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January 20, 2012
Metropolitan State University of Denver
Got a cold? A headache? Linda White’s remedies are all natural
By Cliff Foster
Metro State’s Linda White whips up soup for head colds and reaches for ginger and peppermint to manage her headaches.
A medical doctor, White is also an expert on natural remedies, a prolific author of books and articles on herbal medicine, and a faculty member of the Integrative Therapeutic Practices Program.
She was a contributor and medical adviser for “National Geographic’s Complete Guide to Natural Home Remedies,” due out in March, authored an accompanying booklet entitled “Foods That Heal,” and is writing a college textbook on personal health.
As for those healing foods, one of them is chicken soup spiked with medicinal herbs.
“I add shiitake mushrooms, onion and, at the very end, Italian seasonings such as rosemary, oregano and thyme, and garlic—if you cook garlic you destroy some of the biologically active ingredients,” she says. The result: a brew with “immune-enhancing and anti-microbial properties” and one that will clear mucus and ease a cough.
“Often, the standard medical school curriculum doesn’t cover complementary and alternative treatments,” says White, whose medical degree is from the University of California, San Diego. “If doctors don’t know about something, they’re not going to endorse it. But the good news is that most university-based hospitals now have integrative medicine clinics. Also, a number of databases allow doctors quickly to look up an herb and find out if it’s safe and how it might interact with medicines a patient is taking.”
Asked if there is a risk in going the herbal or home remedy route as opposed to more conventional treatment, White answers this way:
“The main risk is delaying treatment for a serious condition. I recommend that people consult their primary care doctors about their health concerns. It always helps to get a diagnosis.”
As for those headaches, White usually takes a couple of capsules of ginger and sips on ginger tea or peppermint tea. If she has the opportunity, she’ll blend a couple drops of peppermint essential oil in lotion, rub it on her temples or the back of her neck, and lie down for a few minutes.
And, she adds, “I may also take ibuprofen.”
