Grandma�s Herbal Remedies For Infants And Children

Once upon a time, we used to turn to our parents or grandparents when something was wrong with our little ones. More often than not, now we turn to our doctors. Unfortunately, our doctors were never taught what our grandmothers learned from their mothers, methods that have been tried and true for centuries. Here is a not-so-complete list of some of my favorites passed down from my Grandma.

ADD – Grandma didn’t call it this back then, but that’s probably what it was. Aside from some good discipline, Grandma made sure her kids ate lots of fish to improve brain function and behavior. She knew that feeding us fish was a great way to boost the brain cells. Another way to get essential fatty acids (that key ingredient in fish) into your children is to mix liquid Flax Seed Oil with real butter to make a spread. Use this on toast or pancakes and waffles in the morning and on potatoes or veggies at dinner.

Asthma – Apply lobelia (either liquid or mixed with a carrier such as aloe vera or massage oil) to the chest and rub in.

Bed Wetting – “Don’t give those children sweets before bed!” Grandma would always say. She believed bed wetting was caused by too much sugar at bedtime. I know now that this relates to blood sugar spikes and may have some basis in fact. Grandma would also use Goldenseal for about a week to clear up any possible kidney infections.

Bites

Generalized Anxiety Disorder. [Can Anxiety Cause Excessive Sweating]

Vitamins: What Are They and Are You Getting Enough?

Vitamins are micro nutrients that are needed by the body in tiny amounts. They do not take the place of the macro nutrients your body needs for fuel on a daily basis, like protein, carbohydrates and fat. However, without adequate levels of vitamins, your body cannot function properly. They work as catalysts, or helpers, and aid your body's metabolic processes, converting the macro nutrients to body tissue and energy. Vitamins are essential for growth, vitality, proper aging and for immune system strength. They help all sorts of organs and body systems function properly.

Vitamin RDA's

RDA's or Recommended Daily Allowances were set up as guidelines to make sure people don't get some of the most severe deficiency diseases. They were never designed to represent optimal vitamin and mineral levels. In spite of these low levels, a recent survey by the US Department of Agriculture showed that out of 21,500 surveyed, not even one person got 100% of the RDA for all the nutrients in the survey over a period of three days!

Although the above study showed that everyone needs to either increase the level of vitamins and minerals in their diet or take supplements, there were certain population groups who were the most affected. These include people with diseases or on medication that interfere with digestion or absorption of nutrients, the elderly and pregnant or nursing women, those who recently were injured or burned, or recently had surgery, and vegetarians and dieters.

If you fall into one of the above categories, you probably fall even shorter of your nutritional requirements as far as vitamins and minerals are concerned, and you might want to think about supplementing as well as eating more nutrient-dense food.

Vitamin Deficiencies

It is difficult to know when you have certain vitamin deficiencies, as they can take weeks or months or even years to develop. Often your body will slowly function less and less well when it does not get proper nourishment, before finally succumbing to disease.

The reverse is also true with supplementation and/or changing your diet for the better will not make you feel better or cure diseases overnight. This is because it takes time to rebuild the degenerative changes that got you sick in the first place, and is also the reason why those who supplement with high quality, food based vitamins and super foods often get better faster than those who simply make positive changes in their diets.

Some health care professionals believe that using higher amounts of supplements for a short period of time followed by lower amounts for a longer period of time brings better results than simply supplementing with the amounts you need on a daily basis. Those who start from a position of great lack often need more to begin with to make up for that huge deficiency. If you don't see any results from supplementing, you need to ask yourself 1) Are you taking potent, high quality, 100% food-based supplements, 2) Is your body absorbing these supplements, and 3) Are you taking high enough levels to get your body to overcome the long-term short-fall?

Some of the super or power foods that can be used to add a more concentrated source of vitamins and minerals back into your diet include greens for many of the vitamins and minerals, especially pro-vitamin A, K1, biotin, choline, folic acid and many minerals, nutritional flakes and natural living source B complex for the B vitamins, camu-camu berries for vitamin C, coral calcium for calcium, magnesium and trace minerals, and cod liver oil for the essential fatty acids DHA and EPA and vitamins A and D. Don't forget to search out 100% living food source supplements with no toxic added fillers and to take higher amounts initially for the best results.

By: Karen Pijuan

To Go or Not to Go Herbal, that is the Question…

Many people nowadays are turning to “organics” and “naturals” otherwise known as herbals. The rising popularity of herbal supplements has created a new fad if not a new health lifestyle. But before you join the bandwagon, here are some things you need to know about this mean, “green” dietary supplementing machine.

What is the difference between a drug and a dietary supplement?

According to the definition set by food and drug administrations in different countries, drugs are chemicals that can prevent, prolong the life, treat other effects of a health condition, improve the quality of life, and/or cure ailments and diseases, or alter the function of any part or chemicals inside the body. These drugs have approved therapeutic claims. For example, paracetamol is a drug given to bring down the body temperature in fever. Ascorbic acid is indicated for the treatment of scurvy. Iron supplements are given to treat mild cases of anemia.

Herbal supplements are not classified as drugs but as dietary supplements. The main difference is that they do not have approved therapeutic claims unlike in the case of drugs. Moreover, dietary supplements could either contain vitamins, minerals, herbals, or amino acids, all aimed to add to or supplement the diet of an individual. They are not intended to be taken alone as a substitute to any food or medicine.

Most of the manufactured medicines we now have once came from animals and plants. Through the years, chemists isolated the life-saving or life-curing components and separated them from the harmful ones. This lead to the further drug research and drug development that lead to the production of a different variety of drugs for many ailments and conditions from synthetic sources. But still we have semi-synthetic drugs, as well as drug that more or less approximate more natural composition. Since herbal supplements are made from a mixture of crude herbs reduced into powder or gel form, and later on packaged as tablets and capsules, there is a possibility that life-threatening or at least body chemistry-altering components are still present, thus the expression of concern from the medical community.

Is there a growing concern with the use of herbal supplements?

Yes. With the rising popularity of using and consuming anything herbal or organic is the proliferation of fake herbal supplements that threaten to endanger lives. If that’s the case, then why are herbal supplements given drug administration approvals? One way of ensuring the safety of the people is to have all candidate drugs, food, drinks, and dietary supplements registered with the proper authority. Otherwise, they would pose more risk with these things being sold in the black market for a hefty sum. We could ensure the quality and safety of herbal supplements if they get proper classification with the food and drug administration. Moreover, people may be able to file the proper complaints in the event a worsening of health condition is proven to be linked to the use of a particular herbal supplement.

Is using herbal supplements worth the risk?

Yes. It cannot be discounted that many who have tried herbal supplements experienced an improvement in their health—whether this is due to the herbals themselves or due to a placebo effect, as long as they do not worsen the condition of an individual, then using them is worth the risk. But of course, certain things must be considered before taking those herbal supplements:

Your doctor knows best.

First of all, clear your condition with your doctor. Ask him/her if taking a particular herbal supplement is safe given your health condition. People with heart, liver, or kidney trouble or malfunction, are usually not advised to take these, or at the minimum is to take these herbals in minimum amounts. All substances pass through the liver and kidney to be processed and filtered respectively. Kava, which is used to relieve people from stress, has been pulled out from the Canadian, Singaporean, and German markets because it contains substances that cause liver damage. Certain herbals such as Ephedra used for losing weight, contains chemicals with heart-inducing effects that can increase heart rate, which in turn can exhaust the heart and cause heart attacks in several documented cases by the American Medical Association.

Follow the directions for use.

Never take more herbal supplements than what is directed by the doctor or as instructed on the bottle. Each individual reacts differently to the components of herbal supplements. While it is perfectly safe for one individual to take in a supplement of primrose oil capsules, another person may be allergic to it. So, do not even think about downing one bottle of

It has no approved curative effect.

No matter how the product pamphlet or the label of the bottle sounds about how it has been found to be helpful in certain health conditions, these herbal supplements are not therapeutic. So do not substitute these for the medications prescribed by your doctor for the treatment of certain diseases, or for the maintenance of blood pressure, lowering of blood sugar and cholesterol, and fight off infections.