The Healing Remedies Sourcebook: Over 1,000 Natural Remedies to Prevent and Cure Common Ailments. C. Shealy Norman

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СКАЧАТЬ An Introduction to Traditional Home and Folk Remedies

TRADITIONAL HOME AND FOLK REMEDY SOURCES

An Introduction to Herbalism

HERBAL REMEDY SOURCES

       An Introduction to Aromatherapy

       ESSENTIAL OILS

       An Introduction to Homeopathy

       HOMEOPATHIC REMEDIES

       An Introduction to Flower Remedies

       FLOWER ESSENCES

       An Introduction to Vitamins and Minerals

       VITAMINS, MINERALS, AND OTHER ESSENTIAL NUTRIENTS

       PART 2 TREATING COMMON AILMENTS

       Disorders of the Mind and Emotions

       Disorders of the Brain and Nerves

       Skin and Hair Problems

       Eye Problems

       Ear Problems

       Nasal Problems

       Dental Problems

       Mouth and Throat Problems

       Lung and Respiratory Disorders

       Heart, Blood, and Circulatory Disorders

       Disorders of the Digestive System

       Disorders of the Urinary System

       Disorders of the Reproductive System: Female

       Disorders of the Reproductive System: Male

       Disorders of the Endocrine System

       Disorders of the Immune System

       Disorders of the Musculoskeletal System

       Common Childhood Ailments

       First Aid

       About the Publisher

INTRODUCTION

      THE INCREASED USE OF NATURAL medicines and remedies over the past decade has prompted one of the most exciting developments in healthcare in our time. Many of the tenets of modern medicine have been challenged, and the crisis that conventional healthcare is now facing is the result of its own philosophy. The main premise of conventional medicine is that curing disease will lead to good health. This ignores the fundamental concept that pathology is individual to the sufferer, and that prevention is ultimately more important than treatment for the population at large.

      This idea is borne out by the fact that modern medicine is simply not as efficient or effective as we have been led to believe; indeed, evidence suggests that it may cause and create more fatal diseases than it cures, and despite the huge sums of money invested, the populations of the U.K., Australia, the U.S., and most of Europe do not live as long or as healthily as people from other cultures, where healthcare investment is substantially lower.

      Adverse drug reactions and side-effects are one of the 10 most common reasons for hospitalization in the U.S. The information provided to doctors and physicians throughout the course of their careers is largely funded by the pharmaceutical industry, which earns billions each year from sales of prescription and over-the-counter medicines. As a result, we, in the West, have been encouraged to adopt a “pill-popping” approach to health—taking an average of 26.5 million pills per hour. Sleeping tablets, analgesics (painkillers), antihistamines, sedatives, and antidepressants rank among the top 20 drugs prescribed by physicians, and more than 52 million aspirin or acetaminophen tablets are taken each day in the U.S.

      Perhaps the most alarming result of this overdependence upon drugs is the fact that we have stopped taking responsibility for our own health. When we have a headache, we take a painkiller; when we have a cold, we might take an antihistamine. We suppress the symptoms of health conditions because we want to feel better; we no longer accept the logic that pain or discomfort is a message from our body that something is wrong. We have become used to the idea that someone or something else can deal with our health problems. By taking a pill or conventional medicine in some form, we do experience a relief from symptoms, but what is important to remember is that the cause of the pain or illness remains. By treating the symptoms, or suppressing them, we are doing nothing to treat the root cause. Eczema sufferers apply ointments and creams to the surface of the skin; they may take anti-inflammatories or antihistamines to ease the itching, but the cause of the eczema is still there and the body’s reaction has been masked by drugs. They have not been cured. Their illness has merely been controlled. Recently, this trend has begun to change. Scares about the side-effects and long-term effects of immunization, abuse of painkillers, antihistamines, and antibiotics have proved that conventional medicine, despite its many miracles, has been overused and we have become far too dependent on it. Many of us are no longer happy to accept the risks of prescription drugs, and are realizing that there are natural, healthy alternatives. With the increased interest in diet, emotional health and well-being, and exercise, we are becoming more in tune with our bodies and are choosing to listen to the messages they give. Even more importantly, we are taking steps to prevent illness rather than simply treat it when it does arise, and for this reason we are willing to try natural substances СКАЧАТЬ