The Medicinal Herb Info site was created to help educate visitors about the often forgotten wisdom of the old ways of treating illnesses. Many of today's drugs and medicines were originally derived from natural ingredients, combinations of plants and other items found in nature.

We are not suggesting that you ignore the help of trained medical professionals, simply that you have additional options available for treating illnesses. Often the most effective treatment involves a responsible blend of both modern and traditional treatments.

We wish you peace and health!

Obesity

Definition

Abnormal amount of fat on the body. The term is usually not employed unless the individual is from 20% to 30% over average weight for his or her age, sex, and height.
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Causes

Obesity is the result of an imbalance between food eaten and energy expended, but the underlying cause usually is quite complex and difficult to diagnose and treat.

Those who are obese are more likely to experience kidney trouble, heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, complications of pregnancy, and psychological problems.

Liver damage is also common in overweight people. Some of the causes of obesity are glandular malfunctions, malnutrition, emotional tension, boredom, habit, and love of food.

Obesity has been linked to food sensitivity or food allergy. Changing your eating habits is important in loosing weight. When there is an inadequate intake of all the essential nutrients, fat is not easily or adequately burned.
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Nutrients

Glucomannan, 3 tablets 1/2 hour before meals with a large glass of liquid, (do not take within an hour of medication or vitamins), gives a full feeling that helps cut down the hunger feelings.

Essential fatty acids (primrose oil or linseed oil), taken as directed on the label, is used with a low-fat diet to replace essential fatty acids.

Kelp, 6 tablets per day, is taken for balanced minerals and iodine, and aids in weight loss.

Lecithin, taken with meals as directed on the label, is a fat emulsifier; helps break down fat.

Protein (free form amino acids), taken as directed on the label.

Spirulina, 3 tablets between meals, is an excellent source of usable protein. It contains needed nutrients, stabilizes the blood sugar, and can replace a meal.

Vitamin C, 3,000-6,000 mg. per day, is necessary for normal glandular function.

L-Arginine and L-ornithine and L-lysine, 500 mg. each or as directed on the label before bedtime (not for children or diabetics; do not take without L-lysine, it may cause an imbalance). These amino acids decrease body fat.

L-Carnitine, taken as directed on the label, aids in fat metabolism and weight loss.

L-Phenylalanine, taken as directed on the label, is an appetite suppressant that tells the brain you are not hungry. (CAUTION: do not take in high doses if you have high blood pressure or diabetes, or are pregnant).

Multivitamin and mineral supplement, taken as directed on the label (obesity and nutritional deficiency are parts of the same syndrome).

Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) and B complex with vitamin B12, 50 mg. 3 times per day (vitamin B6 removes excess water).

Vitamin E, 400 IU per day, is important in fat metabolism.
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Herbs
  • Alder, buckthorn
  • Aloe
  • Angelica
  • Apple
  • Ash, white
  • Allspice
  • Balm
  • Barberry
  • Birch, white
  • Bladderwrack
  • Buckthorn, common
  • Capsicum
  • Caraway
  • Celery seed
  • Centaury, European
  • Chaparral
  • Chickweed
  • Cleavers
  • Cloves
  • Coltsfoot
  • Currant, black
  • Curry
  • Dandelion
  • Dill
  • Dropwort
  • Elder, black
  • Fennel
  • Fenugreek
  • Gentian
  • Ginger
  • Goldenrod, European
  • Goldenseal
  • Grape, Rocky Mountain
  • Hops
  • Horsetail
  • Kale
  • Kelp
  • Meadowsweet
  • Melilot, white or yellow
  • Moss, Irish
  • Nettle, dwarf
  • Oregano
  • Paprika
  • Pepper, black
  • Peppermint, leaves
  • Pipsissewa
  • Poke root
  • Primrose, common evening
  • Raspberry, leaves
  • Restharrow
  • Rhubarb
  • Rosemary leaves
  • St. John’s wort
  • Sage
  • Sassafras
  • Scurvy grass
  • Seaweed
  • Seawrack
  • Senna, American, leaves
  • Sesame, seeds
  • Shave grass
  • Tarragon
  • Valerian
  • Watercress
  • Willow

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Recommendations

Be active. Take a brisk walk before breakfast to burn off fat. Exercise is the best way to rid the body of excess body fat and to maintain good muscle tone.

Check with the doctor. Underactive thyroid, can cause obesity to be a problem. Correcting one problem may help correct the other.

Rotate foods and eat a variety of foods. Drink 6-8 glasses of liquids every day. They are nonfattening fillers unless they are loaded with sugar.

Cut down on salt, it makes you thirsty and causes you to retain water.

Make sure bowels are regular. Use extra fiber in the diet every day.

Put less food on your plate. Chew slowly. Undereat and do not chew gum. Gum starts the gastric digestive juices flowing and will make you feel hungry sooner in addition to overworking your digestive system.

Never consume animal fat: butter, cream, ice cream, whole milk, rich dressings, mayonnaise, and fried foods.

Do not eliminate sources of “good” fat, containing unsaturated fatty acids, such as avocados, olive oil, and nuts. Use these foods in moderation, no more than twice a week.

Avoid the use of white flour products, salt, white rice, or processed foods. Avoid fast food restaurants and all junk foods. Do not consume sweets such as soda, pastries, pies, cakes, doughnuts, and candy. Omit all forms of sugar from the diet.

Instead, eat complex carbohydrates that also offer protein: tofu, lentils, plain baked potatoes (no topping), sesame seeds, beans, brown rice, whole grains and whitefish (no shellfish).

Never go grocery shopping on an empty stomach.

Eat fresh fruits and raw vegetables. At least one meal a day should be only fruits and vegetables. Low-calorie vegetables: broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cucumbers, green beans, kale, lettuce, onions, radishes, spinach, and turnips. Low-calorie/low carbohydrate fruits: apples, cantaloupe, grapefruit, strawberries, and watermelon.

High in carbohydrates and calories: bananas, cherries, corn, hominy, figs, grapes, green peas, pineapple, sweet potatoes, white rice, and yams.

Bake, broil, steam or boil foods instead of fried, etc.

Make lunch the main meal of the day, no later than 3 p.m. to give the body time to burn some of the calories before bedtime.

Yellow vegetables, chestnuts, corn, white potatoes, brown rice, oatmeal, apples, grapes, and buckwheat all contain a small amount of essential fatty acids and should be part of the diet in moderation. Nuts, seeds, avocados, olives, coconuts, and wheat or corn germ are high in vegetable fatty acids and should not be overused.

The average reducing diet is about 9 calories per pound of ideal body weight per day. Thus a 160 lb. person whose ideal weight is 135 should eat a diet of about 1200 calories per day. A slow reduction regimen is 1200-1600 calories per day; 1000 to 1200 calories will provide a more rapid loss of weight.
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Suggestions

Consume healthy snacks and desserts:

  1. celery and carrot sticks.
  2. Low-fat cottage cheese topped with fresh applesauce and walnuts.
  3. crackers topped with sesame butter and sesame seeds.
  4. unsweetened gelatin made with fruit juice in place of sugar and water.
  5. natural whole grain, sugar-free muffins.
  6. rich cakes topped with nut butters (but not peanut butter).
  7. watermelon, fresh fruits, and frozen fruit popsicles.
  8. unsweetened yogurt topped with granola or nuts and fresh fruit.

Use barley malt sweetener instead of sugar. This is highly concentrated, but is not dangerous. It contains only 3 calories to 1 gram (2 tsp.). This sweetener is particularly beneficial to the diabetic or hypoglycemic patient.

Herb teas mixed with unsweetened fruit juice are satisfying low-calorie drinks and are also very filling. Use between meals and when a desire for sweets hits you.

A medical herbalist reported an overweight woman lost 32 lb. by taking daily infusions of cleavers. During the first month nothing happened, but then on the fifth week she began slowly losing weight, and at the end of 6 months her weight was down to normal, and she has not put them back on again.

To make an infusion of cleavers, put a tsp. of the herb in a teacup and pour on boiling water. Cover and let stand for 15 minutes, strain and drink hot or cold; 1 teacupful 3 times per day between meals.

Another example: A lady reports she lost 70 lb. in several months of consistent use of fennel tea, 1 cup before breakfast, 1 cup on “coffee break”, 1 cup before dinner and 1 cup before bedtime.

Prepare fennel seed tea: 4 tsp. of seeds in 2 pints of boiling water and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, keep the container covered, and allow to stand for 15 minutes, then strain. 1 cup 3 or 4 times per day, cool or heated.

A recent study revealed that 1/3 of those who went on a crash diet of 500 calories or less, developed gallstones.

Another remedy:

  • Dandelion root and leaves (7 parts)
  • Peppermint leaves (7 parts)
  • Alder buckthorn bark (15 parts)
  • American Senna leaves (15 parts)

Steep 1 tbsp. in 1 cup boiling water for 30 minutes. Take 1/2 cup several times per day. Medical supervision suggested.
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Bibliography

Buy It! Back to Eden, by Jethro Kloss; Back to Eden Publishing Co., Loma Linda, CA 92354, Original copyright 1939, revised edition 1994

Buy It! The Herb Book, by John Lust, Bantam Books, 666 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY. copyright 1974.

Buy It! Eastern/Central Medicinal Plants, by Steven Foster and James A. Duke., Houghton Mifflin Company, 215 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10000

Buy It! The Nature Doctor: A Manual of Traditional and Complementary Medicine, by Dr. H.C.A. Vogel; Keats Publishing, Inc., 27 Pine Street (Box 876) New Canaan, CT. 06840-0876. Copyright Verlag A. Vogel, Teufen (AR) Switzerland 1952, 1991

Buy It! Planetary Herbology, by Michael Tierra, C.A., N.D., O.M.D., Lotus Press, PO Box 325, Twin Lakes. WI 53181., Copyright 1988, published 1992

Buy It! Indian Herbalogy of North America, by Alma R. Hutchens, Shambala Publications, Inc., Horticultural Hall, 300 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, 1973

Buy It! The Old Herb Doctor, by Joseph E. Meyer, Meyerbooks, publisher, PO Box 427, Glenwood, Illinois 60425, copyright 1984, sixth printing 1994.

Buy It! Prescription for Nutritional Healing, Fifth Edition: A Practical A-to-Z Reference to Drug-Free Remedies Using Vitamins, Minerals, Herbs & Food Supplements, by James F. Balch, M.D. and Phyllis A. Balch, C.N.C., Avery Publishing Group, Inc., Garden City Park, NY

Buy It! Taber’s Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary, 15th Edition, F. A. Davis Company, 1915 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103

Buy It!The Magic of Herbs, by David Conway, published by Jonathan Cape, Thirty Bedford Square, London, England. (Out of print)

Buy It! The Yoga of Herbs: An Ayurvedic Guide to Herbal Medicine, by Dr. David Frawley & Dr. Vasant Lad, Lotus Press, Twin Lakes, Wisconsin, Second edition, 1988.

Buy It! The Magic of Herbs in Daily Living, by Richard Lucas, Parker Publishing Co. (1988).

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