I don't know. Maybe it's that I'm so sick of all those commercials for drugs on tv. You know, the ones which say, "Side-effects may include searing headaches, wild urges to gamble, turning green, oh, and, well, uhm--death."
And maybe it's all the research my daughter and I are doing into nutrition and the dangers of med's.
But frankly? I think we've all been duped. Brain-washed.
And it's like the book, New Choices in Natural Healing, says:
"What's really tragic about this is that we were so busy learning how to fix broken arms, deliver babies and do all of those "doctor" things in medical school that we considered nutrition to be boring," says Michael A. Klaper, M.D.... "But after we get into practice, we spend most of the day treating people with diseases that have huge nutritional components that have long been essentially ignored. I frequently get calls from doctors across the country saying that their patients are asking questions about nutrition and its role in their conditions and they don't know what to tell them."
Good. Grief.
Well for the past four years, ever since experiencing a months-long sinus/ear infection, I've been educating myself. Heck, I've been doctoring myself (I am not a doctor, nor do I play one on tv). And instead of racing to a medicine cabinet, I now race to my kitchen or outside or to a quiet place.
Examples?
If I have a headache, I drink a glass of water with a tablespoon of lime/lemon juice added. And/or I spray organic peppermint juice on a tissue and inhale (or I use arbor oil). And/or I take 1,000 Mg's of Vitamin C (good, I've found, for sinus headaches/infections). Or I delve more into what I may be eating/thinking/feeling which may be triggering these headaches.
If I experience ear pain, I chew a couple papaya enzyme tablets and take 1,000 mg's of Vitamin C.
Tummy upset? I drink ginger tea and/or chew an acidolphulus tablet.
Trouble sleeping? I no longer eat after 6 p.m., except for a small portion of (non-meat)protein before bed. I take a Calcium/Magnesium/Zinc pill and a Vitamin D before retiring.
Night sweats? I don't eat sugary foods after 2 p.m., or again, I don't eat a meal after 6 p.m.
Gaining weight? I eat less, take more walks and learn more about nutrition. I avoid processed foods with sucrose (or its forms) because it blocks your body's ability to feel full.
Feeling forgetful? I take a fish oil tablet each day (updated: krill oil. It's more potent and great for many problems). I eat more fish. I avoid drinking out of aluminum cans or using any product with aluminum as an ingredient (as in baking powder and underarm deodorant).
Constipated? I eat a prune or two. I eat more fruits and vegetables.
Bladder infection or discomfort? I take cranberry pills or drink cranberry juice (not the kind with added sugar).
Feeling stressful? I stop and ask, "have I had too much coffee or wheat products lately? What have your thoughts been like? Worry or dread-filled?"
Back pain? I do back-strengthening exercises. I watch my posture. I walk to lose weight and strengthen those muscles. I take hot baths.
Facial wrinkles? I use pure coconut oil.
Feeling arthritic? I cut out all decaf coffee (I've switched to organic and only drink it occasionally). I re-study the list of foods which may trigger arthritis to see if I've been eating any of them lately.
I use a dehumidifier to remove moisture around our house. I step up my exercise program and do more stretching, including stretching before I even get out of bed. I pay attention to my thoughts and I forgive those who have wronged me. I let it go and then get on with my life.
I-- well, you get the idea. This is just a blog post, after all-- not a book.
And I'm just saying this is what I do--or aim to, anyway. You can do as you wish.
But as for me, I plan to keep on running just about any other place on Earth rather than a medicine cabinet when I need help. And may I learn more about the healing power of foods, vitamins, herbs and oils as the years go by.
***
I'd love to hear your own favorite natural cures in my comment box!
******
Great post!!!! I was raised by a health food mom 45 years ago! I struggled with digestive problems for 18 years...horrible acid reflux problems. Learned it wasn't too much stomach acid causing problems but too little. Then food rots in your gut causing lactic acid that pushes up into your stomach and esophogus and causes pain. So I now take hydorchloric acid and digestive pills with every meal and feel soooo much better. I have learned so much from Dr. Bob Marshall. He's the one who helped me figure out my problems. If you're interested his website is healthline.cc. Find out if a radio program carries him in your area or listen to him on the internet through one of the stations that do carry him. I have been an organic, healthfood nut my whole life but if you don't have the stomach acid to digest your food, all that good food in for naught! Love, Lori (laalex2@aol.com)
ReplyDeleteMy doctor put me on Lipitor (sp?) immediately after I was diagnosed with Juvenile Diabetes. It had the worst side affects! Then I heard from a nutrition-type doctor that there is no proof it actually extends life. Sheesh...
ReplyDeleteOnce I went off of it, all my aches and pains disappeared. Now I make certain to include oatmeal in the diet, to naturally help my body.
I also notice a huge difference if I've been eating out a lot (and not in a good way).
My husband finds it hard to get to sleep at night several times a week. He now takes melatonin 3-6mg before he goes to bed and in about half an hour he is asleep. Last night he didn't take any and he was awake for hours. I understand that as we age, our body does not produce as much of this substance as it did when we were young and the lack of it causes insomnia.
ReplyDeleteI discovered that when I start to feel a headache coming on, if I eat an apple or an orange right away, it eases up the pain. Also, a cold compress to the back of the neck helps.
ReplyDeleteThe orange or apple goes right along with what you're saying about Vitamin C. Makes sense.
Hmmm, you've got me thinking. . . thanks for the inspiration. I'm going to make a couple of 'small' changes (too many or too big at one time will overwhelm me and I'll quit!) and make small baby steps toward improving my health and my home environment. ~Adrienne~
ReplyDeleteMy favorite "cure" is a comfrey root poltice. It's for wounds in the meat of you. It's also almost like magic. The warm poltice eases the swelling and the comfrey binds the meat back together.
ReplyDeleteThey say if you add comfrey root to a beef stew all the beef will clump up together. I haven't tried that but I have used it to heal open wounds.
I used it on an in and out bullet wound through my cat once. In three days he was up and jumping the four foot fence again.
Camomile tea with catnip for bedtime is another favorite.
Found your blog from Story Book Woods and ever so glad we clicked that link as you have a most deligtful blog full of inspriation of all sorts. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Everyone! I loved hearing about your own natural cures and I looked up some of them and learned something new, which is what this is all about! So thanks again and feel free to tell me more as you learn more. Blessings, Debra
ReplyDeleteWonderful information. Thanks so much for posting this.
ReplyDeleteMy mom was also into health-foods, vitamins and minerals and natural cures. She used to make her own bread with all kinds of whole grains, etc and it was delicious. However we occassionally liked white bread, which we referred to as 'Poison Bread' because of the lack of nutrition.