" Cease to inquire what the future has in store, and take as a gift whatever the day brings forth" Horace
Do not live in the past, nor live in the future. Live for today. As I have discussed many times having expectations for the future might lead to disappointments. Why be disappointed ? If you have no expectations you might get surprised. This is a time of giving from your heart. You do not give to receive something in return. I learned that the hard way. I do not know if giving a gift when you go to someones home is customary or just, Italian. It is how I was raised. I do not think that is a bad quality.
The following three quotes from three different sources exemplifies is how I give in life. Give of yourself--
“If you wish to experience peace, provide peace for another.”
Tenzin Gyatso, The 14th Dalai Lama
“You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.”
Kahlil Gibran
“If you have much, give of your wealth; If you have little, give of your heart” Arab Proverb quote
Rick and I start the holiday season with individuals giving of themselves through song. This year we even sang Holiday tunes at Carnegie Hall with Brian Stokes Mitchell. When individuals are gifted with a voice, it is truly a gift when he/she shares their voice with the world.
On a cold day who doesn't want a cup of tea ? Last night I felt stuffy so I had a cup of nettles tea. It was delicious with a 1/4 tsp of wild flower honey. This morning I have no stuffiness. I gain much information when I use a botancial for a patient for a specific condition. One herb, Cinnamon ( Cinnamomum zeylancium ) has been used for centuries as a culinary herb, as well as for gastrointestinal disease. The conventional or allopathic community always wants studies, research and even sometimes double blind studies to show the efficacy and health benefits of an herb. While I find this important and necessary, I also feel that a health care practitioner clinical experience is important as well. Cinnamon has been one of the herbs that has recently been used more and more for diabetes. Although there are few human trials to study its efficacy, I have found it useful in controlling blood sugar levels as well as exerting a hypoglycemic control. I have relied on cinnamon alone to control blood sugar or glucose levels. I usually combine cinnamon with two or three other herbs, including fenugeek, rosemary and gymnena. I also have had much success with three vita-nutrients in high doses. These are chromium, alpha lipoic acid and vanadium. I always get asked how much cinnamon should I ingest on a daily basis? There are studies with ineffective blood sugar control at doses of 1 to 1.5 grams daily, with positive or beneficial effects at dosages of 6 grams daily. I do not know if I like cinnamon that much to ingest 6 grams unless I am using the method of delivery in capsules.
I also get asked , "Is cinnamon only used for sugar control" The answer is NO. There are other studies to support the anti-inflammatory effects of certain Cinnamon plant species, especially C. cassia. There are also anti-bacterial effects against some species of bacteria. Since some studies also support the anti oxidant effect of cinnamon I use Cinnamon as a supportive treatments for patients with cancer and other infectious diseases, as Lyme and HIV.
I have had success treating fungal infections with three herbs: Cinnamon, Thyme and Cloves. Oral thrush has been eliminated in 3 out of 5 patients using cinnamon in a small study. I have seen some herbalist using cinnamon for the eradication of H. pylori. I have never had success with cinnamon with H pylori. I prefer to use Mastica if the patient cannot tolerate the conventional oral antibiotics.
In children, the use of warming spices as cinnamon , ginger and cloves are an important treatment for chronic catarrh ( excessive mucous production) I do find that not every child will like the taste of some of these herbs. In children, I encourage elimination of wheat and dairy to eliminate catarrh.
I would love to see more studies between herbs and conventional drugs. I thin these studies would be important for allopathic physicians to see that botanicals are equally effective, and sometimes more beneficial than synthetic drugs.
I do not think Mother Earth would have an abundance of plants just for us to look at their beauty. A Higher Power placed them here and allowed them to grow for a reason. I do not think we have discovered all the medicinal benefits of all the plants growing on Earth.
Until tomorrow...
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