Native Healers. Anita Ralph
system
The renal system (kidneys)
The musculoskeletal system
The respiratory tract
Conclusions
Native healers: five key plants from the Western herbal tradition
Introduction
Five essential healing medicinal plants
Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla (L.) Rauschert)
Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.)
Elder (Sambucus nigra L.)
Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L.)
Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria L.)
Food, nutrition and wellness
Introduction
Water
Nutrient food groups—biomolecules and macronutrients
Carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and nucleic acids
Vitamins
Minerals
Inflammation and diet
Foods with ‘bad press’
Salt
Sugar
Bread—(The staff of life?)
Gut biota and the microbiome
Taste
The four temperaments of Greek and Unani medicine
Seasonal eating and foraging
Antioxidants, free radicals and phytonutrients
Conclusion
How to eat well
Native healers: five more key plants from the Western herbal tradition
Introduction
Five magnificent plant tonics
Hawthorn (Crataegus species)
Marigold (Calendula officinalis L.)
Lime blossom (Tilia x europea L. and Tilia cordata Mill.)
Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia L.)
Nettle (Urtica dioica L.)
Swimming upstream: common conditions and therapeutic considerations
Introduction
Part 1. Menopause and peri-menopause
Part 2. Migraine
Native healers: five more key plants from the Western herbal tradition
Introduction
Five magnificent plant protectors
Thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.)
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium L.)
Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale aggr. F. H. Wigg)
Marshmallow (Althea officinalis L.)
Cleavers (Galium aparine L.)
Swimming upstream: common conditions and therapeutic considerations
Introduction
Part 1. Respiratory tract infections
Part 2. Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease
Swimming upstream: common conditions and therapeutic considerations
Introduction
Part 1. Osteo-arthritis
Part 2. Sleep and insomnia
Swimming upstream: common conditions and therapeutic considerations
Introduction
Part 1. Skin health (the skinny on skin)
Part 2. Irritable bowel syndrome
Conclusions: the counter-current revisited
Introduction
Evolution and energetics
Person-centred medicine
Plants and people
Plant complexity and synergy
The herbal approach
The magic of how we learned about plants
Kitchen pharmacy
The future of herbal medicine practitioners
PREFACE
The salmon is able to jump upstream, not by fighting against the current, but by utilizing its knowledge of the reverse current which flows beneath the surface current.
—P. Carr-Gomm and S. Carr-Gomm1
We see the practice of Western herbal medicine as an example of the confluence of a multitude of streams of knowledge, ancient and modern, flowing into a harmonious pool of wisdom. All traditions of healing have their truths, their strengths and their weaknesses. As with so many things in life cooperation and integration yield the best results. We seek to combine the best that scientific research and development has to offer with the wisdom of ancient traditions and the powerful healing and tonic benefits of whole plants with whom we have co-evolved, to move towards a system of healing that is flexible, supportive,