Herbal Help for Humans and their Companions

Astrology and Health
The effect of the different astrological influences on our health, well being, the type of illnesses we are liable to get, longevity etc. has been very closely examined and researched. Over the millenia healers, herbalists, scientists and workers in the field of astrology, have managed to build up a core of knowledge regarding the astrological effects on our mental health and how that leads to our physical fitness and general well being.

Each of the planets represent an electromotive force and their degree of influence and energy will depend on the time, place and date of birth. Different variations of this force / energy gives us the ability and strength to progress in our life. The planetary interactions have a very great influence on our mind and the ability to motivate us so that we can progress in life.

It is a well established and recognised fact that when there is a new moon or full moon, many people go through some physical problems like the natural changes that occur in the rivers and oceans. Many of the large rivers expand in quite uncharacteristic ways during the full moon and also on new moon days. Our individual mental situations vary as different planetary interactions take place, and this can lead to either mental and physical difficulties or well being.

I would love to hear from those of you who feel the effects of the new or full moon .

---

---

This week we feature:-

• Feline - Obesity
  
• Canine - Addison's Disease
  
• Equine - Lip Ulcers
  
• Human - Shingles
  
• Home Remedies - How Healthy Is Dairy?
  
• Reader Feedback
  

---

Feline - Obesity

---

Obesity in a cat is usually defined as a cat who weighs 15-20% more than it should. While the complete extent of how obesity damages a cat's health in still unknown, it is recognized that an obese cat is more likely to be at risk for a wide range of health problems such as diabetes, stroke, heart disease, respiratory problems, constipation, arthritis, feline urological syndrome and more. Obese cats may also have a shortened lifespan, and a compromised quality of life.

While there can be other, hidden causes (which is why the veterinary exam is important), obesity in cats is usually caused by the cat simply consuming more calories that it is burning off. The answer to this problem is usually a combination of decreased caloric intake and increased exercise. If you simply feed the cat less it may become miserable, and in turn you may then become miserable, so a balanced, well thought out change in your special cat's lifestyle is usually the answer most satisfactory for everyone involved.

Feed your cat a well balanced diet and keep food treats nonexistent or to a minimum. We all love to treat our cats, but consider food alternatives such as grasses you can grow on your windowsill for your cat. Also, of course, your special cat needs exercise. When your cat is young it will often initiate its own playtime, thereby usually getting plenty of exercise, but as it ages you may have to take the initiative. Good luck with this, I have never known a cat who would submit to anything initiated by a human.

I have recently heard that in USA there are dogs undergoing surgery for obesity just as their owners are??????

---

Canine - Addison's Disease

---

Addison's Disease is known as Hypoadrenocortism and is the opposite of Cushing's disease.

It is an uncommon condition in dogs; a failure of the adrenal glands to produce enough glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid, compounds that control a large number of functions in the body.

In Addison's Disease, the level of sodium decreases and potassium increases. Low sodium can lead to vomiting, diarrhoea, weight loss and weakness. High potassium mainly affects the heart, causing changes in rhythm and contraction.

The disease can be caused by any mechanism that damages the adrenal gland.

We have a herbal mix to help support your dog's system in fighting it. It is not yet on the web site but it would require long term treatment, and the herbs can be run safely alongside any conventional medications.

---

Equine - Lip Ulcers and Lumps

---

I would recommend nothing externally beyond a simple Pawpaw ointment to sooth and seal the lip ulcers while we wait for the blood cleansing herbs to do their job.

The ulcers are very much like the lumps and bumps and represent your horse's system packaging up blood toxins into little cysts. Over the body there is little chance to release this material through the skin in the short term but on the lips it can more easily break out through the skin in the form of small sores and ulcers.

The presence of these toxins so close to the skin also make that skin more sensitive and attractive to insects so it is not a matter of the horse being allergic but rather its blood being more tasty.

I would further recommend that you ceased all cortisone shots and other veterinary medicines and also all prepared feed and put your horse back onto green pick and clean chaff and hay.

The only two other supplements would be:

1. Feed cold rosehips tea which you can make up and use to dampen feed twice a day (about of pint each time would be great) The rosehips is high in Iron and Vitamin C but its main task in this instance is that it is a blood cleanser and a powerful Kidney tonic as the kidneys clear the wastes from the blood (along with the Liver).

2. Also you might care to push a good quantity of fresh garlic corms into a tub of molasses and allow them to soak. While the fresh garlic oil is extracting into the molasses you should use a half a cup of it to add to water and make up the balance of the fluid used to dampen feed. The molasses is high in iron and sulphur and so is the garlic and so supports oxidation and blood cleansing. Additionally, the garlic is a natural selective antibiotic which will protect your horse from any infection but not prevent the natural infective processes your body uses to help expel toxins.

This program will certainly resolve the problem completely and quickly and you will have taken the first step in do it yourself herbal medicine.

The link to purchase the blood cleanser is to be found on my page at:
http://herbal-treatments.com.au/horse_blood_cleanser.html

---

Human - Shingles

---

Shingles can be a real bugbear for an elderly person and it is common enough. It comes about through the nervous system and can be a reaction to stress or frustration or anger but it not all that helpful to tell the person this normally.

First aid treatment is to get hold of Hypericum (St Johns Wort) Oil and add a couple of drops of the Bach Flower essences Holly and Rescue Remedy. You will be able to get these from your health food store. The oil may be smoothed over the areas that give trouble two or three times daily sparingly and should quite quickly offer relief. The two Bach flower essences should also be added to drinking water as well. Just two drops of each to each glass of water during the day.

I have an internal mixture I can send to you to deal with the internal origins of the condition more effectively see:
http://www.herbal-treatment.net/herbs_shingles_herpes.html

---

Home Remedies - How Healthy is Dairy?
(Thankyou to the reader who asked for information on this topic)

---

There is no human requirement for milk from a cow," says Suzanne Havala, RD, author of the American Dietetic Association's "Position Paper on Vegetarian Diets" and several books on nutrition. "The use of milk and its products in our country is strictly a cultural tradition," she notes. "There are millions of people around the world who never consume cow's milk and are none the worse for it."

While doctors recommend increasing the intake of calcium in order to prevent ostreoporosis and maintain good health, most calcium supplements are insoluble in the distal small intestine where absorption of calcium occurs. In fact calcium, like all minerals and vitamins have a selection of ideal partners to enable optimal absorption and utilisation by the human body. Silica is one of these critical partners.

Vitamin D also plays a critical role in maintaining bone health. When blood levels of calcium begin to drop, the body responds in several ways. It promotes the conversion of vitamin D into its active form, which then travels to the intestines (to encourage greater calcium absorption into the blood) and to the kidneys (to minimize calcium loss in the urine).

For bone health, an adequate intake of vitamin D is no less important than calcium. Vitamin D is found in milk and vitamin supplements, and it can be made by the skin when it is exposed to sunlight in the summertime.

Vitamin K, which is found mainly in green, leafy vegetables, likely plays one or more important roles in calcium regulation and bone formation.

Calcium is calcium, however, whether it's from broccoli or cottage cheese. "There's no best source of calcium," explains Robert Heaney, a professor with the Osteoporosis Research Center at Creighton University School of Medicine. "The sheer quantity of calcium in dairy products certainly makes them attractive sources, but they have no monopoly on calcium. There's no reason in the world why you couldn't get an adequate intake from a vegetable source."

Indeed, researchers have found that nations with the greatest calcium intake have the highest rates of osteoporosis and hip fracture, and that there are relatively few fractures among populations where calcium levels are not so high. After studying bone fracture rates worldwide, researcher JA Kanis concluded that the differences in fracture rates, "cannot be accounted for by differences in dietary intake of calcium but may relate more to physical activity [which promotes strong bones]."

Another worrying piece of information according to gynecologist Christiane Northrup, MD, author of "Women's Bodies Women's Wisdom", other health problems associated with the consumption of dairy foods include benign breast conditions, recurrent vaginitis, acne, menstrual cramps, fibroids, chronic intestinal upset and increased pain from endometriosis. These health problems could be occurring due to some farmers artificially increasing a growth hormone in cows in an attempt to increase yield.

Milk can also be associated with the conditions described below.

• Allergies: Milk is the most common cause of food allergy. A recent study found that one way to reduce the number of allergies in infants is for the breastfeeding mother to avoid consuming, or make very limited use of cow's milk.
  
• Anemia: Overreliance on milk in children can lead to anemia, as milk is very low in iron, and drinking large quantities of it can crowd iron-rich foods from the diet. In young infants, protein from cow's milk can cause intestinal bleeding, another possible cause of anemia.
  
• Colic: Sensitivity to cow's milk can cause colic, a digestive ailment in infants. Colic can cause problems even in infants who aren't drinking cow's milk but whose mothers are.

Fermented dairy products are a much better option compared to straight dairy products such as fermented milks and yoghurts containing 'probiotic' cultures such as lactobacilli and bifidobacteria. These are currently among the best known examples of functional foods. They are simpler for our body to absorb due to the fact that they are already partially digested due to the fermentation process.

Read More about Osteo-arthritis in the article below:
http://www.herbal-treatment.net/article_understanding_osteoarthritis.html

---

Reader Feed Back

---

Thankyou for the following message. If any of our readers would like to contribute to this forum please do so, we'd love to hear from you.

1) Hi! And a big thank you for all my wonderful newsletters! I was wondering what you thought about wheat and dairy products in the human diet, there seems to be so many conflicting statements.

---

---

We value your feedback so much that we are making it easier for you to send us a sentence or two.
Please fill in the form below and click 'Submit'

Name:
Your Email Address:
Topic:

Comments or questions:

Wishing you and your companions the best of health and happiness.

Yours Truly,
Judith Burton for
Robert McDowell