How To Use Herbal Medicine Effectively To Heal

It's hard not to notice when the spare tire is growing around your own waist as well as your neighbor's. As we age it becomes more difficult to keep the weight down. Adopting a sedentary lifestyle behind a computer screen or in front of the TV can't help this problem either. As we gain weight we increase our risk of getting sick. Herbs will not cure sedentary weight gain, but by becoming more aware of what we eat, and adding in some herbal supplements, we can possibly improve our health profile somewhat.

When we do get sick, our modern physicians face the challenge of new diseases and the growth of antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria.

What qualifies me to tell you about herbal medicine?
I am not an herbalist. I did study botany and microbiology in college and while studying to graduate from the Baltimore School of Massage I became intensely interested in alternative medicine. This lead me to spend countless hours in study on this subject. Now I can share what I found with you.

Herbal medicine can seem confusing at first, but it's really not secret information.

Closely related to herbalism is aromatherapy which simply provides an alternative way for obtaining the benefits of herbs and their essential oils by inhaling vapors or absorbing them through the skin. If you have a favorite scented candle, chances are you are, when you use it, you are giving yourself some aromatherapy and you don't even have to be licensed to know it's good medicine! If you love a nice cup of tea, you are giving yourself a strong dose of antioxidants with an herbal infusion. You are practicing as an herbalist without a license!

Note: If you are feeling sick, please find a doctor or a licensed herbalist.

DISCLAIMER

Any information provided in this lens should not be considered to constitute medical advice. You should alwaysseek the care of a qualified medical professional before using any herbs or supplements.

The authors and publishers of this site are not doctors. You agree you do not hold the site, authors or publishers liable for any information gathered from this site. The authors and publisher do not provide any warranty about the accuracy
of information provided on this lens.

The easier a substance is for our bodies to use, it's is said to be more bioavailable. Many herbal remedies are more efficiently used than artificial or manufactured medicines. One might ask why, then, we aren't using, the good old fashioned herbal remedies now instead of expensive patent medicines.

The answer to that question involves, big business, politics and public opinion. Then too, it's much easier and more accurate to measure and consume one tablet of something like Lipitor, than it is to measure and consume the necessary whole grain oat cereal to effectively lower one's cholesterol. Many people are a bit lazy and don't want to mess with herbal remedies and want a clean fast fix for a problem. For these people there is still an herbal fix... most herbal medicines today are available in premeasured, pill, liquid dose, or infusion form.

You might wonder what "herbal" means. Is it just the vegetable foods we eat or substances taken or concentrated from vegetation? Well, it can include our food (or extracts thereof). Here's the definition from Wiki:

Herbalism is a traditional medicinal or folk medicine practice based on the use of plants and plant extracts. Herbalism is also known as botanical medicine, medical herbalism, herbal medicine, herbology, and phytotherapy. Sometimes the scope of herbal medicine is extended to include fungi and bee products, as well as minerals, shells and certain animal parts.

Usually, an herbalist will recommend some kind of extract, decoction, tincture, poltice, etc., but sometimes the practitioner will recommend dietary change to include a different balance of foods. As an example, someone suffering from gout will be told to eat cherries everyday (dried, fresh, or juice) and eliminate purine containing foods such as cauliflower, mackerel, asparagus, mushrooms and beans. Cherry extract or pills could be considered an herbal remedy or medicine in this case.

Simple observation shows that there is not a long list of dangerous side effects included with most foods. The herbal choice looks much more wholesome and safe than the pill option and my, unqualified, recommendation would be to try the natural solution first. Then if you are not improving, try the modern medicine cure.

Hindsight is always better, but really, if the cereal had been eaten all along, the high cholesterol might never have developed in the first place. That would be an example of using a natural substance to prevent disease and thus improve body, mind and spirit.

If you are well past the preventive stage you will want to know that herbal medicine is indicated for many of the following problems:

headaches
skin conditions
colds
allergies
high blood pressure
high cholesterol
diarrhea
constipation
heartburn
and many more

Please bookmark this lens as I will be adding much more information regarding some very interesting herbal remedies. Did you know that figs, bananas and cantaloupe are known to be great for controlling blood pressure? Did you know that there are recommended herbal remedies for pets? There is even herbal medicine for an ailing pest infested garden!