The Complete Home Guide to Herbs, Natural Healing, and Nutrition
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THE COMPLETE HOME GUIDE TO Herbs,Herbs, NaturalNatural HealingHealing && NutritionNutrition Jill Rosemary Davies The Complete Home Guide to Herbs, Natural Healing, and Nutrition Jill Rosemary Davies The Complete Home Guide to Herbs, Natural Healing, and Nutrition Contents (not exact due to editing) Acknowledgments x Caution xi Introduction 1 Why Try Herbalism? 2 The Roots of Herbalism 3 My Infl uences 5 Ill Health, the Greatest Teacher 7 Book List 8 1 Our Bodies, Our Health 9 The Clues to Health and Sickness 9 The Basics That Can Be Achieved at Home 10 2 Celebrating Nature’s Alchemy and Fragrance 11 The Sweet Smell of Nature 13 Nature and Its Health 13 Plant Aid 14 Allowing and Sustaining Nature as Much as Possible 15 Pesticides or Not 16 Get Closer to Nature and Make a Herbal Profi le 17 Book List 22 3 The Plants Themselves 23 Best-Quality Herbs 23 Plants as Investments and Moneymakers 25 Plant Collecting and Drying 27 Basic Preparations of Herbs 28 Book List 39 6 Cleansing and Detoxifi cation 78 Food and Cleanses to Suit the Individual 79 The Differences between Fasting and Detoxifi cation 80 Healing Crisis 81 Speed of Elimination 82 Intuitive Fasting and Cleansing 82 One-Day or Three-Day Cleanses 83 Advanced Cleansing Programs 85 One-Bag or Four-Bag Enema 92 Intestinal Flora and Parasites 93 Liver Cleanses 94 Kidney Cleanses 97 Weight Loss and Weight Gain with Cleanses 98 Hints and Tips When Eliminating Certain Foods 99 Book List 102 Resources 102 7 Immunity 103 The Layout of the Immune System 105 Current Immune Problems 106 Vaccination 106 Automatic Defenses 108 Antibiotics 108 How We Think and Feel Is the Immune System 110 Breath, Tranquillity, Laughter, Sounds, and Immunity 111 Using Herbs for Our Immunity 112 Essential Oils 117 Immune System Treatments 118 Book List 120 8 Life Stage 122 Childhood 122 The Hormone Arrival 128 Adolescence 131 4 Food and Nutrition 40 The Options 42 Blood Types and Digestive Enzymes 42 Organic Foods 44 Culinary Herbs and Spices 46 Digestion 50 Flavors 51 Oils (and Antioxidants) 53 Whole Grains 53 Refi ned Carbohydrates 54 Meat 54 Protein Needs 55 Dairy Products 56 Eggs 58 Fish 58 Drinking 59 Vegetables 61 Organic Superfood 62 Fruits 63 Juices (Vegetable and Fruit) 64 Immunity through Fermented Food 65 Food Allergies 67 Food Separation 67 Cooked and Raw Foods 67 Kitchen Basics 68 Book List 69 Resources 70 5 Natural Healing Methods 71 Bodywork 71 Breathing 74 Exercise and Movement 75 Hydrotherapy 76 Book List 77 Resources 77 11 First Aid 268 Emergencies 268 Nonemergencies 272 Contents of First-Aid Kit 273 Lobelia and Cayenne Pepper 275 Other Items 276 Book List 278 Appendix 1: English to Latin Translation and Parts of the Herb to Use 279 Appendix 2: Latin to English Translation 283 Appendix 3: How to Make a Herbal Profi le 287 Glossary 289 Index 292 Infertility 138 Pregnancy 139 Menopause 144 Old Age 148 Book List 149 Resources 149 9 Body Systems 150 The Digestive System 150 The Pancreas 152 The Liver and Gallbladder 153 The Colon (Bowel) or Large Intestine 156 The Urinary System 158 The Adrenal Glands 160 The Reproductive System 161 The Thyroid 163 The Spleen 164 The Circulatory System 165 The Respiratory System 170 The Nervous System 172 The Skin 177 The Muscular and Skeletal Systems 179 Book List 181 10 Diseases 183 An A to Z of Diseases and Treatments 184 Cancer and Other “Incurable” or So-Called Terminal Chronic Diseases 265 Book List 267 Resources 267 Acknowledgments I dedicate this book with love and gratitude to the memory of Dr. John Christopher for all his work and teaching and to Dr. Richard Schulze for keeping this herbal legacy alive and moving it on and into the twenty-fi rst century. It is also dedicated to all herbalists worldwide for keeping safe and sharing the knowledge in the face of constant threats, legislation, and land ravaging. I may have written a book about natural healing and herbalism, but I am certainly not a natural writer and so, in effect, this book would not have become a reality without my friend Ruth Butterfi eld, whose patience, intelligence, and organizational and editing skills have completed this work. Huge thanks also go to Alick and Kevin at Gateway Books for their gentle encouragement and support and to Deirdre Greenan and Michael Gill of Gill & Macmillan. For this American edition I would like to thank all those at Crossing Press whose very stringent editing skills have impressed me immensely; thank you, Meghan, and team. For “life” support during the writing of this book I would like to thank Dr. Shamim Daya, Professor Linda Fellows, Ray Hill from the British Holistic Medical Association, Anna Piper, Debs Chater, Andrea Stainsby, Jack Silverstone, Melanie and Abigail, and also my wonderful family, Nityananda, Lorna, and Jasmine. My thanks go to all the practitioners, colleagues, and students who have shaped the information in this book — in Britain, the United States, France, Spain, and India. I wish I could list you all, but I can’t; so many thanks, even to those unmet whose books have taught and inspired me. x Caution In many cases small quantities of herbs are therapeutic, given at the correct dose and in correct proportion of herb within a formula. In larger doses they are often highly dangerous, for example coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara), goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis), licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra), and pokeweed (Phytolacca americana). I also never advise combining drugs and herbal medicines as their interactions are unpredictable. For formulas that are very similar to the ones described in this book, that are safely sold over the counter to many millions of people all over the United States since 1979 by mail order, contact: The American Botanical Pharmacy 4114 Glencoe Avenue Marina del Rey, CA 90292 Tel: 800-Herb-Doc Website: http://www.800herbdoc.com For British and European equivalent formulas contact Herbs Hands Healing Ltd. (see address and details below). In general, no parts of formulas nor doses have been given for the herbal formulas and herbs. Neither have the contraindications of herbs been included, as they are numerous and specifi c, those pregnant and breastfeeding being in the highest category to avoid certain herbs. A very comprehensive list of herb contraindications and drug interactions, plus more information on dosage, is available on the Internet at www. herbshandshealing.co.uk and from: Herbs Hands Healing Ltd. Station Warehouse Station Road, Pulham Market Norfolk IP21 4XF, United Kingdom Tel: 011-44-0137-9608201 Email: [email protected] The books Herb Contraindications and Drug Interactions by Francis Brinker and American Herbal Products Association’s Botanical Safety Hand- book edited by Michael McGuffi n, Christopher Hobbs, Roy Upton, and Alicia Goldberg can provide alternative information. For added informa- tion see also The United States Pharmacopeia and American Herbal Pharma- copoeia by Roy Upton. For more details on the above books contact Ameri- can Botanical Council at 800-373-7105. All of the herbs mentioned in this book can be used by qualifi ed herbalists and the majority can be sold over the counter in line with laws xi Introduction The stars of this book are the plants, trees, and fl owers themselves. They are endearing, beautiful, mysterious, fundamental, and primitive. The delight and uses of their seeds, roots, bark, color, and form are phenomenal and, set among the rest of the intricate web of nature, they are truly miraculous. This book is not only about the plants, however, it is also about a combination of natural healing methods, healthy lifestyle, and the use of herbs as potent tools for natural healing. Were this simply a book on herbal medicine, it would be dangerously easy to see plants as a direct substitute for conventional drugs. But although it is often possible gently and carefully to substitute one for the other, on the whole it is best to use herbs as an integral part of life, combining them with a wealth of other lifestyle choices and thus preventing and balancing disorders or diseases. Plant healing is deeply ingrained in our ancestry, yet the privilege of healing our own bodies has been increasingly taken away from us and put into the hands of doctors and conventional medicine. It is not surprising that night calls to doctors have doubled in the past few years, pill taking has soared, and the skills of home nursing have diminished. Many people tend to view ill health as a “supermarket affair,” demanding quick answers with the cry, “Give me a pill and make it go away, now!” Others, however, feel a desperate yearning to know more about natural home-healing skills, combined with herbs. So this book has been written with the understanding that herbalism and natural healing should be restored to the home as safely and effectively as possible. All practitioners insist that if there is any doubt about the cause of a patient’s condition, a doctor’s diagnosis should be sought. From this diagnosis you, and perhaps your local herbalist, can work on your body naturally until you regain full health. This book also explains the philosophy and ethos behind herbalism and natural healing. Perhaps you are not ill but just want to learn how to look after yourself. Knowing how to prevent ill health by understanding your body and having some practical insight into ways to look after it is all part of the ethos of natural healing. By gaining this knowledge, you will learn how to return some of the responsibility for your health to where it should be.