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Womens HealthWomen’s Health at a Glance
Women see doctors 7 times more often then men. We can say that most women do have more health concerns than men, but what an even more pleasant life we women could have if we empower ourselves to take control of our own health and learn to depend on our own instincts to deal with health issues. Most would say, “I’m not a doctor, how do I know what’s wrong me”. I agree, but does a doctor live in your skin? No. You tell him what’s wrong or what you’re experiencing and he tells you what to do about it. Of course he has the knowledge to tell you how to treat your concern but in turn you have given the doctor power over your body.
Is this wrong? Not really. I would just like to see more women take a little more interest in their bodies and learn to successfully deal with their health imbalances. Information is power, and when used in health imbalances it becomes a power to break the chains of disease and unhappiness.
Get informed! We are blessed to live in a time where information is just at our finger tips. There is a vast array of health information freely available to the public on the internet, at your public libraries and in books you can but at stores. This is the first step to finding true healthfulness.
Know your body! I had one client that said she felt pain in her left liver. She thought she had two livers and one kidney. Most of the time, we can care less about our internal organs until we start to feel pain or discomfort. It is important to know the area of your body that you’re feeling pain in and what body organ lives there and who are its neighbors. A good anatomy book or chart will helps to clear up any confusion one might have. The body is a master piece of design and function, and I am forever learning about its wonderful capability into keeping me alive.
Listed below are helpful recommendations to ease the imbalances of women’s health naturally. The following recommendations are for nutritional support only. They are not intended to treat or cure any illness or disease.
Stress and Emotions.
Stress and emotions play a big part in women’s health, being #1 on my list of imbalances. Stress is caused mainly by emotional or psychological situations. The mind affects the body and the body affects the mind. If the mind is agitated or worried, the body will be tense. If the body is tense, the mind will be in a high state of alertness. Eventually, resources like hormones and chemicals become depleted; the body becomes tired of adapting to the stressful situation, organs become exhausted and functioning collapses. Only when the mind is at a calm state will the body’s energies be directed to heal and repair itself.
Here are some suggestions to rid your life of stress.
Herbal Therapy
Herbs are wonderful for the body and can aid in helping to balance stress and emotional imbalances.
• A wonderful stress-ease tea is made up of; 1 tsp. skullcap, 1 tsp. spearmint, and 1 tsp. chamomile flowers. Please refer to Herbal Remedies for making herb teas.
• Other herbs to help ease stress are, Boneset, Queen of the meadow, Peppermint, Hops flowers, Valerian root, and Lady’s slipper.
• For quick results, antispasmodic tincture of Lobelia is used to relax the body.
Nutrients
• Vitamin B complex – 50 mg, regulates nerves.
• Magnesium – 200 to 300 mgs, a muscle relaxant
Natural Hormone Balance
Hormone balance is very important to the health and well-being of a women’s body. It is normal that at various times in a woman’s life she will experience hormone changes. It is vital that the body receives the nutrients it needs to help produce a healthy functioning body. This process should begin before the child is even conceived in the mother’s womb.
Having the knowledge that good health equals proper nutrient intake will eliminate many unnecessary imbalances in the female body.
It is equally important to understand that a good clean body will utilize the nutrients from unprocessed organic foods.
Natural Hormone Balance at a Glance
Herbs to aid in fertility:
False Unicorn, Damiana, Yams (sweet potatoes)
Herbs to aid in menopause:
Chasteberry, Black Cohosh, Licorice
The herbs listed above are for nutritional support only. These few herbs are just a fraction of the wonderful herbs that help to aid in female health. I recommend that a person search further on the information given and check with your current physician to see if these herbs would be good for you.
Mens Health Childrens Health Immune SystemImmune Boosting
Herbal Therapy
By Lucy Cruze, N.H.
Herbal Teas, Tonics, Tinctures and other natural Immune boosting remedies are easily accessible and just as easy to make. It takes time and patients plus some study time to acquire a good know-how sense to become familiar with making your own herbal therapies. The following herbal therapy recipes are designed for your own personal use and are not intended to cure or treat any disease, but are intended for nutritional support only. Children and pregnant women should first consult a doctor before use of any herb formula and in all cases of prescription drug use you are advised to consult a doctor before taking any of the following herbs.
Herbal
TeasLocal herb stores and grocery stores carry an array of good and natural herbal teas that you can use during time of illness and of course, to just enjoy. For easy tea making you can buy the pre-made teas that already come pre-bagged. (A word of caution, read the ingredients on the box and make sure you are getting a pure herbal tea not one that has added “filler herbs or artificial flavors”, not unless you are going for a blended flavor.) Or you can make your own herbal teas by buying the herbs in bulk, by the ½ lb. or 1 lb bags. This will save you money but a little more time and care is involved to prepare the tea. You will get more for your money and a little goes a long way.
Here’s how to make your own herbal teas:
Ginger
Root Tea
Ginger helps fight and kill influenza virus and increases
the immune systems ability to fight infection. 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger,
1 cup of boiling water. Pinch of cayenne. Add lemon juice and honey to taste.
Steep for 10 minutes. Drink as little or as much as you desire throughout
the day.
Anise
Tea for Coughs
Using Anise as a cough remedy
is now supported by science. It has been a traditional treatment for coughs,
bronchitis and asthma. The herb contains creosol and alpha-pine ne that loosen
bronchial secretions and make them easier to cough up. Gently crush 1 teaspoon
of anise seeds per cup of boiling water. Steep for 10-20 minutes and strain.
Drink up to 3 cups per day. As a tincture, take 1/2 to 1 teaspoon up to 3
times a day. for children and the elderly begin with low-strength preparations
and increase in strength if necessary.
Cold and Flu Combo
3 parts echinacea root, 3 parts Goldenseal Root, 2 parts peppermint leaf, 2 parts Mullein, 1 part Ginger Root. Combine all of the herbs together. Place 2 Tablespoons of mix in jar that can be completely covered. Pour 6 ounces of hot water over the herbs and seal. Steep for 10 to 15 minutes. Strain herbs. Drink 1 cup 3 times a day. Inhale the tea to relieve sinus congestion .
Red Raspberry Tea
1 teaspoon Red Raspberry herb to 1 cup hot water. Boil water and add herb, let steep for 3 minutes, strain and cool to warm. Add a twist of lemon and enjoy!
Tonics
The definition of tonic is: "A substance which gives a feeling of well-being to the body, stimulates nutrition and permanently increases systemic tone, energy, vigor, and strength, improves bodily performance, strengthens or invigorates organs or the entire organism." Many herbs are designated as tonics, some of which are in the category of blood and liver purifiers. It is the bitter herbs that are often used to aid the liver and the digestive system.
(An herbalist rule of thumb: It is always best to set herbs on the new moon and squeeze them out on the full moon. Nature has a built in pull that assists in the planting and harvesting process this also is true of the tincturing process. Most calendars will show these dates with pictures of the moons. Refer to Farmers Almanac for more information. Lunar Phases)
(Use fresh herbs)
4 cayenne chili peppers or 4 tbs. powder cayenne
1 medium sized ginger (sliced)
2 whole garlic (no need to peel, just break up cloves)
1 medium white onion (cut into pieces)
1 small horseradish root (cut into pieces)
½ quart of BRAGG ORGANIC apple cider vinegar. Add additional vinegar to cover 1 inch from top.
Mix all ingredients in blender until blended into a thick liquid. Pour into a sterile glass jar, tightly cover with lid, and let stand for 14 days shacking up the tonic everyday.
After the 14 days, strain the mixture in a glass bowel using cheesecloth or cotton muslin. Reserve the liquid in a sterile glass quart jar, storing at room temperature away from direct sunlight. On the first sign of sore throat take 2 tbs. three times day. Continue till symptoms of on coming cold are gone, usually within the first 24 hours.
This tonic is used by a brave sole who wants to chase away the cold and flu right away.
1 teaspoon
each apple cider vinegar and honey in 1/2 cup warm water
with a few grains of raw, powdered cayenne (to your taste)
and 5 drops of nettle tincture.
Sip slowly, with feet up, eyes closed, and good music.
Herbal Tinctures
An
Herbal Tincture is a liquid solution that has drawn out and preserved much,
if not all, of the medicinal ability of an herb. Information on Tinctures
is available in a host of Herbal books. The "drawing" liquid or
"menstruum" is most often a high proof alcohol, such as an 80 proof
vodka, although vinegar or glycerin are also effective, to a lesser extent.
The following "Rule-of-Thumb" recipe, used by many herbalists, is
the one I find easiest to follow... and very effective. There are recipes
with more "scientific" and exacting measurements, if you are so
inclined. Tinctures may be used internally and externally. If you want to
avoid taking the alcoholic content, add the recommended dosage (usually between
5 and 40 drops) to boiled water or tea, and the alcohol will evaporate. Because
of the anti-bacterial property of the alcohol, tinctures should be medicinally
effective for up to 10 years!
Dosages for children should be in the
percentage ration of the child's weight to 150 pounds, as a general rule.
In other words, if a child is 50 pounds, he should receive no more than 1/3
the adult dose. PLEASE USE EXTRA CAUTION WHEN INTRODUCING NEW HERBS TO CHILDREN.
CHECK RELIABLE GUIDE FOR HERBS CONSIDERED SAFE FOR CHILDREN.
I use only 1 herb per tincture. However, it
is all right to add several drops of different herbal tinctures to 1/2 cup
of water when illness is present in the body. I would suggest, however, that
the total number of drops combined, stay within the maximum limit suggested.
Remember...caution first. Pregnant women
and people with chronic diseases must follow instructions of their professional
health advisors.
(An herbalist rule of thumb: It is always best to set herbs on the new moon and squeeze them out on the full moon. Nature has a built in pull that assists in the planting and harvesting process this also is true of the tincturing process. Most calendars will show these dates with pictures of the moons. Refer to Farmers Almanac.)
How
to make Tinctures
This will guide you in making alcohol,
glycerin and vinegar tinctures for home use. Tinctures are extracted forms
of herbs which is an alternative to taking pills or capsules.
Here's How:
Tips:
Echinacea Tincture
Echinacea
is best extracted with ethanol (grain alcohol), but glycerite can produce
a fairly good product if there is an objection to alcohol. If you are using
DRIED HERB, the standard ratio for a tincture is 1:4 (one part dried herb,
by weight, to 4 parts menstruum [solvent] by liquid volume). Each kind of
herb also requires that the menstruum have the correct mix of alcohol and
water. In the case of echinacea, you need to have 40% of the menstruum to
be alcohol and 60% water. This happens to be an easy one the prepare because
you can buy 80 proof vodka which gives you exactly the alcohol-to-water ratio
that you need for, i.e. 40% alcohol/60% water. To start you need: 1)
4 ounces Echinacea root (by weight) of herb and 16 ounces (by volume)
of the alcohol. 2) Put the herb and vodka in a blender together
and mix making sure the alcohol covers the herb. 3) Pour
mixture into sterile jars and seal . 4) You will need to
shake the mixture once or twice daily for 14 days (you may need to tamp the
herb back down under the liquid after each time you shake it). 5)
After 14 days strain the liquid out. The more you squeeze and twist
the mixture, the more liquid you will recover. After the initial squeezing
you can run the liquid through another cloth for a final filtering job. The
finished tincture will keep up to ten years. Be sure to keep it in a dark
colored bottle so it isn't spoiled by exposure to light.
The standard recommended dosage for a 1:4 Echinacea tincture is 1-3 ml (1/4-1/2 tsp.) up to four times per day. The suggested maximum dosage for one day is 15ml (3 tsp.). For an acute onset of a cold, flu, etc., you can take 1/2 tsp. every two hours for the first two-to-three days, and then back off to the standard dosage until your symptoms have improved. I believe its best not to use this herb on a daily basis: its one you want to reserve for when you really want to hit an oncoming bacterial/viral illness. Take the tincture for 5 days, and then stop for 5 days. If your illness is still present then continue for another 5 days then again stopping for 5 days.
Lobelia Tincture
2ounces Lobelia herb to 1 pint organic ( Braggs) Apple cider vinegar
Lobelia (lobelia inflate) tincture is made by applying the same steps as previously recommended. The only difference is using Bragg’s organic apple cider vinegar as the liquid menstruum.
Most commonly used for:
Chest colds, cough, asthma; ½ to 1 teaspoon, or 10 to 30 drops as needed, with 1cup raw fresh juice.
Cramps and spasms; 1 teaspoon as needed with 1 cup warm water or raw fresh juice.
Joint and muscle pain; Massage 3 to 5 drops of tincture into the area needing relief.
(If you are taking Lobelia internally, it has been my experience to take it on a full stomach to prevent nausea.)
These herbal therapy recipes are not intended to cure or treat any disease but are for nutritional support only.
