Keith Lewis, a wheat farmer, left this insightful comment about modern wheat growing practices:

You conclude in your book that modern wheat breeding has dramatically changed the nutritional value of wheat. Modern wheat farming has as well.

I have been a wheat farmer for 50 yrs and one wheat production practice that is very common is applying the herbicide Roundup (glyposate) just prior to harvest. Roundup is licensed for preharvest weed control. Monsanto, the manufacturer of Roundup claims that application to plants at over 30% kernel moisture result in roundup uptake by the plant into the kernels. Farmers like this practice because Roundup kills the wheat plant allowing an earlier harvest.

I went on a wheat and refined sugar free diet before I read your excellent book. I lost 30 lbs in three months. What a remarkable change…… In my 69th year I have never felt better.

In Wheat Belly, I focused on the changes introduced into the plant itself. But there are other aspects of wheat beyond the genetics and biochemistry of the plant, such as bleaching agents, pesticides, additives, and residues of herbicides like Roundup, as Mr. Lewis points out.

How much worse can this thing get?

http://www.wheatbellyblog.com/2012/01/a-wheat-farmer-weighs-in-on-wheat-belly/

For thousands of years knowledge of the herbs and wild plants that could increase fertility were the secrets of the village wise women. But after the holocaust against European Wise Women (the “burning times”) and the virtual extermination of Native American medicine women, this knowledge virtually disappeared. In fact, many people erroneously believe that “primitive people” had no means of controlling the likelihood of pregnancy. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Many common plants can be used to influence fertility, including red clover, partridge berry, liferoot, wild carrot, and wild yam. Some of these grow wild, others are easy to cultivate, and, with the exception of wild carrot, all are also readily available at health food stores.

One of the most cherished of the fertility-increasing plants is red clover (Trifolium pratense). Common in fields and along roadsides, it has bright pink (not really red) blossoms from mid-summer into the chilly days of fall. A favorite flower of the honeybees, the tops (blossoms and appending leaves) are harvested on bright sunny days and eaten as is, or dried for medicinal use. The raw blossoms are delicious in salads and nutritious when cooked with grains such as rice or millet.

To make a fertility-enhancing infusion, I take one ounce by weight of the dried blossoms (fresh won’t work for this application) and put them in a quart size canning jar. I fill the jar with boiling water, screw on a tight lid, and let it steep at room temperature overnight (or for at least four hours). Dozens of women have told me that they had successful pregnancies after drinking a cup or more (up to four cups) a day of red clover infusion.

It is especially helpful if there is scaring of the fallopian tubes, irregular menses, abnormal cells in the reproductive tract, or “unexplained” infertility. It may take several months for the full effect of this herb to come on and pregnancy may not occurs until you have used it for a year or two. You can improve the taste by including some dried peppermint (a spoonful or two) along with the dried clover blossoms when making your infusion. Treat the father of the child-to-be to some red clover infusion, too!

That little evergreen creeper that carpets some parts of the woods around your house is partridge berry (Mitchella repens), also known as squaw weed, supposedly because of its ability to enhance fertility. (My teacher Twylah Nitsch, grandmother of the Seneca Wolf clan, says that “squaw” is a slang term meaning “schmuck” or, in the proper term, “penis,” and therefore should not be used in denoting a plant meant to be used by women.) Keep an eye out this spring and see if you can catch Mitchella blooming. Then you’ll see why she’s sometimes called “twin flower.”

Interestingly, when the paired flowers fall off, they leave behind but one berry to ripen. (The shiny red berries you’ve noticed in the forest winter or spring. Yes, they are safe to eat, but leave some for the partridges.) The symbolism of two flowers forming one berry is certainly a suitable icon for fertility. I make a medicinal vinegar by filling a small jar with the fresh leaves, adding apple cider vinegar until the jar is full again. A piece of waxed paper held in place with a rubber band and a label (including date) completes the preparation, which must sit at room temperature for six weeks before use. I enjoy up to a tablespoonful of the vinegar on my salads or in my beans.

By mid- to late-May, the yellow blossoms of liferoot (Senecio aureus) enliven my swamp (in upstate New York) and the neighboring roads where there is adequate water and rich soil. A powerful medicine resides in all parts of this lovely wildflower. As the root has a dangerous reputation, I restrict myself to using only the flowers and leaves, which I harvest in bloom, and quickly tincture. Small doses of this tincture (3-8 drops a day), taken at least 14 days out of the month, will regulate hormone production, increase libido, normalize the menses, relieve menstrual pain, and improve fertility. The closely related Senecia jacobea and Senecio vulgaris can also be used.

Wild carrot (Daucus carota), better known as Queen Anne’s lace, is such a common roadside plant that most people are amazed to learn that it is a proven anti-fertility herb. In addition to being the wild cousin of carrot, it is related to parsley, dill, caraway, anise, celery, cumin, and a (now extinct) plant whose seeds were the birth-control of choice for many a classical Greek or Roman woman.

The aromatic seeds of wild carrot are collected in the fall and eaten (a heaping teaspoonful a day) to prevent the implantation of a fertilized egg. In one small study the effectiveness rate after thirteen months of use was 99%. As modern scientific medicine reports that one-third of all fertilized eggs are passed out of the body without implanting in the uterus, this method of birth control seems in complete agreement with nature.

Of the hundreds of women currently using this anti-fertility agent, I have heard virtually no reports of any side-effects. Note that many books caution you to beware the danger of confusing poison hemlock and wild carrot. Poison hemlock is rather scarce in our area, and, at any rate, does not smell or taste of carrot (as does Queen Anne’s lace), so I believe this warning to be a red herring. In addition, wild carrot leaves have small hairs on them, while the leaves of poison hemlock are smooth.

Another anti-fertility herb that has been tested by small groups of modern women is wild yam (Dioscorea villosa). Since birth-control pills were originally made from this plant, it is not at all surprising that it has the effect of blocking conception when taken daily in rather large doses: either a cup of tea or two capsules taken three times a day.

Does it have detrimental effects? Current studies are too small to show any, but there is a possibility that there could be. Interestingly enough, if wild yam is taken is small doses (a cup of tea or 10-20 drops of the tincture daily from onset of menses until mid-period) it increases fertility! In either case, the effect seems to be triggered by the large amount of hormone-like substances found in this root. When taken daily, these substances may be converted into progesterone, thus decreasing the possibility of conception. When taken for the two weeks preceding ovulation, these substances may be converted into LH and FSH, hormones which are needed to make the egg ready to be fertilized.

Other common weeds and garden plants of our area that have been used to increase or decrease fertility include stinging nettle, oatstraw, pennyroyal, Jack-in-the-pulpit, rue, and parsley.

The earth is full of wonders, and green magic abounds. As more and more women remember that they are wise women, more of the wonders and the magic will be revealed. May your days be filled with many green blessings.

c. 2011 by Susun S. Weed    susunweed.com

If you walk by the cold remedy section of your local pharmacy, you will discover shelves groaning from the weight of a myriad of rainbow colored bottles of modern-day snake oil that promises to relieve every cold symptom known to man.

Many of them are formulated to make us drowsy when taken before we go to bed, and some will help us doze a bit through the night but really do little to prevent a cold from running it’s methodical, diabolical course. Often users mistake the drug induced snooze as the remedy fighting the cold, but unfortunately it’s a smoke screen that only serves to hide the symptoms for a short time.

Realistically, you will have a better chance of arming your overwhelmed immune system with more powerful and effective anti-bodies by shuffling over to the fridge and opening the door to an army of nutritional, antibacterial agents ready to repel the attack of the common cold or at the least shorten it’s severity.

Chomp down on one of those Chile peppers that make your eyes water on a regular basis. They are loaded with a chemical called Capaiscin, that acts as a pain reliever and decongestant at the same time. The heat from that pepper will break down the mucus building up in your head and help you clear your sinuses. Keep in mind that one Jalapeno pepper packs in as much vitamin C as four oranges.

How about that sore throat? Head for the spice cabinet and reach for the Thyme. Put four cups of water in a pan on the stove add 2 tablespoons of Thyme, bring to a boil. Let boil for two minutes then cover and steep for another two minutes. Pour through a coffee filter put in a sive. Add a little honey and lemon if desired. Sip as needed to heal the throat and stop the coughing. Sound scary? Sure, but it works.

What about giving Grandma’s chicken soup recipe a try? This is an old wives tale that works. It really does make people feel better. Plus, it sure sounds a whole lot more appetizing then the famous cough syrup that makes you do an ugly “pucker” face, but not much more.

Imagine a steaming bowl of chicken, diced carrots, chopped celery, sweet parsnips, and a zesty onion, all beautifully blended and so much easier to take than the cough syrup from Hell.

Painstaking research has proved without doubt that there is a main component in Grandma’s chicken soup that takes up the battle against that stubborn cold. It’s the chicken stock itself that puts a halt to mucus production, and thus relieving congestion and helping the breathing process. In test after test, even store-bought chicken soup products produced the same result, but don’t waste your time with the vegetarian version. The main ingredient is obviously missing.

To make the best chicken soup for a cold you need a whole chicken because most of the nutrition comes from stewing the chicken bones. Clean a whole chicken, preferably an organic free range chicken, put it in a pot and cover with water. Add celery, onions, and a few cloves of garlic and stew for 6 hours or more. The longer it cooks the more nutrition you will get out of the bones. Let cool and bone and cut the chicken to bite size pieces. Add the chicken back to the stock along with brown rice, carrots, and onions. Season to taste. Cook until the vegetables and rice are done and serve.

Now we are all familiar with the benefits of vitamin C in the battle against colds. Especially Vitamin C from fruit. It has been clinically proven that as little as 1000mg per day of vitamin C will shorten suffering from a cold by a day or so.

As far back as the mid-1970′s, there were many published articles proclaiming that “mega doses” of Vitamin C (up to 4 times the recommended daily amount) would work miracles. However, in recent years that line of reasoning has been claimed to be false by the drug companies. But ask someone that takes 5000mg of Vitamin C along with L-Lysine and you will find someone that has a cold for only a few days. Like most vitamins and minerals that work well, more is not better unless it is Vitamin C and the sicker you are the more your body can use.

In fact, North America produces some of the world’s most expensive urine, as the body will eliminate excess vitamins that go above and beyond what our system can realistically absorb. So when you get over the cold back off the Vitamin C.

If you happen to be on a holiday in China and come down with a head-pounding case of congestion due to cold, you might possibly be served a hot cup of ginger tea by a sympathetic local.

This cold fighter goes back centuries and is believed to have several miraculous qualities that will ease nausea and headaches caused by sinus congestion. So even if you are at home, try some form of ginger tea, or come up with your own “hot ginger drink” recipe. Perhaps fresh ginger crushed into a glass of hot water along with a bit of lemon juice and a tablespoon of honey.

The absolute best for sinus congestion is Pau d’Arco. I brew about six cups, put it into a thermos and sip about two ounces and hour. Cold remedies don’t have to taste bad in order to be effective.

So the next time your first instinct is to head to the pharmacy as soon as the sniffles begin, remember that the “real” cure might only be a short, inexpensive walk into your kitchen.

Pau d’Arco is available from: http://www.herbaladvantage.com/

Type II diabetes is caused when the pancreas doesn’t produce the proper amount of insulin, causing blood sugar levels to increase. Some believe that age, obesity, pregnancy, and certain illnesses give rise to this condition. This is not true at all POOR DIET causes Type 2 diabetes. While modern medicine uses synthetic treatments to cure the symptoms, they can actually contribute to worsening the overall health. Drugs like Avandia and Rezulin have been known to produce life-threatening side effects, which leave patients in poorer health than when they began taking them.

But drugs are not the only solution. In fact, more and more patients are beginning to realize the amazing healing powers of herbs, which have long since been used in countries around the world to treat, and cure, conditions like asthma, heart disease, blood pressure, cancer and diabetes.

In fact, the curative power of herbs is so strong that they are often included in medicines, an estimated 25 percent of drugs contain at least one plant-based extract. Plenty of exercise, proper diet and the use of the proper herbs can help you overcome Type II Diabetes and get back a healthy body. Controlling Type II diabetes with herbs and diet is not easy but the rewards are improved health.

The following is a list of herbs that may help control Type II diabetes. As with any medical condition, you should consult with a qualified medical practitioner before starting a new treatment.

Bitter Melon – Momordica charantia
Long used in Asia, Africa and South America as a treatment for diabetes, is readily available worldwide in capsules, powder or fresh fruit. Bitter Melon works to lower blood pressure and control insulin. Researchers on the National Bitter Melon Council believe that specific enzymes charantin and mormordica help control blood sugar levels. The latter contains an insulin-like peptide, polypeptide-P, which stimulates the production of insulin. So far, researchers have identified 32 active healing chemicals in this plant some of which may lead to treatment of conditions such as HIV, certain cancers, cold, flu and psoriasis.

Shardunikha, Gurmar – Gymnema sylvestris
Shardinikha is long established as an ayurvedic cure for diabetes. The plants effectiveness seems to lie in its ability to reduce cravings for sweet-tasting foods. It is also thought to control blood sugar levels and boost the activities of enzymes that stimulate insulin production.

Bilberry – Vaccinium myrtillus
Bilberry retains powerful and healing antioxidants anthocyanidins in the fruit and leaves. Studies suggest this helps prevent damage to blood vessels that can result in diabetic cataracts and retinopathy, and tests show they may also help lower blood sugar levels.

Fenugreek – Trigonella foenum
Fenugreek a popular spice in Indian cuisine, has been used in the Asian sub-continent among nursing mothers and as a means to cure indigestion, lower high cholesterol and reduce blood sugar levels in diabetics. The seeds of this plant contain alkaloids trigonelline, gentianine and carpaine compounds that seem to boost the production of insulin. While there are only a few studies published in journals such as the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition and Nutritional Research, the consensus among traditional healers is that this herb works well to slow down carbohydrate absorption, inhibit the transport of glucose and stimulate the production of insulin.

Stevia – Stevia rebaudiana
Stevia is rapidly gaining ground as a zero-calorie plant-based sweetener. However, it is also recognized in traditional healing as a means to treat diabetes. The natural green Stevia leaf powder taken in capsules will help modulate the blood sugar levels will have beneficial effects on glucose tolerance and therefore potentially help with diabetes. Stevia capsules are good for people that are controlling there diabetes with insulin or herbs. While research is still underway to confirm the effectiveness of Stevia in treating diabetes, its use as a sugar replacement cannot be questioned. Currently, the FDA has recognized Stevia extract for use in food products. When purchasing Stevia extract, ensure that it contains no fillers or additives and that it is Certified Organic.

Cinnamon – Cinnamomum cassia
Cinnamon is derived from the bark of the laurel tree and is popular in stick and powdered forms. Traditionally it has been used to relieve stomach gas and ease nausea, and recently, researchers have looked into how cinnamon might make fat cells more responsive to insulin. Cinnamon also increases the conversion of glucose to energy and prevents the formation of free radicals, which may increase diabetic complications.

Other herbs such as onion and garlic are being researched for their ability to regenerate pancreatic cells, lower blood sugar levels and increase insulin when needed. Care needs to be taken when purchasing any of them as many stores will sell poor quality products. One way to ensure the purity of the herbs in question is to buy products from reputable sites. Herbs can be potent and if mixed with drugs or taken other than directed, can even prove fatal, so care should be taken to follow herbalist-recommended dosages.

Reference:

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/09/02/diabetes-most-of-what-youve-been-told-may-be-wrong.aspx

http://www.holistic-online.com/remedies/Diabetes/diabetes_herbs.htm

http://www.rd.com/living-healthy/the-best-herbs-and-supplements-for-diabetes/article55702.html

http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/bilberry-000225.htm

Healing has not really changed much since our ancestors time. For thousands of years if you did not feel well, you would go to the witch doctor, the shaman or the high priest and they would provide you with the herbs for your ailment. It may seem improbable to us that such people could perform this duty of healing as modern day doctors do but what we have to remember is that the basis of all modern medicine is based upon herbal healing of the past and that the constituents of herbal remedies that were prescribed long ago are still being used today.

Although the healing processes employed then were not as numerous as those of today they did work. The plants available to our ancestors are still available, growing in our fields, edgeways and even our gardens, and the processes and formulations that were employed in our past are still available for us to use. A benefit not available to our ancestors is that we may buy herbs grown half way around the world.

Today with the expanding volume of knowledge available, to everyone who can read a book or who can access the Internet, the knowledge of the healing of the past can be brought into our modern world and we can see and duplicate it for ourselves. Yet in saying that, care should be taken if you intend to produce your own medicines because what you have to consider is the symptoms. Simply because your head hurts does not mean you have a headache that could be cured with an aspirin. Healers from the past would try to find the reason for the headache had heal that.

I have written this article as an essay of interest and I have no medical knowledge, nor would I suggest that you take the writing literally, but only as an indication of those things around us capable of curing our ills. And before you attempt to use any herb for a medical purpose I would suggest that the plants you use are those described and identified by name and photograph.

If you are a sever sufferer of any complaint I strongly recommend that you discuss the use of ‘home made medicines’ with your primary care practitioner before you use them.

Medicinal Herbs.

Cape Aloe: Aloe ferox

Also known as Bitter Aloe, and Red Aloe. Two juices are extracted from this plant; a yellow and bitter sap which is used as a laxative, and a white aloe gel which is used in health drinks and in skin care products.

Chamomile: Matricaria recutita
Other names include German chamomile, blue chamomile, and scented mayweed. Used medicinally as an herbal tea for sore stomach, irritable bowel syndrome, and as a mild laxative; it is said to aid sleep.

Comfrey: Symphytum officinale
This herb contains allantoin, a chemical which speeds up the natural replacement of body cells. It has been used to treat a wide variety of ailments; these include bronchial problems, broken bones, sprains and arthritis.

Dandelion: Taraxaacum officinale
Dandelions are one plant which can be used completely; its flowers, roots and leaves. The Chinese have used the plant for centuries especially in herbal teas which are said to cleanse the liver of toxins. The plant contains the mineral potassium.

Dill: Anethum graveolens
Dill is used in foods as a spice where it’s flavor is much desired. Its properties are said to settle the stomach.

Feverfew: Tanacetum parthenium
Feverfew has been used for several ailments including reducing fever, treating headaches, digestive problems, and for arthritis. This plant releases serotonin and prostaglandins, chemicals which are believed to aid with migraine attacks.

Garlic: Allium sativum
Garlic is in the onion family and its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, and chive. Garlic has been used throughout history in medicine, and today garlic is being used in the treatment of heart disease, for combating cholesterol, high blood pressure, and is being used in experimentation for treating cancer. It is also used to help keep fleas of your dog.

Ginger: Zingiber officinale
Used as a stimulant and carminative for dyspepsia and colic. This plant may be used in heart disease because of its blood-thinning and cholesterol properties. Tea brewed from ginger was used as a remedy for colds. Ginger has also been used to treat inflammation. Ginger is the best remedy for seasickness.

Goldenseal: Hydrastis canadensis
Also known as, Orange-root or Orangeroot. In history Goldenseal was used for cancers and swellings of the breasts although no modern extract has been manufactured for these conditions. It is one of the best herbs for infections of any kind such as colds and flu. Other uses were for stomach and gastric ailments.

Mullein Leaf: Verbascum thapsus
This plant is used for sore throat, cough and for lung diseases.

Nettle: Urtica dioica
The nettle plant has been used throughout the centuries both as a food source and in medical application. A great deal of Vitamin K can be found in fresh nettles and can be used to stop bleeding. It has also been used for treating arthritis, anemia, hay fever, kidney problems, and pain in general.

Peppermint: Mentha piperita
Peppermint oil has the ability to reduce colicky abdominal pain and is used as an aid for indigestion. It is also a flavoring for candy. Peppermint leaf will have the same properties when used as a tea.

Poke Weed: Phytolacca americana
Also known as poke, pokeweed, pokebush, pokeberry, pokeroot, polk sallet*. These plants have been used in the treatment of acne and internal complaints such as tonsillitis and swollen glands. Used also for weight loss and in inhibiting the development and growth of certain types of tumors. *The term poke sallet is an old Southern term for the cooked young leaves of the poke weed. Sallet comes from Middle English and refers to a mess of greens cooked until tender. Some suggest adding molasses and fatback to the water when they cook their poke sallet others just add Lambs Quarter Chenopodium album.

Saw Palmetto Berry: Serenoa repens
Native American Indians have used Saw Palmetto berry to treat genital and urinary tract problems. Treating BHP is the primary use but it is also used for: hair loss, impotence, and to help men and women balance hormones.

St John’s Wort: Hypericum perforatum
Today this plant is most used as an herbal treatment for depression.

Sweet Wormwood: Artemisia annua
May also be known as Sweet Annie, Sweet Sagewort or Annual Wormwood. The dried leaves of this plant have been used in tea infusions for treating fevers.

Valerian: Valeriana officinalis
The plant as been employed as a sedative, and as a remedy for insomnia. It is also used for sleeping disorders, anxiety, but mostly as a muscle relaxant.

Wormwood: Artemisia absinthium
Also known as absinthe wormwood and common wormwood. The plant contains tannic and resinous substances and has been used for treating indigestion and gastric pains. It has been used as an antiseptic, and as an infusion is said to aid blood circulation.

Yarrow: Achillea millefolium
Also known as Common Yarrow, Nosebleed plant, Old Man’s Pepper, Soldier’s Woundwort, amongst other names. This is a flowering plant of the family Asteraceae, mostly native to the Northern Hemisphere. In history, Yarrow was known as herbal militaries, and being recognized for its astringent effects was used to prevent blood loss like from a wound. Yarrow is still used in medicine today being employed in cold and flu infusions.

I know the list is short, but there are thousands of plants that could have been included here and I hope I have provided enough to satisfy you, or at least your curiosity to investigate others.

The indigenous peoples of all countries relied (and many still do) on the natural remedies that could be found growing on their native soil. In America the Native American Indian believes that we should remember our past and how to get along. This indicates the knowledge of our natural earth and the plants which grow upon it, not only for food but also for medicines. Because like the natural plants which grow upon our planet, we are just as natural.

How Somebody’s Medicines May Be Making You Sicker.

There are several ways prescription drugs may be making us all sicker—whether through illnesses brought on because these medicines deplete critical nutrients in our body, or because we’re unwittingly consuming pharmaceuticals in the municipal water we drink.

Drug-induced nutrient depletions

The number of dollars spent on prescribed medications in the US is at all time high. Seniors are expected to use an average of 38.5 different medications this year. The number of prescriptions written, drugs dispensed, and dollars spent are carefully recorded each year, particularly for those over the age of 65, but we’re doing a lousy job of quantifying the toll our prescription drug use has on our health because of nutrient depletions.

Now comes a study from a Netherlands university linking vitamin B12 deficiency with the use of metformin, a commonly-used diabetic medication. Given that 10% of Americans are now diagnosed as type II diabetic—with up to 40% being pre-diabetic—the number of cases of metformin-induced vitamin B12 deficiency may be immense. Vitamin B12 deficiency is commonly manifested by memory loss, though it is also linked to fatigue, anemia, nerve damage (including neuropathy), and other mental changes.

Coenzyme Q10—a substance found in our mitochondria—is an essential element in the creation of 90% of the human body’s energy. Statin drugs deplete CoQ10. While some cardiologists advise their patients on statin drugs to take supplemental CoQ10, most doctors are poorly educated on the subject, and consumers don’t know to ask what nutrients a particular drug will affect.

Ironically the first patent on statins included a patent combining them with supplemental CoQ10. So Merck, the manufacturer, knew about the damage to CoQ10 from statins but chose to say nothing and do nothing about it.

Dirty showers?

Another way our medications are making us sick is through our morning baths and showers. According to the American Chemical Society (ACS), showers and baths are sending hormones, antibiotics, and other medicines down the drain—and right into our drinking water.

It has long been known that toilets are a source of environmental pollution from active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) being excreted in urine and feces. But the ACS’s new study links bathing, showering, and laundering with API water pollution.

“These routes may be important for certain APIs found in medications that are applied topically. They include creams, lotions, ointments, gels, and skin patches,” according to Dr. Ilene Ruhoy, director of the Institute for Environmental Medicine at Touro University in Nevada. And topical APIs can have a greater impact on the environment than APIs released in feces and urine, because the latter have been broken down to some extent by the liver and kidneys.

“We need to be more aware of how our use of pharmaceuticals can have unwanted environmental effects,” Ruhoy continued.

Direct from the source

Perhaps worst of all, researchers have now found that the pharmaceuticals which have been turning up in streams and rivers may come directly from the drug plants that manufacture them. Researchers from the US Geological Survey (USGS) looked at the effluent from two New York state treatment plants serving drug manufacturers, and compared it to plants not receiving pharmaceutical waste.

Effluent samples from across the country showed evidence of the drugs, but concentrations were all very minor. By contrast, the New York plants that serve drugmakers released seven painkillers in massive concentrations—the highest was the muscle relaxant metaxalone.

Copyright © June 22, 2010 Alliance of Natural Health USA

Dr. Linda Miller, Holistic Chiropractor, Anaheim, California – It’s strange how what seems to be “new” or “advanced”, can sometimes really be old fashioned – and what used to be considered “old”, or “folksy” can really be more advanced. Here’s what we’re talking about.

For the last hundred years or so, health care was pretty much controlled by the established institutions. The public had been conditioned to take whatever “medicine” they had been dishing out to us. It could be in the form of drugs, surgery, or other types of health care that are now commonly referred to as Western Medicine or, in some people’s minds, were considered “new” and “advanced”.

But over the last few years the public has learned the REAL DEAL. We’ve discovered that much of what was considered “modern” as recently as a few years ago, is now looked at as old school. And what was considered “primitive” is now considered high-tech and very advanced! For example, certain types of surgery that used to be considered “advanced” are now looked at as being too harsh and old school. While non-invasive techniques that have been used for decades to successfully treat those same conditions are now seen as the “advanced” more humane methods.

What we’ve come to understand is that the REAL solutions for health care are to use the methods that are the most advanced, efficient, easiest to administer, lowest cost and come with the highest probability of success. We want these methods to be the least invasive, the least risky, and with the lowest probability of unwanted side effects. Finally, as a society, we just want to get healthy, and stay healthy, without the bias over what kind of doctor delivers the care, or whether or not the “establishment” blessed the methods.

It seems that the “establishment” isn’t totally in charge any more. We believe that YOU are finally in charge! Enough people have demanded that our health care be what works best, instead of based on certain institutions’ biases. We’ve finally reached the point in time where mostly everyone agrees that the right answer is to blend in and use the best and most successful of “Western Medicine” techniques, along side of the best and most successful of what used to be called “Alternative Health Care”! It’s ALL part of mainstream health care for 2010.

In this new era of enlightenment millions of Americans in search of pain relief no longer have to suffer unnecessarily. We no longer have to choose between taking potentially harmful drugs or going through surgery as our only options. After a century of searching for the right answers the verdict is finally in – Chiropractic care really works. Young and old, rich and poor are seeing doctors of Chiropractic for more than just back pain.

Chiropractors were once though of as doctors for treatment of back pain only. Now Americans are being referred to in droves to Doctors of Chiropractic for their auto and work injuries, neck and back pain, headaches, migraines, sports injuries, carpal tunnel syndrome, fibromyalgia, indigestion, allegories, osteoporosis, fatigue, osteoarthritis, nutritional counseling, smoke cessation, weight loss, and more!

Did you know that Medical Doctors and Chiropractors have the same education? Same premed requirements and 5 years of medical education. Chiropractors are primary health care providers at the same level as medical doctors. There are a few differences between MD’s and DC’s:

Chiropractors do not invade the human body – we don’t cut you or perform surgery.
Chiropractors do not prescribe harmful drugs.
Chiropractors treat the cause of disease not the symptoms. Drugs only change your symptoms. They do not cure you. Only your body can cure itself.

As a matter of fact, Chiropractic is now the third largest primary health care profession in the world!

Editors Note: Dr Linda uses the same Alternative Health care on her own horses. Steve

After enjoying a healthy sex drive since the onset of puberty I suddenly had little or none. This did not make my husband happy, and it made me even more unhappy. After consulting with my doctor, trying various over-the-counter remedies, and generally pursuing any avenue that promised even a slight renewal of my sex drive I stumbled on a combination that works for me.

First taking a two mile walk two or three times a week, in addition to my regular activities, helped a bit. Some of the natural remedies offered seemed to help some. The biggest aid though was discovering that the antihistamines I take for my allergies may be the biggest culprit. My allergies have been getting worse over the years and I’ve been taking more meds for them. Once I discovered this possible problem I began making certain I did not take them within twenty-four hours of times I thought we might have time to play. Then I added Guaifenesin to ward off congestion. That added the needed boost by relieving the dryness problem. Guaifenesin breaks down mucus in the vagina which will cause a gentler environment for sperm making it easier to reach the egg.

While my drive is certainly not back up to pre menopause levels it is certainly a lot better than it has been for the past couple of years. I hope some of these ideas can help others with this disconcerting problem.

And Stephanie Espiritu writes: Fibromyalgia Syndrome affects 3 to 6 million people in the United States alone. Although men live with the disorder it’s more common among women, with a ratio of 9:1 according to The American College of Rheumatology criteria. Although it is not life threatening it can be very difficult to endure.

Symptoms vary with each individual but can be debilitating and hinder one’s regular activities. Chronic musculoskeletal pain, severe fatigue, sensitivity to touch, burning, stabbing and shooting muscle pain are just some of the symptoms of Fibromyalgia. Many patients suffer with irritable bowel syndrome, chronic bladder conditions, cognitive or memory impairment and dizziness. Some have reported Migraine Headaches, Upper Airway Resistance while sleeping, Alpha-EEG and Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction Syndrome. Certain medical conditions are commonly associated with Fibromyalgia such as: Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus (SLE) and Sjogren’s Syndrome. Many things can cause the patient’s symptoms to worsen. Some have reported a change of sleep cycle, stress and weather conditions to be triggers. Cold temperatures, barometric pressure and humidity can also cause the symptoms to worsen.

There is no know cause of Fibromyalgia but some doctors believe that it is linked to suffering an injury or physical or emotional trauma which affects the nerves, spine and brain. Recent studies show that genetic factors may predispose individuals to a genetic susceptibility to Fibromyalgia.

For the person that lives with this disorder their entire life is impacted. Not just by the physical pain but also by the emotional as well. Because this is an invisible condition, family, friends and even employers doubt that there is actually anything wrong with the person that is struggling. They regard them as hypochondriacs, unmotivated and lazy. They believe that since there is no visual evidence of an illness there can’t possibly be one. This isn’t always just the opinion of those that are close to them, it has also been the opinion of some doctors. Since there aren’t blood tests to diagnose Fibromyalgia some doctors come to the conclusion that the patient has a psychological disorder and suggests therapy with a psychiatrist and often anti-depressants are prescribed. Despite the unbelief of others, those living with this disorder know that there is something wrong with them; that it isn’t something that they are imagining, nor are they crazy. By not having the support of family and friends as well as a doctor’s diagnosis, they become isolated, helpless and eventually these feelings can lead to depression. Although family and friends care for them and want to understand what they are going through, many are incapable. They can’t grasp the idea that the patient is no longer able to participate in activities, attend work or even manage their pain. Because of this they tend to become bitter and sometimes resentful towards the patient. Their relationships suffer and in some cases can be broken beyond repair.

However, there is hope for both the patient and their families. Although there is no cure for Fibromyalgia, treatments are available. Pain Management Specialists, Occupational Therapists and Rheumatologists are highly skilled in this area. Trigger point injections, Guaifenesin therapy, prescribed medications and nerve blocks are just a few treatment options that have been shown to be beneficial. Families also have access to resources on how to understand and live with someone struggling with Fibromyalgia. There are support groups, family counseling and published articles available. Being educated about Fibromyalgia Syndrome enables family members to be a support system and offer the encouragement needed to cope with this disorder.

A relatively new theory is that with the decreased amount of daylight we produce less vitamin D. It is well known that vitamin D in important in building strong bones, but new research is revealing that this vitamin is instrumental in maintaining a healthy immune system as well. Whereas our flu season is November to March, those living in the Southern Hemisphere get the flu from June through September which is their winter months. This is an interesting piece of anecdotal evidence.

In a 2006 study published by a UCLA research team, vitamin D was able to kill bacteria responsible for tuberculosis. The researchers postulated that human differences in the ability to produce vitamin D may make certain individuals vulnerable to microbial infections. According to Dr. Julian Whitaker, a well-respected physician, increasing vitamin D intake during the winter months is a safe, if not proven, approach to protecting us against influenza. His recommendation is 800 to 1000 IU vitamin D for those living South of the parallel that runs through Philadelphia, Denver and Reno and up to 2000 IU for northerners. A recent study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition(September, 2007) concluded,”The widespread use of vitamin D supplements (1000 IU per day) has been advised as a simple way to improve many aspects of public health.”

There are two forms of vitamin D: D2 (ergocalciferol), which does not appear naturally in humans, and D3 (cholecalciferol), the form made in the body. If you choose to supplement, make sure you get the D3 form.

For those of us who cannot jet off to the tropics during the winter months, vitamin D just may give us the edge at escaping the dreaded influenza.