Natural Remedies and Stuff

[AsheSkyler]

I reckon my first disclaimer should be that I neither condemn nor condone traditional or modern medicine. I say if it works, use it. If not, find something that does. That outta the way, onward!

A lot of us around here have experimented with supplements, diets, stretching, meditation, and a variety of things that have greatly improved our lives. Anybody want to chat about their favorites? What worked, what didn't work?

I got one. A friend of mine is having quite the shoulder issues at the moment. Bursitis, says the doc. I've been teasing them to go get their oil changed and it'll fix the problem. (Terrible joke after a light binge research on what a bursa was.) Physical therapy is recommended for bursitis, but they're quite broke at the moment after chasing the diagnosis. When we went out to a delightful community fair recently we stopped by a booth that was selling pain goop. The lady was offering a free sample, and she said the goop only had one or two synthetic ingredients and technically could qualify as a natural remedy. My friend tried it and ended up buying some. They've been using it for about a week and they have a surprising bit of movement back in their shoulder I haven't seen them have in months. And they're carefully doing some basic movements and stretches to build some strength back up. Still going to try to save up for physical therapy, but the goop seems to be doing what the prescribed anti-inflammatories weren't. It's pretty interesting to observe. And being a good friend, I've looked into all the ingredients listed to try to find out about any nasty side-effects but it looks fairly safe. And smells all nice and minty!

Another thing I can personally say works is a hot toddy that my dad fixed for me once to treat a horrible cold. Eek! I'd also like to say that sake should be the only alcohol ever consumed above room temperature! Only drank one. Not sure I could have survived another. Fixed my sore throat though. I think my body was in fear of being subjected to another toddy and put extra effort into getting better...

 

[Cosmophylla]

Well, as we've discussed elsewhere, AsheSkyler, I have had great results in my attempts to heal my autoimmune disease by changing my diet. For the benefit of others I will NOT go into detail (if someone reading this has endometriosis and/or chronic candida overgrowth and wants to know more or swap stories... Feel free to PM me ), but I will give a few dietary tips instead.

- Generally speaking, avoiding processed, refined foods and foods with additives will benefit your health.

- Aching, tender joints and/or weak joints (i.e. Inflammation) can be relieved by reducing carb intake, particularly sugar. Sugar (including honey and that in fruits) promotes an acidic environment within your body, which leads to inflammation. A strict no sugar diet should help arthritis sufferers. (I don't eat sugar. At all. In anything. it works)

- IBS symptoms can be helped in lots of ways and I can only give a couple of general tips because individual cases are exactly that: individual. Anyway, avoiding cows' dairy products, soy (except traditionally fermented soy products) and wheat usually helps. Sometimes also sugar...

- period pain and pms symptoms can be reduced by increasing magnesium in the diet (cashews, cacao (raw cocoa), supplements), and avoiding sugars (fruit and honey as well as chocolate, cakes, sweetened yoghurt even), red meat (which stimulates "antagonistic" pain-inducing prostaglandins) and caffeine (Especially coffee... Powerful phytoestrogen producer... Causes period pain).

- also for period pain and pms, as well as hormone imbalance, Vitex agnus-castus (chaste tree or chaste berry) is a traditional remedy. I took it in supplement form and it made a huge difference in combination with my diet change.

- for headaches, avoid sugar. To prevent headache and migraine, eat a couple of feverfew ( Tanacetum parthenium) leaves fresh, or make a simple infusion with fresh or dried leaves and drink once a day. (It worked for me but I have had very few migraines and headaches since changing my diet... I was a migraine-a-week person before that). Commercial feverfew teas are available but it's easy to grow it yourself...can be weedy, though.

- for immune problems, avoid sugar. Sugar reduces the body's immune response by 50-60%.

- for hormone imbalance and thyroid problems, avoid alcohol as well. Alcohol taxes your liver, and while your liver is busy processing that alcohol it's not able to do its normal job of excreting excess hormones.


- for colds, I drink apple cider vinegar in water when I have a cold coming on. The acid tends to help dry up the mucus and make it a less hospitable environment for the germs. lemon juice does the same thing. Lemon juice and chopped up ginger in a teapot, add boiling water and steep for 5 minutes... Yummmmmmm add honey if you need to sweeten it (or stevia, or rice malt syrup... These are liver friendly)

- you can also make a herbal tea with whatever herbs you have your garden. Some are not safe to use much of, so it's best to do some research if you want to get into it. But thyme is great for its antiseptic properties, for example.


I know this seems like a lot of stuff I've listed... And I suppose it's easy to look at it and say, "too hard," or dismiss it. But I've done it myself and can say that it worked for me. I'm a skeptical person but I was so ill I had to do something, so I tried it. I didn't have much to lose at that time.

 

[clg114]

Water. This might just be me. But if I feel off in any way, I drink a bottle or two of water. It really does make me feel better. When it is hot, I have to make myself drink more water.

 

[AsheSkyler]

Sleep, stress, caffeine, and to some degree sugar seem to be the main things to moderate when your health gets shaky. And then depending on your body it's followed by red meat, cholesterol, salt, bread, wheat, and dairy.

And water, peppermint, lemon, and honey seem to be some of the favorites to fix stuff. Perhaps not all in one go unless you're making a non-alcoholic sore throat toddy, but some of the favorites.

A local herb shop guy once told me that he recommended tea made from peach tree leaves to women who had bad morning sickness when they were in their first trimester or just had trouble with it the whole time they were expecting. I never explored it, or even needed to explore it, but that little nugget has stuck with me for a good ten years.

I tend to stick to oranges and lemons for the vitamin C boost when I'm prone to colds (namely during the summer due to people keeping the AC down do low) and it's good to know the acid helps dry colds out it too. I do not like colds but they seem to like me.

Vinegar and I do not get along though. Just the smell of vinegar has made me nauseated for at least five years now. One time my grandmother failed to mention that her unmarked cup of liquid was "apple cider vinegar" and she just told me it was "apple cider". I had one sip because I rather like apple cider. It took a little over an hour for the shaking, dizziness, and dry mouth to stop but the nausea persisted for a good 6-7 hours. Everybody else had a full glass and were just fine.

 

[Cosmophylla]

And water, peppermint, lemon, and honey seem to be some of the favorites to fix stuff.

A local herb shop guy once told me that he recommended tea made from peach tree leaves to women who had bad morning sickness when they were in their first trimester or just had trouble with it the whole time they were expecting.

Yes, mint is another great antiseptic, antibacterial, stimulating herb. Good for upset tummies, too.

Raspberry leaf tea (infusion) is also good for pregnancy (morning sickness, toning uterus, etc.) and balancing female hormones and the menstrual cycle. I hadn't heard of using peach leaf... Just as well I'm not having any more kids, or I'd be researching it.