Surviving Radiation - the Wise Woman Way
We are adapted to survive mild exposures to radiation. After all, the sun is a kind of controlled nuclear bomb and it releases a lot of radiation. Of course, this radiation, and man-made radiation, can also cause cancer and a host of short- and long-term health problems.
Whether you are worried about the radiation from dental x-rays, a mammogram, or fallout, here are some Wise Woman Ways to help you stay healthy. (If you are using radioactive therapies in your cancer treatment, there is a chapter full of information specifically for you in my book Breast Cancer? Breast Health! The Wise Woman Way.)
Japanese researchers found that diets high in carotenes significantly reduced DNA damage in humans exposed to radiation. Supplements of beta-carotene (or of vitamins C or E) did not show this effect. Eating lots of orange and dark green foods (sweet potatoes, winter squash, beets, carrots, kale, collards, chard, and spinach, for example) can protect you from radiation-induced cancers.
Envision yourself and all your cells protected from damage. (One woman wrapped herself in psychic lead.)
Guinea pigs bombarded with radiation lived a lot longer if they ate broccoli or cabbage. All cabbage family plants - including arugula, turnips, radishes, cauliflower, mustard greens, bok choy, Brussels sprouts, broccoli d'rappe, kale, collards, and of course broccoli - protect your cells from the damaging effects of radiation.
Choose an image, an icon, something meaningful to you, as a focusing agent. Put your affirmations, blessings, prayers, visualizations, and healing love into it, for easy access when you need help.
Miso broth is the classic food for prevention of radiation damage. There's twice the protection if a quarter-ounce/5 grams of dried kelp seaweed is added to the soup. In scientific studies, seaweed was able to neutralize radioactive isotopes in the human body. Researchers at McGill University say radioactive strontium binds to the algin in brown seaweeds to create sodium alginate, a compound easily and harmlessly excreted. Common black tea exhibited the same anti-radiation effects in several Japanese studies.
In Fighting Radiation and Chemical Pollutants with Foods, Herbs, and Vitamins (Vitality, 1991), Steven Schecter tells us that both black and green tea showed "radioprotective effects" whether taken before or after exposure to radiation. Among other modes of operation, tea catechins absorb radioactive isotopes and remove them from the body before they do damage. The action is similar he says, to that of sodium alginate (the "active ingredient" in kelp seaweed).
Eating any amount of reishii (a mushroom) reduces damage from radiation.
St. Joan's/John's wort oil protects my skin from radiation damage. I use it as my only sunscreen (and I am outside a lot) and find it not only immediately effective in preventing and treating sunburn, but even more protective with continuing use over years.
Burdock root (Arctium lappa) removes radioactive isotopes from the body. A dose is 1-4 ounces/300-120 grams of cooked fresh root, up to a pint of infusion daily, or several large spoonfuls of vinegar (but only if made with fresh roots).
Dried beans, especially lentils can reverse DNA damage done by radiation. So can red clover (Trifolium pratense) and astragalus (Astragalus membranaceous) - two powerful members of the legume (bean) family.
Homeopathic remedies can be taken before and after exposure to radiation: Plumbum (lead) is said to help those who feel overwhelmed and in need of protection. Belladonna is used to prevent and relieve radiation burns and pains - even long after the immediate exposure.
Recipe for "Anti-Radiation Easy Meal" is on page 308 in Breast Cancer? Breast Health! the Wise Woman Way.
Selenium protects DNA from radiation damage and helps prevent damage to the skin surface, too. Get plenty of selenium by eating a daily dose of 2 cups/500 ml of nettle infusion, one-half ounce/15 g kelp, 2 ounces/60 g cooked burdock root, or 1 cup/250 ml organic yogurt daily. Shellfish, green and black teas, and garlic contain significant amounts of selenium, as do many mushrooms. The best sources however are nettles (2200 mcg per 100 grams), kelp (1700 mcg/100 g), burdock (1400 mcg/100 g), catnip (Nepeta cataria), ginseng, Siberian ginseng, and astragalus.
In clinical trial with humans, those who took ginseng extract (Panax quinquefolium) for thirty days following exposure to radiation showed hastened recovery from injuries to their bone marrow, organs, skin, and blood cells according to Paul Bergner in The Healing Power of Ginseng, The Enlightened Person's Guide, Prima, 1996. He quotes Japanese researcher Dr M. Yonezawa as saying that "ginseng appears to be the most useful agent available for protection against radiation damage."
It's important to keep yourself well nourished if you are exposed to radiation. Make it a habit to drink at least two big cups of nourishing herbal infusion daily. Nettles, red clover, and violet leaves supply generous amounts of the nutrients you need most: protein and minerals, especially potassium and zinc.
For best results, do not use capsules of the herbs mentioned in this article. Instead, cook with them (kelp, astragalus, Siberian ginseng, ginseng, reishii, and burdock), brew nourishing herbal infusions with them (nettles, red clover, astragalus, burdock, catnip, and ginseng), make mineral-rich vinegars with them (nettles, burdock, catnip, ginseng, and astragalus), or take a high-quality non-standardized tincture of them (burdock, ginseng, Siberian ginseng, astragalus).
To make a nourishing herbal infusion:
Put one ounce of dried herb into a quart jar; fill jar to the top with boiling water and cap tightly.
Strain after 4-8 hours and drink hot or cold.
Refrigerate what you don't drink right away; drink that within a day.
To make a vinegar:
Fill any size jar with fresh herb (best!!) or one quarter full of dried herb (not nearly so good).
Pour room temperature apple cider vinegar over the herb, filling jar to the top.
Cover with plastic wrap or a cork.
Label with date and name of plant.
Let sit for six weeks.
Decant into a pretty bottle and use to season soups, beans, and salads.
This is the Wise Woman Way the world 'round. Take good care of yourselves. Green blessings to all.
Susun Weed
PO Box 64
Woodstock, NY 12498
Fax: 1-845-246-8081
Visit Susun Weed at: www.susunweed.com and www.ashtreepublishing.com
For permission to reprint this article, contact us at: susunweed@herbshealing.com
Vibrant, passionate, and involved, Susun Weed has garnered an international reputation for her groundbreaking lectures, teachings, and writings on health and nutrition. She challenges conventional medical approaches with humor, insight, and her vast encyclopedic knowledge of herbal medicine. Unabashedly pro-woman, her animated and enthusiastic lectures are engaging and often profoundly provocative.
Susun is one of America's best-known authorities on herbal medicine and natural approaches to women's health. Her four best-selling books are recommended by expert herbalists and well-known physicians and are used and cherished by millions of women around the world. Learn more at www.susunweed.com
Detoxify Your Body and Treat Your Ailments
If you are like most of us, you're tired, maybe overweight, caffeine addicted and stressed out. You just don't feel your best. You may even have more serious health problems like irritable bowel system or high blood pressure. Want a natural alternative to more over-the-counter and prescription drugs? Try detoxifying your body.
An internal body cleansing can have many great benefits. Cleansing your body of toxic buildup can provide relief from fatigue, tension, headaches, constipation, skin problems and acne and PMS, just to name a few. By assisting your body in this natural process, you'll be strengthening your organs and boosting your immune system.
Substances that are potentially toxic to our bodies are everywhere. Pollution, petroleum based products, pesticides and other compounds are harmful to our bodies. Our organs, including the colon and liver, are responsible for removing the toxins and waste materials from our bodies. But when these organs aren't functioning up to standard we become tired, break out and have digestive problems. More serious illnesses may result.
In your body, enzymes attach themselves to certain toxic substances. The resulting material is processed in the liver and colon to be eliminated. Unfortunately, sometimes the liver and colon cannot process all of the waste that is present, either because they are just overwhelmed, or there is a lack of required nutrients. The toxic compounds can't be processed, so they build up to unhealthy levels.
Detoxification provides the liver, colon and other organs with the enzymes, nutrients and support that they need to eliminate the waste build-up and to function efficiently again.
Don't procrastinate any longer. Detoxify your body and reap the benefits of a clean engine!
Mercury Detoxification
An interesting area of alternative medicine that is advancing rapidly is mercury detox treatment. Mercury is toxic to humans. We can be exposed to mercury in a number of ways, including the silver fillings in our teeth, ammunition, artificial flowers and wood preservatives.
High concentrations of mercury in the body have been shown to have many negative effects, including a deterioration of the central nervous system, dementia, depression and tremors. Mercury is absorbed into both the connective tissues and the nervous system, making its effects even more disastrous. By restricting the individual cells' respiration enzymes, mercury keeps your cells from using oxygen. It can cause heart disease and suppress your immune system. Cleansing your body of mercury is the answer.
Mercury detoxification is the process by which mercury is eliminated from the body. The process is lengthy, often taking three to six months. The most common method for eliminating mercury is chelation therapy. Chelation therapy is introducing a binding agent into the body that grabs onto the mercury and causes it to be excreted with the body's waste products. Both intravenous and oral chelation methods exist. The intravenous method is more costly and inconvenient, making the oral method the most popular.
While the intravenous method administers compounds directly into the blood stream, oral chelators can be purchased and administered to reduce mercury levels in the body. These will often contain a type of algea and cilantro, natural chelators, known for their ability to bind mercury, and other supplements to assist the body in eliminating mercury.
If you suspect that you have mercury in your body, be sure to check with a health professional on how best to eliminate the chemical from your body. Once you eliminate the mercury from your body, you can expect to feel improved brain power and concentration, increased energy and rejuvenated!