Indigestion

Otherwise known as heartburn or GERD. It's not really your "heart", it's poorly digested food. My doctor says I produce too much acid and I should take an acid blocker. Well, that may be the case but in the many people that I've helped with this condition I have only seen 2 or 3 people that actually produce too much acid.

Here's what I find. Most people don't produce strong enough acid! The pH of the stomach is off and it can't properly digest a meal. So, food is not broken down in a timely matter and starts to putrefy. The body's gag reflex then kicks in and tries to push the food out but now the food is mixed with acid and it burns like crazy!

So, two ideas for those of you that suffer with this nasty condition, as I once did...
1. Raw Apple cider vinegar, just a teaspoon, before a meal. The apple cider vinegar stimulates the enzymes and acid production and prepares the body for proper digestion. Make sure that it's apple cider vinegar, the white is actually very damaging.
2. Be careful with food combinations! The standard american diet usually mixes animal products, starches and sugars. Alone they break down more quickly but when combined the can take up to 3 times as long to digest. And the cardinal rule is with fruit... eat it alone or leave it alone. Fruits break down in 30 minutes imagine having decomposing fruits on top of a hamburger for 8 hrs! (that's actually the most common reason for indigestion)

If it was me, I would give this a try before the more risky methods that western medicine has to offer. I would recommend trying it every meal for a few weeks. Let me know of your experiences.

Lower Bowel Healthy?

I heard that it was a good idea to eat lots of fiber but I can't stand that gritty, grainy stuff that you mix with water. I got really discouraged at first because I thought that that was the only way to keep my lower bowel healthy. Well, it's not. Cellulose, or fiber, is found in all plant foods. It's in apples and oranges, it's even in salad. Fiber is only one part of the equation though.

The standard american diet is a mucus forming diet. Meats, milk, cheese and eggs all are products that the body doesn't digest as well and forms a nice little mucus coating to surround it and let it pass through the bowels. Of course, not all of it is passed the body is an amazing machine and will try to break it down but it's not always successfull. So, this mucus coated matter enters the large intestine where it bakes at 98.6 degrees (which is approx. the temperature of a food dehydrator) and solidifies forming a hardened mucus.

A person can eat all of the fiber that they want but it won't soften this hardened mucus. That's where our friend the herb comes in. Certain herbs such as cayenne have an ability to soften and thin the mucus allowing it to be broken up and then swept away by the fiber. Certain foods will do this too. As a general rule you can think, fruits soften the mucus and the greens sweep it out. I highly recommend a combination by Dr. Christopher called Lower Bowel Formula.

The point is that if you have a septic system backed up in your house you will feel gross and smell that way too. The same with the body, a backed up bowel leads to unhealthy, gross bodies and may make you stink (B.O. and halitosis) too. Think about it.

Ginger for arthritis!

I recently was diagnosed with a rather nasty type of arthritis, so I have been doing alot of research on herbal treatments for arthritis. I just read an entire book about ginger called "Ginger.. common spice, miracle drug" It referenced several clinical studies using ginger vs. nsaids like ibuprofen and aspirin. The ginger went toe to toe with them for pain relief and anti-inflammatory properties.

I have started trying ginger and have already noticed a difference. I have been able to cut back by half on my pain and anti-inflammatory medicines. Not only that but I'm experimenting on trimming back some more because ginger acts as a carrier so you get much more use out of the ones that you do take.

It is important to note that in these studies it showed that people who took the ginger had remission of symptoms while they were taking it but that after coming off of the herb their symptoms started to return. So the quest continues... but in the meantime at least I have cut back on some of the major side-effects that come with the drugs. I'm glad that ginger is so safe.

Infection.

Matt, This one's just for you. I recently had a severe infection, blood poisoning actually and I believe that herbs are the reason that I'm still alive today. I got and infection from an ingrown toenail when I started using a finger nail file to dig it out. Needless to say... not smart. The infection festered and spread until about the oh.. 8th or 9th day when I had cruushing pains in my entire lower body. Shortly thereafter I saw the tell-tale red line starting up my leg. It made it about to my knee.

I used a combination of herbs containing garlic, echinacea and many others like feverfew and boneset. I also used an herb called Plantain. Plantain is probably the very best herb for blood poisoning. I took it internally and used a poultice on the toe. Within only 5-6 hours the red line had all but dissapeared and I was starting to feel a litlle better. Following up with several doses of the garlic blend called Super Garlic Immune formula or the "anti-plague formula" by Dr. Christopher and a little rest I was on the mend in no time.

Infections can be very serious and even deadly. I ended up seeing a Dr. to get the nail fixed and he said that the mortality rate for blood poisoning is about 60%. So, be careful. I always say use common sense if what you're doing isn't working try something else. Don't risk your life but still I always recommend to try HERB'S FIRST!

Herbs First!

Herbs First! That's my moto! I'm a foundationalist when it comes to herbal health and nutrition. Start with the basics is what I always say. When I first got into herbs I didn't think that they would work... my conditions were too serious. I was wrong. Herbal medicine has been around since the beginning but only recently is science starting to validate their claims to health and healing. This blogs' purpose is to share not only the traditional wisdom of herbal care but also some of the new science that is validating the folk lore. Herbal medicines are powerful and should not be used carelessly. We will go over herbal and nutritional supplements one by one in this blog. If you are interested in a particular herb or nutritional supplement and it's properties please leave comments and ask or e-mail me at any time.