Christy Soto-Johnson, NMD

Generally speaking, if you find an herbal supplement or remedy that is formulated specifically for kids, it is safe for most kids and will provide dosing instructions by age range. The exceptions to look for:

#1) Infants & Honey. Kids under 1 year old should avoid any medicine with honey in it as there is a small but still present risk of botulinum poisoning that can be harmful to infants (this bacteria can be found in small traces in some honey). Other sweeteners (agave syrup, simple syrup, etc.) are safe for infants, so make sure the bottle says it’s infant safe before using on a child under 1 year old, and read the ingredients label!

#2) Ragweed allergies. If your child is known to have allergies to ragweed pollen (a specific seasonal allergen), then s/he may be sensitive to chamomile, echinacea and other foods/plants that are ragweed relatives. In this case, avoid the above herbs or consult with a local herbalist who can formulate an herbal blend free of this group of herbs!

#3) If it’s an herbal formula for adults, then you should consult an herbalist, Ayurvedic practitioner or naturopath to determine safe dosing and suitability for children.

Hi!

Thanks for your question. While each state in the US has different laws and regulations on what aspects of their training a Naturopathic Doctor is permitted to do, I suggest checking out my webpage on what modalities (tools and therapies) we’re trained in as well as our medical philosophy. You’ll see that we don’t go to “heavy and potentially dangerous prescriptions” you’re concerned about as a first approach like conventional medicine does, but rather as a last resort.

***Please note, if the practitioner has an ND or NMD title after their name, they are trained as I describe in my site. If they do “naturopathy” or are labeled as a naturopath, but don’t have the doctor/ND/NMD title, they may be a practitioner of herbs, homeopathics, etc., but do not have the extensive natural medicine training or medical school background that a naturopathic doctor has.

http://guidingelementsmc.com/what-is-naturopathic-medicine/

I’m sorry to hear of your troubles but you are not alone! This is a common problem for many women. Yes, there are supplements you can take plus foods to help (as I’ll discuss below) but I HIGHLY recommend seeing a Naturopathic Doctor or Functional Medicine Doctor to get to the root cause of your concern and REVERSE IT! Then you won’t need supplements and won’t be in exhausting agony every month.
Every month on our period obviously we loose blood which leads to fatigue since blood transports key elements like vitamins, minerals and oxygen to our body. Iron is one of these key minerals because it helps provide/create energy!
Iron rich foods and iron supplements are helpful but not all are created equally.
**Animal sources of iron are most easily absorbed and used by out body. You can find them in things like eggs, turkey legs, chicken liver, beef liver, lamb, shrimp, tuna, oysters/clams.
**Plant sources are also good but not as well absorbed at animal sources BUT if you eat your iron rich plant with a vitamin C rich plant, you will absorb more iron! Iron rich plants: lightly cooked spinach, brown rice, molasses, beans (especially navy, kidney or lima), lentils, tofu, and enriched cereals. Vitamin C rich foods include: bell peppers/sweet peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, strawberries, mangoes, all citrus, and moringa.
**Iron supplements: one of my favorites for period or pregnancy related low iron is called Floradix. It’s a liquid supplement you can find at many health food stores or online. It’s a non-constipating form of iron (yes, some iron supplements can lead to constipation!) and it tasted much better than other versions. It’s especially helpful to take this right before your period starts and all the way until the end of your period. Don’t take it on a daily basis unless your doctor tells you you’re iron-deficiency anemic or have low iron levels.

Hello! Acupuncture can in some cases help the gassy, burping type digestive issue you described. I had a woman once who was constantly burping, even in her sleep, for several months and acupuncture resolved it. However, depending on what is causing the issue, herbal or vitamin supplements may also be needed in conjunction with the acupuncture.

Hello there - this is a great question as it's often unclear to many. Part of the reason it is unclear is because each state determines how much or how little a naturopathic doctor can do (it's called "scope of practice"). If you live in a state where we are approved to be able to administer vaccines, then here is the answer to your question: While in medical school naturopathic doctors do learn the full scope of vaccination medicine, including safety, side effects, benefits, harm, administering, etc. It is up to each doctor to decide whether they offer vaccination in their office as a service. Some do, some don't. Some provide a natural alternative to vaccination. However, all naturopathic doctors will provide you with information on all of the above to help you decide if you want to vaccinate or not, and can even help you choose a vaccine schedule if you do wish to get them for your child.

Hello!

Children under 1 year old should not have honey as some honey can have traces of clostridium botulinum, a bacteria that in infants can be harmful. It can make toxins in baby’s gut which cause lethargy/weakness, digestive problems, weak breathing or weak crying, and poor suckling. In rare cases it can be lethal. This condition is called “infant botulism” which again is not common, but is possible. However, in kids over 1 year old and adults, their gut flora (good bacterial we need to help digest and absorb nutrients and support a healthy immune system - aka the “microbiome”) is developed enough that these traces of botulinum don’t do anything. The microbiome takes care of them for us so we don’t get sick when exposed to trace amounts. So, it’s perfectly fine for kids over 1 year old to eat honey. Outside of infant botulism, honey doesn’t cause infection, it can cure infections! For hundreds of years and in many cultures, including our modern western society, honey has been used topically to fight infections! In fact, many pharmacies have Manuka honey strips or topicals in the first aid next to neosporin and other topical anti-bacterial products!!

Hi! That would depend on what your goal is, what your reason for wanting to use medicinal herbs for. There are many hundreds of herbs that are medicinal and many more being studied to look for medicinal properties. Please let me know what purpose the herbs are for, or the kinds of conditions or symptoms you’re wanting to address so I can narrow the list for you. Are you trying to grow a garden and want a variety of medicinal plants or are you trying to address a certain symptom and you want to know what herbs can help it?

Yes. Go to the hospital.

Hello,

The concept of calorie counting isn't always the best approach as caloric needs vary not just from person to person, but even can vary for the same person throughout the year. Daily caloric needs depend on many different factors: your current body size (height and weight), your health goals (losing/gaining/maintaining weight, building muscle, etc.), age, and physical demands (sedentary/active/athletic). Also, it can vary by season and health status (pregnant or not, certain health conditions, etc.). Typically, having a healthy, well-balanced diet with appropriate proportions and not eating late in the day/night is more important. And no, there is no such thing as one perfect diet for everyone for the same reasons as above.

Hello,

First, congratulations on your upcoming wedding! Yes, there are many ways to help PCOD/PCOS naturally. There are many hormone balancing herbs as well as key nutrients that help to regulate the endocrine system (the part of your body that is responsible for making your hormones), as well as your blood sugar. That's right, blood sugar! There are also nutritional changes to support these goals as well. Topical treatments like castor oil packs over the liver can be supportive to the above as it helps to gently flush out the liver which plays a key role in filtering out and making hormones. Here's an article that touches on the blood-sugar and dietary roles in PCOS: https://health.clevelandclinic.org/polycystic-ovary-syndrome-pill-not-remedy/

Many herbalists and naturopaths can make you a custom blend of herbs to help balance your hormones, but for a full and comprehensive tailored treatment plan to maximize results, see naturopathic doctor or functional medicine doctor, in-person or via telehealth.

Hi there!

This is a very interesting question. I have never personally tried this approach, nor do I know anyone who has, but that doesn't mean it doesn't work. To be honest, I'm not sure if it works, but turmeric is a very safe herb to work with so as long as you have no known allergies to it, it's a pretty decent option to try.

Here is some information which may be helpful for you. This site has some research on turmeric for ringworm infections as well as how to apply it and precautions for use.
https://www.turmericforhealth.com/turmeric-benefits/turmeric-for-fungal-infections

Hi! Naturally, I have to say that anyone choosing to undertake a fasting program should always see their doctor or health practitioner before starting it to make sure they are ok to do so.

That being said, if your current doctor clears you to do it, typically, anyone doing more than a 3-day water fast, I advise them to do it under medical supervision. This is because many people either over-do their physical activities while water fasting and/or don't drink the best water leading to insufficient mineral content. Both of these cases can lead to dizziness / lightheadedness, heart palpitations, fatigue, muscle cramps, headaches, drops in blood-pressure, and more.

Water fasting has many wonderful health benefits, but when not done properly or under supervision when needed, it has the potential to do more harm than good.

Also, there are many versions of water fasting online. Some are true water fasting, some are modified versions. Be sure to do your research very well and know the reason and purpose of each variation, as well as why you want to fast.

Below are some of my favorite brands for herbal products in general. There are more, but this is a good start. Also, you can find a local herbalists to guide your choices better or to make you a custom herbal blend for your specific needs!
NOTE - I strongly do not recommend buying supplements on Amazon as they have admitted that some of their third party vendors sell expired products or tamper with the products!!

https://www.eclecticherb.com/
https://www.herbalist-alchemist.com/
https://mountainroseherbs.com/
https://wisewomanherbals.com/
https://siphondraw.com/

HERBALIST DIRECTORY:
https://www.americanherbalistsguild.com/member-profiles

Hello,

I'm sorry to hear about your wife's difficulties with adenomyosis. You specifically are seeking advice on Ayurvedic medications for this. Unfortunately, I am not an Ayurvedic practitioner/expert, however, I would recommend you consult with one as Ayurveda can help with many things! Here are some Ayurvedic practitioner directories where I hope you can find somebody who can answer your question.
Best wishes for you and your wife.
http://www.vedapages.com/
https://ayurvedanama.site-ym.com/search/custom.asp?id=945
https://www.ayurvedacollege.com/resources/practitioners/

Hello,

I'm sorry to hear you're having post-partum hair loss. I recently answered nearly the same question so I have inserted that answer here below.

Regarding Propidren, the ingredients in this supplement are intended to stop conversion of regular Testosterone to DHT (Dihydrotestosterone), which DHT is one of many reasons some people loose hair. (DHT also contributes to belly fat and other issues). While it doesn't harm your hormones, this supplement has some ingredients which have limited or conflicting/inconclusive safety for breastfeeding. You just had a baby. If you are breastfeeding your little one, I would advise to avoid taking it while breastfeeding as there is a potential that baby can get some of the contents which may not be good for him/her. If you want a DHT blocking solution, consider one of the topical options I describe below. Baby won't get that into its system as long as you wash your hands well after applying so baby won't accidentally ingest any.
Does Propriaden work? Short answer - for some but not everyone (i.e. if DHT isn't your cause of hair loss, it won't help). And when it does work, results are variable as each person is different.
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Hello! Your question brings up 2 different but equally frustrating situations: post-partum specific hair loss and general hair loss. Key factors to hair loss are nutritional, increased DHT (making more “bad testosterone” than good), hormones, blood circulation to the scalp and stress.

It is very common to get thicker hair during pregnancy and then in the weeks after giving birth, loose all the extra hair (and sometimes more). Typically, as your hormones continue to shift in the months post-partum, your hair may restore back to it’s pre-pregnancy state. In cases where it doesn’t, there are both nutritional and topical things you can do to help promote growth. These are the same things with general hair loss that can be helpful.

While there are several different causes for hair loss on a nutrient and systemic levels (not including medical conditions like hypothyroidism), the most common are deficiencies in iron, vitamin D, B vitamins, zinc, vitamin E and vitamin C. Taking a high quality, high bioavailability (i.e. you can absorb the majority of the ingredients) pre-natal or multivitamin helps get most of these but sometimes extra supplements are needed. “Supplements” can be adding foods rich in these nutrients or pills/capsules/tinctures/herbs. I suggest starting with food as they contain more than just the needed items to maximize absorption. The list of these foods is extensive so it’s easier to just do a quick internet search for food rich in the above nutrients.

Topicals can help too. I’ve had good success with biotin-rich shampoos and DHT-blocking serums with my patients. Examples include Biotin B-complex Thickening Shampoo by Avalon Organics Therapy, and Vegamour Gro Hair Serum. There are others out there too. Just make sure they don’t have lots of chemicals since often those alcohols and other chemicals work against your goal! The above products are free of that garbage.

Scalp massage! Decreased blood flow to the scalp can also contribute so don’t be afraid to get your fingers in there and massage your scalp for a good 5-10 minutes. If your in a pinch, put 3-4 drops of rosemary essential oil in 1 teaspoon of black Jamaican castor oil and use that to massage into your scalp a few mi Jets, let it rest 10 minutes then wash out with your biotin-rich shampoo. The Rosemary helps increase blood flow locally and the black Jamaican castor oil is said to help stimulate hair growth.

Finally, your a new mama. Whether first time mom or not, you’ve got new stress which doesn’t help your hair. Take some “me time” every day. Deep breaths, an epsom salt-lavender flower/essential oil bath, journal, pray, whatever relaxes you. At least 5 minutes daily.

Best wishes, congratulations mama, and happy hair growth!

Hi!
There are several forms of anemia; I'm not sure if you're wondering about at specific one. Overall, yes, with well managed care and/or treating the cause of it so as it resolve the anemia, a person can live a long life.

Hello,
Due to the nature of your question and the importance of knowing certain key details (current medications, other pre-existing conditions, the cause of the high blood pressure, etc), you should speak directly to your current medical provider for the answer to this question.

Hi!
There are no contraindications to any supplements being used with chiropractic care, meaning supplements don't interfere with chiropractic care.
If you're looking to try and support something like joint pain, osteoporosis, arthritis, ligament/tendon healing or strength, or another reason you may be going to a chiropractor, the reason/goal would determine which supplements I would recommend.

Hi - The honest answer is that it is variable by person. Some people respond very quickly (after their first or second treatment they notice a difference), while others may take a while (4-6 sessions to start noticing a difference). This can be due to the severity of the condition, how long it's been going on, the vitality of the individual, and some people respond better to energetic medicine (like acupuncture) faster than others in general.

Hello,
There are different causes for infections like various fungi or bacteria species, and some things that look like infections but are not. They are other kinds of skin conditions. To be able to answer your question, I would need more information about what it is that you are actually trying to treat, and other personal information that would be obtained during a medical visit regarding lifestyle; things which would contribute to immune system function. So, unfortunately, I cannot answer your question with the limited information here. Please consult a local naturopathic doctor or dermatologist for assistance.