Using herbs

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The Desktop Guide to Herbal Medicine: The Ultimate Multidisciplinary Reference to the Amazing Realm of Healing Plants, in a Quick-study, One-stop Guide Brigitte Mars, A.H.G. See book keywords and concepts

When you are using herbs for therapeutic purposes, continue with the appropriate dosage for at least a week, and then evaluate your progress. If your health concern has been remedied, then you can stop taking the herb formula on a regular basis. However, you might wish to include some of it in your diet from time to time as a tonic tune-up. Be aware that some herbs should not be combined with some medications because they can cause exacerbated or unpredictable effects. This is especially the case when you are using an herb for the same purpose as a drug. You may end up with a double dose!

Adaptogens: Herbs for Strength, Stamina, and Stress Relief David Winston, RH(AHG), and Steven Maimes See book keywords and concepts

As with most things, moderation is important when using herbs, and traditional formulas and dosages often offer guidelines for safe use today. Avoid the use of licorice for patients with hypertension. For anyone who is taking licorice for an extended period of time, eating a diet that is high in potassium and low in sodium and checking blood pressure regularly are recommended. Herb/Drug Interactions: Licorice has been shown to increase the effectiveness of steroids such as prednisone and reduce their toxicity.

For help using herbs, contact a veterinary herbalist. HERBAL RESOURCES FOR ANIMALS To find a veterinarian who uses botanical medicine, contact: Veterinary Botanical Medicine Association 334 Knollwood Lane Woodstock, GA 30188 www.vbma.org Books for the Pet Owner The Complete Herbal for Farm and Stable by Juliette de Bairacli Levy (London: Faber & Faber, 1991). The Complete Herbal Handbook for the Dog and Cat by Juliette de Bairacli Levy (London: Faber 8t Faber, 1992).

1000 Cures for 200 Ailments: Integrated Alternative and Conventional Treatments for the Most Common Illnesses Marshall Editions See book keywords and concepts

Consult with a practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine for advice on using herbs. Herbs: The herbs used to make the following decoction are available online or from a Chinese herbalist or pharmacy. Combine 12 g of Chi Shao (red peony root), 12 g of Haui Niu Xi (achyranthes root), 12 g of Dan Shen (salvia root), and 15 g of Ji Xue Teng (millettia root) in a ceramic pot. Add 3 cups of water and bring to the boil. After simmering the mixture for 30 minutes, strain the liquid and drink 1 cup two to three times a day.

HERBALISM The herbal approach to dealing with heartburn, as well as with acid reflux, involves using herbs that act in several different ways. Coating, or demulcent, herbs soothe and protect the mucous membranes in the esophagus that may become inflamed with heartburn. Also, anti-inflammatory herbs can improve the symptoms of heartburn and help damaged tissue to heal. Licorice: For long-term use, take two to four 380 mg tablets of de-glycyrrhizinated licorice (DCL), a well-know demulcent, before meals to help with reflux.

The symptoms of lactose intolerance, however, can be addressed by using herbs. Some possible remedies are listed below, but also refer to the sections on diarrhea (p. 366) and indigestion (p. 428). Chamomile: This carminative has anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, and soothing effects on gastrointestinal tissue. The beneficial effects of chamomile are probably due to two main classes of compounds, the volatile oils (such as bisabolol) and the flavonoids (such as apigenin).

HERBALISM w General advice: In addition to using herbs to treat the infection and move lymph, apply heat to the affected area either with heating pads or by taking a hot shower. Continue to breastfeed; the infection will not harm the baby, and moving milk through the inflamed duct will help heal the infection. Drinking large amounts of water daily is also recommended.

The Desktop Guide to Herbal Medicine: The Ultimate Multidisciplinary Reference to the Amazing Realm of Healing Plants, in a Quick-study, One-stop Guide Brigitte Mars, A.H.G. See book keywords and concepts

Sometimes the shops offer workshops on using herbs, which can be tremendously helpful in the study of herbal medicine. The more experience you can get, the better! Do your best to seek out organically cultivated herbs. Not only do they have the most healing properties (pesticides are designed to destroy, not heal), but organic cultivation is healthier for the planet and creatures that live upon it. Sometimes you may find supplies of wildcrafted herbs; these are herbs that have been collected from the wild.

There Is a Cure for Diabetes: The Tree of Life 21-Day+ Program Gabriel Cousens See book keywords and concepts

The history of eating a diet of plant foods, of abstaining from meat eating, of fasting and drinking plant juices, and using herbs to heal goes back possibly further than recorded history itself. Hippocrates, the father of medicine (460-357 BC) said, "He who does not know food, how can he understand the diseases of man?" We have read Genesis 1:29 about a plant-source diet.

The Desktop Guide to Herbal Medicine: The Ultimate Multidisciplinary Reference to the Amazing Realm of Healing Plants, in a Quick-study, One-stop Guide Brigitte Mars, A.H.G. See book keywords and concepts

Herbalists debate about the safety of using herbs containing pyrrolizidine alkaloids, and more research needs to be conducted to determine whether comfrey is safe for internal use. But there is no problem with using it topically. Because comfrey causes rapid wound healing, make sure a wound is clean of any dirt before applying comfrey. Also be sure of your species; poisonings have occurred from novices collecting toxic foxglove, mistaking it for comfrey. Range and Appearance Comfrey, a native of Europe and northern Asia, is a perennial that grows from 1 to 4 feet tall on an angular stem.

Toxic chemical triclosan commonly found in anti-bacterial soaps, toothpaste products Mike Adams, the Health Ranger See article keywords and concepts

Action items Avoid all products that make "antibacterial" claims (unless they are using herbs to accomplish it). Be aware of the harmful environmental impact of consuming products containing triclosan. The ingredient is not only unhealthy for humans, it's also unhealthy for the environment. Read the ingredients labels of all consumer products in order to make sure they do not contain triclosan.

Best Choices From the People's Pharmacy Joe Graedon, M.S. and Teresa Graedon, Ph.D. See book keywords and concepts

If you're considering using herbs or dietary supplements such as chromium, bitter melon, fenugreek, Gymnema sylvestre, or nopal, check with your health-care providers before taking them. Monitor your blood sugar carefully. • If medication becomes necessary, make sure that you and your physician find the safest and most effective option for you. You shouldn't have to suffer with dreadful side effects to keep your blood sugar under control. ECZEMA • Apply moisturizer immediately after washing skin. þ?? • Take probiotic supplements such as viable Lactobacillus GG þ??

Prescription for Nutritional Healing, 4th Edition: A Practical A-to-Z Reference to Drug-Free Remedies Using Vitamins, Minerals, Herbs & Food Supplements Phyllis A. Balch, CNC See book keywords and concepts

Common sense, care, and forethought are needed when using herbs for either food or medicine. Here are some essential guidelines for herbal self-care: • Use herbal self-care for minor ailments only, not for serious or life-threatening conditions. • Use only recommended amounts for recommended periods of time. • Use the correct herb. Buy your herbal remedies from a reputable company. If you collect or grow herbs on your own, be absolutely positive in your identification. • Use the correct part of the plant. For instance, don't substitute roots for leaves.

The Healing Power of Rainforest Herbs: A Guide to Understanding and Using Herbal Medicinals Leslie Taylor, ND See book keywords and concepts

Part One: Rainforest Herbal Primer provides information on herbal medicine principles in general, the similarities and differences between using herbs and drugs, methods of preparing herbal remedies, and some recipes for rainforest remedies. Part Two: Quick Guides to Medicinal Plants of the Amazon includes helpful at-a-glance references to essential information on rainforest herbs. If you are interested in finding the best herbs to take for producing a desired effect—for example, stimulating the immune system or producing a laxative effect—turn to Properties and Actions of Rainforest Plants.

Anti-Aging Manual: The Encyclopedia of Natural Health Joseph E. Mario See book keywords and concepts

When using herbs avoid the following which may cause side effects: beer, wine, coffee, chocolate; nitrate products salami, hot dogs, bacon, smoked or pickled products, etc.; yogurt, favabeans, mushrooms; and drug ingredients in amphetamines, narcotics, diet pills, asthma inhalers, nasal inhalants, decongestants, cold and hay fevermedications. HERBAL HEALING PLANTS may be consumed internally for refreshment, general home preventive or curative nutrition, or specific Immunity, as follows: A Tea...

Natural Health Solutions Mike Adams See book keywords and concepts

Preventing stones is often as simple as avoiding those things that cause it—such as soft drinks—and using herbs that actually break up kidney stones or dissolve them and allow you to pass them slowly over time without the pain normally associated with passing kidney stones. What are those natural remedies? One that comes to mind is corn silk tea. Just visit the grocery store and buy corn that contains the corn silk and the husk—the silk is that stringy hair that most people throw away. Take the corn silk, boil it in water, then you drink the tea.

Alternative medicine is often practiced with the limited mindset of conventional medicine Mike Adams, the Health Ranger See article keywords and concepts

This is just using herbs in a strictly allopathic manner to shift the responsibility of the patient's health outcome. Good health practitioners, whether in conventional medicine or complementary medicine, attempt to place that responsibility squarely with their patients, and they do that through education. They try to teach their patients about the value of nutrition; they try to show them the wisdom of making new choices about their lifestyle habits and chemical addictions that would lead them to a more healthful journey for the rest of their lives.

Unleash the Inner Healing Power of Foods The Editors of FC&A See book keywords and concepts

Fortunately, using herbs can be easy and pleasant. It's one secret your pharmacist can't afford to tell you. The following herbs help you sleep — without the side effects of prescription sleep aids. Valerian. This is one of the most popular, effective, and versatile herbs for conquering insomnia. Drink it in a tea, swallow it in a capsule, or add five to 10 drops of the aromatic oil to a relaxing bath. most. Eat a handful each night an hour or so before bedtime, and be prepared for pleasant dreams. or other relaxing scenes did a better job of bringing on sleep. Chamomile.

The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods by Michael Murray, N.D. and Joseph Pizzorno, N.D. See book keywords and concepts

When using herbs, it is far better, for both their health benefits and the flavor they add to foods, to utilize them in their fresh form. To prepare most fresh herbs for use, first remove the stems, then put the leaves in a measuring cup and, with your kitchen shears, mince them to the desired size. Since dried herbs are more concentrated than fresh, you will need to use more of the fresh. If using a recipe that calls for dried herb, simply multiply the amount required by four.

Fundamentals of Naturopathic Endocrinology Michael Friedman, ND See book keywords and concepts

This effect was not seen when any of the herbs were used alone, however, which may validate the Ayurvedic practice of using herbs in synergistic combinations. These results point to promise in using ashwagandha in endocrine dysfunction. Anti-Inflammatory Properties: Most studies of the anti-inflammatory properties of ashwagandha have been conducted on rats using a variety of chemical markers to evaluate its efficacy in reducing artificially induced inflammation. These studies used varying amounts of the powdered root, which was compared to different reference drugs and control substances.

Medical Herbalism: The Science Principles and Practices Of Herbal Medicine David Hoffman, FNIMH, AHG See book keywords and concepts

Of all herbal traditions, that of using herbs to aid digestion has remained the most prominent in the memory of modern Europe. Whether culinary herbs such as rosemary or medicinal liqueurs like vermouth and chartreuse, therapeutic remedies are used in large quantities. The very name vermouth comes from the bitter herb wormwood. Herbs maintain their foothold in official pharmacopoeias as major therapeutic agents, in the form of digestive bitters, carminatives, and laxatives of varying strengths. The ideal is to preserve health and maintain wellness, rather than merely treat illness.

The Doctor's Complete Guide to Vitamins and Minerals Dr. Mary Dan Eades See book keywords and concepts

Here are some suggestions to keep in mind when using herbs: • Pay attention to dosing instructions. These are guidelines that should not be tampered with. They have been determined by experts who are familiar with the herb and its interactions. • Accept that it usually takes longer to see results when using herbs than synthetic drugs. The upside to this is that you are allowing healing to be the process that it is, which is, for the most part, easier on your body. • Inform your doctor of your decision to add herbs to a regimen of prescription medication.

Death By Prescription: The Shocking Truth Behind an Overmedicated Nation Ray Strand, M.D. See book keywords and concepts

Since we don't have human studies using herbs in the U.S., we should at least be concerned about the results of animal studies. There are human case reports of jaundice, fatigue, severe itching, elevated liver enzymes, and even liver failure in patients taking chaparral (Larrea tridentata), germander (Teucrium chamaidrys), and life root (Senecio aureus).9 These reactions have been reported within three weeks of patients' taking these herbs, but they also may not manifest themselves for months.10 Did you know licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra) has the potential to cause serious complications?

The Okinawa Diet Plan : Get Leaner, Live Longer, and Never Feel Hungry Bradley J. Willcox, M.D., D. Craig Willcox, Ph.D., Makoto Suzuki, M.D. See book keywords and concepts

We strongly recommend using herbs and spices for flavoring instead of salt and artificial chemical additives. Fresh herbs and spices usually contain higher antioxidant levels than their dried and/or processed counterparts. Fresh garlic cloves, for example, provide 1.5 times more antioxidant activity than garlic powder. We'll introduce you to some of the more impressive Okinawan herbs and spices in the next chapter; meanwhile, here are some you may already know.

The Miracle of Fasting: Proven Throughout History for Physical, Mental & Spiritual Rejuvenation Patricia Bragg and Paul C. Bragg See book keywords and concepts

When using herbs in these drinks, use 1 to 2 fresh leaves or a tiny pinch of dried herbs. A pinch of dulse (seaweed) rich in protein, iodine and iron - is delicious with vegetable juices. To work the head, temperance must be carried into the diet. - Beecher Here are Some Powerful Juice Combinations: 7. Beet, celery, alfalfa sprouts 2. Cabbage, celery and apple 3. Cabbage, cucumber, celery, tomato, spinach and basil 4. Tomato, carrot and mint 5. Carrot, celery, watercress, garlic and wheatgrass 6. Grapefruit, orange and lemon 7. Beet, parsley, celery, carrot, cabbage and garlic 8.

The ABC Clinical Guide to Herbs Mark Blumenthal See book keywords and concepts

Eisenberg et ai, 1993) to 12% of adults using herbs in a one-year period as measured in 1997, a growth factor of 380%. In the 1990s, sales of herbal products became a phenomenon in mass market retail stores increasing from 1994 levels to their highest levels in 1998, then leveling off and subsequently dropping. Sales in this sector reached the high point of $688,352,192 (including Wal-Mart sales) in 1998 declining to $337,207,360 in 2001 (excluding Wal-Mart sales) (Blumenthal, 1999, 2002). (Recent market sales statistics are shown in the Appendix, page 409.

Medical Herbalism: The Science Principles and Practices Of Herbal Medicine David Hoffman, FNIMH, AHG See book keywords and concepts

Conditions such as meningitis are best treated with conventional drugs, although using herbs in a supportive role, as described above, is fine. See chapter 16 for an herbal approach to the treatment of shingles, an intransigent viral infection of the nerve ganglia. VAGINITIS Inflammation (as from bacterial or fungal infection, allergic reaction, or hormone deficiency) of the vagina that may be marked by irritation and vaginal discharge. (The Merriam-Webster Medical Dictionary) Symptoms of vaginitis include itching, burning, and a vaginal discharge that is different from normal secretions.

Ways of using herbs have been repeatedly organized and reorganized into various systems that reflect the prevailing worldview held by people of different cultures and eras. Today is no exception, as the herbal renaissance is in full bloom and the transformation of society still in mid-process. A number of systems are in current use. Some depend upon traditional knowledge, while others work within the framework of an existing philosophical system. Systems based on the folk traditions of the world vary according to the tradition used.

My reasons for not using herbs that can be seen simply as drug delivery systems, such as Atropa, is that we herbalists cannot do it safely, and I see no reason to use such herbs within the context of a holistic practice. If powerful chemicals are indicated, then I suggest that prescription medications are safer. Let me clarify this. I do not mean that phytotherapists should turn to prescription medications. I am simply suggesting we acknowledge that the unique and wonderful strength of phytotherapy lies in the use of nurturing, toning, gentle plants. Is Comfrey Safe?

Applying nontherapeutic criteria, such as aesthetics, economics, and ecology 3. using herbs within the context of some kind of system Applying these three sets of criteria facilitates the formulation of treatments that are specific to the unique needs of the individual and at the same time takes into account environmental and economic considerations. ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF HERBS ON THE INDIVIDUAL The herbal remedies of the world vary greatly in strength, from gentle tonic or food remedies to those that are potentially lethal if taken at the wrong dosage.

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