This morning I was doing something in the house, and I heard a "whack, whack, whack" sound very nearby. That sound usually signals some trajabadore is clearing plants nearby. Since this house is built property-line-to-property-line, and surrounded by large expanses of vegetation, I always keep an eye and and ear out for the sound. And for the men who feel it is their job to chop down, or spray with herbicides, the ornamentals that have planted right close to the house.This morning it was Galvino or Calvino, chopping away at something out in the driveway. I have seem him around town, but never spoken with him.
He told me the plant he was taking branches from was called "Paniqua". I guessed at the spelling, and wrote it down that way. Of course, the "P" might have been a "B", etc etc.
Anyway, I have't actually found the name of the plant in a quick Google search, or by looking through my plant book indexes, but I will get back to it.
Because he said "Paniqua" is plant for diabetes. He said he has Diabetes and said his "sangria dulce", blood sugar, is okay because he drinks tea from this plant every morning. He said when the tea water turns yellow, it is ready to drink. I would be curious to check his blood some morning, but I am having trouble with my new glucose meter and have to dig up the manual for it.
That's two plants I have been told about that are used to treat treatment Diabetes in Chacala. Maybe their are more. People often offer me bits of plants, or dried leaves, or tea for this or that. I understand they maybe effective treatment, but I would prefer to be competent at identifying the actual plants myself, and know a little more about how they are used before I take something. Nopali seems okay, because it's a regular food people eat all the time.
I think I will go slow with the mystery (for me) plants. Of course, when a doctor or pharmacist hands me some pill, with a name in label in Spanish, I gulp them right down, for days usually. I'm brainwashed I guess, because almost all pharmaceuticals have bad side-effects. God know why I am willing to take them, actually.
3 comments:
Interesting stuff!
I always urge folks who want to go herbal to be careful though. I had a friend who decided to treat his illness fully with herbals and not use pharmaceuticals. He was dead in 6 months. He would be alive today if he would have stayed on his meds.
However, there are certainly herbals that help the meds....
I know it's wise to be careful when it comes to herbal meds, we don't know as much as our doctors know. We have to also remeber that the herbs have been aroud a lot longer than pills. Wish I knew more about what plants were good for what illeness. It would be so good to treat sickness as the healers did.
Certainly an interesting area to research more. I too, far easily accept a chemist's prescription purely based on the notion that they know more than I do about these things.
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