Could Plants Hold the Power to Cure All of Our Major Health Problems?
Due to the uncontrollable forces that be around me, I have found myself in a rather unpleasant physical and mental state as of late.
Navigating life as a 26-year-old girl who has had the rug pulled out from under time and time again has proven not to resolve smoothly on it’s own, as one could hope. It is a situation that requires much planning and interference. With this turn of events has come a lot of anxiety and fear that has been paralyzing.
One of the best pieces of advice I have been given in my life is to only worry about the things I can control. In theory, it’s simple and straightforward. In practice, I am still working on applying that mantra evenly across my life, especially when it comes to things that have happened in my past.
I began thinking… Thinking critically about what I actually DO have control over in my life. A lot of it has to do with how I treat my body and my mind. I cannot control what happens to me, but I CAN control how I react.
I have always been enthralled and fascinated by the natural world around me. The seemingly uncanny way that nature has its own system of checks and balances. How bees in a hive have a natural instinct to work together towards a common goal. How a flower can bloom in a matter of seconds. How the leaves seem to know when it’s autumn before we do. How no matter what terrible the events of the day occur, the sun always rises the next morning.
I began paying more attention, observing the natural world around me. Going on long, purposeful walks. I let myself get curious.
From there, I have begun to be able to identify edible, herbal, and medicinal plants and fungi in my area. I began researching the uses of many of these plants and herbs around me.
The more I learn the more intrigued I get, the more I begin to question the world around me, and how the system we have in place seems to be making us more and more sick…
Mental health illnesses, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, autoimmune diseases, and a plethora of other chronic health diseases are on the rise. They are more prominent than ever, have you ever stopped to ask yourself why?
Surely, with modern medicine, we must have a cure for ailments that have troubled us for thousands and thousands of years? Arthritis, heart disease, diabetes, and even cancer. If not a cure, at least effective treatments, and ones that don’t break the bank to create and distribute.
Lack of technology, research and funding in 2024 is not the issue. The issue is more deep seeded and sinister than that, it’s systemic.
The sickness and disease that runs rampant in the world, more specifically the United States, is not coincidental, or just “bad luck,” at this point it has become deliberate.
The truth is a hard pill to swallow. I am tired of swallowing pills that seem to be keeping me in a perpetual state of sickness, only to mask my symptoms and ailments, not trace them back to the root cause or even begin to cure them.
The realization that we live in a society that is designed to make us sick and weak by manipulating the foods we eat, and what we take into our bodies and minds, is why I have decided to focus my attention on the only thing that I can make any sense of: Herbal Medicine and Holistic Health.
I can no longer allow myself to take a backseat to the patterns I see playing out infinitely around me. I refuse to live less of a life because I became complacent. And I refuse to watch it happen to my loved ones above all else.
Here are some lifestyle changes I have made in the last few months that I strongly encourage you to implement if you can:
- Cutting WAY down on processed foods and refined sugars
- Limit caffeine and alcohol consumption
- Daily vitamins and supplements: Pinpoint and research areas of lapse in your diet. (For me, it was magnesium, vitamin D, and Zinc. I also began taking Ashwagandha and methyl folate to relieve chronic stress and brain fog.)
- Embrace mushroom magic: daily mushroom gummies including turkey tail, reishi, chaga, and lion's mane.
- Daily herbal tea
- 20-minute post-dinner walk
Observing these changes in myself over the last few weeks I have noticed significant positive effects on my mood, and physical health, reducing chronic brain fog, mental well-being and overall more energy and follow through.
I have been able to show up for myself more, and the people around me. I am more present and focused on the tasks at hand. My short-term memory and memory recall is improving dramatically.
This is just the tip of the iceberg, experiencing this change has sparked a fire in me that is determined to share my knowledge with others and challenge myself with how far I can take it.
I am taking it upon myself to do as much research as possible on herbal and holistic health. I started by studying Earl Mandell’s Herb Bible and finding resources online provided by the North American Institute of Herbal Medicine, as well as other credible sources.
(Second hand stores and thrift stores are your best friend, you can find cheap used herbal medicine books quite often!)
We are entering a new era of technology, and with that comes the very real dangers of misinformation and disinformation. It is up to us to take matters into our own hands and to curate our own well-informed knowledge base. It isn’t an accident or coincidence that modern public schooling doesn’t teach us how to effectively take care of our minds and bodies.
I am going to begin documenting and sharing my journey and experience as I delve into the world of natural, herbal, and holistic medicine. I hope others who are interested will become inspired to join this journey with me. I will be learning to identify and forage my own herbs, dry and prepare them, and incorporate them into my life in a variety of ways including tinctures, topical salves, teas, and seasonings.
Eventually, when I get the money together I am going to get certified in Western Clinical Herbalism. I plan on starting as a self-taught herbalist, taking advantage of books and online resources, and eventually making the transition to professional clinical herbalist.
I have spent my entire life searching for my muse. The inspiration and the missing link, only to realize that it lies in the intricate, beautiful, and powerful properties of plant life and the natural world right at our doorstep (literally). It’s something so obvious that it’s easy to overlook amidst our bustling 21st-century challenges, or some might say distractions.
Please keep in mind that herbal remedies are not a replacement for modern medicine, be mindful of mixing herbs with medication and be mindful of any potential allergies. Keep your wits about you, and remain open and curious. Research everything. Question everything. Think for yourself.
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