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The One Earth Herbal Sourcebook: Everything You Need to Know About Chinese, Western, and Ayurvedic Herbal Treatments Alan Keith Tillotson, Ph.D., A.H.G., D.Ay. See book keywords and concepts

See the Resource Guide to find a qualified herbalist. Also, refer to the Appendix for a comprehensive list of herbs to avoid during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Herbs That Can Kill Certain herbs used commonly in the past are now known to be poisonous and are no longer available except to professionals. Belladonna (Atropa belladonna), for example, was once used in Europe and North Africa to dilate the pupils because people thought this would increase beauty. Excess use causes a blocking of the autonomic nervous system, dry eyes, rapid heartbeat, and even stupor and coma.

The Way of Chinese Herbs Michael Tierra, L.Ac, O.M.D. See book keywords and concepts

From the herbalist's perspective, this alone is not enough. It is important to at least lessen if not eradicate the underlying immune weakness and/or toxicity that is the cause. Another manifestation of wind is the tendency for bacteria to send forth a hyaluronidase enzyme that breaks down neighboring cell walls to enable them to penetrate further. The well-known Western herb echinacea, so effective for colds, influenza, and other infections, works by inhibiting the hyaluronidase enzyme.

If, on the other hand, an herbalist specifically recommends foods with the correct energies and properties—however mild they may be, they can greatly assist the healing process. Thus, diet can either undermine or contribute to healing, depending on one's condition. Food can tonify and nourish yang, qi, yin, or blood, called the Four Treasures. However, it can also cause coldness, dampness, dryness, heat, or stagnation. Because most people eat two to three times a day, food is a vital part of healing, and "You are what you eat" is not such a strange adage from this perspective.

With more experience, an herbalist learns to extract the most salient principle of various formulas to create combinations appropriate for each individual. Herbal Names In the sections that follow, the most commonly used name is first presented, followed by the traditional Chinese name. Underneath is the full Latin binomial (genus and species), the common name, the pharmaceutical name that uses the Latin name, and the part or parts of the plant that are used.

From an herbalist's perspective, a bitter flavor is probably what most people need. The saying of olden times is that after a period of pleasure and overindulgence, we must drink our bitter brew. Considering that the fire element quint-essentially represents heat, it is the pure fire of life that is exalted rather than the heat of stagnation and congestion. One of the functions associated with the small intestine applies to the bitter flavor—to separate the pure from the impure. The heart represents the mind and thoughts.

We will discuss the individual organs in more detail later, but for now it is enough to understand that by combining substances that affect specific organ territories of the body, such as heat in the liver treated with dandelion root or cold in the lung treated with ginger, an herbalist is able to combine both heating and cooling herbs together in complex formulation. When used in combination, herbs of both a heating and cooling energy can be combined to regulate the transformation of yin and yang.

Many of my Western herbalist colleagues, knowing that I had learned a great deal about Western herbs and Native American plants in my early studies, have asked me why I have focused so much of my attention on an ethnic healing system that is so culturally distant from my own and relies on plants and other materials from animals and minerals from distant shores.

The Way of Herbs Michael Tierra See book keywords and concepts

Thus the herbalist views nature as a positive force, and as a provider and teacher. Everything is seen as having a purpose that can only be revealed if we learn to be patient, and engage our senses both subtle and gross in allowing us to trust and understand the secrets this teacher can reveal. Nature communicates her secrets directly to us in terms of forms, colors, fragrances, sounds and flavors as well as by way of the more subtle information that comes to us through our intuitive imagination. A certain perspective is necessary for this communication to occur.

The One Earth Herbal Sourcebook: Everything You Need to Know About Chinese, Western, and Ayurvedic Herbal Treatments Alan Keith Tillotson, Ph.D., A.H.G., D.Ay. See book keywords and concepts

An Herbalist's Philosophy Although it takes about 15,000 hours of training to become a TCM or a TAM doctor, I am going to try to give you a simplified essence of the key points from Chinese, Ayurvedic, and Western herbal philosophies in less than 200 words. The human being is a small hologram, or model, of the larger universe in which he or she lives. Outside are the energies of sunshine, day and night, the moon and stars, and the forces of nature, all existing within the external ebb and flow of life. Inside, we have our internal organs, our structural organs and our minds.

Smart Medicine for Healthier Living : Practical A-Z Reference to Natural and Conventional Treatments for Adults Janet Zand, LAc, OMD, Allan N. Spreed, MD, CNC, James B. LaValle, RPh, ND See book keywords and concepts

When you start taking an herbal prescription, promptly report improvement, lack of improvement, or any side effects to your herbalist. If the specified amount of time passes without any change in your symptoms, it is important to report this, too. A change in prescription may be indicated. TREATMENT WITH HERBS The power and potency of the healing herbs are very real. Every herbal treatment suggested in this book has specific healing properties, carefully balanced to create a particular action within your body.

The Way of Herbs Michael Tierra See book keywords and concepts

The path of the herbalist is one path that can offer a vital link to the natural and interaction with nature's wilds. It gives us a point of view by which we can see ourselves as being connected with the entire process of life. It has been stated that in very ancient times everyone was born with knowledge of the use of herbs. Eventually, some of that was lost due to the development of extended societies leading to the development of future civilizations.

Prescription Medicines, Side Effects and Natural Alternatives American Medical Publishing See book keywords and concepts

Get as educated as possible before you start growing, harvesting and using your own herbal products. Many herbalist spend years studying the long-range effects of herbs and all possible interactions and drawbacks. If you are not ready to make the commitment and do all the hard work, seek the advice and help of a trusted expert instead. • A particularly potent way to take herbs is to buy preparations based on what is known as "essential oils." These are concentrations of specific volatile compounds found in plants.

Principles and Practice of Phytotherapy: Modern Herbal Medicine Simon Mills and Kerry Bone See book keywords and concepts

From the perspective of the herbalist, these practitioners have long maintained that a herb's action is an expression of the sum total of known and unknown chemical constituents. There is a strong belief that the relationship between the constituents may be as important as the actual constituents themselves. Hence, the majority of herbal preparations used in practice are galenicals, that is, extracts based on whole herbs prepared in a manner which best extracts the balance of constituents.

The fact that isolated drugs could produce unpredictable side effects because real people were still unfathomably complex has not been philosophically as strong an argument for the herbalist as it could be because the counter argument was that a complex medicine given to a complex person compounded rather than reduced complexity and unpredictability. If someone could come up with an operational model to improve understanding of the behaviour of whole beings then administering complex medicines may also be chartable.

From the herbalist's perspective most internal disharmonies involved literal or substantial disruptions in the body, most often involving body fluids or humours (including Chinese Blood/xwe, jing and qi): in this sense most herbal medicine has been humoral medicine. 4. By definition the humours suffused equally the body and the mind (and often the spirit), so that one internal disharmony could affect all planes of experience. There was no Cartesian body/mind split. 5.

Following the many paths pioneered by our herbalist ancestors, today's researchers into botanicals have (as each succeeding generation should) added another dimension to the accumulating storehouse of information about the preventive and therapeutic uses of the plants of our planet. And very likely to great-great-grandmother's satisfaction ('they're so clever, our great-great-grandchildren') contemporary researchers have found and proven a few uses for herbals not known in the past. Kerry Bone and Simon Mills are two of these 'great-great-grandparents in spirit'.

There are effective texts available in English, notably the essential work by Unschuld,13 other classic texts1417 and one very accessible introduction18 (and see also19 for a brief review in the context of the Western herbalist's perspective). What will be attempted here is the distillation of uniquely herbal strategies and concepts from the vast corpus of Chinese medicine. There is much to choose from. Over the last 2000 years a number of seminal texts and systems have been developed, each incorporating the developments of their predecessors.

The New Holistic Health Handbook: Living Well in a New Age Berkeley Holistic Health Center and Shepherd Bliss See book keywords and concepts

I know one beautiful example: an herbalist who, at 80, looks 50. She attributes this to her use of herbs, careful nutrition, and her ability to "use air as food." She practices regular pranayamas, and says that these breath-controlling exercises are "a meal in themselves." A love for children and an ability to enter a "baby space" also have this effect. Nourishment Let us begin with the best ways to nourish ourselves in our golden years.

The Healing Power of Herbs: The Enlightened Person's Guide to the Wonders of Medicinal Plants Michael T. Murray, N.D. See book keywords and concepts

One of the reported "miracle elixirs of life," centella's reputation as a promoter of longevity stems from the report of Chinese herbalist, LiChing Yun, who reportedly lived 256 years. LiChing Yun's longevity was supposedly a result of his regular use of an herbal mixture chiefly composed of centella.6,7 Centella asiatica was first accepted as a drug in France in the 1880s. Since then, extracts of centella have been used in the treatment of many of the same conditions listed above, along with those described below in Clinical Applications.

Smart Medicine for Healthier Living : Practical A-Z Reference to Natural and Conventional Treatments for Adults Janet Zand, LAc, OMD, Allan N. Spreed, MD, CNC, James B. LaValle, RPh, ND See book keywords and concepts

If you are sensitive to the effects of caffeine and other stimulants, you may want to consult with a qualified herbalist before using ginseng. ¦ Take one dose of an echinacea and goldenseal combination formula supplying 250 to 500 milligrams of echinacea and 150 to 300 milligrams of goldenseal three times daily for five to ten days. This formula is especially valuable if you are battling an acute infection, such as a sore throat. ¦ Kava kava is a calmative herb that helps ease the anxiety associated with CFS.

Optimal Wellness Ralph Golan, M.D. See book keywords and concepts

Coughs A mixture of mullein, chickweed, coltsfoot, hore-hound, marshmallow root, and licorice is one formula; or wild cherry, slippery elm, coltsfoot, marshmallow, licorice, cinnamon, yarrow, and ginger is another (The herbalist, Seattle, Washington). Check your health food and herb stores. Formulas may vary. If a tea blend, steep 2 to 3 teaspoons per cup (or stronger) and drink four to eight cups a day. In tincture form, 1 to 3 dropperfuls four or five times a day. Digestion See "Herbal Digestive Remedies" (page 152). Ear infection Mullein Flower Compound (St.

Smart Medicine for Healthier Living : Practical A-Z Reference to Natural and Conventional Treatments for Adults Janet Zand, LAc, OMD, Allan N. Spreed, MD, CNC, James B. LaValle, RPh, ND See book keywords and concepts

If you have any question about the use of a particular herb, consult with a qualified herbalist or health-care professional. Herbal medicine has a long history, and a time-tested, valuable place in the treatment of many common health problems. When using herbs to treat an illness, often you not only help to alleviate symptoms, but also address an underlying problem and strengthen the overall functioning of a particular organ or system. Herbs are readily available—they can even be grown in your own back yard.

Mother taught daughter; the village herbalist taught a promising apprentice. By the seventeenth century, the knowledge of herbal medicine was widely disseminated throughout Europe. In 1649, Nicholas Culpeper wrote A Physical Directory, and a few years later produced The English Physician. This respected herbal pharmacopeia was one of the first manuals that the layperson could use for health care, and it is still widely referred to and quoted today. Culpeper had studied at Cambridge University and was meant to become a great doctor, in the academic sense of the word.

The Complete Book of Alternative Nutrition Selene Y. Craig, Jennifer Haigh, Sari Harrar and the Editors of PREVENTION Magazine Health Books See book keywords and concepts

In his book Medicinal Mushrooms, licensed acupuncturist and herbalist Christopher Hobbs, L.Ac., explains that while kombucha is likely to have some health benefits, there are no studies to support these claims. Kombucha's detractors, skeptical of the craze, say that airborne molds Jetson-Style Dining? Not Yet! Remember the sumptuous meals the Jetson clan used to dine on? A handful of multicolored pills. Breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks, down the hatch. We laughed then.

The Complete Encyclopedia of Natural Healing: A Comprehensive A-Z Listing of Common and Chronic Illnesses and Their Proven Natural Treatments Gary Null, Ph.D. See book keywords and concepts

For bathing, herbalist Lynn Newman recommends that hot water be poured over a mixture of chamomile, witch hazel, nettles, echinacea, and calendula. After allowing this to steep for an hour, it should be strained and poured into a tub of water. Herbs that can be applied directly to the skin to help stop itching include aloe vera, lavender, calendula, and oats. An herb that can prevent the spread of poison oak or poison ivy and can be applied directly to the skin is jewel weed. Supplements Nutrients can be valuable in the prevention and treatment of skin conditions and their symptoms.

Herbs opularized by the Chinese, gardenia and philodendron can be obtained with a prescription from an herbalist. The herb corn silk can be used to eliminate bloating that is induced by excessive hormones in the blood supply. In addition, herbal formulas, such as "women's rhythm," can be used to ameliorate bloating. Another formula, Xiao Yao Wan, which can be obtained at herbal pharmacies in Chinese ethnic neighborhoods, aids the digestive process, reduces menstrual pain, and soothes angry emotions.

The most common treatment for menstrual cramps is dong quai, although a mixture of other remedies can also be used. herbalist Christopher Trahan recommends a tincture of equal quantities of angelica sinensis, viburnum opulus, and the Chinese herb corydalis for treating severe cramps. The muscle-relaxant American wild yam, also known as dios-corea, is incorporated into the tincture, along with a small amount of black haw, also known as viburnum. Additional herbs that can be included in an anti-cramps mixture are Chinese cinnamon, wild ginger, and cassia.

The Doctors Book of Home Remedies II: Over 1,200 New Doctor-Tested Tips and Techniques Anyone Can Use to Heal Hundreds of Everyday Health Problems the Editors of PREVENTION See book keywords and concepts

D., an herbalist and ethnobotanist in Fulton, Maryland, and author of The Green Pharmacy. Zoologists have identified as many as eight species of primates that use plants for medicinal purposes, he says. Evidence suggests that humans figured out herbal medicine pretty quickly, though. Scientists analyzing the grave of a Neanderthal man found in a cave in Iraq discovered that someone, presumably members of his family or tribe, had surrounded his body with clusters of flowers and branches. Of the eight species of plants identified, seven had medicinal properties.

The professional that you seek can be an herbalist, a naturopathic physician (N.D.), a medical doctor (M.D.) or osteopathic doctor (D.O.) who uses herbs, or some other qualified healer such as a chiropractor, a licensed acupuncturist (LAc), or a practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine. That's a lot of options, but even with the booming interest in herbal medicine, finding someone who's qualified to practice it is still no cinch. Here are some tips for a successful search. Ask your doctor. Sometimes, you find what you're looking for where you least expect it.

Smart Medicine for Healthier Living : Practical A-Z Reference to Natural and Conventional Treatments for Adults Janet Zand, LAc, OMD, Allan N. Spreed, MD, CNC, James B. LaValle, RPh, ND See book keywords and concepts

If you are sensitive to the effects of caffeine and other stimulants, you may want to consult with a qualified herbalist before using ginseng. ¦ Ashwaganda, an herb sometimes referred to as "Indian ginseng," has been used for centuries to treat the symptoms of tuberculosis. Take 500 milligrams twice a day. ¦ Astragalus has a rich concentration of trace minerals and micronutrients, and helps to strengthen the immune system. Take 300 to 500 milligrams twice a day, one-half hour before breakfast and again one-half hour before lunch, for up to three months.

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