The reason I ask this question is because despite all my best efforts, for me (and my husband) herbal remedies just don't seem to help. For example, back in the late 80s, my blood pressure was getting high. I had a foreshadowing of this when I was pregnant and developed gestational hypertension. However, after giving birth, my BP came down to normal levels. This was before the internet but I researched herbal and dietetic alternatives at the local library and searched out books at the book stores. Back then, also, it was more difficult to locate some herbs. Yet I tried---watched my diet, exercised---and nothing. I ended up on BP meds. It made me sad to the point that I cried.
Now, I'm facing a different crisis. This time it's my blood
Sugar that's up there. Again, I had a foreshadowing a few years ago when my blood
Sugar was just over 100. So, I started taking cinnamon and that seemed to help but 6 months ago, I tested at 155. So...I googled and googled. As a result, my husband (who is a type 2 diabetic) and I took gymnema sylvestre, cinnamon and Milagro de la Selva tea---all which did very little---if anything. So...this past month we went on strict vegan diets and did 2 miles a week on the treadmill. I was hopeful. At first my fasting blood
Sugar was in the high 120s but still each week it creeped up. This past weekend, it was in the high 140s.
I'm working hard to avoid going on diabetes meds and working hard on keeping positive. Also, I know, due to having IBS-D, there are just some herbs I can't take because they have the side effect of loose stools. The one success I have had is getting the IBS under control---first by ingesting 2 tsps. of flaked coconut a day and secondly by getting a prescription for cholestyramine. The latter was hard won---for years I've been telling the doctor about the IBS and got no help. She finally made the connection between my gallbladder removal and the worsening IBS. (I had milder IBS before I got my gallbladder removed). Back to the blood sugar issues---some herbs I can't take such as grapeseed extract because they interfere with my prescription meds.
I see myself taking after my father when it comes to health issues. However, he was a lot older than I was when he developed his health problems. He had his gallbladder removed when he was in his late 40s, I was in my mid-30's. He developed hypertension when he was in his late 50s, I was in my early 40s. He is now in his early 80s and only recently developed type 2 diabetes. Yet there is one big difference between us---he has always had a very fast metabolism and could eat whatever he wanted without gaining much (if any) weight. I remember as a kid if he got a small potbelly, he would go on what he considered a diet---no dessert at night (no exercise either) and the potbelly would be gone in no time. Me, I've struggled with my weight since I was 7. It didn't help that my mother fed us a high fat diet and we were forced to eat everything on our plates, even if we were full. When I got older, there was more dietary info available and I worked hard at eating a low-fat diet.
Sorry for this being so long but I have to wonder if I'm immune to herbal remedies. Should I just give up and resign myself to taking multiple prescription meds or should I still keep up with the herbs? Don't get me wrong---I'm not talking about throwing in the towel completely. I still plan to eat a
healthy Diet and still plan to exercise. However, I am feeling very discouraged...