Classification of Herbs

All herbs belong to one or more classifications or group. There are 11 groups that will be listed.

Alternative Group 
These herbs clear the body of toxins, They tend to correct conditions, They are used to change existing nutritive and excretory processes to regulate body functions.

Examples: Red Clover, Nettles, Golden Seal root and leaves, Burdock root, and Yellow dock root.

Astringent Group
An herb that draws together or constricts body tissues, and is effective in stopping the flow of blood or other secretions.

Examples: Witch hazel, Red Raspberry leaves, White Ash bark, and White Oak bark.

Demulcent Group
These herbs coat and soothe irritated mucous membranes. They are used in the common cold and coughs syrups.

Examples: Marshmallow root, Slippery Elm, Mullein leaves, and Plantain leaves.

Diaphoretic Group
These herbs cause perspiration but are not as visible or intensely felt as the Sudorific herbs.

Examples: Blessed thistle, Hyssop, Pleurisy root, Sage leaves, Yarrow, and Chamomile.

Sudorific Group
These promote heavy perspiration by stimulating the sudorific glands.

Examples: Boneset, Bayberry Bark, Yarrow stems and leaves, and Sage leaves

Diuretic Group
An herb that increases the flow of urine.

Examples: Horsetail, Chickweed, Juniper berries, Fennel seed and Comfrey root

Expectorant Group
These are herbs that aid to decrease and expel excessive accumulations of mucous in common colds, coughs, throat, and bronchi irritations.

Examples: Wild Cherry bark, Pleurisy root, Nettle leaves, White Pine barks, and Pine buds.

Laxatives
These herbs stimulate secretions of intestinal glands, and excite a moderate peristalsis, creating a mild evacuation of stool while softening them.

Examples: Senna leaves, and Cascara Sagrada for some.

Anthelmintic Group
An herb that destroys and/or expels parasites from the body.

Examples: Wormwood seed, Peach leaves, Black Walnut leaves, Pumpkin seeds, and garlic.

Nervines
Herbs that acts as a tonic to the nerves.

Examples: Valerian root, Chamomile, Catnip, and Vervain.

Tonic Group
An herb that invigorates and stimulates tone and energy to the body.

Examples: Raspberry leaves, Strawberry leaves, Nettles, Ginseng, and Saw Palmetto leaves

Benefits of Green Tea

Jet Lag - Water Therapy

Drink 1 glass of water for each hour in the air. This prevents dehydration and helps overcome the trauma of jet lag. Do not drink alcoholic drinks while flying; they have twice the impact at air level that they do on the ground. Also avoid caffeine and sodas containing caffeine, which dehydrate the body.

Before the plane lands, splash your face with cold water and brush your teeth. This energizes and revives the entire systems, If you are tired, fill the sink with cold water and plunge your hands into the water for a minute or so.


Reference: Buchman, D.D. (2002). The Complete Book of Water Healing.

5 Tips for a Better Night’s Sleep

Americans get 20% less sleep today than they did 100 years ago. More stress? Probably. Less physical activity? Perhaps. In any case, some type of insomnia will affect one in three of us. And women, you’re up to twice as likely to experience sleeplessness as men. But don’t take this news lying down (staring at the ceiling). Here are 5 tips to do your part to make every night a restful night.

Time

Allow yourself some time to wind down each evening. Bustling around, trying to get a few more things done before you retire is counter-productive to good sleep. Even social networking before bed can stimulate the brain, making it hard to truly relax when your head hits the pillow.

Environment

Some people can sleep anywhere. Most of us can’t. Creating a sleep-friendly environment might include controlling the amount of light in your bedroom, your room temperature and the amount of noise reaching your ears. Consider black-out curtains, earplugs, turning on a fan, listening to mellow music, a bark collar for the dog and other changes that might make your sleep room a better place for real rest.

Create a Routine

Doing the same thing every night can help train your body that it’s time for sleep. Drink a glass of warm milk, brush your teeth, read for 10 minutes, then listen to relaxing music. Whatever your routine should be, stick with it for at least two weeks and see if sleep is less elusive. Note: Exercising too close to bedtime can stimulate the mind, making sleep much more difficult for some people.

Get comfortable

Don’t underestimate the importance of a good mattress and/or pillow. Before you buy a new mattress, do some research. Talk to friends, check out blogs and ask about doing a 30-day test-run to see if you like it. Nowadays you can choose from air, gel, water, and good old springs and foam. People are quite different and so are mattresses!

Supplements for Sleep

Herbs and supplements for sleep can play an important role in getting proper rest.

• Valerian root has been used for over a thousand years to help people sleep. It helps relax the central nervous system, promotes feelings of calm and can help decrease anxiety or stress. And unlike some sleep aids, it does NOT leave you feeling groggy.
• Hops flowers have nervine properties and promote restful sleep.
• Passionflower can help relax tense muscles and soothe frayed nerves.
• Lavender is the most popular essential oil for relaxation and encouraging sleep. Diffuse lavender in your bedroom or spray a mist of it onto sheets and pillows before bed.
• Melatonin is a hormone naturally present in the brain. It can help restore the body’s natural sleep rhythm and may help you feel more alert and rested when you awake. Our bodies make less melatonin as we age. NOTE: don’t use melatonin during the day; not for pregnant women.

Reference: November Healthy Living Recap 2016 - Natures Sunshine Products

Ice Bag and Therapeutic Uses

A wrapped ice bag is the most effective initial therapy for most injuries, especially sports injuries. In order to avoid freezing or frostbite, place a layer of fabric between the skin and the ice bag. Then immobilize the injured part by bed rest or elevation. You can easily remember the three related injury procedures with the word ICE with stands for Ice, Compression, Elevation.

The total length of time for ice therapy varies by injury, severity, and possibility of recurrent hemorrhage. Most professionals use ice bags plus compression in 20- to 30- minute sessions, usually two times a day. But sometimes shorter times are used for up to four times a day. Most injuries respond to ice with in 24 - 48 hours, while some require up to 72 hours of periodic ice attention. Do not apply cold continuously, but rather periodically. Also rub the body part briskly with the hand between applications of ice.

Some therapeutic uses:

• Stop bleeding
• Relive joint pain
• Relieve pain after injury
• Reduce head congestion (apply to head)
• Numb an area
• Check congestion
• Protect heart during heat application on other parts of the body or for heart problems
• Prevent swelling of sprain or contusion
• Check inflammation

Reference: Buchman, D.D. (2002). The Complete Book of Water Healing.

Types of Water Applications for Health Purposes

Water can be used in many different ways depending on the health need and condition of the person. Among the most effective techniques are direct localizes application, water streams, full or partial bath, sponging, steam for cleansing and detoxifying, and wet cloth wrappings to name a few.

Local Heat: Apply heat to specific area of the body such as a joint, chest, throat, shoulders, spine. Use hot moist compress or hot water bottle.

Local Cold: Apply cold to specific area of the body. Use cold compress, ice bag, ice pack, ice hat, or frozen bandage.

Cold Compress that Heats the Body: A cold wet cloth covered with a dry cloth, or a water-resistant covering, will create internal heat and warm up the area. This is called a cold double compress.

Tonic Friction: Water sponging and washing combined with some form of friction, from a hand to a rough washcloth, produces a tonic effect in the body. Use a cold mitten, cold sponge rub or wet sheet rub.

Sponging: Use alcohol, water, or witch hazel applied to a sponge to wash the body.

Baths: Immerse the body in cold, hot, or tepid water. Use footbaths, sit baths, full baths, or herb baths. Any part of the body may be partially bathed, such as an arm bath, eye bath, or finger bath.

Pack: A pack is the larger form of the double compress. May consist of a poultice of clay, flaxseed, or mustard.

Showers: Several kinds of water steams can be directed against the body.

Steam: A vaporizer can cleanse the upper respiratory system. A steam room or sauna increases body perspiration and releases many stored toxins. Cold steam, as from a humidifier moistens dry rooms in winter and is important in preventing cold and sinus headaches.

Reference: Buchman, D.D. (2002). The Complete Book of Water Healing.

Iridology Cannot Reveal

In my last blog, a conversation as to what Iridology can Reveal. This will highlight the areas that Iridology can not reveal.

• Predict or indicate blood pressure levels, blood sugar level or specific diagnostic findings
• Identify what medication or drugs an individual is taking or has used in the past
• Determine what surgical operations a person has had
• Tell what foods a person does or does not eat
• Find out how much uric acid is in the body
• Indicate when an injury to the body occurred or what caused the injury
• Identify diseases by name
• Tell whether a subject is male or female
• Show which tooth may be causing trouble
• Tell is someone is on birth control pills
• Prove whether or not a woman is pregnant, either normal or entopic
• Indicate whether an operation may be necessary
• The difference between drug side effect symptoms and symptoms of the actual disease
• Identify homosexuality or AIDS
• Show whether gallstones or kidney stones are present
• Tell reliably whether a blockage exist in a cardiac artery

Go  here to see how more information on Iridology.

Iridology Can Reveal

Iridology is the only science that tells inherent weaknesses. We die from our inherent weaknesses, Disease migrate to out weaknesses. We become toxic laden because we cannot detoxify. Inherent weaknesses tell us where the minerals are needed.

Below is a very partial list of what Iridology can reveal. By no means these listed are the only ones.

• The primary nutritional needs of the body
• Inherently weak organs, glands, and tissues
• Inherently strong organs, glands and tissues
• Constitutional strength or weakness
• What organ is the greatest need of repair and rebuilding
• Relative  amounts of toxic settlements in organs, glands, and tissues
• Stages of tissue inflammation and acidity
• Circulation level in various organs
• Nerve force and nerve depletion, the quality of nerve force in the body
• Poor assimilation of nutrients
• Results of physical or mental fatigue on the body
• Recuperative ability and the health level of the body
• Build up of toxic material before the materialization of disease
• Positive and negative nutritional needs of the body
• Sources of infection
• The difference between a healing crisis and disease crisis.
• The workings of Hering's Law of Cure
• Whether a particular program or therapy is working or not
• The "whole" overall health level of the body as a unified structure

Go  here to see how more information on Iridology.

Water and Weight Loss

Donald S. Robertson, M.D., in his book The Snowbird Diet, suggests following this schedule to utilize water most efficiently for weight loss:

Morning: 1 quart consumed over a 30-minute period.

Noon: 1 quart consumed over a 30-minute period.

Evening: 1 quart consumed between five and six o'clock.

Water helps the body itself lose weight - letting your body work at it's optimal level:

• Water flushes out excess waste.
• Water helps to relieve constipation.
• Water keeps up the muscles' ability to contract, maintaining muscle tone.
• Water alleviates fluid retention.
• Water suppresses the appetite by filling up the stomach.
• Water helps the body metabolize stored fat.
• Water helps prevent skin from sagging after weight loss by filling out the cells.

A dehydrated body cannot perform effectively, making it much more difficult to function, much less to lose weight.

Water might not be the easiest, most natural, and most-efficient preventative medicine, but it is also vital for sustained and permanent weight loss.

Reference: Buchman, D.D. (2002). The Complete Book of Water Healing.

What is Iridology?

Before we get into any deep topics about iridology, a general discussion of what iridology is should be explained first.

Iridology is the Study of the Patterns and Markings in the Iris of the Eye. For over a hundred years, various Iridologist have studied these patterns and markings, correlating them with specific health problems, physical strengths and weaknesses and personality traits. Through these empirical observations, Iridologist have noted certain constitutional patterns. That is to say, people with similar eye patterns tend to have similar personality traits and health profiles. These observations at the basis of Constitutional Iridology Analysis.

Some people believe that the eye is a mirror of what is going on in the body right now and hence, have endeavored to use iridology as a diagnostic tool to determine specific disease conditions.

Constitutional Iridology is based on the premise that the patterns and markings in our eye are primarily genetically inherited. Hence, in Constitutional  Iridology, no attempt is made to diagnose any specific disease conditions.

Constitutional Iridology is used to help us understand our basic temperament so we can know how to balance our nutrition and lifestyle to obtain greater physical, mental and emotional fitness.

When health is lost, or when one wishes to build a finer mind and body, there must first be education and knowledge and then comes an application of knowledge, which is doing. The greatest single thing the analysis can do is point out one's inherent weaknesses. We die from our weaknesses. Our weaknesses bring us down, lower our resistance to all diseases and leave us vulnerable to our problems.