Homeopathy tends to be the best choice because young children like the taste of the homeopathic remedies which are sweet and easy to administer. Homeopathy matches the symptoms of the condition because all babies may have pain while teething but all children’s specific symptoms will vary so finding the exact match is sometimes challenging. To find the exact match look for the child’s specific symptoms

Silicea at 6x – helps the tooth erupts through the skin easier; baby will not scream out in pain but will be annoyed from the pain. Gentle babies who tend not to complain often.

Chamomilla at 6c – for babies that get really angry when they are in pain and are difficult to console. Chamomilla seems to have not only a calming effect on the physical pain, but also the emotional pain teething can cause. Children that require this remedy often have redness in their checks.

Mercurius vivus 6c- if your child’s main symptom is drooling. Drooling may also be accompanied by bad breath. Kids can’t seem to find a comfortable position.

Calcarea careonica at 6c – for babies that get sweaty and clingy when they’re in pain. This is for kids who also tend to get ear pain when teething; helps soothes.

Cold fruit (blueberries) helps a lot; you can also do cold peas. The mouth’s temperature is warm enough to melt the frozen blueberries and peas so there is no risk of chocking.

Gaia Children – “gummy rub” topical herbal analgesic; anti-inflammatory and has a slight numbing effect on the gum.

Catnip and lemon balm herb sweetened with agave nectar and made into tea, cool then make it into Popsicles and let child suckle on them. Catnip and lemon balm and calming and soothing herbs that help reduce inflammation and ease pain.

Babies tend to breastfeed more often while they are teething because of the warm pressure of the breast on the gum helps ease the pain. Usually, babies will breastfeed very intensely for the 12 hours before the tooth erupts.

I do not recommend clove oil on gums unless it is HIGHLY diluted in olive oil. Clove oil is a very intense essential oil that can easily burn sensitive tissue. Used mostly in adult tooth pain, but still highly diluted.

Today we women do it all! We work, cook, parent, clean, shop and most of all get stressed? Most modern women know that we are supposed to find the time to take care of ourselves, but that doesn’t always happen. We know we need to sleep, drink water and exercise but most find it difficult to squeeze in our busy schedules to ‘take care of ourselves.’

Many countries have ‘tea-time’ in the middle of their work days. Imagine if we had the custom to stop our busy days and sit down with a relaxing cup of tea. Imagine if that cup of tea was filled with calming medicinal herbal teas? What would happen? Would we all be calmer? Would we even feel less stressed?

When I first studied herbal medicine ‘tea-time’ is what my teacher believed all women should do at least once a day. She taught us that certain herbal teas could help counter the terrible side-effects of chronic stress such as high blood pressure, headaches and digestive disorders. She spent a lot of time teaching us how to make wonderfully relaxing herbal blends. The first few months of practice I believed I could convince women of this ‘tea-time’ ritual but since most of my clients are busy running from one activity to the next ‘tea-time’ was not going to happen. My clients didn’t even have time to wait for the water to boil, let alone have time to ‘steep’ the tea. So I re-evaluated what I learned and began offering a ‘quicker’ solution for my clients. I taught them ‘tinctured herbs.’ Tinctured herbs are herbs that have been steeped in grain alcohol and taking them is easy. Just put 25-35 drops a small cup of water or juice and drink it. You could take your herbs driving the carpool, as you run out of the house, or as you are preparing dinner. You could also keep the herbal mix in your purse and take the herbs anytime you are feeling stressed, and good news is that the entire process would only take you about 30 seconds.

There are many soothing and calming ‘anti-stress’ herbs and each woman will requires a different herb depending on what is making her stressed. Some women need only a single herbs to help ease the negative effects of stress, while others find combining all of the below herbs together makes them feel their best. Here are a few herbs you can begin with.

Skullcap-Best used for nervous tension with anxiety. It is considered ‘food for the nerves.’ Women, who feel stressed before they take on new projects, or woman who ‘take it all on’ and appear to be able to handle everything but have a nervous feeling in their stomachs.

Fresh milky Oats– This herb is indicated for nervous exhaustion. One of the best remedies for chronic stress with impaired sleep patterns. Oats help relieve the feeling of being ‘burned out.’ This herb naturally contains magnesium and calcium which is needed to repair the nervous system.

Eleuthero-This works on the adrenal glands to help normalize stress hormones. Regular use of this herb helps smooth out the peaks and valleys that help lead to chronic stress. It also helps normalize blood pressure, realizes stress and helps dispel depression.

Moms work hard! Their job descriptions include more than just loving, kisses and being passionate about their kids. There daily tasks usually include; cooking, cleaning, diaper changing, laundering clothing, which leaves most moms over-worked, sleep deprived and stressed-out. With her job of multi-tasking, most moms do not find the time for them to take care of themselves. Moms generally make sure their kids are well-rested, well-feed and well-dressed often forgetting about their own needs. Modern moms know that it is important to eat the right foods, drink plenty of water and exercise. Some moms can fit these ‘luxuries’ into their lives, while others can’t. But, even the mothers who find the time to take care of themselves often still feel overwhelmed, fatigued and stressed. What’s a mom to do? Well, the research that Dr. Israel Brekhman, MD did on adaptogens is something all moms should know about. Adaptogens are considered tonic herbs that can be taken daily, and safely used over a long period of time. Dr. Brekhman studied adaptogens for 45 years and was amazed at their ability to support the metabolic processes of the body, and help to restore balance. Adaptogens are unique herbal nutrients that help the body adapt to stress. All kinds of stress can be helped with adaptogens, whether the stress is from: physical demands, chemical or biological challenges, emotional upheavals or environmental toxins. And who couldn’t use a little extra help handling stress? Adaptogens are a great ‘mother’s little helper’ that can also increase energy during the day, strengthen endurance, help provide greater mental alertness, and assist the body in acquiring a deeper and more restful sleep. The good news is that they help restore strength after child birth (and it doesn’t matter whether that child birth happened 3 weeks ago or 15 years ago).

Three wonderful adaptogens are Eleuthero, Rhodolia and Schisandra. Although all adaptogens help the body handle stress, each adaptogens has different personalities. These adaptogens can be taken separately or together and are best taken in tincture form three times daily, with or without food.

  • Eleuthero: Tends to work best with ‘type-A personalities’ who don’t know when to take a break. It normalizes blood pressure, and helps to smooth out the peaks and valleys of stress.
  • Rhodolia: Is for over-worked individuals who have a tendency to feel depressed, and for people who have a feeling of ‘heat’ in their bodies.
  • Schisandra: Works as a mild stimulant, enhances work, and normalizes the nervous and immune systems.

Each of these herbs can be purchased or ordered from your local health food store.

When a baby is first born I usually advise the caregiver not use any creams or powders on the baby’s bottom because newborn babies should not get diaper rashes. The usual causes for diaper rash are yeast infections, food allergies, digestion problems, sensitivity to the diaper, and diarrhea. Therefore, if a baby does suffer from a diaper rash, it is the caregiver’s job to play the detective and try to determine its cause. Finding and getting rid of the irritant that is causing the rash is the top priority in preventing future diaper rashes—which is always our goal.

Often babies will get yeasty rashes after the mother or baby has ingested antibiotics—as is commonly the case when an antibiotic was taken to control strep B during delivery. However, if the rash is due to a food allergy, which can happen if the mother is breastfeeding, then the mother will need to figure out which foods she needs to stay away from. Because this is very difficult to determine, unless you’re willing to starve yourself and add only necessary foods slowly back into your diet, I will advise a mom to eat according to her blood type, which usually helps with this condition. If the baby is formula-feeding, which can also be the cause of an allergic diaper rash, then the mother will need to change formula brands in order to clear up her child’s rash. Another, often over-looked cause of diaper rash is sensitivity to the disposable diaper itself. Most of these diapers are filled with a gel that expands as the baby urinates, which can also be the source of an irritated bottom. Since different companies use different gels and perfumes, babies might get rashes from one diaper brand and not from another. Mothers are always surprised to see that if they change brands, often the rash resolves without any further intervention.

Helpfully, if your child does end up with a diaper rash, there are many natural cures you can use to comfort your child and assist recovery.

  • French green clay-which is often sold as a facial mask, is remarkably helpful for the yeasty variety of diaper rash. To accomplish this, the green clay is sprinkled over the rash during every diaper change. The green clay works to smother the yeast, preventing it from proliferating, while at the same time healing the skin.
  • Calendula Ointment– helps to heal diaper rash resulting from food allergies, digestive problems or diarrhea. Your goal with this treatment is to put a thick layer of the ointment between the skin and the offending stool—while the ointment creates a needed barrier, the calendula aids in healing the skin. It is important to note that calendula ointment is what is specifically needed and not calendula in the cream form.
  • Plantain oil– is particularly useful for a diaper rash that resulted from an allergic reaction. The plantain plant has anti-allergic properties and it will soothe and relive the inflammation associated with a rash. In addition to its use in alleviating diaper rash, plantain oil is also useful for mosquito bites and chaffed skin, so you will get plenty of use for this product. Unfortunately, plantain oil will not be found in your local health food store, so you will need to order this extraordinary product on-line. The best companies to order from, for the purity and potency of their herbal mixtures, are www.healingsporotsjerbfarm.com. and www.woodlandessence.com.
  • Homeopathic remedy Sulphur 6c– is good to use if the child’s bottom is very red and inflamed, and the topical remedies are not helping enough. The remedy Sulpher 6c is extremely curative in this matter, when taken three times daily, until the baby’s bottom is visibly healed. The homeopathic remedy is administered in the baby’s mouth and many homeopathic companies make the homeopathic granules the size of sand so it can safely be ingested by newborns.

The old statement “soft as a baby’s bottom,” should be experienced without the soreness of a red itchy diaper rash, swathed in powder—which does not begin to get at the cause of the irritation. Instead it should be our goal to clear up this problem for good, so that we can look at our babies’ bottoms with pride and joy—and perhaps a pinch or a nip!

So, you have decided to venture into the world of Homeopathy.  You have purchase a little vial of homeopathic medicine and want to know, “How am I supposed to take this?”  Let’s take a moment and learn the best way to take ‘remedies’, to insure they are most effective.  Most homeopathic remedies are sold in vials that contain pellets (little white balls).  Some remedies come in sprays and some in water, but for now we will discuss the most commonly used form which is pellets.  For the most common size pellets which are sold in health food stores, the typical dosage is three pellets at one time. For children, many homeopaths will use extra small pellets (size of poppy seeds) and the dosage can range from four to nine pellets, depending on the age of the child.  The pellets are administered under the tongue (sublingually), where they dissolve easily.  A person is asked not to touch the balls with their hands, rather pour the pellets from the container into the cap, and then dispense them directly under the tongue.  For babies and children under the age of three, it’s okay to let the pellets dissolve on top of the tongue but it is suggested to ask the child to suck on the pellets rather than ‘chew’ them.  A current study showed that homeopathic remedies only need to be under the tongue for thirty seconds in order to be effective. The thought used to be that a person was not allowed to eat or drink for twenty minutes before and twenty minutes after the remedy was given.  However, the current thought is that not eating five minutes before and five minutes after, is long enough, since our main concern is that your mouth should be clean when taking the remedy, rather than just after eating lunch.

The question always arises as to whether a person is allowed use mint products while under homeopathic care.  I would not recommend smelling camphor oil (which is purported to lessen or undue the effects of homeopathy), but most homeopaths these days don’t mind if clients use mint toothpaste or occasionally chew mint gum.

Homeopathic remedies are made from plants, minerals or bacteria to name a few of the most common substances.  During the process of making a remedy the ‘substance’ is diluted many times and shook repeatedly (successed) and thus a homeopathic remedy is created.  The liquid dilution is than poured over sugar pellets which then absorb the liquid.  The sugar pellets are put into a vial and labeled. On the bottle you will find the name of the remedy i.e, Belledona and then a number and letter. The number and letter correspond to the remedy’s strength, or potency. The numbers range from 6x, 6c, 12c, 15c, 30c, 200c, 1M, 10M.  The number represents the amount of times the remedy was diluted and shook (succussed).  The philosophy with homeopathy is that the more the substance is diluted the stronger it becomes.   So, diluting the substance 200 times makes it stronger than diluting it 6 times. This means that a homeopathic remedy at 200c is stronger than 6c.

Lower numbers or ‘lower potencies’ are used for conditions that you can see or that affect the skin or mouth.  So, if you have a canker sore you may try a remedy called Borax 6x.  Since this remedy is relatively weak- in a low potency- it can be repeated up to 4 times a day until the canker sore is resolved.  If a person experienced a trauma like witnessing a terrible car accident and is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder they would require a remedy at a ‘higher potency’ that is given less often.  The homeopath may prescribe a remedy called Aconite 1M which is used for emotional shock.  Since the ‘potency’ is higher the patient is advised to only take the remedy one time and wait a week or month to see how he or she responds.

The job of the homeopath is to match not only the homeopathic substance aka its’ name, but also the potency.  For example, if a person has a terrible fever, he or she may be prescribed a remedy called Belledona 30c.  30c is chosen because it is a potency that is in the middle and fevers are considered middle level illnesses.  With fever comes pain as well takes a toll on the body.  The 30c works on the physical and mental states of the patient in a more specific way then the Borax 6x for example, works on a canker sore.  Why choose Belledona? Belledona is a poisonous plant that if ingested in its natural form would cause the symptoms of fever; sweating, and dilated pupils, but if diluted and ingested in microscopic amounts the person’s fever will subside and the person will get better.  It is thought that the energy of the remedy collides with the energy of the illness and dissipates the imbalance.

If you are new to homeopathy a basic and easy to use remedy is remedy called Arnica.  I recommend purchasing the Arnica at a dose of 30c.  Arnica 30c is for bumps, bruises, or muscle pain.  This is a great universal remedy that is a great to have in your first aid kit at all times.  It can be used for pain caused by a strained muscle after an intense workout or after dental work.  Arnica is great to have at little league games for kids, or if you go on a family hick!  Let this remedy be your first taste into the world of homeopathy.

I am a classical homeopath having worked with hundreds of children with both typical sore throats and chronic strep throats.  There are many natural methods that can bring relief and cure for this problem.

  • Take a small spray bottle, fill with filtered water (2oz), add herbs in tincture form (the herb steeped in grain alcohol like: elder berry, cleavers, usnea or echineaca.  You can use these herbs in single form, or mix them all together. You can add 25-30 drops of the herb to the water.  The child can spray the mixture into their throats 1-4x a day.  The child will feel the soothing spray on their sore throat and the herbs will help kill the bacteria or virus that is present.
  • Sage honey is another wonderful idea.  The plant sage is specific for sore throats.  If you want the honey to be more medicinal you can add sage tincture to the honey.  Heat honey on stove chill and store in the fridge.  Kid’s over age 1 love the taste of honey and kids are more likely to comply if they help you make the honey.  Dosage is one tablespoon 2-3x a day.
  • The homeopathic remedy phytolocca 30c is specific for sore throats.  Homeopathy is easy to administer to children.  The medicine is given in small pellets that can be dissolved either under the tongue or on-top of the tongue.

The goal of a homeopath is to restore balance to the person’s vital force.  Homeopaths believe that the vital force is what gives life to a person. But what is the vital force?  The vital force is what makes flesh, blood, bones, cytoplasm, mitochondria, golgi bodies, DNA, and RNA work together to create a life.  The vital force is energy, an invisible energy that gives the person his or her own unique qualities and their personal drive to live.  Homeopaths describe the vital force as an energy that not only pushes the living body in health but also in disease. This vital force or energy force is what a person carries within themselves from the moment they are conceived until their death. Its energy must flow uninterruptedly otherwise negative symptoms can develop.  Blocked energy creates stagnation allowing illnesses to take hold of the tissues or organs in the body.  There are viruses, bacteria and parasites around us all the time, but they can only affect a weakened vital force. When the vital force is strong and unencumbered, these intruders have no effect on the body.  Conversely, if the energy is blocked and stagnant, they may grab hold and make the person ill.

Homoeopaths believe that this vital force determines our state of health throughout a person’s entire life. A healthy vital force maintains a healthy mind and body and a weakened or blocked vital force will allow illness to enter the person.

The homeopathy’s goal is to find the correct homeopathic remedy for the patient.  The energy of the homeopathic remedy has to match the energy of the person’s vital force.  The homeopathic remedy’s job is to help initiate movement of the person’s energy when it is lacking, and unblock the energy if it is blocked.

Homeopaths believe that the body is a self-healing mechanism and given the right environment – healthy foods, correct nutrients, exercise and mental stability – the body has the ability to heal itself. The body was created with everything it needs to heal itself if something goes wrong, but sometimes the body needs that energetic push to remind itself of its strength. Homeopathic medicine’s goal in illness is to stimulate the person’s own vital force to get back in balance so the person’s own body will be able to ultimately heal itself.

Q: Are there any natural remedies I can try for my teething baby? She’s eight months.

A:  Homeopathy tends to be the best choice because young children like the taste of the homeopathic remedies which are sweet and easy to administer.  Homeopathy matches the symptoms of the condition because all babies may have pain while teething but all children’s specific symptoms will vary so finding the exact match is sometimes challenging.  To find the exact match look for the child’s specific symptoms

  • Silicea at 6x – helps the tooth erupt through the skin easier; baby will not scream out in pain but will be annoyed from the pain.  Gentle babies who tend not to complain often.
  • Chamomilla at 6c – for babies that get really angry when they are in pain and are difficult to console. Chamomilla seems to have not only a calming effect on the physical pain, but also the emotional pain teething can cause. Children that require this remedy often have redness in their checks.
  • Mercurius vivus 6c – if your child’s main symptom is drooling.  Drooling may also be accompanied by bad breath.  Kids can’t seem to find a comfortable position.
  • Calcarea careonica  6c – for babies that get sweaty and clingy when they’re in pain. This is for kids who also tend to get ear pain when teething; helps soothes.
  • Cold fruit – (blueberries) helps a lot; you can also do cold peas. The mouth’s temperature is warm enough to melt the frozen blueberries and peas so there is no risk of chocking.
  • Gaia Children – “gummy rub” topical herbal analgesic; anti-inflammatory and has a slight numbing effect on the gum.
  • Herbal suggestions – Catnip and lemon balm herb sweetened with agave nectar and made into tea, cool then make it into Popsicles and let child suckle on them. Catnip and lemon balm and calming and soothing herbs that help reduce inflammation and ease pain.
  • Breastfeeding a teething baby – Babies tend to breastfeed more often while they are teething because of the warm pressure of the breast on the gum helps ease the pain. Usually, babies will breastfeed very intensely for the 12 hours before the tooth erupts.

Does not recommend clove oil on gums unless it is HIGHLY diluted in olive oil. Clove oil is a very intense essential oil that can easily burn sensitive tissue.  Used mostly in adult tooth pain, but still highly diluted.

Why isn’t homeopathic medicine very popular in America? Maybe it is because the tenet of homeopathy is ‘less is more,’ and for most of us this is an unusual concept considering our present societal belief that ‘more is better.’

When homeopaths suggest a homeopathic remedy the medicine is administered in small pellets that are dissolved under the tongue. Sometimes a person will need to take the homeopathic remedy three times a day to feel better, or sometimes, only taking the remedy once will be enough to stimulate the person’s body to heal itself!  If the remedy is only administered once, and the results are positive, the conventional wisdom is to ‘wait and see’ how the body responds.  Patience is a virtue when it comes to healing a problem deep at its core, where the illness originally began.

When I first graduated from homeopathic school one of my first clients was a woman who suffered from chronic depression. Let’s call her Leslie.  She had been on and off psychotropic medications since the birth of her second child. With the help of her doctor, she had just discontinued her current medications. She came to me with the hope of finding a homeopathic remedy so she could continue to stay off of her medications. Although her medications allowed her to function on a daily basis she was still haunted with bouts of depression and the side effects of the medication were often more debilitating than the depression.  After spending one and half-hours with her taking a complete history I suggested she take one dose of a remedy.  The next day she called me sobbing.  She told me that she had had a restless night of sleep, woke up crying and was not able to function. Leslie whispered that she was fearful and felt more depressed then she had in years and recalled only feeing like this immediately after the birth of her second child, which was the first time she required psychotropic medication.  She continued communicating with me throughout the day saying that she was getting worse and that she needed her husband come home from work.  As he walked through the door she crawled into bed and went into a deep sleep.  After twenty-four hours she did not return my calls. As a new homeopath I was anxious.  Six weeks later I was surprised to learn that Leslie had made a follow-up appointment with my secretary.  As she walked into my office and sat down I was a little nervous and unsure about how this follow-up appointment was going to advance.  She then proceeded to tell me what had occurred during the past six weeks.  The day after her crying experience, as she walked into her office, she bypassed her desk and walked directly into her boss’s office.  She informed him that after 15 years of dedicated work she was quitting.   Her boss was shocked and asked what he could do to change the situation.  She told him that there were eight things that had been bothering her all these years.  He begged her not to quit and promised to fix those eight bothersome problems.  The next week she proceeded to take her two children out of their private school, never having liked the institution, but with the persuasion of her husband, had allowed her in-laws to choose their children’s school.  The week after that, she put a down payment on a new apartment.  It had been years, she told me, that she felt their family had outgrown their apartment and desired to move into a larger space, but because her husband dreaded change, he was unwilling to move.  By the end of six weeks she had also set up a little workspace in her mother’s basement in order to begin painting again, a favorite hobby she had discontinued after the birth of her children.

That is the power of homeopathy.  A properly prescribed homeopathic remedy will allow the body to discover what needs to happen in order to allow healing to begin.  Leslie could have gone from medication to medication but until she changed the things in her life that made her feel uncomfortable or ‘blocked’, she could never really begin to heal.  She still had to work with a therapist to learn how to continue listening to her true feelings, but she finally felt she was gaining the skills needed to achieve a life without depression.  And although the psychotropic medications had helped her to feel better at times, they did not give Leslie the tools needed to make the true changes in her life that would lead to permanent healing.  A proper homeopathic remedy will allow the body’s own ‘vital-force,’ to heal itself.  And homeopaths believe, given the proper environment and support, the body has an innate ability to heal itself at its core.

What to expect from a visit with a Homeopath

A visit to a homeopath typically includes asking and answering many questions, which on the surface might seem irrelevant.  These questions include information concerning: natural tendencies, food choices and physical or emotional ailments. The answers to these questions are important because, from the Homeopath’s perspective, the primary concern is how the individual is being affected, more than just knowing the name of the affliction. Homeopathy investigates the ‘entire person’, looking to see where there are ‘imbalances’, in order to balance the body as a whole.  Yet, homeopathy stabilizes the body in a way that is specific to the individual person, and who she is.  For example, if five people come down with the ‘flu’, each person will have contracted the same virus, but it will manifest with different symptoms, depending on the individual.  One person may have a high fever while another will have a low-grade fever.  One may suffer from muscle pain and sweating, while the other will have bone pain and feel chilled.  Five different people with the same flu might require five different homeopathic remedies, because everyone’s body will react differently to similar experiences.

Homeopaths study and learn the characteristics that define the active agent of each homeopathic remedy, in order to prescribe them appropriately.  It is this knowledge that is key to the success of homeopathy and has proven to be most effective in diagnosis and treatment.

To a homeopath, like a loving parent, each person is seen as an individual being.  Homeopaths strive to discover whom a person truly is, in order to prescribe a remedy that both match the illness, as well as the unique qualities of that person.  Although it is often a long and arduous process for a homeopath to really know the person, it is ultimately necessary. Once a homeopath knows a person as a multi-faceted human being, the results of homeopathic medicines are safe, long lasting and easy to use, with no uncomfortable side effects.

Homeopathic remedies how to take them

So, you have decided to venture into the world of homeopathy and have purchased a little vial of homeopathic medicine and want to know, “How am I supposed to take this?” Let’s take a moment to learn the best way to take ‘remedies’, to ensure they are most effective.

Most homeopathic remedies are sold in vials that contain pellets (little white balls).  Some remedies come in sprays and some in water, but for now we will discuss the most commonly used form–the pellet.  For the most common size pellets that are sold in health food stores, the typical dosage is three pellets at one time. For children, many homeopaths will use extra small pellets—the size of poppy seeds, and the dosage can range from four to nine pellets, depending on the age of the child.  The pellets are administered sublingually (under the tongue) where they dissolve easily.  A person is asked not to touch the pellets with their hands, rather pour them from the container into the cap, and then dispense them directly under the tongue.

For babies and children under the age of three, it’s okay to let the pellets dissolve on top of the tongue, but it is suggested to ask the child to suck on the pellets rather than ‘chew’ them.  A current study showed that homeopathic remedies only require being under the tongue for thirty seconds in order to be effective.

Although it was believed that a person should not eat or drink for twenty minutes before and twenty minutes after the remedy was given, the current thought is that five minutes before and after eating is long enough.  Our main concern here is that the mouth should be clean and clear when taking the remedy, and not in close proximity to a meal.

The question always arises whether a person is allowed to use mint products while under homeopathic care.  I would not recommend smelling camphor oil (which is purported to lessen or negate the effects of homeopathy), but most homeopaths these days don’t mind if clients use mint toothpaste or occasionally chew mint gum.

Homeopathic Remedies: what are they made from and what do the numbers refer to?

Homeopathy takes different properties from nature (plants, minerals, bacteria and so on) and converts them into healing remedies.  For example, Belladonna is a poisonous plant that if ingested in its natural form would cause the symptoms of fever, sweating, and dilated pupils, but if diluted and ingested in microscopic amounts a person’s fever will subside and the person will get better.  It is thought that the energy of the remedy collides with the energy of the illness and dissipates the imbalance.

During the process of making a homeopathic remedy the natural ‘substance’—plant, mineral, bacteria and so on—is diluted many times and shaken repeatedly—succussed.  This liquid dilution is then poured over sugar pellets, which absorb the liquid, and when dried, they are put into a vial and labeled. On this label you will find the name of the remedy, i.e., Belladonna and then a number and letter. The number and letter correspond to the remedy’s strength, or potency. The numbers range from 6x, 6c, 12c, 15c, 30c, 200c, 1M, to 10M.  The number represents the amount of times the remedy was diluted and succussed.  Although it is certainly counter-intuitive, the philosophy in homeopathy is that the more the substance is diluted the stronger it becomes.   So, diluting the substance 200 times makes it stronger than diluting it 6 times. This means that a homeopathic remedy at 200c is stronger than one at 6c.  The frequency for taking any given remedy will depend both on the issue being treated and on the potency of the selected remedy.  Therefore, the job of the homeopath is to match not only the homeopathic substance, but also the potency and the frequency of the dosage.  These lower number remedies, or ‘lower potencies’, are used for conditions that are visible to the naked eye, or that affect the skin or mouth.  So, for a canker sore, which affects the mouth, a homeopath might recommend the remedy called Borax 6x. And since this remedy is relatively weak—in a low potency—it can be repeated up to four times a day, until the canker sore is resolved.  However, if a person experienced a trauma, like witnessing a terrible car accident, and is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, then that individual would require a remedy at a ‘higher potency’ that is given less often.  In this case, the homeopath may prescribe a remedy called Aconite 1M, which is used for emotional shock.  Since the ‘potency’ is higher the patient is advised to only take the remedy one time, and then wait a week or month to see how he or she responds.

Homeopathy vital force; what is it?

To explain further, the goal of a homeopath is to restore balance to the person’s vital force.  Homeopaths believe that the vital force is what gives life to a person. But what is the vital force?  The vital force is what makes flesh, blood, bones, cytoplasm, mitochondria, Golgi bodies, DNA, and RNA work together to create a life.  The vital force is energy, an invisible energy that gives the person his or her own unique qualities and personal drive to live.  Homeopaths describe the vital force as an energy that not only pushes the living body in the direction toward health but also in the direction toward disease; depending on the individual’s orientation. This vital force or energy force is what people carry within them from the moment they are conceived until their death. Its energy must flow uninterruptedly otherwise negative symptoms can develop. Blocked energy creates stagnation allowing illnesses to take hold of the tissues or organs in the body.  There are viruses, bacteria and parasites around us all the time, but they can only affect a weakened vital force. When the vital force is strong and unencumbered, these intruders have no effect on the body. Conversely, if the energy is blocked and stagnant, they may take hold and make the person ill. The bacteria, virus and parasites only affect an already unbalanced vital force to cause the disease. Simply stated, homoeopaths believe that this vital force determines our state of health throughout a person’s entire life. A healthy vital force maintains a healthy mind and body while a weakened or blocked vital force will allow illness to enter the person. This explains why we feel some mental and physical uneasiness days before an attack of a cold or fever, when all modern investigations and examinations cannot detect anything wrong in our bodies in terms of vital signs and organ structures. Since the homeopath’s goal is to find the correct homeopathic remedy for the patient, this means that the energy of the homeopathic remedy has to match the energy of the person’s vital force.  The homeopathic remedy’s job is to help initiate movement of the person’s energy when it is slow or stagnant, and unblock the energy if it is blocked.

Homeopaths believe that the body is a self-healing mechanism and given the right environment, healthy foods, correct nutrients, exercise and mental stability, the body has the ability to heal itself. The body was created with everything it needs to heal itself if something goes wrong, but sometimes the body needs that energetic push to remind itself of its own strength and ability. Homeopathic medicine’s goal in treating illness is to stimulate the person’s own vital force and bring it back into balance, so that the person’s own body will be able to ultimately heal itself.

Homeopathic remedies are safe, easy to administer, and most often without side effects.  They are healthful choices for people of all ages from birth to geriatric. There are a great number of children who yearly avoid tubes in their ears thanks to the wonders of homeopathy.  Adult arthritis sufferers have stopped taking inflammatory medications once they’ve found the remedy best suited for them.  Adults and children alike who have suffered from chronic eczema have been greatly helped with homeopathy, after all other medicines have failed them.  These are merely a few examples of where homeopathy can really be a savior.

If you are new to homeopathy and want to test its efficacy, you can start with a basic and easy- to-use remedy called Arnica.  I recommend purchasing the Arnica at a dose of 30c.  Arnica 30c is for bumps, bruises, or muscle pain.  This is really a universally beneficial remedy that is great to have in your first aid kit at all times.  It can be used for pain caused by a strained muscle after an intense workout or for pain suffered after dental work.  Arnica is great to have at Little League games for kids, or if you go on a family hike!  Let this remedy be your first taste into the world of homeopathy.