A few months ago, I sent out my monthly email newsletter and did a deep dive on homeopathy. Many of you have requested this email since then, so I thought I would put it into a blog post for easy access!
I’ve been using homeopathy for probably eight years now. It’s an excellent holistic modality and it’s very safe to use for people of all ages. At first, homeopathy can be a little overwhelming but I promise, it’s worth learning the basics so that you can use it with your family and keep it in your toolbox!
What is Homeopathy?
Have you ever seen the little white pellets in a tube or been told to use arnica or belladonna? Or have you ever heard of teething tablets? These are homeopathic remedies! Homeopathy can also come in liquid form.
Homeopathy is a system of medicine that has been around since the 18th century. It is different than other systems of medicine because it focuses on the whole person and not just the symptoms of disease. It also enhances the body’s normal healing and self-regulatory process. The fundamental principle is that ‘like cures like’. Which means that Homeopathy uses the smallest amount possible of an active ingredient in order to help treat a disease or ailment, even if this same ingredient can contribute to an illness- don’t let that last part scare you. Let me explain more!
Here’s the thing about conventional medicine. You tell a doctor you’re having XYZ symptom and they say ‘oh, you need this pill then.’ There is very little info gathered on WHY the symptom is occurring or where it came from. What makes homeopathy different is that when choosing a homeopathic remedy, you’re not going to just look at the physical symptoms that are occurring, but looking at emotions and personality are also very important- because our health affects us in a multitude of ways.
How Homeopathy works:
Homeopathy works by stimulating the body’s own natural healing capacity. It triggers the body’s own healing forces and so- a remedy is prescribed on a very individual basis. Homeopathic remedies are assigned numbers and ratios to describe how strong the solution is. Homeopathy is diluted over and over and over- it’s assigned number describes the ratio of active chemical ingredients in relation to either water or alcohol. Homeopathy uses a unique manufacturing process which creates super tiny particules (AKA complex nanostructures) that can actually communicate/signal information to living systems.
But how do the nanoparticles work? Nanoparticles have properties very unlike ordinary bulk materials (like in OTC medicine) and provide greater bioavailability and can be easier absorbed and utilized in the body.
Potency and Strength
Many homeopathic substances are capable of causing toxicity, poisoning, or negative reactions if taken in high enough doses. Therefore, very low doses are usually administered- in doses so low that the substance itself is practically unindentifiable due to being heavily diluted. Higher potency remedies endure a greater degree of agitation or succussion during manufacture than each lower potency—inevitably leading to the generation of increasingly smaller nanostructures. The smaller the size, the greater the surface area/reactive surface of the particle.
Different potencies that you may see on Homeopathy products are: 30C, 200C, 6C.
Higher potency means higher dilution because dilution stages are referred to as potencies. A higher dilution is only meant to be used a few times, whereas
a lower dilution is used more often.
Typically, 6C is used for local symptoms (like an insect bite or bruise) and 30C would be used for more general symptoms with multiple symptoms and locations (like a fever with cough and chills). When in doubt, you can usually go with a 30C remedy.
Did this help break things down or did I just confuse you MORE!?
Let me tell you, that you will understand homeopathy more through experience. It’s kind of a practice makes perfect situation. I’ve been using homeopathy for like 6 years now so it has kind of become second nature, but I still look up remedies all the time, since finding the right remedy is a little complex. Typically, when I feel someone in our family is in need of a remedy, I google ‘homeopathic remedies for ___’ and do some reading before selecting a remedy. There’s also some great books on homeopathy out there. One of my favorite resources is Dr. Homeo. You can use the search feature to search an ailment, like ‘cough’ for example. As I am sure you know, there are several different types of coughs. So then it will bring up a list of possible remedies for each one. From there, I will read through them all and figure out which remedy matches the symptoms the best.
Where to Begin with Homeopathy
1. Get a Homeopathy Starter kit! I’ve bought individual homeopathy off amazon and from my local health food store. But a really great way to start is with a kit. Not only will this save you money, but it will give you a pretty good collection to start with. Ollois and Boiron are both great brands that I trust. Ollois has an essential kit and a home kit, which are both excellent options. Use my code JESSICAW for 15% off.
The essential kit is small but mighty and includes:
Arnica, Arsenic Album, Belladonna, Borax, Gelsemium, Hepar Sulph, Ledum, Nux Vomica, Phosphorus, Spongia Tosta- which are all basic remedies I like to have on hand at all times.
The home kit is a little more extensive and includes many of the ones in the essential kit, plus over 10 other remedies that come in really handy. They also have an allergy kit, a cold and flu kit, and a few others.
You can use my code: JESSICAW for 15% off any purchase made through OLLOIS.
For additional learning, here are some of my favorite homeopathy resources:
The Complete Guide to Homeopathy Handbook
Dr. Homeo website
Instagram Pages:
@the.enlightened.homeopath
@thehomeomother
@thathomeopath
Some additional notes about homeopathy:
+ homeopathy may come in tiny white pellets or liquid remedies
+ you should take homeopathic remedies 20 minutes after eating or drinking and then after taking it, you should wait 20 minutes to eat or drink anything
+ homeopathic remedies should not be stored next to essential oils
Thanks for reading!!
