Who hasn't wanted to kick a bad habit that's undermining our health? Breaking free from an addiction to cigarettes, alcohol, cannabis or even coffee. Change your diet to lose weight, reduce cholesterol or blood sugar levels. Follow a new lifestyle simply to improve your quality of life.
Do it yourself.
Knowing what I was doing, I was able to free myself from certain addictions, my secret was, of course, medicinal plants. It took a lot of willpower and determination, and I also adopted a healthier lifestyle. Unfortunately, all too often we wait until we have health problems, or a state of deep distress that pushes us to question ourselves. That's when we start looking inside ourselves for what's wrong, and see what solutions are available to us.
You have everything you need to succeed.
For many people, a therapist or self-help organization is necessary. This can help them on their way to achieving their goals. However, the person who does most of the work is, of course, the subject.
Stop being a victim.
We are often the victims of influences from our environment, for example; the vast majority of smokers have had parents or family members who smoked. They may have had friends who influenced their habits, or simply wanted to be like everyone else.
Quit smoking with plants
Did you know that there are plants that can help people with nicotine withdrawal? Stevia is highly effective in countering cravings. A study in Germany showed that this plant could facilitate nicotine withdrawal. St John's Wort is also used to treat mild to moderate nervous breakdowns. This plant is highly reputed for combating anxiety, anguish and nervousness. It is also effective in controlling mood swings and excessive anger.
Increase your motivation.
St. John's Wort is also known to stimulate the production of serotonin and dopamine. These hormones are secreted by the brain and have a positive influence on motivation and mood. For those who have already quit smoking, or who have tried it, they know very well that mood swings and the stress associated with nicotine abstinence are the causes that lead people to relapse. Learn to manage your anxiety. Hanging a herbal tea to relax and soothe this anxiety could be beneficial during the first few weeks. Other herbs such as verbena, valerian and black cohosh are also recommended in herbal medicine for quitting smoking.
Alcohol dependence.
For an alcoholic, giving up drinking is a huge challenge, especially if the hereditary factor runs in the family. There is no specific gene for alcohol dependence, but research suggests that it is influenced by several genes, including those responsible for coding the enzymes that eliminate alcohol from the body. No single gene has been identified as being responsible for alcohol dependence, but researchers have identified a number as being involved. The ADH1B gene, for example, is involved in the manufacture of an enzyme in the liver responsible for metabolizing alcohol. The DRD2 gene, meanwhile, is linked to dopamine (a brain neurotransmitter), which influences vulnerability to addiction.
Understand to free yourself.
Variations in these genes modify our reaction to alcohol. It is therefore the complex interaction of several genes that increases the risk of dependence. To get rid of this kind of addiction, we need to take a hard look at ourselves, and understand why we try to escape and run away from our emotions. Once we've taken this step, we need to find out what means are available to us in the face of this addiction, and take steps to free ourselves from it.
Creating new habits
A good way of overcoming a bad habit is to create a new one to replace it, preferably of course with a healthier one. For myself, I've created a routine, a kind of ritual. For every bad habit I've given up, I've replaced it with an artichoke infusion, a tea or a healthy snack.
Plants against diabetes.
For people suffering from diabetes, there are plants that are excellent for lowering blood sugar levels. A good health-boosting habit would be to brew fenugreek or ginseng root, to replace the overly sweet snacks consumed during the day. Studies have shown that these plants have a positive effect on blood sugar levels. Cinnamon improves fasting blood sugar levels, and after meals it increases insulin sensitivity, and may protect the kidneys from diabetic vascular damage. Ceylon cinnamon is taken in ½ teaspoon of powder, divided into 2 to 3 daily doses. Turmeric and ginger are also great allies in controlling diabetes.
Cholesterol and plants
Cholesterol is essential to our system, but we need to know how to control it to avoid hypercholesterolemia. There are many plants with positive effects on cholesterol. Milk thistle is one of the first choice, promoting the elimination of fats and lipids, helping us to maintain a healthy metabolism. Another type of herbal tea has equally beneficial effects on our body. In infusion, orange and lemon peel contain excellent flavonoids that fight cholesterol, and are also an excellent source of vitamin C, which boosts the immune system. The blend of green tea and lemon peel is perfect for people who want to lose weight.
Stress management
Stress is one of the other causes of heart disease, depression and much unexplained chronic pain. Managing stressManaging stress is a daily task, and the first step is to identify the causes, the events and even the people around us who are often the source of our stress.
Setting limits
We need to set limits with certain people, and reorganize our lives to avoid situations that impose too much stress on us. Too much stress and anxiety can lead to high blood pressure, chest pains, headaches and many other symptoms .Linden, chamomile, lemon balm and lavender are renowned for soothing the nervous system.
Reduce hypertension
Modern life puts a lot of stress and social pressure on us, which affects our ability to stay calm inside. There are some wonderful plants in nature to help relieve high blood pressure, and hawthorn is one that has instant effects. This plant is capable of regulating the heartbeat. Hawthorn can also dilate the coronary arteries at the same time,improving heart function by regulating pressure. Hawthorn is also used to treat anxiety, tachycardia and to reduce bad cholesterol. Passionflower, yarrow and valerian are others with positive effects on the treatment of high blood pressure.
Nature takes care of us.
Before the era of Big Pharma, medicine used plants to treat patients. For generations in cultures around the world, the use of medicinal plants has been the essence of therapies and treatments to relieve patients of many symptoms and cure certain illnesses. Phytotherapy, herbalism and naturopathy are still very much alive and well in today's modern world, where medicine has come a long way. Medicine can now do great things, and there are some things we couldn't even imagine fifty years ago.
Health, a gift from heaven.
There's still plenty of room for alternative medicine for people who want a more natural approach, where prevention and a healthy lifestyle are the key elements of good health. Taking care of one's health is a duty; health is not available to everyone. Unfortunately, many people are born with health problems, genetic diseases or have developed incurable illnesses.
We're lucky enough to have been given this gift, and we need to preserve it. The same goes for nature, which graciously offers us its virtues.
On that note, I wish you all good health.
Hugo Leboeuf