We are adapted to
survive mild exposures to radiation. After all, the sun is a kind of
controlled nuclear bomb and it releases a lot of radiation. Of course,
this radiation, and man-made radiation, can also cause cancer and a
host of short- and long-term health problems.
Whether you are worried about the radiation from dental x-rays, a
mammogram, or fallout, here are some Wise Woman Ways to help you stay
healthy. (If you are using radioactive therapies in your cancer
treatment, there is a chapter full of information specifically for you
in Breast Cancer? Breast Health! The Wise Woman Way.)
*Japanese researchers found that diets high in carotenes significantly
reduced DNA damage in humans exposed to radiation. Supplements of
beta-carotene (or of vitamins C or E) did not show this effect. Eating
lots of orange and dark green foods (sweet potatoes, winter squash,
beets, carrots, kale, collards, chard, and spinach, for example) can
protect you from radiation-induced cancers.
*Envision yourself and all your cells protected from damage. (One woman
wrapped herself in psychic lead.)
*Guinea pigs bombarded with radiation lived a lot longer if they ate
broccoli or cabbage. All cabbage family plants - including arugula,
turnips, radishes, cauliflower, mustard greens, bok choy, Brussels
sprouts, broccoli d'rappe, kale, collards, and of course broccoli -
protect your cells from the damaging effects of radiation.
*Choose an image, an icon, something meaningful to you, as a focusing
agent. Put your affirmations, blessings, prayers, visualizations, and
healing love into it, for easy access when you need help.
*Miso broth is the classic food for prevention of radiation damage.
There's twice the protection if a quarter-ounce/5 grams of dried kelp
seaweed is added to the soup. In scientific studies, seaweed was able
to neutralize radioactive isotopes in the human body. Researchers at
McGill University say radioactive strontium binds to the algin in brown
seaweeds to create sodium alginate, a compound easily and harmlessly
excreted. Common black tea exhibited the same anti-radiation effects in
several Japanese studies.
*In Fighting Radiation and Chemical Pollutants with Foods, Herbs, and
Vitamins (Vitality, 1991), Steven Schecter tells us that both black and
green tea showed "radioprotective effects" whether taken before or
after exposure to radiation. Among other modes of operation, tea
catechins absorb radioactive isotopes and remove them from the body
before they do damage. The action is similar he says, to that of sodium
alginate (the "active ingredient" in kelp seaweed).
*Eating any amount of reishii (a mushroom) reduces damage from
radiation.
*St. Joan's/John's wort oil protects my skin from radiation damage. I
use it as my only sunscreen (and I am outside a lot) and find it not
only immediately effective in preventing and treating sunburn, but even
more protective with continuing use over years.
*Burdock root (Arctium lappa) removes radioactive isotopes from the
body. A dose is 1-4 ounces/300-120 grams of cooked fresh root, up to a
pint of infusion daily, or several large spoonfuls of vinegar (but only
if made with fresh roots).
*Dried beans, especially lentils can reverse DNA damage done by
radiation. So can red clover (Trifolium pratense) and astragalus
(Astragalus membranaceous) - two powerful members of the legume (bean)
family.
*Homeopathic remedies can be taken before and after exposure to
radiation: Plumbum (lead) is said to help those who feel overwhelmed
and in need of protection. Belladonna is used to prevent and relieve
radiation burns and pains - even long after the immediate exposure.
Recipe for "Anti-Radiation Easy Meal" is on page 308 in Breast Cancer?
Breast Health! the Wise Woman Way.
*Selenium protects DNA from radiation damage and helps prevent damage
to the skin surface, too. Get plenty of selenium by eating a daily dose
of 2 cups/500 ml of nettle infusion, one-half ounce/15 g kelp, 2
ounces/60 g cooked burdock root, or 1 cup/250 ml organic yogurt daily.
Shellfish, green and black teas, and garlic contain significant amounts
of selenium, as do many mushrooms. The best sources however are nettles
(2200 mcg per 100 grams), kelp (1700 mcg/100 g), burdock (1400 mcg/100
g), catnip (Nepeta cataria), ginseng, Siberian ginseng, and astragalus.
*In clinical trial with humans, those who took ginseng extract (Panax
quinquefolium) for thirty days following exposure to radiation showed
hastened recovery from injuries to their bone marrow, organs, skin, and
blood cells according to Paul Bergner in The Healing Power of Ginseng,
The Enlightened Person's Guide, Prima, 1996. He quotes Japanese
researcher Dr M. Yonezawa as saying that "ginseng appears to be the
most useful agent available for protection against radiation damage."
*It's important to keep yourself well nourished if you are exposed to
radiation. Make it a habit to drink at least two big cups of nourishing
herbal infusion daily. Nettles, red clover, and violet leaves supply
generous amounts of the nutrients you need most: protein and minerals,
especially potassium and zinc.
For best results, do not use capsules of the herbs mentioned in this
article. Instead, cook with them (kelp, astragalus, Siberian ginseng,
ginseng, reishii, and burdock), brew nourishing herbal infusions with
them (nettles, red clover, astragalus, burdock, catnip, and ginseng),
make mineral-rich vinegars with them (nettles, burdock, catnip,
ginseng, and astragalus), or take a high-quality non-standardized
tincture of them (burdock, ginseng, Siberian ginseng, astragalus).
To make a nourishing herbal infusion:
*Put one ounce of dried herb into a quart jar; fill jar to the top with
boiling water and cap tightly.
* Strain after 4-8 hours and drink hot or cold.
* Refrigerate what you don't drink right away; drink that within a day.
To make a vinegar:
* Fill any size jar with fresh herb (best!!) or one quarter full of
dried herb (not nearly so good).
*Pour room temperature apple cider vinegar over the herb, filling jar
to the top.
*Cover with plastic wrap or a cork.
*Label with date and name of plant.
*Let sit for six weeks.
*Decant into a pretty bottle and use to season soups, beans, and salads.
This is the Wise Woman Way the world 'round. Take good care of
yourselves. Green blessings to all.
Susun Weed
PO Box 64
Woodstock, NY 12498
Fax: 1-845-246-8081
Visit Susun Weed at:
http://www.susunweed.com and
http://www.ash-tree-publishing.com
For permission to reprint this article, contact us at:
susunweed@hvc.rr.com
Vibrant, passionate, and involved, Susun Weed has garnered an
international reputation for her groundbreaking lectures, teachings,
and writings on health and nutrition. She challenges conventional
medical approaches with humor, insight, and her vast encyclopedic
knowledge of herbal medicine. Unabashedly pro-woman, her animated and
enthusiastic lectures are engaging and often profoundly provocative.
Susun is one of America's best-known authorities on herbal medicine and
natural approaches to women's health. Her four best-selling books are
recommended by expert herbalists and well-known physicians and are used
and cherished by millions of women around the world. Learn more at
http://www.susunweed.com
