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Herbal Remedies And Other Natural Living Ways


earthmama514

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Due to a number of people asking me and my interest in sharing what i know with others and learning as well from them, I am starting this thread. Feel free to ask questions about natural living, lifestyle, herbal remedies for ailments, etc. I will do my best to help ya'll.

 

So to start, I am answering the question Human asked in another post.

 

Do you have any herbal remedies for insomnia?

   Several factors influence the inability to sleep or stay asleep at night. First, check your mattress. Is it too firm? too soft? are you comfortable in your bed or wishing you could sleep elsewhere? Second, check out your pillow. an improper pillow can make the difference as well. Third, it is possible your body is out of alignment or the chakras are out unbalanced. Seeing a chiropractor or an acupuncturist can be the 'cure' you need to get the sleep you need. Sometimes in as little as 1-2 visits. Fourth, check out your room. Is is too noisy? too cold? too hot? Get a white noise machine to drown out the awakening noise with some nice calming relaxing sleep inducing noise. get a fan if its too hot or change thermostat/add a blanket/add a heated mattress pad if its too cold. ( i really can not extol the virtues of a heated mattress pad enough. Get one with dual controls so any sleeping partner can have their side hot/warm/not on and you can be toasty warm. its the best invention i have had in a long time) Once you get all those items straighted out, give it a couple days. if you are not sleeping better then move on to the next steps.

 

   The majority of americans are deficient in magnesium due to the fact that the SAD doesnt really contain much magnesium in its natural form which your body can use. Being deficient in magnesium can lead to fatigue which oddly enough leads to the inability to sleep/sleep well. There are a few things you can do to raise your levels. One: take a warm bath every night before bed and add 1 cup of epsom salts to the water. soak for at least 30 minutes. rinse off then head to bed. Two- take a high quality CHELATED Magnesium GLYCINATE supplement. At first take one pill a day, one week later add in a second pill, one week later a third pill so you are taking 3 pills a day. you may back off to one pill once you start to sleep better/notice improvement in other aspects of your life. increase again if needed. (*warning: magnesium can cause loose stools. to avoid this increase the dose slowly and make sure to take chelated magnesium glycinate only as its more easily absorbed by the body and causes less intestinal issues. )  Three: Use a magnesium oil/lotion twice a day. Once in the morning and once before bed. Rub on any area that has more fat than other parts of your body. Breasts, stomachs, and thighs tend to work the best for this. If anyone is interested in where to purchase these items i will gladly list my preferred sites. :)

 

   Herbs: Siberian Ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus) is a good herb to take to help you relax. you can steep it as a tea and dilute to 2-4 quarts and then drink one glass nightly before bed. Another good herb is Ashwagandha. It helps the body deal with stress and as such is a nervine relaxant. St. Johns Wort is good as well. you may take that as capsules or as tea with your ginseng.

 

   Lastly, do not forget the importance of a strict bedtime and bedtime routine. do you normally watch a show before bed? Read a book? do whatever you do that makes your brain say "hey lets go to sleep!" then do your normal nightly getting ready for bed routine of brushing teeth etc. Avoid caffeine after 4 and limit your sugar intake after that point in time as well. Make sure to exercise daily! This is important to help your body regulate itself. in the morning is the best time but afternoon is ok as well. Yoga is a great exercise for this. Use the breathing/relaxation techniques they teach to help calm your mind and prepare for sleep. And if you feel that something else might be at play like sleep apnea or other health concerns, please see your doctor for a full physical and work up. If your gut tells you something is off, its probably right. dont ignore it!

 

 

I hope you found this post helpful. Please ask away with any other questions. I will add other topics here periodically that i feel people might be interested in as well. :)

 

Peace Love and Happiness to you all.

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That was a good list of information there. Some of it I've tried but not the herbal things. 

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What a great thread, I'm a believer in natural remedies. Thank you for starting this up for us.

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Might wanna ask to move this thread to the spiritual area before some questions chakras and asks for empirical evidence.

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Might wanna ask to move this thread to the spiritual area before some questions chakras and asks for empirical evidence.

There are legitimate approaches to natural health and healing, and then there is pure woo. They often get mixed together. 

 

Some of the popular herbal remedies are at least somewhat effective, some are totally useless, and some are harmful. The FDA does not test or evaluate "natural" remedies, so the industry often gets away with murder. Chiropractors provide a useful service, but they can't cure diabetes or liver disease. Almost any exercise is good for us and our ailments, but for some reason yoga often adds a "spiritual" component. Acupuncture has no scientific basis and has failed testing, but the placebo effect of it can be quite impressive - even when the operator puts the needles in the "wrong" places! Don't even get a rational mind started on the subject of homeopathy!!!

 

I think if we can avoid the hardcore pharmaceuticals, all the better just as long as we can safely and effectively address our medical needs in other ways.

 

http://www.today.com/id/4997728/ns/today-today_health/t/herbs-are-huge-which-ones-really-work/#.U85VWPldXs8

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Acupuncture has no scientific basis and has failed testing, but the placebo effect of it can be quite impressive - even when the operator puts the needles in the "wrong" places!

Sometimes a little placebo can go a long way.

 

My doctor is Chinese born in Canada. His father practiced Chinese medicine back in the day. I think my doctor has a pretty good grip on the healing art. He actually offers acupuncture and my brother, sister and their spouses have all availed themselves of this service and swear by it. However, knowing me, the doc told me with a wink it probably wouldn't work. He offers safe herbal remedies and supplements for his patients who believe in that, but serious ailments are treated with real medicine. I like his approach.

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It seems anyone who wants in the Spirituality forum is allowed in. And they are allowed to post whatever they want there. So there's no guarantee that people won't be criticized or made to feel unwelcome for their spiritual beliefs in that forum.

 

 

If you encounter this, please report it. It's your forum too and the mods may miss something.

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Might wanna ask to move this thread to the spiritual area before some questions chakras and asks for empirical evidence.

 

There are legitimate approaches to natural health and healing, and then there is pure woo. They often get mixed together. 

 

Some of the popular herbal remedies are at least somewhat effective, some are totally useless, and some are harmful. The FDA does not test or evaluate "natural" remedies, so the industry often gets away with murder. Chiropractors provide a useful service, but they can't cure diabetes or liver disease. Almost any exercise is good for us and our ailments, but for some reason yoga often adds a "spiritual" component. Acupuncture has no scientific basis and has failed testing, but the placebo effect of it can be quite impressive - even when the operator puts the needles in the "wrong" places! Don't even get a rational mind started on the subject of homeopathy!!!

 

I think if we can avoid the hardcore pharmaceuticals, all the better just as long as we can safely and effectively address our medical needs in other ways.

 

http://www.today.com/id/4997728/ns/today-today_health/t/herbs-are-huge-which-ones-really-work/#.U85VWPldXs8

How about chakras?

 

I'm a big fan of garlic, btw. Russians, even docs, swear by it as an immune booster. I've only had one cold in the past 5 years. Even when I was young and healthy, I used to get at least 3 a year. Now I just eat some raw garlic when I feel that tickle and except the once, I don't get sick.

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Ex-christian Life seems as good a place as any for this thread, maybe Science vs. Religion, but this is good.

 

Insomnia is a bitch.  A lot of natural remedies are too subtle for hard cases of insomnia, but I've had some success with 1. a warm glass of milk a half hour or 45 minutes before crashing  2. St. John's wart and hops tea  3. Chamomile tea.  And you have to be careful to avoid sugar.  Sugar fucks everything up and can induce insomnia.

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Ex-christian Life seems as good a place as any for this thread, maybe Science vs. Religion, but this is good.

 

Insomnia is a bitch.  A lot of natural remedies are too subtle for hard cases of insomnia, but I've had some success with 1. a warm glass of milk a half hour or 45 minutes before crashing  2. St. John's wart and hops tea  3. Chamomile tea

I don't mind. I mentioned it because people have tended to get their feelings hurt when these types of beliefs have been challenged. The other forum has rules protecting against this.

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Ex-christian Life seems as good a place as any for this thread, maybe Science vs. Religion, but this is good.

 

Insomnia is a bitch.  A lot of natural remedies are too subtle for hard cases of insomnia, but I've had some success with 1. a warm glass of milk a half hour or 45 minutes before crashing  2. St. John's wart and hops tea  3. Chamomile tea

I don't mind. I mentioned it because people have tended to get their feelings hurt when these types of beliefs have been challenged. The other forum has rules protecting against this.

 

When it comes to the decision of whether to "challenge" a new member of ex-c who may have just escaped oppressive fundamentalist xianity, I am always mindful of the overall purpose of ex-c, which is to encourage those who are leaving xianity behind.  It doesn't seem like an appropriate context to (what you euphemistically refer to as) challenge their alternative health practices.  A little bit of "live and let live" can go a long way, especially when welcoming new people to this site.  Perhaps if questioning chakras is your thing, why don't you start a thread about it, then you can challenge the idea and not the person to your heart's content.

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I'm tellin' ya, insomniacs. ASMR will put you to sleep even if you aren't prone to getting the ASMR "tingles." It's my go to last resort and has never failed me.

 

I know it sounds weird, but I can watch/listen to a guy shining shoes and go to sleep. The sound of writing longhand puts me to sleep. A role play such as getting a haircut works very well, especially if a virtual scalp massage in included.

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Regarding the 'reductionist hall monitors" questioning beliefs, isn't that what we're here for? There is a safe place where unprovable claims (other than Christianity) can be discussed without aggressive challenges from those who demand evidence. Remember, most people who leave Christianity do so because it doesn't stand up to scrutiny. Critical thinking is our most valuable tool to guard against gullibility. We did it once as Christians and we don't want to do it again. 

 

That said, some people who leave Christianity just aren't ready to give up that easily. I also investigated many alternative beliefs and religions before drawing my conclusions. The Spirituality forum is where people may go through that process and that's why it exists. In general, though, people around here demand evidence.

 

- Your Hall Monitor

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Holy shit.  Try and do a nice thing protecting a new member from some grief and everyone thinks I'm the one giving her grief. 

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The self appointed hall monitor material reductionist hall monitors are the only one's who really like to cause trouble for people for no real reason other than to be little shits. 

 

Personal bullshit

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Holy shit.  Try and do a nice thing protecting a new member from some grief and everyone thinks I'm the one giving her grief. 

Maybe the way you talk to people has something to do with it.

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Holy shit.  Try and do a nice thing protecting a new member from some grief and everyone thinks I'm the one giving her grief. 

Maybe the way you talk to people has something to do with it.

 

 

pot, kettle. 

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Holy shit.  Try and do a nice thing protecting a new member from some grief and everyone thinks I'm the one giving her grief. 

Maybe the way you talk to people has something to do with it.

 

 

pot, kettle. 

 

This is about your behaviour.  I am always encouraging to new members.  You, on the other hand, do things like telling depressed people to STFU.  So there is an issue with the way you talk to people.  If you do mean well, you might want to look at your communication skills.  Because it is not immediately obvious that you mean well.

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Due to a number of people asking me and my interest in sharing what i know with others and learning as well from them, I am starting this thread. Feel free to ask questions about natural living, lifestyle, herbal remedies for ailments, etc. I will do my best to help ya'll.

 

So to start, I am answering the question Human asked in another post.

 

Do you have any herbal remedies for insomnia?

   Several factors influence the inability to sleep or stay asleep at night. First, check your mattress. Is it too firm? too soft? are you comfortable in your bed or wishing you could sleep elsewhere? Second, check out your pillow. an improper pillow can make the difference as well. Third, it is possible your body is out of alignment or the chakras are out unbalanced. Seeing a chiropractor or an acupuncturist can be the 'cure' you need to get the sleep you need. Sometimes in as little as 1-2 visits. Fourth, check out your room. Is is too noisy? too cold? too hot? Get a white noise machine to drown out the awakening noise with some nice calming relaxing sleep inducing noise. get a fan if its too hot or change thermostat/add a blanket/add a heated mattress pad if its too cold. ( i really can not extol the virtues of a heated mattress pad enough. Get one with dual controls so any sleeping partner can have their side hot/warm/not on and you can be toasty warm. its the best invention i have had in a long time) Once you get all those items straighted out, give it a couple days. if you are not sleeping better then move on to the next steps.

 

   The majority of americans are deficient in magnesium due to the fact that the SAD doesnt really contain much magnesium in its natural form which your body can use. Being deficient in magnesium can lead to fatigue which oddly enough leads to the inability to sleep/sleep well. There are a few things you can do to raise your levels. One: take a warm bath every night before bed and add 1 cup of epsom salts to the water. soak for at least 30 minutes. rinse off then head to bed. Two- take a high quality CHELATED Magnesium GLYCINATE supplement. At first take one pill a day, one week later add in a second pill, one week later a third pill so you are taking 3 pills a day. you may back off to one pill once you start to sleep better/notice improvement in other aspects of your life. increase again if needed. (*warning: magnesium can cause loose stools. to avoid this increase the dose slowly and make sure to take chelated magnesium glycinate only as its more easily absorbed by the body and causes less intestinal issues. )  Three: Use a magnesium oil/lotion twice a day. Once in the morning and once before bed. Rub on any area that has more fat than other parts of your body. Breasts, stomachs, and thighs tend to work the best for this. If anyone is interested in where to purchase these items i will gladly list my preferred sites. smile.png

 

   Herbs: Siberian Ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus) is a good herb to take to help you relax. you can steep it as a tea and dilute to 2-4 quarts and then drink one glass nightly before bed. Another good herb is Ashwagandha. It helps the body deal with stress and as such is a nervine relaxant. St. Johns Wort is good as well. you may take that as capsules or as tea with your ginseng.

 

   Lastly, do not forget the importance of a strict bedtime and bedtime routine. do you normally watch a show before bed? Read a book? do whatever you do that makes your brain say "hey lets go to sleep!" then do your normal nightly getting ready for bed routine of brushing teeth etc. Avoid caffeine after 4 and limit your sugar intake after that point in time as well. Make sure to exercise daily! This is important to help your body regulate itself. in the morning is the best time but afternoon is ok as well. Yoga is a great exercise for this. Use the breathing/relaxation techniques they teach to help calm your mind and prepare for sleep. And if you feel that something else might be at play like sleep apnea or other health concerns, please see your doctor for a full physical and work up. If your gut tells you something is off, its probably right. dont ignore it!

 

 

I hope you found this post helpful. Please ask away with any other questions. I will add other topics here periodically that i feel people might be interested in as well. smile.png

 

Peace Love and Happiness to you all.

 

I suppose that my own experiences with such teachings in my former place of worship have rendered me unwilling to go with this sort of thing.

 

Naturalism and Herbalism are not my cup of tea.

 

I disagree with the notion that undiagnosed mineral deficiencies directly cause illnesses or conditions, such as insomnia. However, this is not the place for debate though, or whatever it is that happens in the Den. There are many things that can cause an inability to fall and/or stay asleep. Some things (uncomfortable mattresses, nagging pain, too much light, outside stimulation, caffeine consumption) are valid. There can also be deeper chemical reasons for it. I have a genetic condition that has left me with an impaired ability to regulate my cortisol levels and has also caused me to become diabetic. For many years, my church was always telling me that God would heal me using natural means i.e. herbs, supplements, toxin-free living, etc.

 

I have a lot of trouble sleeping and a lot of the reason why is that my body doesn't always receive the appropriate hormonal signals at the appropriate time. So I find it to be a bit of a stretch to say that taking X supplement will reduce insomnia in all persons. Most of the other things that you recommend are common sense to many people and really don't constitute alternative advice, imho. I've heard it all for years though, so maybe it is news to those who haven't spent the past decade or so in the fringe-y alterna-health bubble that I have.

 

Ashwagandha can be dangerous for some diabetics to take. It can cause sudden drops in blood sugar levels. I have never taken it personally, but I do think that it is something to be aware of for those who may have such issues. So there's that too.

 

As far as chakras and acupuncture go, I have no use for either. Chiropractics may have some benefits, but it is based on the outdated notions of vitalism. We have advanced from that sort of thing, or at least modern medicine is trying to do so.

 

Overall, I am not knocking natural remedies. I just don't share your enthusiasm for them. dry.png

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No one has mentioned sex as a good "remedy" for insomnia? Sheesh people. :D

 

(Good sex) ;)

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Anything for blood pressure?

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Anything for blood pressure?

Forgive me if I'm prying too much, but have multiple anti-hypertensive medications failed?  If so, that may indicate another problem, such as sleep apnea, for example.

 

Personally, I would be very hesitant to go outside mainstream medicine to treat hypertension.

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Anything for blood pressure?

Forgive me if I'm prying too much, but have multiple anti-hypertensive medications failed?  If so, that may indicate another problem, such as sleep apnea, for example.

 

Personally, I would be very hesitant to go outside mainstream medicine to treat hypertension.

 

They have an herbal remedy in Russian called Riutinan that will drop the bottom out of my blood pressure if I take too much.  The Western meds only drop it so far.  Unfortunately, Riutinan also dries my sinuses up to the point of sneezing blood; so I can't really take it either.

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Anything for blood pressure?

Forgive me if I'm prying too much, but have multiple anti-hypertensive medications failed?  If so, that may indicate another problem, such as sleep apnea, for example.

 

Personally, I would be very hesitant to go outside mainstream medicine to treat hypertension.

 

They have an herbal remedy in Russian called Riutinan that will drop the bottom out of my blood pressure if I take too much.  The Western meds only drop it so far.  Unfortunately, Riutinan also dries my sinuses up to the point of sneezing blood; so I can't really take it either.

 

Have you had your hypertension thoroughly investigated by a doctor, including trialling different combinations of meds?  If so, is it possible you could have sleep apnea?

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