Yesterday was one of those days when the universe kept handing me a signal...three times I was asked about the same issue - severe menstrual cramping and what could be done holistically...
The first querant was my daughter, who called me crying into the phone because she was in so much pain. I recommended she send her beau out for some cramp bark tea. About an hour later, I received a call back from her saying that as soon as she'd finished drinking her cup of tea, her cramps had subsided and she was feeling much better:) Then two more inquiries happened through the course of the day! Coincidence? I don't believe so - so I am writing today to tell you all a little about this wonderful herb!
The name sounds like it should say it all - Cramp Bark. It is primarily used to ease uterine cramps, but can also be used as a muscle relaxer. Cramp bark has also been successfully used to calm intestinal as well as skeletal muscles! It is believed to be the most potent uterine antispasmodic of Viburnums and after how quickly it eased my daughter's crisis, I believe it. Chemically speaking, Cramp Bark contains the highest amount of the antispasmodic constituent scopoletin. It also contains more antispasmodic volatile oils than any other Viburnum species.
Give it a try!!
Cramp bark is known to work very quickly for simple menstrual cramps. In fact, if it fails to bring relief, the painful episode is probably not due to uterine cramps but to inflammation/irritation of the uterus/ovaries, endometrial infection, or cysts.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Sunday, February 19, 2012
On Treating the Disease...
rather than masking the symptoms...
As I progress on my holistic path, I am amazed at how Western medicine continues to treat the symptoms rather than the disease. While I have to give props whenever I see doctors and nurses treating patients with natural ingredients such as the use of milk & molasses enemas, 100% cranberry juice for UTIs, and such - Western medicine has a long way to go to bring about sanity in health care.
I've always been very attuned to my own health, and my current experience is no different. About three months ago, I decided to minimize my consumption of foods high in purines due to a crippling arthritic condition I was experiencing. I was quickly losing my mobility and living with pain day in and day out. Today I am arthitic pain free. A simple dietary change changed my life and got me back on track!
Now I am reevaluating my health to determine what caused this hyperurecemic condition in me. I am seeking to find the cause so that I can find my ultimate cure. What I am finding is that all points are aiming at weakend kidneys. Why? Because over the years, I have not properly fed my adrenals. Also, six years ago, I had a rather bad bout with systemic yeast due to wheat intolerance (aka Celiac's disease), and discovered at the time that my thyroid was barely functioning due to its starvation. The thyroid feeds on iodine, and I'd been told decades ago to drop salt out of my diet but not that I needed to find a replacement for my iodine. A simple test for thyroid functioning is to swab an area on your arm or thigh with iodine and time how long it takes to disappear. Mine dissappeared in only 14 hours. It should take at least 24. My Chirovedic doctor put me on a supplement - Liqui-Kelp, which helped me to improve. Not knowing how severe my wheat intolerance was, I slowly incorporated grains back into my diet and I am now again at square one. I also realised that I failed to maintain feeding my thyroid, so I am also back on the Liqui-Kelp after having retested my iodine absorption. Currently, I am cleansing my kidneys (nettle tea) and incorporating kidney-fortifying foods/herbs into my regular diet - AND drinking lots of pure, clean water!
Nettle tea is not only great for your kidneys, it is excellent for weight loss. Leaves of stinging nettle will also increase thyroid function; it actually helps burn calories and fat faster, nettle also gets rid of mucus in the colon, allowing us to have better drainage. All it takes is one cup per day.
Dietary focus points to fortify the kidneys (and liver) include:
* Vegetables – potatoes, squash, sweet potatoes, yams, alfalfa sprouts, asparagus, kelp, seaweed, string beans
* Fruit – lemons, limes, mulberries
* Legumes – adzuki beans, black beans, black soya beans, kidney beans
* Nuts/Seeds – black sesame seeds
* Fish – most kinds of fish, fresh water clams, oysters (included for the omnis)
* Meat – duck, pork (included for the omnis)
* Dairy – eggs
To maximize fortification, foods should be prepared by:
· Boiling
· Poaching
· Steaming
I am glad to see that I already incorporate most of the vegetarian foods in this list. As for the tea, I'll be taking it on a daily basis! It's all about listening to your body:)
As I progress on my holistic path, I am amazed at how Western medicine continues to treat the symptoms rather than the disease. While I have to give props whenever I see doctors and nurses treating patients with natural ingredients such as the use of milk & molasses enemas, 100% cranberry juice for UTIs, and such - Western medicine has a long way to go to bring about sanity in health care.
I've always been very attuned to my own health, and my current experience is no different. About three months ago, I decided to minimize my consumption of foods high in purines due to a crippling arthritic condition I was experiencing. I was quickly losing my mobility and living with pain day in and day out. Today I am arthitic pain free. A simple dietary change changed my life and got me back on track!
Now I am reevaluating my health to determine what caused this hyperurecemic condition in me. I am seeking to find the cause so that I can find my ultimate cure. What I am finding is that all points are aiming at weakend kidneys. Why? Because over the years, I have not properly fed my adrenals. Also, six years ago, I had a rather bad bout with systemic yeast due to wheat intolerance (aka Celiac's disease), and discovered at the time that my thyroid was barely functioning due to its starvation. The thyroid feeds on iodine, and I'd been told decades ago to drop salt out of my diet but not that I needed to find a replacement for my iodine. A simple test for thyroid functioning is to swab an area on your arm or thigh with iodine and time how long it takes to disappear. Mine dissappeared in only 14 hours. It should take at least 24. My Chirovedic doctor put me on a supplement - Liqui-Kelp, which helped me to improve. Not knowing how severe my wheat intolerance was, I slowly incorporated grains back into my diet and I am now again at square one. I also realised that I failed to maintain feeding my thyroid, so I am also back on the Liqui-Kelp after having retested my iodine absorption. Currently, I am cleansing my kidneys (nettle tea) and incorporating kidney-fortifying foods/herbs into my regular diet - AND drinking lots of pure, clean water!
Nettle tea is not only great for your kidneys, it is excellent for weight loss. Leaves of stinging nettle will also increase thyroid function; it actually helps burn calories and fat faster, nettle also gets rid of mucus in the colon, allowing us to have better drainage. All it takes is one cup per day.
Dietary focus points to fortify the kidneys (and liver) include:
* Vegetables – potatoes, squash, sweet potatoes, yams, alfalfa sprouts, asparagus, kelp, seaweed, string beans
* Fruit – lemons, limes, mulberries
* Legumes – adzuki beans, black beans, black soya beans, kidney beans
* Nuts/Seeds – black sesame seeds
* Fish – most kinds of fish, fresh water clams, oysters (included for the omnis)
* Meat – duck, pork (included for the omnis)
* Dairy – eggs
To maximize fortification, foods should be prepared by:
· Boiling
· Poaching
· Steaming
I am glad to see that I already incorporate most of the vegetarian foods in this list. As for the tea, I'll be taking it on a daily basis! It's all about listening to your body:)
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Mind, Body, Spirit!
There is a definite connection to the inner workings of the mind, body and spirit. It has long been believed that when these things fall out of balance, the body grows ill. I believe this to be true in every sense of the concept. The mind is the most powerful healing tool we have available to us - a person with a common flu can will themselves to die if they choose despite the best medical treatment anyone can offer. The key here is to support the mind by keeping it healthily balanced and therefore willing to live.
How do we do that? By supporting it properly through body (what we eat/how we exercise) and spirit (practicing daily our spirituality by our heart's definition/developing our psyche). We also feed our minds through education and expansion.
It's all about balance. A balanced mind-body-spirit lifestyle produces a balanced life! Find what edifies you on all levels and pursue it with passion to make this difference in your own life!
Making a difference through health and healing is my heart - it feeds my mind (each patient/client is different and unique in how I effectively reach them), body (physical demands of working with patients/clients), and spirit (helping patients/clients heal and elevate = fulfillment in my soul). Holistically healing and easing people's sufferings balances me and makes my heart sing! Find YOUR song:)
How do we do that? By supporting it properly through body (what we eat/how we exercise) and spirit (practicing daily our spirituality by our heart's definition/developing our psyche). We also feed our minds through education and expansion.
It's all about balance. A balanced mind-body-spirit lifestyle produces a balanced life! Find what edifies you on all levels and pursue it with passion to make this difference in your own life!
Making a difference through health and healing is my heart - it feeds my mind (each patient/client is different and unique in how I effectively reach them), body (physical demands of working with patients/clients), and spirit (helping patients/clients heal and elevate = fulfillment in my soul). Holistically healing and easing people's sufferings balances me and makes my heart sing! Find YOUR song:)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)