Moved away from Mainstream (medicine)

miss_thenorth

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to add to scotty's list, drink lots of water to flush out toxins, cranberry juice for bladder type infections, ginger for upset stomachs, cayenne pepper poultices for achy joints. I'll think of more....
 

patandchickens

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miss_thenorth said:
to add to scotty's list, drink lots of water to flush out toxins, cranberry juice for bladder type infections, ginger for upset stomachs, cayenne pepper poultices for achy joints. I'll think of more....
Oh yes, those too for me. (Especially, I would not have gotten through two and two-half pregnancies in a world without ginger! Whoever called it morning sickness was an idiot <g>)

OK so maybe I use more of this than I think :p


Pat
 

ScottyG

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Also, in addition to drinking lots of water to flush out toxins, if I'm feeling really awful, I step it up to a Vitamin C flush. Cheap as dirt, and effective. Just take 2 vitamin C pills every hour until, well, your system flushes itself. Er... you know what I mean... *blush* It really works well. At flushing. Ahem. I'll stop talking now. :)
 

me&thegals

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Yay--This is a great new direction! First, I have to agree with Pat that "natural" does not automatically mean healthful (think arsenic and poison ivy). But, we definitely avoid medications and antibiotics in this family due to their known side effects. Not to be a broken record, but I would really like a LOT more research into alternative medicine!

I use honey-lemon-ginger tea for colds and general yucky feeling, honey by the spoon for irritated throats or coughs, a couple different essential oils applied to the chest and back for coughing, oil of oregano taken internally when I feel a need to boost the immune system. Generally, the family is pretty healthy.

Above all, we try for lots of fresh air and exercise, water, yogurt, fruits and vegetables, fun time with friends and family, a healthy spiritual life and well-rounded life in general to keep us happy and healthy :)
 

Beekissed

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Good save, Wildsky! :D

As with any other kind of medicine, I think the whole holistic thing has been exploited a lot in its own way. I know folks who have gone to holistic practitioners and been told that its their liver.....all their family, no matter what the symptom...its your liver! WELL! THAT took a lot of thinking! :/ Bad rash...its your liver. Migraines? Liver again!

Not much respect for this hoo-doo. Do I pop herbal remedies all the time? No. I have one of which my family uses on occasion, but no, I don't think herbal medicine is the be all, end all.

Fresh, clean water(not chlorined, not flourided out the whazoo~clean as nature can get it), lots of fresh fruit and raw veggies, raw honey, add a little garlic and olive oil, vinegar, lots of sunshine(without the sunscreen, thank you), plenty of rest, fresh air, daily strenuous exercise, and contentment. Not much of anything out there is better than this regimen. God gave us herbs and other medicinal plants and minerals to use for maintaining our health, but most everything we really need can be found in a more natural diet.

If one has the guts and force of will to try to avoid most everything else out there in the way of food, drink and mood altering chemicals, then they can live pretty healthy.

Immune system health is key, and fueling your body in a way to promote homeostasis on a cellular level is the only way to build this up. When you fill your body with preservatives, unneeded chemicals (caffeine, nicotine, aspartame, etc.) and other foreign particles, it prohibits proper cellular function. This leads to a build up of toxins, a decrease in oxygen carrying capacity on a cellular level, and a decrease in the flow of electrolytes and nutrients.

Also, tending to your mental health is of equal importance. Being on the edge all the time, or harboring resentment and displeasure, can affect your physical state nearly as much as the rest. Seeking out ways to de-stress, things that bring you pleasure without guilt, and resolving conflict immediately instead of holding it and internalizing everything. If one can't be "happy" it goes a long way to try to at least be "content". :)

On a scale of, say, 1 to 7, how would you all measure your "contentment" or happiness, if you will?
 

MorelCabin

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My personal level of contentment is probably at least a 6, maybe even closer to a 7 actually. I do get my down days but try my best to look on the bright side of things if I can:>) There has always been alot going on in my life and I did spend a few years pretty depressed over it all but I learned to let alot go and just be happy with who *I* am and what *I* am doing. It doesn't always work but for the most part it does...just don't talk to me in a couple months when the seasonal thing kicks in...haha then I am a whole different nut.
 

Beekissed

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Morel....sunshine helps! It does! And, though not a very healthy option, I try to do the tanning bed about once every 2 wks in the winter(when I can afford it) to maintain my mood. It really works! If I can get enough sunshine outside, I usually don't need the T-bed, but I will use it in a pinch! :D
 

MorelCabin

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Oh Beekissed... I have happy lights...an alarm clock that shines directly at my face every morning and simulates a sunrise...like a deer in the headlights for an hour before I even get out of bed every am:>) I LOVE the sun...skin cancer doesn't scare me...winter does! I have never used sunscreen or sunglasses...I need the sun when it shines...really really need it.
I did used to use a tanning bed...be careful you don't use the ones you lay on...use only the upright and wear slippers. Lot's of skin fungus out there...all over body ones.
 

FarmerChick

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I love my Dr. when I need her....which is rare....but I love my antibiotics that are prescribed...if I am desperate enough to need them.....they work for me everytime I have taken them.

BUT I do not go to the Dr. ever at the drop of a hat. We are healthy people. Eating right, doing the best for the body is one's own responsibility. All the natural remedies and such mean squat unless you fuel your body properly to start! Everything you eat starts the process of health.

After the first obvious start...you are what you eat.....after that for home remedies, I don't use many. I don't need them.....BUT if anyone can give me advice on a remedy to cure sinus trouble...I am game..LOL...I live with it down here in NC...between allergies to ragweed, mowing, etc. I have tried lots of things and not much helps...I just live thru it til I feel better.

Tony is having some problems that seem heart related but he had a stress test the other day and is NORMAL---WEE---so ruling that out so far has made him and me feel good but we still must find what is ailing him and making him fatigued etc...so onto other options now to find out the problem. And I would use every single bit of modern medicine available to find what is ailing him or me if ever needed for that matter.

It is never black and white....life is shades of gray between vaccines, medicine in general, and everything else.

Contentment level in this life I am leading...and absolute 10!
Yup, my hot flashes and few mood swings bother me a bit but they don't knock down my happiness in this family ever!
 

ScottyG

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Have you tried a "neti pot" for your sinuses? It's a little teapot-looking device that you fill with warm, slightly salty water and pour through one nostril... and it comes out the other one with your sinus congestion. Then you switch sides. It doesn't always work for me, but most of the time it makes my sinuses feel much better for a little while.

Also, if you need a really quick fix, I'm always a fan of very spicy food as a way of opening up your sinuses a bit. But then, I just like really spicy food, too. Mmmmm.
 
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