Who is the herbalist or healer at your house? In times gone by, it was the grandmothers. These wise nurturing women would heal with their hearts, hands and the wisdom and traditions of their forbearers. While modern medical discoveries transformed and reshaped how we view healthcare, I am afraid that we may have been over ambitious in embracing everything that flows from medicines’ ivory towers and rejecting the wisdom of the ages as being archaic and foolish.

It has long been my contention that we must maintain a balance between the old and the new. It seems to be part of human nature to abandon the old when finding something new - even before the new is really proven. Antibiotics were a great discovery and saved many lives, however the indiscriminate and overuse of antibiotics has created some major problems. In the 20 years that I have been treating patients, my attitude on health care has changed. As I discovered chiropractic, herbs and nutrition, I felt that this was the answer to nearly everything. However, I am now of the opinion that we must take full advantage of every tool at our disposal. Particularly as technology and diagnostic methods improve and are becoming less invasive. I also more fully appreciate the power of herbal medicine and natures ability to cure when medicine has failed.

So who is the herbalist at your house? While you may not have the experience of a seasoned healer, you do live in a time when information is readily available to you. As I talk on the phone consulting with a patient, often I have a book or two open in front of me. My point here is, you don’t need to know all the answers; you just need to know where to find them. A couple of books I strongly recommend are Prescription for Nutritional Healing by Dr. Balch and Herbal First Aid and Health Care by myself, Dr. Christensen. If you are using products by Western Botanicals Inc, Herbal First Aid and Health Care can be a valuable resource which can help you know which herbs and products to use as well as when you should seek medical attention. You need to know what you can treat at home and when you need advanced medical care.

In our newsletters, you will discover more than sales pitches and specials. We sincerely hope to share with you tools that may educate and inspire you to be of greater service to others. We personally view our lives as dedicated to helping others the best we can. We do this by striving to live with integrity in all that we do. We feel it is our job to keep up with the industry as government and legislature increase their sphere of influence on the natural health marketplace. We are striving to support legislation which will keep herbal and natural medicine out of the hands of the control of the drug companies and medical practices. I believe that the pharmaceutical and medical giants interest in herbal medicine is to gain exclusive prescription control so that it can be suppressed, invalidated and totally replaced by drugs (which can be patented and are very, very profitable).

Medicine seems to be focused on money. Profitability for the drug companies, hospitals and insurance companies comes first to them. Helping people is somewhere farther down the list of their objectives. Natural health is focused on helping and serving those you love. It is not about making a killing. Use natural remedies where you feel comfortable. As you gain experience, you will increase in confidence and ability. Be humble and teachable. Remember, no supplement will make up for a poor diet. Eat whole foods. Exercise daily. And let us, Western Botanicals, be your resource for high quality organic herbs and high potency formulas.

“As we transition through these troubled times, we must learn to rely on each other and the wisdom of the earth rather than government and technology.”

~ Dr. Kyle D. Christensen ~

"Herbal first Aid is insightful, clear, and an easy to follow resource book on herbs. It covers herbal lifesaving techniques, storage of herbal remedies and ancient herbal wisdom. This book is a must for alternative health practitioners and I am looking forward to having it in my collection of books on remedies and first aid". - Ellen w. Cutler, D.C. Author of The Food Allergy Cure