 I don’t know many people or animals who like things that go boom in the night but some of us 2 and 4 legged creatures get a little out of sorts when they happen.
Where I live, the night time booming started a few days ago — pre 4th of July excitement, I guess. If you or your pet are troubled by the fireworks, here are a couple of ideas to try.
What else can help? Back when we still had our dog, Rufus, I would put him in an air conditioned room with all the doors and windows closed, with a nice playlist on at a pretty decent volume to help drown out the booms. I added both Bach Rescue Remedy and Ignatia in his water dish. I chose Ignatia because this poor fellow came to us in a pretty traumatized and fearful state. I hope you have a safe, exciting, fun and joyous 4th Of July weekend and are able to enjoy the booms! Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits
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 On the sixth day of cells salts, Dr. Schüssler gave to us… Kali phosporicum. Kali phos is concentrated in the brain and nerves. It is known for its bright yellow discharges, as well as putridity. Kali phos is the cell salt for nerves and nervous conditions. For oversensitivity: mental, physical, emotional. For fatigue. Kali phos is a nerve nutrient which can help calm the entire system. Conditions which may benefit from Kali phos:
Mentally and emotionally, Kali phos may be very helpful, especially in cases of depression and homesickness. It may be useful in cases of burnout and exhaustion as well as anxiety and grief. Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits Reference list
Carey, G. W., 1996. The Biochemic System of Medicine. Health Research Books. Chapman, E., 1960. How to Use the Twelve Tissue Salts. Nutri Books. Dewey, W. A. and Boericke, W., 2022. The Twelve Tissue Remedies of Schüssler: Comprising the Theory, Therapeutic Application, Materia Medica, and a Complete Repertory of These Remedies. H. Legare Street Press. Hyland's, 2024. Cell Salt #1 Calc Fluor [online]. Hyland’s. McCabe, V., 2009. The Healing Echo. ReadHowYouWant.com. Schuesslertissuessalts.com.au, n.d. Schuessler Tissue Salts - 150 Years Of Natural Medicine In Australia [online]. Schuessler Tissue Salts. Schüssler, W. H., 2003. Schüssler’s twelve tissue remedies : comprising the theory, therapeutic applications, materia medica and a complete repertory of tissue remedies. Sittingbourne, Kent: Homæopathic Book Service. Strbac, L., 2024. Schuessler’s Tissue Salts Rediscovered. Weintraub, S., 1999. Natural healing with cell salts. Pleasant Grove, Ut: Woodland Pub.  As seen many, many months ago in my news feed. I have no idea where it comes from, but I like it. Anybody out there getting stressed out watching the news?
I suppose this post could have been written at any point in history, but 2024 seems to be gearing up for a new level of stressful watching/listening/reading. If you find yourself getting upset by the news, have a think about a few of these homeopathic remedies: Ignatia is a good place to start. (SEE: Homeopathy Can Make a Heavy World a Little Lighter) Homeopathic Ignatia can be found in the following rubrics:
Now, a short list of a few other remedies which may be applicable (as found in a quick look of Robin Murphy's Repertory): Obsessive compulsive disorder (as may be acutely exhibited through an irrepressible need to keep checking the updated news feeds): Nux vomica or Argentum nitricum Trembling with anger: Staphysagria or Gelsemium Trembling from anxiety: Gelsemium or Argentum nitricum Trembling as if frightened: start with Gelsemium but also Aconite, Coffea, Ignatia Headaches following depressing or sad news: Gelsemium or Ignatia Shock from hearing bad news: Gelsemium, Ignatia or Calc carb Vertigo from bad news: Calc carb Obsessed with justice: Causticum If all these thoughts are creating anxiety: Argentum nitricum If all of these stories and images and thoughts keep you from sleeping: Coffea If all these thoughts are keeping you from concentrating: Nux vomica If your mind is preoccupied with thoughts of the future: Argentum nitricum. Persistent thoughts: Argentum nitricum is the place to start, but also: Calc carb or Nat mur. Witnessing traumatic events: Aconite Rapid thoughts: Coffea Repetition of thoughts: Argentum nitricum Shock from bad news: Calc carb, Gelsemium and Ignatia One more thing to do, as seen on many on-line posts… unclench your jaw. soften your forehead. relax your shoulders. breathe. Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits  Tax day is upon us in the US.
How can homeopathy have anything to do with taxes? Well, as an aside, if you look up “tax” in the homeopathic repertory software, you’ll see rubrics for being over-taxed. Two remedies caught my attention for this: Picric acid and Nux moschata. Picric acid for when mental exertion causes fatigue and headache (excellent for those final exams coming up soon, too!) When I learned this remedy, I associated the phrase "pick your brains" which means, of course, to ask someone for information, which could be a tiring process. I would definitely begin with Picric acid in this situation, but I just have to share this single remedy rubric for Nux moschata: Mind, muddled, intoxicated, as if. If there is anything that can muddle your mind, it’s taxes! Albert Einstein even apparently said, "The hardest thing in the world to understand is the income tax." In addition to one’s poor brain being taxed while computing the money one owes the government, there are a few money rubrics which may be of assistance, especially if you are looking for a backdoor to crack a case. You see, sometimes it can take just a unique little something about a person that you need to unearth in order to find a way in to getting a really well-suited remedy. If a person has an particular fixation on money, there are some rubrics which may be useful. One of my favorite remedies, Bambusa is indicated when one is full of cares and worries over money. To remember this remedy, just think of the substance from which it comes — Bamboo — and think of the support those bamboo stakes lend those vulnerable plants in a garden while they establish themselves and are able to stand strong through their roots alone. That’s the beauty of Bambusa. Depression about money problems — which has a nuanced difference to cares about money, as noted above. Cares about money would be active — fretting or worrying — constant thoughts about the problem. Depression about money problems would be more of a passive response — a shutting down. Two big remedies pop up for depression about money problems: Arsenicum album and Aurum metallicum. Now, it could be said that Arsenicum album is more of a restless anxiety or an anxious depression. Arsenicum album may talk about money and they are known to talk about their worries. Thinking further about this, I think it should actually probably be listed in the above rubric with Bambusa. Aurum metallicum, on the other hand, is a depressed remedy. A remedy for deep grief or humiliation. Put those two together and we have a perfect match for depression after financial loss. (Note that Aurum is the only bold/underlined remedy in that rubric.) What is Aurum metallicum? Aurum is made from gold. To remember this remedy, think of the Great Depression — when the financial markets all around the world crumbled and people lost their fortunes and their savings and threw themselves out of windows in their despair. That is a picture perfect description of depression after financial loss. Shock from a loss of wealth or property. If there is a passion for making money, Aurum and Nux vomica are both highly indicated. Once again for Aurum, think of the Gold Rush. Those were some people passionate about making money — Gold Fever! Nux vomica is more of the hardworking business person — workaholics. People who work themselves sick. Vomica sounds a little like vomit -- works themselves sick. What else can help if you are frantically rushing to get your taxes filed? Try some Bach Flowers. Maybe a little Cherry Plum to keep a cool and collected mind. Or, maybe some Clematis to help you stay focused on the task at hand. Elm if the task just feels too overwhelming. Holly if the whole process makes you angry. And, finally, for all those accountants out there who are working their tails off in these final days to help all of us late filers get the job done, try some Oak to help restore energy. A fun fact (well, I don’t know if this is factual or not, but it caught my attention): The Gettysburg address is 269 words. The Declaration of Independence is 1,337 words. the Bible is only 773,000 words. However, the tax law has grown from 11,400 words in 1913 to 7 millions words today. (Note: I don’t know when “today” was — it could have quadrupled again, for all I know!) Learning homeopathic remedies shouldn’t be taxing. Making a few connections and word associations can make all these many remedies a little easier to remember. Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits  Chocolate. 😍 Sigh. Such a marvelous thing, chocolate. I don’t think I will ever stop being surprised when someone tells me they don’t like chocolate. When my youngest was turning 3, I asked him what he wanted for his birthday dinner. “Chocolate. Just chocolate,” he said in his little sing-songy voice. I happen to agree with him. Chocolate, (100% cacao is my preference), any time of day. (Click here for a link to my current favorite.) Just before flying to England last year I read about a study in a Mark Sisson email: “Chocolate for breakfast prevents circadian desynchrony in experimental models of jet-lag and shift-work.” I didn’t even check to see if there is good science behind this study because I am more than happy to do some self-experimentation when it comes to chocolate! Did it help? It seemed to. However, when we crossed the pond again a few months later, I forgot to bring the chocolate and I still did as well as last year on the jet lag front. NOTE: I did use homeopathic remedies on both flights, so I’m going to go out on a limb and say that was the more important factor. But, next time I make that physically painful trip, I shall do both — just in case! 😉 As you may (or, may not) know, classical homeopathy loves basic information about a person — their preferred weather; if the person runs hot or cold; if they are aggravated by damp places; early bird or night owl; sensations they may experience and food likes and dislikes as well as how certain foods affect them. This homeopathic fact-gathering point brings us to chocolate and homeopathy. There are two main remedies associated with the desire for chocolate: Argentum nitricum and Phosphorus. Today, I shall focus on Argentum nitricum. Arg-nit, as it is known, is a homeopathic remedy made from silver nitrate. One of Arg-nit’s keynote symptoms is a desire for sugar, which at the same time makes the person feel worse. I have written a few times about Arg-nit: Hoarseness; What goes up; Feel the Fear; Back to School. Anxiety is a big part of Arg-nit as a homeopathic remedy picture: anxiety for health; anticipatory anxiety; anxiety when alone; anxiety in the morning on waking; anxiety about the future; anxiety when hungry; diarrhea from anxiety. So, I went looking for links to chocolate and anxiety. Turns out there are some interesting studies out there.
Maybe we chocoholics are just self medicating? 🧐 Back to Arg-nit and chocolate… Homeopathic Argentum nitricum may be helpful for people who suffer abdominal pain or diarrhea after eating chocolate. Additionally, if a pet gets into chocolate, I have been told that giving them some Arg-nit ASAP can be very important! Those who experience acne as a result of eating chocolate may also benefit from Arg-nit. Note: the chocolate/acne connection is disputed in conventional science. See (Daszkiewicz 2021), (Goh et al. 2011), (Vongraviopap and Asawanonda 2015). Regardless of the scientific controversy, Argentum nitricum may benefit those who suffer ill-effects after eating chocolate, regardless of what those effects are. For those who have chocolate cravings, that tendency could be addressed through a number of remedies, but Arg-nit and Phosphorus are particularly well indicated*. If there is a tendency to become addicted to chocolate, homeopathic Chocolate may be the remedy to turn to. Chocolate as a homeopathic remedy was proven** by Jeremy Sherr after seeing frequent complaints from patients resulting in adverse effects after eating chocolate as well as “the impressive” number of his patients who were seriously addicted to chocolate. There’s not a lot in this remedy that stands out in terms of symptoms, actually. In my never-to-be-humble opinion, it’s because they didn’t actually do the proving on the important part of the chocolate. For the proving, Sherr used the “purest form of processed chocolate” (Sherr 2015). That, to me, is like doing a proving on a Starbucks Caffeè Mocha instead of doing a proving on the important ingredient which, in this case would be the coffee bean. (Note: we have good information on Coffea cruda, the raw coffee bean, which was originally proved by Dr. Samuel Hahnemann and again in modern times.) Similar to Arg-nit, anxiety is also part of the Chocolate remedy picture: anticipatory anxiety as well as anxiety about health and money and anxiety in the morning. Frans Vermeulen in his Synoptic Reference (2011) notes that homeopathic chocolate has an affinity for the reproductive system, the central nervous system and hormones. I’ve never used homeopathic Chocolate with a client. Maybe I will have to try it out on myself one day to get a better feel for it. But, I eagerly anticipate reading a full proving on Cacao one day. I have no doubt it would be a much more impressive remedy than Chocolate. (Cacao does appear in "Encyclopedia of Pure Materia Medica" by T. Allen but all that is stated is about the separating out of theobromine from the butter of cocoa and no actual symptoms are listed.) So, the good news on chocolate is, according to the above listed studies, it appears we chocoholics have nothing to fear with a daily indulgence of our favored treat. Phew! “It was like having a box of chocolates shut in the bedroom drawer. Until the box was empty it occupied the mind too much.” --Graham Greene Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits ** for more information on provings, see: The Original Drug Testing. Provings are a little like a box of chocolates, I suppose … You never know what you’re going to get! 💝 Reference list:
Chocolate Class, 2016. Understanding The Chemical Compound that Confirmed Chocolate was Consumed by the Maya [online]. Chocolate Class. Dallard, I., Cathebras, P., Sauron, C. and Massoubre, C., 2001. [Is cocoa a psychotropic drug? Psychopathologic study of a population of subjects self-identified as chocolate addicts]. L’Encephale [online], 27 (2), 181–186. Daszkiewicz, M., 2021. Associations between diet and acne lesions. Roczniki Państwowego Zakładu Higieny [online], 137–143. Fusar-Poli, L., Gabbiadini, A., Ciancio, A., Vozza, L., Signorelli, M. S. and Aguglia, E., 2021. The effect of cocoa-rich products on depression, anxiety, and mood: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 62 (28), 1–13. Goh, W., Kallianpur, K. J., Chow, D., Almeida, P. G., Brown, A. C., Pager, S. and Sil, P., 2011. Chocolate and acne: How valid was the original study? Clinics in Dermatology [online], 29 (4), 459–460. Jackson, S. E., Smith, L., Firth, J., Grabovac, I., Soysal, P., Koyanagi, A., Hu, L., Stubbs, B., Demurtas, J., Veronese, N., Zhu, X. and Yang, L., 2019. Is there a relationship between chocolate consumption and symptoms of depression? A cross‐sectional survey of 13,626 US adults. Depression and Anxiety [online], 36 (10), 987–995. Martin, F.-P. J., Antille, N., Rezzi, S. and Kochhar, S., 2012. Everyday Eating Experiences of Chocolate and Non-Chocolate Snacks Impact Postprandial Anxiety, Energy and Emotional States. Nutrients [online], 4 (6), 554–567. Martin, F.-P. J., Rezzi, S., Peré-Trepat, E., Kamlage, B., Collino, S., Leibold, E., Kastler, J., Rein, D., Fay, L. B. and Kochhar, S., 2009. Metabolic Effects of Dark Chocolate Consumption on Energy, Gut Microbiota, and Stress-Related Metabolism in Free-Living Subjects. Journal of Proteome Research [online], 8 (12), 5568–5579. Martinez-Pinilla, E., Oñatibia-Astibia, A. and Franco, R., 2015. The relevance of theobromine for the beneficial effects of cocoa consumption. Frontiers in Pharmacology [online], 6. Moreno-Dominguez, S., Rodríguez-Ruiz, S., Martín, M. and Warren, C. S., 2012. Experimental effects of chocolate deprivation on cravings, mood, and consumption in high and low chocolate-cravers. Appetite [online], 58 (1), 111–116. Sathyapalan, T., Beckett, S., Rigby, A. S., Mellor, D. D. and Atkin, S. L., 2010. High cocoa polyphenol rich chocolate may reduce the burden of the symptoms in chronic fatigue syndrome. Nutrition Journal [online], 9 (1). Sherr, J., 2015. Homoeopathic Proving of Chocolate. B Jain Pub Pvt Limited. Vermeulen, F., 2011. Synoptic reference. B Jain Publishers Pvt Ltd. Vongraviopap, S. and Asawanonda, P., 2015. Dark chocolate exacerbates acne. International Journal of Dermatology [online], 55 (5), 587–591. Yamada, T., Yamada, Y., Okano, Y., Terashima, T. and Hidehiko Yokogoshi, 2009. Anxiolytic effects of short- and long-term administration of cacao mass on rat elevated T-maze test. The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry [online], 20 (12), 948–955.
 Heading back to school under normal circumstances can be a harrowing experience for some kids. Going back to school in the year 2021 must be unthinkably stressful. Not only are these kids having to endure the usual stressors of finding their classroom and meeting their teacher/s, this year they have to worry about possibly wearing a mask all day long and worrying about how to make friends while remaining the prescribed distance apart from other human beings, lest they give or receive deadly germs to one another. That is beyond a doubt a recipe for anticipatory anxiety. Anticipatory anxiety, (the discomfort felt when entering an unknown situation), is nicely met through homeopathic remedies. Gelsemium sempervirens is what they used to give to the soldiers during the Civil War -- you know, the boys and men who knew they were up against nearly impossible odds? This gave them the courage necessary to step foot onto the battlefield. It can help with "nervous dread" and stage fright; fear of going to the doctor or the dentist and fear of pain, injury or even death. With this anxiety, a dull stupor may be seen or headaches resulting from nervous excitement. Tummy troubles, diarrhea in particular, or sleeplessness from the anxiety may also be present. Argentum nitricum also addresses anticipatory anxiety but this may cross over into a bigger fear, even panic attacks or anxiety attacks as opposed to just being nervous. An irresistible desire for sugar may be present. Headaches resembling migraines may be seen. Tummy troubles of rumbling, gurgling and flatulence. Restless, disturbed sleep may be an issue. Silicea (or Silica) presents with more timidity. This person may be feeling bashful and focusing on the minutiae, making sure every last little thing is just right. Headaches located over just one eye or a headache that is worse from exertion or even a "sick headache" may be seen. The tummy trouble in a person needing Silica can be a griping pain and they may be sleepy all day long. Anticipatory anxiety, fear, dread, timidity, panic attacks -- nobody should have to live with that and homeopathy may help. For more information, please contact me at classicallypractical.com. Photo by Element5 Digital on Unsplash |
Julia Coyte, CHomI am passionate about homeopathy and I love sharing this passion. Having a working knowledge of homeopathy shouldn't be kept a secret. If people have the ability to help themselves, their children and their friends when they have minor ailments, life just gets better for everyone. That is the purpose behind Ruminating on Remedies. Archives
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