Nutrients

by Nelson, www.DrChristophersHerbShop.com

In the last newsletter we discussed some nutrients to focus on to have a balanced diet. This week we will continue to discuss some more nutrients and common pitfalls.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D does not show up in any significant amounts in plants. One of the best plant sources would be watercress, but you would have to eat a truckload to get one day’s worth. It is still possible for the body to manufacture it from the sun. This would be the only vegan way to obtain this nutrient. Otherwise it needs to come from an animal source, such as eggs, liver, fish, etc. Unless you enjoy sunbathing in winter as much as the people from Sweden do, it may be in your best interest to get this nutrient from either supplementing or eating animal products in the winter.

It is difficult to overdose on vitamin D. It used to be given in mega-doses in hospitals to help with arthritis (150,000-200,000 I.U). It is at these levels that side effects are documented. We disagree that 400 I.U a day is adequate for ideal function. Getting 2,000 I.U a day or more will help with proper immune system function, mood, bowel health, bone health, etc.

Calcium and Iron

These nutrients are very abundant in most whole foods, but it can still be a problem for vegans. It is found in almost every dark green vegetable, nuts, seeds and many fruits. So why would it be a problem? Well, just because you eat vegan doesn't mean you eat healthy. It amuses us when someone who eats the standard American diet lets us know that they cut out all the dairy and meat and got horribly sick from it. But then they tell you they were eating mostly potato chips, soda and all kinds of refined food.

If you eat a diet that will put you in a personal famine, you will do better with dairy and meat, because those foods are ideal when a famine is going on. Vegans who aren't full of calcium and iron usually either aren't eating fresh, whole foods, or aren't absorbing well (we will discuss this pitfall soon).

Most of the illnesses you see vegans and vegetarians with occur during the transitional phase of the diet. Fruits are a common staple at this point, because they taste sweet and are energizing. Grains or lentils also are quite filling, so a lot of these are usually eaten. But if they are not balanced out with greens, then you start to run into problems.

Anemia

One common problem if the Mucus-less diet is not balanced would be anemia. As long as B-12 is obtained somehow (see the last newsletter), and B-6 and iron are obtained through good, wholesome foods this should not be a problem. If there is still anemia after the nutrition is provided, you might look for a potential absorption problem, or bacterial yeast or parasite stealing the nutrition.

Hypoglycemia/Anxiety/Panic Attacks

This is one of the most common pitfalls if the Mucus-less diet is not balanced. The people who have this problem of low blood sugar are usually very active, and faithful- eating no meat or dairy, and often even eat whole foods. These people really try to keep all the rules, yet they are always dragging. Some are incredibly nervous and anxious. In bad cases they get panic attacks. In really serious cases, insanity can be an actual issue.

It was not more than a month ago when I visited a close friend. She eats a very clean, mostly raw diet. After I asked her how she was feeling, she told me she was fine except for the anxiety and panic attacks. She then talked a bit about herbs and asked me my advice. After a bit of digging, it became clear she was busy and living off of large amounts of fruit, and not getting enough greens to compensate for it.

Under these conditions, a panic attack can be induced by eating the protein or sugar rich foods. The good news is that you can get the panic attacks to stop pretty quickly (sometimes immediately) by working on the pancreas. Either cedar berries or Dr. Christopher's Pancreas formula can get excellent results. This will be much more permanent than using any of the nerve herbs. But if the diet doesn't have big, green salads every day the tiredness may stick around. Fruits and fruit juices are much milder to the pancreas than the refined junk we often see, so people will initially feel good eating large amounts of them. After a while, it will start to be taxing. Nuts and seeds also are high protein, and will wear on the pancreas and adrenals if there aren't enough green vegetables in the diet. Sprouts are the best greens to quickly build up in this situation.

In order to keep fruits, lentils, nuts and seeds in moderation, the bulk of the diet must come from dark green vegetables. The greens are where the most important nutrition comes from, and prevent the other foods from becoming acid forming. Seeds, fruits and grains will be excellent calorie sources, are filling and will build strength if used properly. But when someone is eating only plants, green food takes priority.

Oxalic Acid

This is something I have mixed data on, so it will be up to the individual to see what feels best. Spinach, chard and cabbage all have high content of oxalic acid, which does some pretty wonderful things. In excess, it is thought by some to prevent the body from getting rid of calcium, causing it to build up as kidney stones or in the joints. I have noticed a common pattern with vegans who have kidney stones. So far, each of the last five cases or so have been eating copious amounts of spinach every day, on a very clean diet. A while back I was wondering why I woke up in screaming pain in the kidneys for a few months. This was helped with the Kidney formula and hydrangea, but it didn't go away until I stopped eating cabbage daily.

However, I do think it is fair to point out that some studies indicate that although oxalic acid can do this, that it is not possible to ingest it in amounts that would cause problems.

Weight Loss Supplements

by Nelson - Dr. Christopher's Herb Shop

Earlier this week in the Herb Shop we got a question about weight loss and what supplements to use for it. Weight loss is the number one topic in the wellness industry, so this shouldn't be very surprising. But our herbalists don't often use many supplements when someone wants to lose weight.

Whenever these products are endorsed, you always hear "I lost weight when I used this supplement with diet and exercise." The truth is a lot of these people could be saying "I lost weight with diet and exercise". One reason that we don't often use a lot of supplements with weight loss is that we are already using diet with most of our programs. Weight loss is often a side effect of the dietary programs we have people follow for things like arthritis.

We often work with the Mucus-less diet. We are also fond of Dr. Fuhrman's Eat to Live diet. The reason we like these for weight loss is that the weight is lost at a healthy pace, it nourishes the individual and it stays off. Some people will have short term success with some of the fad diets out there. I consider the HCG diet to be one of these. This diet involves taking a hormone while eating only 500 calories a day for two weeks. I know people who have lost a lot of weight on this program and were much more comfortable with how they looked. I met some friends of mine who had happily finished this program some months ago. I asked them how they felt. They told me that their weight was starting to go up again, so they were thinking of doing the program again.

These are my three chief complaints about diets like these: 1) If you only eat 500 calories a day, you will lose weight with or without the supplement. 2) The weight will come back when the individual returns to old eating habits, and the diet is not healthy for long term use. 3) The weight is lost at an unhealthy rate. The individual starves on the diet. Then months later the program needs to be repeated. When did anorexia become a doctor sponsored method for weight loss?

When weight is lost too rapidly in this manner, it strains the pancreas and upsets the blood sugar levels. If this is repeated enough, the adrenals will be so shot that you won't lose weight even if you starve yourself. This is one of the few times we think supplementing is necessary. If the thyroid or endocrine system is shot, you can exercise heavily, eat healthy and never lose weight. We have seen this. Under these circumstances, we have used the Thyroid Maintenance formula or Adrenal formula. Some lucky individuals with a low thyroid only need kelp (this only works when it is low). Usually after 2 months the individual can then lose weight if they stay on a good diet. We consider a healthy rate of weight loss to be 20 pounds the first month, and 10 pounds every month after.

Dr. Christopher did have a formula designed to assist the body with weight loss. Assist is the key word. You aren't likely to lose weight just by taking it. Dr. Christopher looked at weight loss as a massive cleanse. Sure, he put herbs in there to boost the metabolism (Brigham tea is where the drug ephedra was derived from), but it’s mostly herbs for the bowels, urinary tract, liver and bloodstream.

We are happy to hear from one person who has followed the mucus-less diet to gain greater health. This individual, Greg Wood, has successfully lost over 100 pounds and overcome many health related challenges with the mucus-less diet. You might be interested in seeing his blog here: (http://woodstrongliving.blogspot.com/).

But the mucus-less diet can be unbalanced, even keeping all the rules Dr. Christopher outlined. Next week we will discuss some common health complaints on an unbalanced plant-based diet, and the solutions for them.

Water

by Nelson, Dr. Christopher's Herb Shop

Today's newsletter will deal with the most medicinal natural remedy in all of natural Materia Medica. With herbs, there are a lot of plants you can use to get someone to sweat, purify the blood, diuretics, laxatives, etc. Usually plants will have many medicinal properties.

But nothing has as many varied usages, or maintains health or provides such a direct impact on disease as water. In fact, water can be so successfully employed that it has its own branch in medicine - hydrotherapy. We have had some herbalists say that they use hydrotherapy more than herbal therapy, and this should be no surprise.

In fact, some herbs will not work at all without water. An example would be a traditional protocol for gangrene. Gangrene is no laughing matter, and within hours can become a serious or fatal problem if limbs aren't amputated. Dr. Christopher employed marshmallow tea in these instances, bathing the affected area in hot marshmallow tea for 30 minutes, then cold water for 5 minutes. He then would repeat this procedure with fresh marshmallow tea all day. Within hours the color of the skin would come back, and many people owe their limbs to this procedure.

But if the gangrenous wound is packed with marshmallow powder, it will not work. Why is that? When water is used on wounds or congested areas, its diffusive nature allows it to draw toxic material into it. One reason that so much marshmallow tea must be used is that the poison is being pulled out of the bloodstream into the water.

One reason Dr. Christopher used herbal teas was because they were hydrating. This is very useful, particularly with the cleansing formulas when a lot of water is needed to get the job done (Lower Bowel, Kidney, etc). Dr. Christopher also considered the Cold Sheet Treatment to be the most effective remedy for colds and flu. Likewise, hot baths, enemas, douches and the like have played a central role in our programs for similar reasons.

Truth be told, you can get a lot done with water by itself. Hydrotherapy alone is not used as extensively today as it was 150 years ago. This is probably because of the amount of time it takes to successfully employ it. Jethro Kloss recounts a case where his wife woke up completely paralyzed. He spent several hours doing nothing else but fomentations of hot and cold water. By the end of it, his wife was fully mobile again. Kloss' book, Back to Eden, provides a solid foundation for hydrotherapy applied in simple ways.

Alternating hot and cold can act as a pump to any clogged area of the body, be it intestines, arteries or nerves! And it is with the level of heat that we decide the medicinal attributes of water. Few substances have as high a specific heat as water, meaning it can hold a lot of thermal energy. This means that hot water will cool down much slower if put in a refrigerator than something like hot copper.

Given hot, it will will promote sweating as a diaphoretic. Given cold, it will promote urination as a diuretic. Hot, it will promote circulation and speed healing in this way. Cold, it can be a refrigerant to lower the body temperature more effectively than other substances. In all ways, it is a blood-purifying alterative. So on and so forth.

There are many historical accounts of using hot and cold water, used for problems ranging from colds and fevers to life threatening problems like appendicitis. 200 years ago, Thompsonian herbalists would spend several hours to a few days with their patients- giving them hot foot baths, fomentations, teas to make them sweat, vomit and evacuate their bowels, scalding hot teas to rehydrate them afterwards and stimulate them, etc.

From that alone, you might guess why Thompsonian herbalism died out, despite a very high success rate with many illnesses. The pleasantness of a remedy has always played a factor in its use. Herbalism today is often done long distance, or through private consulting where it is up to the ill person to do the work. So the labor intensive therapies are not done so much anymore, even though a good portion of the time someone can feel well the very next day.

A few diseases actually respond better to water than to herbs. Some proffesionals have been saying for years that the primary cause of Alzheimer's disease is chronic dehydration, followed by aluminum build up in the brain. The cases where you hear about major reversals from Alzheimer's are usually elderly patients who have been in retirement homes for years. It is hard for a nurse to keep someone hydrated when they have to change the bedpans.

Nonetheless, just like anything else, water can be overdone. The kidneys must filter the water, and they are at their best when they have plenty of it. But drinking too much water too quickly will wear them out. It will also flush out minerals and other important things the body needs. It makes sense to space out your intake of water throughout the day. A 16 ounce glass of water drunk within an hour should be mild to the body. A quart or more in an hour may be a bit much.

It is important to drink before you feel thirst come on, as thirst is a late indicator of dehydration. Lately it has been said to drink half your body weight in fluid ounces. Others say to drink your full body weight in fluid ounces. I say keep this in mind, but take as much as your level of activity calls for, varying from day to day, letting the way you feel be your primary indicator.

With water being common and accessible, even should we find ourselves without herbs or other medicines, we will still have one of the most powerful healers at our disposal.

Find Dr. Christopher’s Herbal Formulas, single herbs, essential oils, books and more at Dr. Christopher’s Original Herb Shop: www.drchristophersherbshop.com.

NOTICE: All information in this newsletter is given out as information only and is not intended to diagnose or prescribe.

Emotions

by Nelson

Often my friends and I have been approached for help for a variety of problems, ranging from anxiety, baldness, headaches to digestive disorders and beyond. Anyone who has given advice for health, from the amateur to the professional, can all understand that there are many ways to deal with one problem. It hasn't ever been that difficult to find something that helped or made the situation bearable, but it’s always been our goal to do better than that if we can.

I recall a case I had earlier this year. This woman was suffering from some digestive problems. She had poor digestion, poor elimination, and a variety of similar problems. Being a student of Dr. Christopher, of course I was thinking of the health of the bowel. So I asked her about her diet. It wasn't ideal with the white flour biscuit she ate regularly, but something was odd. I have no endorsing love for white flour, but even though she was eating it, she was eating fruits, vegetables and other wholesome foods, and shouldn't have been having problems as severe as she was.

She was also eager to use any herbs she needed to to feel better, as well as do anything dietary that would help. So I started to probe a bit. I told her I didn't think that some of the food she was eating was helping or doing any good for her, but I didn't think that explained her problems. She asked what herbs people use for these problems. I told her about slippery elm, cleansing the colon, and things of that nature.

When I was asked if she should do these things, I expressed my concern. I knew she would certainly notice some improvement, but I dislike it when someone only feels 30% better, then plateaus in their progress. It is easy to give someone hope, and make them excited with a formula that will help them. But what really happens? This is why feedback is so important. Not getting told how someone is responding to a therapy makes it difficult to get a statistical idea of how valuable it is. Even if it does help, six months down the road, is the problem forever gone? Or does it pop up again? This is the very problem that kept mercury in use as the miracle, essential drug of choice for hundreds of years, despite the inevitable, horrific deaths.

So when I answered her question, I told her that on a very rigid diet and faithful use of herbs, I expected her to only make mediocre improvement from where she was. This is not what I normally say. I'm sure many dietary programs I've put together for people could be accurately called 'mercilessly inflexible'.

I then asked her if she had been under a lot of stress recently. That's when the tears started coming. With the amount of turmoil this person was going through, I wouldn't have expected her to digest lettuce very well. This is when we find ourselves having to work on things on an emotional level, where the concrete minerals, chemicals and plants don't have that big an impact.

We have been very fortunate in recent times to see what does work in these extreme cases. It is no secret that during World War II, you had some prisoners in concentration camps go through years of shear torture, survive, and be happier, brighter and healthier than some that had been there mere months. In almost all of these stories, the people who witnessed these scenarios attributed the well-being of these prisoners not to physical constitution, but their positive perspective on the situation. There was a common thread of love in these individuals that made them unique in the way they viewed things.

This is not to say that those with illness are hateful beings (although you can certainly find some people that are). But it does make it clear that the way we view things is worth our consideration, and might serve us in the long run to change them.

There are some curious approaches to working on the emotional level. Apart from state of mind, you see a lot of other methods in alternative healing for these. Homeopathy would be in this realm. I think Dr. Bach explained this point of view rather well. He spent years observing plants and their 'personalities'. He noticed quirks they had, like the black walnut tree growing without any other plants being able to grow near it. He saw the black walnut tree as a living example to own one’s own power, free from the influence of others.

So he prepared homeopathic extracts of these plants, in which he attempted to catch the spiritual essence or energy of the plant. The end result had no real amount of the plant or physical components left in it, which flies in the face of an atomistic point of view, which would call it a placebo at best. This debate is not the point of the newsletter, but I do nonetheless find it fascinating that homeopathy has been the biggest forerunner in developing an emotional laxative.

Stories like this happen in our own area. The manager of our local herb shop recalls a case where a woman who suffered years of coughing asked for help. She told this woman the usual herbs and traditional remedies for coughs. The woman said she had tried all of them with no results. So the manager said 'Well, what is it you're trying to say that you're not being allowed to say?'. The woman briefly looked shocked, regained her composure, and said 'Oh, well, fine then'. She then began to open up.

I have more experiences I could quote, but for the sake of brevity, I will just note some common patterns I have observed. The experienced disease is painful. It eventually hits a peak where the pain becomes so great, that the person will let go of a strong attachment to a person, thing or belief. At first they may feel like they've lost everything. But then they find that the sadness linked to what they were holding onto wasn't based on anything true. Suddenly the pain is no longer something they have to fight, but was working with them to show them what is really going on, or who they really are. It becomes a great blessing in their eyes, having helped them discover something they otherwise wouldn't have known. Gratitude swells in them for every particle of the experience, and the situation can either immediately shift or physically remain the same. It doesn't matter either way. All that's left is love.

Cancer

by Nelson – Dr. Christopher’s Herb Shop

Having discussed heart disease and diabetes in past newsletters, it is only appropriate to bring up cancer. These three diseases are the top killers in America, and are the chronic diseases we have the most experience with. It would please the reader to know that Dr. Christopher had a fair share of success with his cancer patients.

In his lectures, Dr. Christopher often would speak of how an emotional state could impact physical health. In his lectures, he taught "The emotional cause of cancer is hate." This approach to health (viewing mind, body and spirit as inseparable) was much less accepted in his time than it is now.

In the early days, he experimented with the natural therapies of his time. Originally, he put his patients on the 'Grape Cure'. He saw this therapy in very extreme cases. One of his more well known cases was a fellow who had skin cancer on his groin. The solution Dr. Christopher proposed was to involve sunlight and 3 months of nothing but grape juice. The results were rather favorable, and the man lived a cancer free life afterwards. Another woman on the program for a few months began to lose weight so rapidly she became a walking skeleton. She continued anyway, despite protests from friends and family, and began to get her weight back until it was at a normal level- all while drinking grape juice!

Well, these programs were pretty intensive, and drinking nothing but juice for months is not usually something someone is willing to do. So Dr. Christopher put together his 'incurables' program, one of the goals being to reduce the amount of time needed to heal from a few months down to a few weeks. In order to accomplish this, he involved a lot of herbs in his program. With the 2-3 weeks of juices, many herbal formulas and fomentations, he claimed to be able to get the results in three weeks that would have otherwise taken him months.

This program was not intended for someone slightly ill or for maintenance, as it put the body into a high mode of cleansing. This can be helpful when you're dealing with a chronic problem, but it can weaken the vitality of a healthy body (a good state of health is more improved upon by building).

The foundation of the incurables program is the mucus-less diet, juice therapy and what is called the 'Extended Herbal Cleanse'. The Extended Herbal Cleanse involved using four herbal formulas (Lower Bowel, Kidney, Liver & Gallbladder, and Bloodstream formulas) to work on the most important eliminative organs of the body, one idea being that if these functioned ideally, the body would not be forced to seal off waste matter in tumors it couldn't get rid of.

There were several other formulas and a lot of superfoods in addition to these four, but quite often we have had pleasing results with these herbs alone. I used to view cancer as a very frightening disease, even though it was part of my philosophy that healthy lifestyles could be enough. Often the protocol suggested called for a strict lifestyIe and massive amounts of supplementation (still cheaper than conventional medicine, at least), and sometimes it took every blasted part of it to get anything done.

But this changed. I had an experience where I got to observe David Christopher talk to someone who approached him with cancer. David picked his brain a bit, found out he was eating healthy, and talked about the extended herbal cleanse and apricot kernals. That was it. He commented on cancer "It's really not that complicated".

And it isn't. When you work closest to the root of the problem, the more effect your efforts will have, and the less work you'll ultimately have to do. Working on these four areas of the body combined with the apricot kernels (containing the vitamin B-17 considered mother nature's chemotherapy by some) can get a lot done by itself.

And I've been surprised since then. I recall a fellow who had stage four cancer. He made no change to his diet, but was willing to drink Essiac tea (a strong blood cleansing tea made mostly of burdock). I would have told him he was going to die if he asked me. He didn't. His cancer completely went away, but he still drinks Essiac tea every day.

Jethro Kloss recalls a case where the postman in his area developed cancer. He got a big bag of red clover blossoms and drank the tea regularly. This was in a time where it was difficult to see if the tumors where completely gone. He lived a natural lifespan, and when he did die, it was not of cancer. Red clover blossoms where the main ingredient of the Blood Stream formula, and was Dr. Christopher's herb of choice when dealing with cancer.

Dr. Schulz recalls a case where a woman with stomach cancer asked for help. She would not change her diet, exercise or take formulas. But she did like teas. So he asked her what herbs grew in her backyard, and she had peppermint. He told her to drink peppermint tea every day. He didn't think it was going to work, and was surprised to hear in six months time that the stomach cancer was completely gone.

There are many such stories, but they are not often talked about, because reinforcing the idea that someone sick needs to make no changes to their life and just needs a magic pill is a mentality natural healers like to get away from. The success rates also plummet, which is why an aggressive program like the incurables was favored by Dr. Christopher and naturopaths who don't like to leave any stones unturned.

It was by no means a guaranteed cure. But even when Dr. Christopher was taken to court by the state when people died on his programs, the families of the deceased came and testified on his behalf with tears in their eyes. They got to see firsthand the difference between dying in a hospital bed in pain on a myriad of medications, and dying at home, for the most part pain free and peacefully.

If his programs had been ineffective, he would have been jailed and his practice shut down permanently. There must be some value in them if they revolutionized the way people look at alternative healing, and balk the full might of an unscrupulous legal system.

So we think the incurables program is at least worth looking at and considering when someone wants natural support for a chronic disease.
The full incurables has been published online at http://www.herballegacy.com/Incurables.html

This is also available as the pamphlet 'Curing the Incurables'

"There are no incurable diseases."
-John R. Christopher

Find Dr. Christopher’s Herbal Formulas, single herbs, essential oils, books and more at Dr. Christopher’s Original Herb Shop: www.drchristophersherbshop.com.


NOTICE: All information in this newsletter is given out as information only and is not intended to diagnose or prescribe.

Hormones

by Nelson – Dr. Christopher’s Herb Shop

Now is a wonderful time to be alive. We have never had so much scientific research on the human body or plant chemicals before! It was only last century that hormones were discovered, and that we have gotten the viewpoint of their role on the emotions. But despite all this new knowledge, the herbal approach has not changed all that much.

Back in Medieval medicine, both allopathic practitioners (the philosophy of modern medicine) and herbalists believed that perfect health could be achieved by balancing four humors of the body. This is the approach they would take if a woman complained of symptoms of depression, fatigue and so forth. This would be often diagnosed as ‘melancholy’, a disorder that was considered a purely female disease. Melancholy was also used to describe one of the humors, its name literally meaning ‘black bile’. This bile was supposed to be linked to the liver. The herbalists would address melancholy by using bitter herbs, many of which were considered female herbs, and still are today. These would be herbs such as false unicorn, red raspberry leaves, black cohosh, etc.

Although these are still considered female herbs, the truth is they work well for the male body. Hormone balancing herbs contain phytosterol hormone-precursors. We in our own area have had two men come for help for hot flashes this week (a side effect of chemotherapy). Their medical doctor had told them to get black cohosh and flax seed oil. Combining a plant oil (such as wheat germ oil) with hormonal herbs (such as Hormonal Changease) has been what we have had the greatest success with, and we're glad to see other people having good results in their own practices.

Oddly enough, most of these herbs are liver herbs. The rule of thumb is that the taste of bitter will stimulate the flow of gastric juices, particularly bile in the liver. This is precisely what most of these herbs do. In past newsletters, we have discussed the liver's role in breaking down and removing old hormones, and how the ancient Greeks considered it the seat of the emotions. The liver, along with the bowels and urinary tract, are the places we prefer to work most when there is a hormone issue.

Sometimes it is just a matter of being able to eliminate old hormones from the body, and then people feel the way they would like to. So if the liver is forced to store bile because the urinary tract or bowels are blocked, merely removing the blockage may be all the effort required. It is not often talked about, but we have seen with our own eyes the anxious, depressed or suicidal begin to cope with life after using an herbal formula inducing a bowel movement. We prefer to start with this route first, because it works quickly and is closer to the root of the problem most of the time. This also safeguards against becoming dependent on a calming herb to relax the nerves and give comfort, but do nothing to ultimately heal.

So Dr. Christopher usually used the Lower Bowel Formula and Liver & Gallbladder formula. He was fond of quoting a case where a mother had two children by the neck, trying to keep them from killing each other with their fighting. He did nothing more than put them on the mucus-less diet and Lower Bowel formula and within a few weeks, the feverish anger was replaced with a congenial disposition.

When he needed stronger help, he used the Hormonal Changease formula. His most classic cases with this formula were with hot flashes, mood and fertility. Often, he would require that it be taken with wheat germ oil. This was to provide the necessary building blocks for the body to manage the hormones. Although it is not always necessary, it has happened often here that someone has had no response to the hormonal herbs, and began to heal after adding wheat germ oil into the program.

Many people use expensive synthetic cremes today for estrogen/progesterone balance. Some use expensive herbal cremes derived from wild yam. It is much cheaper and easier to just use wild yam. I once attended a seminar where a knowledgeable woman was lecturing on estrogen and progesterone. She advocated an expensive natural creme. After she left, the next lecturer, rather sheepishly, explained how the same results could be achieved with red raspberry leaves and other herbs. It was a rather enjoyable conclusion, I thought.

Dr. Christopher’s Formulas

• Lower Bowel Formula
• Liver & GallBladder Formula
• Hormonal Changease

Find Dr. Christopher’s Herbal Formulas, single herbs, essential oils, books and more at Dr. Christopher’s Original Herb Shop: www.drchristophersherbshop.com.

NOTICE: All information in this newsletter is given out as information only and is not intended to diagnose or prescribe.

Insomnia

by Nelson, Dr. Christopher’s Herb Shop

Few health problems get annoying faster than insomnia. After only getting 2-3 hours of sleep a night for a few days, you can start to feel grumpy. If this goes on for a few years, then you might really be past the point of annoyed.

The causes of insomnia can be incredibly varied, which can make it challenging to approach with natural therapies. There are many different herbs that are used for this problem, and people have a tendency to respond differently to one and well to another. Using some of the herbs with a stronger action can keep the searching down to a minimum.

Of course, if someone is taking stimulants before sleeping (coffee, cocoa, metabolism boosters, sports drinks) then it should be no mystery. These need to go if they are the cause.

Before listing and discussing some herbal help, let’s have Dr. Christopher give us some simpler, less known but effective approaches:

Dr. Christopher taught:

“Our bodies receive electricity through the top of the head where we used to have soft spots when we were babies. This electricity is essential to our bodies but it must be fresh and free flowing, coming through the top of the head, down the spine, through the body and is grounded out into the earth. When we do not let the electricity out and be grounded into the earth, it becomes static and toxic and builds up so much that new electricity can't come in.

“We can't sleep and we become hard to live with. Each day, therefore, we need to send some time out on the lawn or the ground to get rid of this static electricity in the body. There was an elderly man who was having a lot of trouble sleeping. His insomnia got so bad that he became very difficult to be around. His son knew this principle of walking on the earth to discharge unwanted energy and tried to convince his father to do so, but his father said that no one was going to get him to take off his shoes in public and walk on the lawn barefooted!

“However, one day, the son said, "Dad, I have something I must talk to you about." He sat the old man down, quickly took off his shoes and whisked him outside. They walked around the lawn a few times, talking and then the old man said that he was feeling tired. He went in the house and went to bed--and slept all night! We have noticed that native peoples who walk without shoes or who wear leather soles that let the energy through are much less nervous than those of us who wear synthetic or rubber soles. We spend a good deal of the summer without shoes and although it may not look as proper or civilized as wearing the plastic sandals that are the style now, we feel much less nervous and very harmonious during this time.”

Most of the herbs used to promote restfulness are the nervine herbs. When I was first getting into herbs, I had a friend who was a naturopathic doctor. He taught me some interesting things in the time he was around. I remember he once told me about insomnia trouble he had suffered. In a short period of time, he had gone through a divorce and lost his children and his house (I think he might have been having problems with his job as well). He told me that he had not slept for two weeks, and it was an extract of valerian root gave him the first night of sleep during those times.

Many herbs may be used as singles. Chamomile, lavender, valerian root and passionflower are commonly used with great results. Other nervines such as scullcap, black cohosh and the like are also helpful.

When we have a really stubborn case of insomnia, often someone will respond well to kava kava. This is an herbal tranquilizer (I think this is the closest we've come to doping someone up). I have had some cases where someone with bloodshot eyes has told me that no drugs or pills have been working for them. It makes me happy when they cheerfully tell me two weeks later that they are sleeping restfully. It does not work every time, but with a high enough success rate to be worthwhile. Kava kava can make the lips and tongue go slightly numb for a short while after taking it, but as the Polynesian culture has demonstrated, gallons of this tea can be drunk throughout the week without damage to the body.

One final famous case of Dr. Christopher's to conclude this newsletter:

Dr. Christopher told the story of a high school teacher who had a terrible case of insomnia. She could only sleep in twenty-minute stretches; thereafter, she would pace the floor throughout the night, keeping her family awake and becoming more and more tired herself. During the day she epitomized the "witch" school teacher. Eventually her screaming and irritability, her meanness and nagging, became so intolerable that her family wanted to have her committed to a mental institution. And she was so weary of it all that she would have liked to go herself.

The family called Dr. Christopher, however, who came over and prepared a cup of his nervine tea [Relax-Eze]. As it steeped, he chatted with the family, and then she drank the cup. Soon she yawned and said she might like to go lie down. Her husband commented that Dr. Christopher might just as well stay, because she would be up again in twenty-minutes, but Dr. Christopher took his leave.

The next morning, Dr. Christopher answered the telephone; a man's voice began berating him and calling him all sorts of vulgar names. "You ought to be jailed," the man shouted, "for giving my wife heavy drugs when you said they were herbs!"

Dr. Christopher explained he had only given the woman herbs, so mild that a newborn baby could safely use them. When the man calmed down, he explained that his wife had slept all night and awakened calm and refreshed.

She continued taking this formula, and cleaned up her diet as well. Before long, she was as sweet and cooperative as she could be with her family and her classes, and everyone was grateful that she didn't have to be committed to a mental institution!

Christopher Formulas:
Relax-Eze
Slumber
Valerian & Wild Lettuce Tincture

Find Dr. Christopher's Herbal Formulas, single herbs, essential oils, books and more at Dr. Christopher's Original Herb Shop: www.drchristophersherbshop.com.

NOTICE: All information in this newsletter is given out as information only and is not intended to diagnose or prescribe.

Arthritis and Heart Problems

by Nelson, Dr. Christopher’s Herb Shop

If Dr. Christopher thoroughly understood anything in his practice, it would be arthritis and heart problems. These were the big health challenges he faced in his life, either one of which he was told he would die from before the age of thirty. Fortunately for him, he judiciously applied many natural therapies that greatly boosted his health and vitality so that this didn't occur.

His arthritis was with him until the end of his life, although by then he was out of the wheelchair and off of the cane. He also didn't have to deal with the crippling pain. When he received a physical in his 40's, he had a clean bill of health, and was told his heart was as healthy as a young man's.

After he became established in his practice, he was able to help his mother rebuild her heart. Heart disease was a hereditary problem in his family. His mother had strokes or heart attacks so frequently that it was table conversation. Usually when someone has a stroke, they can experience lifelong paralysis. This never happened with her. Dr. Christopher attributed the health of his family to the herbs they regularly used and the Mucus-less diet.

Most of Dr. Christopher's success with heart health came from two herbs: cayenne and hawthorn. He was so fond of cayenne he wrote the book Capsicum and suggested everyone take a full tablespoon of it a day! The very potent decoction of fresh hawthorn berries (amazingly enough, available as Hawthorn Heart Syrup to the public) was what he used to strengthen weakened hearts.

Given that heart disease is the number one killer in America, these are often what we resort to. The most important thing with this problem will always, always be diet. Yet cayenne is strong enough to stop a heart attack or stroke in progress (this has happened many times in the School of Natural Healing's history), making it worthwhile to have on hand even if someone is on a destructive diet.

First, we like to cleanse. Hardened arteries have arteriosclerosis that shouldn't be there. Cayenne is our favorite herb for not only equalizing blood pressure and rebuilding the circulatory system, but for assisting the body in removing this harmful substance from the blood vessels. When there is excessive cholesterol, this also needs to go. Garlic may also be used as a clinically proven herb to remove cholesterol.

Calcification of the arteries can also pose a problem. This can be an odd paradox: the arteries are weak and brittle because of a lack of calcium, yet there is calcium build up on the arteries! Dr. Christopher taught that this was due to inorganic minerals in food or water (calcium carbonate, etc.), or the bodies inability to remove excess minerals from the body and thus store it on the miles of arteries available. For this he simply used 1-2 TBS of apple cider vinegar and drank distilled water daily. If the calcium was building up in the body because of a lack of the trace minerals that are needed for it to be used, he used the Herbal Calcium Formula.

Dr. Christopher also put together the Blood Circulation Formula, which contains the garlic, cayenne, and other herbs useful for promoting healthy circulation. We have good case histories with this formula, provided they followed his mucus-less diet.

After cleansing, nourishing is the next step we take to heal. This is where the hawthorn comes into play. Hawthorn is almost a pure cardiac food. In fact, it is one of the few herbs that only has two or three practical uses (another being for edema, provided the kidneys are not in a critical state). Those who have suffered heart attack or stroke have benefited greatly from hawthorn, enough to make a rather long list attesting to its efficacy.

Motherwort is considered by some herbalists to be the ultimate heart tonic. It is a mild herb, so gentle that even large amounts may be safely consumed without ill effect. In older times it got this name because it was considered the 'Mother Herb'. If the heart is also strained due to stress, motherwort is also useful for calming the nerves.

When the heart beats weakly and rapidly, it may be a medical condition called arrhythmia. For this, our goal is to slow down and strengthen the heart. You'd have to make it yourself, but a combination of equal parts Valerian root, Motherwort and Hawthorn has been the best herbal support for this condition we know of yet.

Of course, lest we forget, heart disease is strongly linked to diet. The cholesterol, trans fats and mineral build up that is pulled out of arteries most often comes from the food we eat. Eating a diet composed solely of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds is one of the most heart healthy diets there is. In our own personal case histories, we have seen blood pressure dramatically drop down within four weeks! Doing so for two to six months is often all it takes to get the health to the desired level.

The number one strength of a plant based diet is heart health. Long term vegans may have some health problems to be mindful of when eating solely plants, but heart problems are not one of them. Usually a vegan (who is not eating junk, refined foods or carbonated beverages) will have blood pressure a little below 130/85, where risk for most heart problems is virtually zero. Occasionally you will find a vegan with genetically high cholesterol, but these are rare and still do pretty well.

Either Dr. Christopher's pamphlet The Mucus-less Diet, or Dr. Fuhrman's book Eat to Live will provide the guidelines that we most often work with and see the best results with. These works of literature will provide a solid foundation for anyone serious about having a healthy heart.

You can find the books mentioned in today’s article here: http://www.drchristophersherbshop.com/books.html

Find Dr. Christopher's Herbal Formulas, single herbs, essential oils, books and more at Dr. Christopher's Original Herb Shop: www.drchristophersherbshop.com

NOTICE: All information in this newsletter is given out as information only and is not intended to diagnose or prescribe.

Different Respiratory Herbs

One of the challenges someone seeking to apply herbs is finding what works well. It’s easy to find a list of 20 herbs that are useful for some condition, but what can you expect with each one and how do you apply it? This is a problem an herbalist looking at a lung problem can have.

Dr. Christopher has a larger variety of formulas for respiratory ailments than any other problem. He has formulas with herbs used to dry up mucus, expel it, reduce inflammation, curb nicotine habits, etc. His Herbal Cough Syrup is just that- it makes you cough more! That really confused people. But if you want to get mucus out of the lungs, it can be a nice thing.

This is what Dr. Christopher had to say about his formulas:

Sinus Plus
"This is an aid for clearing up the malfunctions of the sinuses. This is a natural aid that works as a decongestant and natural antihistamine to dry up sinuses and expel from the head and broncho-pulmonary tubes and passages the offending stoppage of mucus."

Lung & Bronchial
"This combination of herbs is an aid to relieve irritation in the respiratory tract, lungs and bronchials. This is an aid in emphysema as well as other bronchial and lung congestions such as bronchitis, asthma, tuberculosis, etc. This formula is extremely valuable in strengthening and healing the entire respiratory tract. It promotes the discharge of mucus secretions from the broncho-pulmonary passages... For additional help in the program, it is good to add three to six drops of tincture of lobelia..."

Cold Season Formula
"This formula acts as an aid to assist in relieving colds, etc. or wherever garlic is needed to help stop infection! The adult amount can vary from...two or more capsules six or more times per day taken with a cup of steam-distilled water."

Sinus & Lung
"This very powerful formula consists...of Brigham tea, horseradish and cayenne. For immediate relief of sinus pressure due to cold or allergies. May be taken every 30 minutes."

Respiratory Syrup
"An excellent asthma syrup- very helpful to expel mucus from the respiratory system. Can be used for sore throats and mucus. Excellent for fighting toxins."

Respiratory Massage Oil
Oil of mullein. May be massaged over back or taken internally to support the lungs in an inflamed or mucus condition. Also a traditional remedy for earache.

Quotes from The School of Natural Healing by John R. Christopher. (Pg 536-552)

www.HerbalLegacy.com
www.DrChristophersHerbShop.com

Respiratory Health

by Nelson, Dr. Christopher’s Herb Shop

There are some herbal formulas that almost everybody loves. When you are able to see a big problem go away in a matter of hours opposed to days or weeks, people tend to get excited about it. So let’s look at what some of the top herbalists had to say about certain formulas for colds and fevers.

Dr. Shook

"…for colds, influenza, fevers, inflammation of the brain, pneumonia (inflammation of the lungs), stomach, bowels or any part, this is a certain cure. I have never known it to fail, even when given up to and at the point of death. It will not only save at the eleventh hour, but at the last minute of that hour. It is so harmless that you cannot use it amiss, and so effectual that you cannot give it in vain." Dr. Edward E. Shook, Advanced Treatise in Herbology, 1978

The infusion for the tea is made as follows:

2 ounces elder flowers
2 ounces peppermint leaves (crushed)
1 1/2 pints boiling distilled water

Pour boiling water over herbs, cover and allow to steep (not boil) in a hot place 20 minutes.

Strain and sweeten with honey, then drink the whole amount of tea as hot as possible while closely covered in bed.

Cover a hot water bottle with a cloth or towel dipped in apple cider vinegar and place on the feet. In a few minutes there will be copious perspiration, and the pulse will slow down and the patient will sleep peacefully for hours...When taken alone, elder flowers are inclined to be emetic, and somewhat nauseous to some people. This effect can be prevented by combining them with peppermint (Mentha piperita).

Peppermint is stimulant, nervine, calmative, and antiemetic, which helps offset the undesirable effects of the elder flower. This combination is world-famous as a great fever and cold remedy. [HHH p.53]

Dr. Nowell

"We have made and used composition powder for over forty years. When we state we regularly mixed it in batches of sixty pounds the student will readily see that we have had at least some experience with it. As a remedy in colds, beginning of fevers, flu, hoarseness, sluggish circulation, colic, cramps, etc. We believe it has done more good than any other single preparation ever known to man. If this compound were kept in every home, and used as the occasion arose, there would be far less sickness. Give it freely in your practice and your patient will bless you. Look over the ingredients, and consider how it will clear canker, ease cramps and pains in the stomach and bowels, raise the heat of the body equalizing the circulation, and remove congestions. It is safe. It is effective. We have on numberless occasions given a cup [or 2 capsules] of composition tea every hour as warm as the patient could drink it, until the patient has perspired freely, and after four or five doses have seen our patient in a free perspiration, thereby removing colds and febrile trouble."

Brigham Young, the great Mormon prophet and colonist, used composition tea regularly, and recommended it to be used for children coming down sick, with a little cream and sugar added, instead of loading the child's stomach with heavy foods.

This formula is known as the Chest Composition Formula.

Dr. Christopher

(Super Garlic Immune) While lecturing in Snowflake, Arizona one night, one of the group asked if we had an plague remedy, and I was prompted to give them a "certain combination" of herbs to use.

The people there were very impressed to go right to work and prepare this liquid, having it ready for use. We had told them that plagues come at unexpected times and it could be tomorrow or maybe even years away, but expect the unexpected and be ready now. If the formula was still unused, from "no need" years later, we could all be happy but "TIS BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY".

These good people made it up in gallon lots and had it on hand. Months later while speaking in Tucson, Arizona, someone asked for the "Super Garlic Immune remedy." I was surprised and asked where they had heard of it, as we had only given it out once. We were informed that a plague-like condition or flu had hit the Snowflake area and when other aids failed, this combination of herbs in liquid form performed its job with amazing speed. [The hospital was filled with the sick. After all other remedies had failed, 2 registered nurses who had attended the lecture asked the M.D if they could use it. After they had gotten permission, they were all amazed to see the sick recover rapidly with the formula.]

At our next series of lectures in Snowflake, sometime later, we heard one testimony after another about the many different types of ailments that were given quick relief by using this formula. The formula has now spread in many areas from coast to coast and is being used with good results. A man picked us up at an airport on the west coast a short time ago, and on the floor of his car was a bottle with liquid in it. When asked what it was he said, "oh, that's your Super Garlic Immune remedy, we never travel without it as it works good on about any sickness that comes up while we are traveling. We are also never without a bottle of it at home." [NL 2-9]

Let’s compare these remedies. The elder and peppermint tea is especially useful for one reason: it is practically safe to administer under any condition. With some of the flu and fevers we see now, we hear that immune system boosting herbs can worsen the condition by wearing the body out. Whether or not this is true is debatable, but in any case, with these diseases, children and the elderly, this formula is safe to use and still effective.

If you are able to catch an illness before it matures, you will save yourself a lot of pain. The Chest Composition formula is excellent for these scenarios. It is better to break up a fever than to treat the symptoms and bury the illness deeper into the body. The capsules are a convenient way to take the suggested hourly dose. As long as you don't wash them down with milk or soda, you can expect results with them.

The Super Garlic Immune formula is what I consider Dr. Christopher's bazooka for combating illness. I had a neighbor who once told me this:

"You know, I don't really care much for herbs. But my mom was into it, and every night she would give us Anti-Plague. She always gave us a dropper full before we went to sleep. Later she found out that we only needed three drops. I think that's why I don't like them. But I never had strep throat growing up. That's got to mean something."

To learn more about these formulas visit: www.HerbalLegacy.com

Most of these formulas are on sale this month – you can find them here:

http://www.drchristophersherbshop.com/monthly_special.html

Find Dr. Christopher's Herbal Formulas, single herbs, essential oils, books and more at Dr. Christopher's Original Herb Shop: www.drchristophersherbshop.com.

NOTICE: All information in this newsletter is given out as information only and is not intended to diagnose or prescribe.

Cold & Flu Season

by Nelson, Dr. Christopher’s Herb Shop

No one enjoys getting a cold or flu. The term “seasonal sickness” is odd to us at the School of Natural Healing. Most people consider developing an illness as natural as a weather change. Got to get the yearly cold, right?

A lot of people stop catching seasonal illness when on a plant-based diet. I think I personally must have gone five years without catching a cold or flu after I ate vegetarian. Of course we think diet plays a big role in immune system health. These illnesses develop during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays - when people are more prone to eating huge amounts of junk foods. A lot of energy goes into digesting food, and the type and volume of food people usually eat during this time leaves them constipated.

Nevertheless, there are plenty of common herbs that can boost the immune system in both wellness and sickness. As a preventative, Echinacea is the most commonly used. Echinacea is legendary for its ability to get the immune system functioning, even in cases of severe poisoning. It works by tricking the body into thinking it has been poisoned, thus increasing immune activity. If it is taken for 6-9 days without a day long break, the body will figure out that it hasn't been poisoned, and it will lose its effect. It is the sole ingredient of the Kid-E-Mune formula, and in the Echinacea extract.

Elderberry or elder flowers are used in a similar way. These are very gentle, safe to use on sick babies or in situations where increasing the strength of the immune system might lower the vitality of the patient.

Elder has a high concentration of the mineral potassium. Potassium herbs and potassium broths have played a central role in the programs of big name herbalists (Dr. Christopher, Dr. Walker, Jethro Kloss, etc). Making a broth from potato peels was the common ingredient in all of these herbalist's recipes. When the body is sick, large amounts of this mineral are useful for speeding recovery. These herbs are in the Kid-E-Well formula.

Astragalus will raise the white blood cell count and is great for maintaining good health in this respect. It may be used in large amounts without problem, except in the case where a fever is present. Because astragalus will strengthen yet calm, it can prevent a fever from functioning effectively and is best avoided during this time. Even under these circumstances, no real harm can be done. This herb is in the ImmuCalm formula.

Garlic is possibly the most powerful antibacterial/antiviral herb, similar to onions and horseradish. The organic sulfur content (which gives it the pungent flavor) is a powerful tool to destroy invaders. In addition to killing pathogens, it will boost the immune system. The mere odor of garlic was proven in a Russian lab test to kill bacteria up to 30 centimeters away! Indeed, a chopped up onion placed next to an ill persons bed was a proven remedy in older times for breaking up a cold.

Garlic is the ingredient of Dr. Christopher's most powerful immune formula, Super Garlic Immune (Anti-Plague).

Many of these formulas are on sale this month – you can find them here:

http://www.drchristophersherbshop.com/monthly_special.html

Next week we will focus on respiratory health, and the favorite methods of Dr. Shook, Dr. Christopher, Brigham Young and Jethro Kloss for preventing a cold and cleaning the lungs.

Find Dr. Christopher's Herbal Formulas, single herbs, essential oils, books and more at Dr. Christopher's Original Herb Shop: www.drchristophersherbshop.com.

To read previous issues of the Herb Shop Newsletter please visit:

http://www.drchristophersherbshop.blogspot.com/

NOTICE: All information in this newsletter is given out as information only and is not intended to diagnose or prescribe.

Heavy Metal Detox

by Nelson, Dr. Christopher’s Herb Shop

Natural healing is built on the principles of cleansing and nourishing. One of the toxic materials you will often hear about in this field is heavy metals. It is by clearing these substances that some of the nastier diseases are relieved with a natural approach.

It is rather unusual how for the last 1000 years or so these metals have been widely introduced into the human body. The most well known would probably be mercury. Mercury was the drug of choice for many allopathic practitioners in the dark ages (herbalists were using cayenne and lobelia). Back then purging was a common method for relieving disease.

Giving someone mercury would make them vomit, evacuate the bowels, perspire, and throw the body into a healing crisis. The downside was that it had a high fatality rate.

This didn't in anyway discourage its use, however, and for hundreds of years it served as the base for countless elixirs, often combined with fermented bugs and animal organs. In this way, it is remarkably similar to materials used in a typical vaccination.

Most vaccines now don't have mercury in them. They do have formaldehyde (made from fermented ants) and animal proteins (glands from animals such as monkeys), along with a list of substances the modern consumer wouldn't recognize. Aluminum is a common concern in these compounds as well.

I don't think man ever had to worry about aluminum in the air until chem trails were being done (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemtrail_conspiracy_theory). That seems even more bizarre than aluminum cookware. If you're wondering whether or not the aluminum gets into your food, cook eggs or a pie crust in aluminum cookware and see how gray they turn. This is why no restaurant ever uses aluminum, and why the School of Natural Healing says that it should never be used. There is a strong correlation between aluminum and Alzheimer's.

All of these subjects are quite debatable, but regardless of the way you look at it, people in industrialized society are getting exposed to mercury, lead, aluminum and a variety of other minerals that are in no way good for the body.

Heavy metal poisoning is often diagnosed through hair analysis (which isn't considered accurate) and blood testing. The typical treatment is called chelation therapy. This can be done intravenously, and I have met people who used oral pills for chelation.

Instead of using costly, invasive procedures to detox, why not try some herbs first? Even if it was a completely worthless investment, your loss wouldn't likely be more than $20. Besides, they actually work! At least this is what the research of Dr. Omura indicated. He discovered quite by accident the ability of one herb to safely chelate metals out of the body. He noticed some of his patients urinating larger levels of toxic metals out than others. He eventually found that the common factor was that these patients all ate Vietnamese soup made with cilantro. Either cilantro leaf, or cilantro seeds (called coriander) are used to detox metals today.

Coriander seed is a very common, delicious and affordable spice. Using this spice (preferably in its raw state) can act as an effective heavy metal detox by itself or as a maintenance herb. Taking a full tablespoon of this herb daily for three weeks can safely pull metals from the body.

Most of the clinical studies for herbal chelation come from Russia (Dr. Omura was a Russian doctor). Garlic (known as Russian penicillan) has also been shown to pull mercury from the system. This is also an herb that can be used regularly for maintenance.

Dr. Christopher liked bugleweed. His Heavy Mineral Bugleweed formula was his combination of choice whenever heavy metal poisoning was presented to him. He used these along with Epsom salt baths. One of his more dramatic cases was with a miner. Dr. Christopher had him take the Heavy Mineral Bugleweed formula with the Blood Stream formula, taking 3 hot baths with a pound of Epsom salts a week, spaced a day a part. After three weeks, that poor miner had to work hard to scrape dense, metallic grime off his bathtub.

After following Dr. Christopher's heavy metal program for three weeks, if any additional help is needed, rest a full week from the baths. The herbs are to be taken during this rest period. When heavy metal cleansing, it is valuable to use a blood cleansing herb (such as chaparral or burdock) along with your program.

Heavy Mineral Bugleweed: Take 2 capsules with 6 capsules of Blood Stream Formula, taking Epsom salt baths as described.

Find Dr. Christopher’s Herbal Formulas, single herbs, essential oils, books and more at Dr. Christopher’s Original Herb Shop: www.drchristophersherbshop.com.

NOTICE: All information in this newsletter is given out as information only and is not intended to diagnose or prescribe.

Auto-Immune Disorders

by Nelson, Dr. Christopher’s Herb Shop

It is within the last century that some strange diseases began to emerge. Most of these were unheard of or uncommon before now. A wide variety of diseases fit into this category: Multiple Sclerosis, diabetes, chron's, autism, allergies, etc. All of these have one thing in common, that the body is attacking itself.

It is the immune systems job to determine self from non-self. Some rather hellish symptoms emerge when the immune system overresponds to correct an imbalance. There are many explanations for this. I will be giving the perspective of the School of Natural Healing.

When the body attacks itself, is it functioning or not functioning? Our point of view is that it is functioning, and functioning well. Not to say that we want things to continue to go the way it’s going, but rather than shut down the immune system, why not work with it so it can work effectively? The immune systems fires up when it finds something in the body that isn't supposed to be there, so it works to clear it out. The elements of an alternative program for this kind of program usually consist of removing any waste material in the area, stopping intake of 'alien' matter into the body and strengthening up the afflicted system.

So what do we stop putting in the body? What kind of waste matter? That’s where you will find the controversy. Well, from the School of Natural Healing standpoint, looking at things like autism and chron's, we see a link between these diseases and conventional vaccinations, and consider it a very strong link. The principle of vaccination is a very sound one, but the way it is applied is a point of disagreement. Injecting foreign proteins (from animal organs) under the skin bypasses the immune system. These proteins are not your bodies, and are hard to get rid of, so it attacks them.

This could be a large topic in and of itself, but for the sake of keeping the newsletter briefer, we would encourage the reader to investigate this. We are fond of the book Vaccines: Are they really safe and effective? by Neal Miller.

Dense minerals can be approached with cilantro, the affordable coriander seed, epsom salt baths and Dr. Christopher's Heavy Mineral Bugleweed combination.

Today people are coming down with a lot of wheat allergies. I would not consider most of the grains people eat wheat. The poor thing has been so hybridized and genetically modified it does not in any way resemble the wheat grain from 100 years ago. I know people who can't eat wheat, but can eat spelt or kamut. This certainly isn't always the case, but these grains, especially kamut, come from very old stock. That is the only major difference.

We disagree with genetically modified food. Well over 60% of the food in a typical grocery store has been genetically modified. We are concerned about the body responding poorly to a food it doesn't recognize, and suggest eating 100% organic.

Because there are so many auto-immune disorders, it would be impractical to outline a program for each one here, but there is a simple herbal combination that has a very potent action for each one. It is merely equal parts marshmallow root and astragulus. This would be Dr. Christopher's ImmuCalm formula. The goal is to calm down and strengthen the immune system. This recipe is ages old and has proven its worth.

With simple allergies, this formula alone is very potent. In fact, I remember a woman crying during hay fever season when I told her the manufacturer was out of stock that week. She had used it for years and loved it. This formula can make life bearable in a case of autism, chron's, or any case where you need the immune system to function properly. In big auto-immune disorders, if you used the formula I suggest you buy the bulk herbs. It takes a lot in these circumstances (1-2 TBS or 12-24 capsules), but in bulk a month supply can be purchased for $15 easily. Otherwise the average dosage of 2-6 capsules will be adequate for simple allergies. Since these are tonic herbs, they may be taken regularly in these doses without ill effect. While this formula may not be the cure, it is a worthwhile remedy.

This, combined with herbs specific to the problem area, provides a solid means for a drastic improvement in quality of life, as well as gradual improvement in the condition. Almost all of these disorders require a specific diet to achieve full function, and is worthwhile to investigate. Next week we will discuss effective means for detoxing heavy metals from the body.

Find Dr. Christopher’s Herbal Formulas, single herbs, essential oils, books and more at Dr. Christopher’s Original Herb Shop: www.drchristophersherbshop.com.

NOTICE: All information in this newsletter is given out as information only and is not intended to diagnose or prescribe.

Adrenal Health: Part II

Feeding the Adrenals with Herbs

by Nelson – Dr. Christopher’s Herb Shop

Last week we talked about the impact of diet and blood sugar of adrenal health, particularly the pancreas. When using herbs to feed any of the adrenal glands, we want to avoid using stimulants that will cause these organs to work harder, only to be more worn out in the end. It is much better to feed and rebuild over a period of time.

There are certain herbs that will feed the entire system. Licorice root is such an herb. Although it is very, very sweet tasting, it does not aggravate blood sugar, but instead helps balance it. It is excellent for an energy boost and stamina. Alexander the great loved it so much, he would supply his armies with it as they marched. As long as a periodic break is used with it (one full week off after six weeks), no side effects are experienced with standard dosage. If you continue to use it beyond six weeks, you may experience raised blood pressure. Despite this, it is one of the most valuable herbs to support the body in a case of adrenal failure, as it will encourage the adrenal glands to manufacture their own chemicals, and strengthen them over time.

Mullein is a universal food for all glands. Dr. Christopher often combined mullein with lobelia (3:1 ratio) as a simple remedy for thyroid problems, or to provide a more aggressive therapy in conjunction with another herbal formula. It was the foundation for several of the formulas, and it is in all of Dr. Christopher's formulas specifically for the adrenal glands.

Astragalus will provide a large, long-lasting boost of energy and feed the adrenals. In my opinion, this is the herb to replace the stimulant drinks that body builders use. Apart from being pure food for the adrenal glands, it is one of the top herbs for boosting the immune system. Some people want to exercise, but are literally physically worn out even when sedentary. This herb has been the key for people to have the means to exercise again. It is a safe herb, widely used with no reported safety problems.

Cedar berry is the savior of the pancreas. Within a week’s use a diabetic can greatly reduce the amount of insulin they take, or eliminate insulin dependency altogether. No other herb as yet can compare to the cedar berry in cases of severe blood sugar problems.

Dandelion is a useful liver cleanser. As the liver stores the main fuel for the body, it is wise to keep it in good shape. It also contains natural inulin, which makes it an herb that can also be used for pancreas problems.

Before we had insulin or cedar berries, the best medicine most people could get was chromium. Chromium is quite useful for a blood sugar problem, although by itself it doesn't accomplish too much. The fact that it is highly concentrated in juniper berries is a cause to celebrate. The adrenal glands rest on the kidneys, which literally provide a foundation for the adrenal glands. Juniper berries are arguably the best kidney plants on the planet. Being able to strengthen the kidneys while feeding the adrenals is excellent.

None of these herbs will bring the highs and lows that damage the adrenals. Most conventional stimulants will make the already exhausted organs work harder. These herbs will actually feed them properly, so that the fatigue can go away and the body remains stronger.

Although the herbs are potent, make sure you get to the cause. Major stress calls for a shift of perspective. The adrenals breaking down is Mother Nature’s way of saying you need a break. If you will not take a break she will break you so that you do. If life has become something that you don't have time to enjoy, it may be a good time to question whether all the activities you're engaged in are really serving you.

Detailed information of herbal formulas on www.HerbalLegacy.com

• Adrenal Formula
• Pancreas Formula
• Herbal Thyroid
• Thyroid Maintenance
• Kidney Formula
• Liver & Gallbladder Formulas

Find Dr. Christopher’s Herbal Formulas, single herbs, essential oils, books and more at Dr. Christopher’s Original Herb Shop: www.drchristophersherbshop.com.

NOTICE: All information in this newsletter is given out as information only and is not intended to diagnose or prescribe.

Adrenal Health: Part I

Blood Sugar

by Nelson – Dr. Christopher’s Herb Shop

The most common and noticeable symptom when health declines is fatigue.

Right now adrenal fatigue, particularly thyroid health, is getting a lot of press. I get many people with diagnosed hypothyroidism. And it is true that adrenal fatigue is very prevalent in industrialized society.

Yes, stress and overwork will aggravate this condition, and that it is often the hardest working people who are labeled with this condition.

But when someone wants help with a thyroid problem, the thyroid isn't necessarily always the best place to start. The thyroid is a part of the adrenal system, and is very 'high up' there, founded on several other adrenal glands. From one point of view, if anything that the thyroid is built on goes out of order, it is then the thyroid's job to pick up the slack. If this is the case, you can supplement for the thyroid, and you will feel better, but you will become dependent on supplementation.

Until the other systems of the body are able to do their job independently, you will be running on emergency fuel for typical tasks.

Your thyroid supplies adrenaline. This emergency fuel was not intended to be the primary source of energy. The pancreas will usually use its reserve enzymes before the thyroid is called on, and it is actually the liver that stores the body’s main fuel, glucose. The kidneys then form the foundation of the adrenal system.

Often, it doesn't take much digging to find out someone has a blood sugar imbalance (hypoglycemia, diabetes, etc.) along with their thyroid problem. What this means is that such a person can achieve much better relief the symptoms working closer to the cause, not even working directly on the thyroid.

When the pancreas doesn't work, you can run into similar symptoms. Fatigue, inability to digest food, anxiety, panic attacks, depression, suicidal tendencies and even insanity can be experienced in blood sugar problems. Usually, when a person feels this fatigue, they take a stimulant like coffee, or eat something sugary or high in carbs (probably because they are a very active person with little time) giving them a boost to get them by for a few hours, only to crash later. Eventually this person can feel tired 100% of the time, as this only aggravates the problem.

The liver also has a heck of a lot to do. It is responsible for managing all toxins in the body, breaking down hormones and storing fuel. If it has to work cleaning up more because of a junk diet, it will not be able to focus on storing energy, so refined foods need to be avoided. If there is a problem, eat fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds until you can get things under wraps.

The first key here is to look at the diet. If the pancreas is out, concentrated sweets, including fruit juice and agave need to go. They will wear you out, to the point where you feel tired eating them, yet crave them for energy. Complex proteins, such as dairy or meat foods, are much more difficult to break down than plant amino acids, and wear more on the adrenals.

Focus on using low glycemic foods. Sprouted grains will provide fuel longer than simple sugars, and won't spike the blood sugar. These still need to be taken moderately with prudence. Vegetables are always great (not large amounts of potatoes or starch veggies).

Avocados are an excellent calorie source, will help you feel full and are almost a specific for blood sugar complaints. Sugar snap peas or green beans are almost perfect foods for helping the pancreas heal, if eaten daily and not overcooked or canned. Dandelion greens not only cleanse the liver, but contain a natural source of the valuable inulin. These three foods are potent healers, and it isn't uncommon to get a large energy boost merely by adding these to the daily diet. In fact, string beans alone have been the key for many type II diabetics for full recovery (5 small meals a day with 1 cup of string bean juice at each meal).

If the problem is caught early enough, diet may be the only needed therapy. If it is more severe, herbs can provide an immediate restoration of energy, and over time, support the body in toning up the adrenals to proper health. Next week we will discuss the effective use of herbs for this purpose.

Find Dr. Christopher’s Herbal Formulas, single herbs, essential oils, books and more at Dr. Christopher’s Original Herb Shop: www.drchristophersherbshop.com.

NOTICE: All information in this newsletter is given out as information only and is not intended to diagnose or prescribe.