Herbal Legacy Articles

By Jo Francks M.H. - Utah

October is breast cancer awareness month.  Dr. Christopher was successful in helping many patients in overcoming many incurable diseases.  The following is an interesting experience he had on an airplane, shared from the book Every Woman’s Herbal.

While boarding a plane in Salt Lake City, Dr. Christopher had buckled up, and was ready to enjoy a little free time on the plane, reading, studying and meditating.  A lady sat down beside him.  As the plane took off, she began to talk, “Hello, where are you going?” she asked. “To Toronto, Canada.” said Dr. Christopher. “Why?” she asked further. “I lecture, and will be lecturing there. ” was Dr. Christopher’s response. Again she questioned,”What do you lecture on?” Dr. Christopher could see that he wouldn’t be getting much quiet meditation, and began to feel a little irritated, but he answered that he was an herb doctor, lecturing on healing the body. “Isn’t that interesting?” she responded, and began to tell him her story.

She said that two years before she had had pains in her breasts, so bad that she went to the doctor.  She had severe cancer of the breast, so the physician took her right to the hospital, and when she came out she had only one breast.  They assured her that he had cleaned out the cancer very thoroughly, but six months later her other breast started hurting.  It got so severe that she again went to the doctor, who said that he must have missed some of the cancer, so he rushed her to the hospital and they removed her second breast.  She went home with the assurance that this would be it, no more problems, but within six months, she was having abdominal pains in her organs and lower cavities and was in terrible pain.  When she was examined, the doctor told her that she would have to have her reproductive organs removed and part of her bowels, because the cancer had spread throughout her body.  She said that she wouldn’t let them do any more cutting on her.  They suggested chemotherapy, but she wouldn’t allow that either.  She said that if she was going to die, she didn’t want to be in pieces. She would die on her own.

She went home, not knowing where to turn, knowing nothing about diet, medicine, or anything.  She said she knelt down and prayed, and the answer came to her.  Did the Doctor want to know what it was? By this time, Dr. Christopher was all ears, and yes, of course, he very much wanted to know what it was! She changed her diet to eat fruits and vegetables, grains and seeds, as much as possible raw.  A few months went by and she was feeling better, like a different person entirely.  She went back to the doctor, who claimed that she had improved amazingly.  There was just a little cancer showing in her pap smear.  The doctor said to wait and see what happened.  She went back home, and in a few months on this diet of natural foods, she said even the pap smear cleared.

The thought went through Dr. Christopher, “Lord, what kind of a God are you?  It takes me forty years, and this woman kneels down and the answer comes immediately to her!  This is exactly what I’ve been teaching all these years, and learning it gradually.” This woman traveled all over the United States, speaking to women’s groups, women who fear they might get cancer or women who already have it, telling them to go to live foods and change their diet. Dr. Christopher felt that their conversation was time well spent!

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By Noell Larsen H.N., M.H. - Oregon

Fall is the perfect time to can and preserve or prepare what the summer has abundantly blessed us with. More specifically, as fall approaches, I find myself taking a mental inventory of the herbal preparations I have on hand, and the ones I will most likely need to restock as the cold winter months approach. Here are a few herbs/ herbal formulas my home surely would not want to be without this upcoming season and a few of the many ways in which we use them:

Dr. Christopher’s Kid-E-Mune: Echinacea Angustifolia prepared in a glycerine tincture. I like to use this whenever I feel a child’s immune system could use a boost and when we travel (via airplane) for the holidays. Is especially effective at the very first signs of irritation such as a sore throat or runny nose.

Echinacea Tincture (Alcohol or Glycerin Extract): I like to use this formula with the adults for the same reason of boosting the immune system when needed. Is especially effective at the very first signs of irritation such as a sore throat or runny nose.

Garlic oil: Easy to make yourself and great to use at the first hints/signs of ear infection. Worth it’s weight in gold when applied to the soles of the feet of sick little ones at night (make sure to cover with cotton socks).  Can also be applied on the chest of little ones (and anyone) with coughs.

Dr. Christopher’s Super Garlic Immune Formula: With fresh garlic juice, mullein, wormwood, lobelia, marshmallow root, white oak bark, black walnut, skull cap, gravel goot, plantain, aloe vera, pure apple cider vinegar and raw honey, using this formula is like bringing out the “big guns” in a battle with any cold and flu.

Dr. Christopher’s Kid-E-Well: A combination of yarrow flower, elder flower, peppermint leaf and echinacea angustifolia makes a great formula to help children work through and overcome the cold and flu.

Dr. Christopher’s Respiratory Massage Oil: A preparation of mullein leaf in oil and very effective in helping the body work through colds that have gone to the chest, especially with little ones. Rub on the chest at night combined with garlic oil and you have a great infection fighting formula that will also help the body expel mucus from the lungs/chest.

Mullein: Amazing herb for helping the body rid moisture/mucus from the lungs. This is especially effective for the cough that seems to linger.

Dr. Christopher’s Lower Bowel Formula: A formula of cascara sagrada bark, barberry bark, cayenne pepper, ginger root, lobelia herb, red raspberry leaf, turkey rhubarb root, fennel seed and goldenseal root. When dealing with illness it’s always a first priority to make sure the bowels are functioning properly. Most often blocked eliminatory channels are the tipping point of a virus/bacteria winning in the first responses of our immune system’s attempts to fight them off. Open/regular elimination channels allow the body to function optimally and are generally a sign of a good diet.

Dr. Christopher’s Kid-E-Reg: With slippery elm bark, licorice root, fennel seed, anise seed and fig syrup, you get a kid-friendly version of the lower bowel formula; helping children’s bowels eliminate properly so that the body can more effectively heal. Also effective in helping alleviating the source of post-holiday-stinky-behavior in children who have been eating a less-than optimal diet due to holiday indulgence - not that any of our children do that (sure :-).

Noell Larsen is a Holistic Nutritionist and Master Herbalist/ Masters of Science graduate of The School of Natural Healing. Together with her husband (a current Medical Student) and as a mother of two children… speaking, writing and tutoring others in health has become a family passion.

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by Yvonne L. Salcido M.H.

Most of us have grown up with the idea that we all want to have good health. Health is usually defined by absence of disease or injury, but it can also be classified as the general condition of the body and mind. A newer concept is that of “Wellness” this classification is referring to optimal health and vitality. A life with optimal health and vitality actually allows a person to have the quality of life they desire. This is a possibility if one is willing to take responsibility for their own health instead of placing that responsibility on others.
There are several areas that individuals need to focus on to take responsibility in creating a life of wellness. These are the most common referred to: Spiritual, Mental, Emotional, Physical, Interpersonal, and Environmental; additional areas not as popular are Financial Wellness and Occupational Wellness. All of these areas are contributing factors in our health

• Spiritual Wellness gives you principles to govern yourself, giving joy and purpose in life. This leads to the ability to love and forgive which is very healing.
• Mental Wellness gives you opportunities to challenge your mind through continuing education through life, seeking new experiences and mastering new skills.
• Emotional Wellness is being able to identify your thoughts and feelings and make conscious choices toward a positive emotional outlook. Very important to emotional wellness is the releasing of negative emotions. Negative emotions left unchecked cause physical imbalance leading to disease.
• Physical Wellness includes good nutritional practices following the “Mucusless Diet”, exercise, and using natural means to heal the body such as herbs when sick.
• Interpersonal Wellness is acquiring and upholding relationships this adds to a happy home, and community. Interpersonal wellness is a big factor in your physical and emotional health. Think of when you’ve been extremely upset with someone did you even feel like eating?
• Environmental Wellness allows one to have a healthy environment free of toxins with clean natural resources available such as water.
• Financial Wellness exercise of self -discipline in managing your money wisely, meeting financial obligations, budgeting, setting goals, and becoming and staying debt free. This eliminates your life of much stress.
• Occupational Wellness looks at your levels of happiness and fulfillment in the work you do for a living. Planning and moving towards goals to bring enjoyment in this area is important.

Setting goals to address all the areas of “Wellness” in our life will lead us to a balanced and happy life. I know I want to live a long life that is full of vitality and optimal Health!

Yvonne Lunt Salcido is a Student Advisor for and a Master Herbalist Graduate of the School of Natural Healing. She is a current student at Utah Valley University majoring in Health and Wellness Education.

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By David Christopher M.H.

Proper digestion is essential for good health.  Remember, as natural practitioners we mainly need to make sure that each cell of the body gets the nutrients and energy necessary for optimal functioning and that the waste from the functioning gets carried away from the cell and disposed of outside the body. When organs malfunction, the cells of that organ are not receiving nutrients, nor disposing of waste, and/or have been physically damaged. Our number one responsibility is to help the body cleanse and provide the proper nutrients to regain health.  If the digestive organs are not functioning properly then the chances of healing are greatly diminished, even if we are taking in the best foods.  So we need to help the body restore its digestive capabilities.

1. First, chew your food thoroughly. If chewing well is not possible, use a blender to accomplish the mastication.  The food must be mixed with saliva, chewing accomplishes this, but blended food would need to be sipped and swished in the mouth to release the saliva.
2. Second, the food needs to be acted on by hydrochloric acid.  If the body is not making it, orally ingesting cayenne pepper will stimulate its production.  Other aids are ginger, mustard, and apple cider vinegar.
3. Third, the food needs to further breakdown by digestive enzymes.  These are abundant in raw food and supplemented by enzyme production from the pancreas.  If the pancreas is malfunctioning and not producing the needed enzymes, then the Dr. Christopher Pancreas Formula should be taken to strengthen this organ.  In the meantime plant based digestive enzymes should be added to the diet until the pancreas is healed and producing its own enzymes.  I personally like Udo’s Choice brand enzymes.
4. Fourth, the now broken down food needs to be absorbed into the body.  This process depends on sufficient colonies of friendly bacteria (flora).  If someone has had this system compromised or destroyed, through the use of antibiotics, drugs or improper diet, they should supplement with probiotics, again I like Udo’s Choice probiotics.  If the intestinal tract has been compromised then one should follow the protocol outlined in a back issue of this newsletter “Protocol for Yeast overgrowth and leaky gut syndrome.”
5. Fifth, the nutrients from the food might not be absorbed because of retained waste.  This should be resolved by using Dr. Christopher’s Lower Bowel Formula, and Quick Colon Formula # 2.

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by Mishelle Knuteson R.E.T., M.H. - UtahIn 1976, Dr. John R. Christopher published a book called “Childhood Diseases”. Since that time, the book has been added to and reprinted as “Herbal Home Health Care”. This book is a staple for many people’s library because it contains tried and true principles in health care. From the introduction of the book Dr. Christopher teaches a principle that has been proven once again to be true. In talking about childhood disease he says:

“The time we start preparing for an anti-disease susceptibility is many months before conception. If, however, that is too late and the child is here and sick at this time, we will have to work on the present cause, but this effort could be eliminated if we had started a few generations back.”

Recently published in Time Magazine, January 2010, is an article on “Why Your DNA Isn’t Your Destiny.” A preventive-health specialist, Dr. Lars Olov Bygren from northern Sweden, was testing the long standing idea that whatever health choices we make during our life affects only our own health and does not change our DNA, thus having no effect on our children. However,

what Dr. Bygren and his team found is that environmental conditions and what we do to our bodies can somehow leave an imprint on the genetic material in eggs and sperm and these genetic imprints can pass along a new trait in a single generation. The poor health choices that we make can predispose our children even before the are conceived. This science is called Epigenetics of which Dr. Lars Olov Bygren comments,

“At the most basic, epigenetics is the study of the changes in gene activity that do not involve alterations to the genetic code but still get passed down to at least one successive generation. These patterns of gene expression are governed by the cellular material — the epigenome — that sits on top of the genome, just outside it (hence the prefix epi-, which means above). It is these epigenetic “marks” that tell your genes to switch on or off, to speak loudly or whisper. It is through epigenetic marks that environmental factors like diet, stress and prenatal nutrition can make an imprint on genes that is passed from one generation to the next.”

This once again proves the importance of the health choices we make. What current research is discovering today was understood by Dr. Christopher more than 35 years ago. Let’s commit to making healthier choices - not just for our well being, but for our children and grandchildren as well.

Mishelle Knuteson is certified in Rapid Eye Technology (RET) an emotional release therapy, an Iridologist, teaches classes in The Art of Feminine Presence and a Master Herbalist ~ graduate of The School of Natural Healing. Mishelle currently works as an Educative Master Herbalist (MH) for The School of Natural Healing and as Office Manager of Christopher Publications.

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By Noell Larsen H.N., M.H.

After our first child was born and while my husband and I were still in college, we chose to move to designated student married/family housing. It was in this environment we met more than a few couples having challenges with fertility. One particular couple we had the privilege of getting to know was *Russ and Charity. Russ and Charity became close enough friends that they felt comfortable sharing their struggles in trying for over two years to have children. Charity, well aware of my background in nutrition and herbs, asked if there was anything I knew of that could help their situation. Four months later, after diligently following a select nutritional program, I received the call that Russ and Charity were expecting. Russ and Charity have had a successful pregnancy and no longer feel the anxiety and emptiness of not being able to have children of their own.

This experience I feel was such a success largely due to Russ and Charity’s desire to work hard and diligence to detail. Both Russ and Charity made it through the challenge of change to their lifestyle in order to regenerate health and did so by cleansing and nourishing their bodies with the best foods and supplementation. Generally speaking, many find it hard to believe that there are specific herbs and foods that directly affect the reproductive capacity of the human body and resort to spending a fortune in mainstream fertility treatments (and for some this may be the best option), but Russ and Charity (and many other couples), have brought hope that infertility can be remedied through the simple process of improving your health as well.

Almost everyone understands the direct effect a mother’s food choices has on the development of her unborn child, but many do not think of how direct their food choices are on the development of their own bodies. True health for a child begins long before conception, in the health of the mother and father. If you want healthy children we must work for it; many ask “why?” Francis M. Potteger, Jr., M.D., I feel, answered this question well in his study of nutrition:

Observation of our young people reveals that humans are subject to the same food deficiencies as are seen in the Cat Study. Foods that have been progressively depleted of nutritional substances since the roller flour mill was invented right after the civil war. Canning, packaging, pasteurizing and homogenizing - all contribute to hereditary breakdown.

Sure you can add a plethora of nutrients to the body through nutrient rich food sources, but I have never seen anything more effective in aiding and even correcting hereditary breakdown like cleansing and nourishing combined. For Dr. Christopher cleansing and nourishing was everything for health and regeneration. In my own personal experience and as Russ and Charity would agree there is power in food choice and when combined with cleansing and building herbs there can be found hope in fertility… rest assured this is not without a little effort/work, but then again, nothing of true value ever comes without honest effort and a little hard work.

Noell Larsen has a Bachelor of Science in Holistic Nutrition and a Master of Science in Herbology (graduate of The School of Natural Healing). Together with her husband (a current Medical Student) and two children, speaking, writing and tutoring others in the way of health has become a family passion.

*For the sake of confidentiality, names have been changed.

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Jo Francks M.H.

There are many herbs that have been used as hair rinses.  I think the herbal rinse people have been most interested in (from the classes I have taught), is the one to cover/get rid of gray hair. Dr. Christopher promised that if you rinse your hair with yarrow tea two or three times a week, within a year you would have your natural hair color back. That’s quite a promise, so I decided to put it to the test.

In February I started using yarrow tea to rinse my hair.  I make a quart of the tea by boiling a quart of distilled water and adding 2 handfuls of dried yarrow leaf then cover and let it steep for 30 minutes.  The tea is stored in a quart jar in the fridge and will keep for about a week.  It takes about a half cup of tea to rinse the hair after it has been washed and the tea is not rinsed out.  A plastic bottle with a squirt lid works well for applying the tea.  Squirt it on the head and massage it in to the scalp.  I have been using it every day and so far I can tell that I have less gray hair now than I did when I started. The progress has been slow, but it’s the comments from other people that are the biggest clue that it is working.  I see my hair every day and so does my family so the change is not as obvious to us.  Some of the comments I have heard are “Your hair is getting darker,” and “You’re looking younger and younger all the time.”  The best one was when the hair dresser was cutting my hair and said, “Jo you’re really lucky that you don’t have much gray in your hair.”  This is enough incentive to keep it up and I even have my husband using it.  I’ve also noticed that I’m not losing as much hair.

Not only do herbal teas help to get rid of gray hair, they can also be used to bring out natural highlights:

• Chamomile - used to bring out the highlights of blond hair.
• Sage - used for darker shades and henna for auburn hair.
• Rosemary - good for dark hair and it stimulates the roots to prevent hair falling out and to stimulate new growth/also used to prevent dandruff.
• Nettle - also excellent hair tonic and will bring back the natural color of the hair.

“Use as the last rinse when shampooing.  Make a cup of the tea by steeping a teaspoonful in a cup of boiling water for thirty minutes.  Dip the fingers in and thoroughly massage the scalp.  This will cure dandruff.  It is well to boil the leaves in vinegar for this purpose.” (Back to Eden, Jethro Kloss, Pg 161).

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By Jenni Wilson MH, Cedar City - Utah

Elderberries have been used for hundreds of years, especially in England, for the treatment of colds, fevers, flu and other maladies. Elderberry has been found to inhibit the replication of both type A and type B flu viruses.  Researchers found that elderberry inhibited the enzyme that attaches the virus to human cells preventing the virus from invading cells.  They also showed that elderberry activates the immune system by increasing inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokine production (Barak, 2002). Another study showed that 93% of flu patients given extract were completely symptom-free within two days; those taking a placebo recovered in about six days.

I made a batch of tincture by soaking some dried elderberries in a quart jar with vodka, it only takes 2 weeks, but I left them in my fridge for a year. When my family caught a nasty virus recently, I decided to make syrup with my extract, per Dr. Christopher’s instructions. I gave my children half-tablespoon doses of the syrup several times a day, along with Dr. Christopher’s Kid-e-Well tincture. Their illness lasted a few days, compared to our friends who were sick for a couple weeks. I kept giving it to them to help dry up the lingering cough and runny noses. I also used the elderberry syrup and Kid-e-Well for my 2 month-old baby, who manifested RSV-like symptoms. This treatment worked well, along with suctioning mucus out of his nose a few times a day.

Brigitte Mars tells us about tinctures in her book entitled Elder, “For these constituents, alcohol will make the most effective tincture, which should last several years.  If one cannot use alcohol, apple cider vinegar or vegetable glycerin may be used instead.  The shelf life of the latter two, however, will be shorter.  Use these within a year or two.”

According to the USDA Plant Guide, “Only the blue or purple berries of elderberry are edible… the active alkaloids in elderberry plants are hydrocyanic acid and sambucine.  Both alkaloids will cause nausea so care should be observed with this plant.  Elderberries are high in Vitamin C.  The red berries of other species are toxic and should not be gathered.”It is common knowledge that Antibiotics are not very effective against viruses. My neighbor just lost her sister to the H1N1 virus. This makes me so sad, since there are many effective natural medicines that are anti-viral; Elderberry is one of them. I’ve planted several Elderberry bushes in my garden so I’ll have my own source of Elderberries and flowers for future use.

Jenni is a do-it-yourself, happily- married, mother of seven energetic kids and a master herbalist - graduate of The School of Natural Healing! Visit her personal website at: http://www.momessentials.net.

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Yvonne L. Salcido MH

One of natures finest super foods is wheat germ oil. Dr. Christopher taught that Wheat germ oil should be taken daily, along with apple cider vinegar, black strap molasses and cayenne. To begin, Wheat germ oil is high in antioxidants which benefit the body by supporting the immune system, protecting the cardiovascular system and helping to prevent development of cancer. The virtues of Wheat germ oil also safeguard the nervous system and the reproductive system.

Wheat germ oil’s anti- inflammatory qualities work well in skin injuries, infection, eczema ad burns. Wheat germ oil is high in squalene a natural/organic compound that increases cell growth. Dr. Christopher used wheat germ oil in his Burn Paste Formula which helps healing by rebuilding new cells.
Wheat germ oil contains both linoleic and linolenic acids (precursors for omega 6 and omega 3 fatty acids) and Octacosanol found present in wheat germ oil can improve performance levels during exercise particularly stamina and endurance. Octacosanol may also have a beneficial effect to lower LDL cholestral levels and (Octacosanol is a number of long chain fatty, waxy alcohols found in wheat germ oil.) - can you explain to us why this is important? Policosanol found in wheat germ oil optimizes cardiovascular function especially when cholesterol levels are of concern.

Wheat germ oil is one of the highest food forms of Vitamin E; critical for balancing hormones in the body. When Wheat germ oil is taken with Dr. Christopher’s Hormonal Changese Formula  the body can easily regulate hormone function - this combination has assisted many male and female hormonal balancing issues; particularly PMS. Vitamin E is also needed to maintain healthy skin, it helps heal damaged and dehydrated skin by restoring elasticity, and smoothness; helping skin to appear younger and firmer. The Vitamin E in Wheat germ oil improves lymph function, it assists in blood clotting, nourishes coronary blood vessels,  improves blood vessels leading to better memory, nourishing those vessels involved with vertigo and fainting and Vitamin E has also been shown to feed a sluggish thyroid and benign prostatic hypertrophy.
I like to think of wheat germ oil as the oil for our engine, to facilitate the functioning of all major systems in the body smoothly and efficiently… so don’t forget your oil.

Note: In order to keep Wheat germ oil from going bad, store it in the refrigerator or in a cool place out of direct sunlight.

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By David Christopher M.H.

ABC news sent a young healthy reporter to the University of Maryland Medical Center to see what effects one fatty meal would have on her arteries.  She consumed a deep fried macaroni and cheese appetizer from The Cheesecake Factory, an Applebee’s bacon cheeseburger wrapped in a quesadilla and a giant cookie with ice cream from Uno Chicago for dessert.  This meal amounted to 6,190 calories of which 187 grams were saturated fat.  Two hours later her normally healthy arterial system was struggling to keep blood flowing as if she had heart disease.  If one extreme meal can have such a devastating, but luckily temporary effect on her Cardiovascular System just think what happens over a lifetime of poor choices. To see this report - click here

Unfortunately, most Americans already have cardiovascular disease or are quickly working their way to it.  To save these individuals, the Dr. Christopher mucusless diet is essential - coupled with his four basic cleansing formulas and his circulation formula.  Getting people to change their diet is difficult, but the following suggestions if followed, might help them enough to convince them to make the necessary changes in their lives.

There is a certain heart attack risk that won’t show up on any EKG or on any blood test.  But several University studies (October 2010 Bottom Line/Health Publication) show an increase in cardiovascular disease of up to seven times, for people who interrupt conversations.  The cure doesn’t even require a change of personality.  These people merely need to focus on being silent while others are talking.  Blood pressure immediately lowers and stress hormone levels drop.
It is well known that nitric oxide (N.O.) relaxes and dilates blood vessels.  A lack of N.O. contributes to increased rigidity of the vascular walls.  Your body produces nitric oxide from nitrates in foods.  These nitrates in foods are converted to nitrites by friendly bacteria residing in the crypts of the tongue.  They accomplish this via nitrate reductase enzymes.  Then when nitrite rich saliva comes in contact with stomach acid it is converted to nitrous acid and then decomposes to nitric oxide.  Nitrites consumed in the diet (i.e. nitrites found in cold cuts and bacon) will not convert to nitric oxide and may destroy the pathway, thus contributing to cardiovascular disease.  Mouthwashes may also interfere with this pathway by killing the bacteria instrumental in creating nitric oxide.  If this pathway has been destroyed, there are three foods that can be used to create nitric oxide. 1) Beets, nature’s highest source of nitrates, 2) Hawthorne berries, nature’s highest source of nitrate reductase, and 3) melons providing the amino acid catalyst L-Citrulline.  These three foods can lower blood pressure, make the vascular system more flexible and even replace Viagra ®.

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