Tag: Diet

31May

Manipura: the center of the will

The solar plexus energy center is slightly below the stomach level of the human body. When it comes to chakras, this energy center is referred to as Manipura.

 

Manipura is the center of the ego, or willpower. Muladhara (root) is centered around existence and survival. Svadhisthana (second/sacral) is about creative force and experiencing pleasure. Manipura is the development of a sense of self. It is the seat of actions and behaviors like self control and self empowerment. It is associated with the subtly of the element of fire.

 

Manipura in balance

When this energy center is balanced, a person seem to move about others in an effortless manner. He/she has a self-confidence and a relaxed nature. When this energy center is not in balance, the person is harried or constantly stressed. When it is out of balance toward the over-active the individual seems as if s/he is dragging the world about on her/his shoulders. When it is under active the person may seem overly meek and too timid to live.

Physically, this energy center is seated in the digestive system.  The digestive system takes in, breaks down and assimilates the nutrients in food. It may be beneficial to think of Manipura as the center at which a person assimilates life. Is it a fight (over active)? Is it just another function that happens (balanced)? Or is life a force that runs the person over (under active)?

Digestion is also thought of as a hot process in the body. Heat and acid digest foods while it is being churned in the stomach and then moved through to the beginning of the small intestine where chyme is added to neutralize the burning acids. So if you think about it, it is where you would find fire (heat, burning) in the human body.  Digestive functions of the liver, gall bladder, gut are associated with this chakra.

Yellow is the assigned color to this chakra. This is also the color of flames as they lick up from a roaring fire. The endocrine glands of the adrenals and pancreas are also tied into this chakra. This would indicate there is a sweetness associated with being secure in one’s self, or feeling secure in the development of one’s ego.

Let’s boil this down a bit

I know all of the stuff above seems like gobbledy gook…new age drivel. However, let’s look at it this way: This chakra is your fire in life. It is effected by how much zeal you have for living. If you are secure in yourself, you go for the gusto in a realistic manner and with realistic expectations/fears. If this center if off balance, you have excess stress which may effect the gut and digestion, and/or your body’s ability to manage stress (adrenals and pancreas). Does this mean everything can be simplified down to just utilizing some tools for Manipura and all your ills will go away? Heck no! But they could help, so maybe give them a shot!

Affirmations that may help

  • I love and accept myself.
  • I am secure in my own power.
  • I am strong and courageous.
  • I am worthy of love, kindness, and respect.
  • I choose the best for myself.
  • I express myself in a powerful way.
  • I am proud of my achievements.
  • I honor my self.
  • I choose to engage in healthy relationships.
  • I am authentic.
  • I am the director of my own life.
  • I value my strengths.
  • I stand up for myself.
  • I am free to choose in any situation.
  • I seek opportunities for personal and spiritual growth.
  • I am at peace with myself.

Essential oils that may be of assistance with Manipura:

  • Cinnamon
  • Ginger
  • Sandalwood
  • Rosemary
  • Myrrh
  • Frankincense
  • Rose
  • Jasmine
  • Citrus essential oils

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Herbs that may benefit Manipura:

  • Saffron
  • Cinnamon
  • Ginger
  • Mint
  • Lemon Balm
  • Fennel
  • Marshmallow
  • Slippery Elm

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Please know that that any products purchased from my shop or from links I post supply me with either direct or passive income (affiliate marketing links). I appreciate each and every purchase. You, as a customer, help to support me and my business and keep this website going.

12Feb

Heart healthy hawthorn berries

Hawthorn for your heart

Hawthorn berries* have long been used as a tonic herb for the heart and circulatory system. Hawthorn contains antioxidant flavonoids, including OPCs, may help dilate blood vessels, improve blood flow, and protect blood vessels from damage. Not only has the berries been used medicinally but also the leaves, and flowers of the hawthorn plant have been used, too.

Hawthorn is sometimes mixed in combination* with other heart friendly herbs, like Ginkgo biloba. Ginkgo also helps to work with the blood vessels to increase circulation. It has been shown of benefit in some studies to improve situations of hardening of the blood vessels and/or fat deposits in the blood vessels. It is only natural to pair this great herb with Hawthorn.

February is heart health month.

You may want to consider using Hawthorn alone or in a combination to help your heart.

*The items linked to this blog post are not necessarily those used in the studies referenced. They are linked in order to provide an example of products containing the herbs mentioned. If you do decide to purchase from my shop, I thank you now for supporting my business.

15Nov

Common household houseplant = hidden healer

A ton of households in the world have a healing powerhouse plant on the window sill. It is the oldest medicinal plant on record and is sometimes referred to as “Lily of the Dessert.” Originating in Northern Africa, probably Sudan, Aloe Vera can grow 60 to 100 centimeters. This gives the succulent the potential to be taller than me! That is huge. ,

It is widely known to be of benefit to the skin (it makes an exceptional masque), especially when sunburn occurs, but aloe supplies other benefits some people may not know about.

Aloe and the gut

We know the juicy insides of the aloe leaves can be good for the skin, but it is also good for an irritated gut. Studies show it can decrease stomach acid secretions (Keshavarzi, Z., Rezapour, T. M., Vatanchian, M., Zare, M., Nabizade, H., Izanlu, M., . . . Shahveisi, K. (2014, March). The effects of aqueous extract of Aloe vera leaves on the gastric acid secretion and brain and intestinal water content following acetic acid-induced gastric ulcer in male rats. Retrieved November 15, 2017, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25050311)

Think of it as a cooling gel pulling inflammation for the G.I. tract walls. With this pulling of inflammation, it also does some detoxifying. People suffering from hot, swollen conditions may want to consider giving aloe a whirl. This can result in a somewhat laxative effect. So if that is an issue for you, you may want to decrease how much you are using or discontinue use.

My huge Aloe at home.

Nutrients

Aloe is chock full of vitamins, minerals, and enzymes. It contains the vitamins A, C, E, folic acid, choline, B1, B2, B3 (niacin), B6 and B12 (rare in plants). Twenty minerals including calcium, magnesium, zinc, chromium, selenium, sodium, iron, potassium, copper, manganese are contained in the spiny-edged, stemless leaves. The enzymes in aloe (Aliiase, Alkaline phosphatase, Amylase, Bradykinase, Carboxypeptidase, Catalase, Cellulase, Lipase, Peroxidase) help to break down sugars and fats. Bradykinase, specifically, reduces inflammation (See the section above).  These components make aloe a very nutritive plant.

Immune benefits

Anthraquinones are present in Aloe, but just in the juice. Anthraquinones have analgesic, antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral properties. They can be toxic, but they are in just the right quantities to be okay in Aloe. If I am planning on consuming aloe vera juice, I prefer to use it in a prepackaged supplement from a company with a superb, complex quality control department and standards of procedure to ensure safety. 

In one study I read, aloe was successfully used against H. pylori (a bacteria strain often implicated in gastric ulcers) in in-vitro studies.( Cellini, L., Di, S., Di, E., Genovese, S., Locatelli, M., & Di, M. (2014, July). In vitro activity of Aloe vera inner gel against Helicobacter pylori strains. Retrieved November 15, 2017, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24597562)

The results are very promising and combine aloe’s benefit for the gut and the immune system.

 

When I was growing up, my grandma was a huge proponent of Aloe. Every time I break off a leaf of my giant alow plant at home, I can’t help but feel she is happy with my choice.

23Jun

Stimulate your enzymes

If you read the previous couple posts, you notice a common theme: enzymes are essential. It is true, though, that some experts worry you could become dependent upon enzyme supplementation. They are concerned your body may decrease, or even stop, production of it’s own magic chemical catalysts. It is not my intention to guide anyone to that kind of state! So it should be mentioned that I use enzymes after heavy protein meals and during times of uncomfortable bloat. Holiday meals are one of these times. Hell…I’m just human. I have no more self control around the goodies than anyone else. This also means I am no stranger to the discomfort from the bloating and digestive pain which may accompany this type of event. That is when I break out the slam dunk of enzymes.

 

But what if you have a general feeling of digestive distress?

A general feeling a gastric distress is pretty common, from I have noticed from working with clients for over 22 years now. What are you supposed to do if you are one of these people experiencing the general feelings of light indigestion? You definitely do not want to discourage your body from making these essential chemical movers and shakers. They are the secret sauce that makes the chemical bonds dissolve and free the nutrients for your body to take in.

 

Enter bitters

“Bitters” is a term identifying herbs containing certain components known as tannins and other constituents which give a bitter taste to the plant. Coffee is a common bitter, tannin possessing, beverage which falls in this category. Dark chocolate, dandelion greens (one of my favorites), green tea, and more are also members of this group. As I kid, I watched a lot of old movies (hey! I had no choice! We didn’t have cable on the farm). Remember how the sophisticates in the movies of the 1950’s would have a martini before big a dinner? Vermouth serves as a spirit AND as a bitter.

Coffee contains bitter tannins

The bitter flavor serves a very important purpose. When the taste receptors in your mouth recognize the bitter flavors, they send a message to your brain as an advanced warning that food is going to be coming. This gets the juices flowing. The salivary glands start putting out the waterworks, the mucous membranes in the throat get ready to coat and swallow, the stomach starts churning. The intestines pick up peristaltic action. It’s kind of like pre-heating the oven before putting the bread in. It creates favorable conditions, like the secretion of bile for fats digestion, to allow for the best possible environment to achieve maximum conversion of the food you eat.

 

Now, think of the grocery store you go to every day. Just how much bitter stuff do you see? Even if you stick to the outside aisles, where the least processed foods normally reside, the shelves are filled with sweet tasting treats, creamy icings, bright colored fruits and veggies. There are very few true bitters sold in these areas any more. Arugula is an example of a bitter herb/salad fixing which works to stimulate digestive functions. So next time you get a before-dinner salad, don’t pick it out and set it off to the side, eat it. Trade in that sweet dressing and use a balsamic and olive oil blend instead, perhaps.

 

An easy aperitif

An aperitif is an alcoholic beverage containing bitter herbs used as a pre-meal sipper. Sales is a very popular liqueur in France flavored by one of the most popular, and efficient bitters, gentian. Hops in beer is also a very efficient bitter herb. This might explain why those people of German decent drink so much of it. Just imagine how it may help the digestive tract get prepared for the sausage dishes my ancestors loved! Dark, hop-sy beers are still bitter and I do like them, a lot.   However, alcoholic beverages are not always an acceptable practice, especially in the workplace. Could you imagine the backlash on that? Holy Crimeny!!

Gentian is commonly contained in liqueurs used as aperitifs

How about an extract of herbs containing these bitter wonders, instead? One of my favorites is Digestive Bitters Tonic. It is safe for adults and children alike. It may help, just as all of the above mentioned bitters, to aid in the digestion processes. It even has a touch of stevia to take the edge off the bitterness and cardamom to relax the digestive tract just a bit to ease the expulsion of gas, etc (yes – I’m talking about burping and farting).

You can check out Digestive Bitters Tonic in the Herbchick’s Shop by clicking here.

 

20Apr

Magical enzymes

Enzymes go to work the second something is placed in your mouth.

OK, so maybe enzymes aren’t exactly “magical,” but they definitely work magically wonderful. The minute you place food into your mouth, location specific enzymes are secreted to break down the simple sugars and starches. Salivary amylase (a.k.a. ptyalin), along with salivary lipase, goes to work on them to get a head start on those nutrients to break them down into smaller units for the next stages.

The stomach is where the proteins are broken down by Hydrochloric acid and pepsin (pepsinogen). The heat, acid, enzymes and churning actions of the stomach muscle go to work on the chewed (hopefully) food.

Notice, I said Hydrochloric acid digests protein. While many people have been conditioned to believe stomach acid is the cause for ills, it is actually very necessary. Pepsin even is dependent upon this acid being present to be active. Remember this when you see commercials for those very famous “purple pills” which shut off the proton pumps in the stomach. Proton pumps are where the acid is secreted. If they shut off, they decrease the stomach acid available to “turn on” the pepsin to get those proteins digested. So, yes, they decrease acid reflux….but they may increase indigestion and the feelings of bloat or nagging “rock in the gut” like complaints.

 

As the food moves out of the stomach, it enters the first part of the small intestine, called the duodenum. This is where the rest of the digestion initiates. Pancreatic amylase goes to work on the partially digested sugars and starches; trypsin and chymotrypsin start the end processing of the proteins; and fats are finally acted upon by lipase in bile. Other, more specialized enzymes, exist to aid in the digestion of certain things. One example is lactase breaking down milk sugar (called lactose). The pulsating waves of peristalsis move this ball of goo through the small intestines to the jejunum and the illium – each section possessing very different, specialized structures – and nutrients being taken into the blood stream by the millions of teeny blood vessels running throughout the organ. The stuff leftover (mostly fluids and fibers) are moved into the large intestine (colon) and the water absorption/regulation takes place.

Enzyme Supplementation

Those who suffer from bloating, gas, bouts of constipation, and other gastro-intestinal issues may have seen advertisements for dietary enzymes supplements. They are marketed to relieve these types of complaints. Some are marketed to assist with specialty enzymes, like lactose and those which break down beans, in order to ease the symptoms of gastric distress felt by some.

There is some disagreement over whether or not these supplementations are even necessary. Some doctors argue a lot of the enzymes are digested before they even get to the proper spot to be of any use. Others are proponents and support their use, wholeheartedly. What is a confused consumer to do? My best advice is to use your head. Have you tried them? Did it increase your feelings of gastric distress or alleviate them? Do you have a medical condition like a peptic ulcer which would be irritated by them? These are questions only you can answer.

What I will say is this: I use enzymes. They help reduce my feelings of a brick being dropped into my gut and help regulate bowel movements. However, I do not feel enzyme supplementation should be “forever thing.” Of course there’s a lot of varied debate, but a “usual” recommendation is to use them for a few months and then ease off. They can be used after or during heavier (think larger) meals or intermittently. A multi-enzyme supplement may contain the following (but certainly is not limited to these):

  •  Alpha-galactosidase
  •  Amylase
  •  Bromelain
  •  Cellulase
  •  Glucoamylase
  •  Hemicellulase
  •  Invertase [Sucrase]
  •  Lactase
  •  Lipase
  •  Maltase
  •  Papain
  •  Peptidase
  •  Protease
  •  Phytase

These are both enzymes usually found in the body, and those found in some foods. However, if there is an acid deficiency or a low level of other enzymes, those food bound enzymes may not ever be “unlocked” to work. What a catch-22, huh?

 

The body was designed to secrete these on its own. As an herbalist, it is my job to suggest natural plant based items which may help your body do what it is designed to do. That being said, check in for the next installment regarding uses for enzymes which may interest you even more.

Sources (among others) :

Digestive Enzymes: The Hidden Dangers

http://www.amymyersmd.com/2016/04/digestive-enzymes/

http://health.usnews.com/health-news/blogs/eat-run/2013/04/23/digestive-enzymes-help-or-hype

Do Digestive Enzymes Help or Hurt?

https://www.womentowomen.com/digestive-health/functions-of-digestive-enzymes/

http://www.doctoroz.com/article/boosting-your-immunity-enzymes

 

 

04Apr

Get more from your food with enzymes

I’m sure you have seen the commercials for laundry detergents using “enzyme action” to rid your clothing of stains. Perhaps you’ve heard of enzymatic products for cleaning other items, like certain metals? But do you really know what enzymes are?

According to the dictionary, enzymes are “a substance produced by a living organism that acts as a catalyst to bring about a specific biochemical reaction.” So every single act of breaking something down and putting things together in the body (or pretty much any living organism) is made possible by enzymes. Every single action form the replication of DNA and RNA all the way to breaking down nutrients is made possible by these specialty protein powerhouses. What I am going to concentrate on, here, are the enzymes responsible for digesting foods. These are commonly known as DIGESTIVE ENZYMES.

Digestive Enzymes are classified as hydrolases. These are the types of enzymes which break things down into tiny building blocks. There are many different types of enzymes. Each is specific to a certain type of food or food component. An example is pepsin and trypsin working specifically on proteins; or, lipase working directly upon dietary fats. But, where do these enzymes come from? Are we just born with them? Do we consume them?

Starch digestion begins in the mouth with the enzymes contained in saliva. This breaks down simple sugars as the food is mechanically broke down by the action of chewing. In the stomach, hydrochloric acid and pepsin work to break down the proteins as the stomach itself churns and works the food around (incidentally, did you know acid is required for the production of pepsin? hmmmm). The small intestine is where the liver and pancreas sends enzymes to break down the long chains of proteins into smaller and smaller amino acids which can then be adsorbed by the small intestinal walls, into the blood stream and sent out to the cells for fuel. These are the enzymes which the human body is responsible for producing by itself. This is a list of enzymes, along with their sources and functions: https://scioly.org/wiki/index.php/Digestive_Secretion_List

There are wsome enzymes present in the foods we eat which can act as digestive aids. An example of this is bromelain and its ability to help break down meats. When I was a kid, my grandma used to cook pork with pineapple. I’m sure it was because she liked the taste, but she was helping make that pork easier for our stomachs to digest. Many veggies and fruits contain enzymes with various beneficial roles.

Any damages to the lining of the gut (stomach and/or intestine) can impair the body’s ability to secrete enzymes and/or absorb the broken down food products. This can be very concerning as painful conditions like indigestion, acid reflux, etc often occur. And if you noticed my note above, acid is required for the activation of some enzymes. What catch 22!

The next series of post installments will deal with enzymes. I want to investigate their functions, benefits, and how you can use them to help yourself.

 

 

 

 

05Nov

Cleansing – it’s not only about pooping

A lady once told me, “I don’t need to cleanse because I already poop three times a day.” Really? Is that all people think cleansing is? It only encompasses how many times a person manages to drop a deuce in a day?

This is what we get when people rush out to buy cheaply formulated “cleanse” products which only serve to purge the intestines. What the heck happened to common sense? Good cleanses do not merely move the bowels – and they most certainly do not move them in such a way that would cause irritation and swelling. While finding a cleanse which works for your individual body type and make up may take some time, do not blindly take cleanses which do nothing past turning you into a “salad shooter.”

 

There are different types of “cleanses” which range from something as simple as laying of the refined foods for a time and allowing your body to recoup from the burden of excess simple sugars, etc, all the way to target cleanses designed to get the bile moving to “flush” the liver. So let’s start with some common sense:

Any time you fill your body with fresh, whole foods and leave out overly processed foods, you may have a “cleansing response”

What does this mean? Well, if you eat peanut butter and high fructose corn syrup laden grape jelly on white bread washed down with a red cream soda every single day and then suddenly switch to all fresh veggies, you may experience some diarrhea, cramping, etc. This does not mean the veggies gave you diarrhea. They could have but only because your body is not used to them. Any time you upgrade the quality of your nutrition, you run the risk of the body throwing off excessive amounts of toxins. I have people tell me all the time, “I can’t eat vegetables. They give me diarrhea,” only to find out they only eat them once or twice a year! No WONDER they are giving diarrhea! The body doesn’t even know what the heck they are!

It all evens out

Unless the person has some odd-ball condition like some diverticulitis type of things (it does happen…and is not limited to diverticulitis), slowly progressing into a more whole diet will become easier for the body to tolerate. The explosive results should not stay. As I said, this is barring some condition like a food intolerance or diverticulitis, or some other dys-functional state of the body. Even then, cooking the veggies, or just a light steaming, can make them more tolerable.

 

“Good” cleanses

Now, there are juice cleanses, colon cleanses, liver cleanses, kidney cleanses…really the list just keeps going on. The main type of cleanse I’d like to address is the kind which flush the liver. The liver is the main toxic waste sorting center of the body. Not all chemicals, but a lot of them, which circulate in the body go to the liver to be processed for disposal. It’s just like your garbage going into a chute in an apartment building. You toss it in the chute. It goes to the basement, maybe, where it is then moved to the holding area. There, it might be compacted or re-bagged, or tagged, or something to reprocess it for the purpose of getting it out of the building. That’s what the liver does. It processes these chemicals to get them out of your body. Usually this is done through a whole string of chemical reactions including methylation, and more. It can get extremely technical, but the end point being the liver turns these chemicals into substances which can be eliminated out of the body either through sweat, feces, urine, and even the vapors of the breath.

 

What I refer to as “good” cleanses contain some key components:

A liver flusher

Any herb which increases the flow of bile could fall in to this category. I like to use bitter greens like yellow dock or burdock paired with berberine containing herbs like Oregon grape root, etc. The increase in bile is thought to stimulate the process of ridding the body of toxins.

A fiber blend

This should be a blend of soluble and insoluble fibers. It should be gentle enough to not add to the irritation which may be occurring in the intestinal tract already. Also, it should not taste like a cardboard box just took residence in your mouth. I like to suggest a fiber blend containing things like psyllium (if tolerated. Some people have allergies to this one and do better on something else), marshmallow root, slippery elm, and more. This fiber blend can act as a sponge to oak up the bile. Then, it becomes a ball of goo which should work its way through.

A bowel mover

Too much fiber without locomotion makes a brick wall in your bowels. A bowel mover can be either a laxative like senna or an herb like Cascara Sagrada which acts by stimulating the parastalsis movements of the intestinal walls. I consider Senna to be equivalent to a jack hammer. Some people need this type of action. Others do not. However, be aware of the difference.

A soother

The bile which is thrown off can be extremely irritating to the bowel. There is no need to intentionally increase pain! That’s just crazy. That’s why I have suggested to some clients to add soothing, cooling herbs like some forms of aloe, yucca, or cat’s claw to their cleanses to reduce the potential for angry intestinal reactions.

A mood booster

Science has shown us that the gut has an enormous amount of nerve activity going on. It is now thought to function as a “second brain” and has more neurotransmitter receptors for compounds like serotonin, etc than any other part of the body INCLUDING THE BRAIN!  Long used terms such as “a gut feeling” now take on new meaning since science is supporting the emotional link to gut health. Since the gut includes the intestinal system (it does not stop at the stomach), it only stands to reason that emotional support may be needed to help a cleanse go well. I like to use flower essences for this. Individual remedies may work, but I find the blends to do a much better job, overall.

A diuretic

Keeping the fluids flowing through the urinary system is a must! Dandelion, uva ursi, and other diuretic herbs may aid in keeping all the waters flowing in the proper direction.

Vitamin and Mineral support

Dandelion is such a wonderful herb. It is full of minerals necessary to keep the body balanced. Multi mineral and multi vitamin products may help as well. The trick is finding which one(s) work the best for you, individually.

 

These are just some places to start. Seeing a natural health consultant or herbalist who can help you narrow down your choices may be beneficial for you.

 

03Oct

Inflammation

I attended a series of seminars a few years ago which focused on inflammation being the root cause of disease.  I don’t think I truly understood the entire body of information the speakers were presenting…until now.

 

Look around you. How many people do you see who suffer from conditions which have been diagnosed as “fibromyalgia,” “rheumatoid arthritis,” athlersclerosis,” “gout,” “inflammatory bowel disease,” etc? What do all of these medical conditions have in common? INFLAMMATION. They all are inflammatory conditions. This means they are conditions in which the body’s tissues are swollen, hot to the touch many times, and painful.

Check out these stats:

-The National Institute for Health estimates 23.5 million people in the US have an autoimmune disorder (https://www.aarda.org/autoimmune-information/autoimmune-statistics/)

-The CDC estimates half of all adults have periodontal disease (inflammatory disease of the gums) (https://www.perio.org/consumer/cdc-study.htm)

-Scientists estimate 5 million Americans from the age of 18 and up have fibromyalgia (http://www.niams.nih.gov/health_info/fibromyalgia/fibromyalgia_ff.asp)

-52.5 million Americans are estimated to have inflammatory arthritis (http://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/publications/aag/arthritis.htm)

-Inflammatory bowel diseases (this tag includes Chrone’s, IBS, and ulcerative colitis, etc) is estimated to affect as many as 1.4 million Americans (http://www.ccfa.org/resources/facts-about-inflammatory.html?referrer=https://www.google.com/)

 

The list goes on and on and on.

I know there are cases of autoimmune disorders where no known cause is ever found. That is sad, and very true. However, what would happen if we dealt with the body’s inflammatory response in a bit more natural way, when possible (hey – sometimes you just can’t, and that’s when I am thankful for modern medicine and doctors who are open-minded and truly altruistic).

What can be used?

Turmeric

Turmeric is an herb used in a lot of Asian cooking. You may recognize it as the yellow seasoning used in a lot of Indian dishes. It contains a chemical called curcumin which, along with other chemical constituents in turmeric, has been shown to decrease inflammation in some studies. (Please see https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/integrative-medicine/herbs/turmeric and follow the cited reseacrh from there)

 

 

Ginger

Ginger has been shown to act as a COX2 inhibitor. Cyclooxygenases (1 and 2) are enzymes which perform a variety of functions in the body. Specifically, they are involved in the inflammatory response. They trigger certain hormones and such to make the body swell. NSAIDs (like naprosyn, ibuprofen, etc) are non-specific anti-inflammatories because they act against both enzymes. However, long term use has been shown to damage the lining of the stomach or the kidneys (depending on where the drug is adsorbed or broken down). You may recall the recall of certain prescriptions (Viox, Celebrex, etc) which were recalled in the late 1990’s due to side effects of heart attacks and more. These drugs were manufactured to work against the COX2 enzyme specifically. Ginger has this ability to inhibit COX2! The difference is ginger will not give someone a heart attack (to my knowledge). Here is just one fo the studies showing it’s efficacy: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3018740/

 

Ginger is often an ingredient in various cleanses because it relaxes the smooth muscle of the digestive tract,  and helps to relieve the swelling.

Ashwaghanda

I cannot say enough about this herb! I dearly love it and I am trying to grow it in a pot, here in Ohio.

There are many studies regarding it’s ability to act as an anti inflammatory,  but the study I cite below it had been shown to act as an antiinflammatory in rats with collagen-induced arthritis.  This is very promising. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24188460

Ashwaghanda has been used for centuries in ayurvedic medicine. In my book,  that counts for more than studies on lab rats. Many formulas used to combat the stresses of every day life comtain Ashwaghanda.

Yucca

Yucca is often overlooked.  It is a native of the Americas.  Often grown as an ornamental plant,  it seems to function as an acid reducer. One class I attended in Utah in the early 2000’s highlighted the saponification action displayed by the root. This bubbling reaction brought down the acidity level of the vinegar to which it was added. The proof was in the pH paper.

 

There are many products where yucca can be found,  along with other herbs historically used to benefit those who suffer from arthritic-like pains.

 

While this is nowhere near the entire list of herbs which help decrease inflammation,  they can be a good place to start.

Remember each person is different and different herbs work better for different people.  To further narrow down what may be the most beneficial for you,  schedule an appointment for a consultation with me. Together, we can get your possibilities widdled down to increase your chances for success!

 

 

 

28Jul

What can you “DO” with your herbs

A person randomly messaged me recently and asked me, “…and what do your herbs cure?” WOW! That’s a loaded question! You see, in the U.S., the word “cure” is a no-no for those who not medical doctors. Even medical doctors are somewhat reluctant to use the word when it comes to certain situations. Given that I did not know with whom I was chatting, I answered with the long version. I informed the prospective customer that I do not practice medicine (which I don’t); that using the words “cure, treat, diagnose” and a few others may be misconstrued as the practice of medicine in the United States and therefore I do not use them…EVER! I went on to explain how herbs, supplements, etc feed the body various nutrients and phytochemicals it could be lacking. Through this “nourishment” the body may be able to restore its own balance and achieve homeostasis. I further went on to explain how I use an assortment of traditional assessment techniques to form an idea of where each of my client’s stand and offer up advice in a “what I would do if I were you,” kind of way to my clients. It is completely the choice of each individual if they would like to try it out or not and I ALWAYS advise he/she to double check everything with a pharmacist if on medications and to be sure to share their products with their medical practitioners.

 

This is all very true. For those who would like to learn more about natural health modalities throughout the world, I encourage you to look up research at www.pubmed.gov. This website is sponsored by the United States’ Federal Government’s office on NCAM. I AM allowed to point to various studies and cite them as examples of the successful use of a natural remedy. For those in Ohio, please look into supporting the Ohio Sunshine Freedom Coalition (http://www.ohiohealthfreedom.info/). This organization is working hard to enact protection laws in the state of Ohio that would allow consultants, such as myself, to practice without fear with informed consent from the client.

Be strong out there, people….do not allow your rights to be lost! Be informed!