Medicinal Herbs

Dose anyone have Rose Hip seeds? Has anyone use they? Thanks Connie

We used to collect these in the fall. You can probably get some at your local health food store. Or, order on line.

Linda, I was wondering. It use to be that light colored loose fitting clothing was cooler thus is what wondering desert people wore. Seems like the rationale behind that was dark absorbs light and white reflects light. Has that changed? I know thats true in geology and astronomy. I have hard times keeping up with all the new research.
There is a wild rose that grows up here with lots of rose hips and i've gathered them once made some tea with them and enjoyed it
untill i found a bug in my tea and lost my hunger for rose hip tea. There was'nt many roses this year because of the spring weather.

Gloria, You must have been doing a study on Native Americans like the mound people?
Vickie

This site has some info on skin cancer and UV ray protection. I myself sometimes get confused, but I know there is a difference between clothes that keep us cool and those that block UV rays. I never would have looked into all this if I hadn't had skin cancer.

http://www.skincancerinfoline.com/clothing-protection.html

Now there are some fabrics that block uv rays.

Vickie: Yes. I was stationed here at Mound State Park which has some 36 Indian mounds and was a political center to around 1200 AD. I worked all over the Southeast as a field archaeologist for about 15 years sometimes through the winter.

Here is an article about wild roses. You may find the type that grows in your area.

http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/710/

Linda, hey! thanks so much for the article link. This ole woman still has a lot of learning to do.(Thank heavens) So for uv waves it takes closely woven material to do the job. Which if one thinks about it....makes sense. Hoping you stay cancer free.
Gloria, I drove thru Alabama a couple years ago on my way to NC and i stopped at a (I think) State Park called Moundville. There were mounds and had been houses built by students on mounds.Of course had been vandalized. I was able to walk most places then and spent the afternoon looking around and talking to the curator, i remember an artifact found there with a snake symbol in a circle that was beautiful.
Vickie

Hi Cando1: Moundville is about 18 miles east of me. I worked there (I mean our offices were there) for about 15 years. We worked throughout the Southeast, especially on the Tennesee River. Actually, there hasn't been much excavation at Moundville. Most excavation there was done by the WPA in the 1930s. (Works-Progress Administration). We usually only excavate if the information will be destroyed by construction. The last work I did was along the Tenn-Tom Waterway.

Okay...since cold and flu season is here, what do YOU use for an alternative approach? I'm starting to get over what was probably a cold...although it was especially nasty and affected my stomach and made food taste bad, so I'm not sure. Echinacea, zinc, Vit. C? I use a decongestant from the drugstore because nothing else seems to work for me. Some Red Clover tea...figured it might help.

Homemade elderberry syrup for coughs. Sage/fresh ginger root/lemon/honey tea for sore throat and upper respiratory gunk. Fire cider vinegar for sore throat/nasal congestion! Open Sinuses inhalation for stuffed up sinuses. Sometimes, thyme infusion rather than the sage mixture. Lots of water, rest.

A few months ago I took two separate courses of antibiotics. (An infected tooth, and a urinary tract infection. ) When I asked if I could take them together the nurse said - you might get a stomach ache. I sure did
weeks and weeks of nausea, one flu episode after another. DiZziness was very uncomfortable.

I finally realized I needed to rebuild my intestinal flora to compensate for the antibiotics. I also searched on line, for "immune system".

The foundation of your immune system is intestinal flora. In my case - yogurt was ineffective. I bought some wide spectrum pro-biotics. Also, I took cranberry capsules 3 x a day along with the pro-biotics. I also took grape seed extract with resveratrol.

I haven't had a cold, or flu since. And no urinary tract infections.

There are other things that will build up your immune system - like getting a good share of antioxidants and eating mostly vegetables and minor amounts of other types of foods.

I guess I should get a flu shot but I haven't got one yet.

We got ours...with DH disabled and his immunity compromised by his medical conditions, it's mandatory. I probably would have benefited by some of those green drinks that Dr. Oz recommends. But I didn't have that much on hand out here in the boonies and by the time we went into town the day before Thanksgiving, I was feeling way too sick at my stomach to even think about fixing something like that for myself. Times like that, I really wish I had someone to take care of me...and him also. Oh, I forgot...I did use some elderberry tea once I finally figured out where the dried elderberries were...I'd forgotten where I put them.

I am in a rural area, too. And I know when you are sick you don't feel like driving to town. I ordered the probiotics on line through Amazon.

Later I learned that you can get them at CVS - acidophilous.

I really think probiotics are basic to health - especially when you go to the doctor a lot and you are exposed to what everybody in the doctor's office has.

If we ate fresh foods from the garden we wouldn't need probiotics - but few people have that.

Let's see...high blood pressure, Bitter Melon is supposed to be quite effective.

For difficulty sleeping, I prefer catnip and tila.

How about bronchitis? Right now I'm drinking Neo citron with a hefty shot of rum...but there has to be a more natural remedy...

I use decaffeinated tea with natural honey [ has honey cone in jar ] for coughs at night - I keep it in a thermos in bathroom . Every-time I pee , I drink either the tea or if not sick water / juice .
Cranberry juice [ not drink ] + apple or white grape juice [ not drink again ]
I use the juice from ponderosa lemon + cinnamon in oatmeal for upset stomach .
I put either essence oil or pine-o-pine in a pot of water and put under filter in central heating unit . It keeps mold and stuff from growing in vents .
A capful of tide liquid in the tank of toilet [ where water is stored ] once every week or 2 .
I also get a flu shot every year .
Hope this helps .

Two tablespoons apple cider vinegar with two tbls honey in a half cup of hot water. Yummy, tart, and heals whatever ails you.

(You can substitute lemon juice for the ACV but I don't think it works as well.)

Linda, for prevention I’d suggest Echinacea, Vitamin C, and anti-oxidants, as well as anything else that makes you healthier; being healthy is the best way to prevent colds to begin with. For sickness it's self, depends a bit on how you’re sick but, I make a tea or soup out of Rosemary, Sage, Garlic and Echinacea, tastes horrible, the soup is a bit better. Then push Cranberry juice and yogurt, as well as the stuff listed above.

I know Onions are good for high blood pressure I have some other helpers in a file I can’t access right now, I’ll try to remember to get back on here with those.

I take a T. of honey daily to help with my allergies, I found it works well for sore throats as well.

I agree with Zhinu: The purple juices blueberry cranberry pommegranate and grape have antioxidants. Also broccoli sprouts and all the cruciferous vegetables - cabbage etc.

If you have been exposed to antibiotics or are subject to chronic infections you may need something stronger than yogurt - like probiotics.

There is a lot of things out there that help, I was just listing the "natural" remedies I could think of. What is Probiotics?

http://nccam.nih.gov/health/probiotics/

Probiotics - or "friendly bacteria" are essential to normal function of the intestine.

I think they would be classified as "natural". When you have vague queasy nausea
and a slight fever and chronic colds, flu, or urinary tract infections you may need to replenish your personal "friendly bacteria".

A poor diet and chronic illness and overmedication can deplete natural intestinal bacteria which is an essential part of the human immune system.

We drink kefir to replenish/help intestinal flora.

I have a friend that uses that ~ I beleive he makes his own?

Yes, if you can get your hands on some kefir grains, you can start making your own. Or you can pay $4 a pint at the health food store!

I believe Garden Mermaid said you can use other kinds of fermented foods also - like sauerkraut. But once its cooked/canned it is less effective. You have to make it fresh, or find a deli that has it fresh.

The probiotic capsules are just a quick way to replenish a supply especially if your own have been destroyed by antibiotics.

I have been recovering from the cold or whatever bug it was. But still had some congestion...I had my sinuses acting up during this thing, but it got worse and the pain has been really killing me the last couple of days. So I'll be fighting that now.

Any advice on a good expectorant?(sp)This is for my brother who won't quit smoking and has a lot of mucus and of course breathing problems. i know the best advice is to quit smoking but that isn't going to happen at 67. Vit C helps a lot but what else?

Betty Davis once said - if I quit smoking at my age Id die from the shock.

Of course she did die from smoking but she lived a long time.

I would treat an older smoker the same way as a person with cancer. Scan web.md and prevention.com for antioxidants and find a wide variety that he likes.

One of my class mates just died from lung cancer. I went from kindergarten thru highschool with him. for got about him and then one day I got an email from him - some 50 years later. A few months later he was dead. From smoking. He said the doctors said what he could do is eat very well. Too little, too late.

This message was edited Dec 7, 2008 7:39 AM

wineaux, you may find this article of interest:

http://www.herbaled.org/Education/Articles/cough.html

Are herbalists registered somewhere? I mean, is there someplace you can go and look one up locally? Do they go through any special training?

Bette Davis, one of my all time favorite actors. No one smoked a cig like Bette.

garden...very interesting. I will do some experimenting in diffrent catagories to see where we stand. I would like to eventually be in the place where I do know the diffrence between using Lobelia over Licorice or Ginger over Mullein. Thank you for taking the time Gloria and Mermaid to answer.

Be careful when using Lobelia inflata. It is a very useful herb, but it isn't called puke weed for nothing! A little is good for expectorating stuck mucus, a little more makes you retch. Herbalists are not registered. Anyone can call themselves an herbalist, whether they have had training or not. So, you have to inquire on where and how the herbalist got his skills. The American Herbalists' Guild has a list of herbalists they call herbalists. This is a peer-reviewed assignment. You must show your training, a certain amount of clinical hours, etc. Go to their website and look for a state by state list. This list is NOT all inclusive. Also, certain acupuncturists have been trained in Chinese herbal medicine. Many Naturopathic doctors have herbal training as well. Not all states accept ND licensure and practice though. NY state doesn't, but I can cross over to VT to visit an ND if I desire.

Very comprehensive article, GM.

http://www.herbaled.com/THM/thmindex_fs.html

I saw this therapeutic index when I was checking out their web site.

This message was edited Dec 4, 2008 8:36 AM

This message was edited Dec 4, 2008 8:40 AM

Thanks garden merry and gloria125
for the herb links I've been looking for a good herbal info link.
I mainly use books but this looks like a good info site. I like to double check any herbs before i use them.
Vickie

This is getting a bit long.

New Room!
New Room!
New Room!

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/931062/