The Woman's Herb: RED RASPBERRY (and LEAVES!)

Red Raspberries are well-known for their sweetness--just pop one in your mouth to enjoy a mouth savoring experience! Not only are they delicious though--they are equally as healthy. The vivid fruit is rich in antioxidants that help neutralize free radicals in the body, preventing cell membranes damage. Raspberries are a valuable source of quercetin, an antioxidant that halts the release of histamines thus, minimizing allergic reactions. Being one of the FEW fruits that have low Glycemic index (3.8 g natural sugar per cup), the sweet fruit has virtually no effect on blood sugar levels, making it a sweet snack with minimal side-effects on those with high concentrations of yeast or pancreatic weaknesses. Benefits don't stop there though--many people overlook one of the most beneficial parts of the plant. The leaves!

"Some herbs seem to have a specific attraction to specific organs, in this case, raspberry leaves have an affinity for the female reproductive system, stimulating, toning and regulating the female organs more effectively than any other known herb. The tea is considered the supreme tonic for women to consume during their nine months of pregnancy to tone the uterus, nourish themselves and the growing baby, prevent miscarriage, and facilitate birth and placental delivery. English herbalist Henry Box praised red raspberry as the best gift that God ever gave to women. He said, "If the pains of childbirth are premature, it will make all quiet. If the mother is weak, it will abundantly strengthen her, cleanse her and enrich her milk." The first recorded use of Red Raspberry was in the 1500’s. Red raspberry leaf tea (Rubus ideas) has been used for centuries in Europe, China, and both North and South America. This popular tea has earned the reputation of "herb-supreme" among pregnant women. According to folklore it can relieve almost any discomfort of pregnancy from morning sickness to leg cramps." (BACK TO HERBS E-FLASH on Raspberry)

The leaves of a raspberry plant are probably one of the most beneficial plants for the human female body. Ranging in health benefits for women from childhood to pregnancy to menopause; the leaves have a multitude of healing properties. The leaves contain high concentrations of Vitamin C, E, A and B complex, all vitally important for the various stages a woman goes through in life, therefore helping those with most vitamin deficiencies. Since beauty to most woman is important, they will find impressive that raspberry leaf is an effective tonic on irritated skin--tightening the skin membranes effectively reducing secretions, inflammation and irritation, leading to tissue firmness. Doing the same thing on the inside of the body, raspberry leaf will curb diarrhea, intestinal and stomach upsets, along with nausea and flu symptoms. Raspberry Leaves contain the nutrient fragrine, an alkaloid which helps tone the muscles of the pelvic region so that the process of menstruation and pregnancy/delivery is easier, faster and less painful. "Red raspberry leaf tea does not induce labor directly. Instead, it strengthens the muscles of the pelvic and uterus, so that they can contract more efficiently during labor which is why there is widespread use of red raspberry leaf tea to induce labor" (BUZZLE.COM: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/red-raspberry-leaf-tea-benefits.html)

Here is a list of traditional uses of Red Raspberry:

• PMS symptoms
• Menstrual pain
• Regulate irregular menstruation cycles
• Ease the symptoms of morning sickness
• Soothe and prevent bleeding gums, which many pregnant women often experience
• Relax the smooth muscles of the uterus when it is contracting
• Assist with the birth of the baby and the placenta
• Calm cramping of the uterus
• provide a rich source of iron, calcium, manganese, and magnesium

Traditional uses of Red Raspberry Leaves:

• A valuable source of vitamins B1, B3, and E, which are valuable in pregnancy to help eliminate magnesium deficiency symptoms, common during pregnancy
• Aid fertility
• Promote a plentiful supply of breast milk
• Help stop excess bleeding after birth
• Treat diarrhea
• Regulate irregular menstrual cycle and to decrease heavy periods
• Relieve sore throats
• Reduce fever

I personally have found Raspberry to be a most important asset to our family, beings that I have gone through 4 pregnancies, with 3 of them being girls. It is something I take in addition to my weekly vitamins by either popping in a couple of herb capsules, or making it as my choice flavor of tea for the day. In fact, it is the ONLY TEA I have so far found that my daughters do not insist me add raw honey to. After first hand experiencing the healing properties that Red Raspberry Leaf has to offer--it would be the ONE HERB I would use to prepare my body for pregnancy, and use it to recouperate with until fully healed. (most studies say your body takes 18 months to fully recover all nutrients lost to the baby during a pregnancy; assuming you take good qualitiy vitamins and eat a diet full of high quality protein and raw dairy, vegetables, nuts and fruit)

In Christ, Ms. Salubrious

******None of the above statements have been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. All of the information in this BLOG is strictly for educational purposes. This BLOG should not be used to treat, diagnose, or prescribe for a condition you feel you may have. If you have any health concerns, you should see a competent practitioner. ******

SOURCES:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_raspberry_leaf
• http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080105190141AA62xdl
• http://www.buzzle.com/articles/red-raspberry-leaf-tea-benefits.html
• BACK TO HERBS E-FLASH EMAIL

Natural Health First Aid Kit

• INFECTION FIGHTERS:
  
  Epsom Salt -- just regualr store boughten from any pharmacy, add 1-2 cups to baths to relax muscles and fight infection (1/2 cup to 1 cup for little ones)
  
• Organic Apple Cider Vinegar -- a natural bacterial fighter. Add a few cups safely to any bath, even using it each bath through the winter time as a preventative measure. Taken internally is a tremendous immune booster, if taken daily.
• GOLDENSEAL HERB -- the natural version of an antibiotic. Taken 1-2 capsules every 1-3 hours when infected with anything. If no improvement, take more often to see results. Drops available for kiddos: Goldenseal Echinacea
• Morton Salt -- make "salt packs" out of 1 cup salt and a thin ziplock baggie. Apply to infected area for an hour at a time, doing as often as able, switching to new each round(time allowing) salt naturally draws toxins/infection out of the body.
• Heat packs/Hot water bottle -- lay on infected area, opposite of salt packs. If no hot water bottle available, then use hot wach cloth is thin zip-loc baggie.
• WOOL SOCKS --The COLD WET SOCK TREATMENT increases circulation to the feet. As the body tries to warm the feet, it causes the excess mucus in the body to break-up. Get a pair of cotton socks thoroughly dampened in icy cold water, or place wet socks in the freezer for a few minutes. Wring out well and put them on your child's feet, immediately following them with the dry wool socks. These prevent drafts, and also allow the feet to 'breathe'. Repeat if necessary.
• Enema Kits/Stool Softener: LOWER BOWEL STIMULANT CAPSULES , for kiddos: LB EXTRACT, and the stimulant tea: SMOOTH MOVE TEA by Traditional Medicinals ENZYMES. Getting the stools moving (which get backed up and pushes mucus upwards with allergies and illnesses) is the fastest way to push something out of your body that doesn't belong!

BLADDER/URINARY TRACT INFECTIONS:

• Cornsilk Herb Capsules work WONDERS for getting rid of bladder and UT Infections!
• Organic Cranberry Juice (be sure to check label for no additives--R.W. Knudsen is most ideal brand)
• CANTHARIS or STAPHYSAGRIA homeopathic remedies most common for treating bladder infections, found at many natural health stores

EAR INFECTIONS:

• Lobelia tincture, essence, or extract to relax ear tissue and relieve pain. Apply to the gland under the ear, covering an area at least the size of a quarter
• Sage and Fenugreek-Thyme help the body break up mucus
• FERRUM PHOS and PULSATILLA are the 2 homeopathic remedies that help with ear infections the most. Pulsatilla assists the body in breaking up mucus and pus, and Ferrum Phos assists the body in cleansing the glands next to the ear, relieving the pressure that causes the pain.
• Drops for pain/infection (DO NOT USE on children with tubes in the ears). Warm momentarily in a pan: (DO NOT PUT IN HOT DROPS, wait until it cools to a nice warmth): a mixture of 1-tablespoon COLD PRESSED OLIVE OIL, 2 drops Tea Tree oil and a clove of ORGANIC GARLIC. Only two drops of this mixture are put in the infected ear. Lie down 10 minutes on the opposite ear so the oil will go deep into the ear. Use a warm compress over the ear after the oil is in place to help relieve the pain
• Cold Wet Sock Treatment (see description above)
• Enema to get stools moving is the number one treatment to do, but many would rather try the others first....

SINUS INFECTIONS:

• KALI BICHROMIUM is hands down, the best sinus infection/sinus cold homeopathic remedy, can be found at many natural health stores.
• Fenugreek-Thyme Herb Capsules thin mucus naturally, take 1-2 every 1-3 hours. Take more or less for desired outcome.
• Heat compressions/Hot water bottle on face
• Salt Water Sinus Flush
• Be sure to keep stools moving

RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS/COUGHS/SORE THROATS:

• Salt/Hot packs applied to chest
• COLD WET SOCK TREATMENT
• "Throat Coat" Tea by Traditional Medicinals, Basil Tea or Thyme Tea mixed with raw honey willbreak down mucus and relieve sore throats
• IPECAC, SPONGIA, and HEPAR SULPHURIS are the main cough/lung mucus homeopathic remedies to use.
• Gargle with morton salt and water continually

FOOD POISONING/UPSET STOMACH/INDIGESTION:

• Activated Charcoal Capsules absorb toxins and poisons in the system if taken shortly after symptoms appear.
• IPECAC, NUX VOMICA, ARSENICUM and CARBO VEG are the top remedies for sickness from foods
• STOMACH COMFORT CHEWABLES help with occasional acid relief, as does PAPAYA CHEWABLES and dried parsley and organic apple cider vinegar since acid problems most of the time stem from being an indicator that your stomach's enzymes are deficient in some manner (many times from too much sugar/processed foods)

BURNS/CUTS:

• CANTHARIS homeopathic remedy is the best remedy for burns
• Abundant Blessings CALENDULA SALVE made without Petroleum, very hard to find this natural version
• Soaking the burn spot in liquid minerals for 20 minutes works wonders!!

HEADACHES:

• Magnesium Complex provides relief for aches by increasing blood flow to those areas, as does FORMULA 303, a natural version of a pain med found at many natural health stores
• HOT PACK/HOT WATER BOTTLE on achy area
• Regular Chiropractic adjustments
• Diet of little to no processed foods/sugars will do wonders if you're brave enough!

BLEEDING:

• Using typical first aid measures, you can also add the remedy BELLADONNA to help stop bleeding. When our daughter gashed her chin and her shirt was covered with blood down to her waistline, within 5 minutes of taking the remedy, the blood was completely stopped.

BRUSING/SWELLING/CUTS/SCRAPES/PUNCTURE WOUNDS:

• The 3 main homeopathic remedies that help the body fight associated pain are the following: HYPERICUM, ARNICA, SYMPHYTUM...or else they sell the combination remedy including all of these three by ENERGIQUE to be used with more mild symptoms.
• Hypericum is for numbness, shooting pains and puncture wounds involving nerves
• Arnica is the first homeopathic remedy to consider with sprains, strains, falls, trauma and injury: for bruising, bleeding and deep tissue pain. Works WELL in recovering from surgery once the body is set back to it's normal functioning mode. (NOTE: with a break or fracture,the body needs to be back in normal functioning mode for a remedy to work. Our daughter broke her elbow and didn't get much relief until directly following surgery--but had no pains meds in recovery while using ARNICA!)
• Symphytum is for pain persisting long after an injury.

God Bless, Ms. Salubrious

******None of the above statements have been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. All of the information in this BLOG is strictly for educational purposes. This BLOG should not be used to treat, diagnose, or prescribe for a condition you feel you may have. If you have any health concerns, you should see a competent practitioner. ******

Tips for Nursing Moms to Increase Milk Supply

After having 3 bundles of joy, 2 of which I struggled in producing enough breast milk for them, I believe the famous quote we all know, could be re-written to say "The way to a BABY's heart is through their stomach". However, many mommies struggle in keeping their babies fully content in their feedings....thus leading to them heading towards the commercial formula aisle.

There can be a number of causative factors that will bring about a low milk supply. Stress, inadequate diet, lack of sleep, environmental toxins, imbalanced hormone levels, etc. HOWEVER, the good news is that you do not always need to figure out the cause in order to remedy the situation:

• Some women find it helpful to increase a high quality vitamin intake-- NATURES SUNSHINE SUPER SUPPLEMENT is the one I have taken for the past 3 years. During my last pregnancy I increased the amount I was taking each day to combat fatigue, and even found it to be the answer for my hair that was falling out in clumps! (My body was calling out for extra nutrition as the clumps fell out as my symptom!) It also worked to increase my milk supply when I found I was headed down the same pathway of low milk volume as my other 2 previous babies.
• Others get positive results by increasing complete proteins (beef, eggs, fish, etc), finding that their bodies are not getting enough nutrients to both heal/feed their body from the pregnancy and nourish another little life along with that. If you can only take SO MUCH meat as a protein, I enjoy this frosty milkshake as an added form of protein to my diet: LIFEQUEST PROTEIN SHAKES. The great news with this is there are no artificial sweeteners and it works as a good weight loss drink, beings only 5 grams of carbs per serving in the mix! (The chocolate is our family's absolute favorite!!)
• HERBAL Teas that increase milk supply include RED RASPBERRY, FENUGREEK, MARSHMALLOW and "MOTHER'S MILK TEA" from Traditional Medicines.
• Herbs that will typically bring about a substantial supply of breast milk are FENUGREEK and BLESSED THISTLE. Try taking one or the other, 3 capsules, 3 times a day for 3-4 days. Improvement should be substantial and within a few days. If not, then try the other one, and finally try them together if they don't work separate. When taken in moderation as above given, no side effects have been brought forth in studies, other than in some cases a maple syrup smell in the urine and sweat from those taking Fenugreek.
• Changing your diet to a strict one of whole grains, organic vegetables/fruits, raw/organic dairy and grass fed/organic beef may bring about more milk.....but will for sure bring about a happier baby with the exsisting milk supply you have!

One of my friends who just tried some of this out was successful in drinking the "MOTHER'S MILK TEA" twice a day and taking 1 FENUGREEK CAPSULE with each meal. She recently wrote to me about her experience,

"In about 1 week, my production has almost doubled! I am amazed! Not only is (my baby) happier, but is sleeping better and I am able to store a couple feedings every day."

If you have tried all of the above in various combinations and find there has been no change, PLEASE CONSIDER a natural form of supplementation before using a commercial formula! A baby's digestive system can handle naturally designed nutrients much better than man-made. With my second child, nothing worked to increase milk production and she was such a big "snacker", so I supplemented with ORGANIC HALF & HALF from 3 months on. This contented her and she excitedly looked forward to her bottles of these between nursings! Organic half & half is natural and with the high amount of fat in it, baby will plump up nicely (our second daughter has the best muscle-tone & most natural body shape out of my 3--well nourished!!) ALSO, no worries about allergies like with regular milk.....the high amount of fat helps break down the proteins that babies cannot normally break down with just regular milk.

Doctors will "caution you" because they typically have gotten away from this idea with formulas coming around....but any grandmother or natural health practitioner will attest to using this in the past hundreds of years before formula existed. The babies years ago didn't get as many chronic and repeat ear infections like they do now days with formulas. I have a few other friends who did this and worked nicely as well.

God Bless, Ms. Salubrious

******None of the above statements have been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. All of the information in this BLOG is strictly for educational purposes. This BLOG should not be used to treat, diagnose, or prescribe for a condition you feel you may have. If you have any health concerns, you should see a competent practitioner. ******

Herb Site Up & Running!

For those of you enquiring, my Natures Sunshine Herb site is up and running! You will still get my discount (by placing a minnimum of $40 order, and becoming a "memeber"), and can still e-mail me asking for advice on which herbs to purchase for what, but now you can put in orders as you wish. Instead of having to put orders in to me through e-mail, and hooking up with me later to get them, you can order at your convenience and have them shipped directly to your house! Here's our site link and address: http://www.mynsp.com/dewittsunshine/index.aspx . Just keep in mind if you do not have an order totaling $40 and do not wish to become a member, then you'll have to either e-mail me with your order to get my discount, or else shop re-tail on my account.

I will also have posted a permanent link on the right side under Natures Sunshine labeled: Order NATURES SUNSHINE PRODUCTS with my discount! that will take you to this website, also.

Well, let me tell you how hard it was for me to get to the point of even WANTING a Natures Sunshine website! I am not one much for change, so I have to ask God for obvious signs if he wants me to change something in my life. Examples:

• Before going to the natural practitioner I currently go to for advice, I went to 2 others, over the course of 3 years! So, it was very slow-going, with me kicking and screaming (figuratively speaking!) the whole way, until God gave me no other choice with our second child's state of health. Point proven, I found one who would teach me as I went!
• After ordering Natures Sunshine products over the past 3 years, and visibly seeing the benefits in treating my family, I was told by someone that I should sell it. "No, no, I don't need to make myself more busy than I already am!" I said. So, God gave me an obvious sign in my mom, grandma, and sister asking me to order things for them as I put my own orders in. Ok, point proven, I will order for others as I order for myself, BUT I WILL NOT "SELL" it at retail to make a profit!
• A close friend told me I should start "BLOGGING" to share my life experiences. I thought, "No way, I don't have time for that, plus I'm no good at writing!" Well, God had to show me I could do it from a different perspective! I wouldn't need to write for entertainment, but instead for educating others so that they can learn to care for themselves like I learned! Point Proven, I will look at life from several different perspectives!
• Someone told me I should start my own Natures Sunshine website in order to make it easy for others to order the products they want and make it easier on myself with paper work and such. I said, "No, no, I won't be able to talk with others as much!" Well, it's taken quite a bit to get to this point from my comfort zone of all my medications, but God laid it on my heart WITHOUT ANY OBVIOUS SIGNS. Point proven, you CAN teach an old dog new tricks...

So, you may be asking why I'm trying to help you with my discount, if I don't benefit, myself? Well, I know my time will come when enough product will go through my Natures Sunshine website each month to start earning points towards a new car or a trip or something, haa, haa! But, in the mean time, I just want to give you the same opportunity that was given to me. An opportunity to live healthier through knowledge (my complimentary BLOG site) and an opportunity to switch over to using herbs at a cheaper cost because we all can use to save a little money! I am a Christian and God has called me to SERVE others!

Next, you may ask why you can't just purchase them through health stores----well you certainly can! But, they will be charging you retail for the products (shipping, handling, and PROFIT!). Take for instance, the BIFIDOPHILUS FLORA FORCE, is something our family takes nightly to increase the amount of good bacteria in our intestines.

• The uses: building immunity to viruses and contaminants that go through our digestion system by strengthening the intestinal walls, thus not allowing any non-nutritional substances to be absorbed into the body system.
• Benefits: When MY FAMILY gets sick, many times it's just a matter of a few hours to get it through our intestinal tract, along with minimal symptoms like indigestion, a few minor aches, and less energy. With others, they absorb the virus/contaminant into their blood stream, taking a day or even a few days to get better, all the while vomiting, diarrhea, cold sweats, massive body and headaches, and tons of sleeping! Of course, it's taken us a few years to get here, but I'd much rather be here than back when I'd get the flu 3-4 times a winter for 3-5 days!!!
• Cost: I have paid up to $25.00 for BIFIDOPHILUS FLORA FORCE in Sioux Falls, and on my site, I pay $17.75 plus shipping and handling...about $20.00 altogether....a savings of $5.00! No, it's not an enormous amount, but I find that anything helps!

You will also find herbs from other companies at these health stores, and I encourage you to try them out if you feel led to do so! (However, please do not waste your money on herbs from convenience stores that have such small amounts of nutrition in them!) If you find a cheaper herb from a nutrition store that works as good as the good ones do, then good for you! However, in your process of finding a "good, cheap one", please be sure to pay close attention to see if you have any side effects from the possible fillers. Also, if you do not see results from the lack of nutrient potency, please do not feel obligated to keep taking them .... you will only keep thinking about the money you wasted and become bitter as you continue taking them for no reason! (like I did--been there, done that, gave up on "cheap ones" that did nothing for me!!!)

Be sure to check out the Analyze your own Health link on the right under Natures Sunshine that you can click on to help you decide what things would be most useful to you in your present condition.

You will find on the Natures Sunshine website an enormous amount of health items that you can learn more about beyond just herbs: natural household cleaning products, vitamins, oils, etc. Each item has a very detailed description of uses and benefits. I plan to cover all of my "extras" in our house from not only Natures Sunshine, but other companies as well, in my next BLOG. Check back next week!

In Christ, Whol-E-Herbster

******The information in this BLOG is strictly for educational purposes. It should not be used to treat, diagnose, or prescribe for a condition you feel you may have. If you have any health concerns, you should see a competent practitioner. ******

Herbs 101

Before Beginning, please read or review: "my medicine cabinet" BLOG (click on words) for background knowledge!



Ezekiel 47:12"Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing.”

Herbs can be compared to foods, but not medications. They are not made out of chemicals like most medications, but rather work as a "super-food"---assimilating quicker and working deeper than most any food can. Specific herbs support, feed and cleanse the body, working GRADUALLY to eliminate built-up toxins and re-build vital tissues, thus producing noticeable changes. The speed at which you notice the change is directly influenced by the nutrients you regularly ingest, the level of damage on the tissues present, and the inherited capabilities of your body. As the body cleanses, it will generally remove these through the bowels...producing softened or loose stools. However, if the respiratory system cleanses, it will come out in the form of mucus from the sinuses or lungs, which makes it quite natural and a blessing to have a runny nose....the body is cleansing itself from an intruder!

Herbs provide a nutritive substance to the body, something that no drug can do. Pharmaceuticals were originally derived from herbs, but are now mostly made out of chemicals, producing "relief" to the body by sending it into shock. Since the body cannot recognise a medication as a food, the stomach sends it directly into the circulatory system, instead of through the proper channel of the Liver, which was designed in us to filter toxins before allowing them to go on to the vital organs of the body. The drugs by-pass all the filtering systems, and thus do "as they please" to other parts of our body. Symptoms of Medication usage are gradual, and most likely start as small side effects: dependency over a long period of time (either needing it daily or here and there a few times....but it will increase as the use increases), by gradually starting other symptoms that will become visable in a few months or few years time, or by leading to another need of a medication.....thus finding at age 60 how easy it is for people to be on 5-10 medications daily!

We know from the Bible that Herbs have been given to us for healing purposes. So, you may be asking... "Do I go out and find a leaf in my yard to rub on?" No, not exactly, although if you have an herb garden, it may be beneficial with the right plant! Herbs can be bought in several forms: I have bought it in dried bulk, capsules, liquid, teas, tinctures, extracts, salves, and in root form--depending upon what you would need it for. They can be used for building and maintaining bodily tissues by feeding and cleansing the body. If you go through a natural health practitioner as I do, you would be given a "healing program" to rid the body of a specific problem, and told what form to buy the herb in. When going straight to the source of the problem, you will be eliminating the symptoms as well! Otherwise, with a little herb knowledge from a book like: Prescription for Herbal Healing: A Reference to Disorders and Their Herbal Remedies by Phyllis A. Balch, you can try to treat "symptoms" of health problems as they arise. But, please keep in mind that you are only relieving symptoms--not the SOURCE of the problem, so you will continue to exhibit symptoms to relieve once again, shall they arise.

• My daughter, Sage, was given a dried bulk herb next to her bedside in a "breathable" material that she would breath throughout the night as she slept when she was 9 months old...thus helping her to sleep better. Worked like a charm! That was the first night she slept through the night since she was born.
• My other daughter, Sophie, was to swallow CORNSILK HERB CAPSULES to treat a bladder/urinary tract infection this past year. She never got an antibiotic for it, but only used cornsilk capsules and cranberry juice to treat it. She recovered within a day and was happily bouncing around again! I also relieved INFECTION this past fall with a specific herb capsule .... I had thick red infections lines running up about 4 inches from my fevered and hard infection spot. I took GOLDEN SEAL, every hour for about 2 days when I found myself to be fully relieved of symptoms!
• I have always had asthma attacks and breathing problems, up until starting to eat organic foods these past few years.....now I very rarely will have difficulties, unless I breath in chemicals like varnish or harsh cleaners. When I do have breathing problems, I will use the LIQUID form of LOBELIA ESSENCE from Natures Sunshine , to rub on my lung area...getting complete relief within 10-15 minutes by taking Co enzyme-Q10 as well, if it's a really bad one.
• Teas are used by our house for several reasons: illnesses, building immunity, constipation, sleeping better, or for improving brain functioning like my dear husband. Hy-Vee Health Market has a wide variety of Celestial Brand Herbal Teas that help relieve many types of health issues.

Now that you know what forms that herbs come in, I'm going to share with you the herbs I always keep on hand, and would encourage you to BUILD UP TO having this list as well, if you desire to treat symptoms and illnesses with herbs. I put them as links to the Natures Sunshine Website, only because I know the company upholds a high, Christian standard for finding and processing herbs. You may buy these herbs from most ANY company you desire, but keep in mind, if you do not know the company's morals, they may be selling you an herb with fillers and little nutrition--when I have an infection, I want to be able to trust that the Golden seal herb I buy will be potent enough to fight it off and not allow the infection to get worse! I will gladly order it for you with my discount, and not charging you anything beyond what I pay myself, otherwise you are free to pick up these herbs at any nutrition store. I would not reccomend buying herbs at conveinence stores.... if you decide to go "cheap" you may have side effects from the fillers they put in them, along with your health issue you took the herb for in the first place!

GOLDEN SEAL -- taken daily to build immune system, take hourly to work as a Pro-biotic to fight infection
ACTIVATED CHARCOAL--Take 1-2 after eating processed foods and chemical exposure to help absorb and rid the body of toxins and foods difficult to digest
BIFIDOPHILUS FLORA FORCE (ACIDOPHILUS) -- take each evening to improve overall immune system functioning by putting good bacteria into intestines. Aids digestion.
BLACK WALNUT CAPSULES and BLACK STRAP MOLASSES(1 Tbl)-- works together to eliminate sugar cravings if taken throughout the day, helps relieve yeast infections if taken hourly. Black Walnut also RIDS the BODY of PARASITES.
Abundant blessings CALENDULA SALVE-- soothing, healing and rebuilding properties for skin problems; be sure it does not contain petroleum!!
PSORIAFLORA CREAM --found at most nutrition stores--use for itchy, red, irritated, dry or eczema skin....this even got rid of a huge fungus/Ringworm patch I got diagnosed with and tried using before the drug prescribed!
FENUGREEK & THYME Capsules --Supports the respiratory system, relieves congestion by thinning mucus, soothes irritated respiratory tissue. Take hourly for congestion relief.
LBS II CAPSULES & LB EXTRACT(liquid for kids)-- Herbal Laxative, encourages regularity (your intestines can hold 3 typically-sized meals worth of food, so you should be eliminating 3x a day so that the toxins you breathe, and processed foods you eat do not "sit" in bowels to cause future colon problems). Only sold by Natures Sunshine.
LIQUID CHLOROPHYLL --Helps strengthen cells and cleanses blood system. We mix 1 tsp a day to drink in water, since we do not get chlorophyll naturally from eating a lot of raw vegetables. We drink a Tabl. of this with water to ease the stomach with indigestion or flu-like illnesses. Interestingly, the chlorophyll molecule is chemically similar to human blood, except that its central atom is magnesium, whereas that of human blood is iron.
MAGNESIUM COMPLEX--promotes musculoskeletal and cardiovascular health, especially during exercise. Provides relief to muscle aches. Take 1 a day to maintain bodily functions, or else take 2-3 at a time for muscle aches. (The heart, brain and kidneys cannot function without adequate levels of this nutrient)
COLLOIDAL LIQUID MINERALS -- Found in raw vegetables and fruit (if organic) otherwise one can get it from city water and non-organic foods at the expense of also ingesting chemicals to have to go through the liver. We use a "REVERSE OSMOSIS" unit that strips the water of everything, and then add in a TBL. to each gallon of R.O. water to replenish stripped minerals. Can also be put directly on skin BURNS to relieve pain. Will maintain proper thickness/thinness of BLOOD.

You know your body best, what your greatest needs are ..... so maybe start with that particular herb and build up as you gain knowledge or have different symptoms of a health problem! Good Luck, and may the LORD be with you on your journey to better health!!!

IN CHRIST, WHOL-E-HERBSTER

******The information in this BLOG is strictly for educational purposes. It should not be used to treat, diagnose, or prescribe for a condition you feel you may have. If you have any health concerns, you should see a competent practitioner. ******