diseases 215
diarrhea
Occasional diarrhea lasting only two or three days is usually the result of
an infection; it is nature’s way of expelling the offending bacteria (or
whatever) from the body. Therefore, diarrhea shouldn’t be suppressed
with drugs, as people so often wish to. The body needs to rid itself of
digestive poisons
as quickly as possible. If diarrhea lasts a long time, however, the body will
become weakened; if this happens, the body will eventually exhaust itself
through dehydration in its efforts to keep cleansing itself. If diarrhea lasts
longer than three days and recurs between bouts of constipation, then it
may well be advisable to talk to a natural healer or doctor; the cause
might be irritable bowel syndrome, colitis, celiac disease, or a worm
infestation (refer to the relevant sections in this chapter). If diarrhea is
affecting babies, small children, or the very elderly, then special care must
be taken. It should be closely monitored if it continues for longer than
twenty-four hours, to prevent dehydration. Teething also causes diarrhea.
For Occasional Diarrhea
- Drink barley water (see chapter 4).
- If you are able to, eat chopped garlic cloves; dip them in honey to
help with administration.
(^) - Take acidophilus capsules to help the bowel fl ora, or homemade re-
juvelac if no acidophilus is available.
f Raspberry leaf tea, meadowsweet leaf tea, and slippery elm inner bark
powder mashed into a ripe banana will help slow down the diarrhea
and provide nutrition. Arrowroot or grated apples that have been left
to turn brown could replace the slippery elm inner bark.
f Take two parts echinacea root, one part chamomile fl owers, and one
part barberry root bark or turmeric rhizome as a tincture to help
fi ght infection if any is present.
For Babies
f Chamomile fl ower tea and homemade barley water (see chapter 4),
given by bottle or sippy cup, will help diarrhea. If the baby is not too
young, you can also try other ideas mentioned in this section to help
diarrhea.
f For very severe bouts, give oak bark or yarrow leaf tea, as their astrin-
gent qualities will help. Alternatively, use very small amounts of ben-
tonite clay, but only with professional help, as it is very strong.
215 The Complete Home Guide to Herbs, Natural Healing, and Nutrition