Constipated Babies

By: Tonya Judd

Over the course of the past few weeks I have received quite a few phone calls concerning constipated babies. Most of these sweet, new little beings have not had a bowel movement within a 7-10 day time period.  Their tummies were hard and when they would try to eliminate, they would cry because of the pain caused from the hardened stools. Their concerned and loving mothers were at a loss as to what to do for such little ones.

In most cases breastfed babies do not have a problem with constipation, but it can happen. On the other hand, formula fed babies do tend to have frequent bouts with constipation. If this is the case, you might try switching formulas or switch to goats’ milk which is much less mucus forming. If you are breastfeeding, your baby should have a bowel movement each time they nurse. If this is not happening, do not be alarmed, but look at your own diet and the foods you may be consuming that may be causing constipation. Regardless of your situation, if your wee one is having constipation issues you can try some of the following remedies to alleviate constipation and bring your baby relief.

1.  Dr. Christopher’s Kid-E-Reg Formula. The Kid-E-Reg Formula is a gentle bowel formula that supports the intestines, acts as a mild laxative, and is safe to use for an extended period of time.  It contains: Slippery Elm Bark, Licorice Root, Fennel Seed, Anise Seed & Fig Syrup in a glycerin base.

2.  Molasses water. 1/2 to 1 teaspoon black strap molasses to 8 ounces of water. This can be given by using an eye dropper or adding to a bottle. Molasses softens hardened stools making elimination easy and painless and is soothing to the intestinal tract.  Molasses is also a great source of iron.

3.  Licorice Tea. Licorice is a mild laxative, and stimulates peristaltic action.

4.  Lemon water. Lemon increases bile and peristalsis which causes a bowel movement.

5.  Diluted prune juice. Softens the stools and is very nutritive.

6.  Gently massaging the abdomen in the area of the colon. This can be done using extra virgin olive oil.

7.  Reflexology. Work the area on the foot that corresponds with the large and small intestines.

8.  Exercising/bicycling your baby’s legs. The colon is a smooth muscle and becomes more efficient with exercise. This simple exercise can help to get the peristaltic action going just like when we as adults exercise.

9.  A warm catnip enema. Lay your baby on a towel in the tub and keep the upper half of their body covered for warmth. Never give all of the solution at once. Remember to go slowly with babies and massage the abdomen as you go.

10. The Lower Bowel Extract. This formula can be used on babies if the Kid-E-Reg is not producing the desired results. The dosage would obviously not be what is listed on the bottle. You could start with 5-10 drops and work up if needed. This formula contains Cascara Sagrada Bark, Barberry Bark, Cayenne Pepper, Ginger Root, Lobelia Herb, Red Raspberry Leaf, Turkey Rhubarb Root, Fennel Seed and Goldenseal Root in a base of pure vegetable glycerin and distilled water.

Tonya Judd is a Master Herbalist graduate of The School of Natural Healing and an Emotional Release practitioner.

© Re-posted with permission from Herbal Legacy. This article can be found at: http://articles.herballegacy.com/constipated-babies/.

29 Nettle Tea Benefits: Sipping on Nettle Tea for Better Health

by Christina Sarich

Milarepa, the Tibetan saint, was said to have lived on nothing but nettles for decades of meditation. Yet another weed that most of us pull and throw out, like dandelions, nettle is a wonderful health-boosting herb that should never be dowsed with weed-killer, but plucked and dried to make into an herbal panacea that could make the local pharmacy go bankrupt. Nettle, from the flowering plant genus Urtica in the family Urticaceae, has so many health benefits, they can hardly fit into this small space.Milarepa, the Tibetan saint, was said to have lived on nothing but nettles for decades of meditation. Yet another weed that most of us pull and throw out, like dandelions, nettle is a wonderful health-boosting herb that should never be dowsed with weed-killer, but plucked and dried to make into an herbal panacea that could make the local pharmacy go bankrupt. Nettle, from the flowering plant genus Urtica in the family Urticaceae, has so many health benefits, they can hardly fit into this small space.

Stinging nettle is: diuretic, astringent, pectoral, anodyne, tonic, rubefacient, styptic, anthelmintic, nutritive, hermetic, anti-rheumatic, anti-allergenic, decongestant, expectorant, anti-spasmodic, anti-histamine, anti-lithic/lithotrophic, herpetic and galactagogue.

29 Nettle Tea Benefits
To give you an idea of just how powerful this singular plant is, nettle has the potential to treat the following
ailments:

• Nettle stimulates the lymph system to boost immunity
• Nettle relieves arthritis symptoms
• Nettle promotes a release from uric acid from joints
• Helps to support the adrenals
• It helps with diabetes mellitus
• Strengthens the fetus in pregnant women
• Promotes milk production in lactating women
• Relieves menopausal symptoms
• Helps with menstrual cramps and bloating
• Helps break down kidney stones
• Reduces hypertension
• Helps with respiratory tract disease
• Supports the kidneys
• Helps asthma sufferers
• Stops bleeding
• Reduces inflammation
• Reduces incident of prostate cancer
• Minimizes skin problems
• Eliminates allergic rhinitis
• Lessens nausea
• Cures the common cold
• Helps with osteoarthritis
• Alleviates diarrhea
• Helps with gastrointestinal disease, IBS, and constipation
• Reduces gingivitis and prevents plaque when used as a mouth wash
• Has been shown to be helpful to in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease
• Relieves neurological disorders like MS, ALS and sciatica
• Destroys intestinal worms or parasites
• Supports the endocrine health by helping the thyroid, spleen and pancreas

You can brew stinging nettle leaves in almost boiling water and drink daily as a curative to all these ailments. Just be sure to check with your doctor since nettle can interfere with certain pharmaceuticals. Enjoy nettle tea benefits today!

© 2013. Reposted by permission of NaturalSociety.com. This article can be found at: http://naturalsociety.com/29-nettle-tea-benefits-health-herb

In the End…It’s All about Colon Health

By Marcia Zimmerman, CN, June, 2010

During a normal lifetime, 60 tons of food passes through the gastrointestinal tract – a tube that measures about 30 feet in length from mouth to anus. In previous Zimmerman Files, we have focused on digestion and the interaction between the G.I. tract and the immune, endocrine and nervous systems. Now we are at the ending chapter of the story.

Bowel Habits

Americans are obsessed with bowel regularity. According to the Harvard Health Letter, constipation is responsible for 2.5 million visits to doctors and accounts for $400 million spent on laxatives each year.1
It is one of the three commonest complaints I hear during my consumer seminars. If you are plagued with this problem, read on. . .

Bowel habits vary greatly between individuals and they can change throughout one’s lifetime. What you eat and drink has a great effect on your bowel. Vegetables, fruit and whole grains provide valuable fiber that helps the bowel function normally. On the other hand, excess intake of red meat, fatty and sugary foods is irritating to the bowel.

The important thing to note is your pattern, the consistency of stools, and ease of evacuation. Note changes in what’s normal for you. If changes do occur, such as during travel or stressful periods, try a bedtime cocktail of 1 tablespoon organic acacia soluble fiber by itself or in combination with inulin and flax meal. Effervescent vitamin C, in any of several flavors, adds zest and is a pleasant way to take this essential vitamin.

Gluten Intolerance

If your bowl habits have changed dramatically, or if you experience frequent pain, gas and bloating in your lower abdomen, it’s time to check in with a health care practitioner. You may be one of a growing number of people who are gluten intolerant. Glutens are the proteins found in some favorite foods such as bread, pasta, cookies, pizza crust and anything made from wheat. Common names for wheat are durum, semolina, spelt, kamut, malt, couscous, bulgur, and triticale.2 Wheat is a component in soy sauce and other condiments, requiring careful label reading if you are intolerant to it. In addition to wheat, glutens are also found in barley, rye and sometimes oat.

Rice, sorghum, millet, buckwheat, corn, quinoa, and other grains contain small amounts of gluten proteins that are generally not as irritating as those in the wheat family.  Yet they can bother some sensitive individuals by creating and sustaining an inflammatory response.  Consequently, they may be initially eliminated in gluten-free diets until it is determined that they are not contributing to the problem.3  Fortunately, there are a wide variety of gluten-free foods available today. You can also benefit from a gluten digest enzyme preparation for times when you aren’t sure if gluten is present. For a few gluten intolerant people, an occasional encounter with a gluten-containing food will not cause significant upset.

The Toxic Bowel

Hippocrates recognized the deleterious effects of a toxic bowel in 400 B.C. Yet, it wasn’t until the early twentieth century that the concept of “intestinal dysbiosis” was recognized. This term refers to the balance between the “friendly” and “unfriendly” bacteria that normally reside in the colon.

Some 500 to 1,000 kinds of microorganisms reside in the large intestine, outnumbering all the cells in your body by as much as a factor of ten.4 This living “organ” or “gut biomass” plays a vital role in colon health and by extension – that of the entire body. A recent research project headed by a team of doctors at Stanford University Medical School, deciphered the genetic makeup of gut microorganisms. The doctors found these bacteria contain genes that are involved in cholesterol production, activating immunity, regulating energy, and repairing cell damage.5 A shift in the makeup of the gut biomass has a profound effect on health.

Adding a good prebiotic containing live beneficial bacteria such as several species of Lactobacilli, Bifidobacteria and Streptococcus thermophilus, can help rebalance gut biomass. These friendly bacteria thrive when a prebiotic such as fructooligosaccharides (FOS) is added. By preventing the overgrowth of pathogenic (disease causing) bacteria, probiotics can modulate disease processes that may be going on in your body, and also help prevent inflammation.6,7,8

References:
Frishman, R.G.; et al; “The Sensitive Gut” A special report form the Harvard Health Letter 1999.
2 Helms, S.; “Celiac Disease and Gluten-Associated Diseases” Altern Med Rev 2005;10:172-192.
3 Ibid
4 Travis, J; “Gut Check: The Bacteria in Your Intestines are Welcome Guests” Science News Online May 31, 2003; 163 (22).
5 Gill, Steven; et al; “Metagenomic Analysis of the Human Distal Gut Microbiome” Science 2006;312:1355-1359.
6 Giles, C.K.; et al; “Probiotics in Health Maintenance and Disease Prevention” Altern Med Rev 2003;8:143-155.
7 Almeghaiseeb, E.S.; “Probiotics: An Overview and their Role in Inflammatory Bowel Disease” Saudi J Gastroenterol 2007;13:150-52.
8 Penner, RM; “Probiotics in the Management of Inflammatory Bowel Disease” Medscpe Gen Med 2005:7(3) Medscape.

©2010 Reposted with permission from NOW University. This article can be found at: http://www.now-university.com/Library/Zimmerman/079520.htm?cat=

Liver and Gallbladder

Formerly Barberry LG

Usages:

If the liver is particularly congested, we suggest the liver-gallbladder formula which contains the herbs:  barberry, wild yam, cramp bark, fennel seed, ginger, catnip and peppermint. This combination will aid in purifying the blood stream. For if the bile does not flow freely into the intestinal tract, it goes directly into the bloodstream and circulates throughout the system causing a toxic condition known as cholemia [causing] indigestion, sluggishness, fever, fatigue, constipation, upset stomach, chills, and vomiting [which are] among some of the symptoms. In addition to the above formula, the castor oil fomentation may be used over the liver. This will open the constipated capillaries within the liver.

Excesses in eating and drinking should be avoided. If gallstones are present and the ducts are blocked, bile may be forced back into the liver and enter into the bloodstream. The skin may take on a jaundiced color. Ultimately, the bile is excreted through the urinary tract. The urine is often dark red or amber color and is very concentrated. Clay color stools are another symptom. During a time of a gallbladder inflammation, heavy eating should not be done. Fruit and vegetable juices are recommended along with the liver-gallbladder herbal formula. The bowels should be kept open and unconstipated through the use of the lower bowel formula [called] Lower Bowel. Olive oil (2 tablespoons, 3 times a day) should be taken to lubricate the bile ducts. Our hydrangea root formula, made with 1 quart of apple juice and one ounce of hydrangea root soaked together for three days in a cool place and taken in two ounce doses during the three day cleanse, is capable of dissolving stones anywhere in the body. Light, more frequent meals are preferred over large heavy ones.

Dosages:

Suggested dose: 1/3 Cup or one or two capsules or tablets, 15 to 20 minutes before a meal.

Ingredients:
Barberry                          
Wild yam
Cramp bark
Fennel seed
Ginger
Catnip
Peppermint

Testimonials:

1.   Liver Transplant Avoided: A 45-year-old man scheduled for a liver transplant took 6 capsules of the Liver and Gallbladder combination three times a day and drank 1/2 gallon of carrot juice each day while waiting for the operation. Four weeks later after a medical exam, he was removed from the waiting list because of his marked improvement (others needed the transplant more than he did). -R.C., Provo, UT [D. Christopher]

2.   Polymyalgia: H.M. of Martha’s Vineyard developed Polymyalgia (pain and stiffness of the muscles) later in life, after her doctor put her on drugs. [The] doctor put her on prednisone to ease pain. However, after two years on this drug, she couldn’t walk. She started taking herbs, trying to find relief. She took Dr. Christopher’s Liver and Gallbladder formula, with Marshmallow and Astragalus for two and half weeks and started feeling better. She started walking again, and her sedimentary rate (lab work) dropped from 74 to 11. Two years later she only has problems with her knees. [D. Christopher]

Useful in Treating:

*Gallstones
*Liver
*Vomiting

©2014 Used with permission from http://www.herballegacy.com.
This article can be found at: http://www.herballegacy.com/Liver_and_Gall.html

Lower Bowel

Formerly Fen LB

Usage:
In most cases, improper diet has caused the peristaltic muscles of most people to quit working, and it will take six to nine months with the aid of the lower bowel tonics for the average individual to clean out the fecal matter and to rebuild the bowel structure sufficiently to have the peristaltic muscles work entirely on their own.

Most people have pounds of old dried fecal matter that is stored in the colon which is toxifying the system and keeping the food from being assimilated.

Dosage:
Over ninety percent of all diseases and malfunctions of children’s bodies (as with adults) stem from the unclean intestinal tract, constipation (Latin constipatio meaning crowding together), with infrequent or difficult evacuation of the feces, retention of the feces, and lack of coordination in the nerve and muscle functions of the colon and bowel.

The Lower Bowel Tonic, Fen LB is a CORRECTIVE FOOD for the intestinal tract. In bowel movements no two people are alike, and often a person will taper down on the lower bowel tonic over a period of time to one capsule three times daily, then to a single capsule a day–then all of a sudden, the herb is getting to the outside walls of the intestines and breaking loose some of this hard fecal matter, and it goes down the intestines and begins to clog you up.

So during your cleansing cycles–when the body is throwing off more of its accumulated wastage, or when the Lower Bowel Tonic is getting to the outside of the intestinal tract and breaking loose some of this hard fecal matter from the walls and with subsequent
intestinal congestion–you should remember to accentuate or intensify your use of the Lower Bowel Tonic and take the necessary quantity (up to maybe 8, 10, 15 and even 20 capsules a day) to break it loose; and when that is accomplished, then taper back down
again.

Ingredients:
1 part Barberry bark (Berberis vulgaris)
2 parts Cascara sagrada bark (Rhamnus purshiana)
1 part Cayenne (Capsicum minimum)
1 part Ginger (Zingiber officinale)
1 part Goldenseal root (Hydrastis canadensis)
1 part Lobelia herb and/or seeds (Lobelia inflata)
1 part Red raspberry leaves (Rubus idaeus)
1 part Turkey rhubarb root (Rheum palmatum)
1 part Fennel (Foeniculum vulgari)

Testimonials:
1. Chronic Colitis Cured: It’s been a long time since I have written you, and I feel that I must tell you that I have gotten rid of the colitis I had for years and the doctors diagnosed as a nervous stomach and prescribed tranquilizers, which of course I didn’t take. At that time I came across an article written by you, entitled, “Does Your Colon Feed or Poison You.” I immediately started to take Blood Stream Formula plus Naturalax 2 Fen LB; it took about six months but it finally went. The pain was very bad but all I heard from doctors was, “You have a nervous stomach.” [B]ut I knew it had to be more than that. I thank GOD and you, Dr. Christopher for [the]cure that I have had due to that wonderful pamphlet that came my way, just when I needed it most. [NL 4-11]

2. Polyps: I am taking your Naturalax 2 Fen LB. I had surgery two years ago for polyps, they removed two large ones. Now not quite two years, they found another one thru x-ray. I started on your lower bowel cleaner Fen LB. It is helping very much. I think I passed that polyp the other day, so I am doing all this cleaning and take another x-ray in February. Also, I just purchased your book, School of Natural Healing. My husband and I like it best of all the books we have ever purchased. [NL 4-12]

3. Child Born with Constipation-Cured: My friend has a granddaughter about seven years old. Her parents told me she was born with constipation. She had one bowel movement a week, (all of her life). For two days each week before her bowel movements, she could not eat because she was in so much pain. They had spent
hundreds of dollars to physicians trying to help her. They were told not to worry. One bowel movement a week was normal for her granddaughter.

They changed the granddaughter’s diet and put her on cleansing herbs Fen LB and Blood Stream Formula. In two or three weeks, she was having three bowel movements a week. They then added Cascara Sagrada, and in another two weeks, the
granddaughter was having three bowel movements a day. [NL-2-1]

4. Gas and flatulence Relieved: I must tell you why I am subscribing to your newsletter. My confidence in you arose from the most remarkable help I received in the use of your Naturalax II Fen LB (incidentally, I am 73 years old).

For years I have suffered from gas and flatulence to an extreme degree–with no answer or relief from my own physician nor a specialist to whom he referred me. After the first day of use of your herbal formula, I had relief which has continued consistently for the
month I have been taking it.

I feel like a new human being–and needless to say, I am most grateful to you! [NL 2-2]

5.   Pain Eased: I have a friend who had had eight major surgeries. She lived in constant pain, very seldom was she able to go places and her physician had told her there was nothing more they could do.

She went on Dr. Christopher’s Three Day Cleanse and Mucusless Diet. She started on herbs to cleanse the colon [Fen LB] [and]the blood (Blood Stream Formula). [Plus she took] Cayenne, Herbal Calcium Formula, Yucca AR Joint, Herbal Eyebright, etc. In a matter of about three weeks, her pain was gone. She was able to start living again. In about 3 or 4 months, her arthritis left her.

She had had glaucoma for 13 years. Her glaucoma medicine was making her ill, so she went to her eye specialist. He tested her and said, [“T]here is not even a trace of glaucoma left. [T]here is virtually no cure for glaucoma[. H]ow did you do it[?”] Her reply was [that it was] thru herbs and diet. She was told whatever it is, don’t stop it. He took her off her glaucoma medication and a special pair of glasses. She now tells me her eyes have improved so much that she can now watch TV without glasses, which she never before had done. She started on this program less than a year ago. Her dark brown eyes are now turning green. She has a ways yet to go, but she is really living again. She is a composer and this past holiday season, had a Christmas Album published. [NL 2-2]

Useful in Treating:

*Constipation
*Diarrhea
*Dysentery
*Flatulence
*Headache
*Hemorrhoids
*Hernia
*Impotency
*Menstruation
*Rheumatism
*Tumors

©2014. Reposted with permission from Herbal Legacy. This article can be found at: http://www.herballegacy.com/Lower_Bowel.html

February 2014

“Good health and good sense are two of life’s greatest blessings.” – Publilius Syrus