Antidepressants Blog

Preservatives, pesticides and herbicides can be highly dangerous, but if the proper care is taken there will be no acute symptoms of poisoning. Normally, if the directions for use are observed, there will be no evidence of chemical damage. However, what happens when farmers follow the opinion of those who say ‘the more the better’? What are the consequences when they use too much poison and spray too late, or when the poison cloud also covers the plants growing under the trees or the neighbour’s cultivated garden or field?

I have seen the results of tests conducted in Switzerland and elsewhere that even the experts considered disturbing. I once visited an American institute that operates with government support where the professor in charge acquainted me with the results of experiments conducted with animals, and the things I saw and learned were more frightening than impressive. No one should simply close his eyes to the lasting effects of chlorinated hydrocarbons such as DDT, Duldrin and Aldrin, and it is irresponsible if the damage caused by them is hushed up.

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The French name for buckwheat, ble sarrasin, seems to indicate that buckwheat must have been brought to France from the south by the Saracens, whereas the Russian name, gretsikha, grikki suggests that the Greeks probably introduced this valuable food into their neighbouring lands. In many parts of Russia it is a national dish and the people prepare a most delicious oven-baked buckwheat.

Whole buckwheat can be cooked in the same manner as rice, and buckwheat groats are excellent in soup and for rissoles. The flour makes what is called a ‘short’ pastry and is good for mixing with wheat flour. The resulting pastry is better than that made with wheat flour and a high proportion of butter.

German biologists have discovered that buckwheat reduces high blood pressure, a finding that has since been confirmed by American scientists. An extract of buckwheat is thus claimed to combat high blood pressure and arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). Unpolished brown rice has the same attributes as buckwheat in this respect. It would be to the advantage of older people if they were to change their menus slightly, to include more natural brown rice and buckwheat, but fewer eggs, cheese and pulses (legumes), for these two cereals have a rejuvenating effect on the blood vessels, especially the arteries. The intake of protein and salt should also be reduced to a minimum as one advances in age or if one suffers from high blood pressure.

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Because they are so good for us, we should give much more attention to soya products. The beans contain first-class protein, as well as minerals and other vital substances. Millet proved its worth in the past when it served to satisfy our forefathers, giving them strength and energy. For this reason alone it, too, deserves to be on our table now. Over forty years ago, millet began to go out of vogue and was only used for chicken feed. More recently, however, as a result of the serious efforts being made to enrich our diet with valuable plant products, millet has begun to be revived as a food and it would be to our advantage if we used it regularly in alternation with potatoes and soya.

On travels through tropical regions in the developing countries of Africa and Asia, a frequent sight are many adults and even more children with pot-bellies and skinny limbs. This condition is generally a symptom of protein deficiency. Although it is true that pure calories, that is, carbohydrates, are often plentiful in the form of tropical fruits, and the body is able to produce its own fat, in hot countries it is very difficult to obtain sufficient protein. Because of the great heat, cattle yield less milk. It is therefore not surprising that in those areas all kinds of seeds are considered important for food. In folk museums we can also find that seeds, kernels and nuts stand out as a special feature in the nutrition of ancient peoples.

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There is now another method of treatment available which was unknown in those earlier days. I am glad to say that it also helps considerably towards achieving a successful result. It is a fresh

hormone treatment. As with the treatment of poliomyelitis, it is necessary to obtain the fresh testicles of a healthy young bull. Take off the skin and chop up the tender inside with a sharp knife or put it in the food processor. Then apply the mixture to the whole extension of the spine, from the nape of the neck to the coccyx, massaging it in vigorously. This massage treatment should be given once a week in two stages, in the evening and early the following morning. The portion to be used in the morning will need to be kept in a cool place during the night.

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It is very sad that the results of many years’ efforts are being relinquished due to a change in circumstances. Malaria, typhoid fever, paratyphoid fever, elephantiasis, amoebic dysentery and dysentery are, unfortunately, once again on the increase and the danger of infection in many tropical areas can be expected to continue to grow before it falls. The white colonial powers were responsible for many wrongs, but as regards hygiene and the control of epidemics they also did a lot of good. Human weakness is often responsible for ‘throwing out the baby with the bath water’, particularly where childish naivety or the blindness of nationalism predominates.

It is indeed regrettable that all the good progress achieved in the course of many years of effort and work should come to nothing. It is a step backwards when tourists are exposed to greater dangers and risks of infection. So if your health is not exceptionally good and your powers of resistance are limited, or if you are very sensitive, think twice for the present before you decide to go on a safari or other holiday in tropical countries. Despite all kinds of vaccinations, you will not be immune to all tropical diseases.

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Whenever we are hungry or fancy a particular food, this natural reaction stimulates the secretion of gastric juice. If, however, we eat without appetite, forcing ourselves to consume whatever is set before us, we will have poor digestion, which in turn can lead to other disorders. It is therefore important to ensure that we always have a healthy natural appetite. This is possible, not by working non-stop, but by taking sufficient exercise and by deep-breathing in the fresh air. So, if you work fairly near to your home, walk there instead of using transport. You can also whet your appetite by taking bitter herbs such as centaury, or artichoke tincture.

Our emotional and mental state may either stimulate or suppress the appetite through its influence on the secretion of gastric juice. So, if you easily give in to anger or annoyance, do not be surprised if this makes you go off your food. It should now be clear that happy people, who are always in a good mood, digest their food much better than those who are very serious, or worried and upset. Nor is the process of digestion helped by sitting down at the table when plagued by problems, or when the situation is aggravated by an animated discussion about them. If you are not hungry because of being too tired, it is wise to rest a little and unwind before eating. The manner in which the food is prepared and the dishes arranged on the table tends to make the meal more or less desirable.

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A kidney remedy, such as Nephrosolid, and kidney tea should be taken to stimulate the kidneys. Additionally it is recommended to drink more liquids than you are accustomed to, preferably natural fruit juices, for example bilberry or blueberry juice, blackberry juice and grapefruit juice. If you wish you may dilute these juices with mineral water, either the still kind or one with only slight natural fizziness.

However, it is useful here to summarise the most important ones with a general application.

We have learned from experience that the most effective natural remedy for eczema, including cradle cap, is Violaforce, an extract from the wild pansy. Urticalcin should always be given too. This biological calcium preparation helps to heal the lesions when used as a powder. Molkosan and Echinaforce have the same effect and should definitely be incorporated in the treatment, not only externally but also internally. Eczema is generally associated with defective sebaceous glands and it is necessary to supply the skin with sufficient oil. St John’s wort oil or Bioforce Cream, a lanolin cream, will accomplish this purpose very well.

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When winter arrives it brings with it the chance to partake in a whole range of snowsports, increasingly referred to as ‘pleasure sports’. Some of these, however, may present a danger to the heart, because not everyone is sensible enough to choose a sport that has a beneficial effect on the health; instead, they become enslaved, body and soul, to movement and speed. Yet everything in nature is based on a wholesome rhythm of movement followed by rest. We were not created with wings, so we were not intended to dart through the air like birds. Our heart was designed to be close to the earth and we should observe its human, earthly potential.

There is a great difference between the pleasure of movement and the slavish pursuit of a competitive sport. Some light exercise after an occupation that demands a lot of sitting down is beneficial, indeed essential. But if you force yourself beyond your endurance and strength, you must not be surprised if your heart muscles become dilated because they have lost their elasticity. Yet it is still possible to do something about such a condition and, to a certain extent, regeneration can be achieved, although it is much better to take note of the old proverb, ‘Prevention is better than cure.’

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Fresh herbs can be used wherever dry herbs are called for in a recipe, and in most cases the flavour is vastly superior. Drying any plant removes a lot of its vitality, oils and vitamins; but if you wish to use chives in mid-winter, you must either dry or freeze the fresh herbs to maintain a continuous supply.

Very high quality dried herbs are now packaged in Australia. One firm is Somerset Cottage, the family business of Rosemary Hemphill, the author of Spice and Savour and Fragrance and Flavour. In general, when dried herbs are called for in a recipe and you wish to substitute fresh herbs, use 3 times the quantity listed.

You can dry your own herbs in many different ways. The best and easiest way for the home gardener is to lay out the fresh-cut leaves or flowers on screens made by stretching those left-over ends of nylon net or terylene curtaining (or even clean hessian) over one or two old picture-frames. Tack the material around the outer edge, and put the frames where air can circulate under as well as over the drying herbs. A dry shelf in the laundry (if it’s not too sunny), or in a storeroom, or even on top of that old cupboard in the garage (not where your car exhaust fumes are going to hit the tray), are all good places to dry the herbs. Never dry them in the sun; you will lose almost all their goodness.

You can also dry herbs tied in small bunches hung head downwards from tacks along the edge of a shelf, or from brackets, or underneath overhead cupboards in your kitchen. I often have bunches of lavender or the scented geraniums drying like this hung from the black iron brackets of my herb shelf in the kitchen. This way you can get some of the perfume while they are drying. Never hang them in a spot where steam or condensation will get to them.

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Valeriana officinalis VERBENACEAE

An unassuming,, small herb, valerian gives very little outward evidence of the value it has always had in herbal therapy. You might pass it by altogether and not comment on its tufts of droopy light-green leaves. Even the flower stems are not really attractive, looking anaemic and skinny, with a pale head of creamy pink tiny blooms in the late spring.

Valerian has two important qualities: the strong sedative powers in its roots; and its ability to stir up and increase phosphorus activity in the soil around it, and provide rich mineral content for the compost bin.

The herb has been known and used for thousands of years. Sedative plants are rare amongst common herbs, and if your diet is right and you live as naturally as possible, if you are happy in your work or in the home and life is not too frustrating, you should never need a sleeping draught made from valerian root. However, illness involving severe pain, an accident, or any crisis that keeps you worried or tense so that sleep will not come night after night: all these depleting circumstances can find you in dire need of a safe, natural sedative like valerian.

Valerian grows on banks and near stone if possible, and Chaucer called one variety “Setewale”, wryly commenting on its rather unpleasant odour and taste. Nature has put out her warning signals here, so don’t use this herb lightly. Unlike sleeping pills and many synthetic drugs, valerian will cause neither addiction nor side effects, and it does not have narcotic properties. There is no immediate effect—you do not fall asleep five minutes after the first dose; it has a slower far-reaching action, promoting healthy nerves that do not feel the slings and arrows so much. Once again, natural medicine reaches not only the symptoms but the cause of the bodily discomfort, the jangled nerve centres sending frantic, anxious signals instead of calm relaxed ones.

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