The Complete Home Guide todiHseerabsse, Nsatural Healing, and Nutrition

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such as tomatoes, oranges, gooseberries, strawberries, and rhubarb.

Use virgin olive oil in cooking and raw on salads, the latter with apple

cider vinegar; both are good for the skin.

f Flaxseed oil (rich in omega-3 fatty acids) is a good supplement; also

use evening primrose oil (GLA), for omega-6.

f Immune- and nervous-system herbs will be important — olive leaf,

echinacea root, chamomile f ower, skullcap leaf, and a little lobelia

leaf.

f Digestive herbs like meadowsweet leaf and f ower, blessed thistle leaf

and f ower, and aloe vera juice will be vital.

f Use blood-cleansing herbs, such as a mixture of two parts burdock

root, one part red clover f ower, and one part dandelion root.

Use eczema ointment (see chapter 11).

The liver, bowel, and stomach all need attention in terms of function,

cleansing, and support.

Destressing by dancing, exercising, and meditating is ideal.

Infantile Eczema

Sometimes babies are born with eczema— in which case, the mother, if

she is breast-feeding, must be treated as above.

f Tea made with very small amounts of simple herbs like burdock root

and meadowsweet leaf and f ower can be put into a bottle and given

to the baby separately, if the baby can drink from one. If not, then the

mother should drink the tea two or three times daily.

edema (water retention)

Retaining excess water in the body is a problem that women in particular

are prone to, especially premenstrually. Both men and women can be

susceptible, however. Particular “holding” areas are the f ngers, under the

eyes, and (thanks to gravity) the ankles and feet. Water retention may be

one of the many symptoms of a faulty or congested liver. It can also be

connected to the hormone system, the heart, and the kidneys. When the

liver becomes overburdened with toxins, it cannot keep up with its work

and so passes on the job to the kidneys, which in turn may overload and

stagnate. The same applies to an overburdened circulatory or lymphatic

system. Constipation, diabetes, and thyroid problems can also cause

edema, so individual diagnosis and treatment will be necessary.

Avoid ref ned salt, unless you are told specif cally not to do so by a

practitioner. Avoid foods that exacerbate the problem, like dairy and

wheat products.

Home Guide to Herbs - davies