammation.

How to use Andrographis in your health regimen:

Please do not take Andrographis with your medicines without consulting your doctor first. The herb and your medicines could react in a negative way.  Never stop taking your medicine without the supervision and knowledge of your doctor.

Andrographis is a very strong herb so it’s best to start first with a low dosage to make sure you are not allergic to it. There are a few people who do have allergy reactions.  If after a few days, you have no negative reaction to Andrographis, you can slowly increase the dosage.  Depending on your constitution and health issue, the amount of Andrographis needed to be effective may vary significantly. You will have to monitor your reaction as you go along. Suggestion is to start with one cap a day for a week to see how your body reacts to the herb.  I take a much higher dosage with Chronic Lyme disease.  I have no problems with this herb, but some have had allergy reactions to Andrographis. You must buy product that is tested in this country for heavy metals, contamination, and for quality.

For dosage information please consult Dr. Rawls book, Unlocking Lyme Disease and Healing Lyme by Stephen Harrod Buhner.

There is also dosage information in Adaptogens in Medical Herbalism by Donald R. Yance, CN, MH, RH (AHG)

References: ( Educational links below only)

The Truth About Cancer | The Latest Cancer Fighting News

Adaptogenic Herbs for Health & Cancer Prevention (thetruthaboutcancer.com)

Terry Talks Nutrition, Andrographis – The Ayurvedic Answer for Overall   (Health  article)

Journal, PLOS One along with several other research articles on Andrographis.

In Vitro Production of Echioidinin, 7-O-Methywogonin from Callus Cultures of Andrographis lineata and Their Cytotoxicity on Cancer Cells

All for today, Cathryn Freer, The Herbladyisin

I hope this site, its articles, research, and news will help you on your path to getting those answers. This publication is new. I do hope you will come back each week to review the new articles published. If you are interested in writing for my publication, email me below to discuss it.

Cathryn Freer, the Herbladyisin signing off for today.

Email me at herbladyisin@yahoo.com.

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Meditation….If I CAN do it …You Can too!

Posted on March 17, 2022 by herbladyisin

Meditation….If I CAN do it …You Can too!

Meditation is an important part of Ayurvedic health practice.   There are thousands who make meditation part of their morning or nightly regimen.   Most people who make meditation a part of their daily ritual, are not into the religious part of it but just do it for a more peaceful mind.

Not everyone has joined the meditation train in my age group.  I think that one of the reasons why is that they always show a young person sitting with legs crossed or in odd positions, which many of us who are older just cannot do. 

Meditation is good to gain a peaceful mind.

Meditation can be learned through videos on U-tube.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think those pictures defeat the real purpose of meditation which is to free your mind and get into a healing mode for body, mind, and spirit.

Meditation and prayer are not in conflict as many believe.  Meditation does not have to focus on a particular religion or belief.  You don’t have to be part of a Middle eastern religion to take part in meditation. 

Is meditation difficult for you to do? Tips for seniors and newbies.

I can tell you for years I tried and failed at meditation. My mind is always active and slowing it down is very difficult.  It wasn’t until I began taking classes to get my Life and Health Coach Certification that I finally got it. 

Meditation classes were part of my lessons needed to get the certificate.  I had also come into a area of my life where I could not seem to find peace despite the fact I pray.   There were so many questions in our lives being seniors and with both of us trying to recover from Tick diseases, that I signed up for a number of classes including Mindfulness’ Training.  Those classes were the best thing I did in the last several years.   If you have tried it before and couldn’t seem to clear your mind for meditation, I will suggest online classes. 

Factors that make meditation easier to do.

One thing I found is that certain meditation music irritated me, just like some classical does.  In listening to a number of different meditation music tracts, overtime I discovered what music I needed to find that quiet place inside myself.  So different meditation tracts affect each of us differently…so explore different ones until you find the one that appeals to your inner soul.  

  • Find a peaceful part of your house or in the back yard. 

 

  • I found that listening to the tracts depending on the video that goes with it makes a difference as well.

   

  • Not all of us our limber enough to sit in yoga poses.  I am 69 with curvature of the spine and it is not what I can do.  I personally sit in my easy chair with arms relaxed, legs relaxed to listen to the tract. 

 

  • You cannot get into a quiet place when the yoga position causes pain.  If you can sit in a yoga pose with your legs crossed, that is great, but it is not a have too. The idea is to be in a relaxed position so that you can get into the meditation.  

 

  • Persistence is important since active minds needs to work more at meditation that people who are more mellow.  If you have an overactive brain, then you must realize it does need rest.  Your brain needs time to repair itself and to detoxify as well.  Meditation gives your brain and your body rest and uplifts it in so many ways.

Tips for finding a time to meditate.

  • It is important, to find a time without distractions, even if you have to get up 2 hours before your husband or family. I woke up at 3 am wide awake.  Instead of lying there, I got up put on my favorite meditation tape, earphones, and had a really great two hours. The house was still, my husband was asleep, and no chores needed to be done.  I often do that. 

The whole day went well after that two hour of meditation, quiet, and just peace.  With all the political stuff going on, there are many people who are having trouble sleeping.  It is imperative you turn off the headlines, the news, your computer and cell phone for more positive things. 

Meditation helps you to find more joy in life. It turns your attitude around for the day. Add elements of joy to your day and life.

This morning I made a squirrel feeder for outside our office window, devised a water bath for the birds, and worked with my plants for the rest of the morning.  The joy of watching the squirrels eat peanuts outside our window was so fun.  I was feeling down having left our chickens and ducks in TN.  Since here in town, we cannot have either one, I decided to feed the doves and squirrels in our front yard.   It did wonders for the sadness in missing my critters. 

There is also a pond we visited where someone let go three domesticated white ducks.  It is a huge pond, but they cannot fly south for the winter.  That is the issue with the big white ducks, they cannot fly far. I fed them and talked to them under my feet and made it a goal to check how they are doing when it gets cold, since this is our first winter here.  I will feed them as well when it snows.  I am not sure they don’t live nearby where someone actually just lets them go on a pond walk-about.   There are several houses across from the pond. I will run a check on them every two or three days. 

Along with the ducks, many wild ones, there were about 50 Canadian geese.  It was great to watch them as well.  It gave me great joy.  Often in life, it is the small joys that give us the greatest joy in our hearts.

All for Now,

Cathryn Freer, the Herbladyisin

 

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What is Orthomolecular Medicine? How It Is Used to Improve Health and Immunity Against Disease and Illness?

Posted on February 15, 2021 by herbladyisin

 

What is Orthomolecular Medicine?

Orthomolecular medicines’ main goal is to restore the body’s balance both in the brain and bodily functions by correcting imbalances or deficiencies based on each person’s individual biochemistry. 

Orthomolecular doctors utilize natural substances such as vitamins, minerals, trace elements and amino acids to achieve that balanced chemistry.

Orthomolecular Medicine was founded by the famous molecular biologist, Linus Pauling, Ph.D. He won the Nobel Peace Prize twice for his work. He named this new kind of holistic treatment, Orthomolecular Psychiatry. 

Later it was used to treat problems in the body as well as in the brain. The new holistic treatment began in 1968.  In the beginning, there were only a handful of doctors who specialized in Orthomolecular medicine. 

Orthomolecular Medicine come from the Greek words ortho meaning correct or right and molecule. It means the right treatment for the correct Nutrional imbalance or deficiency using optimal vitamins, amino acids, and other elements of nutrition.

Orthomolecular doctors take specialized blood work and study the brain and body chemistry of the patient. In your healthy brain, there is a balance of the amino acids in the brain chemistry. They test elements that your standard doctor does not and will not. He is not trained to treat that way and most insurance companies will not pay for the testing. If you ask your regular doctor about Orthomolecular medicine, he will probably even know the term, much less anything about how it works. Most of them are negative toward holistic medicine. 

If one amino acid is deficient or too high, certain abnormalities in behavior can occur. Some of the amino acids calm the brain and some excite the brain. They need to be balanced for normal mental behavior. 

In the body as well, you need a balance of nutrients such as Vitamin B 12 as well as other B-vitamins. You need magnesium, calcium, and other nutrients to have radiant health. 

Orthomolecular medicine is holistic medicine based on balancing the body with vitamins and minerals.

Learn more about orthomolecular medicine

 

 I have used the principals of Orthomolecular medicine on and off since the 1980’s when it was first introduced into holistic medicine by Dr. Pauling. He passed away some years ago, but his work is being carried on by others.   I began studying the subject when I was working on my nutrition degree in those years. It was studying one of the sections in the course, when my daughter got sick.   

 

After my daughter was injured by her first shots, I used it to help restore her health.  Back then, Orthomolecular Medicine was new and there were no real stats on how to use it with children.  There were only a handful of doctors across the whole country. I could not afford the thousands of dollars to get her to one of them.

After buying the books on the subject and researching all the literature, I managed to get a doctor in the area, to run the brain chemistry and blood work.

I then worked with her until she began showing improvement and was able to design a program for her behavior and her health issues.  The doctor who took the tests, monitored her as well. It took months of studying her dosage of amino acids and her behavior. I did succeed in the end, but it was a day-by-day process.

So, a major part of longevity is living with optimal health which involves many aspects of life:  the food we eat, the negative foods which we need to avoid; exercise; our mental and heart health; our attitude toward others and ourselves; and the need to optimize our genetics.

How does our body and brain chemistry become imbalanced?

Stress, overwork, lack of sleep, mental strain, and years of neglecting our health contributes to body and mental imbalances. 

Today, our diets today full of junk food, sodas, sugar, caffeine, and processed foods, the majority of our diet is deficient of most of the needed vitamins and sadly lacking in the minerals and trace minerals needed for real true health.

Then you need to account for the percentage of obese people, people who are diabetic, people who have high blood pressure and have other co-morbidities which tax the body and its ability to work properly.  We may be one of the richest countries but not one of the healthiest. 

Our children, many of them are clearly unhealthy as well.  There is no question that the majority of Americans are deficient in most of the important nutrients that are needed to be healthy and to fight off infections. Depression is a serious and increasing problem with our children in all age groups. Suicide is rising as well.

Then recently came the lockdowns and Covid 19 hit us.  The lockdowns have caused thousands more cases of depression and increased alcohol and drug usage to cope with the isolation.  People have gained weight from overeating and drinking trying to cope with their more stressed life and jobs.  All of this further hurts your immune function and your health overall.   

In the next few weeks, we are going to be discussing the use of vitamins such as Vitamin D and C to improve health and immunity. I am going to teach you about orthomolecular medicine as well and how it can be used to improve health. 

Look at your life and write down what you are doing that is good for your health and what is not.  You can solve a problem until you are ready to not only identify a problem but take the first steps with courage to change your life to improve your health and longevity.

Your homework is to bluntly look at your lifestyle and what you are willing to change to have better health. 

These are not links to my sites but to the men who founded orthomolecular medicine and nutrition medicine with expertise and research.  These doctors with information at the below sites have lots of degrees and research behind their names.  Explore these sites on your own.

Educational Links to Read More

Resource to locate a Orthomolecualar Doctor

Orthomolecular Medicine | Program by Dr. Linus Pauling (alternativetomeds.com)

http://www.doctoryourself.com/

http://orthomolecular.org/

Other published articles are at the below link:

http://alternativemedicine-womenshealth-articles.com

 

I hope this site, its articles, research, and news will help you on your path to getting those answers. This publication is new. I do hope you will come back each week to review the new articles published. If you are interested in writing for my publication, email me below to discuss it.

Cathryn Freer, the Herbladyisin signing off for today.

Email me at herbladyisin@yahoo.com.

 

 

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Adaptogen Herbs that Help You To Resist Infections, Viruses and Bacterial Infections and Boost Your Immune Function.

Posted on October 15, 2020 by herbladyisin

Adaptogen Herbs that Help You to Resist Infections, Viruses and Bacterial Infections and Boost Your Immune Function.

 

Adaptogens herbs usually are grown in countries like India or China. They are not a magic wand and take days, weeks, or months in some cases to work.

Adaptogen herbs are taken in addition to improving your negative health factors such as a junk food diet, lack of sleep, lack of exercise, smoking and drinking.

Overtime adaptogen herbs start rebuilding tired and weakened cells, tissues and organs. They must be used every day and over time help your body to work more effectively and efficiently. You cannot be sick for weeks or months and expect to be well immediately. It just does not work that way. 

Adaptogens work effectively to bring the body systems back into balance, into working properly.  Adaptogens are to be taken like a food, not an herb to begin when you feel yourself getting ill.  Adaptogen herbs help to lesson stress and help you to drop excessively high cortisol levels.  If sleep is an issue, these herbs will help you to sleep better in a natural and positive way.

Ashwagandha is used by drs in India to improve the health of their patients.

Ashwagandha one of the most revered Adaptogens for health.

How can Adaptogens work to improve body systems and functions?

“Adaptogens work at a molecular level by regulating a stable balance in the hypothalamic, pituitary, and adrenal glands. These are involved in the stress response. They work by “hacking” the stress response in the body. “ https://www.healthline.com/health/adaptogenic-herbs#effectiveness .

Adaptogens for instance do not raise or lower blood sugar or blood pressure, but act to NORMALIZE these functions.   These herbs work to strengthen the whole body and its different processes.

” The available studies suggest that adaptogens really are helpful in decreasing symptoms of fatigue and exhaustion and may be most helpful when used alongside other therapies for people with chronic and acute medical conditions. ”  https://www.healthline.com/health/adaptogenic-herbs#effectiveness .

Can you take Adaptogen herbs along with prescription drugs?

Adaptogens make the body’s organ systems such as the heart work more efficiently. Over time they may even help the organ systems become healthier. If for instance you are taking a medicine for your heart or to lower your blood sugar or blood pressure, you may find that you need to lower your medication dosage.

If you are not being supervised under a doctor, you could end up taking a higher dose of medication than needed. If for instance your blood pressure lowers significantly, then your supervising doctor can lower the dosage for your medication.  If the medication dosage is too high at that point, it can cause issues to your health. 

  • Adaptogens can affect prescription drugs like Warfarin or Aspirin.
  • If you take blood pressure drugs or drugs to lower your blood sugar taking herbs talk to your doctor first. 
  • If you are on prescription drugs, you need to clear this with your doctor first.

Again, to restate this important message …read below 

Do not take herbs, even adaptogen herbs at the same time with prescription drugs unless being supervised by your physician. They can interact with each other causing you to need less of the drug.  You may need less of your blood pressure meds or blood sugar medication when taking adaptogen herbs.  Taking both without supervision could lead to an overdose of the prescription drug or could lower your blood pressure or blood sugar to a point of being too low. 

Do not give to children or take while nursing or pregnant unless you clear it with your doctor first.

Adaptogen book by David Winston and Steven Maimes

Adaptogen herbs help your entire body to be healthier.

The 4 Highest Rated adaptogen herbs for

boosting your immune function are below.  

Herbs that are considered adaptogens must have the following attributes listed below:

#1 Adaptogen Herbs must be safe and non-toxic when used over a long period of time. Safe for almost anyone to use daily for weeks or months at a time. Many of these are used as a food.
#2 Adaptogen herbs must have the properties that normalize body functions; improve the body’s ability to deal with stress.
#3 The adaptogen must influence various body systems overall to work in a healthy way; these herbs possess a number of different substances that work together to overall help to increase the health of all the different body systems.

I have listed two herbs in the top two which is Siberian Ginseng and America Ginseng. These two herbs have done wonders for my husband recovering from the horrible fatigue left over from Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever in August of 2019. I take both of them first thing every morning.  They improve my energy as well and my brain function performance. Also, there have been hundreds of studies published over the years from Russia, Japan and from other government research.

We also take Astragalus, Vitamin C and Vitamin D, on a daily basis too. So far, we have not gotten one cold or sniffle in the past year.  Despite still recovering from the long-term effects of tick diseases our immune function was strong enough to survive moving across several thousand miles during the beginning of the crisis and Covid-19 ongoing despite several people in our neighborhood getting Covid-19.

Each of these herbs will have a separate blog devoted to it over the coming weeks. You will also find Herb Profiles as well by March.

Siberian Ginseng or Eleuthero:  Adaptogen Herbs that Help You Resist Infections  

Eleuthero or Siberian Ginseng isn’t actually true ginseng but is called that often because it works in similar ways. There are hundreds of studies published over many years from Russia, Japan, China and other countries.  It is given to Russian athletes and space astronauts for increased endurance.

Numerous studies and real usage by athletes in Russia and Japan have found that it may help ward off fatigue, depression, and stress. it contains 7 primary eleutherosides and complex polysaccharides which boost immune function. This herb is amazing for helping your body to handle stress and this includes physical, mental or chemical stress without caffeine and that afternoon crash.  It helps people to boost physical performance and endurance.  It is extremely valuable for mental health and functioning as well.

Overall, this herb helps your body and immune system to be strong enough to fight off colds and viruses. In some studies, in vitro and vivo studies it has been shown to inhibit malignant tumors probably by strengthening the immune response.  Later on, this week I will be putting up profiles on both Siberian Ginseng and American Ginseng with links to research studies and other studies you can read for yourself.

https://draxe.com/nutrition/eleuthero-siberian-ginseng/

https://draxe.com/health/natural-antiviral-agents-optimize-immune-response/

https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/herb/siberian-ginseng

https://anticancer.news/2019-10-01-the-anti-cancer-potential-of-siberian-ginseng.html

American Ginseng

This herb is one of the few true Adaptogen herbs that grow in the US used by the different American Indian Tribes and tribes in Canada. Modern research shows it is used when there is depletion of the HPA axis and adrenal glands. In layman’s terms this means is you suffer from chronic stress and fatigue, adrenal fatigue and immune problems it may be very supportive and healthful.  It is an important adaptogen to normalize your body so it can fight off disease. You need to take the minimum dosage to begin with, then increase after you see how it affects you.  My husband and I take two caps of both American Ginseng and Siberian Ginseng.  I tried the Siberian first and then both to test their effects.  In our case, the two combined seem to really work well.

Several studies suggest that ginseng may help lower blood sugar and help treat diabetes. Ginsenosides may affect insulin production in the pancreas and improve insulin resistance using other mechanisms.”

More clinical studies and standardization of ginseng root are needed to consider ginseng as a possible complementary therapy for diabetes. This is so that researchers can investigate what specific doses are effective.”

Please visit my herb profile page here on Astragalus ( huang qi )

This herb is one of the most important in Ayurvedic medicine and is native to China.  It contains immune-stimulating polysaccharides-astragalans 1, 11, and 111, glucuronic acid, flavones, and isoflavones. It has been used in China and Ayurvedic medicine for thousands of years clear back to 713 CE.  It is used today by doctors in those countries and by the people in everyday life.  It is used in those countries among other usage to help prevent colds, influenza, bronchitis, mono, pneumonia, improve cardiac flow, and to prevent kidney and liver damage from medications. It is often combined with other immune strengthening herbs such as dan shen, dang gui and corydalis.

It is not used during acute infection but in daily prevention of illness. Do not use with chemo or radiation therapy unless your doctor oks it.

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/astragalus#what-it-is

The following comments below are from Healthline in the above linked page.  

“Astragalus may help enhance your immune system to prevent and fight bacterial and viral infections, including the common cold.”

“Though research findings are mixed, astragalus may help improve heart function in patients with heart failure and reduce symptoms of myocarditis.”

“When given intravenously in a hospital setting, astragalus may help alleviate nausea and vomiting in those undergoing chemotherapy.”

“Studies indicate that astragalus supplements may help control blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes. However, more research is needed.”

“There are many preliminary studies on astragalus that indicate the herb may have other potential benefits, including:

  • Improved symptoms of chronic fatigue: Some evidence shows astragalus may help improve tiredness in people with chronic fatigue syndrome when combined with other herbal supplements (29Trusted Source, 32Trusted Source).
  • Anticancer effects: In test-tube studies, astragalus has promoted apoptosis, or programmed cell death, in various types of cancer cells (33Trusted Source, 34Trusted Source, 35Trusted Source).
  • Improved seasonal allergy symptoms: Though studies are limited, one clinical study found that 160 mg of astragalus twice daily may reduce sneezing and runny nose in individuals with seasonal allergies (36Trusted Source).

SUMMARY Preliminary research has found that astragalus may be beneficial at reducing symptoms of chronic fatigue and seasonal allergies. Test-tube studies suggest that it may also have anticancer effects.”

The following Adaptogens are indicated for strengthening your immune function: Alma, Ashwagandha, Asian Ginseng, cordyceps, eleuthero or Siberian Ginseng, guduchi, holy basil, jiaogulan, licorice, lycium, prince seng, reishi, rhaponticum, rhodiola, schisandra, shatavari, and shilajit. 

Part of these are not herbs but mushrooms. I will be following up over the next months with blogs and articles on these herbs.

All for today, Cathryn Freer, the Herbladyisin

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Basic Principals for Health and a Healthy Immune System 

Posted on October 12, 2020 by herbladyisin

Basic Principles for Health and a Healthy Immune System including Covid-19 Protocols

Read this article at its source ‘the Townsend Letter‘

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Reposted with permission. 

By Michael J González, DSc, NMD, PhD, FANMA, FACN; Miguel J Berdiel, MD; Luis Martínez, MD

Protocol for COVID-19 Prevention

In addition to the precautions given by the medical and government authorities to wash our hands, use masks, alcohol, and sanitizers…what else can we do? Prepare the immune system to work the fastest and most effectively!
Food:
1. Diet low in sugar and in simple and refined carbohydrates
2. Limit processed meals
3. Eat more vegetables, fruits and nuts
4. Hydrate well with water! (Your weight in lb, divided by 16, gives you the 8oz cups of daily intake)
Lifestyle:
1. Exercise at least three times a week
2. Sleep eight hours
3. Meditate, hear music, read a book
Recommended Supplementation:
1. Multivitamin and Mineral Formula one daily
2. Vitamin C, 1,000 mg three daily
3. Vitamin D3, 10,000 IU daily
4. Zinc Gluconate, 30 mg daily
5. Magnesium Citrate, 500 mg daily
6. Selenium Methionine, 200 mcg daily
7. Probiotics, >30 billion CFU daily
8. Melatonin, 10 mg daily
Other Suggested Supplements:
1. NAC, 500 mg
2. Lipoic Acid, 300 mg
3. Quercetin, 500 mg
4. Vitamin A, 10,000 IU
5. CoQ10, 100 mg
6. Vitamin E (mixed tocopherols with tocotrienols), 200 IU twice daily
7. Echinacea, 400 mg
8. Astragalus, 500 mg
9. Rhodiola, 250 mg
10. Maitake, 500 mg
11. Shitake, 500 mg
12. Ginger, 500 mg
13. Garlic, 600 mg
14. Elderberry, 450 mg
15. Astaxanthin, 10 mg twice daily
Protocol for Suspected Contagion (Pending COVID-19 Test Results)
Follow the precautions by the medical and government authorities as to washing hands, use of masks, alcohol and sanitizers. Boost the immune system to work the fastest and most effectively!

Food:
1. Diet without sugar or refined carbohydrates
2. Avoid processed meals
3. Eat more vegetables, fruits and nuts.
4. Lots of water (Your weight in lb divided by 16 equals 8oz cups daily intake)
Lifestyle:
1. Sleep eight hours
2. Meditate, hear music, read a book
Recommended Supplementation:
1. Multivitamin and Mineral Formula one daily
2. Vitamin C, 1,000 mg every hour while awake
3. Vitamin D3, 25,000 IU daily
4. Zinc Gluconate, 50 mg daily
5. Magnesium Citrate, 500 mg twice daily
6. Selenium Methionine, 200 mcg twice daily
7. Probiotics, >30 billion CFU daily
8. Melatonin, 10 mg daily
9.  Quercetin, 500 mg twice daily
10. Vitamin A, 10,000 IU daily
11. Vitamin E (mixed tocopherols with tocotrienols), 200 IU twice daily
It is highly recommended that physicians managing patients also prescribe the following:
1. IV Vitamin C, 25 g for at least 3 days
2. Thymosin Alpha-1, 1.6 mg (subcutaneous) twice weekly

Other Suggested Supplements:
1. NAC, 500 mg
2. Lipoic Acid, 300 mg
3. CoQ10, 100 mg
4. Echinacea, 400 mg
5. Astragalus, 500 mg
6. Rhodiola, 250 mg
7. Maitake, 500 mg
8. Shitake, 500 mg
9. Ginger, 500 mg
10. Garlic, 600 mg
11. Elderberry, 450 mg
12. Astaxanthin, 10 mg twice daily
Protocol for Patient, Positive to COVID-19, with Mild Symptoms at Home
Follow the precautions by the medical and government authorities to wash our hands, use masks, alcohol and sanitizers. Boost the immune system to work the fastest and most effectively!
Food:
1. Diet without sugar and without simple or refined carbohydrates
2. Avoid processed meals
3. Eat more vegetables, fruits and nuts
4. Hydrate well with water! (Your weight in lb divided by 16 equals 8onz cups daily intake)
Lifestyle:
1. Sleep eight hours
2. Meditate, hear music, read a book
Recommended Supplementation:
1. Multivitamin and Mineral Formula, one daily
2. Vitamin C at Bowel Tolerance dose. Take 3-5 gm every hour until you develop loose stool, then decrease the last dose 5 gm, and continue for 3 days!
3. Vitamin D3, 25,000 IU daily
4. Zinc Gluconate, 50 -100 mg daily
5. Magnesium Citrate, 500 mg three daily
6. Selenium Methionine, 200 mcg three daily
7. Probiotics, >30 billion CFU twice daily
8. Melatonin, 10 mg daily
9. Quercetin, 500 mg twice daily
10. Vitamin A, 10,000 IU daily
11. Vitamin E (mixed tocopherols with tocotrienols), 200 IU twice daily
12. NAC, 1,000 mg three daily
13. Lipoic acid, 300 mg twice daily
14. CoQ10, 100 mg twice daily
15. Potassium Chloride, 99 mg twice daily
It is highly recommended that physicians managing Prevention Protocol also prescribe the following:
1. IV Vitamin C, intravenous 25 g daily for a week
2. Thymosin Alpha-1, 1.6 mg subcutaneous daily
Other Suggested Supplements:
1. Rhodiola, 250 mg
2. Glutathione (liposomal, >250 mg)
3. Ginger, 500 mg
4. Echinacea, 400 mg
5. Astragalus, 500 mg
6. Maitake, 500 mg
7. Shitake, 500 mg
8. Garlic, 600 mg
9. Elderberry, 450 mg
10. Astaxanthin, 10 mg twice daily

Protocol for Hospitalized Patient, Positive to COVID-19

Food:

 Diet without sugar, and without simple or refined carbohydrates
  1. Hydrate well with water! (Your weight in lb divided by 16 gives you the 8 oz cups of daily intake)
Medical Treatment:
1. Vitamin C intravenous, 15 gm every 6 hours for 7 days or until improvement
2. Hydroxychloroquine, 200 mg every 6 hours first day, after 200 mg tid for 10 days
3. Thymosin Alpha-1, during active infection, 1.6 mg subcutaneous daily. Continue during recovery twice weekly.
4. Potassium Chloride, (150 mg-ml) 2 ml every 12 hours for 10 days
5. Zinc Chloride, (1 mg-ml) 15 ml every 12 hours for 10 days
6. Azithromycin 500 mg day 1 then 250 mg for 4 days
7. Kenalog 40 mg IM daily, for two days
8. Heparin (Lovenox, Low Molecular Weight) 30 mg sc bid
9. Solumedrone 40 mg IV daily
10. **Consider Acetazolamide, 250 mg every 12 hours
Respiratory Support:
See recommendations by Dr. Paul Marik, MD, Chief of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, VA:

Try to Avoid Intubation, if Possible.
Low-Flow Nasal Cannula
■ Typically set at 1-6 Liters/Min
High-Flow Nasal Cannula
■ Accept permissive hypoxemia (O2 Saturation > 86%)
■ Titrate FiO2 based on patient’s saturation
■ Accept flow rates of 60 to 80 L/min
■ Trial of inhaled Flolan (epoprostenol)
■ Attempt proning (cooperative proning)
Invasive Mechanical Ventilation
■ Target tidal volumes of ~6 cc/kg
■ Lowest driving pressure and PEEP
■ Sedation to avoid self-extubation
■ Trial of inhaled Flolan
Prone Positioning
■ Consider in patients with PaO2/FiO2 ratio < 150
VV-ECMO
■ Indications remain unclear
■ Early discussion with ECMO center or team may be advisable
(rev. 05/13/2020)
By Michael J González, DSc, NMD, PhD, FANMA, FACN (michael.gonzalez5@upr.edu);
Miguel J Berdiel, MD (drberdiel@gmail.com);
Luis Martínez, MD (martinez911@gmail.com)
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Why is Ayurvedic Health so Complicated? Help me to understand it better.

Posted on October 4, 2020 by herbladyisin

Why is Ayurvedic Health so Complicated?  Help me to understand it better. How do I use it for my lifestyle?

“Ayurveda revolves around maintaining good health by preventing and treating illness through one’s lifestyle. This usually involves massage, yoga, meditation, a healthy diet, herbal incorporations, and more.” from Daily Life, a site on Ayurvedic Medicine.

When people look up Ayurvedic medicine, they often get overwhelmed and quit reading. The Ayurvedic lifestyle seems so complicated when you are an on the go American who hardly has time to eat breakfast before going to work.

Ayurveda involves meditation, diet, and lifestyle.

Ayurveda has principals such as meditation that everyone can use to feel healthier.

How many working couples have time to exercise or do much in self-care? This is one of the reasons that depression is skyrocketing in this country.  Obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes are diseases because we do not take time to live in a healthy way.

Living in the United States, unless you migrated from India, India is a world very different than what we grew up with.  India is where Ayurvedic medicine originated from some 5000 years ago. It is one of the oldest ancient healing systems in the world, still used today.

Saying that, if you are not Asian or Hispanic, their foods and lifestyle may be unfamiliar as well.   It is because many of us just didn’t grow up with those foods and lifestyle practices that they seem so difficult to understand.

It has to do with just being willing to get over your brain and its tendency to reject new lifestyle changes.

I grew up in a household where my father was German, from Germany.  We had only black bread in the house.  Mom did make cornbread and biscuits at times. I grew up on both Southern cooking from my mom’s side as well as ethnic foods from Germany like eating cow’s heart, cow’s tongue, pickled pigs’ feet, and limburger cheese.  I still enjoy cow heart but never embraced the pickled pig’s feet that my father did. I ate head cheese with my father but just refused to think about its contents. I loved him and just wanted to make him happy. I can’t say I ate it after I left home. Mom passed on it too.

I would not eat it today because of the big farm raised animals and the antibiotics that meat contains. I ate it in the 1950’s when there was less pesticides and animals were raised in small home farms. Kids used to tease me when my mom would give me cow’s tongue meat slices in a sandwich.  I just ignored them. 

My sister gave me tongue and liver from their pasture raised cow they butchered last year. They usually just sell their cows and buy store bought meat. I loved it and they were happy to give it to me.  My husband ate the tongue with hesitation, much hesitation and is not on his favorites list. I had not eaten it in years and was a treat.   

I am more apt to try a new food than he is.  Years ago, at a dinner as a caregiver, they offered snails as part of the menu.  I ordered them, since they were free just to try them.  They weren’t bad but would not buy them for us.

It has to do with just being willing to get over your brain’s negative voice that says it’s too hard, too complicated, and too different! 

People tend to shy away from foods and ideas that they did not grow up with. Is that you?

People tend to make fun of or refuse to try foods that they didn’t grow up with.  Most of us tend to turn down foods and styles of living that are different. It is human nature. 

We need to be more open minded to trying different foods, different views, different ways because it’s good for you to do that. It does not mean once we try it once or twice that we have to eat that food again but sometimes we may find that it is something we really love.  

Why is Ayurvedic Health so Complicated?  Help me to understand it better.

Ayurveda is comprehensive including practices for the mind, the body, diet and exercise.  It is a lifestyle, a way of life, a way of thinking and breathing. It is part of every layer of their life, heart and mind that is ancient and used today.

The people in that area of the world after a few thousand years know that unless you are healthy in all that you do, you don’t have real true health.  It is like a person who is great at exercising but takes drugs on the side. 

Our health is like a balance scale with the good things we do such as healthy foods on one side and the negative ones on the other.  If your life has more positive than negative lifestyle elements, your health improves. The healthier your lifestyle habits are, the better your health is.   Many Americans don’t have a real routine period. 

That is why Ayurveda health elements are hard to implement, you need to do them every day.  The women in India spend much more time on self-care than most American women.  It is a part of their daily regimen. They spend more time on improving their thinking, breathing, eating and address every later of their life. 

As Americans, for the most part we don’t. This is evident in the stats on obesity, diabetes, heart disease and other serious life-threatening disease common here in the US and even with many children.   It is clear, we need to change our lives if we are going to live longer with health and a active, healthy brain.

You do not need to embrace all of Ayurveda and its principals to get benefits. Just improve your life one step at a time. 

You do not need to go to India and take years to learn all of their ways.  I am not saying that you shouldn’t, but it is not what you have to do to make things work.  

You do not have to get into Yoga from the spiritual aspect to benefit from the Ayurvedic health principles.  I walk and have a Yoga routine for seniors where I don’t have to get into those awkward positions on the floor.  I would have to call the paramedics to get me out of those positions, I am just not flexible enough, but I can do the easier poses from a chair.  Go to U-Tube to find videos on Chair Yoga, which is very beneficial to both mind and body, just like meditation.

Meditation does not have to be connected to a specific religion.  The benefits of meditation have been proven by science as amazing for your health.  Meditation helps with high blood pressure, depression, and stress related illnesses.

We can pick and choose which of Ayurveda principals, food and herbs to add to our life. So, we can adopt some of the Ayurvedic principles that help your health and that can be blended into your family’s lifestyle but not all of them. It is like we love Mexican food, but it is not all that we eat.  We can adopt certain foods, practices, ways of life from different cultures that improve our life.   The key is to be keeping an open mind. 

Look at some of their life and health principals and check out what might be something to try. 

When you want to change your life and health, take one step at a time…. small changes lead to big benefits!

I do suggest you go to Banyan Herbs education page for Ayurvedic videos and look at them with an open mind.  If you know your health is a problem, could incorporating some of their lifestyle principals benefit your life?  They have many daily regimens that really would improve health overall for many of us.  Even if you only did a couple to start out, that would be a step forward.   

If you don’t walk now or exercise at all, start by walking a block or two.  Download a meditation video and just see if you can take a step towards that.  If you eat too many cookies, eat two or three less for the first week.  If you have no self-care regimen, try just taking the time for a relaxing soak in the bathtub.   Stop your work and watch a movie with your family.  Take a walk with your kids, husband or dog. Baby steps lead to bigger ones.

As a woman who grew up too serious, feeling guilty for doing anything other than working, it is hard to take those steps.  I had to learn to relax and stop thinking about all the chores not finished.  I have the strong German work ethic but was in the bathroom when God was giving out a sense of humor and the ability to easily have fun without guilt.  I had to learn that.   I work at it still today at 69. Thank God I married a man who has taught me through the years with his wonderful humor bone that life and your mental health is so much improved with humor and fun.  Even now when I come up with a good one, he just looks and me and smiles. His sense of humor and fun has been a health asset to my life.

Cathryn Freer, master herbalist, researcher, and writer.

Ayurvedic herbs and lifestyle can add years to your life.

How did I get into Ayurvedic and Adaptogen herbs being a Western trained herbalist?

My experience using Ayurvedic herbs is new considering I have been an herbalist for 35 years.

Most of my study was in western herbal medicine.  It was in the past 5 years that I found my western herbs not working for me as they did. So, I began researching other herbal therapies and found Ayurvedic medicine and herbs.  It seemed very foreign to me too, but I knew Western herbs were not doing the complete job. 

One of my first steps was to take the Dosha Quiz so that I knew more about what herbs might be beneficial. 

(The above link is not an ad, just educational, but does give you an idea of what Ayurvedic herbs might help your health. It’s interesting to take, informative, and does not take much time.)

I learned so much from answering the questions.  I also took a online class and made use of the U-Tube videos on Ayurvedic Medicine. Two of the beginner books I now own.

This is how I got introduced to Ayurvedic herbs and Adaptogen herbs which are tonics to the whole body and the different systems.  They go in and correct imbalances, they support the organs, the different systems of the body so that they work more efficiently. 

Most of them are safe to take over long periods of time so it is not like an herb that should only be taken when sick.  These herbs are for long term daily use.  They make up an important part of your food intake that are healthy. 

The more I researched, the more excited I got to try a new program.   I will add here that two of the herbs I take every day for Chronic Lyme Disease are not Ayurvedic which is Japanese Knotweed and Cats Claw.  Along with these I take Neem, Astragalus, and Andrographis which are Ayurvedic herbs.

One of the symptoms of Lyme is deep eye pain and headaches that keep you awake. It is like there is inflammation in your eye socket. It is nasty.  That is because the spirochetes from the tick bites that get into your system thrive on collagen which is very abundant in your eyes and face.  You lose hair as well. There are only a few herbs that kill these bad guys in your body. They hide in tissues and can change their actions to avoid antibiotics. In autopsies, they are found in the brain of people who had Alzheimer’s and other brain problems. They are fascinating to research and frightening in their ability to take over your brain and body.  I will be teaching on that subject as well later.

The doctor had no idea on the eye pain except that most of his patients with Lyme complained about it and the symptoms persisted for months after their standard treatment of antibiotics.  Since the eye pain was awful and I had Neem trees in the house, why not try Neem tea?  I grow several Neem and Moringa Trees as small house trees and have for a few years. Neem tea is bitter folks, so it is not easy to drink. 

I suffered through the bitter tea and about a week later, noticed the eye pain was decreasing.  A few days later, it was gone.  I take Neem powder or Neem leaf everyday with nothing but good results.  This addressed another serious issue I have had dealt with for 20 years which is an infection in the jawbone itself and jaw tissue that antibiotics does not help and can be really dangerous.  That was caused from mercury fillings that caused infections in my mouth that nearly destroyed my immune system in the late 90’s.  Neem turned out to be my answer to this problem as well.  I will be blogging on this in future articles. 

The doctor’s treatment was to suggest cutting out my jawbone and surrounding area and replacing it with metal.  I said no that I would find my own answer.  Western herbs could not stamp out the infection completely.  Antibiotics only worked to a certain point but could not kill it completely. It was a few years before I discovered that Neem does and has worked now for over 2 years.  I was taking the Neem for the eye pain from Lyme and realized it was solving the issue with my jaw.  I have suffered a lot over these years looking for the answer to my jaw issue. I kept it down to the point I didn’t land in the hospital but often I could not eat solid food for weeks.  I did here and there have to take antibiotics but none of them really worked. For me, Neem is a life saver.  Jaw infections can get into your brain, and they can kill.  I keep a supply of Neem powder as well as my house trees to last 6 months.  

So, this is my story on how I got introduced to Ayurvedic herbs and Adaptogen herbs which are tonics to the whole body and the different systems.  They go in and correct imbalances, they support the organs, the different systems of the body so that they work more efficiently.  Most of them are safe to take over long periods of time so it is not like an herb that should only be taken when sick.  These herbs are for long time daily use.  They make up an important part of your food intake that are healthy. 

How do we use Ayurvedic Principals in our life.

We walk our dogs and do chair yoga.  I make the time to give myself more self-care. Oil pulling is part of my daily oral care routine. 

Golden milk we drink every day. I basically add turmeric, ginger, Ashwagandha, mushroom powder, lion’s mane, and whatever else I choose to add in. 

Every morning we start out with Moringa-Spirulina balls with an array of nuts and seeds added in.   

I put the herbs into yogurt and soups at times. 

 We drink a protein drink with adaptogen herbs and Ayurvedic herbs in it.  

We also take Ayurvedic and Adaptogen herbs that are extremely bitter in capsules. I buy the bulk powered product and put them in capsules myself.  Taking these Ayurvedic herbs keeps our immune system healthy, our mind sharp, and our whole system healthy.

The Banyan Herb site has one of the most comprehensive databases to learn Ayurvedic medicine.  Visit it here (not an ad).  

I hope in this article and more to come, I have opened your mind to the idea of Ayurvedic foods, herbs, and perhaps even trying some new health care regimens for your life. More on this later.

Herbally yours, Cathryn Freer, the Herbladyisin

Read my other published articles at Alternative Medicine Article Directory Here 

 

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