The Herbal Medicine Chest

Simplify Your Family's Health Care Program
by Donna L. Watkins

Are you old enough to remember when a large segment of the population still lived in rural communities, not in large cities? Back in the 1960's about 40% of the population lived in rural areas while the other 60% was urbanized. Today almost 85% of the population lives in cities.

Along with the move to cities comes the tendency to do less for ourselves and rely more on various "experts," especially in the field of health care. Today, many parents head to the doctor or emergency room for small injuries and common ailments. Maybe it's because these services are so convenient that we've forgotten it's possible to care for many of these problems ourselves, very simply, very effectively.

Our current health care system is faltering in many ways. Most patients aren't getting the true support they need, and most doctors and nurses are frustrated with the way patients retaliate. Insurance is a dirty word on both sides as it doesn't provide what the insured wants, and doctors are required to spend so much time and expense to process claims. Drugs are being approved much too quickly, only to find out after many deaths or damages that they should not have been approved at all.

It wasn't long ago that homes had an Herbal Medicine Chest. A place where simple remedies were kept for the treatment of many common ailments within the home.

We are very excited about the Herbal Renaissance taking place in America (it never stopped in other countries). The only sad thing is that there are so many 'bad' products out there since herbs have become popular, and along with them, a lot of bad information. Be sure to do your own research. Don't assume that if something is herbal, it's safe. There are many issues to consider about quality!

We've been using natural alternatives for our family's health problems since 1978. We were able to raise our son without the use of drugs, over-the-counter medicines, or other invasive means of health care. We read and studied and kept herb books nearby. We made a commitment to each other, as parents, that we would try the natural approach first.....and if in 24 hours our son wasn't better....then we would run to the doctor.

I can tell you it was wonderful not having to tell those stories that my friends did in groups of mothers, about vomiting and diarrhea and "being up every night for a week now." Was I a bit nervous about using herbs? Nah! I was a LOT nervous about it! I hadn't grown up running to the doctor, but I'd never heard of herbal remedies. I just encouraged myself by realizing that other mothers were real nervous about using doctors also and I noticed how "out of control" they felt about the whole situation.

Can you believe it? Not once did we have to run. We dealt with fevers, sore throats, chicken pox, and other immune system challenges, always seeing results that far surpassed the results our friends were seeing with their children using drugs. That's how we got into the herb business. We were having such good results improving our own health, and our son was living proof of how effective herbs were, so we began ordering for friends. That was in 1987 and here we are today!

We took the simple approach first, and for us, that always worked. We feel that we avoided a lot of trauma, side effects of drugs, and many medical bills by thinking first instead of reacting.

We changed our diet right before our son was born, so we must make you aware of the fact that you can't eat junk food and expect to stay healthy. There's no such thing as a 'magic potion' or pill. Our bodies were designed to run on live food, not colored, flavored, sugared, preserved, and dead food. You need living food to keep living!

We are not suggesting you avoid medical treatment for any situation. We are simply sharing with you what has worked for us. We took some training classes before making these decisions and continued to learn on a continual basis. Even now, we are continuing the education process.

We have put together some information that may help you to begin the learning process and to know what to put in your Herbal Medicine Chest.

To begin, you should schedule time to learn about the body - how it works, what health conditions relate to which parts of the body, and how it all functions together as a whole unit. One thing lacking in our health care system is that each problem is looked at as an isolated area of the body rather than considering how the health problem fits into the rest of the body.

We have classes available so you can learn as much as you want. We also have free newsletters.

Most folks are comfortable beginning with the Pocket-Size First Aid comprised of three (3) essential oils that aid in fifty (50) common health problems. These oils can be carried on trips or in the car or even in a purse to always be prepared for many common health problems. Be sure to print the information so you can place it with your "kit."

The larger Herbal Medicine Chest contains up to seventeen (17) items. You can actually pick and choose what you'd like to place in your own Herbal Medicine Chest and gradually add to it. With all of the products, it addresses 130 common health problems. Remember to print the information on how to use your products of choice.