From my experience there are two groups of people related to this topic: those that use and love homeopathy, and those who have never heard of it. Let’s shed some light on what exactly homeopathic medicine is (and what it isn’t), plus how you can start using it for better health.

What is homeopathy?

Homeopathy has been around for over 200 years and has a simple method of action. The remedies contain minute (non-traceable amounts, in fact) of a substance that stimulates your body’s own ability to heal. Think of it as a gentle ‘nudging’ of the body in the right direction.

What it isn’t…

Homeopathy is not a form of ‘magical’ medicine. Each remedy is not the same as another and positive results from treatment cannot all be attributed to ‘the placebo effect’. When used correctly, it can help your body heal!

What are the benefits?

As a naturopathic doctor, I use remedies mainly for acute treatment and alongside other natural therapies to help the individual get well sooner. There are three main reasons why you should consider adding some homeopathic remedies to your medicine cabinet.

• Safe – Homeopathy does not interfere with medications, which makes it a suitable add-on natural treatment for those on one or more prescription drugs.
• Effective – Especially for children, when the remedy is carefully selected they can quickly and efficiently reduce symptoms.
• Affordable – If you still aren’t convinced, consider the fact that homeopathic remedies are often taken a few pellets at a time, so most containers can last for months or longer!

A few must-have remedies

As difficult as it is to narrow down this list, here are a few remedies to stock up on (especially this time of year). As a general rule, the more ‘physical’ the symptom, the lower potency required (6CH or 30CH). For more ‘mental’ (stress, fatigue) symptoms select 30CH, 200CH or higher.

• Nux Vomica– The name says it all. After overindulging this holiday (especially with alcohol), this can help ease nausea, indigestion and headache.
• Carbo Vegetalis – Similar to Nux Vomica, but more for gas, bloating, and in general, poorly digesting your food. Feel super sluggish and tired after eating? This one’s for you.
• Arnica – This remedy is considered the gold standard for bruises and blunt trauma (banging your elbow or stubbing your toe). Oh and part of complex of remedies for jet lag (life changer!).
• Cold/flu complexes – These contain multiple remedies that help to relieve common symptoms of the illness (fever, chills, congestion, fatigue). In general, best given at the first signs of infection and hourly until improvement is seen.

A few final words…

Matching a homeopathic remedy to your specific symptoms is a skill and if you’ve been experiencing chronic concerns that you feel may benefit from this treatment, seek out a professional homeopath or naturopath to help guide you in the right direction!