air exchange. Colon cleanses will help maintain the health of the lungs.
Saunas, if taken for short periods of time alternating with cold showers,
will be benefi cial to lung health, but avoid them if pregnant, weak, or
elderly.
Essential oils can really help breathing, and different ones will produce
a wide range of effects. Eucalyptus and camphor will clear and open the
lungs, and the majority of people will fi nd this mixture most effective.
Some asthma sufferers, however, may fi nd it makes things worse. In such
cases, use essential oils like frankincense and mandarin that will calm and
regulate the breathing.
Nicotine affects the central nervous system, particularly numbing
autonomic ganglion blockers, which is partly why it’s addictive. However,
nicotine and the herb lobelia are similar in some ways (lobelia contains
lobeline, which is similar to nicotine, both of which raise serotonin levels
in the brain), so for anyone wishing to give up smoking, the lobeline-rich
plant lobelia would be an ideal substitute, with no side effects if used
properly except thoroughly positive ones. When you stop smoking, bowel
function is often affected, as nicotine is a stimulant and laxative. You may
feel sleepier with less stimulation and, if this presents a problem, use
prickly ash berry, which will almost instantly bring oxygen to the brain.
Cigarettes inhibit the circulatory system; they force the heart to beat
faster and create a constant oxygen defi cit in doing so, because the carbon
monoxide from cigarettes releases oxygen from the bloodstream. One
cigarette creates a six-hour reduction of blood supply to the hands and
feet. With this in mind, healing of wounds, internal and external, is
inevitably slowed down by smoking, and so too are all the vital functions
of oxygen and blood. Blood sugar levels are also severely affected by
tobacco, creating low blood sugar.
You may compromise by smoking herbal cigarettes, but any plant
material will contain smoke and tar, which both clogs and inhibits the
bloodstream and lymphatic system. Short-term choices could be red clover
fl ower, honeysuckle fl ower, mullein leaf, elecampane root, American ephedra
leaf (not Chinese ephedra), and lobelia leaf.
The Nervous System
This system affects both our emotional and our physical well-being. With-
out feeding and sustaining it with a positive lifestyle and nutritious foods,
we can feel stressed and emotionally unstable and exhibit a range of ill-
health patterns, from epilepsy, shingles, insomnia, hyperactivity, and poor
memory to learning problems.
There are two principal divisions of the nervous system: the central
178 The Complete Home Guide to Herbs, Natural Healing, and Nutrition