Natural Medicine — 1.
Beneficial plants for the kidneys.
I used to write once a week, or at most every 15 days. Now, I don’t; but it is not for lack of inspiration or topics to cover, but rather lack of time. This is a stage where I have so many things around me that I am out of my comfort zone. And what’s worse: I have no idea where the new circumstances appearing in my professional life may lead me.
So I have no choice but to keep walking and solve the situations on my way, until I see clearly where I am supposed to be.
Two or three weeks ago, I wrote about a subject that keeps running through my head when I see people with chronic illnesses, taking 7 to 10 medicines a day, without much improvement, and so on for months and months. Sometimes years and years.
I will continue with my theme “Health is always in Nature”.
If you have not read my previous story — The Importance of Natural Medicine — I recommend you do so, because this is the continuation. Now I am going to mention beneficial herbs to cleanse the kidneys, before problems manifest or worsen.
For example, people who develop kidney stones have previously had sand that has accumulated to form a stone. Of course, the person has started to feel discomfort in the kidney zone. When one or more stones have formed, one day they pushed to come out and the pain -especially in men- is so great, that if only to avoid that moment, they should drink an herbal tea regularly. Before going to the doctor and starting a chemical-based treatment, it is better to treat the ailment with plants. They will never do any harm.
It is obvious when there is a serious condition, discomfort will follow. However, if it is just a congested kidney, it can be drained with naturopathic medicine and left clean.
I have done it many times. I need to be seated to do my job. I am a Teacher, Writer, Translator and Proofreader, all of this require sitting. That’s why I usually take a medicinal tea and walk for an hour before sitting down again. I will certainly go to the washroom 2 or 3 times, but I won’t have any discomfort afterwards. I have done it before and I still do, and my kidneys work great.
The same could happen with the intestine, blood pressure, stomach, gall bladder, liver, respiratory system -asthma, cough, etc.-, and other problems, which if not treated gently, in the long run become chronic and require treatments to . . . only maintain the condition, but not eliminate it.
One day my sister-in-law called me to ask to go to the hospital, where one of my brothers had been admitted. I left the house quickly. My brother was suffering from nephritic colic and his body was trying to get rid of a kidney stone. I arrived, and after greetings, I told him: “I told you to take aaa and bbb to dissolve the grit forms in your kidney. Is it worth this suffering and coming to the hospital, when you can avoid it?”.
He grunted for all answer. Then I said, “I will buy you the herbs to clean the kidneys, and if you want you take them, do it. Otherwise, throw them away. But I am fulfilling my responsibility.”
My brother got out of the hospital in two or three days and I went to visit him at home, bringing him the herbal mixture. I gave him a good lecture: “Don’t be stubborn and take an herbal tea every day when you sit down to watch TV in the evening”. This time he replied: “Well, I’m going to do it. If it doesn’t do any good, it won’t hurt me. The Doctor told me to drink lots of water”. I thought, “Wow! What a breakthrough! It must have really hurt!”.
He has never had renal colic again and that was more than 5 years ago. He has never agreed with me, or told me my herbs are excellent. He has limited himself to tell me year after year: “The kidney test was very good”. I know through my sister-in-law he is having two infusions every day, one on an empty stomach in the morning and the second in the evening. Sometimes only once in the evening.
I am going to mention the most important herbs to keep kidney stones from forming, and in case they do, start dissolving them to avoid the dreaded renal colic.
Horsetail.
Horsetail is a potent diuretic, as it increases urine production in a very effective way, which makes it the most used herb by natural practitioners. It also has anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties.
To make a tea just boil water (a cup + ½ ) in a pot and add a rounded teaspoon of the herb. Allow water to boil gently for a minute until only a cup and ¼ is left. Leave it settle; then strain it.
It can be mixed with other herbs; or from the recommended 2 cups a day, take a different herb each time.
Parsley.
Besides being so fragrant, this herb is very potent as a diuretic, stimulating the activity of the kidney to clean the toxins pass through it.
The procedure to prepare it is the same as mentioned for Horsetail.
Corn beards/hair or corn stigmas.
It is the safest natural diuretic can be used, since its effect is very effective but gentle, being able to double the amount of urine filtered by the kidney. Among its effects are: to increase urine production, to disinfect the urinary tract and to act as an anti-inflammatory.
It is prepared with the procedure and quantity mentioned above.
Nettle.
Although nettle is an herb very beneficial for all our body in many ways, one of them is the ability to cleanse and prevent kidney and urinary tract infections.
In many countries you can buy the herb in bags, but in others -like the USA-, it comes also packaged (like many teas or infusions) in individual sachets, which you only have to soak in boiling water.
A friend told me that it is also good for lowering blood pressure, although all diuretics tend to do that.
Celery.
It is good as food and as medicine. It is very rich in minerals, vitamins A and C, has a great anti-oxidant value and in infusion is diuretic, so it is very suitable to clean the kidney of grit.
You should drink 1 cup + ¼ of celery broth on an empty stomach and add lemon to taste.
It is also indicated to lower blood pressure — it puts me on the floor.
Cuachalalate.
This plant is sold in the USA in Mexican supermarkets. It is not an herb, but a tree bark, and its name is nahualt. It is usually mixed with horsetail and even with corn beards or hair. I buy them separately because is how they are sold, but at home I put them in a container and shake it to mix them.
To make the infusion, I boil a cup + ½ of water and add a teaspoon of the three herbs together, . . . and so on.
I mention others, which if anyone is lucky enough to have an herbalist where they can buy as many as they want, are also extremely effective.
Shepherd’s purse (Capsella bursa pastoris).
Juniper (Juniperus vulgaris).
Rose hips or wild rose.
St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum), also known as Ground Ivy.
Attention! It is good to take these herbs, but not for a long time or too many times per day. In Nature, even an herb can be harmful in excess. Find the balance for your body. The mix of horsetail, cuachalalate and corn hairs is beneficial for me, but only some afternoons per week, as it is intended to prevent. When I finish the mixture, I change herbs — sometimes one or two. Nothing in excess.
Prevention is much better than cure.
I think that when you tend to have kidney problems you can not let your guard down, and it is good to have on hand some of the herbs mentioned above, and take one infusion daily, of course depending on the problem. I have enough with one. These can be of a single herb or several at once. The important thing is not to let the organ become congested and keep it clean.
We must not forget the kidneys are the ones that filter toxins and purify our body, and when they cannot do their job, people have to live for years on dialysis. This situation is not nice.
Therefore, let’s take care of our kidneys in a natural way, as they are indispensable to maintain our health and . . . our life.
