Schizandra, a Wonder Herb

I'm a wife, mom, herbalist, and researcher. Researcher in the sense that I always question anything I'm told and go look for the answers myself. Often it is around but you just have to know where to look. I used to be a library fanatic, but now I have the internet as my information playground.

When my first child was born, he was so jaundiced that his doctors thought about exchanging his blood for new blood. He was 6 weeks early, and I had toxemia (also known as pre-eclampsia) so he probably got out just in time! We got through the first week of keeping him under the lights in the nursery and thought every thing would be fine until we discovered that he was having severe digestive problems...thus began our adventure.

For more than 2 years I took him to specialists and pediatricians alike. No one could discover the cause of his problems. As he grew older, he began to have severe rashes and asthma and bronchitis, and when he was tested by an allergist, he turned out to be allergic to 99% of the allergens tested. Some of those were food allergies. The worst was yet to come; he developed a severe case of eczema that left him bleeding on his left hand and arm. I say worst, but actually having to rush him to the emergency room because he could not breathe in the middle of an asthma attack was even worse, it just didn't look as bad.

By the time he was 8 years old I was in despair over what to do for him since the creams and medicines were not working. At this point I began to read medical books in the library...and one that I picked up changed the course of my life.
That book was Nutrition and Vitamin Therapy by Michael Lesser, M.D.

Dr. Lesser is an orthomolecular physician, meaning he studies what happens to the body at a cellular level when outer elements are introduced. I had read lots of information written by herbalists and naturopathic doctors, but this was a certified Western Medical Doctor doing the studies and collecting the information about various other studies. As a result of reading that book, I embarked on a lifelong study of herbs and vitamins and the effects of those elements on the body. I even went to school and became a Certified Herbalist.

In the process I was able to become a lot more healthy myself, and help my son get rid of his asthma and his eczema. My kids never got the flu when it was going around. In fact, our doctor used to ask me what I did because my kids never went to the doctor except for physicals.

I myself have never gotten the flu or colds that go around. In general I am extremely healthy, despite that I was a "sickly" child. My health improved 100% when I started adding in vitamins and herbs.

After reading Dr. Lesser's book I started reading books about herbs and Chinese herbs and Indian herbs and vitamins, well you get the picture...I even went to school and became a certified Herbalist.
The short version of all that reading is that I learned how to take care of my own body and my children's bodies by practicing healthy nutritional habits.
I have in the past worked for nutritional companies but I don't promote any particular brand. I just encourage certain vitamins and herbs to add to whatever else you are doing for your health. (or not)

I read all kinds of health newsletters because my mother was a nurse and always got them, and lots of my friends are nurses and send them to me, and my other friends are all healers of the spirit or alternative healers of medicine and they send them. Plus the human body is a miracle that fascinates me!

The list I compiled is what I use and have all my friends using too, and of course, my family.
I know that a lot of people think that with a proper diet we would not need to take added supplements, but we just don't have the ability to get all the needed nutrients in the world as we have it now. There's another topic, for another day, but it just isn't happening unless you grow it yourself or buy locally from organic farmers.

Others far more eloquent have written on why supplements are necessary so I'm just giving you a list that has worked for me, and what I believe is helpful for everyone for boosting their immune system.

I have put together a store with hand picked products on Amazon. Vitamania
I also have a blog about all things vitamin and health related at Vitamania.info Sign up for free updates.

You can find all the vitamins and herbs mentioned here.

When my son was around 8 years old, his arm started erupting in red swollen patches which then become encrusted and bleeding. He was still having to carry an inhaler though not having his asthma attacks nearly as often. So not as many trips to the emergency room...so now here came this eczema to deal with ..you can imagine how overjoyed I was with this...but at my wits end I asked a friend who was a Naturopathic doctor if he had any ideas of what to do. His answer was that I should give him Schizandra.

After one bottle his arm stopped itching and by the end of three bottles his arm looked like a new one! Even more amazing though was that he quit having asthma symptoms and though he carried an inhaler around for years, he never again had to use it.

I have since found out that it is recommended in Chinese Medicine as a general immune system booster, and a skin tonic as an anti-aging ingredient. It is said to make skin look radiant from the inside out and people who use it for long periods of time are much more likely to remain young looking.

It is native to China, Russia and India, so it was not well known in the United States until the late 1970's.

It has a calming effect on the lungs and the bronchial airways are less likely to constrict, therefore Asthma symptoms lessen. It has helped many of my friends and my child to be free of asthma symptoms...and I have had people crying in joy when their eczema disappeared...just because they've usually had it for years and tried everything else...

Again, I urge you to do your own research and I do not advocate doing anything instead of whatever you are already doing medically. Just research about adding it in...

Dr. Linus Pauling is my hero. The research he did regarding Vitamin C is amazing.
Based on what he wrote, I take 2000 mg. a day and if I feel like I'm about to get something, you know that scratchy throat, run down feeling, I add in 2000 more mg. I also take at least one schizandra per day, and add 2 more if I feel run down.
There has been massive research done on all the vitamins by now, and after reading at least 100 books on the subject, I think the best is to take B-50's, one per day, and add more if you feel flu-like.
As for Vitamin D, research is now showing that Vitamin D is extremely important in keeping the immune system functioning optimally. Unfortunately, it is also showing we don't, on average, get enough of it...for a multitude of reasons.

By now almost everyone knows that calcium is very necessary for bone health and a lack of it in the formative years probably contributes to osteoporosis later in life.
But not everyone knows that a deficiency of calcium is an underlying cause of many other conditions.
Some of those conditions include:
PMS
thyroid disorders
muscle cramps
muscle weakness
dark circles under the eyes
bone weakness
constant fatigue
metabolic bone disorder
anxiety disorder
insomnia

Extra calcium helps your immune system by helping your body stabalize.
I never take less than 1200 mg. per day and I eat a lot of calcium rich foods.

Garlic and Ginger are getting to be better known as immune system boosters. Both have been known to significantly help the infection fighting cells to their job better and to increase the production of those cells in the body.

Astragalus has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for thousands of years, often in combination with other herbs, to strengthen the body against disease. Astragaus is an adaptoge, meaning it helps protect the body against various stresses, including physical, mental, or emotional stress. It contains antioxidants, which protect cells against damage caused by free radicals, byproducts of cellular energy. Astragalus is used to protect and support the immune system.

Even better for you than fish oil, flax seed oil is very beneficial for the immune system in that it reduces inflammation which is implicated in lowering the body's ability to resist infection. It is very helpful for the arteries and veins. It is also very helpful for arthritis, both types, and for all auto immune diseases.

I take it every day and add more if I feel run down.

This one is easy. Just add as much nutmeg, cinnamon and turmeric to your cooking as you can. All three of these spices have been shown to help the body keep its equilibrium and to boost its immune system. And they're all yummy too. I sprinkle Cinnamon or nutmeg or both on everything sweet, and turmeric on all veggies.

I think it's interesting that in India and China the medicinal herbs were interwoven into their everyday meals as a way to stay healthy. We like them for their taste.

If after all your precautions you still get sick, immediately begin taking at least 2000 mg. of Vitamin C and add in some Goldenseal. Before Penicillin Goldenseal was the Chinese herb of choice for any type of infection. I have used it for 20 years and have never had to take an antibiotic to get well. If I even feel like I might be coming down with something, I start adding even more C than usual and more Schizandra. If that doesn't kick it in one day, I add in Goldenseal. It does not hurt at all to add in Echinacea, and I do.
I have not had to miss work in over 20 years while taking all these herbs and vitamins!

Swine Flu Swindle

The FDA has decided to swindle us.

First they laid the groundwork by scaring us with their ridiculous swine flu estimates. Then they rushed to the rescue, telling us to rely on Tamiflu and Relenza...two potentially dangerous drugs that, by the way, are already implicated in creating a drug- resistant strain of the flu.

And now they've apparently decided that it doesn't matter if those drugs are effective -- as long as doctors hand them out anyway.

The FDA is allowing -- actually calling for, endorsing, promoting! -- the use of expired Tamiflu and Relenza.

In fact, the agency decided under its SLEP (Shelf Life Extension Program...the name says it all) that four batches of antiviral drugs that expired in June 2009 now expire in May 2011. Magic!

And that's not all... To make sure government agencies can use up all their already bought and paid for and stockpiled, no matter what, they've also decided to waive their own standards.

Now even improperly stored Relenza and Tamiflu will be deemed safe and effective for use...even in infants.

© 2009 Health Sciences Institute www.hsibaltimore.com

Used with Permission

If any part of this alarms you, I urge you to contact your elected representatives.

A stunning report published in the June 2010 British Medical Journal (BMJ)revealed that top scientists who persuaded the World Health Organization(WHO) to declare H1N1 (aka "swine flu") a global pandemic held close financial ties to the Big Pharma companies that profited from the sale of those vaccines. This report, authored by Deborah Cohen (BMJ editor) andPhilip Carter (journalist with London's Bureau of Investigative Journalism),exposed the hidden ties that drove WHO to declare a pandemic, resulting in billions of dollars in profits for the Big Pharma vaccine manufacturers. While all the H1N1 "hype" was happening, the WHO refused to disclose any conflicts of interests between its top advisors and the Big Pharma companies who would make billions based on its decisions. In other words, all the kickbacks were "swept under the table.
~Source:BMJ, June 2010

The dangers of Tamiflu are well-documented. It's even been linked to the deaths of some children and teenagers.

It's really no wonder. The drug is not just an antibiotic, like so many assume it is -- it's a neuraminidase inhibitor that blocks viral enzymes that can assist the flu virus in infecting the respiratory tract.

In the U.S., the FDA has acknowledged that there have been as many as 1,800 reports of kids experiencing abnormal behavior when they're given Tamiful. In Japan, they've actually banned the use of Tamiflu by kids.

With the media's increasing focus on a projected Swine Flu pandemic, you can almost palpably feel the fear rising. And with reports that there are insufficient medical safeguards to prevent the loss of human life, the feeling of helplessness is on the rise as well. But here are three reasons we would be wise not to allow fear to take hold.

1) Fear weakens you and depresses your vibrational frequency, compromising your ability to resist infection. When you are operating at optimal frequency, a virus cannot make its home in your body because it will not find a frequency match there. Every entity in Creation has a range of frequency in which it thrives. The optimal frequency for your body as a human is inhospitable to viruses and harmful bacteria-it's only when your frequency drops that you are susceptible to infection. If you allow fear to take hold, your frequency is lower, and you create a suitable environment for such foreign entities, thus making you more susceptible to viral infection. Staying at the vibrational frequency of joy (joy being an indicator of being in the optimal frequency range for a human being) may be your best defense!

2) The Law of Attraction dictates that whatever you are a vibrational match to is attracted to you. If you focus on, visualize, or experience strong emotion around something, you may be creating a state where what you don't want is magnetized into your experience. Being fearful about the possibility of, or imagining yourself contracting Swine Flu-or any other malady-creates a closer vibrational match to that occurring, and may increase the probability of drawing it to you. Maintaining your focus on health, vitality, and joy creates a vibrational match to health, vitality, and joy. Your choice! In any case, as explained in #1, fear simply weakens you.

3) Nature has provided us with potent substances to support maintaining optimal frequency, and to effectively deal with virulent entities that may attempt invasion of our bodies. Powerful anti-viral substances called therapeutic-grade essential oils create an environment within you that is inhospitable to viruses by virtue of their frequency-raising capabilities and their specific mechanical actions, which include oxygenation, ozonation, and detoxification, as well the anti-oxidant activity they provide. In addition, no pathogen has ever been found to have mutated to form an immunity to the power of therapeutic-quality essential oils. Essential oil of oregano is a particularly excellent and easy-to-find anti-viral.
Other powerful, natural anti-viral substances are olive leaf extract, raw garlic, and virgin coconut oil. The homeopathic remedy Occillococcinum, made by Boiron, is said to be effective if taken at the first sign of influenza. Colloidal silver is also a powerful anti-viral and was the orthodox medicine of choice before the onset of the age of pharmaceuticals.
So, you see, there is not only no reason to fear, fear is counterproductive to staying healthy. This approach is, indeed, antithetical to that of our government, the pharmaceutical industry, and the medical establishment, but the frequency-lowering, largely fear-based approach they take prevents them from seeing higher. The reason you are privy to this information when the medical world has largely ignored it is manifold, but in the same sense that you must provide a frequency match to a virus for it to be at home in your body, your frequency must be high enough to comprehend the wisdom of using what Nature has given us to survive. Frequency and consciousness are correlated.
Perhaps natural selection makes it so that those who are evolved to the point of being able to see this will be more apt to survive when conventional methods fail humanity, while some who are not yet able, may be at greater risk of perishing. Regardless, being fearful over Swine Flu, or the possibility of any other pandemic, will increase your likelihood of weakening, not strengthening, yourself. Would you rather be weak or strong in the face of a challenge to your health? Be fearless!
This article is not intended as medical advice.

©2009 Julia Rogers Hamrick, @ ILiveInEasyWorld.com
Used with Permission