Natural Herbal Beauty

Treatment Options

Alternative therapies can be very useful in the treatment of many common skin problems. They can also help combat the pain, nausea, fatigue, and headaches that frequently accompany conventional treatment of advanced skin cancer. However, the only acceptable treatment for cancer is conventional medical care. If you think you have skin cancer, see a doctor without delay. (more…)

Arthritis

Include the following in the diet: oats, vitamin B, celery, comfrey, parsley, mustard, nettles, feverfew. Avoid red meat, alcohol and starchy foods. Replace refined flours with oats, mealiemeal and popcorn.

Comfrey

Make a tea (60 ml chopped leaves to 250 ml boiling water). Stand, steep, then drink when cool enough to tolerate. Sweeten with honey and a little apple cider vinegar. Drink daily. (more…)

Strengthen your lungs and you strengthen your sense of ease in the world …

In Chinese medicine, lung problems are most often associated with grief. I saw an example of this in my youngest son. He had a wonderful relationship with his nanny, who had been with us until he was eight years old. She felt then that he was too old for her to be useful to him any more and decided to leave. (more…)

Skin is the largest organ of the body, weighing nearly 9 lb (4 kg) on an average adult, and covering an area of over 2 sq yd (about 2 sq m). It is also the first line of defense in ally threat from outside, so it is hardly surprising that it is often the victim of aches and pains. This is especially so from accidents and injuries, but infection and illness can also cause painful inflammations from within the body that appear on or just below the skin’s surface. (more…)

1. Use caution if you have a chronic disease. Cleansing herbs can often be helpful as part of a treatment program for chronic disease, but check with your health practitioner before beginning an herbal or any other type of cleansing program. (more…)
    

Stress and anxiety can also play a part in another common disorder, “irritable bowel syndrome” — a name that is often little more than a convenient label for a range of symptoms that can embrace just about any bowel irregularity which does not have a clear pathological cause. Sufferers can complain of numerous problems typical of poor digestive function or food intolerance — including constipation, diarrhoea, bloating, flatulence, stomach cramps, nausea, bowel tenderness, headaches, general tiredness, depression or anxiety. Food intolerance is a common cause: one study suggests that two-thirds of IBS sufferers actually display some sort of food allergy. The main culprits include dairy food, gluten (found in wheat, oats, barley and rye), caffeine-containing drinks, alcohol, cigarettes, eggs and red meat. If food intolerance is the cause, then it is important to identify and avoid the problem categories. (more…)

Stress and anxiety can also play a part in another common disorder, “irritable bowel syndrome” — a name that is often little more than a convenient label for a range of symptoms that can embrace just about any bowel irregularity which does not have a clear pathological cause. Sufferers can complain of numerous problems typical of poor digestive function or food intolerance — including constipation, diarrhoea, bloating, flatulence, stomach cramps, nausea, bowel tenderness, headaches, general tiredness, depression or anxiety. Food intolerance is a common cause: one study suggests that two-thirds of IBS sufferers actually display some sort of food allergy. The main culprits include dairy food, gluten (found in wheat, oats, barley and rye), caffeine-containing drinks, alcohol, cigarettes, eggs and red meat. If food intolerance is the cause, then it is important to identify and avoid the problem categories.

Soothing herbs such as marshmallow and meadowsweet can help to relieve IBS symptoms, as can digestive tonics and stimulants like peppermint and golden seal. Astringents, such as herb Robert and agrimony, can be added to these remedies to ease any symptoms of diarrhoea. (more…)

Circulatory problems and chilblains

Poor heart function can contribute to numerous circulation problems which may include severe pain in the legs while walking (intermittent claudication) and Buerger’s disease (common among heavy smokers); this can eventually lead to gangrene and necessitate amputation.

Among more minor circulation problems are chilblains, which are generally associated not with failing hearts but with cold, as the body responds to falling temperatures by constricting blood supply to the peripheries in order to keep vital organs and deep tissues warm.

Wearing adequate clothing on cold days is the easiest way to avoid occasional chilblains, while habitual sufferers can improve their circulation with stimulating herbs like ginger, cinnamon, horseradish and chili.

Recent research suggests that ginkgo can improve the peripheral blood circulation, although it is more traditionally regarded as stimulating the blood supply to the brain. (more…)

Pre-menstrual Syndrome

Bloating, breast tenderness, irritability, anger, clumsiness, inability to concentrate… the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) are many and varied. The problem can be explained in terms of falling progesterone levels and an orthodox approach thus tends to concentrate on hormone treatments - or use of chaste-tree berries (often given in tincture form, up to 20 drops each morning) as a herbal alternative. Dietary imbalance and candidiasis can also play a part and there is some evidence that cutting out artificial stimulants (themselves a possible stressor on the system) such as caffeine and theobromine in coffee, tea or chocolate can help. PMS has also been linked to various nutritional deficiencies and supplements — notably Vitamin B6 and evening primrose oil - are often successfully used to relieve symptoms. (more…)

Herbs have a long tradition of use for easing the pains of childbirth and the ills of pregnancy: for generations of women they were the only available remedies and much folklore — as well as hard scientific evidence — testifies to their efficacy. Today few women in the West have the opportunity to use herbs in this way: childbirth has become a much more orderly and monitored affair.

Using herbs in pregnancy also needs caution: many contain chemicals that will cross the placental barrier, so it is unwise to take any remedies in the first three months unless you really have to. The list of herbs to be avoided in pregnancy is already long and growing as potential new hazards are identified and, frequently, exaggerated. Many herbs are, however, perfectly safe to use and even most of those which should be avoided in high, regular doses are fine in moderation. (more…)