Compared to modern medicine, Traditional
Chinese
Medicine (TCM) uses organic alternative cures in the form of herbal
remedies to bring about healing. The
formulas are concocted to keep crucial components of your body and mind
(such as blood and emotions) moving freely.
Below is one suggested formula from
Organic Alternate
Cures that may help you heal
acne and prevent recurrences through cleansing your lymphatic system.
Offered by Jason Elias, a practitioner of
TCM in New
Paltz, New York, Elias says that when the flow of "liver chi" is
stagnant or blocked, acne occurs.
Elias recommends combining equal parts of the tinctures of nine herbs.
The nine include burdock, yellow dock, red clover, echinacea,
schisandra, cleavers, gang gui, milk thistle, and licorice.
Boil one quart of water, then add 1
ounce of the
combined tinctures. Take off the heat and let the concoction steep for
30 minutes.
Drink 2 cups a day for up to 3 months.
Unused
portions
can be refrigerated for not more than a week.
Besides the lymphatic cleansers, this concoction uses
herbs that fight infections, support your liver, and nourish your blood.
Factors that are critical for healing--acne, among
other infections.
As director of the Contemporary Health Clinic in
Sebastian, Florida, Peter Holyk, M.D. says, "With (organic) alternative home
remedies, I believe that you can knock out the flu in less than 24
hours."
The reasoning behind that statement is that organic
remedies help boost your immune system. They allow your immune system
to beat the infection that's beating on you.
First and foremost: drink lots of water, since
fighting the flu puts your metabolism in overdrive. The result is that
your body needs the extra water to throw off the toxins the flu
produces.
IMPORTANT NOTE: For folks with underlying
illnesses, such as diabetes or heart, lung or kidney diseases, flu
is much more dangerous. You don't want to take chances--get an
annual flu shot!
A potent anti-flu cocktail from Dr. Holyk:
- A base of 6 to 8 ounces of organic tomato or
vegetable juice in a blender
- Chop 1 or 2 cloves of garlic as fine as possible,
then place them in a blender
- Add 3 droppers each of echinacea tincture,
goldenseal tincture, and cat's claw tincture
- Add a pinch of cayenne pepper
- Then the juice of 1/2 lemon
- And two or three ice cubes
- Blend until the ice cubes are thoroughly crushed
After blending, sip the concoction slowly until you finish it. Drink
the mixture twice a day for the duration of the flu, which, according
to Dr. Holyk, should be mercifully short.
(Garlic is a potent organic viral food. Echinacea boosts production of
white blood cells which fight the flu virus. Goldenseal reduces
irritation of the lining of your respiratory tract, which soothes a
cough or sore throat. Cat's claw has been used for centuries by the
peoples of the Andes as a powerful immune system booster, and is
well-known among alternative medicine practitioners.)
Headaches
Forty-five to fifty million Americans suffer from
chronic headaches. Your biggest headache, though, may be your doctor
suggesting your headaches are psychological in origin.
That suggestion is far from the truth!
Fred D. Sheftell, M.D., is director and co-founder of
the New England Center for Headache in Stamford, Connecticut. He has
said, "The majority of doctors do not understnad that chronic headaches
are biological in origin."
One easy cure is aromatherapy. Simply rub peppermint oil on your temples at the start of a tension headache. This method relieves pain as effectively as ibuprofen!
So says Lawrence Robbins, M.D., director of the
Robbins Headache Clinic in Northbrook, Illinois. Dr. Robbins goes on to
recommend this aromatherapy solution:
Dilute one drop of peppermint essential oil
in one to two drops of almond oil or other carrier oil to apply to your
head. Or, add three drops to a warm bath.
Other essential oils, such as lavender or Roman chamomile, can also
help relieve a tension headache. Just sprinkle a drop of the oil of
your choice on a tissue or handkerchief and inhale deeply. Adding 5 or
6 drops to a warm bath will have the same effect.
Be Cautious
As always, check with your doc if you have any
doubts about any of the remedies offered here at the Organic Products
Guide.
These are only suggestions, so use your own judgement.
That being said, I recommend these organic
alternative cures!
(For the legal stuff, please see my Disclaimer)
