The Choice Is Yours

A friend called me a few weeks ago to ask if I knew what was going on with her having numbness in her hands and feet. I didn’t know but could tell she was worried, so suggested she go to a doctor to find out what was wrong. She went and found that she has diabetes. Now that she knows what the problem is she can learn what to do for it. She ordered the Pancreas Formula and said wow, these herbs are way less expensive than the medication that they want to put me on.

I think this is a good time to review one of my older posts on my blog about Natural Medicine vs. Conventional Medicine. It is important to read this from time to time to remind us of how herbs and correct diet work in our bodies and why it is a better choice over conventional medicine. We also need to realize that we get ourselves into these kinds of messes from how we eat. My dad is a good example, he is my close family member that is on dialysis in the Natural Medicine vs. Conventional Medicine post, and the reason why we made a quick trip to Washington last month. I kept giving him herbs to cleanse his kidneys, build up his blood etc. He would say they aren’t working. When I was there I brought home the almost full bottles of everything that I gave him over the past few years. The herbs don’t work if they stay in the bottle, you have to actually open the bottle and eat them. He just didn’t want to change, has chosen the medical method and is paying an awful high price for it.

The lesson is this; we all choose our fate, is it eating whatever we want and using conventional medicine to only get worse and worse, or are we going to change our diet and use the herbs to help us maintain optimum health?? Dr. Christopher often said, this is a do it yourself plan. Learn what to do and then do it, and you will be healthy. The choice is clear for me.

I am happy to give links to people that ask. Please email me with what you are looking for if you can’t find it yourself. A great website to learn from is the Herbal Legacy Website from the School of Natural Healing, and where most of the links I give come from. Due to the FTC and FDA regulations we are not able to post this information on our website. We also have available for purchase, Dr. Christopher's School of Natural Healing Aliment CD Rom, $4.95 with a $50.00 purchase, or $13.97 without the minimum purchase. This CD is well worth the investment and has been updated from the old one that we offered a few years ago.

Comment from a subscriber:

Loved this and forwarded it to a lot of people. I keep getting..."So what can I do?" My answer is, "So what is the problem." They don't want to find out but they want someone else to fix it. Loved the story about your Dad. My sister did the same thing.

My question when she found out that she was ill, " Would you like to start an herbal program." Her answer was, " No, the doctor is going to heal me." She died in 2005. It is a planet of choice.
Herbally,
P. H.

Suzy’s First Road Trip

We have had our dog Suzy for almost three years, yet never had the opportunity to take her on a road trip. Besides going to the vet she was only in the car on one other occasion to see how she would do, and she threw up that time. My sister called on Sunday Sept 13th to let me know that my Dad was not able to move and was taken to the ER by ambulance. They found that he had an infection, gave him some antibiotics and released him. The next day my step mother ended up getting him back to the ER because he was much worse and he was admitted to the hospital. By the evening of the 14th things were not looking good and my husband and I decided that we had better

head up to be with him.

On Tuesday I bought a harness for Suzy to keep her safe in the seat. My husband Don tried to get her fitted and ready for the trip and she would have nothing to do with it. He tried to talk me out of taking her, but I just couldn’t leave her at home when I didn’t know how long we were going to be gone. I told him I would give her herbs and she would be fine. So very early on the 16th I gave her a Ginger capsule for the nausea and a Relax-Eze capsule for the hyperness. I could not believe how great she was, usually she would jump from seat to seat, but most of the trip she just slept on the floor, occasionally looking out the window. The trip took 12 1/2 hours to get there due to traffic problems and was a joy the whole way.

We ended up staying until the morning of the 26th, my Dad was released to a Rehabilitation Center on the 23rd which amazed me because I really thought he wasn’t going to make it. During most of our time in Washington we worked on fixing up his house so that it can be sold and move into something smaller. We worked very hard for about 12 hours a day and all I can say is thank goodness for Kava Kava. Both my husband and I have issues with our back & neck when we overwork. We took the Kava Kava at night and woke up in the morning with no stiff muscles. We also added Spirulina to our regular herbs that we take, Spirulina is a great super

food and has always given me energy.

On the 26th we went over to the rehabilitation center to say goodbye to my Dad. Don was going to keep Suzy outside while I went in for a minute. Suzy bolted for the door and ran in, so I asked if it was ok for her to be there and they said yes. We ran her down to my Dad’s room and he was quite happy to see her. On the way out I remembered that I had forgotten to give Suzy her herbs. They had some food on trays, so I put a small amount of scrambled eggs into a napkin to put the capsules in. She would not eat them, Don sniffed the eggs and said they smelled powdered. I went back into the center and got a packet of margarine and dipped the capsules in that. Suzy still would have nothing to do with it, she knows real butter from the imitation. Don ended up pushing them down her throat and holding her mouth closed until she swallowed. We headed back to Utah. Suzy was a bit hyper for about 15 minutes until the capsules took effect and was again docile for the entire trip.

Thank you for your patience while I was gone. I am now able to take phone orders at 801-701-9923.

Nasal Cleansing for Sinus Problems

I have had sinus and breathing problems for years due to allergies. At springtime last year we got these nasal cleansing pots in and after seeing them used on Oprah, Ellen and Good Morning America. They are also called Neti-pots and have been used for years by people living in other countries. I got one for myself and my husband and I started using it and was impressed. My husband held back for a few weeks and then finally gave it a try and he is faithful at using it now. We both love how much better our sinus' are doing and mine were doing so good that I stopped using it for awhile, and then noticed that I was having problems again, so now I am determined to use it faithfully morning and night. This is a simple inexpensive thing that people can do and well worth the effort. I use a little scoop of salt and fill up the pot and do one side, blow my nose, and then the other side. Takes about two minutes and is simple and easy enough that a child could do it. Buy a separate pot for each person, the plastic ones will last a long long time. Happy Breathing!!!!

Zucchini Bread Recipe

We went to a family reunion over the weekend, I usually sign up to bring a dessert so that there is a treat I feel good about eating. After eating lunch I was walking over to talk to two of my cousins who were discussing a piece of cake that they eaten. As I walked up they asked me if that was my Zucchini cake that they had eaten. I said yes, and they said we knew it was yours, it looked so healthy and tasted so good, and they knew because it had coconut in it. They had both gone over to get another piece but it was all gone. It is a bread recipe that I had baked it in a 9 x 13 inch cake pan and took a bottle of whipped cream to use for the topping. I hope you enjoy it too.

Zucchini Bread

Mix together:

3 eggs

1 cup butter, I use 1/2 c butter 1/2 cup coconut oil

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1 1/2 cups raw honey or 2 cups organic sugar

1 tbsp Vanilla

2 cups shredded zucchini, a little extra is ok, I just use what I have up to 3 cups

1 cup organic coconut

In a separate bowl whisk together:

3 cups whole wheat flour (I use sprouted whole wheat flour)

1 tsp. Real Salt

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp Rumford baking powder

1 tbsp cinnamon, or a little more if you really like it

Add the dry ingredients to the wet, mix until just blended. Pour into pans. Bake at 350 degrees. Mini pans about 40 min. Regular loaf pan 45 - 50 min. 9x13 pan about 45 min.

I modified this recipe from a great cookbook I recently got called At Tiffany's Table. All the recipe's use honey as a sweetner, whole grains, wholesome recipes. I love this cookbook!

Accidental Poisoning

I love my pets and have been talking for years about treating them successfully with herbs. The other night we had some guests over for dinner and one of them is on seizure medicine. He accidently dropped a pill on the floor and before he could even bend down to pick it up our dog Suzy gulped it down. I called poison control and they told me the signs to look for but didn't know what it would do to a dog. I happened to have some Activated Charcoal in my cupboard, so I dipped one in butter and Suzy gulped it down as well. She seemed a bit hyper before we went to bed but settled down and in the morning thankfully was still with us. Activated charcoal is estimated to reduce absorption of poisonous substances up to 60%, and works by adsorbing chemicals, through the entire length of the stomach and small and large intestines (GI tract). I'm happy that I had it on hand to give at the moment that it was needed.

We sell this and other great herbs at Herbs First. You can order Activated Charcoal on our Nature's Way Favorites page.

Varicose Vein & Spider Vein Treatment

I have been seeing more advertisements on TV lately for Varicose Vein and Spider Vein Treatments. In the past ligation (tying off the vein) and stripping were the norm for the procedure. Now through Sclerotherapy a very small needle is used to inject a solution into the affected vein, causing it to close down and dry up. I know this might sound like a good idea to a lot of people, and I even know people that have had some of these procedures done, but think about it, aren’t the veins there for a reason? Wouldn’t it be better to go to the cause and fix the problem, because if the veins you see are having problems doesn’t it mean that there are veins with problems that you can’t see?

Dr. Christopher states that “sugars, pastries, soft drinks and alcoholic beverages, breads, candies, etc., leach the calcium out of the body, causing varicose veins, cramps, charlie horses, loss of teeth, nervous upsets, etc. “[SNH p.531] Here is what Dr. Christopher taught about Herbal Calcium: “We need calcium for nerve sheath, vein and artery walls, bone, teeth, etc. This combination is all pure herbs. It is also used for cramps, "Charlie horses" and for all calcium needs in the body.” If you have varicose veins then your body is telling you that it needs calcium.

Getting more calcium is going to help many problems that are caused by low calcium levels in the body, but what do you do about the varicose veins? It really is a simple solution that anyone can do at home. Make a strong White Oak Bark tea, simmering it gently until it reduced to one-forth. I would use a heaping teaspoon of herb to one cup of water, steep for 15 minutes, strain and then simmer down to 4 oz of liquid. Then soak stockings of white cotton in the concentrated tea and wear them, covering them with plastic, all night. Cut off the foot part of the sock to pull it up to where it is needed. I would do this nightly for six nights a week, also drinking a cup of regular strength tea 3 - 4 times a day, or taking 2 capsules 3 - 4 times a day for a few months. You can read Dr. Christopher's complete article at Herbal Legacy.

By correcting the problem we are avoiding worse problems in the future. I think that it is a blessing to have the varicose veins inform you that you are low on calcium so you can correct it. Bone loss with osteoporosis is much harder to deal with, so avoid that and other problems by building your body up with a good source of plant based calcium.

White Oak Bark is available in bulk 4 oz, 8 oz. & 16 oz., as well as Western Botanicals capsules and extract.

Herbal Calcium is available in capsules, extract, bulk with Comfrey, and as a mix your own formula.

You can purchase these herbs and others at Herbs First.

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Make your own Granola for a fraction of the cost.

There are so many pre-made foods at the store that the easy way is to buy a box of this or a bag or that. I want the best for my family and the biggest reason I like to make my own food is so that I am in control of what goes into it. The best part about making it yourself is you can add things you like and omit things that you don't. I've been wanting to make granola for quite some time and finally got around to doing it. For a while I was buying a natural brand of granola which is very tasty and expensive. I made 96 oz. which is six pounds of granola for a fraction of the cost. It didn't take very long to mix it up, but took a while to dry it out, since I use a low heat method to retain the nutrients. Here is the recipe I used which I modified from the Coconut Lover's Cookbook.

Granola

6 cups organic old fashioned oats

5 cups organic shredded unsweetened coconut

1 cup almonds, slivered almonds are easy

1 cup pecans, cut in pieces

1 cup virgin coconut oil, melted

1 cup honey

1 T cinnamon
1 T Vanilla

Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Melt coconut oil on the stove with the honey.  When warmed add vanilla and cinnamon, stir until combined.  Add some stevia to it if you want it a little sweeter.  Pour over dry ingredients and mix well. Dry in oven at 250 degrees for an hour, stirring it every 15 minutes so it doesn't burn. For a raw version put in the dehydrator at 120 degrees until dried, about 24 hours. It makes a great topping for cobbler!

Dr. Christopher's School of Natural Healing CD

Search herbal remedies and herbal healing programs for many ailments.

Learn how to treat yourself with Dr. Christopher's Original Herbal Formulas and single herbs.

Includes many video clips of Dr. Christopher.

Click and order, CD only $4.95 with a $50.00 herb order.

Say NO to Swine Flu and the Vaccine

I grew up on wholesome food and like most kids when they leave home I got off that path for awhile. We raised our kids on a mixture of wholesome foods with refined foods, which is likely better than the majority of the people today. At this point in my life we are back to eating wholesome homemade foods and are healthier for it.
We are hearing in the news more about the swine flu, what are the schools going to do about it, and how fast can the government get the swine flu shot to everyone? My husband's employer was giving free flu shots one year so he got the vaccine, and he along with everyone else got the flu. The next year they were giving the flu shots again and he didn't get the shot, but everyone in his department got the shot and again got the flu. The following year after that nobody wanted to get it again, they figured it out. If you get the flu shot you get the flu.
If you know anything about the flu or any other sickness, it is your immune system that protects you. How do you maintain a good immune system? Pure and simple it is eating a wholesome diet along with whole food vitamins and minerals that keep your immune system strong. People with good immune systems rarely get sick. I am not worried about health care, we rarely visit a doctor going years between visits. Instead of spending so much money on health insurance we get a high deductible insurance plan which leaves us the bulk of the money to invest in ourselves by eating high quality foods and herbs.
Hormone free meats, eggs and dairy products are getting easier to find and worth the extra money because many people are getting sick from the overload of hormones in these foods. Buy organic produce when you can and eat 75% fresh fruits and vegetables with the remainder being cooked foods and grains. Use healthy oils such as olive oil and coconut oil. If you haven’t used coconut oil you are in for a very pleasant surprise because it makes everything taste so good and it is great for your skin too. We have amazingly low pricing on coconut oil with a flat rate shipping of $10.00 for up to 4 gallons of oil shipped in the continental US.
At Herbs First we have the best whole food/plant based supplements and our best buy is Western Botanicals Earth’s Nutrition in a 5 pound (80 oz) mylar bag. This naturally balanced blend of organically grown whole foods is specifically formulated to supply you with natural foods sources of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, enzymes, and essential trace nutrients. All of the ingredients are from the finest organic sources available. Use Earth’s Nutrition to increase energy, vitality, lose weight or build better health. This product is recommended to be taken as a powder mixed with juice, however capsules are also available. Compares to Dr. Schulze's SuperFood Plus at a more affordable price! Also available in 14 oz. container.
Western Botanicals Bountiful Blend is a distinct blend of 61 Fruits, Vegetables, Vitamin-Rich Greens, Sea Vegetables, Healthy Berries, Natural Food Concentrates, Medicinal Herbs and Spices all in one great tasting, vitamin rich, nutritional drink.
Dr Christopher’s Jurassic Green: flash dried Alfalfa juice, Barley Juice and Kamut Juice, packed full of phyto-nutrients, whole food vitamins, trace minerals, active enzymes, chlorophyll, balanced amino acids and other important nutrients needed by the body. My body reminds me after a few days if I haven’t taken Jurassic Green because I end up with sore joints to remind me. Available in capsules and powder.
Dr Christopher’s Vitalherbs, vitamin and mineral formula, ingredients: Jurassic Green Powder (Certified Organic flash-dried juice powder from Alfalfa, Barley & Kamut), Dandelion, Kelp, Purple Dulse, Spirulina, Irish Moss, Rose Hips, Beet Root, Nutritional Yeast, Cayenne Pepper, Blue Violet, Oatstraw, Carrot & Ginger Root. Both Jurassic Green and Vitalerbs help to promote alkalinity of the body. Available in capsules and bulk powder.
We also have plant based calcium in Dr. Christopher’s Herbal Calcium and Western Botanicals Herbal Calcium. And plant based iron supplement in Dr. Christopher’s Herbal Iron. Our bodies are able to use the plant based vitamins and minerals vs. other brands that just end up in the toilet.
You can purchase these herbs and others at Herbs First.

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Food Poisoning

We had a family reunion and were the second group to arrive at the beach house that we had rented. My brother and family arrived there first and I saw his whole family, but he was nowhere to be found. I asked his wife where he was and she told me that three days earlier he had eaten at the famous “Golden Arches” restaurant and gotten very sick within 20 minutes of eating his food. For three days he had tried over the counter drugs for nausea and diarrhea but was still feeling terrible. I told her that I thought I had something that would help and went to my handy bag of herbs. I had Slippery Elm which is great for diarrhea, and Ginger which works well for nausea. I gave her the little packets which hold about 25 capsules and said that I would take the Slippery Elm every half hour until I was feeling better and Ginger every 2 - 3 hours. My brother showed his face a few hours later and said that he was feeling much better and was fine the rest of the week long reunion.

Food poisoning is most commonly a reaction to toxins produced by bacteria or other toxins. Bacteria thrive in food that is not prepared hygienically, that is kept out of refrigeration for too long, or that is not thoroughly cooked. Symptoms include diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach cramps, and generally start 4 - 36 hours after eating contaminated food and often can last several days to two weeks. The reaction is so similar to the flu that it is often mistaken for the flu.

Slippery Elm is the herb of choice for any gastrointestinal disturbances including food poisoning. It is very calming and soothing to the intestinal tract and will often stop the diarrhea with a few doses. I have used it when I have been emotionally upset which often causes an acidic condition in the body which manifests itself with heart burn all the way through my system and ending in burning diarrhea. I mix the powder in with water and take it every half hour and within a few hours I will be back to normal. The capsules are great for trips and came in handy for my brother.

Slippery Elm has saved many people’s lives and brought them back to good health. My favorite story is on the Herbal Legacy website called Elijah, a story of hope and progress. Dr. Christopher’s well-known poultices for abscesses, boils and gangrene use Slippery Elm paste as a main ingredient. Slippery Elm is the herb that was used to heal the hip of a young pioneer boy when he received a musket blast at the Hauns Mill Massacre. His mother was instructed through the spirit how to heal him. He laid on his stomach for five weeks until he was entirely recovered, a flexible gristle having grown in place of the missing joint and socket.

Ginger helps to stomach pain, cramps and indigestion. Ginger protects while stimulating, treats constipation and diarrhea while relieving nausea, inhibits toxic bacteria while promoting friendly species of bacteria. Ginger has been found to work better than the popular over the counter drugs for motion sickness. I also use it for menstrual cramps and it is found in many herbal formulas. Dr. Christopher said, “Ginger is generally combined with herbs going into the abdominal area, because it is a carrier. Ginger is an herb which accentuates so many herbs.”

Two simple herbs made a happy vacation for my brother. You can purchase these herbs and others at Herbs First.