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Maria
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Herbs for healing - plantain and echinacea

Post by Maria »

Dr. Patrick Jones of Idaho is a licensed Vet and holistic herbalist.

Visit his website at http://www.homegrownherbalist.net

I just listened to one of his talks. It is simply amazing what God has given us. Food and herbs can be our medicine.

For example, when and if you are ever bitten by a rattlesnake, more than likely, there is a plant such as the humble plantago /i or echinacea (also known as cone flower) growing nearby, especially in a meadow or river valley. Cone flower root is especially potent.

A local Idaho man was hiking and was four hours away from civilization when he was bitten by a rattler as he reached for a rock high above him. He climbed down the mountain, found a lush green plantain plant near a river, and sat down on the river bank to eat the plant. He continually chewed and ate the leaves, but he also made a poultice of the chewed leaves, which he placed on the bite area (knuckle on his hand). Even though his hand had now swollen to the size of a volleyball, he did not panic. As the poultices turned black with venom, he placed new leaves over the wound. This was no dry bite; it was filled with venom. After 12 hours of continuous treatment, he walked out alive and well. The plantain nourished him not only externally, but also internally. If he had tried to walk out of that wilderness area without first seeking a source of natural healing, he most likely would have been dead.

Have you ever heard of snake oil? Today that phrase has become a very derogatory insult directed against herbalist. It is worth noting that snake oil is the oil of echinacea, a potent herb, which was used for snake bites, and it was highly effective.

Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me a sinner.

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Maria
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Tamarind from India and the East

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To view Dr. Mercola's article on the exquisite uses of this extraordinary oriental fruit, please visit: http://foodfacts.mercola.com/tamarind.html

... As most ancient foods do, tamarind has a long history of medicinal uses. Many involve easing stomach discomfort, aiding digestion, and use as a laxative. Tamarind preparations are used for fevers, sore throat, rheumatism, inflammation, and sunstroke. Dried or boiled tamarind leaves and flowers are made into poultices for swollen joints, sprains, boils, hemorrhoids, and conjunctivitis.

Similar to the natural gums and pectins found in other foods, the sticky pulp referred to earlier contains non-starch polysaccharides, which contribute to its dietary fiber content. They bind with bile to help flush waste through the colon, decreasing the chances of it sticking around.

Each 100 grams of tamarind contain 36% of the thiamin, 35% of the iron, 23% of magnesium and 16% of the phosphorus recommended for a day's worth of nutrition. Other prominent nutrients include niacin, calcium, vitamin C, copper, and pyridoxine.

p.s. Here in the banana belt of Southern California (where I live), we can grow tamarind. I think I will try to grow a tree.

Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me a sinner.

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Barbara
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Snakebites and Bee stings

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Re the holistic herbalist, great find. I will have to check his site.

As for rattlesnakes, there are MANY in Idaho owing to its climate, called high desert. I have heard harrowing tales of people searching for the old Indian arrowheads which abound in the American Falls region being bitten by these snakes.

Too bad the arrowhead hunters and other adventurers had no plantain in their emergency kits ! That plant would be a good idea to add to those survival kits mentioned on an earlier thread to keep in one's car.

I have investigated using dried plantain for bee stings. Probably the same principle applies of the plantain pulling the poison out. However, I have to learn how to recognize the plant growing wild. Very useful obviously, based on the above tale.

Last edited by Barbara on Sun 25 June 2017 11:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Barbara
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Tamarind and Neem Trees - trees of health

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About tamarind, it usually comes as a paste in this country, doesn't it ?
It would be nice to have the original tamarind. I like the name, which conjures up the spices of the fabled East.

While you are at it, Maria, why don't you try growing a neem tree ? I discovered this magical way of brushing the teeth when traveling in the Subcontinent. I brought back a ziploc bag full of neem twigs each trip. They do an infinitely better job of producing smooth, fresh teeth than any Western 'toothbrush' can possibly do. Let alone that deadly stuff called 'toothpaste'.

In contrast, the neem 'twigs' as they are called, meaning little pieces of the bark, are entirely natural. They somehow remove the plaque when used to scrub the teeth. That's why the teeth feel like they just came from being scaled at a dentist's office [ hopefully a legitimate practice, not the Payette, ID fraud ! If curious, see http://www.euphrosynoscafe.com/forum/vi ... =6&t=12077 ]

I have discovered that old cultures offer systems that are more advanced than Western inventions in terms of facilitating more gracious living.

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Maria
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Re: Tamarind and Neem Trees - trees of health

Post by Maria »

Barbara wrote:

About tamarind, it usually comes as a paste in this country, doesn't it ?
It would be nice to have the original tamarind. I like the name, which conjures up the spices of the fabled East.

While you are at it, Maria, why don't you try growing a neem tree ? I discovered this magical way of brushing the teeth when traveling in the Subcontinent. I brought back a ziploc bag full of neem twigs each trip. They do an infinitely better job of producing smooth, fresh teeth than any Western 'toothbrush' can possibly do. Let alone that deadly stuff called 'toothpaste'.

In contrast, the neem 'twigs' as they are called, meaning little pieces of the bark, are entirely natural. They somehow remove the plaque when used to scrub the teeth. That's why the teeth feel like they just came from being scaled at a dentist's office [ hopefully a legitimate practice, not the Payette, ID fraud ! If curious, see http://www.euphrosynoscafe.com/forum/vi ... =6&t=12077 ]

I have discovered that old cultures offer systems that are more advanced than Western inventions in terms of facilitating more gracious living.

I would like to plant both the Neem and the Tamarind Tree. They will suffer as we are in zone 10, so we will have to protect them from the intense sun and the frost, which rarely occurs, but which can be very damaging to leaves.

Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me a sinner.

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Barbara
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Neem "Indian Liac" is a natural insecticide.

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I was skimming through a book about herbs particularly for teeth last night that has to be returned to the library. I came across the fact that Neem is also known as "Indian Lilac". Isn't that pretty ?

Not only that, but Neem is a natural insecticide. Maria, you will love that. Rush out to the nearest nursery whenever you can !
Nobody need use any more chemical insecticides, particularly if one has an Indian Lilac tree gracing their yard !

Neem is antibacterial, antifungal, antimalarial and antiviral. Can't beat that for a toothbrush. One is supposed to change their Neem twig at most every 3 months despite its power-packed compounds.

This plant even has Quercetin in it, which has become a popular anti-inflammatory herbal medicine in the last 15 or so years. I believe the Quercetin sold in health food stores is derived from Eucalyptus. It is rather costly, so maybe picking some Neem twigs might be a cheaper route to gaining that important health property.

In South Asia, where the tree is mainly grown, the twigs are known as "miswak" or similar words. Thus if someone is founding a TOC branch in Lahore or Delhi, be sure to seek "miswak" in the bazaar ! Easy to find and costs a few cents only. One can throw out that Colgate or Crest plastic toothbrush forever, as the truth is that synthetic bristles are awkard. They barely reach the entire surface of each tooth the way these little Neem twigs can. Then, too, dentists warn against 'scrubbing' with a toothbrush so as not to ruin the gums. But how can one really scrape the teeth adequately with a soft or extra-soft [ the only recommended types ] brush ? Only the Neem twigs do a thorough job. They can be pressed with any amount of strength, for they can't hurt the teeth or gums. On the contrary, the aromatic oil in the Neem twigs helps tone both and eradicate those awful bacteria which cause cavities and other dental nightmares.

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Maria
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Re: Neem "Indian Liac" is a natural insecticide.

Post by Maria »

From where you do obtain Neem twigs?

When I did an Internet search through DuckDuckGo.com, I found Neem Tree Farms in Florida which sells a package (lasting about three months) of Neem twigs. They have their own nursery of Neem trees that are doing quite well.

Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me a sinner.

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