Herbal Legacy Articles

by Jo Francks, MH

We are getting a lot of calls about this topic – what to do if you’re pregnant and get sick with the flu.  Drug companies, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and others are targeting pregnant women and children for the swine flu shot.

Our students would rather avoid the flu shot and want to know what is safe and effective for the flu when pregnant.  What I see happening is that pregnant women are hesitant to take anything because of the warnings on products and from doctors that virtually nothing is safe to take during pregnancy (So why would they give a swine flu shot that hasn’t had sufficient testing to a pregnant woman?).

Of course, prevention is the key, but when you feel like something is coming on Echinacea can be taken in dosages of 2 capsules or 1-2 dopperfuls every hour.  Nip it in the bud before it gets bad.  Garlic and cayenne can be taken during pregnancy.  Garlic is the number one herb for flu. It can be eaten raw, blended in juice, mixed with honey and cayenne or taken in capsules. 6 cloves of garlic is the daily recommended dosage.

We encourage women to drink red raspberry leaf tea all through their pregnancy to help the baby and for an easy delivery.  We also recommend red raspberry leaf tea to be consumed in large quantities if a person is sick or around sick people.  We don’t encourage fasting during pregnancy, but do eliminate processed foods, dairy, meat, and sweets.

Eat whole foods like fresh juice, fresh fruits and vegetables and potassium broth (see recipe below).  Sweat baths are not recommended, but a foot soak in ginger tea is helpful while drinking red raspberry leaf tea or peppermint or calendula or a mixture of all three.

We don’t recommend enemas or harsh laxatives or emmenagogue herbs during pregnancy.  Prune juice would be better to use than a laxative to help the bowels eliminate.  Plenty of rest is a must!

Some formulas that would be okay to use during pregnancy would be Immucalm, Sinus Plus and the Lung and Bronchial Formula.  Some individual herbs that are fine to use during pregnancy are red raspberry leaf, yarrow, elder berries, Echinacea, garlic, rose hips, ginger, plantain, cayenne and cloves.
Definition:

Emmenagogues are herbs which stimulate blood flow in the pelvic area and uterus; some stimulate menstruation.  Women have used plants such as mugwort, parsley and ginger to prevent or terminate early pregnancy.

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

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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

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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

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by David Christopher, MH, AHG
 

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

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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 

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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

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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

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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

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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

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

In addition to many herbs that you can buy in bulk or standardized form, there are many spices that double as medicines.  You probably already have some of them in your spice rack.

Allspice: This tropical herb has a complex aroma and is useful for indigestion.

Cardamom: An expensive spice, cardamom can be a mild stimulant.

Cinnamon: This common, tasty spice has potent antimicrobial action and can settle an upset stomach.

Cloves: Cloves have proven pain-relieving and antiseptic properties.

Garlic: Deservedly called Russian penicillin, this pungent bulb in useful in preventing our major killers – heart disease and cancer.

Ginger: The world’s best nausea preventative, ginger is also useful in treating arthritis.

Red pepper: This native American spice works on pain by three different mechanisms.

Sesame: The seeds of this plant are a great source of antioxidants and other therapeutic chemicals.

Turmeric: This yellow spice shows great promise in treating arthritis and diabetes.

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