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FOR TAKING HERBS
 2. Herbs should be taken one half to one hour from any medication because medicine can damage the herbs. 3. Never discontinue taking important medications except on the advice of a physicain. Over time, the body will often improve to the point that your doctor might want you to decrease the medication, as the body begins to need it less. 4. Sometimes it is best to initiate an herbal program slowly by starting with one product at a time, building up to the desired amounts so as not to overwhelm the body with new things. Some poeple are able to progress more rapidly than others. Once the desired amounts of a nutrient are reached, the body has what it needs to work toward healing. Gradually, over time the needed action will take place in the body, and some supplements can be decreased or deleted from the program. Occasionally, some people will need increased amounts of some things over time, and some may need some supplements for years on a maintenance type schedule. But many times, once the body is brought back to a better state of health (a state of balance) the need for supplements decreases. 5. Stick with your herbal program. Take herbs faithfully. They won't work if left on the shelf. Expect some changes in the body as it begins to heal. Herbs help the body to either cleanse or build itself or both. As old toxins begin to move out of the body, they are eliminated through four places. They are the skin, the respiratory system, the bowels and the unrinary system. You can expect some minor changes in any or all of these areas. 6. Natural healing may temporarily aggravate symptoms. Some people may experience a healing crisis along the way as the problems are worked out of the body. Many medications work to mask or stop symptoms and may only add to the problem at hand or even create new problems. Certainly, medications have their place when necessary, but if there is a more natural way, why not try that too. A good example of how the body works in this way is seen in the natural response to food poisoning. The body will initiate vomiting and/or diarrhea to get rid of the poison that has been ingested. Provided this doesn't progress to the point of dehydration, etc. These normal body actions of the body are good and helpful as they eliminate harmful substances that have been ingested. 7. Repressing symptoms with a drug (which is actually another toxin) only hinders the natural healing process. Certain herbs can be given to help draw the initial poison from the body, at which point the symptoms will stop because they are no longer needed. Of course, if the case is serious the care of a physician should be sought. 8. Replenishing fluids, and strong, fast acting antibiotics can be life saving in such situations. But again, the symptoms (vomiting and diarrhea) are initiated by the body to expel harmful substances so that more serious problems for the body don't occur. Whenever taking into account the symtoms of a disease, remember the symptoms aren't the bad guys. In the case of the common cold, for example, the body's way of dealing with this disease is a runny nose, cough or low grade fever. The goal of herbal therapy is to help your body cleanse and heal naturally by bringing a symptom to fruition and getting the original irritating substances out of the body. The name of a particular disease is not as important as understanding which system of the body needs to be cleansed and/or built. Another example of this would be pain. Nobody enjoys experiencing pain. But pain is our friend, telling us when something is wrong or when to quit doing something. Taking a drug that deadens nerves to the point that we no longer feel the pain does nothing to help the original problem. The drug only masks the pain and begins a cycle of new problems in the body. 9. Be patient. Don't expect instant changes. Building new cells takes time. The body doesn't get to a particular low point overnight and it doesn't get well overnight. People have become accustomed to instant fixes. We have to be committed to getting better at the pace our bodies set. Some people feel changes (more energy, etc) within a few days of beginning an herbal program. Chronic problems may take much longer. In natural healing, the time required for the human body to heal is a minimum of 3 months plus one month for every year you have been sick. So don't get discouraged. Be aware of each sign of progress that the body makes as it works toward healing. 10. Keep in mind the fact that herbs themselves don't do the healing. They simply feed the body the nutrients it needs. Remember that natural healing begins from the inside out, and from the top down, so that a typical disease process may appear reversed. Also, we don't expect to see a straight upward progression in the way we feel. We usually continue in a general upward direction dropping back occasionally, but usually not all the way back. If all the right things are being done to feed the body, and no progress is made, one might look for emotional causes behind the problems. Keep in mind, however, taking supplements is only part of the answer. 11. Taking herbs is usually more beneficial if you work on only one or two health problems at a time. Focus on the most grievous problem first. Some of the other problems may go away as the original problem is eliminated. Also, avoid taking too many herbs at once. Care must be taken to choose herbs whose actions do not cancel each other out. 12. Here are some additional things that may contribute to good health:
Quality and quantity of sleep
Eat a diet rich in natural foods cutting down on white refined sugars, white flour, dairy products, alcohol, caffeine, fats, foods with additives, etc.
Increase the amount of raw fruits and vegetables, whole grains, raw nuts, etc. in the diet.
Become aware of the subtle ways our bodies tell us when things are good for us and when they aren't.
Become spiritually stronger and remember that it has been scientifically proven that prayer has a positive effect on healing.
Many sources of information are available if you desire to learn more.
Today's Herbal Health,
The Herb Lady's Notebook
Precription for Nutritional Healing
Nutritional Herbology
Other sources to look for:
The How To Herb Book
The ABC Herbal
by Steven Horne
Nature's Field
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