Podcast 37 – New (and Not So New) to Homeopathy Part III

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In this podcast, we cover:

02:18    How often to use homeopathy

04:32    Planning ahead

12:23    Appreciating classical homeopathy

16:33    To follow or not to follow a diet

You are listening to a podcast from joettecalabrese.com where nationally certified American homeopath, public speaker, and author, Joette Calabrese, shares her passion for helping families stay healthy through homeopathy and nutrient-dense nutrition.

Paola:  It’s podcast number 37 at joettecalabrese.com. Here’s what we have coming up. So, today’s podcast is what we’re calling Part 3 of our Newbies Series. I’m your host today, Paola Brown. Part 1 of this series can be found on Joette’s website under Podcast Number 17. Part 2 was Podcast Number 33. So, today’s podcast is a follow up to those first two. If you have someone who’s interested in starting homeopathy and they’re not sure where to go, maybe you could send them these three podcasts. Also, another great place is to send them to Joette’s quick start guide, which you can find on her homepage under the heading “New to Homeopathy.”

So, today we’re going to talk about what makes you prepared with homeopathy, as far as remedies go. Joette talks about how you can be minimally prepared. If you are already minimally prepared, she talks about how you can advance to being super prepared. We also look at how homeopathy should be used. Do you use it for every little fear and sniffle that comes by or not? So, let’s take it from the top with Joette.

I’m so happy to be here with you, Joette. Hi. How are you?

Joette:  Hi. I’m well. This is always great.

Paola:  This is Part 3 of the little podcast series that we’re doing. We’re focusing on newbies to homeopathy, newcomers. The very first podcast for newbies is Podcast Number 17. That’s one that you recorded back with Jendi. It talks about what is homeopathy, the very foundational questions. Then we had a second podcast, Part 2, and this is Part 3. So, we have a few more questions that we received from some of your listeners and your newcomers to homeopathy. I was hoping you would answer them with me today.

Joette:  Yes, let’s go.

Paola:  Some new moms to homeopathy are wondering do we treat every little runny nose or cold symptoms or do we sometimes let it run its course. So, they’re trying to know how often to use homeopathy and when to let the illness do its thing. Like sometimes mucous is okay. It’s getting rid of foreign bodies and germs that are in the bodies. So, can you use homeopathy too much or too little?

How often to use homeopathy

Joette:  I love that question. I’m glad someone asked that because I believe that when someone is enthusiastic about homeopathy, they see results and more results and more results. They can’t wait to get at the next illness in the family. They sometimes get too excited and over-treat. I agree. I think it can be used too often.

I think it’s important to let a lot of illnesses just fall to the wayside. Let the colds just be unless they’re really debilitating. Let the child get a fever unless it’s really debilitating. In fact, I have an article. If you Google it: Get Your Kids High. It’s all about allowing a child to get a fever. It is part of their education. I am concerned with the education of the immune system.

It’s important that children get illnesses. If it becomes trying, or they’re in a lot of pain, let’s say it’s otitis media; or their eyes are quite swollen, they have conjunctivitis; or the throat that’s a little painful is clearly becoming more like strep because you can smell it and see it, etc.; okay now, it’s time to treat.

I don’t treat every little thing. It’s hard to keep yourself from doing that when you’re fresh at this because it’s so much fun because suddenly you have all these power in your hands. But I think it’s best to keep it to a purr instead of a roar.

Paola:  Both of our friend, Tricia (she’s one of the gals that helps us edit these podcasts), I remember when she got her first homeopathy kit, she said, “I just kind of sit around waiting for one of my kids to get sick.”

Joette:  Right, for the shoe to fall, yes, that’s right.

Paola:  Like, “Oh good, let me go get my kit.” Sage advice.

Joette:  Yes. I also think that you learn faster and better when you’re treating many, so the larger your family, the better. The more livestock you have, the more house pets you have, the more wildlife you treat, you’ll learn a lot faster. You’ll be able to discern what is worthy of treatment, what is worthy of not treatment, and also, what is worthy of getting to the hospital or doctor for.

Paola:  Right. We have a great podcast on discernment that you can look up and listen to. I think that falls under this too, very good.

So, here’s another question. A lot of newbies that are sold and they want to come … and they want to plan ahead. They want to know what is your advice on what it means to plan ahead as far as homeopathy goes. Right away own a kit, the Top 100 Remedy Kit.

Planning ahead 

Joette:  At least one kit, at least that one. As soon as you can afford another one that’s a 200-potency kit, we sell them here in the office. We give discounts for people who buy two at a time. The larger kit that’s 30^th potency and the smaller kit that’s just 200^th potency. Yes, you have to start with that.

If you don’t have any homeopathy remedies and you’re learning how to use homeopathy and you’ve come up with a medicine, and it’s now Saturday night at 11 o’clock and your child is screaming with an ear infection; you know absolutely you should be giving Chamomilla and you don’t own it — what good is that? You might as well just give the child pain reliever. These pharmacies that manufacture them [the remedy kits] know exactly what you need for most everyday conditions. That’s what you’ll find in those kits.

Now having said that parenthetically, there are 6000, at last counting that I’ve heard, homeopathic medicines available. So, this is only 100 of them in this kit. So, it’s not going to have everything, but it will be a very good start.

Paola:  Would you say that someone who owns just one kit, the Top 100 Remedy Kit, it’s the red kit from Washington Homeopathic that you sell, they’re minimally prepared?

Joette:  Yes, it’s a minimal, absolutely.

Paola:  Then if they own the second kit, the 200 kit, that would be more helpful?

Joette:  That helps too. She who has the most remedies, in the end, wins.

Paola:  I love that. So then, what’s the next step? So, let’s say you own the Top 100 in mostly 30C, then you own the Top 50 in 200C, those are the two kits you were talking about that you give a discount if they buy them together … then what?

Joette:  Well, it depends on where you are in your life. If you absolutely can’t afford anything, or if you can afford and you just don’t want to make a huge commitment yet to taking a course or buying books, etc., just go to my blog. Everything is free. All my information is free. I’ve been authoring this blog for nine years. In the last five to six years, I give you precisely the condition, what the homeopathic medicines are. If you happen not to own it, you can click on it. It will take you to Amazon or to Boiron. I don’t get any kickbacks on this. This is just strictly for the convenience of my viewers. You’ll get the medicine sent to you in short order or hopefully, you’ve got it in your kit.

What you do is you put in the search bar what the condition is. Be aware that at this point, we’re in the process of revamping the website for I think the third time. Now, we’re going to make it a little bit more user friendly so that you don’t need to come up with synonyms. So, if you put in “otitis media,” if it doesn’t show up, then you personally must know to put in “ear infections,” currently. But at some point, it should be able to do that for you. So, at this point, you might have to come up with a synonym.

Paola:  Here’s a great, little exercise that you actually taught me, Joette, that I’m going to bring up. Sit down and make a list of all the stuff that you, your family members, your children have suffered from. Then make a list of all the stuff that could happen to them that you fear for, you know, the stepping on a rusty nail. I don’t know, all those things. Then go to Joette’s blog and research those subjects and start seeing if you own the remedies that it takes to treat those.

Joette:  Yes, treat those conditions.

Paola:  Then you fill in the gaps and order the single remedies that might be missing.

Joette:  That’s what you’ve done, isn’t it, Paola?

Paola:  Oh yes! When I got our cow and our chickens — I mean I did that for my kids — but when I got our cow and our chickens, I went through the cow book. (I have this cow book about how to take care of them and chickens.) I started seeing all these things.

Joette:  It’s what we spend our money on.

Paola:  It is.

Joette:  You know what I mean? It’s not about manicures. It’s not about dinners out. It’s not about a hot, new outfit. That’s what I love about this. It’s about something that is intellectually delicious, as I say and allows us to give back to our family in a very intellectual but heartfelt way as well. It puts the power back into mothering. That’s what I loved about it, probably most of all. I became the decision maker.

Now, there were certainly times when my children were young that I wasn’t so sure. I might call a friend, which by the way I might mention folks ought to strongly consider joining a study group that we promote through the blog. Because now, you’ve got a little community of likeminded mothers/grandmothers who are interested in learning right along with you. They will come to the table with conditions that their families suffer. Then you’ll come to the table with the conditions your family suffers from. So, with that, now you’re fleshing out and covering many, many conditions and helping and teaching each other.

Paola:  Well, I think that’s absolutely right. So, planning ahead isn’t just owning remedies but it’s having a band of mothers who are like-minded who can support you. My son had an ear infection earlier this month. Boy, it was terrible. I have this friend, Joette, that stayed up with me until 1:30 in the morning. She lives in Dallas. She’s not even close to me, texting me on my phone, helping me figure things out because I was on zero sleep for two nights now. I could not think straight. I mean, that’s what I’m talking about, having friends.

Joette:  And you’re going to be willing to do that for her when the tables are turned.

Paola:  Oh yes, absolutely, yes. That’s right.

Joette:  Yes. So, then the next place you go to after that is just take courses. I have a lot of courses. I have CDs and downloads. I mean that is what I’m all about. My mission is to educate. So, we have plenty of information besides the podcast. You don’t even need to stay on the website. If you just Google “Joette Calabrese” and the name of the condition, I’ve written for many other blogs. I’m published in Weston A. Price Foundation’s quarterly journal for the last nine years. You will find lots of information all over the internet on this particular subject that I’ve written and others have written as well.

Paola:  Joette, your blog, and your presence online is such a huge help. I mean can you imagine if you had that when you were starting out?

Joette:  Oh my gosh. I would have died for having someone like me. Really, I had a wonderful teacher and she retired. That was the end of that. Actually, she moved out of the area when my children were young. I had counted on her. She was a great homeopath. She helped me tremendously. She helped bring my health back around again in very short order. In those days, we were taught that you only meet physically with your homeopath.

Paola:  Right, not on the phone.

Joette:  Not on the phone, not on Skype. Now, I meet with all of my clients on Skype or phone. I never meet anyone in my office any longer. But in those days, we were taught that that’s what you had to do because you had to shake their hand, you had to see if they had an odor. You were experiencing the person so that you can get a better choice of remedy. Now, with this method that I use, that’s really very much unnecessary.

But at any rate, when she moved out of the area, “Oh my gosh! Now what am I going to do? I’m doomed.” It took a few days of processing it and complaining about it. “What am I going to do? How am I going to handle this? Who will I find? I need to find someone else.” I knew that there wasn’t anyone else in my area. This was back in the 80s. So, it dawned on me one day, “Oh my gosh. I think I have to know how to do this, I mean really know how to do this. This is up to me. It’s my family. It’s my job! So, I should learn how to do this.”

Paola:  I hate to break it to you, however, even though you have this wonderful web presence, I think everyone who follows you, Joette, is a little bit sick to their stomach that you will ever retire.

Joette:  My husband and I talked about that the other day. He was saying, “I don’t know. I think you’ll be able to work for a long, long time,” because I do love it. I love teaching. I love taking cases. I’ll just maybe slow it down quite a bit as I age, but I’m not slowing down now. I’m still revving up.

Paola:  Good. Okay, right, good girl. Keep taking your homeopathic then.

Joette:  Yes, it’s because of these medicines that I’m able to stay as well as I am at 65.

Paola:  That’s right. Okay, Joette. Here’s another great question. What is the value of classical homeopathy if the protocols are easier and more reliable shortcuts?

Appreciating classical homeopathy

Joette:  Well, for those who are neophytes to this, they may not know the difference between classical and the protocols that I use.

Paola:  That’s true.

Joette:  These practical methods that I use, but just bear with us then. You might be able to pick up a little bit from this. But for those who know what classical homeopathy is, I was a dyed-in-the-wool classical homeopath for decades. I even taught the first classical homeopathy course that was ever credit-bearing in a college setting in New York State. So, I believed down to my toes the value of classical homeopathy.

But I don’t use it much at all anymore, overtly. I believe, however, that because I had so much training in it and I studied it so thoroughly for so many years, that I think in the back of my head I do have a little classical left in there that is my basic foundation. For anyone who really wants to take homeopathy seriously — even enough to say become a practitioner at some point — I would never urge them to do it without going to classical homeopathy school. You really need that background to fully understand because many cases will come across your desk that you will not be able to necessarily understand thoroughly without that background.

Having said that, however, the Banerji Protocols as well as a few of my own methods here and there — mostly Banerji Protocols — are really based on classical. But it’s trimmed down the fat and made it so tight that it’s much, much easier to use. So, you may find as someone who’s treating your family consistently, you will not need to study or use classical homeopathy. In fact, it may even confuse or confound you from time to time.

Paola:  Right. And in study groups: the study group curriculum, “Gateway to Homeopathy,” (the first half of that), we do talk about classical homeopathy because classical homeopathy helps us understand the foundation of homeopathy, what it means, how it works, the basic theory of homeopathy.

Now, we do have a podcast, Joette, that I want to remind your listeners here, Podcast Number 24, Topics That Bear Repeating, where you and I discussed the protocol form of homeopathy versus classical homeopathy a little bit more in depth. So, if this subject kind of sparks your interest, I think that’s a good podcast to listen to. But I do want to say with my son, that ear infection that I was just talking about, I did start with the homeopathic protocol for ear infections that you taught from the Banerjis. And it did not act on him.

Joette:  Yes, so you need to go further. You need to go to the second protocol. If that doesn’t act, you need to go to a third protocol. If there are no more protocols after that —an the sometimes there are and sometimes there aren’t — that’s when classical, yes, indeed can be useful.

Paola:  That’s exactly where I was. He had a very unique ear infection. Actually, the exterior ear was swollen and sticking out like little elephant ear off to the side. The protocols did not work, at least in the way that I use them. I thought I was using them correctly. So, that’s where my friend, Sherry, we were talking until one in the morning. We found out that he needed Aconitum napellus at that time. We did Chamomilla 200 and Belladonna 200, which is still slightly part of the protocol, but that Aconitum napellus was really a big difference for him. So, I feel a little bit naked if I don’t know a little bit of classical homeopathy. Because, what if the Banerji Protocol does not work, or what if I don’t own the remedies in the Banerji Protocol? Well, I have a little bit of backup.

Joette:  Yes, yes. Listen, you can never get too much education. Oh, wait a minute, I take that back.

Paola:  What do you mean?

Joette:  I take it back because I’m making fun of the universities these days. There’s a lot of gobbledygook education in American universities these days. So, there’s a lot of stuff that becomes superfluous and without focus. But, self-education is what I mean. That’s where I put the emphasis. Everyone should be constantly educating themselves, whether it’s homeopathy or otherwise.

Paola:  I love my homeopathy library. I love all the books. I have tons of your books, Joette. I have more books. I love it. I think that’s what you’re talking about.

Joette:  Yes.

Paola:  So, my last question for the newbies that we’re getting is: What role does diet have in homeopathy?

To follow or not to follow a diet

Joette:  People ask me this all the time. And, I hope I don’t sound inconsistent but in terms of a condition, a disease, not as much as you would think.

Paola:  Interesting.

Joette:  I’m on the board, the honorary board of Weston A. Price Foundation. I am a true believer in the whole nutrient-dense, homemade foods that are sourced from good sources. I believe in Dr. Weston Price’s works and all those who are peripherally around him. But, I have found through the years that depending on foods alone has been a disappointment, not only in my own health but in other folks’ health, in my clients and students, etc.

Sometimes we get lucky and people report to me that by getting off of gluten, they don’t have any more joint pain. But if they wait long enough, my experience so far has shown me that stay away from gluten for a while and then a couple of years later, they find out, oh. it’s kind of coming back again. Now, they have to get off of dairy. Then wait a little longer and then now, they have to get off of eggs. Then eggs are related to chicken. It doesn’t correct the problem. Abstinence of food does not correct the problem in my experience. It’s management.

Now, I’m not going to tell you it never works because I think that for some people, it can. If it is a food condition in the first place, then yes, I suppose that’s very possible. But I don’t get those folks. The people I get are those who have been through GAPS diets and Weston Price and FODMAPs. I can go through many more names than that of diets.

If you’ll listen to this a couple of years from the time we’re recording this today, there are going to be more diets. They are going to declare that this is the diet that cures. Well, I started back in the 1980s with Dr. William Crook’s book on “The Yeast Connection.” I thought I had found the answer and followed that. It helped for a while, but it wasn’t until I got to homeopathy that it really got to the true correction.

Paola:  I see.

Joette:  So having said that, it’s not necessary to change the diet when you’re using homeopathy. If you already found that you can’t eat dairy and that you’ll get diarrhea and brain fog, so of course, you don’t eat it. Don’t go ahead and do it. You already know that that would be imprudent. So, you stay with the diet that you’ve been following. And you add the homeopathic, and then slowly you start adding in some of the foods that were a problem before.

That is what we’re looking for is the freedom of being able to eat anything. I always tell folks. I want everyone to be able to eat at McDonald’s. Not that I expect you to eat at McDonald’s, but I want you to have the freedom to be able to do so. If I were bold enough to come into your home and open up your refrigerator, I would certainly hope that I would find high quality foods in there. But, if you’re on a long trip with your family, and you ran out of food, and it’s now one in the morning, you’re in the middle of a snowstorm, and the kids are waking up, and they’re hungry, and the only thing that’s around is a McDonald’s — I’d like you to be able to go to McDonald’s. Or even less severe a situation than that.

So, true health is freedom. And the freedom to be able to eat whatever you have available to you is what we’re looking for. Now, also the other side of that coin is we have to be intelligent about our food choices.

So, it’s unnecessary — that’s really what I’m distilling this down to — for someone to get better by using homeopathy and having to go on a strict diet in addition to that.

Paola:  I see. So, what you’re saying is — and I think you taught this in the Good Gut, Bad Gut course — that the Banerjis in India, they don’t prescribe a homeopathic protocol to their clients and then also prescribe a specific diet.

Joette:  No. They tell all the patients, eat your traditional foods. Now, it’s different there because they do have traditional foods. A lot of us, at least in the US and North America don’t have traditional foods anymore. Our grandparents or great-great grandparents, or great-great-great came here so long ago that many of the foods have been lost, or they’ve been bastardized. You have to be careful with that. That’s why I like Weston A. Price, because it is traditional and it’s mostly based on European foods. That’s where most of us hail in this country. So, that makes perfect sense to me. But, when you look at the traditional foods in Calcutta, it depends on the religion. There are many different religions. They’re very traditional people in their traditional garb, and their lifestyles, etc., etc. So, you can’t possibly broach that subject and get away with it.

Paola:  A lot of vegetarianism and things like that.

Joette:  Well, there’s vegetarianism. Many of them don’t have access to the kinds of foods that we have access to, if they live in villages or if they live in the big city. They have what they have.

Paola:  Right. That is right. Very good. I know that part of your logo used to say where nutrient meets homeopathy. So, it wasn’t necessarily that you needed to have the diet for homeopathy to do its thing. Really, I think your goal is to say it’s where diet has left off in the healing process, homeopathy can complete.

Joette:  Yes, picks up. Picks up and carries on. You don’t have to do the diet first and then homeopathy second. You can certainly start on a decent, clean diet and not worry too much about it, and use the homeopathy simultaneously.

Paola:  Right, very good.

Joette:  Well, it’s like anything in life. That anything that is wholesome and lofty and authentic, of course, you want that. I always tell people, if they’re stressed or — many conditions can be attributed to stress — I tell people, listen to good quality music. Don’t watch the news so much. Only read quality books. Don’t expose yourself to the lower end of society. Find the lofty and concentrate on it. That automatically lifts us out of aspects of life that can drag us down too deeply.

Paola:  Right. Weed out the toxic friendships or relationships. For me, I think it’s something big this year. It’s focusing on gratitude. That’s a very good thing too.

Joette:  Yes, absolutely. So, St. Catherine of Sienna said, “If you are what you should be, you will set the whole world on fire.” That is a big part of my motto. This is what I should be doing. I want to hand this over to you. If it is what you should be doing, then I hope that you’ll set your world on fire as well.

Paola:  Well, I know you’ve set my world on fire. I mean, truly Joette. I mean, this is one of my last podcast with you for a little while.

Joette:  I know.

Paola:  It’s so sad. It’s been such a hard thing. We live on a homestead. I’m so busy with young kids and homeschooling.

Joette:  You have a very rich life, Paola. It’s a good thing. It’s very good.

Paola:  I am so thankful. But I have to say, Joette, you really have changed my life. I’ll still be around. I’ll still help out, I’m sure, here and there with the podcast or in the course or however you need me to. But, I just feel so privileged to have been part of this and to be a little piece in your group.

Joette:  It’s been my pleasure as well having you. It’s been great working with you.

Paola:  Thank you.

Joette:  It’s natural. We bounce off of each other well.

Paola:  The gal who’s going to be helping out with the podcast, Kate, many of you already know her. She is a Mom with Moxie. She has the story where the horse landed on her arm and shattered her arm into a million pieces. My favorite part of that story is where she was at the hospital, and she wasn’t taking any painkillers. They wouldn’t release her. So, she finally said, “Okay, give me a Tylenol. Okay, that helps sooooo much. I feel so much better,” because she’s been using lots of homeopathy. So, she’ll be a great addition here.

Joette:  Oh yes, I think so too.

Paola:  So you guys can look forward to her. Well, thank you so much, Joette.

Joette:  It’s my pleasure, Paola. As always, it’s been great.

Paola:  You just listened to a podcast by joettecalabrese.com where nationally certified homeopath, public speaker, and author, Joette Calabrese shared her passion for helping families stay healthy through homeopathy and nutrient-dense nutrition. Joette’s podcasts are available on iTunes, Google Play, Blueberry, Stitcher, and TuneIn radio.

Thank you for listening to this podcast with Joette Calabrese. If you liked it, please share it with your friends. To learn more and find out if homeopathy is a good fit in your health strategy, visit joettecalabrese.com.