Herbalists, natural remedy advice ~

[FairyMom]

I'm looking to replace as many conventional medicines with herbs and/or essential oils. Do you have a favorite book or website for a general overview for a someone just starting out?

 

Thanks!

[Liz CA]

I'm looking to replace as many conventional medicines with herbs and/or essential oils. Do you have a favorite book or website for a general overview for a someone just starting out?

 

Thanks!

 

:bigear: There was a thread a couple of months ago and I forgot to write down the book recommendations. I need a lesson in searching this board. Hope someone has mercy on us and posts it again.

[ProudGrandma]

oh, I am watching this thread too....I hope someone will post that link!!!

[FairyMom]

Bump. :)

[ProudGrandma]

I know that there are many out there that use alternative medicines and herbs...I would LOVE it too, if you would chime in with your favorites to help those of us who are just starting out down this road.

 

I don't use a lot of homeopathy...yet...but I have fallen in love with the Hyland's brand of homeoopathics. They are easy to use and most seem very effective. I bought mine from Vitacost.com. As far as herbs I am clueless, but REALLY want to learn....I would love to learn about using essential oils too.

Edited September 21, 2011 by NEprairemom

[Liz CA]

Bump :bigear:

[Rosie_0801]

I'm now a true believer in wild oregano oil. I use that instead of buying immune system boosters from the pharmacy. It also seems to work well on weird rash things that pharmacists shrug their shoulders at and sell you cortisone cream, lol.

 

I just had minor surgery and it was recommended that I use Vaseline on the wound. :ack2: I'm using lavender essential oil instead.

 

I use aloe vera for sunburn, but we do try not to get sunburned! Dh always burns himself nastily at the beginning of each summer, so the aloe vera is mostly for him.

 

The only other things I use regularly are calendula cream for bruises and pawpaw ointment for nappy rash. I'd use it on splinters too, but we haven't had any since I learned it could be used for that.

 

We've never used much in the way of commercial medicines anyway and we (the kids and I) see a chiropractor regularly. So he and the few things I mentioned above cover all our needs, or at least all the needs I've thought of wanting to cover.

 

Oh, I forgot one. Eucalyptus oil for cleaning the loo. :p

 

Rosie

Edited September 21, 2011 by Rosie_0801

[FairyMom]

I'm now a true believer in wild oregano oil. I use that instead of buying immune system boosters from the pharmacy. It also seems to work well on weird rash things that pharmacists shrug their shoulders at and sell you cortisone cream, lol.

 

I just had minor surgery and it was recommended that I use Vaseline on the wound. :ack2: I'm using lavender essential oil instead.

 

I use aloe vera for sunburn, but we do try not to get sunburned! Dh always burns himself nastily at the beginning of each summer, so the aloe vera is mostly for him.

 

The only other things I use regularly are calendula cream for bruises and pawpaw ointment for nappy rash. I'd use it on splinters too, but we haven't had any since I learned it could be used for that.

 

We've never used much in the way of commercial medicines anyway and we (the kids and I) see a chiropractor regularly. So he and the few things I mentioned above cover all our needs, or at least all the needs I've thought of wanting to cover.

 

Oh, I forgot one. Eucalyptus oil for cleaning the loo. :p

 

Rosie

 

Thanks, Rosie! I've tried Eucalyptus oil for opening up my sinuses (leaning over a steaming pot of water with it.) I never thought of cleaning the loo! :lol:

 

Do you put Lavender oil directly on your wound?

[Rosie_0801]

Do you put Lavender oil directly on your wound?

 

Yep. I have stitches so it can only do so much good until they dissolve, but I'm quite certain it has helped more than Vaseline would! I didn't use it for the first two days because they said to keep it dry, but as soon as I washed my hair, I put on the lavender oil and very quickly felt more comfortable. I read that it has slight pain relieving qualities and I'm thinking it must be true. I didn't want to take a painkiller because they work too well, but this just took the edge off so I wasn't grumpy but left me able to feel if I was doing something that could damage me.

 

I also used it on a burn a few months back. It was a small but nasty one that went down through quite a few layers. I put some lavender oil on a bandaid, left it for two days, took it off, put another bandaid on without the oil and by the next day it had gone kind of yellow and started to smell. So I went back to using the lavender oil until it healed up. You wouldn't even see the mark if you didn't know it was there.

 

Rosie

[LittleIzumi]

I'll be back later with the name of my essential oil book....

[curlygirlzx2]

http://www.naturalherbsguide.com/herbal-remedies.html

 

We also use calendula for cuts, scrapes, burns. I like to use Boiron Homeopathic Medicine for a lot of different ailments.

[Ria]

If I can help any...I work in a pharmacy. Our pharmacists have access to a data base of natural remedies. If you go to the pharmacy and talk to the pharmacist, and tell him/her what particular affliction you are trying to medicate, they can look it up, give you suggestions, and print out the data sheets.

 

For example, I can't take NSAIDs because I have Crohn's disease. I did find, however, that tart cherry juice has anti-inflammatory properties and is not contraindicated in my case. :)

 

So, find a pharmacy. And ask!

[trailofsparks]

And make sure you mix essential oils with a carrier oil such as olive oil or grapeseed oil. If you put tea tree oil, for example, directly on skin without diluting with a carrier oil, it can burn the skin. There should be a recommended ratio on the essential oil bottle; some come premixed.

 

i am also listening for book rec for herbal remedies.:bigear:

[tessbois]

and I've got to say that most of what I know about western herbal medicine I learned from my patients.

 

A word about homeopathy. The best homeopathic remedy company is Washington Homeopathics in I believe Virginia. They sell kits with 40, 50 or some sort of number of the more common remedies.

 

When my kids were little I would bought 3 basic, anyone can do this kinds of books on clearance sale by different authors and I would compare the remedy recommendations. That worked really well. Cured a ear quick onset ear infection in 5 minutes as well as minor colds etc.

 

Homeopathy works so well on kids that everyone should become familiar with the most common remedies for the most common problems. It will require you to be able to identify the particulars of an illness. For example (I've kind of made these up by way of example), does it come on suddenly, does the left side of the throat hurt more, do she/he hate lightening storms, is the child clingy and crying etc.

 

I liked another participants use of oil of lavender and aloe vera. One thing about aloe vera is that it is most likely to work if the aloe juice comes directly from the plant itself, so please buy one.

 

We use a sweet fern decoction for poison ivy. An old Native American remedy. Just pour it on, itch stops immediately, pi dries up soon thereafter.

We're going to be selling it in my clinic soon...great stuff.

 

For bruises, try arnica cream. What does work better than arnica is a Chinese herbal mixture called amber salve...you can get it from Spring Wind in Berkeley Calif. It even works for bone bruises that are slow to heal. One patient used it on super flaky feet skin and it took care of it.

 

For bronchitis I tend to use 2 herbals. One is ESSENTIAL oil of oregano because it is much stronger than oil of oregano. Drink one drop in a cup of warm/hot water per day. Add to that chuan xin lian (AKA andrographis) 1-3 tabs 2-3 times per day until symptoms abate.

 

For ear infections that are not ruptured, olive oil infused with garlic, mullein and St. John's wort is just fabulous. Gaia herbs makes my favorite. For plain ear pain, try sesame oil, couple warmed drops in each ear.

 

Also don't forget to include a chiropractic visit, I've seen miserable children walk out of chiro offices smiling after a head adjustment. The chiro should be a child specialist cuz not all chiros know how to adjust kids.

 

The last remedy that I can think for a common ailment is alfalfa for hay fever/allergies. I've been recently told that alfalfa is phytoestrogenic but I've not looked into that.

 

I've never found one herbal gold mine. Like homeopathy, I would recommend that you buy 2-5 books for comparison purposes. Make sure you know where you will purchase the herbal decoctions etc. Lack of supply can stop any good herbal idea in its tracks.

 

I specialize in Chinese herbal medicines, I both customize and sell patents. My reportoire of treatments in American herbs is limited. Generally though, you have to be a bit more patient than with antibiotics but also consider upping a dose of something before giving up altogether.

 

I could say a ton more about this subject but I think I've written enough.

[Rosie_0801]

And make sure you mix essential oils with a carrier oil such as olive oil or grapeseed oil.

 

I believe lavender oil is one of the exceptions to that rule.

 

I also used majorum essential oil to relieve insomnia, back before I had kids. Since then it smells too strong to me. Some hormonal weirdness, I guess.

 

Rosie

[Jill A]

For herbs, you could try Susun Weed's books, Healing Wise is a good start. It deals with several very common herbs you can probably easily find around your garden or nearby (some call then weeds) and is a good introduction to making remedies.

 

She follows the 'Wise Woman' tradition, which focuses on a more gentle approach with everyday herbs and methods rather like our great-grandmothers might have done things, as opposed to the more scientific & commercial remedies and treatments that are becoming available that some people feel are pretty much like drugs.

 

She also has a website and courses you can take.

[FairyMom]

Thank you all so much for your information! Ria, I would never have thought to ask a pharmacist.

[tenoraddict]

Nutritional Healing has been very helpful to me.

[Negin]

Nutritional Healing has been very helpful to me.

This and pretty much all that has been said already.

I don't know as much as I would like to know about herbal remedies. I know a bit. But my knowledge is more scattered and all over the place.

I really like Gillian McKeith's books. But these and other approaches that I follow and read up on are more on nutrition and supplements. Not so much just herbal. I love and believe in acupuncture. Where is Peela when we need her? :D She knows much, much more than me.

This is a book I really would like to get. No, not just for cancer, but possibly for prevention as well.

I'm very interested in Ayurveda (not exactly herbal).

I don't feel very qualified to give much input here - since you asked for herbal. Everyone has posted great suggestions. Hoping to bump this so others can share also. :)