Post by probablyradical on Oct 4, 2012 11:12:19 GMT -5
Wow - I'm surprised that there aren't any posts here, in "Sports and Health." (Granted I'm not 100% sure they should be the same topic, but it is what it is, for now).
So, something that I'm always surprised about is people's lack of understanding of herbal medicine. So here's a really simple bit of a primer.
Believe it or not, a ton of natural medicines are actually-effective. I'm talking about natural stuff, not homeopathic stuff. (Homeopathy is functionally a placebo - but don't underestimate the placebo effect).
ACTUAL DISCLAIMER - OBVIOUSLY YOU SHOULD SEE A DOCTOR, or practice this with an *experienced* naturopath. You can hurt yourself and such.
Moving on! It's a great thing to be able to take your health into your own hands, and to do so without having to engage in the usual power-hierarchy play. Extremely empowering. And once you've learned, you can help others- helping your friends & community to become physically well is a pretty amazing thing. Doing so without engaging the society at large? Wow.
Some plants / herbs / etc I'd suggest reading about for beginners follows, with a north-american focus, since that's what I know.
This is just a quick, quick primer. It gets huger as you get deeper. There are plants to treat poison ivy, and plants to help 'bring on your period.' The range is amazing. Most of the plants / herbs above are best done as a Tincture - you should read about that as well.
Remember - we evolved alongside these plants. As we're looking for allies, remember that the natural world can be our greatest ally.
So, something that I'm always surprised about is people's lack of understanding of herbal medicine. So here's a really simple bit of a primer.
Believe it or not, a ton of natural medicines are actually-effective. I'm talking about natural stuff, not homeopathic stuff. (Homeopathy is functionally a placebo - but don't underestimate the placebo effect).
ACTUAL DISCLAIMER - OBVIOUSLY YOU SHOULD SEE A DOCTOR, or practice this with an *experienced* naturopath. You can hurt yourself and such.
Moving on! It's a great thing to be able to take your health into your own hands, and to do so without having to engage in the usual power-hierarchy play. Extremely empowering. And once you've learned, you can help others- helping your friends & community to become physically well is a pretty amazing thing. Doing so without engaging the society at large? Wow.
Some plants / herbs / etc I'd suggest reading about for beginners follows, with a north-american focus, since that's what I know.
- Meadowsweet - which is functionally the same as Asprin, and less sterssful for some people's stomachs.
- "Plantain" - not the bananna thing. Grows everywhere, called "White Man's Footprint" - chew it up a bit and stick it to a cut - you'll be amazed how quickly and cleanly it heals
- Echinacea - A really great immune booster. Helps a ton if yoyu're getting sick - and it's a common garden flower.
- Usena - This is nature's antibiotic. This is serious, only use if you're really sick - but I've seen it kick pneumonia.
This is just a quick, quick primer. It gets huger as you get deeper. There are plants to treat poison ivy, and plants to help 'bring on your period.' The range is amazing. Most of the plants / herbs above are best done as a Tincture - you should read about that as well.
Remember - we evolved alongside these plants. As we're looking for allies, remember that the natural world can be our greatest ally.