Alternative medicines in the wild

silenthunterstudios

silenthunterstudios

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I've been poked and prodded, blood drawn, tests run and diet changed drastically. I've increase some prescriptions and over the counter meds, and others I've stopped taking, at doctors request of course. I was thinking, not just in a shtf scenario, but a scenario where I'm lost in the woods, or a major storm or other weather event comes through, or even war time rationing, and my access to meds is cut off. I've already had it happen to me where medicine is not available due to weather, ie the pharmacy cannot receive their shipments.

I am a diabetic with hypertension, I'm obese but working on losing weight, have GERD, weakened heart due to diabetes and sleep apnea, enlarged heart, fatty liver (same as a drunk's but due to high fat diet), neuropathy etc. Obviously I'm not going to be deep in the woods on safari. I am looking for alternatives to the over the counter supplements I take. It was mentioned to me that some swear by chaga tea for their BP. I know that the wild is a free pharmacy waiting to be picked, without waiting lines. I also know that the pharmaceutical industry is not in the business of curing you, but keeping you as a client. Any ideas are appreciated, any alternatives. If you can provide a description and an actual picture, that would be appreciated. I'm not necessarily going to go out and start taking all of these right away, but I'm very interested in getting to the point where I don't need any more pills etc to keep trucking. Thank you.
 
What you describe sounds like the symptoms of an unhealthy diet. So eat your veggies. Seriously. Your current diet is killing you.

Getting your diet right is probably the single best thing that you can do to improve your health. I'd go so far as to see a nutritionist and have then work up meal plans.

The next thing to do is to start exercising. Start off slow. A daily walk and work up from there.
 
Sideways you hit it right on the nose...

OP, according to Dr. Barry Sears (author of The Zone) There are few things that can affect health (positively as well as negatively) as much as food can. There is nothing that will make a big difference in your health as long as your sugar numbers are out of range... There are no magic bullets, stay on your meds for the time being and work on doing what you have to in order to affect a permanent change.

Insulin is the #1 fat storage hormone the body has... It'll make you fat or keep you fat even if you never eat anything with fat. Whenever you eat something and you elevate your insulin higher or for longer periods of time, food gets stored as fat. Try looking up the "Glycemic Index" the higher the number of the food, the more it will elevate your insulin. The higher the insulin, the more fat you will store. http://www.health.harvard.edu/healthy-eating/glycemic_index_and_glycemic_load_for_100_foods This is just one link, google glycemic index and you can pick from many.
You may want to look into juicing, when done with veggies and minimal fruits, you can keep your insulin / blood sugar down and still get your nutrition. Get a good "B" complex. B vitamins not only help your body process sugar but they are key in the electrical conduction of your nervous system.

I've never known anyone to have heart issues and or diabetic that didn't desperately need "B" vitamins. Junk food wipes out your B vitamins, Alcohol wipes out your B vitamins, processed foods wipe out your B vitamins and of course FAST FOOD wipes out your B Vitamins. Get a good B supplement or if you can get a good Multi pack of vitamins. Vitamins and minerals are the cornerstone of how effective your body works.

You have to remember fat holds on to toxins like glue, make it easy to flush them by drinking water. Start with a 1/2 gallon per day and check your blood pressure in the eve before bed and morning before eating, also check for swelling at the ankles and feet during the day. If you have a weakened heart and high BP, you more than likely are on diuretics and BP meds so increase your intake of fluids gradually. Keep a log (very important) weigh in daily, write down your blood sugar readings (take a sample first thing in the morning before you eat) mark down your blood pressure readings, you will see how certain foods affect you positively vs negatively.

Start moving, the most important part of exercise other than doing it is to be consistent with it. Going for 2 (shorter) walks per day vs 1 Long walk per day. Its easier on the body and will probably help you stay compliant. Stay off that couch!

So to sum it up, start by taking away all of the bad things that got you there in the first place and replace them with healthy things that will elevate you to a healthier place. Be consistent!

Side note: I know you asked for replacements for your meds so you can ween yourself off of them but in all truth, you will become just as dependent on the natural stuff if you don't change your lifestyle. Ok with that said, hopefully these links will help you out a bit

Hibiscus tea for high BP: I've tried it personally and it's worked for me and everyone I've recommended it to. It actually has a component in the flower that is the same as meds for high bp. High BP happens for many different reasons, try it out, hopefully it'll help you
http://www.webmd.com/heart/news/20081110/hibiscus-tea-may-cut-blood-pressure

Choline for fatty liver: Choline is a B vitamin, read thru this link. I would get a separate choline supplement in addition to the B vitamin. Don't overdo it just take what they recommend. http://www.ketogenic-diet-resource.com/fatty-liver-disease.html
A ketogenic diet might be the call as well. Google it :)

B Vitamins and Neuropathy: The more I read about your syptoms, the more I realize you really really need a B complex
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/peripheral-neuropathy/basics/causes/con-20019948

P.S. read up as much as you can on these things, their side effects, their recommendations for usage and DON'T DUMP YOUR MEDS unless an MD takes you off of them. Very important

Wishing you the best of luck :thumbup: It's a hard road but it'll be worth it in the end :D
 
Just keep in mind that even natural products can have side effects, and interactions. So go at it carefully, and keep your doc in the loop. As much as the pharmaceutical companies might have a bad rap, at the moment the vitamin and herb companies are far worse. you won't find enough herbs to keep you going as a replacement to the purified drugs.

Do what you can to dump off that extra weight, that will help you most. It will take a heap of work and effort, but it can be done.
 
i agree with what was said above about diet and exercise 100%. in addition to that i don't think its smart to plan on relying on any specific plant being in the woods in case of emergency. while it is useful to know what plants can help in an emergency, the odds of finding a specific plant can be low. especially if there are others that are looking for it to help with their conditions.
 
silenthunterstudios said:
I've been poked and prodded, blood drawn, tests run and diet changed drastically. I've increase some prescriptions and over the counter meds, and others I've stopped taking, at doctors request of course. I was thinking, not just in a shtf scenario, but a scenario where I'm lost in the woods, or a major storm or other weather event comes through, or even war time rationing, and my access to meds is cut off. I've already had it happen to me where medicine is not available due to weather, ie the pharmacy cannot receive their shipments.

I am a diabetic with hypertension, I'm obese but working on losing weight, have GERD, weakened heart due to diabetes and sleep apnea, enlarged heart, fatty liver (same as a drunk's but due to high fat diet), neuropathy etc. Obviously I'm not going to be deep in the woods on safari. I am looking for alternatives to the over the counter supplements I take. It was mentioned to me that some swear by chaga tea for their BP. I know that the wild is a free pharmacy waiting to be picked, without waiting lines. I also know that the pharmaceutical industry is not in the business of curing you, but keeping you as a client. Any ideas are appreciated, any alternatives. If you can provide a description and an actual picture, that would be appreciated. I'm not necessarily going to go out and start taking all of these right away, but I'm very interested in getting to the point where I don't need any more pills etc to keep trucking. Thank you.
Click to expand...

You're going to have to work at this. That's the bottom line. I dropped my a1C from over someplace north of 11, to 7 then 6.1 as of the other day. Dropped many pounds in the process. All without meds. Odds are being lost in the woods for many (but not those dependent on insulin) would probably not be overly harmful to blood sugar. Getting in better shape will help mitigate the one real danger, exposure. Well that an not getting lost in the first place. My knife, firesteel and blood sugar meter though don't bring it into the woods anymore still use it everyday along with diet and exercise.

 
Based off some simple research here plants you could possibly find:

Wild Garlic: (Allium sativum)
In individuals with increased systolic pressure, garlic may decrease blood pressure through the increase of nitric oxide production.

Kudzu: (Pueraria lobata)
A member of the pea family, kudzu root is officially recognized in China as a muscle relaxant, fever reducer, and a treatment for hypertension. An isoflavone extracted from kudzu has been shown clinically to reduce blood pressure and heart rate.

Dandilion: (Taraxacum)
Recent animal studies show promise that dandelion helps regulate blood sugar and insulin levels... Historically, dandelion was prized for a variety of medicinal properties, and it contains a wide number of pharmacologically active compounds.[32] Dandelion is used as a herbal remedy in Europe, North America and China.[32] It has been used in herbal medicine to treat infections, bile and liver problems,[32] and as a diuretic.

Though I imagine most plants will require some sort of extraction process to get specific benefits.
 
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