Hope everyone’s having a fun day! Thanks again to all our authors and readers who have made this blog party great. Ok, let’s get back to the conversation.
Ashley, what is your view on homeopathic medicine versus traditional medicine?
Homeopathic medicine is wonderful. We're natural creatures and I think using chemicals to keep us healthy isn't always the best way to go. I'm pretty sure even aspirins - now called NSAIDS - didn't use to be NSAIDS. Didn't aspirin originally come from a tree? I don't spend all my time researching such things. I was raised in a family where everyone knew every single detail about everything and if you didn't, there was something wrong with you. As an adult, I chose differently.
Thanks for sharing. JF, what are your thoughts on the issue?
I have nothing against it if people want to try it and it works. I also don’t count out traditional medicine either. Each has its place.
Chris, what do you think?
I’ve seen no evidence other than anecdotal that homeopathic medicine works. I think a combo of traditional and other non-traditional methods can work.
PJ, what are your thoughts?
I’m a staunch promoter of integrative medicine. Homeopathics and natural remedies are my first choice every time, but if I have bacterial pneumonia, I want an antibiotic. Traditional medicine has come far in just a few hundred years, and new treatments for diseases that once came with a death sentence are being discovered every day. Unfortunately, disease prevention remains lagging. I would love to see more docs taking an integrated approach, but until medical schools expand their curriculum to include more naturopathic skills and models for disease prevention rather than only focusing on treatment, I’m afraid the physicians’ script pad will continue to be their first choice. This of course is thanks to big pharma, a highly dysfunctional insurance industry, and the money makers unwilling to put practicality (and humanity) before profit.
Thanks for sharing. Kimbra, what do you think?
Mom and Dad didn’t really believe in doctors. They always had some sort of poultice or remedy for us to try before they’d ever take us to see someone. We use Echinacea to boost our immune systems. Cranberry juice to cure a bladder infection. And water…to keep hydrated. We never drank those fancy salt or vitamin infused waters. (This is a huge tie-in to my story – the Cats of Cullaby Creek-and the tag line: Love is in the Air- something else is in the water)
I never heard of alfalfa tea helping with allergies. I should try that. I was a voice major in college so the care of your voice has always been a big topic. I had a wonderful voice teacher who really encouraged me to use a neti pot but I thought it was too weird. It wasn't until a few years ago that I started using one regularly and my physician, who I love, is totally supportive of homeopathic alternatives. When there was that scare about someone dropping dead from using it, he said "You don't know anything about how he cared for the pot" and that's so important. You do have to be so careful with it being sterile and that person may not have realized that.
After I heard about that person dying, I got worried, but I make sure that my pot is sterile. I also boil water each time I use it and then let the water cool down before use. Chris, what about you?
I use a neti pot, but it’s just saline so I don’t consider that homeopathic. The neti pot helps keep sinus infections at bay.
PJ, what about you?
I LOVE my neti pot! More than once, I’ve refused to take antibiotics for sinus infections—opting instead to treat it naturopathically. Sinus infections, ear infections, and sore throats don’t usually require antibiotics. In fact, antibiotics are ineffective on viral infections and inflammatory conditions, and generally make them worse by lowering the persons own immune response and killing off healthy bacteria in the gut—our first line of defense for fighting off illness. Whenever I have anything upper respiratory, I start by upping my vitamin C intake, adding a ten day regimen of Echinacea, and using my neti pot daily. I drink herbal teas to clear out congestion (a strong brew of raspberry, ginger, lemon, and honey works great), and I add some eucalyptus to my humidifier’s diffuser at night. It might take a week to ten days to clear up a nasty sinus infection, but I WON’T be going through three or four rounds of increasingly stronger antibiotics and months of restoring my digestive flora before all is said and done.
Kimbra, we’d love to hear from you?
My Dad drank garlic tea. I never could quite stomach that but we had a lot of homemade cures. Mom would mix a tablespoon of brandy with a teaspoon of honey and a tablespoon of lemon juice for cough syrup. She would also use alfalfa tablets to calm a sick stomach. There were a thousand things she taught me when I never even realized she was teaching.
I write medievals so they lived a healthier life style. They didn't have processed food. I like to learn about different herbs and how they were used for different ailments. They're not just for cooking. There was a lot of trading going on during the time period I write in, so I like to include exotic things. I have a scene with honey drenched figs which were really popular because they didn't eat sweets the way we do.
Sounds very interesting, thanks for sharing. JF, have you ever written about any characters who have adopted the healthy living lifestyle?
I have characters who walk all ways of life. Some are into the healthy living lifestyle 100%, some are all about all things in moderation.
Chris, what about you? Any characters adopt the healthy living lifestyle or have a favorite healthy snack?
I’ve never had a character embrace it full bore. I’ve had characters do yoga or run or be vegetarians. Not really. Though they are all good eaters.
PJ, what about you?
I think all of my novels have some element of healing and health included. In my first young adult novel, HEAVEN is for HEROES, my main character, 17 year old Jordie Dunn, has spent most of her growing up years at a local gym—her grandfather’s attempt to keep her from following in her brother’s footsteps and getting into trouble. When her brother’s best friend, Alex, comes back from Iraq wounded and blaming himself for her brother’s death, she uses yoga, meditation, aquatic therapy and her bad-ass attitude to help him in his recovery. How could he not fall in love with her?
In SAVAGE CINDERELLA, 18 year old Brinn Hathaway survives in the North Georgia High Country after having been kidnapped as a child and left for dead. She’s been brainwashed to believe that her parents are dead, the police are her enemy, and that no one wants her. With help from a few interesting friends she meets along the way and the treasured books she keeps in her mountain cabin, she learns to live off the land and care for herself using herbal and natural healing methods. When a young nature photographer finds her and convinces her to come back to the world, Brinn struggles to fit in, but the lessons she learned on the mountain get her through even the most dire and dangerous situations. I’m planning a series of novellas based on this character.
Learning from her best friend and wilderness companion, Kitty (a four hundred pound black bear), Brinn loves fish and berries, and depends on them as her staple food sources. Fish is the perfect source for lean proteins and omega-3 fatty acids, and berries are one of nature’s superfoods, loaded with antioxidants and nutrients. Smart bear…smart girl!
Thanks for sharing. Kimbra, what about you?
The main characters in my book both love to run. I guess they got that from me ;D Hum…they are teenagers who like pie…that’s at least got fruit in it…does that count?
As I mentioned, I'm weeding out processed foods. My husband, however, doesn't care about any of that so my work is cut out for me. He's not very particular and likes most anything so he'll eventually either break me down or make the switch. Trying to get him to stop drinking Pepsi or Coke? Not going to happen! He has even seen the experiment where it corrodes the acids in your stomach and he "knows" there's a cup of sugar in a 16 ounce can. I won't complain though when he only drinks it once in awhile although I just learned he has a soda machine at work...
I used to drink two cans a day when I was in college and relied heavily on vending machines to get me through the long days. Now, my husband and I try to live healthier. I’ve given up soda; except for the once in a while time at a party or restaurant. I started drinking mineral water to help me transition from soda to drinking water. JF, what about you?
I want to learn MORE recipes, break out my crock pot (finally), and add more exercises into my routine.
Chris, do you have any resolutions for healthier living?
Just to add weights and cut back on alcohol.
PJ, what about you?
I’m a goal setter rather than a resolution maker. As soon as I tell myself that I “have to” do something, I don’t want to do it, LOL. Goals are more fluid and adjustable. I’d like to carry over what I’ve already begun in 2015, which is to maintain a more balanced work/life schedule. Writing is an all-consuming job. As a published author, responsibilities include marketing, promotion, social media management, and yes, writing the next book. The to-do lists are endless and there is always one more thing I should be doing that I’m not. The pressure to work ungodly hours is a constant. Since I also work a day job, it’s easy to get sucked into working as many as sixty to eighty hours a week if I don’t set limits for myself. Keeping to a schedule, managing my to-do lists, and organizing my priorities is the only way to stay sane. Also, spending time with my granddaughter makes me happy, so whatever else is happening, my one day a week with her is sacred—as is my exercise regimen. Whatever is sacred to you, don’t sacrifice it for anything. Here’s to more sanity and more sacred moments in 2016!
Sounds great. Thanks for sharing. Kimbra, what about you?
I ran my first marathon at 50…I still am working toward my first triathlon. I’m hoping to make progress this year. Remember my motto…everything in moderation.
Love that motto! Thanks so much ladies for participating today. I LOVED chatting with all of you.
Hope you all can stay for a bit to chat with our authors. Don’t forget to comment below, so you'll be entered into the drawings. Winners will be chosen later on tonight and contacted via email. Have a great weekend and if you’re in the pathway of the East Coast storm this weekend, be safe and stay warm!