Instructions for Healthful Living

To help you achieve a better state of health I believe God intended for us to use the plants on this earth as a means of attaining healthier bodies. Please read Genesis 1:29; Genesis 3:18.

In sharing my knowledge with you I am letting you know the things I would do if I had a similar problem. The ultimate responsibility for your health rests on your shoulders. So read and study about your problem as much as you can. Also, if you have serious problems you should consult a licensed, professional healthcare provider. Here are some guidelines that I personally follow when using herbal supplements.

Always take herbs with plenty of pure water. Some supplements must be taken with food or before meals. Some people feel that taking supplements before, rather than after meals “settles” better. Also remember that a good way to aid digestion at mealtime is to sip aromatic herbal tea rather than drinking lots of ice water, etc.

Herbs should be taken one half to one hour from any medication. Medicine can damage the herbs.
Never discontinue taking important medications except on the advice of a physician. Over time the body will often improve to the point that your doctor will want you to decrease the medication, as the body begins to need it less.

Sometimes it is best to initiate an herbal programme slowly by starting with one product at a time, building up to the desired amounts so as not to overwhelm the body with new things. Some people are able to progress more rapidly than others. Once the desired amounts of a nutrient are reached, the body has what it needs to work towards healing. Gradually, over time the needed action will take place in the body and some supplements can be decreased or deleted from the programme. Occasionally, some people will need increased amounts of some supplements for years on a maintenance type of schedule. But many times, once the body is brought back to a better state of health (a state of balance) the need for supplements decreases.

Stick with your herbal programme. Take herbs faithfully. They won’t work if left on the shelf. Expect some changes in the body as it begins to heal. Herbs help the body to either cleanse or build itself or both. As old toxins begin to move out of the body, they are eliminated through four places or “chimneys” – the skin, the respiratory system, the bowels and the urinary system. You can expect some minor changes in any or all of these areas.

Natural healing may temporarily aggravate symptoms. Some people may experience a “healing crisis” along the way as the problems are worked out of the body. Many medications work to mask or stop symptoms and may only add to the problem at hand – or even create new problems. Certainly, medications have their place when necessary, but if there is a more natural way, I prefer to try the natural first. A good example of how the body works in this way is seen in the natural response to food poisoning. The body will initiate vomiting and/or diarrhea to get rid of the poison that has been ingested. Provided this doesn’t progress to the point of dehydration, etc. these normal actions of the body are good and helpful as they eliminate harmful substances that have been ingested.

Remember that repressing symptoms with a drug (which is actually another toxin) only hinders the body’s natural healing process. Certain herbs can be given to help draw the initial poison from the body, at which point the symptoms will stop because they are no longer needed. Of course, if the case is serious the care of a physician should be sought. Since I am of the belief that the best doctor for me is within me, this is where divine guidance is essential. Maybe an herbal “Serenity Prayer” can help. Replenishing fluids, and strong, fast-acting antibiotics can be live saving in such situations. But again, the symptoms (vomiting and diarrhea) are initiated by the body to expel harmful substances, so that more serious problems for the body don’t occur. Whenever taking into account the symptoms, they aren’t the bad guys. In the case of the common cold, for example, the body’s way of dealing with this disease is a runny nose, cough, or low grade fever. The goal of herbal therapy is to help your body cleanse and heal naturally by bringing a symptom to fruition and getting the original irritating substances out of the body. The “name” of a particular disease is not as important as understanding which system of the body needs to be cleansed and/or built. Another example of this could be pain. Nobody enjoys experiencing pain. But pain is our friend, telling us when something is wrong or when to quit doing something. Taking a drug that deadens nerves to the point that we no longer feel the pain does nothing to help the original problem. The drug only masks the pain and begins a cycle of new problems within the body.

Be patient. Don’t expect instant change. Building new cells takes time. The body doesn’t get to a particular low point overnight—and it doesn’t get well overnight. People have become accustomed to instant fixes. We have to be committed to getting better at the pace our bodies set. Some people feel changes (more energy, etc.) within a few days of beginning an herbal programme. Chronic problems may take much longer. In natural healing, the time required for the human body to heal is a minimum of three months plus one month for every year you have been sick. So don’t get discouraged. Be aware of each sign of progress that the body makes as it works towards healing.

Keep in mind the fact that herbs themselves don’t “do” the healing. They simply “feed” the body the nutrients it, needs, and then the life force within us – the body itself – does the healing. Remember that natural healing begins form the inside out, and from the top down, so that a typical disease process appear reversed. Also, we don’t expect to see a straight upward progression in the way we feel. We usually continue in a general upward direction – dropping back occasionally, but usually not all the way back. If all the right things are being done to feed the body, etc. and no progress is made, one might look for emotional causes behind the problems. Keep in mind, however, taking supplements is only part of the answer. Taking herbs is usually more beneficial if you work on only one or two health problems at a time. Focus on the most grievous problems first – some of the other problems may go away as the original problem is eliminated. Also, avoid taking too many herbs at once. Care must be taken to choose herbs whose actions do not cancel each other out.

Here are some additional things that may contribute to good health:
-quality and quantity of sleep
-exercise
-emotional well-being, including a positive attitude and outlook on life, relieving extreme stresses when possible and releasing anger and resentment (factors that sometimes block the efforts of the body to heal itself)
-drinking pure water
-eating a diet rich in natural foods: cutting down on white and refined sugars, white flour, dairy products (especially milk), alcohol, caffeine, fats, foods with additives, etc. and increasing the amount of raw fruits and vegetables, whole grains, raw nuts, etc. in the diet.
-becoming more aware of the subtle ways our bodies tell us when things are good for us and when they aren’t
-becoming spiritually stronger – remember that it is scientifically proven that prayer has a positive effect on healing

Many sources of information are available if you desire to learn more. Some suggestions:
-Today’s Herbal Health, Heath Handbook and Nutritional Guide, by Louise Tenney
-The Herb Lady’s Notebook, by Venus Andrecht
-Prescription for Nutritional Healing, by James & Phyllis Balch
-Nutritional Herbology, by Mark Pedersen