Folk medicines a cultural perspective Five herbal supplement Farm services center to model farm servies center a journey A Presentation By Mr Allah Dad Khan allahdad52@gmail.com

2. Folk Medicines
A Cultural Perspectives
A
lecture by
Mr. Allah Dad Khan
allahdad52@gmail.com

3. Folk MedicineFolk Medicine:
A Cultural Perspective

4. Core Concepts and
Characteristics of Folk Medicine
Oral transmission
Health as harmony
Interrelation of
body,mind, spirit
Supernatural
elements
Thoughts and
emotions
associated with
disease
Positive/ negative
energies
Moral tone

5. Disease and Illness
Classification
Classified according to causation
hot or cold type
elements of the body
natural(according to God)
supernatural(violating God’s will)

6. Folk Practitioners
Self or Family Care: Generalists or Specialists
birth order or circumstances
divine gifts or calling
special or transformative life circumstances
familial inheritance
personal desire or interest

7. Common Therapeutic
Practices
Religious, spiritual, magical, sacramental
objects
Natural substances; botanical, animal,
mineral
Physical Therapies

8. C.A.M.
Complimentary and Alternative Medicine
This is a Western view of traditional
healing practices
Millions of people use these practices as
their primary source of health care

9. Ancient Folk Traditions
Traditional Chinese Medicine
over 4,000 years old
is the basis for other healing
systems: Vietnam, Korea and Japan
has now spread worldwide
to learn more:
The Chinese Way to Health: A
Self-help Guide to Traditional
Chinese Medicine
by Dr. Stephen Gascoigne
Indian, Ayurvedic Healing
5,000 years old
Sanskrit for” the science of life
and longevity”
diet/ nutrition
relaxation
lifestyle
exercise
meditation, breathing
herbs
The Complete Book of
Ayurvedic Home Remedies
by Vasant Lad

10. Why Folk Medicine?Why Folk Medicine?
Cultural Identity & Tradition
Personal beliefs, guided by social and ethnic
backgrounds
Folk remedies are usually passed by word of
mouth.
Strong ties to nationalities, backgrounds, and
heritage
“Her days are slow, days of grinding dried snake into powder, of crushing wild bees
to mix with white wine. And the townspeople come, hoping to be touched by her
ointments, her hands, her prayers, her eyes. She listens to their stories, and she
listens to the desert, always to the desert.“
from the poem, "Curandera" by Pat Mora

11. Personal Power & Taking
Control--Why Wait to Jump That
Bridge?
Limited accessibility to medical care.
Affordability of medical care.
Distrust of the Western healthcare
system .

12. Distrust of Western System
Side effects.
HMO marathon
visits.
Medication not
Meditation.

13. “Doctors” are community
The healthcare practitioner is always a member of the community
Practitioners assist in finding the root cause of health issues, using
the appropriate form of “treatment” to help cure the patient.
Community is the “doctor”
In many cultural folk medicine rituals and belief systems, the entire
community is involved in the ritual.
The individual, as part of a community, is directly involved in the
healing process.
Choosing Folk Medicine
Simplicity of Treatment
Gives You You

14. Food as Medicine
Food IS your Medicine
We really ARE what we eat.
Whole Foods
Processed foods
People are chronically unhealthy.
Dis-ease
Malnutrition
Convenience
Addicted culture/cravings
Medical System
Sickness oriented.
Pill mentality – quick fix.
People don’t like the discomfort of change.
Minimal Nutrition Education in Medical Schools.

15. Ayruvedic
5 – Element System
Basic elements or constituents to which anything can be
reduced.
Fire
Earth
Water
Air
Space
Use this to deepen your connection to all things, including the
foods we eat.
We are ENERGETIC beings. Real food feeds this energy life-force.

16. Food-related diseases and conditions:
that can be controlled and treated by Dietary Adjustments
What are the “BEST” foods for Good Health?
UNPROCESSED & WHOLE!
Heart disease
Obesity/ eating disorders
Depression
Immune disorders
Headaches/ migraines
Fibroids
A.D.D.
Clods and flues
PMS
Diabetes
Allergies
Asthma
GI Disorders
Celiac Disease
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Heartburn
Constipation/Diarrhea
Kidney and Gallstones

17. SOLUTIONS & LIFESTYLE CHOICES
What YOU can do – This IS your Medicine
Drink more water!
Reduce or eliminate sodas and
caffeine.
Eat REAL foods
Shop at Farmers Markets
ADD good things to your diet, don’t
just eliminate.
Get outside and do something
physical.
Get enough sleep and relaxation.
Meditate.
Grow a garden
Cook at home more.
Be present when you eat
Connect with where your food has
come from.
Practice Gratitude.
Try eliminating something for 1 day.
Cut out partially hydrogenated oils.
Eat Breakfast.
Chew your food thoroughly.
Too little attention is given to CREATING health,
rather than treating Disease/Dis-ease.