Herbal Legacy Articles

From Dr. Christopher’s Guide to Colon Health

Apple cider is both oxygenating and alkalinizing to the gastrointestinal system.  It helps stimulate digestive enzyme production in the stomach and intestine as well as alkalinize the rest of the body.  Many have used the combination of apple cider and honey to lose weight, alleviate arthritis, dissolve bone spurs, and rid themselves of kidney and gall stones.  Mix one tablespoon of apple cider and one tablespoon of honey in a glass of distilled water.  Do this three times daily.  For the best results use organic, raw, and unfiltered apple cider and honey.

Printable Version http://www.herballegacy.com/ACVHoney.pdf

Bookmark to:

From Fresh Vegetable and Fruit Juices
by N.W. Walker

Alfalfa is a particularly valuable leguminous herb, not only rich in the principal mineral and chemical elements in the constitution of the human body, but it also has many of the trace elements obtained from deep in the soil where the roots reach down 30 to 100 feet.

Of specific value, I would point out the rich quality, quantity and proper balance of Calcium, Mangesium, Phosphorous, Chlorine, Sodium, Potassium and Silicon in Alfalfa.  These elements are all very much needed for the proper function of the various organs in the body.

While Alfalfa is widely used as forage for livestock, it is nevertheless of immense value, in the form of juice using only the leaves, when it can be obtained fresh.
Because Alfalfa adapts itself to widely varying conditions of soil and climate, even thriving on alkali soil, there is no excuse for not growing it on one’s home grounds, as it is usually difficult to obtain when living in the city.

When we are unable to obtain fresh Alfalfa, we sprout Alfalfa seeds and eat the sprouts with our meals.  They sprout easily and they are very beneficial.

Vegetation miraculously transforms and vitalizes inanimate substances into living cells and tissues.

Cattle eat vegetation, raw, for nourishment.  They take into their system one living organism and convert it into a still more complex live organism.

Vegetation, on the other hand, whether vegetable, fruit, plant, or grass, takes inorganic elements from the air, water, and earth, and converts them into live organic elements.  To be specific, in order for vegetation to flourish, it needs nitrogen and carbon from the air; minerals, mineral salts, and more nitrogen from the earth in which it grows; and of course, oxygen and hydrogen from water.

The most vital and potent factors in this process of conversion are the elements and the life-giving influence of the rays of the sun which generate the chlorophyll.

One of the richest chlorophyll foods we have is alfalfa.  It is a food that builds up both animals and humans, all things considered, into a healthy, vital, and vigorous old age, and builds up a resistance to infection that is almost phenomenal.

The juice of fresh alfalfa is too strong and potent to be taken by itself.  It is best taken with carrot juice, in which combination the individual benefits of each juice are intensified.  It has been found very helpful in most troubles with the arteries and disfunctions connected with the heart.

Besides benefits to blood and heart conditions, chlorophyll is most useful in the relief of respiratory troubles and discomforts, particularly in the sinuses and in the lungs.  Mucus is the underlying cause of sinus infection and pains, as it is of bronchial and asthmatic conditions, including hay fever.

To carrot and alfalfa juice, lettuce juice may be added to enrich the combination with elements needed by the roots of the hair.

http://www.herballegacy.com/Alfalfa.pdf

Bookmark to:

by David Christopher, MH, AHG
 

Printable Version: www.herballegacy.com/EchinaceaHerb.pdf

Bookmark to:

Revised October 2009 by David Christopher, M.H.

When dealing with long-standing health problems we cannot expect to totally cleanse or cure the body with one or more three-day cleansing routines. Therefore, to rid the body of chronic conditions or to prevent their occurrence, an extended herbal cleanse is an excellent path to follow. This should be used in conjunction with the mucusless diet.

Upon arising take one or two capsules of Lower Bowel Formula. This would then be repeated one hour before lunch, and prior to retiring for the night. If you do not have regular bowel movements increase your dosage by a capsule per day until you have 3 regular bowel movements a day.

Along with the Lower Bowel Formula take three of the Kidney Formula capsules mid-morning and also mid afternoon.

This routine would be followed six days, resting on the seventh. Resume taking the herbs on the second week, adding two droppers of the Liver Gall Bladder Extract twenty minutes before each meal. Do this again for six days, resting on the seventh day.

Take these three cleansing formulas for 2 more weeks, and then on the fourth week add two capsules of the Blood Stream Formula one hour after each meal. Do this again for six days, resting on the seventh day.

This procedure would then continue every week for six weeks, after which we would rest one week. We would repeat these intervals for six months and then rest for one entire month. At the end of this seven month program we would assess our progress and determine if another seven month program would be beneficial.

QUESTION

What changes were made and why were they made?

Originally you started taking the Lower Bowel, Kidney and Liver Formulas the first week.  Now you wait a week before adding the Liver and Gall Bladder Formula.  Before you start cleansing the liver you need to be eliminating properly.  The delay of one week helps you to do that.

In addition on the old program you could use the Liver and Gall Bladder capsules.  This has been changed to the Liver and Gall Bladder Extract.  In order for the liver to effectively utilize the herbs in this formula the bitter herbs must be tasted.

On the old program you added the Blood Stream formula in week two.  Now you are instructed to wait until the fourth week.  This is because this formula is so effective in removing toxins from the blood stream that you need to make sure your bowels, kidneys and liver are eliminating properly so the toxins released by the Blood Stream Formula do not remain in your system.

Printable Version: http://www.herballegacy.com/Extended_Herbal_Cleanse.pdf 

Bookmark to:

Yvonne L. Salcido MH

Today there is a myriad of ideas on food storage and many are lacking in sufficient nutrition. Who wants to just survive and be sick? The best plan for storage includes a high density of vitamins, mineral, proteins, and essential fats in the foods you store for optimum health. The following is a list of things I store.

Basic Storage for one person for one year:

300 lbs. Organic wheat (kamut, spelt)

155 lbs. A combination of organic grains (brown rice, buckwheat, oat groats, millet, quinoa, barley, corn, triticale, spelt, kamut etc.)

50 lbs. Raw nuts (25 lbs almonds, 5 lbs of additional favorites such as walnuts, cashews, pecans, pine nuts, etc.)  Can use almonds to make nut milk.

20 lbs. Raw seeds (flax seeds, sunflower, pumpkin, sesame, chia, etc.)

75 lbs.  Organic beans (pinto, black, red, white, garbanzo, lentils, mung beans, peas, soybeans, etc.)

60 lbs. Raw honey (also store some black strap molasses and agave – I use agave for special treats)

20 lbs. Oils (Olive oil, coconut and wheat germ oil)

10 lbs. Salt (vegetable, potassium based or sea salt)

60 lbs. Sprout mix (2 parts wheat, 1 part of the following:  triticale, lentils, adzuki beans, mung beans, peas, then add 2 c. of fenugreek to the 60 lb. bucket)

5 lbs. Seed Sprout mix (alfalfa, radish and red clover)

Garden seeds (A good variety!)
Spices (You will want some different flavors)
Recipes for sprouting, live bread cracker, raw meals etc.
                       
Expanded Storage

Fruit and vegetables (dried from your garden) – for an example see http://www.herballegacy.com/Zucchini_Chips.html

Squash, potatoes, onions, apples can easily be stored through the winter in a basement. The great advantage is these will be fresh yummy all winter long and through part of spring.

I also have some frozen fruit and vegetables in my freezer. I also have bottled fruit and vegetables without any sugar, but since I have gone to a more raw food diet, I now dry foods at 105 degrees to maintain the live enzymes, vitamins, and minerals.

You can purchase good quality freeze dried foods to expand your storage even more. Make sure to check the ingredients for just whole foods without any additives.  Purchase your basic storage FIRST!!  Don’t worry about getting a certain amount for each person on the fruit and vegetables – just get started after getting your basic storage and soon you will have a nice supply. Fall is a great time of year to find many good deals, so have fun.

www.herballegacy.com/Food_Storage.pdf

Bookmark to:

Yvonne L. Salcido, M.H.
 
There is a definite peace that comes from having a ready supply of herbs on hand for a sudden illness or emergency.

Recently I had a family member in another state call because she was very sick. She wanted to know what she could do. She had nothing on-hand in her house.  If the phones lines were down, even cell phones will not work in a major disaster. What if she could not call to get advice?

Most important is herbal education – this invaluable skill will bless many in circumstances that we cannot predict.  For the best herbal education we recommend The School of Natural Healing - (www.snh.cc).

Look around us – the world is having so many challenges from weather, earthquake, wars, etc. Becoming self reliant is becoming critical! Here is a list of herbs that I think every home should have on hand (you can customize it to your needs).  The following list is for a family of four for one year.   
 
Cayenne
extract
powdered 1 lb.
ointment
 
Lobelia
extract
cut 1 lb.
 
Garlic
whole cloves in vinegar or bulbs hung
Garlic oil 2 oz.
Super Garlic Immune* ANTI-PLAGUE
 
Complete Tissue & Bone* & Comfrey
powdered 1 lb.
cut 1 lb.
ointment
 
Yarrow
cut 1 lb.
 
Brigham Tea
cut 1 lb.
 
Chaparral
cut 1 lb.
 
Mullein
cut 1 lb.
oil
           
Nettle
powdered 1 lb.
 
Infection Formula*
powdered 1 lb.
 
Plantain (Stings & Bites)*
powdered 1 lb.
ointment 4 oz.
 
Red raspberry
cut 1 lb.
 
Echinacea
powdered 1 lb.
extract                                        
                       
X-Ceptic*
extract
 
Nerve Formula*
extract
                                                                                   
Ear & Nerve Formula*
extract
 
Catnip
cut 1 lb.
 
Cleansing Herbs
Lower Bowel Formula*, Liver/Gall Bladder Formula*, Kidney Formula* & Blood Stream Formula*
                                               
Anti-spasmotic*
extract                                   
 
Nutritional Herbs
Vitalerbs*, Jurassic Green*, Kid-e Formulas*, Herbal Calcium extract*
 
Slippery Elm
powdered 1 lb.
 
Licorice Root
powdered 1 lb.
 
Black Walnut
cut 1 lb.
extract
 
Pau d’ Arco
cut 1 lb.
 
Ginger
powdered 1 lb.
 
Herbal Eyebright*
extract & eye cup
 
Chasteberry/Mindtrac*
powdered 1 lb. or capsules

Oregano
oil
 
Black Ointment*
ointment

In addition, be sure to have any herbs on-hand for family members dealing with specific challenges.

Additional items: Raw honey and wheat germ oil

*Indicates a formula by Dr. Christopher.  You can find these formulas at an herb shop.  Find herb shops we recommend at http://www.christopherwebsites.com.

To learn how to use these herbs in an emergency we encourage you to pick up the book “Herbs to the Rescue” by Kurt King, M.H.  Even better, as part of the Family Herbalist course you study this book in depth.  To learn more about Level 100 – Family Herbalist go to http://online.snh.cc.  To purchase the book Herbs to the Rescue visit this link:

http://www.christopherpublications.com/King_Herbs_Rescue.html

PRINTABLE VERSION: http://www.herballegacy.com/Herbs_Supply.pdf

Bookmark to:

Fortunately, a person can heal themselves–and their loved ones around them–with herbs and natural treatments.  As Dr. Christopher proved so often with his Incurables Program, even dreadfully sick people can heal themselves.

Dr. Christopher told story after story about sick people he helped with simple remedies, simple treatments.  For example, a man and his wife brought their daughter to Dr. Christopher’s office in Salt Lake.  This young lady was the sickest, saddest-looking person he had seen in a long while.  She had met a young man who came to love her very much, and he wanted to marry her.  But she refused, saying it wasn’t fair to him, being in her condition, so anemic and sickly.  He told her that he loved her enough to marry her and take care of her under any circumstances.

She was in a very serious condition, so they put her on the three-day cleanse and Mucusless diet .  She took extra cups of red clover combination tea, and drank a minimum of one pint of grape juice a day, chewing each mouthful.  When she could, she took even more.  She also ate plenty of raisins and grapes in addition to the juice.  She used the yellow dock as a tea, and soon she began to show improvement.  She exercised adequately, being careful not to overdo it, and changed her diet from mucus-forming food to the Mucusless diet, having lots of salads and fruits, emphasizing as much raw as possible.  She used the female corrective and hormone-estrogen formulas, and she also used the vaginal bolus and yellow-dock combination in the slant board routine.  She showed improvement from the very beginning.

The parents had brought her to Dr. Christopher in the spring, and by fall they sent him an invitation to her wedding, because she had cleaned up her system and was very happy to get married.  She was living a new life, healing it herself by following through on Dr. Christopher’s instructions.

Printable Version: http://www.herballegacy.com/SRST.pdf

Bookmark to:

What is Mastitis?

Mastitis is an inflammation of the breast most often occurring while a mother is breastfeeding.  It is caused by blocked milk ducts and is relatively common.  Mastitis usually happens when bacteria enter the breast through the nipple.  This can happen when a nursing mother has a cracked or sore nipple.  Another cause could be from engorgement which happens when the new milk comes in or when there is a long period between nursing and not enough milk is expressed from the breast.

Symptoms

Symptoms may include breast enlargement on one side only, breast lump, breast pain, fever and flu like symptoms including nausea and vomiting, itching, nipple discharge, swelling, tenderness, redness, and warmth in breast tissue, tender or enlarged lymph nodes in armpit on same side.

Avoiding Mastitis

To help avoid mastitis, make sure the baby is latched on properly when nursing to empty the breast completely and avoid cracked nipples. 

Relief

Get plenty of rest and drink lots of fluids.  Warm or cold packs on the painful breast helps bring relief.  Place a warm wet washcloth over the affected breast for about 15 minutes.  This increases the milk flow.  Breastfeeding usually helps to clear up infection, and nursing while you have mastitis will not hurt the baby.

Herbal Help for Mastitis

For herbal help we turn to Dr. Christopher’s Glandular Formula:  three parts mullein to one part lobelia.  Make a tea of this and use as a fomentation on the breast at night and use the oil or ointment during the day.  The tea can be drunk - 1 cup three times a day.  Also one would want to use herbs to fight infection:  Echinacea and golden seal, the lymphatic formula, garlic, myrrh, etc. The herbs should be taken every hour or two to help get rid of the infection.

Get plenty of rest and eat a healthy diet of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds.  Nursing is always the best thing for a new baby and its mother.  It is a time to bond and relax and enjoy a newborn.  Mastitis can be discouraging, but it is not a reason to quit breastfeeding if it is taken care of quickly.

Printable Version: http://www.herballegacy.com/Mastitis.pdf

Bookmark to:

from “Safety of Herbs” - A Healthier You Radio Show with Master Herbalists David and Fawn Christopher

We have been effective dealing with strep throat with a very simple combination of herbs.  This is a very valuable formula that has saved us hundreds and hundreds of dollars in medical expenses and gotten us over these kinds of conditions quickly.

Here’s the formula:

* One tablespoon of pure honey
* ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper
* Four cloves of garlic pressed through a garlic press

Those are the proportions, but you’ll need more than that, so take four tablespoons of honey, one teaspoon of cayenne pepper and sixteen pressed cloves of garlic, and mix that all together.  Take ½ teaspoon to one teaspoon of the formula every 30-60 minutes.

Don’t wash it down - let the honey coat the throat, then the cayenne, being a rubefacient, will bring blood into the area, and then your immune system will be stimulated with the garlic.  Garlic is anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-viral, so anything that may be causing the sore throat the garlic, along with the cayenne and the honey coating the area, will take care of the problem.

How long does it take to get over strep throat with the standard medical procedure?  10 days.  This herbal remedy will generally get you over strep throat in 24 hours.

Let’s look at another thing - the doctor who wrote the book, “Don’t Drink Your Milk” (Frank Oski, M.D.) observed through his case studies that his patients who drank milk were the ones who got strep consistently, while his non-milk drinking patients did not get strep, so milk is certainly a factor in strep throat.

Garlic, cayenne, honey - another safe and effective herbal remedy with no side effects.  You know it is going to work, and it’s going to work nine days faster than the standard medical procedure.

(Note on the honey - it needs to be pure honey.  Most beekeepers feed their bees sugar, which weakens the bee’s immune system, so they get mites coming into the hives.  To prevent mites from coming into the hives they give them antibiotics, further weakening the immune system of the bees.  Find local honey where the beekeeper doesn’t feed the bees sugar and doesn’t give them antibiotics.  You can often find good results if you check with your local health food store.)

Printable Version: http://www.herballegacy.com/Strep.pdf

Bookmark to:

by James A. Duke, Ph.D.
from The Green Pharmacy

Being a botanist, I have a particular interest in herbs that can hold back the aging process.  But I’m forced to admit that I think lifestyle changes are a whole lot more important than herbs.

Not being a doctor, I don’t prescribe, but I would not hesitate to suggest the following to my 30-year-old daughter so she could hold on more tenaciously to her vibrant youth.  Come to think of it, this is good advice for men and women of any age who are trying to hold back the clock.

Drink two antioxidant herb teas a day.  Good research suggests that oregano, rosemary, bee balm, lemon balm (also known as melissa), peppermint, sage, spearmint, savory and thyme contain significant levels of antioxidants.

Eat at least one big salad a day.  You can use both wild greens – things like purslane, if you have access to them – and a variety of domestic salad vegetables, such as spinach and chicory.  Green leaves are chock full of antioxidant nutrients that help protect you from heart disease, cancer and other degenerative diseases that tend to come on as we age.

Eat one or two Brazil nuts a day.  The average Brazil nut contains more than the Daily Value of the antioxidant mineral selenium – 70 micrograms.

Eat a handful of sunflower seeds a day, along with a sprinkling of other nuts.  Among nuts and seeds, sunflower seeds are one of the better sources of Vitamin E.  They’re also cheap.  One caution, however: If you’re watching your waistline, don’t eat more than an ounce of nuts a day.  Nuts are high in fat.

Eat at least one broccoli spear, carrot and celery stalk a day.  They’re all high in fiber.  Broccoli and carrots are also high in beta-carotene, the powerful antioxidant that the body transforms into vitamin A.  Celery is high in apigenin, a chemical that expands (dilates) the blood vessels and may help prevent high blood pressure.

Drink a fruit smoothie every day.  Take any fruits that appeal to you – apples, oranges, bananas, grapefruit, melons or berries – and run them through a blender.

Replace one meat course a day with a vegetarian dish.  One of my favorites is guacamole – mashed avocado.  You can lace your guacamole with onion, hot chili peppers, garlic and lemon juice and sprinkle it with chopped nuts such as hazelnuts, macadamias, pistachios, cashews, peanuts or Brazil nuts.

Use olive oil.  Corn oil and other vegetable oils are polyunsaturated oils.  Olive oil is a monounsaturated oil.  There is a complex chemical explanation for how these differ, but all you really need to know is that there’s a good reason to believe that monounsaturated oils are a lot better for you.  In salad dressings, replace polyunsaturated oils with olive oil.

Eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables.  Also eat a good selection of herbs, legumes, nuts and spices.  These are the foods that our ancestors consumed back in the days before the invention of burgers, hot dogs, pizza, ice cream and all the junk we eat today.  They ate more nutritiously than we do.

Make love regularly with someone you love.  There’s no explanation needed here except that it’s good for you.

Go for a walk every day.  Weather permitting, get outdoors and take a vigorous half-hour walk.  Use the time to unwind and commune with the natural world.

Don’t smoke.  This goes without saying.

Don’t drink alcohol. 

Don’t sunbathe – ever.  You probably get enough sun to produce a healthy amount of vitamin D with moderate outdoor activities that don’t involve actively seeking the sun.
NOTE: Dr. Christopher felt it was healthy to get sun every day.  For more information see this article: http://articles.herballegacy.com/sun-exposure-how-much-is-too-much/. The School of Natural Healing advocates Dr. Christopher’s approach.

Don’t take life or death too seriously.  That can age or kill you.

Don’t be a dietary faddist.  It’s never a good idea to base your diet on just a couple of foods, even fruits or carrots.  Vary your diet, your food sources, your mode of preparation and even the company you keep when you dine.

Don’t let industry outvote the environmentalists.  If you do, we’ll all pay the price eventually.

NOTE: The School of Natural Healing recommends you also take the 5 supplements every day that Dr. Christopher recommended.  You can find those here: http://articles.herballegacy.com/supplements-for-maintaining-good-health/.

Bookmark to: