Pau d'Arco

I stopped into the local health food store with the Bug early last week.  She wanted something to clean her out, get her insides working again.

I know -- really technical healthspeak.  Shows you how often I get into the health food store.

Anyway, The Bug was too embarassed to ask about this stuff because it involves pooping.  I, however, cleaned poop off her very bottom between 16 and 19 years ago.  I have little trouble talking about (other people's) poop.  So I was elected to speak to the store's Lady Who Knows About That Stuff.

She told me all about these expensive colon cleaning kits.  I asked about what you're supposed to take after you're all cleaned out, to kind of maintain a good balance in your system.  She mentioned probiotic yogurt, which I knew about.

Then she mentioned Pau d'Arco, which I'd also heard about.  But she said this:  it's an anti-fungal.  This caught my attention immediately.

I've had sinus problems my whole life.  In my refusal to believe that this is somewhat chronic and incurable (they can cure everything these days; are you kidding me?), I ran across some research that indicated that fungus can be a contributor to sinus infections.  They may develop over years of sinus trouble.

Now I doubt this means green nastiness growing in your nose.  It might, but I'd rather not thing of it like that.  It's gotta be something that looks entirely different than the green moss growing on trees in the forest.  Of course, then again the snot that comes out of your nose isn't particularly appealing, so maybe it is green nastiness.  Well, at least it's MY green nastiness that my body is producing.  Yeeee-aaaauuuck!

(repeat:  we come from the earth, we are made of the earth, we cannot be grossed out by the earth.  We come from the earth, we are made of the earth, we cannot be grossed out.)

I've also noticed this creeping crud on the knuckles of my fingers.  I never had that before.  It's like dry spots.  I've been rubbing athlete's foot cream on them, because Hunk O Man has had this stuff -- probably gave it to me at some point in our 24 years of marriage -- and a dermatologist gave him an anti-fungal prescription, which cleared it up.

So anyway -- back to the Pau d'Arco -- I bought a little bottle of the tincture and have been drinking 2 dropperfuls with a bit of water 2 times per day.  It's a little bitter, but tossing it down with about 1/4 cup of water, cold, isn't too bad.  I don't mind it.

Amazingly, what I've noticed is that the creeping crud has gotten worse.  BUT . . . the guy at the register (husband of Lady Who Knows About That Stuff) said that it would likely get worse until my body got rid of it altogether.

So it's working!

Call it whatever you like.  Maybe those health food nuts are onto something after all.  I'm just about out of the tincture and I'm going back for more.  And next time I have a problem, I think I may go to them and just see what they think.  Hopefully it will not have to do with green nastiness or poop.

xoxoxox