Our Need For Speed Is Going Herbal

natural energy boostersDo you have enough energy to stay ahead of the game? 

You can if you know the rules of the game.

Building, storing and keeping energy are the keys. But today’s fast paced, multitasking world creates many different stressors on our bodies. Often physical and emotional stress can drain us.   With so much on our plates, how do we take enough time to give our body the fuel it needs to cope in our ultra-fast, get it done yesterday environment?   

Eat well, build muscle and fat to store energy and then our bodies have enough to survive and thrive.   These rules have always applied, but getting the right, high octane fuel is not so easy in our modern world. This is where coffee comes in handy. It is the perfect natural stimulant, right? It’s cheap, works fast and gives us that energy boost we desire. Yet, coffee does not contain anything that PRODUCES energy, it simply causes your body to release adrenaline into the blood.   Adrenaline is a hormone that produces the “fight or flight” response. It is also known as the hormone epinephrine. Constant stress or surges of adrenaline caused by an overuse of caffeine can “burn out” or deplete your adrenal glands.  

In other words, coffee forces the body to create and release energy

it doesn’t really have at the time.

The real problem is that you don’t know you are depleting your adrenals until you have exhausted this reserve. When you are running on empty, you can feel run down and feel compelled to add stimulating substances like sugar and more caffeine to get through the day. 

Incredibly,  our “need for speed” can be energized and replenished with natural herbal stimulants. Nature has provided us with herbs called adaptogenes. There are only a handful of herbal adaptogens which include American Ginseng, Siberian Ginseng, Rhodiola, and Cordyceps. These tonic herbs energize the body within minutes when high quality herbs are used. These herbs let you stay ahead of the game. 

Tonic herbs build energy reserves by giving your body an

incredible array of

nutrients to create real and lasting energy. 

The extraordinary naturally occurring chemical compounds in ginseng include ginsenocides, polysaccharides, saponins and several steroid compounds  have been studied at major institutions around the world. These herbal compounds help the body recover from stress and fatigue while their anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties regulate blood sugar. Some nutrients in ginseng act similar to anabolic steroids which are found in the body and are a safe alternative for athletes instead of synthetic steroids. Another component in ginseng is germanium which has a powerful hydrogenating effect on the body, especially on the liver.

In addition, there are more than eight different ginsenocides in various types of high quality  ginseng which act as adrenal tonics.   Korea has a University dedicated to studying different types of ginseng and Japan, Germany, Taiwan and China all have approved ginseng in their national health insurance coverage.  Think about it, coffee is not paid for in the government insurance programs but ginseng is!

Ginseng is a safe herb that can be consumed every day without

any of the damaging effects of excessive caffeine. 

A combination of blood tonic herbs and adaptogenic herbs is best and this perfect combination is found in Energy Booster Herb Pack. This combination of herbs in Energy Booster Herb Pack has been used for over 500 years to promote energy and vitality. Energy Booster Herb Pack has two types of ginseng, Asian ginseng and American ginseng. In addition, it contains goji berries and 10 other herbs all which work together to boost your energy naturally. 

 

Build your body’s energy reserves, naturally. Artificially draining your adrenals day and day out is no way to stay ahead of the game.  Find out why other countries include ginseng in their national health insurance to insure the health and well being of their population.  There is no reason to go about your day being physically and mentally drained. The perfect answer to supplement your daily energy needs is now easy and convenient. Energy Booster Herb Pack tastes great in water or just dissolve the concentrated herbal extract in your mouth.  You’ll feel the boost almost immediately and discover the energy you have been missing to stay ahead of the game. 

Largest Herbal Medicine Garden In The World

The Guiness Book of World Records has a new entry.   The largest medicinal garden in the world has now been entered into the Guiness Book.  Where else would the largest garden of herbal medicine be located?  China, of course.  China uses more herbal medicine to keep its 1.3 billion people healthy, than anywhere else in the world.

China is also home to the oldest recorded medical system in the world, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).  TCM has been practiced and perfected for over 3000 years.  The new botanical herb medicinal garden is a perfect way to celebrate the medicine the Chinese have given the world.  TCM is practiced in just about every country in the world and the herbs used in TCM have a long and rich history of providing the world with some of the most effective natural medicine known to man. 

Ginseng is one of the 6000 herbs growing in the garden.  One hundred of the medicinal plants are endangered varieties and over 30 of the herbs are new varieties. 

The garden also has 100,000 medicinal plant images.  Its objective is to cultivate, collect and save medicinal plants along with conducting research. The garden is also expected to be an advanced international medicinal plants conservation base and a center for Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) culture and science.

The garden is in a rural area of China that grows many of the herbs in the garden.  The new garden is certain to bring more interest to Guangxi Zhuang, an area known for growing a large variety of Chinese herbal medicine.

BPA’s and PMS, Is there A Connection?

Does Japan know something we don't, about BPA's in paper receipts and in aluminum cans?  Why did Japan phase out BPA use over 10 years ago?

 

BPA's are dangerous chemicals that mimic estrogen in our bodies. A study just published in the journal of Environmental Science and Technology says people handling receipt paper often, like store clerks, are at a high risk for BPA exposure.  (If you are a cashier, consider using gloves.)

 

BPA's, also known as Bisphenol A, are chemicals that act like estrogen and can cause hormonal imbalances, PMS, irregular menstrual cycles and they have been linked to problems with reproduction and sexual development. Even behavioral and developmental problems in young children and some kinds of cancer have been linked to BPA exposure. 

Should you care about cash register receipts?  YES!  This is another easy way to avoid excess exposure to BPA's.  If you don't need the receipt don't touch it.  Also always wash your hands before eating just in case you've been exposed to BPA's which can be found in many paper products, including toilet paper, tickets, food wrappers, newspapers and napkins. 

If you are a woman constantly having mood swings, PMS, menstrual cramps and menstrual irregularities consider the paper you touch everyday and if you don't need it, don't touch it.   Sometimes it is the small things in life that can make a big difference in our health. Be Well.

 

Sources:  Kannan, K. Environmental Science and Technology, Sept. 23, 2011.

Is The Chinese Herb Kudzu the Next Cash Crop?

Some folks complain that Kudzu is an invasive weed, others call it a highly profitable cash crop.  In Asia it is a medicinal herb.

I was reading a story recently about kudzu taking over the backyard and destroying a fence on a homeowners property.  Funny and sad at the same time because kudzu is well known in Asia for its healing properties.

Michael Wyss, Ph.D., a Neuroscientist with the University of Alabama says kudzu contains healthy substances, called isoflavones. One particularly important isoflavone is puerarin, found only in kudzu. In fact, its the most abundant isoflavone in the plant.  Puerarin is important because it can help control insulin for diabetics and reduce cholesterol.

The Chinese have used kudzu, a prominent Chinese herb in Traditional Chinese medicine, for centuries.  It has been a proven mainstay for relieving muscular tension, reducing hypertension, dysentery and is commonly used for fevers due to the flu. Kudzu’s is full of health benefits and from my point of view could be the next cash crop.

Researchers  in the U.S. investigated the effects of kudzu in rats. Female rats were given an extract made from kudzu root for two months. Another group of rats were fed a standard diet.  At the end of the study, the rats given the kudzu extract had lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure, and lower blood sugar and insulin levels than the rats that ate the control diet. According to Wyss, only a very small amount of kudzu root extract was needed to achieve these results.

The study suggests that kudzu may be an effective alternative treatment that could be used in conjunction with traditional drugs to control insulin and cholesterol levels, and ultimately lower a patient’s risk for metabolic syndrome. In some cases, doctors may be able to give patients lower doses of other drugs, reducing the chance for side effects from the medication and making medications more affordable.

The root is the part of the kudzu plant or Pueraria lobata which holds the herbal medicine. It can grow to the size of a human body and is the source used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and modern herbal products. Kudzu grows in mostly in shaded areas of mountains, fields, along roadsides and thin forests, throughout most of China and many parts of the Southern U.S.

If your looking for kudzu as an individual herb supplement you will most likely have trouble finding it.  In TCM kudzu is always used in formulas or combinations with other herbs. If  your looking to lower your cholesterol  or balance your insulin levels using natural herbs, I suggest  finding a licensed Acupuncturist who is knowledgeable in Chinese herbal medicine. If you need help finding someone in your neighborhood we are happy to make recommendations. Just call or email us.

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Chinese Herb Helps Prevent Osteoporosis

The Herb Salvia Miltiorrhiza Used in an Extract Helps Osteoporosis.

dan shen herbNew evidence now exists about the Chinese herb, Salvia Miltiorrhiza.  This herb has been used for thousands of years and has been praised for its benefits for cardiovascular disease.  The latest study on Salvia Miltiorrhiza  indicates that this Chinese herb can also be beneficial to those suffering with osteoporosis, a thinning of the bones or loss of bone density over time.

The recent osteoporosis study results showed Salvia Miltiorrhiza (also known as Dan Shen) “significantly reduced the decrease in bone density.”  The researchers believe the preventative effect of this Chinese herb was “due to its anti-oxidative stress via modulation of osteoclast maturation and number.”  The researchers went on to say it “appears Salvia Miltiorrhiza could be a promising new osteoporosis therapeutic natural product.”
As women age and go through menopause they often begin to worry about their bone density.   Chinese herbs are a safe and natural answer for this concern.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, TCM, Dan Shen is well known for promoting blood circulation and soothing nerves.  It improves micro-circulation, is an excellent anti-oxidant, reduces blood fat and helps the liver and kidneys to regulate.

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References:

Yan Cui,  Bidur Bhandar,  Anu Marahatta, Geum-Hwa Lee, Bo Li , Do-Sung Kim, Soo-Wan Chae,  Hyung-Ryong Kim and Han-Jung Chae, BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2011, 11:120doi:10.1186/1472-6882-11-120  Published Nov. 28, 2011.

http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1472-6882-11-120.pdf