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Robert McDowell's Herbal Treatments 03 November 2004 Herbal Help for Humans and their CompanionsChoosing a naturopath.When choosing a naturopath it is wise to firstly look for professionalism, note the language used and tone of voice, manners and gestures, but be aware that that doesn't have to mean sombreness and a gloomy demeanor. If you can leave a naturopath with a smile and a light heart before you even start taking the herbal mix then you are on the right track. However you need to definitely see and feel the results - your naturopath should discuss the need to consult with another modality of naturopathy if the desired outcomes are not forthcoming after two or three visits at about 6 weekly intervals. The goal of a naturopath should be to have you physically and emotionally healthy and independent in maintaining health within 3 visits at the longest with in a period of 4 to 5 months. Unless you have an acute condition that requires more careful monitoring. It is important to give your practitioner a reasonable chance to do a complete treatment, don't try 3 or 4 different modalities and never finish any. This only results in a confused patient with no knowledge of what has helped. Try a visit and if what you hear makes sense and you feel comfortable then give it a go. Seriously try the dietary and circumstantial adjustments suggested and herbs that they prescrib for the time period suggested. Remember to give your naturopath feedback about your progress. Be fair and honest with your practitioner. This week we feature:-
Canine - How does one handle the raw food diet? Recently we were asked the question about how to handle the issues of bacteria and a raw food diet for your dogs. "How does one find a place to implement the raw diet and not have bacteria teeming on their floors, dog's muzzle, and paws from the raw meat and/or bones? I want to be able to pet my dogs and not worry about getting dangerous bacteria on myself , children, or guests. This freaks me out a bit as my dogs live indoors and our weather is very unpredictable, rainy in fall, snow in winter, so there are times simply feeding them outside is not an option. I also do not like the idea of them eating a raw bone and then tracking that bacteria on their paws throughout the house. I would like to give them good nutrition, but how do people handle this aspect of the raw diet? " Robert replied :- I am not really worried about the risks of bacteria and there is little chance of your children or family being affected from the saliva from the dog who will clean himself up pretty well after eating anyway and should not have more than one meal a day anyway. I recommend feeding him in the laundry with the door closed once a day and leaving him there sometime before letting him out into the house. You can save any bones left on the laundry floor for the next feeding session just by bagging them. Let him have access to water both in the laundry and in another location in the house for when he is locked out of the laundry. See: http://www.herbal-dogkeeping.com/articles_digestive_system_ofadog.html There are a large number of bacteria around us all the time, on our skin, in our guts and saliva and on our hands. We build up a natural immunity and they do us no harm as long as our immune system is healthy. Dogs are more fastidious than us often about a licking and cleaning themselves especially if left with plenty of time to groom. Recent research has suggested that we now protect our children from dirt and bacteria far too much which means that they are no longer building up appropriate immunity. There has been some speculation that it is the tonsils task in a child's body to assist with this immunity building. ( In addition to the appendix, another often-removed "vestigial" organ in the anatomy is the structure called the tonsils (the palatine tonsils to be more specific). Formerly thought of as a remnant of a once essential organ that eventually degenerated, the book "Encyclopedia and Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing and Allied Health" however maintains the contrary. It states that this organ, along with the two other tonsils (namely the lingual and pharyngeal tonsils), perform an important service to the digestive system by filtering out alien materials that may enter into the body via the mouth and the nose. Moreover, the published research entitled "Functional Morphology of Tonsillar Crypts in Recurrent Tonsillitis" adds that the tonsils produce antibodies for immediate immunity to most bacterium. In light of these facts, it is therefore conclusive that the tonsils (palatine and others) are essential parts of the human anatomy and not expendable organs.) The advertisements suggesting that we protect our family by spraying chemical cleaning products and disinfectants all over the place and attempting to kill all the bugs in the house are trying to sell a product by playing on peoples fears and you should practice commonsense cleanliness and no more. Enjoy your dogs ! Equine - Biting Insects Biting insects can be more than just a nuisance they can set up a string of responses that become a major problem. Swelling, lumps and itching are just some of the initial outcomes . Prevention:- Helpful herbs:- These ideas were taken from "Herbal Horsekeeping" by Robert McDowell and Di Rowling. This is a beautiful and practical hardcover book full of ways to care for your equine companions. An excellent Christmas gift for those you love who love horses. Check out more of its pages from the following link: http://herbal-treatments.com.au/herbal_horsekeeping_login.html Human - Crohns Disease The first step for this condition is to immediately begin with the following treatment. Firstly taking 1 dessertspoon of Slippery Elm Powder (Available from health food Shops) mixed with yoghurt, mashed banana or cold chamomile tea to make a slurry . Slippery Elm provides a protective lining to the mucosal lining of the gastro intestinal system and in 12 weeks will heal an irritated lining. Secondly a herbal mixture to support the healing is made up from the following ingredients; Agrimony, Chamomile, Slippery Elm, Rhubarb, Olive, Echinacea, Marshmallow and Dandelion with the Bach Flower Remedies Impatiens, Willow, Agrimony and Wild Oat. This mix is taken at a dose rate of 20 drops three times daily in a cup of cold chamomile tea. The treatment must be maintained initially for at least 3 months and most folk find that when they have finished with the Slippery Elm they generally benefit further from maintaining the herbal tonic as a supplement for longer, usually until their circumstances have completely changed. More information can be read at the following site: http://www.herbal-treatment.net/herbs_colitis_crohns_disease.html Home Remedies - Yoghurt Simply put yoghurt is "milk plus" . Yoghurt has 35% more protein than milk as well as calcium, phosphorus, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin and Vit. A . As soon as you eat it you are doubling your absorption of calcium and you are putting live bacilli and bacteria into your bowel. Those people who complain about the acidity of yoghurt ; actually have a bowel full of rubbish and not enough calcium in there and are possibly extra tense and irritated. Over time they could gradually make changes to their diet to over come these digestive difficulties. Past Newsletters: I invite you to browse through recent newsletters on a wide variety of topics on both human and animal health issues there will certainly be something of immediate interest to you: http://www.herbal-treatments.com/newsletter.html Reader Feed Back We value your feedback so much that we are making it easier for you to send us a sentence or two. Please fill in the form below and click 'Submit' Wishing you and your companions the best of health and happiness. Yours Truly, Judith Burton for Robert McDowell |
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