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Living Well using Herbs

In nature we can find cures for most of our ailments. Many of these are used in pharmaceutical drugs and in many cases very effectively.

The Trap of The Pharmaceutical Drugs

There is no doubt that drugs save many lives each year. But there are a number of problems. Firstly all drugs have side effects, the reason for most of the side effects is not because they are an unavoidable by product of our bodies trying to metabolize the chemical compound, usually these effects are avoidable. To understand why and also, in the process, why natural remedies work but are given such a bad press, we have to understand the economics of drugs. Drugs companies (collectively: 'Big Parma') make HUGE profits, they expect 5,000 to 500,0000% mark up on raw materials, they make far more profit than the illegal drug makers do. In order to make these profits a company most own a patent to a drug, and to get a patent the drug has to have ' a unique compound, or property'. So immediately this stops them using and marketing any herb, because they cannot own a patent on a natural product, they HAVE to change it's chemical make up in order to get a patent. In making this change it changes it from something our bodies can deal with and use into something that causes it problems, metabolic interference and hormone disruption - in other words ' side effects'. A fine example of this is the hormone progesterone - see Oestrogen Dominance. Keep in mind that while Pharmaceutical drugs save many lives, there is no dispute, but they also kill at a rate of 80,000 people per year per in the EU and 100,000 per year in the USA. The drug VIOXX is now believed to have killed between 60,000 and 100,000 people alone. Can you imagine the outcry if herbs killed these numbers !

The Herbal Edge

Herbal remedies work differently. Our bodies have evolved with these agents, and so they can readily process them sooner or later, but they have to be in a form closer to their natural chemical compound. Their actions are more subtle, more gentle and interdependent on ALL the compounds present, you cannot just extract the one you think has the action because in doing so you often destroy the very action or effect that you want (there are exceptions of course). So all around us are the very thing we need, and at an incredibly cheap price, but to make best use of them we need to promote the best environment in our own body first - following the simple steps here. we also have to understand that they take a little time to work, we cannot un do the damage of years in a few days.

We grow an increasing amount of our own herbs in our own gardens, sun rooms and orangery. From our crops of Aloe Vera, blueberries, holy basil, turnmeric, garlic and milk thistle we make up teas, Decoctions, infusions and tinctures. We also dehydrate using a dehydrator - a very worthwhile investment.

Some herbs' properties are best extracted by hot water, some by alcohol or vinegar and some by a mixture of these. Roots and bark are particularly difficult to extract the active principles from by mere hot water and require maceration (crushing, chopping or pounding) before making into a decoction or tincture. As a general rule, the harder or woodier the herb or spice, the more preparation is required to render the active properties useful to the body.

There is also a question of the strength and palatability of the herb. Some herbs are really nasty tasting, though effective, and you want as concentrated a dose as possible; for instance, making a tincture of wormwood or valerian, where very little tincture is used per dose, is much preferable to a tea or decoction. Then there's the matter of getting the medicine to go down in the most effective, if not delightful, way. For any sort of respiratory problem – or with children – if you can make a syrup or other agreeable concoction, half the problem is solved by the mere nature of the syrup, which is soothing, and will thus begin to ameliorate the problem whether it's a sore throat or catarrh... or a fractious child. For those working with the elderly or otherwise infirm, poultices and formentations, placed on the skin which is highly absorbent, are an excellent way of giving the benefit of herbs without placing stress or strain on the patient.

But we do realize that lifestyle changes have to be made gradually and if taking tablets /capsules is the way you are used to taking things then it is better to take this route rather than miss out altogether and not use anything. Take care to choose your supplier carefully, ask about to establish their reputation and when YOU are satisfied then make your purchases. Generally speaking you do get what you pay for. We have always found the Life Extension Foundation and Vitamin Research Products to be the best source of all those items that we do not grow ourselves.

Typical Herbs & Supplements

Below is a table of the herbs and supplements that we use on a daily basis between our house holds