Cold Season

November has been beautiful in our area with blue skies and beautiful leaves everywhere. Our new house is coming along and we're getting it a little bit more organized.

We've been doing well fighting off the various coughs and colds that are going around.
So far our younger son (16) is the only one in our family to catch a cold. But it is getting steadily better! I have given him honey and cinnamon on a spoon, herbal teas, and several doses of herb capsules. The immune boosting herbs that I have found helpful are Echinacea, Fenugreek, Myrrh Gum, Goldenseal, ginger and turmeric. We also take a daily vitamin supplement with all 90 essential vitamins, & minerals called Tangy Tangerine and that is helping him get well and also us all stay healthy.

I have recently been thinking about a theory I have about healthcare. I have noticed that some people who "try" herbs seldom put much stock into the idea. They think it's stupid or just folklore. They seldom stick with it nor give herbs/natural treatments the credit for their improved condition. Perhaps  they didn't really "believe" the herbs would "do" anything in the first place? What we believe is very powerful. For instance, I believe our health is directly connected to whether you have a merry heart or a broken spirit.

A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones. ~ Proverbs 17:22

So it is with believing that the Lord God made our bodies to self-heal. And He gave us the green herbs to help. They take a little longer and work much gentler to bring healing and require a different mindset and a little patience, whereas chemicals and pharmaceuticals are designed to bring mask the symptoms and bring temporary, but immediate, relief.

Anyway, back to my theory. I think that herbal/natural treatments are far less effective — maybe not  effective at all — when used simultaneously or in conjunction with pharma drugs.

Pharmaceuticals use an entirely different method for "treating" various ailment. Their job is not to heal or cure, but to suppress. Most people who have a headache reach for NSAIDS like Acetaminophen, Aspirin or Ibuprofen.

I read somewhere that if Ibuprofen were invented today, it would be by prescription only. And that seems very rational considering the number of deaths per year it causes.

I understand the plausibility of pharma drugs in absolute emergency situations. But for home treatments for common ailments — headache, sore throat, colds, coughs, flu, etc — using pharma drugs is the equivalent of turning off your fire alarm because it is too loud.

Pharmaceuticals put great strain on the organs and thereby cause a counter productive response to healing by the body. I like know what I am putting in my body and giving my family and herbs have proven very safe and extremely effective. I love that they seek to aid the body in repair and wellness and not work against it or cover up symptoms. God made our bodies to want to heal, so when we are unwell, we need to trust that the body is going to seek balance and health.

So I think if you're going to use something, do one or the other, but not both. Not only could herbs cause a chemical reaction with pharma drugs, they are rendered ineffective for natural wellness due to the strain the body caused by the drugs. I often wonder if people could avoid the diseases so prevalent today if they just stopped taking pharma drugs/medications and started learning about natural treatments and wellness.

What about you? Has my theory proved evident with you or someone you know concerning the ineffectiveness of herbs when mixed with pharmaceuticals? I would love to hear from you!