Wisdom of Healing

Here is a list of several of my most favorite health and cookbooks. Most of them accurately reflect my views and what you’ve read in other posts here on my site. However, some of the cookbooks, while containing lots of great recipes, also contain an occasional ingredient that I wouldn’t necessarily use or suggest for optimal health, such as soy milk. (Please read: The Great Soy Debate if you haven’t already.) A simple substitution of almond milk, or the like, will work in these cases.

General Health and Wellness

Nourishing Traditions Fallon (adv), (also a cookbook)
Healing With Whole Foods Pitchford (adv)
Food and Healing Colbin
The Life Bridge Sarnat, Schulick & Newmark
Anatomy of an Illness Cousins
Beyond Aspirin Newmark & Schulick
Lick the Sugar Habit Appleton
Your Body Knows Best Gittleman
French Women Don’t Get Fat Guiliano
The Web That Has No Weaver Kaptchuk (adv)
Your Body’s Many Cries for Water Batmanghelidj

Specialized Health and Wellness

Renew Your Life Watson
Gut Solutions: Natural Solutions To Your Digestive Problems Watson, Smith, Holt & Stockton
Foundations of Health Hobbs
Nourishing Wisdom David
Fats That Heal, Fats That Kill Erasmus (adv)
Probiotics: Nature’s Internal Healers Trenev
The Body Ecology Diet Gates (also a cookbook)
Food and Our Bones Colbin
Healthy Bones Appleton
The Cure for All Diseases Clark
The Cure for All Cancers Clark
Stopping Inflammation Appleton

Herbals

New Holistic Herbal Hoffman
Medical Herbalism Hoffman (adv)
The Book of Herbal Wisdom Wood (adv)
Sacred Plant Medicine Buhner
Indian Herbology of North America Hutchens (adv)
Family Herbal Gladstar
Herbal Antibiotics Buhner
Nature’s Children Levy
Herbal Healing for Women Gladstar
New Menopausal Years, The Wise Woman Way Weed
A Woman’s Book of Herbs Soule
Sastun Arvigo
Growing Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms Stamets (adv)
Medicinal Mushrooms Hobbs
MycoMedicinals Stamets (adv)
Tibetan Ayurveda Sachs (adv)
Flower Remedy Book Shapiro
Flower Essence Repertory Kaminski
The Rhodiola Revolution Brown, Gerbarg, Graham
Dandelion Medicine Mars

Cookbooks

The Book of Whole Meals Colbin
Wild Fermentation Katz
Meals That Heal Turner
The Healthy Kitchen Weil & Daley
Fields of Greens Somerville
Greens Glorious Greens Albi & Walthers
Not Milk, Nut Milks! Cole
Natural Gourmet Colbin
Book of Miso Shurtleff (now out of print)
Sea Vegetable Celebration Erhart & Cerier
Lewallen & Lewallen
Recipes from an Ecological Kitchen Sass
Roots Mayes & Gottfried
Low-Carb Cooking With Stevia Kirkland
365 Ways to Cook Vegetarian Morse
Whole Meals Weber
Amazing Grains Saltzman
Asian Vegetables Brown
The Sacred Kitchen Robertson & Robertson
The Crockery Cook Hoffman
The Schwarzbein Principle Cookbook Schwarzbein
Ayurvedic Cooking for Self Healing Lad & Lad
The Self Healing Cookbook Turner
All Moosewood Cookbooks Katzen
The Sprouting Book Wigmore
Almost Vegetarian Shaw
The Joy of Pickling Ziedrich
Hot Vegetables Carpenter
The Kripalu Cookbook Levitt
New Laurel’s Kitchen Robertson
The Nutritional Yeast Cookbook Stepaniak
Recipes from the Moon Beardsworth
Peaceful Palate Raymond
Stonyfield Farm Yogurt Cookbook Hirshberg
The Tempeh Cookbook Bates
Curries Without Worries Koul
Round-The-World Cooking at the Natural Gourmet Stark
Herbal Soups Bass
Olives Table English, Sampson, Tremblay
The Wild Food Gourmet Gardon
New Vegetarian Baby Yntema
Vegetarian Children Yntema

Uplifting

The Man Who Planted Trees Giono
The Alchemist Coelho
Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff Carlson
Peace Is Every Step Hahn (and all his other books, too)
The Good Heart H.H. the Dalai Lama (and all his other books, too)
The Bioneers Ausubel

Children

The Dandelion Seed Anthony
Dear Children Of The Earth Schimmel
All I See Is Part of Me Curtis
Fun Is a Feeling Curtis
A Kid’s Herb Book Tierra

Political Regarding Health, Herbs & Foods

Fast Food Nation Schlosser
Food Politics Nestle
Food Fight: The Inside Story of the Food Industry Brownell
Mad Cowboy Lyman
Our Stolen Future: How We Are Threatening Our Fertility, Intelligence and Survival Colburn
Against the Grain: Biotechnology and the Corporate Takeover of Your Food Lappe/Bailey

Several years ago, an elder gentleman named Martin called me for an appointment for a Wellness Consultation. He told me over the phone that he was 74 years old and had had a sinus infection for more than twelve years without any significant relief. It developed shortly after minor surgery and he had not had three days in a row when he was free of sinus pain and constant post nasal drip during those twelve years. He said that he had been to all of the top ear, nose and throat specialists in the country and had tried everything that they could recommend. He sounded exasperated as he told me about how the prescription drugs and over-the-counter medications either didn’t work or nearly killed him, and that he didn’t know what else to do.

“My friend, Shelley, suggested I call you. She said you helped her and her daughter learn how to stop getting chronic sinus infections, and you could probably help me, too,” he exclaimed. And then, in a timid voice, he asked me if he had to believe in these herbs and natural things, ‘cause he didn’t really think he did. I told him that I thought they would probably be able to help him, even if he didn’t believe in them yet. After all, he was willing to meet with me and purchase the herbs at our local co-op, so it seemed he did have a bit of faith.

“No,” he said. “I really don’t. I’m only doing this because Shelley won’t stop talking about you and how much better she feels. I just want to be able to talk about other things, and she doesn’t want to see me suffering all the time. I’m just doing it for her.”

We met that afternoon, and at the end of our session, he told me that he was only willing to take one thing; one product. This was a challenge, since I have found that herbal and nutritional programs seem to help more than the ‘one thing at a time’ method. But I understood that so many folks have had bad experiences with medications and such in the past, and need to feel comfortable with their herbal plan. I suggested that, in my opinion, the best products, if only one was going to be chosen, would probably be one the following:

Sambu Elderberry Concentrate (or Sambu Guard) by Flora
Elder Flower Glycerite by Avena Botanicals, and
Nasal Support by Eclectic Institute.

He decided to purchase the Sambu. We talked about the simplicity of the formula and the special qualities of the three ingredients; Elder flower, Elderberry and honey. Elder flower tincture or syrup helps to calm and restore the nervous system. It is a powerful herb for helping to settle the sinuses when they feel inflamed and over-reactive. It’s very high in bioflavonoids, including quercetin, helping to alkalize the sinus region.

Elderberry is an ancient remedy for cold and flu, and the latest research shows those vibrant purple berries that the birds love so much to be a powerful tool against viruses and for optimizing the entire immune system.

Honey has been used since the earliest recordings as a remedy for numerous ailments. Folk medicine has hailed honey a cure-all for centuries. Soothing and nurturing, Flora uses only the highest quality honey and the finest herbal ingredients in all of their superb products.

“In your grandmother’s time,” I said, “they would have offered someone with a chronic sinus problem just a teaspoon or so of their homemade Elderberry and flower syrup every time the pain and discomfort began to return.” And then I was sure to tell him that I couldn’t actually suggest that he do this and disregard the instructions required to be printed on the label. “It is not legal for me to do,” I explained.

Three days later, I got a call from Martin. He called to say that he was
“… guardedly optimistic about his sinuses.” He told me that this was the first time he had had three consecutive days where he was not in nearly constant discomfort. He had just visited the co-op for his second bottle of Sambu.

I heard from this sweet elder gentleman three more times. About seven and a half months after his first (and only) Wellness Consultation, Martin called me to say that he was finally a true believer in the herbs and in holistic healing! He hadn’t had a ‘bad day’ in those seven months! He told me that he once visited the co-op for his Sambu and they were out of it. He panicked! The girl there had told him that they couldn’t get it for him for at least a week. He said he drove almost an hour away to buy a bottle so he wouldn’t run out, and that from that day on, he would be buying them three at a time!

I asked Martin if he was ready to take the next step in helping his body to restore its overall health, integrity and harmony. His response surprised me. He told me that he loved taking the delicious Sambu Elderberry Concentrate every morning and evening. He said he had come to rely on it as his ‘vitality tonic’, reporting that the feeling he got from it was similar to when his Mom and Dad took Geritol [for the younger generation: this was an over-the-counter supplement advertised on early television for the relief of ‘iron poor blood’] when they were in their latter years! He said that “… if it’s not broken, why call the repairman. I don’t know how long I have on this Earth; years I hope! I think I’ll just stick with the Sambu.” He paused. “And if anything else ever breaks down in this old body, I think I’ll call you first!” We both chuckled.

It seems so much easier to keep oneself healthy and fit in the summertime than it is once winter sets in. During the warm summer months, we tend to be more active, eat more fresh foods and be exposed to more fresh, outdoor air.

The stifling heat of summer is another story. We know that we should take it easy when it’s hot and humid, and that we should be very diligent about drinking enough water, although not enough of us do. I hope you’re doing what you can to experience a balanced body, mind and spirit, wherever you may be.

Let’s go on to the wonderful blog posts and articles included in this week’s Carnival of Healing.

We begin this edition with Raymond David Salas’ fine article about a truly potent and safe way to help alkalize the body. The Benefits of Celtic Sea Salt is posted at ZenChill Power Tools Blog. Here’s another simple way to take in electrolytes and trace minerals to help keep the body’s fluids in balance during extreme heat.

A brilliant collection of valuable resources may be found in Kevin Bedell’s A simple step you can take: Eat more locally grown food posted at 21st Century Citizen. This is truly a key piece of the solution to better health for ourselves, our families, communities and our beautiful planet.

Do you work at a desk? Are you wanting to take off a few nagging pounds around the middle or from your thighs? Has Dianne M. Buxton got the answer for you! Healthy Office Space Workoutsis one of the most brilliant and practical ideas to come down the path in a long while! Find it posted at manifestingsuccess and enjoy!

Craig Harper is simply delicious! Reading any of his posts is as good as a hot fudge sundae made from organic ice cream! Life Beyond the Physical… Exploring the Oogabooga (part one) will likely tickle you in places you forgot were there. Find this and so much more at Motivational Speaker - Craig Harper.

Mary Kearns suggests we Park It the next time we have a free afternoon or want to get away for the weekend. After all, the US is a vacation deprived nation, and our national parks are an amazing resource and they make the perfect setting for nurturing our minds, bodies and spirits. Check out Becoming Your StellarSelf.

My entry, found here at Wisdom of Healing, is a recipe for daily detoxification and yummy, easily utilized nutritional foods blended into a smoothie. Energy Drinks, Delicious and Green! gives you dozens of healthy options to combine to your taste or needs. I hope you enjoy these as much as many of my students have.
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I have been making a green, high protein energy drink for breakfast most mornings for more than thirty years. A powerful detoxifier, the green drink that I enjoy is loaded with hundreds, maybe even millions, of important nutrients to support every organ, every system and every cell in my body.

Dozens of people have told me that I make the best green smoothies they’ve ever tasted. The recipe has been tweaked over the years, but they continue to win the taste buds of even the more skeptical people who dare to take that first small sip.

First, I make homemade almond milk. Actually, I make a combination Sunflower seed/Pumpkin seed/Almond and Brazil nut milk (recipe below). I make up two or three days’ worth of nut milk at a time. (It’s also great on cereal.)

I mix up my powders in a large canister in advance, since I can be a bit clumsy in the morning (fewer things to locate or knock over this way).

My current recipe is as follows:

1 ½ Cups Homemade Nut/ Seed Milk
1 TBSP Tohum Sesame Tahini (or organic almond butter)
¼ Cup Organic Whole Milk Plain Yogurt
1-2 tsp Ginger Wonder Syrup by New Chapter
1 tsp Mulberry Syrup by Tohum
1-2 TBSP Hemp Oil by Nutiva
3-4 TBSP Green Powder Mix (recipe below)

Blend on high for 30 to 60 seconds.

Green Powder Mix
Mix equal parts of the following:

Spirulina by Pure Planet
Berry Green by New Chapter
Sweet Whey Powder by Bernard Jensen
Fiber Smart (Triple Fiber or Organic Bowel Cleanse) by Renew Life
Hemp Protein by Nutiva or Rice Protein by Nutribiotics
Nutritional Yeast

To this, I currently add ½ part of the following herbs:
Red Clover
Nettles, organic, of course.

And I add ¼ part:
Nori or kelp flakes (sea vegetable)

Homemade Nut Milk or Seed Milk

(This recipe is for Sunflower Seed Milk, but any truly raw nut or seed may be substituted.)
Note: In the US, ‘raw cashews’ are not really raw, and very soon, ‘raw almonds’ will not be raw, either.

2 Heaping TBSP raw organic sprouted sunflower seeds (see below)
1 quart filtered water
1 TBSP hemp seed oil (or sunflower oil)
1-2 TBSP organic sweetener, (if desired)

To sprout the seeds:
Soak the seeds in a glass jar ½ filled with water overnight.
Discard the soaking water; rinse the seeds, strain and place in a blender.

To blend the nut milk:
Add ½ cup of the filtered water.
Blend on high for 30 to 60 seconds.
Add the balance of the quart of water, oil and sweetener, (if desired).
Blend on high for one minute more.
Enjoy!

Note: If you choose to use Brazil Nuts, they are ideally soaked for a full 48 hours! (Change the soaking water once after 24 hours, when possible.)

Below, you will find other possibilities. Honestly, there are hundreds or even thousands of other products to choose from, but we should always remember that quality is the most important factor when selecting a nutritional product.
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Hello All,

The Carnival of Healing is a collection of articles and thoughts found on blogs and websites from around the globe on topics of holistic health, wellness, spirituality, and self empowerment. It is once again being hosted here at Wisdom of Healing. I wish you well and hope that you enjoy the journey. Here we go…

Aaaaaaah, water; from which all life comes forth. Golbguru gives us 10 Health Reasons Why You Should Drink More Water. You will find this post at the amazing site The Tao of Good Health. I think I’ll go drink a sparkling, delicious glass of water right now!

Kendra suggests that Insurance Coverage for Doula Services is an idea whose time is now! And we are the change, through our conversations and action. Check out more at vbacadventure.com.

Speaking from a very personal place, Raymond David Salas explores the freedom to be found in The Power of Letting Go. You will find it at ZenChill.com Power Tools Blog. Continue Reading »

Hello All,

For the first time, I will be hosting the “Healthy and Fit Family” carnival this month, and it is full of interesting, and sometimes tasty, little gems for those of us who choose to make a vibrant contribution to the next generation’s well-being. Enjoy!
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I’m often asked about how I ‘discovered’ herbalism and got interested in learning more. There are many layers of answers to this question. I had many wonderful elders in my early life to teach me of the wonders of nature. It wasn’t until these last few years that I realized that they were also giving me my earliest introduction to the magic, power and beauty of the healing herbs.

I guess my very earliest introduction was when I was very young, maybe when I was five or six years old. Our elder neighbor, Mr. Vachon, a master gardener taught my Dad, siblings and me about the importance of organic gardening, far before its emerging popularity.

As a retired widower, Mr. Vachon spent much of his time outdoors and in his small greenhouse growing flowers and vegetables. He was the first one to tell me that we could eat some of the weeds Continue Reading »

Years ago, mosquitoes were just annoying little creatures that left itchy red bumps all over our exposed skin after we played outside. Now they’re more like scary, disease carrying little monsters. In recent years, our fear driven society has become obsessed with spraying numerous chemicals around our homes, parks, neighborhoods and on our bodies in an attempt to protect ourselves, our children, pets and horses from these frightening little pests.

Have you continued to use DEET-based (N, N-diethyl m-toluamide) insect repellents because you thought that it was the only thing that can really prevent mosquito and black fly bites? The good news is that it looks like we may finally have other serious options.
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The Carnival of Healing is a weekly collection of brief reviews of articles sent from throughout the blogging world to help us to learn about how we may create the health and life we each desire.
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We’ve been told to count sheep since we were toddlers. We’ve bought the latest mattress, guaranteed to increase sleep quality. And now we’re learning that the sleep medications once touted as safer and less addictive may actually cause us to sleep-drive (like sleepwalking, but behind the wheel) and other potentially serious side effects. But most of us are still not getting our rest. We’re exhausted.

One commercial tells us that most adult Americans report experiencing trouble with sleep at least a few nights each week. But there is good news. There are safe and effective herbs, remedies and lifestyle practices that can help most of us. And there are a number of things that you can do during your day to reduce stress so that a good night’s sleep is more likely to come your way. Please read Seven Steps to A Worry Free Day for tips that you may do during the daytime to assist restful sleep at night.
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Hi All,

You may have heard about the empty hive syndrome, now officially named ‘colony colapse disorder’, that’s caused a crisis in the fruit/ flower/ vegetable farming world. Here is a way we can all play a vital roll in helping the situation.

An Appreciation of Honeybees!
A Call to Action

I am putting forth the call to join our hearts together on this Wednesday, May 2, 2007 to send a message of Appreciation of Honeybees!
All over the world Honeybees are disappearing. Hives are empty, not even a dead bee to be found. Invader species refuse to take up residence in the old hives. No one seems to know why the bees are disappearing. [This is no longer true. It is now believed to be linked to cell phone use.] What we do know is that 60% - 70% of all honeybee colonies are vacant. We realize that without honeybees the crops of fruits, nuts, corn etc do not become sufficiently pollinated to allow them to bear fruit. Read more, please: Linda Moulton Howe’s EARTHFILES.

In the past I have called for such action when Sedona was experiencing an unbroken drought. People from all over the world joined together in giving Appreciation for Precipitation. As the Weather Spirits received this outpouring of love and gratitude they responded with a giving forth of rain! Rain poured down from a sky that had an hour before been bone dry! And it rained for two weeks, giving us the needed drenching and respite from devastation.

It is now time to hold the honeybees in appreciation, to allow our pouring forth of gratitude to revivify and embrace back into the fold of life and sustainability our dear companions upon this planet: Honeybees!

Appreciation of Honeybees!
Wednesday, May 2, 2007

In whatever manner you are personally able, move your awareness into that of appreciation. Perhaps meditate upon someone for whom you have appreciation and gratitude or an event that stimulates a sense of deep gratitude. When this is a felt-sense, a palpable experience within your body, disengage the object of your appreciation (the person or event) so that you remain in a non-attached state of appreciation. Draw into this state the image of honeybees. Now bring in an association of how they sound, their buzzing about, their beauty and grace, the wonders of honey as a food and as a wonderful sweetener of life! Feel that joy rushing through your body as you contemplate the honeybee. Hold your awareness of Honeybees in this state of appreciation. Do so for as long as is ‘right’ for you. When you are ready to stop, forcefully blow your breath into the image of the honeybee. This breath of life, sent in appreciation carries with it all your desire for blessing and positive life empowerment to be carried forth to the honeybee species.

This is all that is asked, all that is required. No dogma nor doctrine is involved. No dieties or angels need be called upon (you certainly may if you choose). Keep it simple! No money is being collected, No organizations derive financial benefit from participating in this. This is solely about the honeybees, and our appreciation of them.

Yes! Please Forward this along to all you know!
Thank You!
Jade Wah’oo Grigori
www.shamanic.net

Albert Einstein once said that if we lost the Honeybees, life on Earth would perish in about four short years. It is truly time to take action.

There are several prescription and over-the-counter products on the market for dry eyes. The fact of the matter is that if we take care of our eyes, they won’t dry out and we will likely not need to risk the side effects of chemical medications. Try any of these simple solutions.
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We’ve all heard that heart attacks and stroke are the leading cause of death in America. We tend to talk a lot about our health here in the US; eating well, getting enough exercise and healthcare, but we aren’t a very healthy bunch, all in all. This is reflected in the fact that we spend twice as much on healthcare (which should literally be called illnesscare) as other countries, but we fall to 24th in the World Health Organization’s ‘Healthy Life Expectancy’ list. This list incorporates our quality of health while we’re alive, rather than strictly the age at death. Living to an old age when your body and/or faculties have failed may certainly be less advantageous than a gentle passing free of pain and indignity.

More than 600,000 people experience a stroke in the US every year. A stroke, when the blood to the brain is interrupted, can cause a wide variety of symptoms with mild to debilitating side effects for survivors. Mild symptoms after a stroke might include numbness, muscle weakness, either a partial or totally altered sense of smell, taste, hearing, or vision, drooping of the eyelid or weakness of the eye muscles. Serious symptoms can involve the ability to speak, understand language or walk; frequent confusion, poor memory recollection and equilibrium problems.

Rehabilitation can take months or years, and a full recovery may never be complete. Physical therapy, occupational therapy or speech and language therapy may be necessary for the individual’s recuperation process. Since nearly half of post stroke patients are believed to experience depression, antidepressant medications are often indicated. The road to wellness can be a long and arduous road for the patient and their family members. But, with a little help from nature, we may be able to speed recovery and feel better sooner.

Eating fish high in the omega 3 fatty acids is believed to help prevent heart disease and stroke. It may also be helpful for recovery after a stroke, as well, but the focus of most of the research has been on the reducing risk of stroke. There are a significant number of studies supporting the use of fish oils for cardiovascular health. Researchers at Northwestern University have reported that omega-3 fatty acids may help to prevent stroke by lowering blood pressure and LDL cholesterol.

There are several excellent herbs and supplements that are believed to support an acceleration of the healing process after a mild or even a serious stroke. Continue Reading »

Mental illness is prevalent in virtually every community in the US, and is believed to affect most families. It seems obvious that mental illness at its very worst was behind Monday’s horrible shooting at Virginia Tech. But many of us have loved ones dear to our hearts with chronic, long- or short-term issues, whether or not they’ve been diagnosed with a form of mental illness. For many families, one or more of those forms of depression, anxiety and schizophrenia affect the majority of members.

A television commercial for one of the newer depression medications states that 70% of people in the US taking prescription meds for depression report that they still experience significant depression symptoms. These numbers don’t really bode so well for the multi-billion dollar pharmaceutical industry.

There is sufficient evidence that eating fish frequently, two or three times a week, and consuming the right balance of omega fats gives us a much greater chance of preventing many types of mental illness and improving depressive and manic states. Researchers have found that Continue Reading »

When my younger daughter, Mollie, was small, we fondly referred to her as the rash queen. Gratefully, she never seemed to mind these endearing names that came to her. She got a total of 14 different kinds of rashes, some of them two or three times. Her strep throat turned to scarlet fever twice.

She got chickenpox twice, too. The first time, she was under a year and a half, so she didn’t build up resistance and got them again a few years later; high fever and more than 700 itchy welts across her body. We counted them to take her mind off the itchiness for awhile.

Mollie had various tactile allergic reactions, sometimes to things that she ate or came in contact with, she got hand-foot and mouth disease, and reacted to two or three different antibiotics and another medication that I was dubious at best about giving her in the first place.

Each different rash had its own characteristics, often a slight fever accompanied them and some had other side symptoms. They all seemed to me to relate to her liver health. Continue Reading »

I love springtime. Not everyone does, though. With the arrival of spring comes the sniffling, sneezing, watery eyes and itching of allergies. These and other spring allergy symptoms come from the overreaction of the immune system to tree pollen drifting through the air. Some of the most difficult and aggressive allergy symptoms seem to accompany tree pollen in the springtime. Even here in New England, folks are already saying that their tree pollen allergies are shifting into high gear. The pollen counts in the southeast have been through the roof, and the people with tree allergies there are really suffering the consequences.

There is real help for allergies found throughout the globe and brought to us by Mother Nature to aid with these numerous discomforts. Mother Nature’s remedies often help us even when medications have been of little use. Some of these herbs and supplements support temporary relief; while others can actually help the body begin to reverse the overreaction to common substances, such as the pollen falling from trees.

Ads throughout the media lure allergy sufferers, desperate to find a solution to their discomforts, by promising bright, happy, colorful days filled with flowers, trees, pets and blissful contentment. Several over-the-counter medications, however, when taken for as little as two or three days, can cause a rebound effect; meaning that they actually worsen the original symptoms that a person took the medication for. Unwitting allergy sufferers take more medication, symptoms get worse, more medicine; with no end in sight.
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