How Low Can You Go?: Low Blood Pressure

At the other end of the pendulum swing is low blood pressure, which is not the best thing to have, either. Low blood pressure can signify hormonal under-activity, and many people with this condition have thyroid problems. Symptoms of a low thyroid include fatigue, depression, cold hands and feet, and coarse hair or skin. If the thyroid is underactive, it may need nourishment. The thyroid likes iodine, and one of the richest foods in iodine is kelp.

Kelp grows in our oceans and is packed with many trace minerals from the sea. Other tonics for the glandular system include licorice root, which helps tone the adrenals, and ginseng, which is an all-around tonic for the entire body.
Ginkgo biloba and hawthorne both work well together to bring blood pressure back up into balance. Add a trace mineral supplement and some capsicum, and you will have a remedy to boost you. All these foods and herbs will also help feed your entire circulatory system; a weakened heart can be the cause of low blood pressure.

More Pressure, More Supplements

Beating high blood pressure involves many factors, so you might want to take several herbs and remedies to bring it back down. Here are a few to try:

• A mixture of hawthorn, capsicum, and garlic will support the entire circulatory system.
• Cornsilk will support the kidneys, which are usually involved in high blood pressure.
• Chamomile will sooth the nerves and stress usually associated with the problem.

Non-herbal support that works to balance the blood pressure includes coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), which is a co-enzyme factor (a compound that works together with your body’s enzymes to help them function) essential to the health of all human tissues. Its purpose is to increase the efficiency of cellular metabolism. Trace minerals are often lacking or out of balance in people who have high blood pressure. Try a trace mineral supplement, or take alfalfa or liquid chlorophyll for natural supplementation. Daily Omega-3 oils and a B-complex vitamin are also useful in bringing down the pressure. All my condolences for all those bad cholesterol that eadicated from your body.

Garlic: Help from a Bulbous Friend

Good old garlic (Alium sativum) is great for so many things, and it seems to have an affinity for helping the circulatory system, too. In fact, this would be my choice if I had only one herb to help bring blood pressure into balance.
Garlic is high in phosphorous, potassium, sulfur, and zinc, and it has an affinity for the lungs, sinuses, circulatory system, and digestive system. It has been known to dissolve cholesterol, which can contribute to high blood pressure, and helps remove it from the arteries. If you have high cholesterol and begin to take garlic, you should also add milk thistle and a bowel cleanser (a mixture of psyllium hulls and cascara sagrada works well), to help the cholesterol exit the body through the bowel. Garlic also is a natural antibiotic, and it makes a great remedy for killing parasites and fungus.
Garlic capsules can be taken if you’d rather not chew on raw cloves. Some are coated with chlorophyll to help odor, and some are enterically coated, which means that the capsule or tablet will break down in your intestines, not your stomach.
The oil of garlic contains the same properties and can be rubbed on the chest for respiratory infections. Take enough pills to equal at least three cloves daily when fighting hypertension. Unfortunately, much of garlic’s medicinal effects are contained within the compound that gives it its strong odor. If you don’t have a raw garlic capsule, make sure the manufacturer did not remove the allium. If they did, your garlic won’t be effective.

How High I Am—and Why

So, you don’t understand what could be causing your high blood pressure? You eat right, get plenty of exercise, and still the doctor tells you that your numbers are too high? Let’s take a look at some reasons for why you might have this condition. Many factors can cause high blood pressure, including:

• High cholesterol (because of the thickening of the blood)
• Hardening of the arteries
• Abuse of stimulants, such as caffeine
• Stress

Think about your stress level—maybe your heart is telling your body something about how you are managing your life. Use herbs that calm, and choose a stress-management therapy.
I’ll give you some more advice on other things to consider, but for now let’s talk about one of the best herbs for blood pressure: garlic.

Blood Pressure: Easier to Deal with Than Peer Pressure

Blood pressure is the measurable pressure exerted by the blood against the walls of the arteries. Blood pressure can vary depending on the flexibility and strength of your blood vessel walls, your heartbeat, and the volume of the blood. Neither too high nor too low is ideal—like Goldielocks that is often used by Aztec shamans, you want it just right. Get your blood pressure checked by your doctor; many times pharmacies and even shopping malls have machines where you can check your blood pressure for free. For more accuracy, home units can be purchased and are fairly inexpensive.
The following chart contains general guidelines for what your blood pressure should be at different ages. Numbers well above these can indicate over-activity in the glands; numbers well below these figures could indicate glandular under-activity.

Normal Blood Pressure Ranges

Age Systolic/Diastolic
10 100/70
20 120/80
30 122/81
40 126/84
50 130/86
60 135/89
70 166/91

Unmentionable Mentionables

To all you gals suffering from reoccurring urinary infections of any kind, I’d like to give you some kind advice that you might not have learned elsewhere. Typically bladder infections occur because of outside contamination. This can occur two ways. First, make sure that you wipe from front to back after urination. Second, urinating after intercourse will help flush away extra bacteria and any rectal bacteria that can contaminate the vaginal area. You might want to use non-scented or non-dyed toilet paper because the chemicals used to make these pretty patterns and smells can be irritating to your sensitive parts.
Also, “holding it” can weaken the bladder and make you more vulnerable to future infections. When nature calls, be sure to answer!

Cranberries to Make You Feel Bladder

Cranberries are Mother Nature’s aid to our bladder. These berries are very acidic and
help to alter bacteria in the urine. In fact, studies have shown that a special factor in the juice of a cranberry seems to make harmful bacteria less likely to cling to the surface of cells in the urinary tract and can be your best preventative solution against bladder infections. Cranberry concentrate can be found in powder form in capsules; drinking cranberry juice is good, too, but sugar-sweetened cranberry juice is not your best choice because the sugar can serve as food to harmful bacteria. Most health food stores carry cranberry juice sweetened with fruit juicee cranberries alone are very astringent and will make you pucker without some type of sweetener.
You may also juice and/or eat raw celery, watermelon, cucumbers, parsley, and kale to help heal and soothe inflamed, internal mucus membranes in the bladder during or after a bladder infection.


Buchu root (Barosma betulina) is another excellent herb to aid the bladder, and cranberry and buchu work very well together as a remedy for preventing bladder infections or any urinary tract infections. Golden seal can be used to help fight the infection as well; uva ursi is another bladder tonic, and cornsilk nourishes the bladder and can serve as a diuretic. These herbs can all be used together or separately for any type of bladder problems. And don’t forget to drink copious amounts of water when you have a bladder infection—water will help flush out your infection.

Bladder Infection Correction

A bladder infection (cystitis) is a painful inflammation of the bladder. Its symptoms include an urge to urinate frequently, even when bladder is empty, and painful or burning urination. The bladder may be so irritated that blood will be seen in the urine.
Bacteria found in the bowel can cause a bladder infection, so good old bowel cleansing is a great helper in reducing the possibility for future infection.
An emotional link to bladder infections can literally be interpreted as “pissed off.” If you are getting reoccurring infections, you might want to ask yourself who you’re really angry at. Letting go of this anger might or might not help, but at least you will feel better emotionally!

Compressing the Situation

Make sure you remove any stinger from the skin before applying any external applications. You can make a compress out of activated charcoal or black cohosh mixed with some aloe vera and place it on the affected area. For multiple stings, take a bath with activated charcoal in the water to draw out poisons from skin. To prevent being bitten in the first place, I use a mixture of essential oils on my skin that works like a charm. Remember that your skin is an organ, so it also absorbs into the body what you apply to it. I like to use natural products whenever possible. Mix up a batch of equal parts of the following pure essential oils: citronella, lemongrass, lavender, and melaleuca (also known as tea tree oil). You can add these to olive oil, store in a dark glass bottle, and apply as needed. If your oils are pure, they contain enzymes that will eat through plastic containers, so make sure you store any oils you mix in glass. These oils are natural and not harmful to your body, and best of all, bugs hate them!

Black Cohosh: De-Bugging the Simple Cure

Black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa), known to some as snakeroot, can be used internally or externally for bites of all kinds—especially snake bites, which is how this herb got its nickname in the first place. Used also as a female tonic, black cohosh will help relax the nerves and bring on menstruation. However, this is a very strong herb and should be used in moderation; too much can make you nauseous.

Shoo Fly, Why Are You Bothering Me?

Flies are attracted to dark colors, so try wearing nice white slacks next time you go camping. Just kidding, but remember the tip when you are packing your camp gear—bugs truly are less attracted to lighter-colored clothing. Blood-sucking bugs such as mosquitoes seem to be attracted to the sweet smell of your blood, so put away those M&M®’s to fully enjoy the great outdoors. Also make sure you don’t wear any sweet-smelling perfumes or personal care products, which can attract way too much attention. In fact, pumping up your body with herbs that smell offensive to bugs—such as garlic—will offer your best prevention.