Natural Health Help

And now for something completely practical! I am seeing a lot of folks with gut disruption. We have all become wary of tomatoes and peppers from the grocery store, and before that it was what? Spinach? When your food passes through many hands the chance there will be a bug that eventually gets you grows and grows. We have a generally reliable food supply- but, not infallible. Prevention is best- know who your farmers are would be Rule #1, buy local-grown and fresh. And - Wash Everything! If you get into distress, the following will help. If there is fever, or signs of dehydration, which little kids are especially prone to- lethargy, dull eyes, dry-looking lips- get to your doctor. Read the rest of this entry »

Depression is one of the top five conditions that people want to self-treat with non-drug therapies. St John’s wort (SJW) is one of the best known plant medicines. It is effective for a number of conditions, including mild to moderate depression. Read the rest of this entry »

Logan Smith has died. This not-quite 10 year old was in his mother’s arms when the kidney cancer he traveled with for 7 months ended his life. His family has spent these months knit tightly around him. His 2 brothers, his mom and her partner, all nested in and went with him as far as anyone possibly can, on the journey we will all take. Surrounding them is a larger community of family and friends and care providers that has been present with practical and energetic loving support. It has been at times unspeakably agonizing to stay present to the death journey of this child. Witnessing the love that was poured out in response to these demands, especially on and from his Mom, and on his closest family, and the relentless fortitude and attention they have paid to every moment with Logan, is a source of learning and inspiration that now reverberates through many lives. Read the rest of this entry »

If you arrived here through my main practice website, drnandunne.com, you may have seen the new notice in the upper left corner. It says “Please help 9 year old Logan Smith fight his cancer”. Logan is a regular kid, part of a regular family here in my town, Missoula, MT. He has kidney cancer. Read the rest of this entry »

It makes a lot of simple common sense that when we eat food with the residues of chemical fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides on it, we are swallowing tiny but consistent amounts of what is essentially poison. And we know these residues build up, in our body tissues, just like the mercury builds up in the tuna. And so it makes sense to eat organically raised food as much as possible, just to avoid as much of the bad stuff as possible. Read the rest of this entry »

Losing weight is really hard work. Especially doing it right, meaning you become actually healthier while you do it, and then you turn your success into maintaining a healthy weight lifelong. Ideally you will grab the challenge and run with it; you’ll have a great time, continuously rewarded by the fantastic fulfillment of overcoming difficulty and meeting your goal. Some of us can get excited by the idea, gather up the tools we need and then get it done, joyfully. Many of us never start; it seems overwhelming. It means change. Food, the way we think of it, even what we think it is, is so central to our lives that even when we know that the way we are using food is hurting us, change sometimes seems impossible. Read the rest of this entry »

A lot of us are concerned about the potential undesirable effects of immunizations. People are worried about giving their kids vaccinations- and they often just as worried about not giving them. We are in a very real bind when it comes to sorting through this question. Despite the pages and pages of information that are available about each of these pharmaceutical products, that make it seem like a lot of research has been done, there is in fact a fundamental problem with the so-called science looking at the safety and effectiveness of immunizations. Read the rest of this entry »

Little Kids with Runny Nose, Colds and Flu
(Infants to 7 years old; 8 to 65 pounds)

Plant medicines
1. Echinacea Glycerite: dose every 2 hours for first 24 hours then four times a day till symptoms are gone
Infant under 6 months: 5 drops
Infant 6 months to 12 months: 10 to 15 drops
Over 12 months: 20 to 30 drops
OR-

2. Larix: dose as above, add powder to water and administer by dribbling into the child’s mouth off a spoon or with a syringe or by bottle or cup; you may also mix with a tablespoon of applesauce
Infant under 6 months: 1/16 to 1/8 tsp
Infant 6 months to 12 months: 1/4 to 1/2 tsp
Over 12 months: 3/4 tsp up to 1 TBS, age/size dependent

3. Eye Bright (euphrasia): for upper respiratory infections with runny eyes and nose, congestion

Read the rest of this entry »