herbal medicine-a sustainable approach to healing
By Irene Legaspi
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If you’re like many of us, you probably have a cabinet full of medicines for everything under the sun. Pharmaceutical companies produce everything — from Pepcid to Prilosec and Benadryl to Bengay — which they say will cure what ails us. Pharmaceuticals today are largely prescribed to mask symptoms without getting to the root cause of the illness. That’s alarming because not only can the synthetic nature of drugs create toxicity within the body, such drugs can become ineffective and cause other health-related issues after long-term use. But, do you ever stop and wonder about alternatives that may be safer, more effective, and far less expensive than what we’re buying over the counter?
We’re so focused on our busy lives these days that we’ve forgotten how to care for ourselves, prevent illness, and treat simple ailments when they occur. By taking our healthcare back into our own hands, we can remember that our support system lives within the Earth and can aid us in attaining optimal health.
If you prefer a holistic form of healing that allows you to take control of your health — with prevention and the treatment of symptoms in mind — then look no further than plants in the great outdoors.
If you’re somewhat skeptical about whether plants can hold their own against store-bought medications, consider that modern medicine wouldn’t be where it is today without herbs and flora. Hippocrates, who practiced medicine in Greece 2,500 years ago, used willow plant leaves to treat minor aches and pains. It wasn’t discovered until the early 1800s why the leaves worked at relieving discomfort — aspirin was its primary active ingredient. Another well-known instance had doctors in the 1600s using the cinchona tree to treat malaria. Only later did we learn that the bark contained quinine, which did a great job killing the parasites that cause this mosquito-borne infectious disease.
Plants, on the other hand, contain many of the same compounds we have in our bodies, which enables cellular recognition and the ability to break down compounds. With proper medical supervision, many people can confidently turn to plant medicine to free themselves from prescription medications and their long-term side effects.
There are certain plant preparations that promote healing through their mineral and vitamin content. And highly effective plant medicine formulas that can be used to nourish, cleanse your body and increase your energy, while others help filter and eliminate the many toxins we absorb or ingest as part of daily life.
Our lives are difficult enough as is, and the stress we’re under can contribute to chronic conditions ranging from digestive problems and a weakened immune system to problems caused by inflammation. To make matters worse, when we seek an alternative solution, we’re bombarded with a multitude of choices — we practically need a degree in chemistry to understand all the ingredients, properties, and how the medications work and interact with other remedies. Luckily, herbal medicine works on a holistic level, strengthening the body from the inside out — not masking symptoms, but providing an effective, safer, and more sustainable approach to healing.
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