Alternative Medicine

I take the following herbs, vitamins and supplements daily: Vit. A,C,E, selenium (basic antioxidant cocktail), calcium/magnesium, iron, dong quai and feverfew. I have been taking classes on mind-body medicine, specifically energy healing, for a year. Anyone else like to share their regimen?

Nothing on a terribly regular basis except B-complex. I try to get most of my vitamins from foods (not always successful). I've been really pleased with the combonation of ginseng and echinacea teas. Pretty good about consuming enough citrus to take care of my C requirements. Rest and exercise are probably my most potent doses. If I start to lag with one, my body (and spirit) really begin to suffer.

lookit me! -- Typo queen!

What specific use does B-complex serve? By the way, I was in one of the big-time supermarkets last night in the county seat and found those CS teas you mentioned. I bought the Emperor's Choice because it sounded yummiest. (sp?) I'll let you know what I think. Got Lipton decaf lemon too, because theirs has orange blossoms.

B6 -- happy pill! B12 -- helps with digestion  of certain carbos (of which I tend to consume plenty!) those are the big ones for me I started taking B6 about 7 years ago to curb the effects of a bad menstrual cycle... eases cramps and evens moods!

Always take a balance B complex, because they fight for absorption in your intestines, so you can wind up increasing a deficiency instead of correcting it. I'll pull out the books later and tell you what the rest are for.

I would be very interested in trying B6 for the same benefits you describe, Stacey. The dong quai is supposedly for that purpose, and I have noticed an improvement the last 3 months I've been taking it. However, if I forget to stop taking it at the outset of my period, the cycle is way heavier. I'd like to hear your theory, wer, about having to balance the B vit intake before I do anything.

B complex vitamins: B-1 (thiamin) B-2 (riboflavin) B-3 (niacin and niacinamide) B-6 (pyridoxine) B-12 (cobalamin) folic acid, pantothenic acid, biotin, choline, inositol, and PABA B-1: metabolism of carbohydrates; converting fatty acids into steroids; growth and maintenance of healthy skin; disease resistance; antioxidant B-2: metabolism of enzymes for oxygen transport; metabolism of lipids; tissue repair; anemia; production of antibodies; maintenance of eyes B-3: maintenance of healthy skin, gastrointenstinal tract, and nervous system; lowers blood cholestrol and triglyceride levels; vasodilator B-6: metabolism of amino acids; metabolism of essential fatty acids; maintenance of healthy skin; production of serotonin and other neuro- transmitters (Stacey's happy pill nomenclature); treating carpal tunnel syndrome; treating PMS; diuretic; production of red blood cells and antibodies; treatment of asthma, sickle-cell anemia, diabetes, msg sensitivity, and possibly melanoma B-12: fat and carbohydrate metabolism; production of myelin All actually help the immune system and mental conditions such as depression, moodiness, apathy, irritability, dementia, schizophrenia, fatigue, lethargy, etcetera...and are especially needed during times of excess work, physical or mental stress, injury, pregnancy, lactation, or if you are an alcoholic, a smoker, or take oral contraception. I currently take Bronson's SuperB (when I take any, and currently I'm not (duh, huh?)) but it's not balanced. I do good on a balanced 100 four to five times a week, with an initial start-up of 2 on the first day, and then one per day until I feel better. If you take up to 200 of some of them on a daily basis, you can become dependent and go through withdrawal if you just stop taking them, kinda like a Vitamin C crash. What else you wanna know?

If you are taking a balanced complex, you can safely take 2-3 times that amount of any of the B's on top of the complex, for specific deficiencies... forgot to say that B-12 supplementation is always recommended for strict vegetarians, also...

Wow, really learned a lot there. I will definitely get some at the health food store next week. Just one (dumb) question: what happened to B vitamins 4 and 7 through 11? By the way, I'm not strict, I'm "lacto-ovo-pesca" (can't give up those Maryland blue crabs!)

Don't know the answer to that one. Stacey, how about you?

with all the typing in here yesterday, I got back on my B's...

I thought the numbers had something to do with the makeup of the molecules... it that case, 4 - 11 aren't typical structures. May be wrong.

Sounds good to me! I am going to try the 5-day cleansing diet described in last month's "Natural Health" magazine. 5 days of nothing but water, tea, juice, vegetables and psyllium which is supposed to detox the entire system. There was an interesting article in another publication about how our food doesn't contain the necessary enzymes to break itself down anymore, so it makes a lot of extra work for your liver and pancreas.

just got chastized by a friend and coworker for looking too skinny it's certainly a stress thing. I don't eat when I'm stressed. between work and home I've got the 'clothes on bones' look -- none too attractive so I think I'll skip the detox diet in favor of some high calorie foods! energy level is still high and the thighs are still there... don't really see what the problem is until I look in the mirror at the cheekbones. Got great cheekbones this week!

Yeah, I looked pretty gaunt after 5 days of hospital food (or projection thereof) in '95 when my spleen threatened to implode...funny though, within a week of coming home I was back to my regular weight. If you are stressed, certainly there are a number of herbal supplements to tone your system, but of course they're no substitute for coping with the source of the stress. WER, just read an article in Energy Times (health store freebie) extolling the virtues of B vitamins...basically echoed your remarks. Gotta get me some of that!

wanna mushroom Marsala on cappelini and a double tiramisu, Stacey? Let me know what else you want info on in this area, Autumn, got lots of reference material (even if I don't follow it...)

Read another article--did you know that there are warnings on toothpaste now about not swallowing too much? Apparently excessive fluoride consumption is linked to all kinds of cancer. Some people who drink bottled water just to avoid fluoride are very upset because the govt is thinking of passing legislation to require fluoride be added to bottled water.

yes WER! Besides the numerous glasses of tea and a couple of chocolates not much good has gone into this body in a while. Tomorrow I am going to make myself a fried egg sandwich with cheese before heading off to work! (you've really got me thinkin' about that offer. *smile*)

actually, there's a lot of bad information about flouride consumption... (come on by whenever, and I'll let ya have it!)

Well, got my B vitamin complex, and it looks pretty inclusive. I'll keep you posted on the results. Does anyone know what the heck that mailing list proviso is all about?

Taking the B vitamins--things are looking very yellow, if you catch my drift... Have any of you incorporated flax seed oil into your diet? We've been using it since last summer. It's hard to measure its cholesterol-lowering benefits, but it has definitely improved my daughter's eczema, as it was purported to do.

dosed on spirulina this weekend. My immune system is shot from all the stress and I've really been trying to take better care of the 'temple.' I made a huge batch of Tom Yum with extra mushrooms and tofu instead of shrimp and that lasted for most of last week. Kind of a detox regimen but more because I just love the soup. Feel like I've been gone an awfully long time... any new births, deaths, marriages...?

Missed seeing you around stacey, but you haven't missed much that I know of (except that brouhaha in "porch" over the bios). I'm eating chocolate fudge in anticipation of starting my detox diet Wed. morning. Stopping at the health food store tomorrow for psyllium and bentonite clay (*shudder*). Does the spirulina algae energize you the way it claims?

might be psychosamatic but, yes it does. I think it may be attributed to the fact that when I drink spirulina and dose on all the other herbs, I am also eating cleaner and taking better care of my body -- a cummulative effect!

ah, synergism... (in that spirit, I like a little wheat grass with my spirulina...)

today I'm dosing on Jelly Bellies!

and that is something that I am much more at home with...now if they just had Spirulina/MegaB Jelly Bellies...

I'll keep my eyes open for algae Jelly Bellies! I've been on this detox regimen 12 hours now and my head is about to explode. Don't know if it's the diet or the flu (everyone else here has it). Time will tell.

doesn't sound good Autumn. If it makes you feel bad it's never worth it and if you're sick it's a poor time to detox your body.

Detox diet aborted. The first 2 days were OK, then this morning I woke up with a killer migraine. All bets were off; I had to go into my elaborate migraine troubleshooting mode. Fortunately, the caffeine worked right away and I recovered by the time I had to put my daughter on the bus. What the heck am I supposed to do with all this quinoa? Guess I'll ask wer in the food conference next time...

Is it ground, or whole?

Whole. Do you think I can mix it with water, milk, cinnamon, sugar & raisins, cook it and eat it like oatmeal? I know my kids will be suspicious otherwise...

Being a grain, I don't see why not... you could also grind into flour if'n you bake bread, or sprout 'em if they're not processed and you like sprouts... I'll see what else I can dig up.

I've tried the 'oatmeal' idea. Not bad actually. the sprouts sounded good!

could probably steam like couscous and make something like a pilaf, too...

I thought about that, but I already have an institutional-size quantity of bulgur and couscous and was looking for something out of the ordinary to do. The sprout idea is intriguing--how do I do it?

You wouldn't by chance own The Joy of Cooking, would you?

would that be a sequel to The Joy of Sex?

Not sure, wanna compare notes, Stacey?

i'll show you mine if you show me yours...

I'll bet you would, too... and probably what to do with mine as well, if I'm not mistaken...

No Joy of Cooking or Sex. (sigh) Though I bet my hubby thinks I could use them both!

now, now... Okay, their description of sproutin' is long, but I'll get it typed in this afternoon... remember, copyright violation is your best entertainment for the dollar...

*giggle*

Aww, I don't want you to incriminate yourself, wer! Maybe you could just sum up the process in 20 words or less? If it's an elaborate proposition, I'll just give the stuff to the food pantry and let them deal with it!

Well, you gotta soak, rinse, check for mold, repeat, etcetera... I'll try to paraphrase when I get to type it in... and, if I haven't incriminated myself on here yet, let's hope I never go there...

Anybody read about that 9 year-old girl who published an article in the American Journal of Medicine debunking Therapeutic Touch? The AMA must really be on a witch hunt, using fourth graders' science fair projects....

*laugh*

BTW... I disagree with the philosophy that touch doesn't make a difference. Not only does it change my moods but it seems to keep me healthier. (all related of course!)

Sure! Just ask any baby. Remember all those rhesus monkeys clinging to the chicken wire monkey mannequins in the psych textbooks?

yes, I remember. What a sad existence... no warm body to hug you back.

The woman who owns the natural products shop where I buy my herbs has me dousing the tops of my mattresses with a red & white vinegar/baking soda concoction to prevent the formaldehyde from off-gassing. Have you ever heard of this?

Not I, but it may be in a book I've got lying around. I'll check.

do you carry on with Gregorian chants while you douse?

Naaaah, the chanting would probably freak my kids out worse than the smell... I'm curious to see what you turn up, wer.

Haven't been told THAT in awhile...

Couldn't find that remedy, Autumn, but here's what I found out about formaldehyde: When oxidixed, it turns into formic acid, and when reduced, into methyl alcohol... Formaldehyde is a suspected human carcinogen, has been related to teratogenic and mutagenic changes in bacteriological studies, and may be a contributing factor in sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). The National Academy of Sciences estimates that 10 to 20 percent of the general population may be susceptible to the irritant properties of formaldehyde at extremely low concentrations. Symptoms from inhalation of vapors include cough, swelling of the throat, watery eyes, respiratorry problems, throat irritation, headaches, rashes, tiredness, excessive thirst, nausea, nosebleeds, insomnia, disorientation, bronchoconstriction, and asthma attacks. Skin contact can cause skin erruptions. Long-term exposure can cause allergic sensitization. And if the bedding contains polyurethane foam, you should also know about toluene diisocyanate, with its own set of severe lung problems. Possible bad boys in bedding: polyurethane foam fire retardants polyester permanent-press finishes acrylics

Earlier in this topic we spoke of flouride, so: Flouride is carcinogenic. More than ten thousand cancer deaths per year are linked to flouridated water. Exposure also can cause tiredness and weakness, mottling of the teeth, wrinkled skin, a prickly sensation in the muscles, kidney and bladder disorders, constipation, vomiting, itching after bathing, excessive thirst, headaches, arthritis, gum diseases, nervousness, diarrhea, hair loss, skin disorders, stomach disorders, numbness, brittle nails, sinus problems, mouth ulcers, vision problems, eczema, bronchitis, and asthma. Excessive flouride also can reduce blood vitamin C levels, weaken the immune system, and cause birth defects and genetic damage. The use of flouride has been banned in ten European countries.

Geez, Louise! I'm gonna go right up and put a lock on my toothpaste cap! That is downright frightening, wer. You must have the same book as my shopkeeper friend. She was telling me all about the evils of not only formaldehyde, but also acrylic, polyester, vinyl, phenol and PVCs. Now I'm giving my laundry the same treatment as the mattresses. It's worth it just to have the reduced risk of asthma/breathing problems.

Stacey, have you seen that Celestial Seasonings has their own line of herbal remedies now? You'll have to check those out in their gift shop! I'm reading a really interesting book right now, "Healing Foods," that features various, well, foods, their healing properties, and recipes. It's nice to get new ideas from time to time.

tried a few already... enchinea, ginko, and ginseng. not bad. i prefer my herbal supplements in tea though

Have you ever grown your own?

in a dark closet with a black light??? *smile*

I'll send you some seed, Stace, if'n you'll share the harvest... *wink*

love that homegrown herb!

sprinkle it here, there, everywhere!

Ear Ache Medicine 1 T. honey 1 T. tobacco 1 T. cabbage Stuff in onion and roast in hot ashes. Squeeze and use juice for drops. by Elizabeth N. Stutzman

I always heard garlic or mullein oil, which are less complicated. What do you suppose the tobacco's for? Is this the first actual medicinal use for it? I've also heard that if anyone in the family's sick, you should slice open an onion, put it on a saucer, and place it on top of the fridge or some other highly-trafficked space. It will somehow kill the airborne germs to prevent the spread to others. Gotta go, I feel an earache coming on...got a light?

not sure...I do know tobacco is good for bee, wasp, etcetera stings, and if you chew tobacco and swallow instead of spit, it will keep you from getting intestinal worms...

does it keep you from getting them or does it just kill them on contact?

excellent point...

and from the smoker no less!

I don't think you'll find this in any medical journal, but at the first sign of a migraine, a strong cup of caffeinated coffee and a cigarette can stop it in its tracks. They act to constrict the blood vessels and limit oxygen to the brain, I'm guessing.

the caffeine you will...

yup, and nicotine too! most aspirin brands have about 25 mg of caffeine per tablet just for that reason.

How many mgs. in a cup o cafe?

around 30 mg, i believe.

Wow, an aspirin is almost equal to a cup o java.

well, not really...

No, I'm thinking 90 mg. for coffee, 40 mg. for tea. Coke falls in the middle, I believe.

i think you are right, autumn.