DD, I had a visit with an orthopedic surgeon yesterday. There was a discussion about the healing process and two thing I wanted to share.

Anti-inflammatories inhibit the bodies ability to repair itself at the cellular level. In this case it was better to use the prescribed narcotics for pain, not IBU.

The surgeon had arthritis patients that swear by Tart Cherry Juice.

Well said ST.  Always involve your GP, they exist to monitor your overall health.

I believe it wasn't to long ago that they came out with a study that said most vitamins, especially multi-vitamins do little if any good and that getting your vitamins from you diet as nature intended is the way to go.

Many supple mets tell you to take them after you eat a meal. The reason being that in the process of digesting you food, the vitamin has the chance to break down and get absorbed along with the nutrients in the food.

Nothing is perfect 100% in all cases. What works for one, might not for another. Keeping your doctor in the loop is a good idea as well as doing everything in moderation.

Vitamins are modern medicine.  That bottle of One-A-Day isn't full of carrots & apples.  They're synthetic.  Vitamin A is made from acetone, nail polish remover.

My 95.5 year old father is big on taking lots of vitamins, minerals and trace elements.  Since he was 93 he's been taking blood pressure and cholesterol meds...result of finally being shaken up by a mini-stroke which luckily had no lasting effects.  He was always big into vit C and E and after 65 began to take a lot of the other reputedly good vitamins, etc.
Anyway, he almost NEVER has an ache or pain and has not had any serious health issues beside high BP.  He is still plenty active for his age (walks a mile daily and often takes his own fishing boat out for a day of fishing) and is also still very sharp and alert mentally.  He swears by the vitamins and his doctors tell him what ever he is doing seems to be working and he should keep it up. 
Some holistic friends of his often discuss the detrimental effects of a diet high in processed wheat and sugars and the balance of acid/base level of one's overall system.  They blame a lot of aches and pains on being "out of balance" chemical wise within one's body. 
I agree that more attention should be given to the natural foods and ways one can keep their body healthy as opposed to modern "medicines".   

It depends on your doctor.  There are all kinds. 

Mrs. has one that's trained in Western Medicine who also uses holistic methods where reasonable.  The two are not opposites, neither are they completely incompatible.

Mine is more entrenched in Western Med, but accepts that his patients may choose other options.  He also outlines the details, known and unknown.  He doesn't judge.  He just provides the info and monitors the patient.

Herbs are medications. Like any "drug" I don't advise anyone to take them without clearing it with their doctor.
She has and the doctor and her discussed the dosage and possible side effects.

I would strongly urge anyone not to self medicate and talk to their doctor. You can find reams of info on-line and since Dr's are not trained in Herbs/Healing foods, I'd download and print out some info to share/educate your physician so your both on the same page.

Neat stuff about turmeric!  We cook with it frequently.  Oddly Mrs. likes a lot of the components of curry, but not curry itself.

I hope she doesn't suffer complications like cancer or iron defficiency or gallstones or miscarry or bleed out during an operation.

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However, as curcuma is known to inhibit blood clotting, it should be avoided for a two week period prior to major surgery and not used in conjunction with blood thinners such as warfarin and Plavix. It is also known to aggravate gallstone problems.
In vitro and in vivo studies suggest that curcumin can have carcinogenic effects.
More recently, curcumin was found to alter iron metabolism by chelating iron and suppressing the protein hepcidin, potentially causing iron deficiency in susceptible patients.
there is still some concern medicinal use of products containing curcumin could stimulate the uterus, which may lead to a miscarriage

Puckster wrote on Mar 29^th, 2012 at 3:13am:


If it was up to her, I would get a big one
Anyone that has ever had a boil, knows how painful it can be. Imagine getting them in your armpit area every month and still have to work everyday. She a tough gal.

ST - You should get a raise!

prouboy