Herbal Help for Chronic Diseases and Conditions
By Sally Cragin
In 2013 when I developed lyme disease from a tick bite (I live in the northeast where lyme is highly prevalent), I was devastated. A bump on the knee burgeoned into a large, swollen mass that was painful. Fortunately, an alert doctor suggested a lyme test, which came back positive. I am not someone who rejects all pharmaceuticals—after all, thousands of people who’ve received top-notch educations are in this field—and a month of antibiotics put this condition into a “sort of” remission.
I say sort of because I found that if I eat too much sugar or get stressed out or over scheduled, symptoms such as joint pain and fatigue return. Since I am a journalist, I went at this chronic condition with a researcher’s mind. I wanted to prevent this from happening again, so what could I eat or ingest to prevent a recurrence?
What’s scary is that my body will always test positive for lyme, so if I get bitten again I wouldn’t necessarily know it unless I get a physical symptom, such as the swollen knee that occurred last time. So it’s in my best interest—and that of my family—that I stay on top of “the dreaded lyme” and avoid situations and conditions that might bring on a relapse.
I wanted to see what it was like to live with lyme for at least a year before writing an article about it, and along the way I found that chronic conditions are scarily frequent among the population. Chronic means a condition that is always present and can be controlled but not cured. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, chronic illnesses are a worldwide problem and are the leading cause of death and disability in the United States.
That “can be controlled” part of the equation is crucial to us all. Managing a chronic illness is about not doing something as much as it is about doing something. So if we have problems with our lungs, we shouldn’t smoke and we should try to get exercise so that we are keeping our bodies healthy to support our lungs and other organs (all of which are affected by smoking). Sometimes it isn’t easy to support health with a chronic condition. Have you tried a gluten-free diet? This takes some planning. Eliminating sugar and sugary ingredients from your eating is also a challenge.
Herbs and other natural substances will not provide a quick fix but can, over time, support a pattern of healthfulness. Here are some chronic conditions and herbal and food based suggestions to help you on a path of health.
Lyme Disease
Try a regimen reducing the sugar and carbs in your diet and including cat’s claw, turmeric (capsules or tea), and garlic. This will help make your body inhospitable to the spirochetes, which carry the lyme disease and cause fatigue and joint pain. Lyme is a tricky customer, but the upside is that one is forced to have a more mindful diet. Since being diagnosed with lyme I have been careful with what I eat, and according to the doctor’s scale (I don’t own one; I gauge my health by how well my clothes fit!), I lost fifteen pounds this year, which was fine by me.
Obesity
This chronic condition can lead to a stellium of health concerns, including diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. Chronic obesity can also bring stress and anxiety, which can lead to compulsive eating and an unhealthy cycle that only brings more misery. If you go into any bookstore you’ll find shelves of cookbooks relating to diet and endless variants on methods to prevent obesity. However, as I have researched this topic as well as speaking to friends and family members who are struggling with obesity, I’ve noticed several similarities among people who are successful in losing weight and keeping it off. These include reducing drastically or eliminating sugar from their diet. A good friend has also been attending Overeaters Anonymous and gets her “sugar fix” from walnuts, fruit salad, and blenderizing fruits and making ice pops in the freezer.
Arthritis
Arthritis is truly cruel, and I’ve known more knitters, crafters, woodsmen, and other artisans who develop this crippling condition of the joints. Arthritis occurs when there is inflammation of one or more joints (where your bones meet, such as in the fingers). Herbal remedies that seem to have a minimal number of possible side effects or reactions include eucalyptus, ginger, and green tea. I work with a massage therapist, Christopher Benoit, based in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, who recommends taking ginger, which you can take in capsules or in a tea.
“It’s rich in inflammation fighting compounds such as gingerols, which may reduce the aches of osteoarthritis and soothe sore muscles,” Benoit says. Ginger extract can also be taken as an injection.
Eucalyptus is one of my favorite smells and is an ingredient in oral medications. Topical oil extracts and the leaves are used to treat arthritis pain. The leaves contain tannins that can help reduce swelling and pain.
Of course, we all know about green tea, but what makes it so special and why do billions of people worldwide drink it? It’s loaded with flavonoids, which are phytochemicals present in most plants that have antioxidative and anticarcinogenic properties. Green tea may help reduce symptoms of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, whether taken as an extract, tablet, or in your favorite mug.
Asthma
Asthma is a chronic condition that is—chillingly—on the rise among children, particularly those growing up in urban environments or are low income. Supplementing a doctor supervised treatment may include swapping out animal protein for plant-based (and reducing your protein ingestion), eliminating dairy and getting calcium elsewhere, making sure you drink lots of water to hydrate your respiratory system, and experimenting with your diet to see if some foods are further irritating your condition. Try eliminating wheat for six to eight weeks. If there is no improvement, try eliminating sugar and then corn for a similar length of time.
Herbs that help with an anti-inflammatory diet include ginger and turmeric (see end of piece for recipes).
Allergies
Allergies and asthma are partners in crime in that both will affect your breathing and cause discomfort. I don’t have allergies so I have not tried these remedies, but these items are frequently mentioned in literature as assisting with the symptoms of allergies (either seasonal or chronic).
There are all kinds of allergies. There’s a remedy for pollen allergies made from a plant called Phleum pratense—the idea being that you’re treating a big problem with pollen with a small amount. Pollen allergies, or hay fever, may also be successfully treated if you consume locally made honey, which will have microscopic pollen in suspension.
Other recommendations include botanicals that may include cowslip, verbena, or gentian root.
Sleeplessness
Of course, if you have a chronic condition chances are you’re worrying about it. And too much worry can bring sleeplessness, which can also be a chronic condition. I’ve had insomnia for most of my life and the most effective cure was having children, because then you never get enough sleep! Of course, that’s not a “cure” for everyone, and if you want to try something herbal or natural consider valerian tea, chamomile tea, or melatonin. I eliminated caffeine from coffee in my diet a few years ago and that helped immeasurably with the insomnia (I still will get caffeine in chocolate however—I am not made of stone!).
This is not an herbal recipe, but it could help. If you like to read in bed (which I live for), consider reading something ver-r-ry tedious before bed. Try an instruction manual, math problems, or some writing that taxes your brain in a different way. Try reading a poem and then memorizing it two lines at a time. See whether your brain doesn’t cry “uncle!” and then shut down.
Easy Herbal Recipes
Turmeric Anti-inflammatory Drink
1 teaspoon of turmeric
1⁄2 or 1⁄4 teaspoon of cinnamon
Blend this with 8 ounces or more almond or rice milk. When you blend spices and herbs, versus shaking in a jar, they disperse more effectively. Add a banana for thickener. I try to drink this every day.
Switchel
Old-style Yankee drink that gives you a little sweetness without sending you over the edge!
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon honey (or less)
8 ounces water
Combine. Drink it hot or drink it cold, it’s refreshing.
Kappha Tea
Invigorate your digestion and get energized. This may also be helpful for pursuing a weight loss regimen.
1⁄2 teaspoon dry ginger extract
1⁄4 teaspoon each of fenugreek and dill
Mix these together, and pour 8 ounces boiling water over. Strain and drink.
Sources
Benoit, Christopher, LMT.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, www.cdc.gov.
Cherney, Kristeen, “9 Herbs to Fight Arthritis Pain.” Healthline. October 8, 2013. www.healthline.com/health/osteoarthritis/herbs-arthritis-pain.
Dr.Weil online, www.drweil.com.
WebMD, www.webmd.com.
Sally Cragin is a longtime astrology writer whose books include Born on the Cusp, for people whose birthdays are at the end or beginning of a sun sign, and The Astrological Elements, a general-interest book on astrology helpful to beginners and those with a little experience, published by Llewellyn Worldwide. Both books have been sold in numerous countries overseas, including India, Russia, Canada, British Virgin Islands, the Czech Republic, and Estonia. Her column “Moon Signs” was carried in the Boston Phoenix newspaper chain for seventeen years. She is also an award-winning arts writer, and before being elected to the Fitchburg School Committee, reviewed plays and wrote about the theater for the Boston Globe, Boston Phoenix, St. Louis Riverfront Times, LA Reader, Yankee Magazine, Rolling Stone, Village Voice, and many other magazines that have become defunct in the post-Internet age. Her short plays have been produced in Provincetown, Fitchburg, MA, Lesley College, and other venues. Reach her at sallycragin@verizon.net or moonsigns.net