"There’s no Place Like… Homeopathy”
Submitted by CCN Survival Se... on September 3, 2008 - 12:04am.
Survival Series
HEALTH / FOOD /ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
"There’s no Place Like… Homeopathy”
~ by Jen
The AMA (American Medical Association), formed in 1846, was a weak organization with little money and little respect from the general public. It has since grown to be a powerful force in this country, largely responsible for holding back various alternative health practices -- chiropractics, and homeopathy among them. In the article How the American Medical Association Got Rich, we get an overview of how the organization came into being, and how they grew to dominate the medical profession in this country, squashing out alternative medicine through ruthless tactics and greed.
Today, due to the power and influence of the insurance industry and big pharma, intertwined with the AMA, we have a health care system that prevents far too many people from being able to afford comprehensive medical care.
… “As early as the 1930s, then-AMA President Dr. Morris Fishbein wrote that a national healthcare program would cause “a weakening of national caliber,” and signal “a definite step toward either communism or totalitarianism.” When, in 1948, President Harry Truman called for the creation of a government-run national health insurance fund, the AMA characterized the bill as “socialized medicine” and campaigned against it.” ….
It is past time that people are made aware of the many benefits of alternative methods of healing in order to take control of their own health and lives. Maybe someday our politicians will stand up to the powerful industries controlling our health care system, but until then, it is up to each of us to take responsibility for our own well being. It’s just one more arena where we have been left to fend for ourselves, where we are on our own.
WHAT IS HOMEOPATHY?
Of the alternative therapies available, one of the least understood is homeopathy. Though many people may admit having heard the word often, it is a little like the term "quantum physics" -- many have heard it, few understand the meaning. Fewer still can relate its application to their world.
A common misunderstanding of homeopathy sees it as a broad segment of different healing arts, almost equating it with terms like "natural medicine" or "herbal therapy." And while homeopathy includes those notions, it is far more specific.
It is not surprising that homeopathy is so challenging for the Western mind to understand. It is based on a philosophy that is in direct opposition to the way American medicine works. In American medicine, also called allopathic medicine, the physician utilizes drugs and procedures to fight against the symptoms. But merely fighting against the symptom doesn't cure the disease.
Homeopathy recognizes that disease has deeper, underlying causes. Disease happens on the energetic level. And in order to truly cure the disease, the body must do the healing. Rather than fight against the symptom, why not encourage the body?
The same philosophy holds true in martial arts after all. Martial arts recognize the idea of using your opponent's energy to contribute to his own downfall. Rather than resisting a punch with all your might and fighting back, martial arts like karate and hapkaido get into the flow of the energy and utilize it. The Western way is to attack and kill. The Eastern way is to allow your enemy to destroy himself. Homeopathy is more like martial arts.
Homeopathy sees the body as a whole system. It treats people, not disease. And the whole person includes mental, physical and emotional. In that respect, homeopathy is holistic in nature. Homeopathy does not treat symptoms but sees symptoms only as the outward manifestation of a deeper-level imbalance. Western medicine treats isolated symptoms or events. Western medicine is not holistic in that sense.
Homeopathy recognizes that the body has an ability to heal itself when the energy is balanced. To advance that balance, homeopathy takes advantage of the Law of Similars. The Law of Similars states that "like cures like".
EARLY YEARS
It wasn't until a German physician in the late 1700s became disenchanted in the cutting, poisoning and barbaric treatments offered by his contemporaries that modern homeopathy became known. Samuel Hahnemann was a doctor who disapproved of the bloodletting, leeching, blistering and purging that were the main medical practices when he graduated medical school in 1759. Hahnemann worked with herbs and noticed that herbs taken in low dosages cured the same symptoms that those herbs produced when taken in high doses. He experimented on himself with quinine, the herbal cure for malarial fever. When he took small doses of diluted quinine, he became ill with fever. When he stopped, the fever went away. For him, that proved the Law of Similars. Hahnemann began developing his own ultra-diluted medicines. Homeopathy was born. The idea is that if you are sick, a homeopath gives you a medicine containing a diluted substance that would cause the same symptoms as your disease in a healthy person if given in full strength. The body is stimulated to reverse the imbalance that caused the symptoms.
Success breeds professional jealousy. But it also breeds public support. Hahnemann was often attacked by his peers, but homeopathy flourished. It leapt the English Channel and became firmly established in Great Britain . In 1831 cholera swept eastern Europe. Hahnemann studied the symptoms and reasoned that camphor would act as a homeopathic medicine for the disease. Extremely dilute homeopathic solutions were made and the epidemic was stopped. In 1841, England was ravaged by cholera. Statistics showed that four times as many lives were saved by homeopathic medicines than by other conventions of the day. Having succeeded in quashing two serious cholera epidemics in Europe , public acceptance of homeopathy grew. Homeopathy remains tremendously popular in England to this day. So much so, that the Queen herself carries homeopathic remedies when she travels and is attended by homeopathic physicians.
AMA FORMS TO FIGHT HOMEOPATHY
Danish physician Hans Gram brought homeopathy to America in 1825. In 1844, public popularity prompted American homeopaths to form the American Institute of Homeopathy. Two years later, jealous rival physicians formed the American Medical Association to fight what they saw as a threat to their livelihood. The AMA, later funded by pharmaceutical companies, launched an all-out war against homeopathy. That makes sense. How would a pharmaceutical company make any money if the idea of the medicine was "less is more"?
By 1900, only 20 Colleges of Homeopathic Medicine remained.
By 1923 there were only two; by 1950, none.
Europe , however, was a different story. Homeopathy continued to be a viable form of medicine and with jet travel and rapid communications of the late 20th century, Americans were no longer content to bow to the opinions of a few frightened physicians. Homeopathy, like many other alternative therapies, once again became popular in the United States .
--- From Homeopathy and the Law of Similars
RESOURCES
Having had such success with homeopathic remedies for both me and my pets, when I notice something isn’t right, that’s where I turn first.
Because I’ve had so much experience using homeopathy, and have several books on it, I’ve gotten pretty good at choosing the correct remedy for things like heading off colds and flus, to sore muscles, and bouts of vertigo. In more serious situations, I have a homeopathic doctor I consult with by phone.
I’ve had enough surgeries throughout my adult life, (and so have my pets) -- for both medical problems, and accidents -- that I know there is a place for Western medicine, such as putting a body back together, or removing things growing where they shouldn’t be. But too often people turn to homeopathy as a last resort, after Western medicine has failed to resolve a problem – such as recurring infections that no longer respond antibiotics. In severe cases like this, it is imperative to find a homeopathic practitioner. (Below are some phone numbers in case you can’t find anyone with the search feature in the above link.)
What to look for when choosing a homeopath
Since a homeopath needs to collect very detailed information about you, it’s important that you feel comfortable enough with this person to be forthcoming about your health issues. You should also feel confident that he or she will take your health issues seriously and would refer you to another physician if your needs are beyond the scope of homeopathic medicine.
Although there are many good homeopaths that are skilled in the field, if you have a chronic or serious medical condition, consider seeing either a medical or naturopathic doctor who practices homeopathy.
To find a Homeopathic Practitioner in your area, contact:
- Homeopathic Educational Service
Berkeley, CA (415) 649-0294 - International Foundation for Homeopathy
Seattle, WA (206) 324-8230 - National Center for Homeopathy
Washington, DC (202) 223-6182
Many homeopaths will take patients by phone.
____________________________________________________
From ABC Homeopathy:
Homeopathic remedies (also called homeopathics) are a system of medicine based on three principles:
- Like cures like
For example, if the symptoms of your cold are similar to poisoning by mercury, then mercury would be your homeopathic remedy. - Minimal Dose
The remedy is taken in an extremely dilute form; normally one part of the remedy to around 1,000,000,000,000 parts of water. - The Single Remedy
No matter how many symptoms are experienced, only one remedy is taken, and that remedy will be aimed at all those symptoms.
Similar principals form the basis of conventional allergy treatment, where the allergic substance is given in a small dose, and in vaccines where an impotent form of the virus is given to bolster the immune system against that particular virus.
This success of Homeopathy is fueled by several factors:
- Homeopathy is extremely effective. When the correct remedy is taken, results can be rapid, complete and permanent.
- Homeopathy is completely safe. Even babies and pregnant women can use Homeopathy without the danger of side effects. Homeopathic remedies can also be taken alongside other medication without producing unwanted side effects.
- Homeopathy is natural. Homeopathic remedies are normally based on natural ingredients.
- Homeopathy works in harmony with your immune system, unlike some conventional medicines which suppress the immune system. (For example, cough medicines suppress the cough reflex, which is your body's attempt to clear the lungs)
- Homeopathic remedies are not addictive - once relief is felt, you should stop taking them. If no relief is felt, you are probably taking the wrong homeopathic remedy.
- Homeopathy is holistic. It treats all the symptoms as one, which in practical terms means that it addresses the cause, not the symptoms. This often means that symptoms tackled with Homeopathy do not recur.
Some ailments are minor enough that you can treat yourself. If you take the wrong remedy, nothing will happen. You won’t feel better, but you will have no adverse reactions, either. There are several books available, or you can do an online search. ABC Homeopathy has a search function, or you can just scroll through the repertory at Elixers.com:
A-Z listing of 600+ symptoms with matching remedy
One thing I learned from my homeopathic doctor is that you don’t have to take more than one pellet or tablet for a dose, despite the instructions you may find online or in books. It is also important not to touch the pills, but rather dispense them into the cap and place it under your tongue to dissolve. Typically a 30C, 30X, 6C or 6X dose is good when self-prescribing. You should avoid eating or drinking anything for 15 minutes before and after taking a dose.
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Homeopathy is the second most widely used system of medicine in the world. Its growth in popularity in the United States has been around 25 to 50 percent per year throughout the last decade As more Americans arrive to accept the healing properties and low risk alternatives that Homeopathy offers, their positive experiences with it will fuel the growth trend further. At a time when the prohibitive costs of health care continue to skyrocket, we’ve never been in more dire need of low cost, effective ways to maintain our most precious asset—our health.
I broke a couple of toes and some other bones in one of my feet just one week after the 2004 Democratic convention. Was wearing mules and the tip of one of the heels got caught in the carpet as I was walking (quickly) downstairs. Shoe stopped, foot kept going. Ouch. Luckily I was holding the handrail or I might have broken my neck.
Hope you heal fast.
Proud to be an American.
I too have done the shoe heel caught in carpet dance... quite a few times actually. In fact, I'm such a "frequent faller" (kinda like a frequent flyer, but... different) that I have perfected the art of falling. Seriously. I know how to best break the fall without breaking your wrist. I have fallen at work, at home, out and about.... everywhere! It becomes like dancing where you can anticipate the next move. :-)
I guess another name for that would be "Klutz" ... but I prefer Frequent Faller.
That's exactly how I broke my leg last year -- the heel stuck at the top of three steps, and I landed on my knees at the bottom. It was a compression fracture, Y-shaped, just above my right knee. I now not so proudly sport 8 screws and a plate in my leg, and neither knee has been right since.
Stan Davis
Lakewood, CO
Wes Clark -- Make America All It Can Be!
The broken bone pain is so intense.
Hey... all these heels sticking in carpets causing falls... do you think it might be a republican plot to bring down the hard working activist democrats??? Maybe they are designing Dem shoe heels to catch in carpeting tufts so that we fall flat on our faces???
humor disclaimer
Sorry - it was too easy and i couldn't resist, lol.
"Our public servants work for us - we don't work for them. We have an obligation, as citizens of this country, to always remember that - and to never let them forget it." - DeadMessengers
I understand that my scream was heard all over the hotel lobby. Could be. All I knew is that it drew a crowd.
Stan Davis
Lakewood, CO
Wes Clark -- Make America All It Can Be!
;-)
"Our public servants work for us - we don't work for them. We have an obligation, as citizens of this country, to always remember that - and to never let them forget it." - DeadMessengers
My hubby has me wearing clogs around the house now as a preventative measure. Kind of like a foot condom.
I didn't say that.
"Our public servants work for us - we don't work for them. We have an obligation, as citizens of this country, to always remember that - and to never let them forget it." - DeadMessengers
I heart homeopathy and have used it on myself and my family for years. I had a wonderful naturopath who taught be a lot about homeopathy when my kids were babies. Because it is so safe like you posted above, you can give it to babies and small children. My kids were on Hylands teething tablets for much of their first year of life LOL. I've used oscillococcinum during flu outbreaks. My naturopath told me to ignore the dose instructions on the box and just take a 1/2 a vial a day (if I was around any family or friends who have the flu). It worked like a charm!
Pulsatilla is great for the common cold. According to my natuoropath homeopathic remedies for the cold and flu work best when they are given at the beginning of the cold...like when you first feel symptoms coming on. I've also had great success w/Zicam.
One of my favorite homeopathic remedies (also from my smart and helpful natuorpath) is Thuja Occidentalis. It helps knock out side effects and minimize any reaction to vaccines.
I've used Arnica on myself and my dog... both orally and topically. And, calendula is excellent for burns and irritated skin.
Ironically, when I would share my pearls of wisdom about homeopathy on MotherTalkers a few posters would tell me what a terrible person I was putting this poison in my children's bodies. They just didn't get it at all, sadly. These same people probably wouldn't think twice about giving their kids prescription or over the counter pharmaceuticals which can obviously have side effects and aren't always 100% safe. Things that make you go hmmmm.
Thanks for posting the history of this modality, Jen. I didn't know that homeopathy was the reason the AMA formed. It's not surprising, though!
The truth will set you free. But first, it will piss you off. ~Gloria Steinem
yeah, it's surprising how many people think of it as voodoo medicine or something! LOL!! That's fantastic that you learned about it and used it for your babies! SO much safer than many of the western medicines regularly given to little kids.
I LOVE the oscillococcinum during flu season! I haven't had a flu shot in years but do have a supply of it always on hand. My homeopathic doctor instructed me to take one pellet every 2 weeks through the flu season and so far, knock on wood, I haven't gotten the flu in many years! I know, on the little vial of pellets, is says to take the entire thing for one dose, but really, one tiny little pellet is sufficient! The hardest part is getting just one of the microscopic pellets to dispense into the micro little cap! LOL!! (Most homeopathic remedies are not quite as tiny as the oscillococcinum pills -- I think they WANT you to take the whole vial so you have to buy more!)
I don't know if I would have learned about homeopathy if it wasn't for having my spleen removed back when I was 20 years old. No one told me how important a spleen is to the immune system and I spent about 5 years in a constant state of illness -- one thing after another. I could just look at someone with a cold or flu and get it! Finally, after seeing countless doctors, I came upon one who used homeopathy as part of his regular practice and it literally changed my life.
In a separate post I will post what I wrote for ms in la to help with her broken toe/foot.
Once in a while you get shown the light, In the strangest of places if you look at it right.
story about having your spleen removed and the ramifications of it weakening your immune system, jen. My naturopath had her gall-bladder removed and was a nurse at the time. She was having problems too that western medicine just wasn't fixing. And that's basically how she got interested in alternative health and is now helping others do the same.
Regarding flu shots... I know there's a big push to get elderly, pregnant women and babies that shot. Oy... I wouldn't touch it w/a ten foot pole. It's one of the few vaccines that still contain the mercury based preservative thimersol. I know so many people who have had bad reactions to the vaccine and it seems like they never quite can predict what strain will end up in circulation each year.
The truth will set you free. But first, it will piss you off. ~Gloria Steinem
I never get flu shots and (almost)never get the flu either! Thimersol used to be in my earlier contact solutions and would make my eyes burn--- then it was identified as the culprit later. But yes, I know plenty of people who get the shot.... then get the flu, but keep repeated the same behavior.
Thank you Jen for my "cocktail" recipe for the toe! I am so seldom sick, I'm a big baby when a bone breaks or I have to curtail my 'stride'. :)
And thanks again for your good work on this entry!
being proferred by the likes of both Rudy Giuliani and Rumsfeld.... the possibilities of what they might be up to boggle the mind. You don't even need a tin foil hat.
Then you add the Eli Lily conjunction with the bush executive order (New FREEDOM Mental Health act) testing and drugging our school kids for "mental health" issues -- Ron Paul has been fighting this one along with a slew of doctors, parents and organizations against mandatory innoculations. Draconian concept. And in the bill, the New Freedom Commission would of course be appointed by .... Bush!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Freedom_Commission_on_Mental_Health
This is the first site I've ever been on that hasn't given me grief over abstaining from the flu shot. I heart Clarkies!
The truth will set you free. But first, it will piss you off. ~Gloria Steinem
You're amongst longterm Clarkies who are trained to question everything, to not just buy everything that is being sold to them, or served up to them on a silver platter, and to hold people accountable....
Once you start questioning any conventional wisdom that's designed to be blindly subscribed to by a pliant and uneducated public-- once you look into the effects of some of these vaccines and keep an open mind, forever questioning further-- you find that conventional wisdom was lying to you! Yet again.
Being a healthy skeptic is good for your body and your soul! :-)
That's me too. Whenever I hear of people putting blind trust in anything (especially government and giant pharmaceutical companies) it makes me want to do that funny thing that Jon Stewart does when he rubs both his eyes with his fists and makes that squeaking noise LOL.
The truth will set you free. But first, it will piss you off. ~Gloria Steinem
You'll want to get:
Hypericum ointment. Use it 2-3X/day and put a sock on your foot after application.
And these three homeopathic remedies in 30C or 30X pill form:
Ledum, Hypericum Perf. and Symphytum Off.
You'll start with a Ledum/Hypericum "cocktail."
Ledum is excellent for reabsorbing swelling and internal bleeding, and it is also a fantastic pain remedy. Hypericum is for nerve injuries/pain.
If you have a dropper bottle use that, if not mix the cocktail in a glass.
To make cocktail: drop 1 pellet each Ledum and Hypericum into clean glass. Fill about 1/2 full with water. Alternately let sit and swirl around until pellets dissolve. Keep out of sunlight, and away from strong smelling things like mint, coffee, etc.
When you take a dose, use a ceramic spoon. Stir it around, lifting spoonfuls of the liquid and letting it fall back into glass. (This activates the "energy" of the remedies.) Do this 10X, then take a spoonful. Take a dose every hour until you feel some relief of pain, (prolly 4 doses) then drop back to a does every 2 hours, 4 times; then every 4 hours, 4 times. Keep decreasing your dosage till you're down to 3 times a day. Use this about 4-5 days. (If using dropper bottle, put one pellet each remedy in, fill with water, and let sit to dissolve. Before taking a dose (dropperful) activate it by pounding the dropper bottle on a phone book, forcefully, 10 times.)
Next come in with Symphytum (30C) for bone healing. You can either dissolve a pellet in a glass of water and take it that way, or just put a pellet under your tongue to dissolve. Lasts longer if you do it in water. Use the Symphytum 3-4 times/day for 4-5 days.
If you don't have a place to buy homeopathic remedies, you can order them very cheap online:
http://www.homeopathyworks.com/jshop/
You can get the Hypericum ointment there, too.
(Don't eat or drink 15 minutes before and after a dose, and don't touch the pellets. Dispense it into the cap provided and from there, under your tongue, or into the glass or dropper bottle.)
Once in a while you get shown the light, In the strangest of places if you look at it right.
I'm using has Calendula, Arnica, Belladonna (that one took me back to the 70s!) Bellis Perennis, echinacea, hypericum perforatum, etc etc etc. I am using it generously. Need to work on my feet a lot this entire weekend though so will see about replenishing it with these other things. Thanks Jen!!!
I have what seems to be the onset of a cold. Feels like a chst cold and my head is cloudy (Hey!)
If I eat anything, I'm sure it'll evolve into having a sore throat too because it feels mildly scratchy so anything will exacerbate it. :(
I always liked sucrets for coughs. :)
BTW, I worked at Hahnemann University hospital in Philadelphia. Didn't know anything about the guy before though. :D
Hahnemann University, which began as the Homeopathic College of Pennsylvania, was named after Samuel Hahnemann of Erlangen, Germany. In the 1770s, Hahnemann was formulating his ideas for a kind of medical treatment he called Homeopathy. During that same period, leaders of the revolutionary movement were meeting in Philadelphia to forge their ideas of freedom for this nation.
http://www.tmcnabb.com/hahnemann.html
but... everytime I'm at that stage - the early onset- of a cold, I just dose on loads of echinacea in glasses of water, gulp gulp gulp. After awhile, I kind of like that freshly mowed lawn taste... It grows on you. And I swear, the cold or flu never takes hold when I do that.
Doctor Jen may have better suggestions however!
if it's not too late -- i.e. if you don't have a full on cold yet, get you some Ferrum Phos. 6X
As always with homeopathic remedies, don't eat or drink 15 min. before or after a dose. Just dissolve one tablet under your tongue, and don't touch it! Dispense it into the cap and then into your mouth. Just do one dose when you get it, then one tonight. That should do it.
That's a trip that you worked at Hahnemann U!
Once in a while you get shown the light, In the strangest of places if you look at it right.
Excellent article, Jen.
It seems silly to say that we are organic beings yet we use these inorganic means. Obviously, we need modern medicine. But in today's medicine there does not seem to be a balance between the two.
Preventative medicine is also a growing field.
Which seems totally backwards to me. Wouldn't it make more sense to start with preventative medicine. Duh. I understand that a lot of insurance companies will not cover preventative medicine. But that is slowly turning around.
Jen, I tried to look, but could not find, for an interview that occurred maybe about 5-6 years ago with an Eastern Dr. (Dr. Nan Lu?) who practiced both Western and Eastern medicine. it was a discussion comparing the differences. Eastern medicine has a completely different approach. It seems their approach is an all body perspective rather than a single symptom perspective. Any thoughts on the subject of the differences between the two?
I believe he also practices hybrid East/West medicine? And has published several books on same. I bought one on aging for my hubby! (Who is younger than I....) :-)
is a Western medicine, but it does more resemble Eastern philosophies on the mind/body and healing. As I mentioned in the original post, I've been through situations where surgery was necessary, so there definitely is a place for Western medicine, but there are many illnesses and diseases which are only surpressed by Western medicine that eventually come out in one form or another.
I'd like to find that interview because I do believe a melding of practices works best. There are a lot of Doctors who are open to using herbs and homeopathic remedies in their regular practice. It seems like veterinarians are more open to it, as there are a lot of them who incorporate alternative methods in their practice.
I'm not as familiar with Chinese medicine as I am with homeopathy, but there are several Chinese herbs I've come to depend on for different things.
Astragalus is an amazing immune system booster. I keep a bottle of Astra 8 on hand and if taken at the first signs of a cold you won't get sick. Thing with herbs is you have to take a lot -- 3 tablets 3 times a day.
I'm also intrigued by Ayurvedic medicine (Eastern Indian) and would like to learn more about that.
Once in a while you get shown the light, In the strangest of places if you look at it right.
jen.
So well done and helpful.
I've always believed in the "home remedies" first....when possible. Really appreciate the A-Z listing link. My sister, who is a nurse, is big on homeopathic remedies so I usually just ask her for advice or concoction to cure what ails me. Now I can look them up myself cuz you made it so nice and easy.
Thank you!
That's awesome your sis is knowledgeable about homeopathy! And speaking of home remedies! We have a series coming up on that which will be so fun, because everyone has a home remedy or two passed down from previous generations! Since putting the piece together I found another wonderful website full of home remedies! Stuff you'd find in most kitchens!
Once in a while you get shown the light, In the strangest of places if you look at it right.
I dry the leaves and brew it as tea when I feel like I'm coming down with a cold or something. It's supposed to have antibacterial and antiviral properties. I'm also big on ginger for stomach upset and gas. I prefer the unsweetened ginger tea bags if I can find them. My local Asian market has them sometimes. I never know. Otherwise, I resort to candied ginger. In England they like to eat gingersnaps for stomach upset and motion sickness. One of my friends (and others she knows have said it helps them too) eats coffee beans covered in dark chocolate to help her headaches. She says she eats a few of them with a cup of tea (leaded) and it helps kill the headache. It's the caffeine that does it.
Those are all some of my favorite things!
The lavendar they also use in France before bedtime like cammomile (sp?) as a calming tea. You can also put some under your pillow in a cachet. Zzzzz.
And I'm mad about GINGER!! Really. Just love it in any shape or form and it's great for you too. Last night I had a sea bass with a dark ginger sauce and spinach. Yummm. On the cruise we were on earlier this year, they had bowls of candied ginger sitting out all over the place to settle people's stomachs that might be seasick.
The chocolate coffee beans are yummy too. Also good as destressors believe it or not, the dark chocolate part. Endorphins and serotonin rush. When we had our ginormous earthquake here in '94, I ate all the dark chocolate Hagen Daz bars in the freezer (well, I also didn't want them all to melt, such a waste!) -- the electricity went down. But all that chocolate kept me from trembling with the many large aftershocks.
So much information and words of wisdom on this blog...awesome!!!
Here are my four stars for you and all the commenters here: ****!!!!!
I especially liked this paragraph in your history section: "The same philosophy holds true in martial arts after all. Martial arts recognize the idea of using your opponent's energy to contribute to his own downfall. Rather than resisting a punch with all your might and fighting back, martial arts like karate and hapkaido get into the flow of the energy and utilize it. The Western way is to attack and kill. The Eastern way is to allow your enemy to destroy himself. Homeopathy is more like martial arts."
That's what I'm now working on in karate--the flow! Once you've mastered the basics, it is time to learn how to make them flow smoothly together in order to become even more effective and to use the enemy's force in a way that puts it back on him/her.
I'm considering passing on the flu shot this year--sometimes I get one, sometimes I don't. I have also been increasing the amount of antioxidants I ingest on a daily basis, and I've noticed that I have more energy. Started with accai berry juice, but now take some "souped up" vitamins instead that are not the Centrum kind, but the more natural kind.
being the karate kid you are! :D
Yes, it's good to take food based vitamins. They are more easily assimilated and don't just flush out of your system. They're usually more expensive, but I've found them on Vitacost really cheap! Garden of Life, Source Naturals and Rainbow Light are all excellent brands. I'm taking a women's multi, calcium/magnesium, and krill oil, and will be adding flax oil to see if it helps this new hip thing that I think is a result of the spill I took last winter on the ice.
Once in a while you get shown the light, In the strangest of places if you look at it right.
Chelated magnesium and Fish Oil supplements.
I find all my aches and pains (muscle cramps, stiff joints, etc) are readily relieved with these 2.
I keep magnesium cream by the bedside for my often cramping knotty dancer's feet! Comes in handy as it works in only a few minutes after absorption. The Fish oil just gets upped when my joints tell me to. Trying to get my Mom to try that for her arthritis as well.
and on my way to dreamland, but just wanted to say that I completely heart this blog!
Thanks so much Jen and Survival Crew!!!
And briefly - I'm a big believer in supplements and superfoods - zinc is a staple and I down 500mg of niacin a day - along with my regular regimen of a multi vitamin, 500mg of calcium + 125 mg Vitamin D and the zinc and toss in extra C and E for good measure a couple of times a week. Also, the B vitamins are great adrenal support as well as recent evidence of having some preventative capabilities towards cancers of the female reproductive system.
And all the greens - I get some raw spinach every day, and also love the broccoli, green pepper - and all the squashes. So amazingly good for you. And Odwalla makes a terrific juice called 'Superfood' - and it is, it is!
I've sort of dabbled on the edge of homeopathy, and with a mother in law who happens to be the best massage therapist in the whole world, I hear alot about different alternative meds. But now that you've pointed me in the right direction, I think I'm going to grab this friend of mine who is having some recent problems (start with career and parenting stress and go from there to some pretty awful recent diagnosis's) and have a group visit to a local practitioner. Until this year, I was blissfully unaware of doctors, and would like very much to get back to yearly, rather than monthly visits to various specialists. Really, I feel lately as they're just toying about with me, and arguing amongst themselves while I'm just caught in the middle; I get to meet all sorts of technicians and see strange medical instruments and have them used upon my person in various and sometimes startling ways. Ahem. Really though, I am lucky, and do adore and respect the docs I have now; they're very inclusive and I often hear the phrase, "Well, what do you think we should do from here?" which is refreshing, to say the least. They're also surprisingly educated in alternative meds and supplements, and keep up on the latest data.
OK - so much for brief. Again - thank you so much for this.
B-100 Complex (for the liver, for the tipplers among us)
1500 mg of calcium (Tums)
1400 mg Vitamin D
One-a-Day for Men (no iron, for those with hemochromatosis)
The Calcium and Vitamin D are for osteoporosis. You can get the Vitamin D from the sun, but we know that too much sun has other problems.
Stan Davis
Lakewood, CO
Wes Clark -- Make America All It Can Be!
in a cruel, cruel world: (Sent to me)
Pocket Taser Stun Gun, a great gift for the wife.
Last weekend I saw something at Larry's Pistol & Pawn Shop that sparked my interest. The occasion was our 15th anniversary and I was looking for a little something extra for my wife Julie. What I came across was a
100,000-volt, pocket/purse- sized taser. The effects of the taser were supposed to be short lived, with no long-term adverse affect on your assailant, allowing her adequate time to retreat to safety....??
WAY TOO COOL! Long story short, I bought the device and brought it home. I loaded two AAA batteries in the darn thing and pushed the button. Nothing!
I was disappointed. I learned, however, that if I pushed the button AND pressed it against a metal surface at the same time; I'd get the blue arc of electricity darting back and forth between the prongs. AWESOME!!! Unfortunately, I have yet to explain to Julie what that burn spot is on the face of her microwave.
Okay, so I was home alone with this new toy, thinking to myself that it couldn't be all that bad with only two triple-A batteries, right?
There I sat in my recliner, my cat Gracie looking on intently (trusting little soul) while I was reading the directions and thinking that I really needed to try this thing out on a flesh & blood moving target. I must admit I thought about zapping Gracie (for a fraction of a second) and thought better of it. She is such a sweet cat. But, if I was going to give this thing to my wife to protect herself against a mugger, I did want some assurance that it would work as advertised. Am I wrong?
So, there I sat in a pair of shorts and a tank top with my reading glasses perched delicately on the bridge of my nose, directions in one hand, and taser in another. The directions said that a one-second burst would shock and disorient your assailant; a two-second burst was supposed to cause muscle spasms and a major loss of bodily control; a three-second burst would purportedly make your assailant flop on the ground like a fish out of water. Any burst longer than three seconds would be wasting the batteries. All the while I'm looking at this little device measuring about 5" long, less than 3/4 inch in circumference; pretty cute really and (loaded with two itsy, bitsy triple-A batteries) thinking to myself, 'no possible way!'
What happened next is almost beyond description, but I'll do my best...?
I'm sitting there alone, Gracie looking on with her head cocked to one side as to say, 'don't do it dipshit,' reasoning that a one second burst from such a tiny little ole thing couldn't hurt all that bad. I decided to give myself a one second burst just for heck of it. I touched the prongs to my naked thigh, pushed the button, and . . HOLY MOTHER OF GOD . . . WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION . WHAT THE HELL!!!
I'm pretty sure Jessie Ventura ran in through the side door, picked me up in the recliner, then body slammed us both on the carpet, over and over and over again. I vaguely recall waking up on my side in the fetal position, with tears in my eyes, body soaking wet, both nipples on fire, with my left arm tucked under my body in the oddest position, and tingling in my legs?
The cat was making meowing sounds I had never heard before, clinging to a picture frame hanging above the fireplace, obviously in an attempt to avoid getting slammed by my body flopping all over the living room.
Note: If you ever feel compelled to 'mug' yourself with a taser, one note of caution: there is no such thing as a one second burst when you zap yourself! You will not let go of that thing until it is dislodged from your hand by a violent thrashing about on the floor.. A three second burst would be considered conservative?
IT HURT LIKE HELL!!!
A minute or so later (I can't be sure, as time was a relative thing at that point), I collected my wits (what little I had left), sat up and surveyed the landscape. My bent reading glasses were on the mantel of the fireplace. The recliner was upside down and about 8 feet or so from where it originally was. My triceps, right thigh and both nipples were still twitching. My face felt like it had been shot up with Novocain, and my bottom lip weighed 88 lbs. I had no control over the drooling. Apparently I pooped on myself, but was too numb to know for sure and my sense of smell was gone. I saw a faint smoke cloud above my head which I believe came from my hair.
P. S. My wife loved the gift, and now regularly threatens me with it!
'If you think education is difficult, try being stupid.'
None of the Above; However, Wes Clark as Secretary of State will do!
I have to look into this more...
It's very sad how the govt. will support the well being of the companies but not of the people.
Thanks again!
as I sit with this big ugly broken toe and bruised foot! To the Arnica, post haste. :)
Thank you Jen for all your research and work on this. I know you have an expansive depth of knowledge on this issue so if anyone has any questions or maladies that need 'fixin' .... just ask Dr. Jen!
:)