"... And medicine be thy food" is the iconic quote by Hippocrates, who is considered to be the father of medicine (although medicine was studied, written about, and codified over a thousand years before he was born).
The first medicines were not drugs, but plants and herbs. Even today, most medications and the most common and long lasting ones, are herbal based. There have been many drugs in our time (nearly all of them) that no longer work because we have developed immunity, the germs are stronger, or they are unsafe. It is not true with herbs. While a few are endangered and no longer used (legally), they still work.
Here's an example: MRSA is believed to be mutated because of the anti-biotic overuse in people and livestock. Yet, garlic still quickly kills it and there are several Chinese hospitals that used garlic to disinfect. Herbalists learned what worked over time.
The first herbalists were simply people who chose good tasting plants. They noticed they felt better eating one thing over another. As time went on, shaman and medicine men and women were given special places of honor, because they knew how to use plants and food to heal. Many women in Europe were the wise women of the village because they knew herbs. If your child was sick, you visited the wise woman.
Herbalists today are few and far between. Many were driven underground and the science forgotten. Others were killed for witchcraft. Up until the early 1900s, herbs were commonly prescribed by doctors. In fact, most doctors at the time were herbalists and naturopaths.
So, what happened? Many doctors will tell you that we found science and it was more reliable. This is true. But it ignores the dark side. It was and still is common practice to denounce, persecute, fine, and kill (yes, kill) people who practice the old methods of herbalism, naturopathy, and nutrition. In fact, it was only in 1987 that the age-old chiropractic medicine was finally accepted as valid, yet some still denounce as quackery. Currently, in many states in this country, telling a person that a donut can make you fat is illegal. Thankfully, PA has rejected this insanity.
Herbalism and alternative therapies are making their way back into common use. In our area, we proudly host acupuncture, herbalism, aromatherapy, reflexology, iridology, Shiatsu, chiropractic medicine, Ayurveda, homeopathy, massage, reiki, and Chinese Medicine, among many others.
We are finally catching up to the rest of the US and the rest of the world for treating the whole person, not just the disease. The US is 37th in the world for health (Central PA is even lower), behind Costa Rica and a few Middle Eastern Countries, according to the WHO. We are #1 in the use of drugs, more than the whole of Central and South America combined. Many believe it is because we have placed such an emphasis on drugs and disease and avoid health and holism. We have a disease care system, not a health care system. Just ask about your exercise class or your nutritional classes. Preventative medicine is not covered (unless provided by a drug company).
By integrating herbs into your life, you increase your nutrition and your health. Knowing how to do that correctly is not as challenging as you think.
Like parsley? It has more Vitamin C per ounce than an orange. Sage can help clean teeth and clove can help relieve a toothache. Peppermint is a mood lifter and ginger helps settle stomachs. In fact, I use candied ginger to help relieve nausea when I'm flying.
I'm including more herbs and supplements into my programs. I have just completed and am now certified by Sage Mountain Herbal Center for the completion of an intensive apprenticeship with Rosemary Gladstar in the didactic, therapeutic, and field work of herbalism.
Christina Major is the Naturopathic Doctor and Holistic Nutritionist of Crystal Holistic Health Consulting. Crystal Holistic Health helps people, especially women, who have Type II Diabetes, High Cholesterol and High Blood Pressure lower their numbers, get off medication and increase their energy so they can save money, take back control of their lives and improve the health and happiness of their families.
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