1 Reason Why Natural is Not Always Safe

I feel like one more internet naysayer. But you must know, I’m really not.

Back in July of 2018, I wrote a post about the way fear is affecting our healthcare. Without argument, each one of us experiences a point in our life that ‘breaks’ us. In other words, permanently humbles us.

I’ve never viewed myself as arrogant. On the contrary, I’ve been consistently and demonstratively confident in my beliefs which influenced the direction of my work, research and understanding. For as much as I thought I knew and understood, I remained open to being wrong and learning more. While this may sound odd, I’m here to learn and grow; not get stuck in the mindset of ‘absolute’. This happens to be a big ‘issue’, if you will, that I have with science and the ways this field attempts to influence us into believing everything is ‘black or white’. It’s not. Life is an organic process with countless variables, making it pleasantly impossible to absolutely predict anything. There is always room for error a.k.a. change, even within our individual belief systems.

With me, I was certain the conventional medical world was against natural approaches. Not surprisingly, I attracted plenty of evidence to support my argument. However, things have changed. If this blog post is your first introduction to me, I was diagnosed with breast cancer in November of 2019. Additionally, I was also told I have skin cancer, osteoarthritis as well as scoliosis. Quite frankly, the diagnoses are not as important as the experiences I’ve had meeting and working with the various clinicians.

Everyone of them has demonstrated an awareness and respect for natural approaches. At the same time, they recognize potential interactions and issue their legitimate cautions. The number of people that get offended by allopathic warnings is astounding; yet, let me remind you, even though narrow in their scope of thinking, they really want to see us ‘coming out of this alive’.

So, what’s with the apparent battle?

I don’t know that it’s an equal battle. By this I mean, given my own experience, I’m not seeing our conventional doctors dispute the efficacy of natural remedies. On the contrary, they are recognizing the value to natural approaches as they warn us about potential CYP450 enzyme interactions.

Hey … that’s fair! AND, it’s in our best interest. My post in 2018 suggested something a little bit different, and in my defense, I was fighting for something within myself. So for that, I apologize,

There is definitely a gap to bridge. Neither the human body nor the world is as it was thousands of years ago. Let’s be real, it’s nothing like it was 100 years ago. Technology has advanced tremendously, and in this case, the medications and environmental chemicals we’ve developed are changing the way NATURE responds. In fact, we’re experiencing nothing but ongoing adaptation which will continue …. until things go in a different direction. In the meantime, it’s to our advantage to acknowledge these adaptations as well as work with them.

How do you work with them?

Stop seeing natural as safe …..

Medications are concentrated dosages of chemicals, frequently designed (at least 80% of the time) based on the mechanisms of action of plant constituents. In other words, scientists study the genetic activities of plant chemicals and re-create them in labs for pharmaceutical use. Knowing this, limiting our use of natural remedies that have a similar action, from time to time, is crucial. An example is the combination of elderberries and the various commercial products i.e. chemotherapy, diabetic medications, theophylline, or immunosuppressives. How about arnica with blood thinners or prior to surgery? We don’t talk about this; yet, the constituent, helenalin, found in arnica is a blood thinner among other things. The same can be said for components of essential oils.

At this time, I have a list of approximately 50 essential oils and the known constituents that must be avoided when taking blood thinners or prepping for surgery. Additionally, I’ve included a list of oils and constituents that cannot be combined with CNS depressants. As of right now, I’m producing a piece that represents 45 of the most commonly prescribed medications and the natural remedies to avoid, including with cancer.

Why?

Because health and wellness is the goal. I’ve done videos on adverse reactions and will say it here … adverse reactions do not always turn out to be allergic type reactions. Sometimes we experience additive effects, which is where the purpose of the medication is accentuated. Other times, the effects of both natural remedy and med are blocked, leaving us with ongoing symptoms. And then there is the possibility of silent effects that do not appear for some time, after which, it’s difficult to link to a specific herb, supplement or oil.

This is the ..

1 Reason Why Natural is Not Always Safe

… 1 or more interactions albeit noticeable or silent …

It’s not because allopathic physicians don’t approve of natural remedies; it’s because they understand the chemistry. If wellness is the goal, then it’s time to check our passions and realize we’re all in this for the same reason .. to help one another feel better in our bodies.

How? We must first eliminate the rampant sharing of generalized statements about herbs, supplements or oils. While they may be labeled GRAS .. take it for what it’s worth .. generalized and based on old world theories, not modern day biology.

We may have the knowledge of our ancestors; however, we have technology they could never imagine. Through the evolution of ‘man’, the body has adapted, thereby insisting that we integrate our current knowledge with the wisdom of the body. Our job is not to outsmart or control the body; it’s to help the body outsmart the environment affecting its health.

What health issues are you living with? Pain? Cancer? Autoimmune? Are you taking medications and looking for guidance on how to include natural remedies? Choose the plan that works best for you .. here!