The Fourth of July is always a time to think about America and what it means to us. We are surely an opinionated lot, but that seems to go along with being human. One thing that I think of as American is being strong and self-sufficient. And that extends to every aspect of life.
There is a new term that I learned recently, Empowered Self-Care. The events of recent years have been a lesson in not relying on bureaucratic governance regarding our health. In fact, watching the missteps of the health agencies, the confused messaging, and the utter irresponsibility in issuing edicts that were untested, uninspired, and unusual was like watching an old black-and-white movie of fall-down comedians. Only, it was no laughing matter.
Sound nutritional advice, some basic vitamin interventions, and early acknowledgement of comorbidities might have done wonders for outcomes. Instead we got no genuine guidance, except to get stuck on a ventilator or wait for a vaccine. And meanwhile, the stress of lockdowns, the rampant drug and alcohol use, and the damage to kids who were scared witless or dropped out entirely is tragedy we will spend years trying to fix.
Fortunately, many of you already understood that you needed to take charge of taking care of yourselves and your families. That is what Empowered Self-Care is all about.
The real job of doctors is to empower their patients, to teach them that there are ways to ensure that the body function correctly. There is no substitute for lifestyle and food choices! All the medicine and all the supplements in the world can’t fix a body that is broken down from bad choices. Our environment is just too darn toxic and is already assaulting the immune system. And the temptation of crappy foods, and stress relief through abusing alcohol and chemical drugs is so great that it takes real strength to resist.
This isn’t a time to be wimpy. Our health care system needs an evolution, if not a revolution, to become a wellness model instead of a disease model where hospitals and pharmaceutical companies make out like bandits at our expense.
It’s not about winning the longevity lottery. It’s about managing your own body and health care so that you can stay out of the medical system and have the kind of vitality and over-all function to live the life that you want.
Ben Franklin said, “Who is strong? He that can conquer his bad habits.”
Ben also said, “The U.S. Constitution doesn’t guarantee happiness, only the pursuit of it. You have to catch up with it yourself.”
There isn’t much happiness if you aren’t feeling well.
By the way, the most quintessential American herbal medicine may be Echinacea. The Native Americans used it and taught the settlers about it. Even then natural remedies not manufactured by early drug companies were vilified and Echinacea was called “snake oil,” a derogatory term still used today to denigrate natural medicine.
Many Native American tribes used Echinacea for a variety of ailments.[i]
Summary of Uses of Echinacea by Native Peoples
TRIBE-CHEYENNE: sore mouth and gums
COMANCHE; toothache, sore throat
Crow; colds, toothache, colic
DELEWARE; Gonorrhea
DAKOTAinflammation
KIOWA; coughs and sore throat
MESKWAKI (Fox); cramps. fits
OMAHA; septic disease
SOUIX; bowels, tonsilliti
The use of Echinacea as a medicine was first noted by European botanist John Clayton, who lived between 1693 and 1773, so it’s use predates the American Revolution. Echinacea is a beautiful purple flower known also as Coneflower.
The real snake oil was brought be Chinese immigrants who worked on the railroads. They used Traditional Chinese Medicine, and a preparation used for arthritis was made from actual snake oil. [ii]
Echinacea is used today to help regulate the immune response against autoimmune conditions, colds, bronchial infections, and even cancer. It can be taken as a preventative and does not lose its efficacy when taken long-term. Mediherb makes the strongest Echinacea, compared to other brands potency.
America is a melting pot and we have so much to learn from each other. Imagine how that would empower each of us.
Let’s celebrate our strengths, our remarkable diversity, and our ability to think and act for ourselves (the very definition of independence.)
Have a Very Happy Fourth of July!
[i] https://www.christopherhobbs.com/library/articles-on-herbs-and-health/echinacea-from-native-american-pancea-to-modern-phytopharmaceutical/
[ii] https://wellnessjourneys.org/2019/06/05/the-history-of-echinacea/