Mama Lean’s Herbal Remedies

When I was a little girl I suffered from convulsions (seizures) and the doctor gave me a prescription for phenobarbital. Phenobarbital is a barbiturate that slows the activity of your brain and nervous system. It is used to treat or prevent seizures and is also used short-term as a sedative to help you relax. The doctor told my mother that he did not know what was causing the seizures and since no one in my family suffered from them, there was not a history to draw from.

My mother administered the medication a few times, however she did not like how I looked each time the drug entered my system. She knew that this medication was extremely strong. She was lead by God because she and my father decided to take me off the medication and I never suffered from convulsions again. I am NOT suggesting that you stop any of your medications without a doctor, in fact, I highly recommend that you DO NOT do this without consulting with your physician.

My parents are deep Southern folk who believe in eating as healthy as possible. My mother’s grandfather had a farm and my father’s mother made all of her food from scratch. My father also raised us on an organic garden before “organic” became a buzz word.

Fast forward to when I was in sixth grade, I woke up and my lips were swollen beyond belief. I looked like another person. The swelling did not hurt but it itched profusely. My mother took me to the doctor and they could not determine the cause. Yet, they prescribed an Epinephrine Auto-Injector (Epi Pen) for me shoot myself once the swelling came. The Epi Pen did not work because whatever was causing the swelling left my lips but then moved its way down to my hands, then my elbow and knee joints, and finally to my feet. I was out of school for a week. Each occurrence was worse than the other, preventing me from being able wear clothes, slippers, etc.

My mother continued to take me to the doctor and they could not determine the cause, yet, they continued to administer medication. I refused to take it and my mother was furious with the doctor but with me as well because she was really scared.

I eventually realized that these swellings would only come in the winter months. The doctor suggested that I keep a meal journal. I began to pinpoint what it was that was making me swell…or so I thought. My theory proved to be incorrect as certain foods that made me swell, would do so on an inconsistent basis. Meats, ice cream, salads, dried fruits, cakes, pies, cookies, canned vegetables, frozen fruits and vegetables. So, I thought that for the rest of my life, I would live like this and resigned myself to having to tote an Epi Pen. One doctor told my mother that this was an allergic reaction and offered to do a battery of tests which included injecting needles into my stomach. He stated that there is not a guarantee that the tests would determine the cause of my swelling. Of course you know, I refused to do that and this time, my mother agreed with me.

One day while in college, I was drinking a wine cooler with my friends. The next day, I was rushed to the campus infirmary. The doctor asked me everything that I ate the day and night before. I told him and the one thing that he automatically pointed out was the wine. He asked me the flavor and I told him black cherry. He stated that the wine cooler had sulphites which causes swelling when one is allergic. He also stated that they may be contained in dried fruits, meats, cookies, candies, and…get this…salads at salad bars. It is used to preserve the color in food products. If it swells the air passages, asphyxiation may cause suffocation, unconsciousness, and/or death.

I was thankful that my throat was never swollen, but at this point, I made it my business to read labels and check for sulphites. However, during this time I did not know that there were other preservatives that do the same thing. So, while I was avoiding sulphites, the swelling still remained very much a part of my life. But now, when I indulged in something that had preservatives, I’d use my Epi Pen immediately after if I felt that certain kind of itch.

Some years after graduating, I thought about becoming a vegetarian but did not know where to start. Eventually, I began to consider vegetarianism more and more and began conducting research. Please note that research back then was not as easy as clicking a Google button. I was living in Brooklyn, NY and discovered three key people, Dr. Sebi, Queen Afua, and Dr. Gary Null. These individuals really knew their stuff and they had me anxious about really altering my lifestyle.

Queen Afua became my son’s healthcare practitioner, Gary Null, I just went to hear him speak, bought his books, and products from the one health food store that existed at the time. Dr. Sebi was, at that time, only for the serious vegetarians because many people did not want to follow him and his protocols because they considered them too strict and thought he was crazy because he “claimed to have cured AIDS”. They also thought he was crazy because his name was “Dr.” but he didn’t have a degree so there were those who tried to say that he was a fraud.

I remember being an advocate for him, purchasing his products and selling them for a period of time. Again, keep in mind, we did not have websites to sell products so everything was word of mouth. Like, you had to be in the loop to know when he was coming to town, how long he was going to stay, and have enough money to stock up on products. When he came to town the Dr. Sebi Tribe passed the flyers and the word. We recruited people to come hear him speak because he knew his stuff and we wanted as many people liberated as possible.

I went to school to become an herbal practitioner. I also raised my son as a vegan vegetarian. He attended a vegetarian day care and eventually a vegan school. My parents were up in arms initially and even called me crazy. My mother threatened to call the authorities on me if something happened to my son because her claim was that I had grown up eating “normal” foods and I was fine….had she forgotten the convulsions and the swelling! No, but she was conditioned to believe that doctors know about us better than we know about ourselves.

Do not get me wrong, science definitely has its place and is extremely useful, please do not misconstrue that. However, the onus is on us to become so in tune with our bodies that when we visit the doctor’s office, you and the doctor are supposed to become partners in your health.

Since I’ve become a vegetarian, I no longer swell up at all. In fact, I have more energy, I have clearer thoughts, and overall feel better. I must also admit that as a woman of a certain age, I experienced menopause much later than my peers. I would also like to share that on occasion when a hot flash does rear its ugly head, it is because I have compromised my diet…I never compromise with meat, but I love bread and for holidays, I may indulge in some of my mom’s mac and cheese, sweet potato pie with homemade crust, etc. I know when I’ve over done it because my body immediately alerts me that it is not happy with my food choices. Thankfully, I know what to do to reverse the feeling.

My husband did not believe in the power of herbs, initially, and he used to tease me about being a fake doctor. Today, my husband and my family are my biggest supporters. I am the first person they call when they feel like they’re getting sick. My friends and other family members call me when they want to know about herbs and what should they do ….. Mama Lean was born.

Committing to an herbal lifestyle changed my life. I look forward to helping you develop and/or accomplish your health goals, NATURALLY!