Mind - Body Thoughts: natural alternatives

Showing posts with label natural alternatives. Show all posts

Monday, April 10, 2017

Homeopathy Help For Cuts And Scrapes

(by Natural Healing Gal, Marie)

My next favorite Homeopathic remedy is Calendula Officinalis also known as English marigold.

I learned more about Calendula when my sister was visiting many years ago, and her children got sunburned. She asked if I had any Calendula Gel. I was not aware of the gel, so we quickly went to the local health food store to pick some up. It worked so well, I tried it on myself the next time I got sunburned…I was amazed at how quickly the burn subsided and my skin turned from red to tan!

Just yesterday, I realized my hands were getting dry (I tend to wash my hands a lot) and the skin cracked on my finger. It stung like a paper cut whenever I touched anything. I put a band-aid on it with a little calendula gel, and today the skin is mostly healed.

My sheltie Maya slipped and fell while running agility one day, and got sand in her eye. It was irritated and red. I dissolved the pellet in water, put drops in my own eyes first to be sure it would not sting, then I used it on her. It worked beautifully, her eye cleared up so fast!

You can find Calendula at most health food stores in two forms, topical gel or pellets. It is soothing, has antiseptic properties, and stimulates the immune system. (see places to purchase this below)

I use a small amount of the gel with every bandage or band-aid I use; just enough to cover the wound. Broken skin, cuts and scrapes, even if they look infected, heal very quickly. A little goes a long way, and I have had my tube of gel for quite a long time!

Along with Arnica, this is another great remedy I keep in my home and in my travel first aid kit.

National Homeopathy Center

“The English marigold is a cheerful, annual plant with deep orange flowers that open and close with the sun just like Bellis perennis, the common daisy, another of homeopathy's great healers. Calendula has been used herbally for hundreds of years in the kitchen and the sick room. The old herbalists advised that the dried flowers be added to broths in order to comfort ‘the heart and the spirits...’ Homeopaths and home prescribers are well aware of Calendula's healing benefits as a topical preparation in tinctures, creams, and salves. Fewer people know, however, that Calendula is also useful as a homeopathic remedy—potentized and prepared by a homeopathic pharmacy. In this form, Calendula is indicated for lacerated, suppurating (i.e., pus-filled) wounds—especially if they are extremely painful and if the pain is out of proportion to the injury. It promotes rapid healing and prevents infection.” (Dee Babicke, HomeopathyCenter.org)

Warnings And Cautions

Please remember--Calendula gel (ointment or salve) is used topically only!
I have found that the gel does not work well on rashes! I tried it once or twice on a rash I had, and it was incredibly uncomfortable, as it is prepared with other ingredients. Always try a tiny bit on a tiny area first, if it is soothing, then continue on the rest of the area.
If you make up your own 30c Calendula remedy with ONE pellet in 4 ounces of pure water (for preparation details, see my post on 1/9/17 -- Starting with Homeopathy) you can take it orally, use a spritzer to spray it on topically, use it as a mouth rinse to heal and prevent infections, or use it as an eye wash for eye infections.
Do not use any gels or ointments internally or in your eyes!

http://mindbodythoughts.blogspot.com/p/marie-natural-healing-gal.html

About Homeopathy

Here is a little more general information about homeopathy:

It is recognized by the World Health Organization, which says it is the second largest system of medicine used in the world today.

Homeopathic remedies are used to trigger the body’s own natural immune system to heal itself. The remedies are highly diluted substances from the plant, animal and mineral kingdom.

Here are some tips from the National Center For Homeopathy (NCH) for general homeopathic use:

Homeopathic remedies come in many different "potencies" or strengths. 6X, 6C, 12X, 12C, 30X and 30C are safe for home prescribing with each being stronger homeopathically than the previous one. Lower potencies tend to need more repetitions than higher potencies to get a healing response.
Higher potencies, such as the 200C, 1M, and 10M, tend to work faster and are useful for more serious complaints, such as bad burns or head injuries with concussion. For the typical home prescriber, however, using the lower potencies is recommended.”

Places To Purchase Calendula

Califlora Calendula Gel (1 oz) - Amazon
Boiron Calendula Officinali Pellets - Amazon
Homeopathy First Aid Kit - Natural Health Supply

Marie - Natural Healing Gal

Website: (www.mikamar.net)

Marie is a regular columnist on Mind Body Thoughts. She writes the Natural Healing Gal monthly column. This article is written by Marie.

To learn more about her and see all her other articles, go to Marie's Page, Natural Healing Gal.

Check her page out to see the Medical Disclaimer

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Monday, March 13, 2017

Urinary Tract Infections Be Gone - UTI

(by Natural Healing Gal, Marie)

Ok, I do not know about men (sorry guys) but I do know that many women are familiar with these three letters. If you are not, lucky you!

I know them all too well. I was plagued by urinary tract infections for many years. Back and forth to the doctor’s office, urine samples, waiting for treatment with that awful, burning pain. Of course, the antibiotics, which always resulted in a yeast infection, and I had to learn to manage that with probiotics/more medication.

I had them so often, I knew what it was the very moment it started. The problem was, it would progress to unbearable pain so quickly, and when I traveled I was away from my doctor and I could not get help fast enough. If it was a weekend, I ended up in the emergency room and could barely walk.

UTI’s (Urinary Tract Infections) are one of the most common infections. According to Dr. Mercola:

“Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are the second most common type of infection in the body, sending more than eight million people to their health care providers every year in the US alone. Women suffer from UTIs far more often than men, and more than 50 percent of women will develop a UTI during her lifetime.” (Source: Dr. Mercola)

UTI’s are also common among the elderly in nursing homes. My mother in law was in a nursing home at 89 years old. While she was there, she had UTI’s on numerous occasions and it was quite challenging, although the care that she received there was wonderful. In the elderly, the complications can become severe, and they often cannot express their discomfort.

Look up the antibiotics used for Urinary Tract Infections online…there are so many of them and the list is growing. The bacteria are now becoming more resistant to antibiotics, and they are becoming more and more difficult to treat.

I tried everything to prevent them. Gallons of water, cranberry juice, (no need to mention the other things here, we will save that for another blog! You name it, I tried it! Nothing seemed to work on any kind of regular basis. Even my female pets got them, thankfully it was not common for them.

There are homeopathic remedies that will work, but I found something quicker and easier for this one. D-mannose. See Dr. Mercola's Treatment for Urinary Tract Infections.

I learned about his treatment many years ago, and I was desperate to try anything. I did not care whether the research said it worked or not! If it was safe and natural, I was giving it a go. To me, it was a miracle.

“D-mannose is a naturally occurring sugar that sticks to the E. coli bacteria that most commonly causes UTIs, so it can be effectively “rinsed” out when you urinate.” - Dr. Mercola

Well, it worked. Every single time. It is always in my first aid kit. When I found it was safe to give to dogs, I used it for them and it worked just as well! Although it is a natural sugar that is related to glucose, it does not act the same as sugar in the body.

I thought everyone knew about it by now; but if I mention it to my students for their dogs, to this day, most people have not heard of it.

You can find it in a health food store or online. It comes in capsules or powder. I currently use Soloray that I buy on Amazon. I have used many brands over the years, but this brand seems to work the best for me. D-Mannose with CranActin Solaray 60 VCaps by Solaray

At first sign of an Urinary Tract Infection, I take two capsules three times a day. I can prevent them by taking one or two a day, if I think I am at risk.

My doctor did not know, and no one else told me, but I'm glad I discovered these on my own.

If you have a wonderful doctor, (or veterinarian, or health practitioner of any kind) as many of us do, treat him or her with respect and courtesy! They work hard and have a very difficult and a very stressful profession. They can be your ally. But they should also treat you with the same respect. I will always ask lots of questions, do all of my own research, and make my own decisions, because my health is in my own hands.

http://mindbodythoughts.blogspot.com/search?q=natural+healing+gal

Doctors practice medicine, and they do not know everything, no one does. If I come across one who thinks they do, I am out of there and on to the next one. I am responsible for my own health and I take it seriously. I am not a doctor, but I am not a mindless sheep and I am not made from a cookie cutter. We are all different, and what works for someone else may not work for me.

I have been using d-mannose for almost 18 years, and it has just been validated as a treatment in the last couple of years. My discovery of it helped get me off of the antibiotic merry go round, and on to more pleasant activities!

Marie (www.mikamar.net)

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Monday, February 13, 2017

Bumps And Bruises

(by Natural Healing Gal, Marie)

Things that go bump…

My all time favorite Homeopathic remedy is Arnica Montana.

According to Dr. Luc, "Arnica is the king of the trauma remedies and king of the sports remedies. Arnica is good for the whole family for bumps, bruises, pulled muscles, and overuse of muscles…"

Well, he is so right! I tend to bruise quite easily, and I am not the most graceful person. My cat, Otis (who passed away a few years ago) would walk across my lap and I would occasionally see bruises like his paw prints! I began taking Arnica 30C anytime I bumped into a chair, hit my head on the car roof, or fell in the grass when I was running. For minor bumps and bruises, one dose (see article Starting with Homeopathy on doses) is all that is needed. To my surprise, the bruises were minimized, and if I took the remedy right away, there was usually no bruise at all. The best part? No side effects.

I soon realized I could use Arnica for a heavy workout when my muscles were sore. It worked so well, and I felt better quickly!

I began to give it to my pets when they bumped into something or fell. One time my sheltie, Desi, was heading into the house and did not see the glass sliding door was closed. OUCH… I immediately gave him Arnica and he recovered from it very quickly. In that case I gave him an extra dose a few hours later.

Our pets cannot tell us how they feel, so we have to watch for signs carefully. Running in dog sports, they can get a mild injury that we may not notice for a while. I have a massage therapist that works on my dogs who would find mild injuries from time to time. When I began giving them Arnica 30C after a long day of competition, the sore muscles and misalignments usually found were minimized greatly.

Once when I was running at a competition indoors, I was knocked down and hurt my ribs. We were running on a dirt surface that was not very forgiving. When I stood up, the pain was pretty strong. Since I have never broken a bone, I had no idea if it was broken…I just knew it hurt to breathe. Luckily, I had my kit with me as I try to take it with me on all my travels. I took Arnica 30C right away, but it still hurt a lot. I told a friend about my concern, and she said, there is one way to know. Lie down. You will know by the pain you feel. OH my…

I considered going to the doctor. I could not lie down until I got home several hours later. When I did, I felt it POP and saw stars. Luckily it was momentary, and I was back to the pain I felt earlier that day. It felt like I had knocked a rib out of place, (and my chiropractor confirmed it at my next appointment).

Dr Luc has a protocol that he wrote about for a serious injury like that, and I followed it. Take Arnica 30C, then four hours later Arnica 200C, then another four hours Arnica 1M. I actually made a mistake and followed it backwards, I used 1M first. It still worked like a charm! The pain was minimized the next day, and by the following weekend, I was back to running again, with very mild discomfort. I saw a light discoloration on my skin that could have been a bruise. A few days later it was gone.

I unfortunately had the opportunity over the last two years to try the protocol 3 more times. Sprained ankle, pulled leg muscle while running, and the last incident happened when I was visiting my grandchildren in Kentucky. I was playing soccer with my granddaughter and slipped on the grass and fell. I thought I was ok, but I bruised my big toe…and I had forgotten to take my travel kit with me! I tried to forget about it, but a few hours later my foot swelled up so I could barely get my shoe on, and I could only put pressure on my heel when I walked.

It was the night before Thanksgiving, and stores were closed the next day. Thankfully a local health food store was still open, and my incredibly helpful husband drove me in the freezing rain to find it. (He told me to write that!) They had Arnica 200C. I took it right away, and took a dose every 6 hours for the first two days. By the second day the swelling was gone, and on day 3 and 4 I took the remedy twice a day. I was walking normally again by the fourth day. By the following week I was able to dance in my Zumba class and run with my dogs.

I think I will remember to have Arnica with me next time!

-- Marie --

Monday, January 9, 2017

Starting With Homeopathy - Natural Healing Gal

(by Natural Healing Gal, Marie)

When I was in my early 20’s, I developed food allergies. On our honeymoon, in Jamaica, I woke up to my eyes swollen almost completely shut…on the second day!

I had to see a doctor there, who gave me a cortisone injection in my arm. I had never had one before. The pain directly after the injection was so incredibly intense…it shot up and down my arm from my hand to my shoulder. I thought, oh, this is bad! Thankfully it subsided in an hour or two, and the swelling in my face was gone the next day although I was tired and in a fog. I was put on antihistamines daily, not realizing how sensitive I was to it. I thought what I was feeling was normal.

I was sleep walking, for the most part, through the days; everything was fuzzy and hazy. At some point I was brave enough to stop taking them, and I felt so much better. I decided I did not want to feel the side effects, and it began my journey in changing my diet so that I could get off the antihistamine fog for good. It was not easy, but from that point, everything changed!

I began to find that there are so many natural alternatives to products I was using that had little to no side effects; whether in my diet, on my skin, for my family, or in my home and yard. I realized how sensitive I was to chemicals in general, and I began to feel better as I slowly eliminated them.

There are different types of alternative products which include homeopathy, essential oils, herbs, Bach flower remedies, and supplements/healing foods.

Many years ago, a friend of mine told me about Homeopathy and I was hooked. I took some courses on it, did my research, bought a starter kit and I was on my way.

My favorite articles on the basics of homeopathy are here:

Homeopathy is often confused with other natural products. Homeopathy is completely separate, and stands on its own. There are over 600 homeopathic remedies, in different potencies (strengths). Several are simple, every day remedies that can be used easily by anyone, and there are many that would be best used working with a trained professional. I love how inexpensive and long lasting they are, and work incredibly well.

My kit has 100 remedies. I began with 30C, and as I researched more, I bought a 200C kit. In general, higher numbers are stronger potencies. I have had the same kits for over 12 years, only running out of a few remedies in all that time.

In classical homeopathy, remedies are diluted in water, and only one single remedy is used at a time. There are combination remedies out there that can be helpful, but each remedy has the potential to counteract others, so ideally it is best to stick with single remedies if you can. In an emergency, taking a couple of pellets on the tongue works well, but when diluted in water they are deeper acting and more potent.

Dilute the remedy by adding one pellet (yes, only one!) to 4 oz of clean water (bottled, spring, or filtered water is best). If you drop in two pellets by accident it is OK. Be careful not to touch the pellets with your fingers, and keep your remedies stored at room temperature.

To take one dose, tap the bottle with the diluted pellet ten times against the palm of your hand, and take one teaspoon by mouth. Do not mix with food or juice. If you are giving it to a pet and cannot get it into his mouth, you can add a single drop of milk to a single dose in a bowl to encourage him to lap it up. I like to use a syringe as my dogs will let me syringe water into their mouths. Take each subsequent dose the same way, usually every 4 to 6 hours. As the symptoms lessen, take a dose every 12 hours, and stop taking it when the symptoms are mild.

I keep remedies that I use often diluted in water in 12 oz bottles stored in the refrigerator, and label them. It lasts for a month or so, and can be used many times. That makes it easier to take the remedy quickly when I need to.

I will be telling you more about some of my favorite remedies next time!

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