Natural Medicine
Notes on Self Medicating
So you've read a few Natural Medicine books about a health problem that you have
been diagnosed with or that you think that you might have. You have a friend who has
read a few magazine articles on the subject and your doctor said that you could try a
natural medicine alternative supplement from the drugstore instead of the drug you
refused to take. So here you are, taking a Fistful of supplements everyday. And you
begin to wonder - 1. I spent a whole paycheck on this stuff? 2. Didn't I want to avoid
taking pills in the first place?
Maybe I exaggerated this a little bit, but I want to show just how this can happen.
Natural Medicine, typically, is supposed to take a holistic approach, therefore not
encouraging the use of so may things that they counteract each other. The truth is,
that this is more common than you would think. I am very grateful that we still have the
right to put whatever we want to put in our mouths in there. If I want to eat a bucket
load of chocolate it is still my God given right to make my face break out and gain 100
pounds if I so choose. I can go to the health food store and buy any supplement that I
want and I can take as much or as little as I please. But, I believe that this freedom is
widely overused. I'm not saying that all the Natural medicines and herbs should be
banned and taken off the shelves - by no means. I love having herbs to take with
knowledge and wisdom.
The problem is that, though supplements are food and should not be regulated,
People do not have the proper education needed to use them wisely. And because
supplements are food, it is illegal for supplement companies to put information on the
label. So, people read magazine articles or books from frequently questionable
sources and self prescribe whatever they read about.
I had a massage client recently who asked me "Do you think I could take a green leafy
vegetable supplement, even though my medication says that I shouldn't eat green
leafy vegetables?" Of course I had to ask - "What medication?" She was on a Dr's
prescription of coumadin - a blood thinner - for years. The Dr. Thought that it was
under control and hadn't seen her in his office for about a year. So her clotting time
had not been checked for a long time. When coumadin is prescribed - especially as it
first introduced to the body, the levels are monitored very closely to be certain that
those levels do not get to a point where the blood will not clot or where it will clot too
fast.. The danger there is that a person could form a blood clot so easily as to have
one go to the brain or heart causing heart attack, stroke, or death. The other problem
is that if the blood is too thin, a person could bleed from every pore just sitting and
watching TV, or they could die from a nosebleed.
Well, I hadn't heard much about green leafies causing problems with coumadin but
they are high in Vitamin E and I knew that Vitamin E was a problem with coumadin
and I said this to this lady. And I told her that she should talk to her Dr. If she wanted
to take a green supplement so that he could monitor her levels, When she asks,
"What's wrong with Vitamin E?"
Vitamin E is a blood thinner by itself. Then she proceeds to tell me that she has been
taking Vitamin E for cysts in her breasts for the last few months because her neighbor
told her that that would help it. So, here is a lady with a coumadin prescription med
that has been regulated for years on it, she starts taking Vitamin E because her
neighbor said so, and she wants to start taking a green supplement too, all of which
thin the blood. She could have died! Luckily she asked me her question, and luckily I
knew the answer. If she had asked someone else, she might have been told - "Sure,
Green Supplements are good for you."
My point in writing this article is to reinforce that magazine articles, neighbors, and
even legitimate books can provide a lot of information, but it is best to talk to someone
who knows and is educated about natural medicine and supplements and
medications and always tell your Doctor about everything that you take!
So you've read a few Natural Medicine books about a health problem that you have
been diagnosed with or that you think that you might have. You have a friend who has
read a few magazine articles on the subject and your doctor said that you could try a
natural medicine alternative supplement from the drugstore instead of the drug you
refused to take. So here you are, taking a Fistful of supplements everyday. And you
begin to wonder - 1. I spent a whole paycheck on this stuff? 2. Didn't I want to avoid
taking pills in the first place?
Maybe I exaggerated this a little bit, but I want to show just how this can happen.
Natural Medicine, typically, is supposed to take a holistic approach, therefore not
encouraging the use of so may things that they counteract each other. The truth is,
that this is more common than you would think. I am very grateful that we still have the
right to put whatever we want to put in our mouths in there. If I want to eat a bucket
load of chocolate it is still my God given right to make my face break out and gain 100
pounds if I so choose. I can go to the health food store and buy any supplement that I
want and I can take as much or as little as I please. But, I believe that this freedom is
widely overused. I'm not saying that all the Natural medicines and herbs should be
banned and taken off the shelves - by no means. I love having herbs to take with
knowledge and wisdom.
The problem is that, though supplements are food and should not be regulated,
People do not have the proper education needed to use them wisely. And because
supplements are food, it is illegal for supplement companies to put information on the
label. So, people read magazine articles or books from frequently questionable
sources and self prescribe whatever they read about.
I had a massage client recently who asked me "Do you think I could take a green leafy
vegetable supplement, even though my medication says that I shouldn't eat green
leafy vegetables?" Of course I had to ask - "What medication?" She was on a Dr's
prescription of coumadin - a blood thinner - for years. The Dr. Thought that it was
under control and hadn't seen her in his office for about a year. So her clotting time
had not been checked for a long time. When coumadin is prescribed - especially as it
first introduced to the body, the levels are monitored very closely to be certain that
those levels do not get to a point where the blood will not clot or where it will clot too
fast.. The danger there is that a person could form a blood clot so easily as to have
one go to the brain or heart causing heart attack, stroke, or death. The other problem
is that if the blood is too thin, a person could bleed from every pore just sitting and
watching TV, or they could die from a nosebleed.
Well, I hadn't heard much about green leafies causing problems with coumadin but
they are high in Vitamin E and I knew that Vitamin E was a problem with coumadin
and I said this to this lady. And I told her that she should talk to her Dr. If she wanted
to take a green supplement so that he could monitor her levels, When she asks,
"What's wrong with Vitamin E?"
Vitamin E is a blood thinner by itself. Then she proceeds to tell me that she has been
taking Vitamin E for cysts in her breasts for the last few months because her neighbor
told her that that would help it. So, here is a lady with a coumadin prescription med
that has been regulated for years on it, she starts taking Vitamin E because her
neighbor said so, and she wants to start taking a green supplement too, all of which
thin the blood. She could have died! Luckily she asked me her question, and luckily I
knew the answer. If she had asked someone else, she might have been told - "Sure,
Green Supplements are good for you."
My point in writing this article is to reinforce that magazine articles, neighbors, and
even legitimate books can provide a lot of information, but it is best to talk to someone
who knows and is educated about natural medicine and supplements and
medications and always tell your Doctor about everything that you take!
How Many Natural Medicines or Supplements Do I Need?
OK, so you have 20 bottles of natural medicines sitting in your medicine cabinet, all of
which were purchased without reading my above article. :) , Anyway, Now you are
wondering, "I've read that all of these things are good for me, why shouldn't I be taking
them?
Here are a couple proven facts. The more food supplements you take, the less actual
food your body needs. This causes you to either eat more than you need and waste
either the natural medicine or the food, or you aren't hungry enough for a balanced meal.
And I don't care who tells you that natural medicine doesn't have reactions - they've
never combined them with prescription medications or paid attention to the effects that
cancelled each other out . But I'm here to tell you that the more items that can be taken
medicinally - medications, herbal teas, natural medicines... whatever that go into a
person's mouth - the higher the liklihood of having a bad reaction or having different
items cancel each other out and reduce their effectiveness. I know that you don't spend
your money to throw it away, so I'm telling you now, that is exactly what you do when you
take too much. Strangely enough - herb sales people will tell you that herbs are foods
and don't cause reactions - well - Turkey is food , and it makes you sleepy. The point is
that you wouldn't buy the natural medicine if you didn't want an effect. Those effects can
and will respond diffrently when other things are in the system. Too much of a good
thing is not a better thing. Moderation is the key. As a general rule, if you are taking
more that 5 natural medicines, I'd reconsider it. And always tell your Doctor what you
are taking. Speak with a professional who knows natural medicine as well, so that you
are not playing Russian Roulette with your health.
OK, so you have 20 bottles of natural medicines sitting in your medicine cabinet, all of
which were purchased without reading my above article. :) , Anyway, Now you are
wondering, "I've read that all of these things are good for me, why shouldn't I be taking
them?
Here are a couple proven facts. The more food supplements you take, the less actual
food your body needs. This causes you to either eat more than you need and waste
either the natural medicine or the food, or you aren't hungry enough for a balanced meal.
And I don't care who tells you that natural medicine doesn't have reactions - they've
never combined them with prescription medications or paid attention to the effects that
cancelled each other out . But I'm here to tell you that the more items that can be taken
medicinally - medications, herbal teas, natural medicines... whatever that go into a
person's mouth - the higher the liklihood of having a bad reaction or having different
items cancel each other out and reduce their effectiveness. I know that you don't spend
your money to throw it away, so I'm telling you now, that is exactly what you do when you
take too much. Strangely enough - herb sales people will tell you that herbs are foods
and don't cause reactions - well - Turkey is food , and it makes you sleepy. The point is
that you wouldn't buy the natural medicine if you didn't want an effect. Those effects can
and will respond diffrently when other things are in the system. Too much of a good
thing is not a better thing. Moderation is the key. As a general rule, if you are taking
more that 5 natural medicines, I'd reconsider it. And always tell your Doctor what you
are taking. Speak with a professional who knows natural medicine as well, so that you
are not playing Russian Roulette with your health.
Uri International makes some excellent
whole food drinks and supplements that can
help you to get your 5 a Day veggies and
fruits in tasty easily absorbable form. Natural
Medicine experts and allopathic medicine
experts agree that fruits and veggies are
essential to optimal health
Just as a side note - do not take fruit and
veggie supplements and Blood Thinners
together as you could have a deadly cocktail
on your hands. Talk to your Doctor.
whole food drinks and supplements that can
help you to get your 5 a Day veggies and
fruits in tasty easily absorbable form. Natural
Medicine experts and allopathic medicine
experts agree that fruits and veggies are
essential to optimal health
Just as a side note - do not take fruit and
veggie supplements and Blood Thinners
together as you could have a deadly cocktail
on your hands. Talk to your Doctor.
The Whole Food Farmacy has excellent
whole food snacks that can help you with
your nutritional needs without popping a lot of
pills. That is what Natural Medicine is all
about!
whole food snacks that can help you with
your nutritional needs without popping a lot of
pills. That is what Natural Medicine is all
about!
I discovered through trial and error, mostly, that my personal health concerns could not be fixed by
popping pills. Not only was I unable to digest them properly, but , in many cases they were making the
situation worse. Through sound nutrition practices and lifestyle changes, and a little gift from Tahiti, I was
able to help my body to heal. Click above to find my Taste of Tahiti!
popping pills. Not only was I unable to digest them properly, but , in many cases they were making the
situation worse. Through sound nutrition practices and lifestyle changes, and a little gift from Tahiti, I was
able to help my body to heal. Click above to find my Taste of Tahiti!
Natural Medicine is not just taking
natural forms of the drugs you can
get from your Doctor, Natural
Medicine is helping you - as a
whole - to find balance, energy,
vitality, strength, and love.
natural forms of the drugs you can
get from your Doctor, Natural
Medicine is helping you - as a
whole - to find balance, energy,
vitality, strength, and love.
Clites' Complete
Natural Health Care
717-701-1257
Natural Health Care
717-701-1257
Have your own teas blended just for you!
Gardens by Grace
Phone: 717-530-5030
Email: sales@gardensbygrace.com
Gardens by Grace
Phone: 717-530-5030
Email: sales@gardensbygrace.com
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