By Dawyn Cloud-Alter

Herbalists can be found everywhere.  Herbalism itself is not new and has been with us throughout the ages.  Experienced herbalists know how to grow  plants, harvest them and prepare herbal medicine.  This article is basically to introduce to you what herbalism is as well as the preparations/techniques  used to make herbal medicine.

Holistic Health

Good health means a balance of well-being.  In order for our lives to be healthy we need to incorporate different elements into our everyday lives.  Rest, exercise of the spirit, mind and body create balance in our lives.  Herbs and herbal medicine can be part of this equation.

Why Herbs

Plants consist of subtle biochemical components that the human body is familiar with. The earth is a place of wonder and consists of minerals that can only be obtained from a living cell such as a plant or animal that has ingested the plant.  Basic science states that bioavailability is the way that nutrients are available for our bodies and the ability of these nutrients to break down and be absorb into our bodies as energy or fuel.  Herbs are bioavailable because our bodies recognizes them as food.  This is why many of you have heard or read from many nutritionists that supplements are not needed if you are eating right. 

Herbs and Their Use.

Herbs are used to strengthen and build the body's natural immunity, and affects the body on a cellular level.  Some herbs themselves can be used for extended periods of time in order to strengthen the immune system, or to strengthen a particular organ in the body.

Herbs affect all systems of the body: Cardiovascular System, Pulmonary System, Upper Respiratory System, nervous System, Urinary System, Reproductive System, Musculer-Skeletal System, Bones, Skin and the Immune System.  Specific herbs are used to treat a particular system of the body.

Herbs and Serious Illness

Herbs are used with patients that have AIDS, cancer and other immune system disorders to help the body, while the body itself is receiving allopathic (traditional western medical treatment) that can drain the body like chemotherapy, and radiation.  This is an area where allopathic (traditional) and non-traditional medicine work in unison with one another.  Today more than ever before more health care companies are offering alternative therapies to their subscribers.  In fact the National Institute of Mental Health in 1989 budgeted $12 million dollars for its office of Complementary and Alternative Medicine.  The use of non traditional forms of treatment are increasing because they have made a major impact on the lives of many. 

Herbs are used to treat both chronic and acute illnesses.  Acute aliments can begin to become healed within three days by changing your diet and using herbs.  In fact if a relief of symptoms does not occur within a three day time span other herbs should be introduced.  Chronic disease will often require a number of herbs be mixed together and are generally taken over a longer period of time.  This may be due to the fact that chronic illnesses may have been developing over a long period of time and it is likely that a number of organic functions have been affected.

Herbs Have Three Primary Functions:

1.  Maintaining: Using the herbs that counteract the physical symptoms thereby allowing the body to heal itself. 

2. Building: Using herbs to tone the organs/or particular system of the body. 

3. Eliminating: toxins from the body and purify the blood,  and detoxifying(cleansing the body).

About The Author 

Dawyn Cloud-Alter has been in the field of human services for over twenty years, and a psychotherapist for eleven years.  She has a B.S. degree in Human Services, a Master Of Science Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy, and a Certificate in Family Herbalsim from the Clayton College Of Natural Health.  She resides in Sandy Hook Connecticut with her husband Mark and their three children ages Justin age 16, Autumn age 11, and Cameron age 6.

She provides individual consultations, workshops, lectures, and products for the skin,  herbal remedies, and herbal gift baskets. The products are made to order, and only natural products are used.  Visit her site https://www.alternativeherbs.biz