I’m going to deviate from my regularly scheduled programming of posting health and wellness tips to talk a little bit about why I know so much about this topic to begin with, and why I’m so passionate about it.
This isn’t stuff I ever really set out to research or fill my brain with, but circumstances arose that woke me up and I’ve devoted a pretty large part of my life to learning as much as I can about holistic health and healthier alternatives to conventional medicine…as well as everything else.
I don’t plan on stopping any time soon.
I grew up in a pretty natural home. My mom was born and raised in Cuba, and even though her family came from a long line of pharmacists, she was always quick to use traditional herbal medicine on me whenever I felt ill. Same for my dad who grew up in Hungary where herbal remedies are used alongside allopathic ones.
Stomach troubles? I got a cup of chamomile tea. Immune system needed a boost? I’d get a raw clove of garlic mashed up and served on a piece of toast. Headache? Out came the ice pack. Sniffles? Elderberry syrup was served along with unflavored cod liver oil. The goods.
I remember a particularly severe bout with bronchial asthma when I was in high school that had me unable to attend classes for 6 weeks. I was given inhalers, steroids, antibiotics, and even codeine by my pediatrician but nothing worked. My mother reached out to an elder in the Cuban community who told her to fry fresh oregano in olive oil and give me teaspoons of that “potion” every few hours. She did just that, and within 24 hours my lungs were functioning again.
In my childhood home, the go-to was never Tylenol or other popular meds. It was always natural stuff first…and you know what? It worked. I was a pretty healthy kid. I grew up drinking beet and carrot juice while my friends drank Dr. Pepper. I hated it, but I can certainly look back on that with appreciation.
Sometime between my leaving home to go to college and my becoming a mom, I forgot a lot of what I had grown up with. I had become insouciant when it came to medicine and being aware of what was in my foods and the products I used at home.
I figured if I ate fruit and vegetables regularly, I was doing just fine. I looked healthy, I felt fine, and I trusted the system.
Having kids changed everything though. In an instant.
When my son was a few months old he developed eczema. The pediatrician didn’t bat an eyelid and sent me home with a prescription for a cream which cleared my boy’s skin overnight. I was relieved, but the skeptic in me which had lain dormant for a few years woke up.
I sat in from of the computer and plugged in the name of the prescription and read the multiple paragraph long list of side effects. One of which was skin cancer. In that moment I knew that I would be reading labels for EVERYTHING no matter if the Surgeon General of the United States himself knocked on my door and handed me a miracle cure-all.
That shit would get investigated.
My son struggled with several health issues in the first few years of his life, and while the pediatrician was always quick to hand over a new prescription, I knew I had my work cut out for me. I would smile, thank the doc and leave the office and head home to do my due diligence before turning that scrip in to the pharmacy.
I spent countless nights plugging away at the computer researching alternatives and finding holistic doctors that I could take my son to. I studied in depth what all the foods were that could help him, what household and bathing products I would have to cut out because they were full of chemicals.
The end result?
My boy got better without meds. Why? Because the natural alternatives to the drugs recommended actually treated his health issues at their root…..pharmaceuticals simply masked the symptoms. His body needed the support necessary for it to work how it was intended to….natural medicine and holistic practices did that for him….without side effects.
I have left doctors with their mouths agape when I’ve told them why and how my kid was no longer suffering from this that and the other. A few have thanked me for opening their eyes to alternatives, and others have even implemented some of what I have learned in their practices……because what most of us don’t know is that allopathic doctors don’t learn about natural alternatives in med school in America.
Most are not even offered a proper course load in nutrition. Yet they are courted by pharmaceutical companies. So, it’s not really their fault…they just offer what they’ve been taught……but that’s why it’s up to us, to do a little questioning and a little research.
There are some ailments that will always need Western medicine…..but why not at least try to see that there are alternatives for treating, or preventing many others? And why not take the time to read the fine print, the labels, on our meds like we do with our foods?
I recently received my certification in holistic remedies and am studying to become a health coach….but I’m not a doctor and I will never pretend to be. I love sharing what I’ve learned, but I won’t try to diagnose anyone.
I will always recommend that everyone find a doctor they are comfortable with and who has an open mind when it comes to natural medicine. Often times allopathic and natural medicine can complement each other beautifully…and there are doctors that practice integrative medicine who understand the benefits of both. My favorite kind of docs, obviously!
I always run the supplements I use by the integrative doctors that I work with in order to make sure things won’t contraindicate and can work synergistically. I have a cupboard in my kitchen devoted to herbal tinctures, teas, essential oils, minerals, and health supplements. The minute any of us starts sniffling or sneezing, I reach for my arsenal and kick the crap out of those pathogens.
I also still have Benadryl, Tums, and Advil on standby should the need arise. It’s all about educating and empowering ourselves while still striking a balance.
Our bodies are amazing machines….if we support them properly, you’ll be in awe of what they can do!
Header photo by Joanna Kosinska @unsplash.
As an affiliate I make a small percentage from each sale made via links on this blog.
