Why Melatonin Is Not A Good Sleep Aid

Posted by Cathy on

Melatonin is a powerful hormone produced naturally in our bodies.  We know it helps with circadium rhythms or our natural body clock.   

For years people have been taking melatonin to help them sleep. 

Yesterday Dr. Oz's guest, Dr. Breus said melatonin is dangerous and should not be used as a sleep aid and should not be used in the high doses sold over-the-counter. 

Since our bodies only make about 0.3 to 0.8 milligrams of melatonin per day, taking a supplement sold in 3, 5, 10 or more mg is 10x more than our body would normally make. 

Even though melatonin has become known as a safe natural sleep aid too much of anything can be dangerous. Melatonin can actually destroy your sleep cycle said the good doctor. Melatonin supplements can also cause headaches, nausea, dizziness or irritability.

The natural sleep aid that has been safely used around the world for centuries are Chinese herbs.  One formual in particular has been the most popular for getting to sleep naturally. The Chinese name is Suan Zao Ren Tang, we sell it under our brand, iSleep Herb Pack.  It's easier to understand and easier to pronounce.  

Learn more about this natural and completly safe and non-addicting sleep aid here!  Billions of people use everynight without side-effects.  Please also see our 3 minute factory tour video and learn why our herbal processing is the GOLD standard around the world.

 

Chinese Herbs Now In Skin Moisturizers

Posted by Cathy on

Chinese botanicals are going mainstreamI saw this in the store the other day. It is one of the just a handful of main stream products I’ve seen in the U.S. that is advertising “Chinese Botanicals”!

 

Very Cool!! Kiss My Face is not just a trend setter they see the writing on the wall. Chinese herbs can and do make your products better. They are used all over Asia in various drinks, hand creams, shampoo’s and cosmetics, it’s about time we start seeing them on American store shelves.

 

American’s are getting exposed to Chinese herbs slowly but surely. Whether it’s ginseng in energy drinks or goji berries packages we are starting to see greater use of Chinese herbs in everyday products. Kiss Your Face uses both Chinese botanicals, and Chinese herbs on their packaging label.

 

Here are the three main reasons why Chinese herbs are different than Western herbs and why you're going to start seeing much more of these Chinese botanicals in everyday products.

 

1. Firstly, most of them have been used for thousands of years so evidence of use is simply much, much longer than Western botanicals that have only been documented for only a few hundred years.

 

2. Chinese botanicals don’t necessarily grow exclusively in China today. Many grow around the world, including America. All are part of a system of medicine called Traditional Chinese medicine that is thousands of years old and today this system of medicine keeps billions of people alive and well.

 

3. The third most important difference in Chinese herbs vs Western herbs is their use in combinations or formulas. Western herbs are often used one at a time. For example the use of chamomile for trouble sleeping. But in Chinese Herbal medicine, one herb alone would never be used to help with sleep. A combination of herbs, or formula of herbs would be used because over the centuries people have found formulas or groups of herbs work much better than just using one herb along.

 

Of course there are many other differences between Western herbs and Chinese herbs,  But that's a good start and it's great to see the system of herbal medicine being incorporated into more mainstream products in the United States and around the world.

Ginseng Now Included in Food Products

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The China Ministry of Health just recently decided to change its policy regarding ginseng.  Well known for hundreds of health benefits, ginseng will now be allowed to be included in food products in Asia.   America has no such restrictions for ginseng and this longevity herb is often found in energy drinks today.

 

Since 2002, the Chinese MInistry of Health has regulated Chinese herbs and placed them into three categories. One  category for Chinese herbs used as food, another categorized herbs as health food and a third that included herbs only as medicine.

 

Before this announcement, ginseng was permitted to be used only in registered health products and medicine categories. The new policy allows ginseng to be used in all three categories.  This will most certainly increase demand and international competitiveness of ginseng.  Prices of this ancient herb have been steadily rising the past few years as more Americans and other Western countries learn about the health benefits of ginseng.

 

Ginseng is commonly called the “king of all herbs.” Ginseng is considered to be nutritious and to have great medical value in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). It has been used as a tonic in TCM for over 3,000 years. Ginseng is grown in other East Asia countries as well as in the U.S. and Canada known as American ginseng, but the world’s largest production site is located on Changbai Moutain in Jilin Province, which accounts for 85 percent of China’s total production and 70 percent of the world’s output.

 

I recently toured a famous American Ginseng farm in Wisconsin.  I was a bit surprised to learn that once American ginseng is grown on the land that it cannot ever be replanted there again.  Other crops can be planted after the 6 years old ginseng is harvested.  However, because ginseng depletes the soil of so many mineral and other nutrients it is impossible to harvest ginseng on the same land twice.   Some farmers have waited 70 years and tried to grow another crop of American ginseng only to find after 3 years the crop stopped growing and was never old enough to harvest.   This is just one of the reasons the cost of  100 grams of conenctrated ginseng granules is increasing world wide.  Ginseng is the largest dollar crop exported out of the state of Wisconsin.   Who knew?

Drinking This Is Not The Best Way To Get Energy

Posted by Cathy on

Generally speaking caffeine is the most popular drug in the United States. Depending on where you are in the world, the Chinese herb ginseng, or the herb sugar cane or green tea may be the drug of choice. Even though these stimulants all have botanical origins, they can work just as well as a modern pharmaceutical drug.   However, our cells produce mitochondria energy as a result of many, many chemical interactions. Caffeine stimulate our adrenals but does not source real mitochondria energy

 

Why then, are the energy drinks that contain caffeine considered a food, and not a drug?

 

This is the questions the City of New York is about to answer? Senators are also asking the FDA to clarify this issue. New York City is considering regulating the caffeine in energy drinks and requiring accurate labeling so consumers know how much caffeine they are getting in each can or energy shot.

 

Another issue is what happens when you start mixing these herbal stimulants with other ingredients. Adding sugar to caffeine and a wide mix of amino acids and other substances becomes outright dangerous. In fact, investigations are beginning to look into these combination products, often labeled energy drinks because their stimulating qualities have caused alarm.

 

Kids, teens and young adults are the most drawn to these energy drinks for their quick uppers and stay up all night, side effects.

 

But, why is anybody looking to a canned drink for energy?

 

Consider the simple answer, energy begins with sleep. Everybody knows this!  Everybody knows how you feel when you miss a night of sleep.  Bottom line, you're tired, you have no energy.  When you don't get enough quality sleep, the first drug of choice is caffeine.

 

I've argued before, drugs should not be masquerading as food. Energy drinks do this every day, they are not food.  They should be labeled with all the same information required on a dietary supplement. We should understand not to substitute good food  for a drink in a can. Caffeine is a drug.  A useful drug like so many botanicals, including so many of the Chinese herb botanicals I talk about here.

 

The Benefits of Caffeine blog here

 

 

Chinese Herb Research Now Includes GlaxoSmithKlein Pharmaceuticals

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What's new in Traditional Chinese Medicine? 

Well for starters, bigger players want a piece of what they see as a huge potential profit maker.  Chinese herbs, have become the latest interest for drug companies.

The pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline is opening a new research unit in China to look at traditional Chinese medicine.

 

"Traditional chinese medicine is a well-established system of medical practice developed through thousands of years of empirical testing and refinement of herbal mixtures, and relies generally on clinical experience," said Zang Jingwu, senior vice president Glaxo and head of R&D China.

 

The relatively new R&D unit is working with academic TCM experts in China to develop new TCM products for the benefits of patients in China and the rest of the world. The strategy is to integrate the existing TCM knowledge of diseases with modern drug discovery.

 

"We are developing novel therapeutic TCM mixtures as prescription medicines through innovative extraction methods and combinations, and we use clinical data/evidence to differentiate from existing TCM products on the market," he said.

 

The company's R&D China center was founded in 2007 with a focus on neurosciences. So far, the center has developed into a fully integrated global R&D organization in China to deliver medicine globally and for China.

 

Only one question:  what will it cost us consumers?  Right now Chinese herbal products are cheap compared to drugs!  What can we expect once the big drug companies want a share of the market?

 

Reference:

ChinaDaily.com

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/business/2012-09/07/content_15743913.htm

The Cool Cucumber, Natures Detox Veggie and Sleep Aid

Posted by Cathy on with 5 Comments

 

Americans don’t traditionally consider everyday foods as medicine.  But maybe we should take a few clues from Asian and Mediterranean societies that eat this cool food at the height of the hot weather.

 

Cucumber isn’t sold in pharmacies but it should be. In Chinese Medicine, cucumber is considered to have heat-dissipating, diuretic, laxative, and detoxifying effects.

The first recorded medicinal use of cucumbers was in the 7th century. Its major uses continue today and include: the treatment of excessive thirst, sore throat, laryngitis, acute conjunctivitis, and burns. In most Chinese homes, however, whether eaten raw or cooked as a soup, cucumber is used only for keeping cool in summer, when it is in season, or in early autumn to soothe dry lips and throat.

Because cucumbers have natural cooling properties according to Chinese Medicine food theory, they shouldn’t be eaten during the cold  winter months.  During the winter we need foods with warming properties.  The cooling properties of cucumbers also make it a perfect natural detoxifier, so stop throwing money away on detox programs and eat some cucumbers now that it’s summertime. 

Modern medical researchers found that cucumber is rich in vitamin E, which helps fighting against aging. Women like to put cucumber juice or film on the face to smooth skin and reduce wrinkle. Cucumber also contains vitamin B1, which is essential for our brain and nervous system.

Chinese Traditional Medicine (TCM) believes cucumber has the ability to soothe the nerves and aid in the treatment of insomnia.  This makes perfect sense because we all sleep better when our bodies are cooler and cucumber is one of the coolest vegetables. Studies also show extracts of cucumber seeds and stems may have an effect on high blood pressure. 

Wow, all this from a little vegetable you can find at every farmers market during the summer months.

What else is cucumber good for?  Here a list and some fun facts:

 

1. Cucumbers contain most of the vitamins you need every day, just one cucumber contains Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc.

 2. Feeling tired in the afternoon, put down the caffeinated soda and pick up a cucumber. Cucumbers are a good source of B Vitamins and carbohydrates that can provide that quick pick-me-up that can last for hours. They also keep the body cool during the day which helps eliminate the need for sleep aids at night.

3. Tired of your bathroom mirror fogging up after a shower? Try rubbing a cucumber slice along the mirror, it will eliminate the fog and provide a soothing, spa-like fragrance.

4. Are grubs and slugs ruining your planting beds? Place a few slices in a small pie tin and your garden will be free of pests all season long. The chemicals in the cucumber react with the aluminum to give off a scent undetectable to humans but drive garden pests crazy and make them flee the area.

5. Looking for a fast and easy way to remove cellulite before going out or to the pool? Try rubbing a slice or two of cucumbers along your problem area for a few minutes, the phytochemicals in the cucumber cause the collagen in your skin to tighten, firming up the outer layer and reducing the visibility of cellulite. Works great on wrinkles too!!!

6. Want to avoid a hangover or terrible headache? Eat a few cucumber slices before going to bed and wake up refreshed and headache free. Cucumbers contain enough sugar, B vitamins and electrolytes to replenish essential nutrients the body lost, keeping everything in equilibrium, avoiding both a hangover and headache!

7. Looking to fight off that afternoon or evening snacking binge? Cucumbers have been used for centuries and often used by European trappers, traders and explores for quick meals to thwart off starvation.

8. Have an important meeting or job interview and you realize that you don’t have enough time to polish your shoes? Rub a freshly cut cucumber over the shoe, its chemicals will provide a quick and durable shine that not only looks great but also repels water.

9. Out of WD 40 and need to fix a squeaky hinge? Take a cucumber slice and rub it along the problematic hinge, and voila, the squeak is gone!

10. Stressed out and don’t have time for massage, facial or visit to the spa? Cut up an entire cucumber and place it in a boiling pot of water. The chemicals released in the steam creating a soothing, relaxing aroma that has been shown to reduce stress in new mothers and college students during final exams.

11. Just finish a business lunch and realize you don’t have gum or mints? Take a slice of cucumber and press it to the roof of your mouth with your tongue for 30 seconds to eliminate bad breath, the phytochemcials will kill the bacteria in your mouth responsible for causing bad breath.

12. Looking for a ‘green’ way to clean your faucets, sinks or stainless steel? Take a slice of cucumber and rub it on the surface you want to clean, not only will it remove years of tarnish and bring back the shine, but is won’t leave streaks and won’t harm you fingers or fingernails while you clean.

13. Using a pen and made a mistake? Take the outside of the cucumber and slowly use it to erase the pen writing. This trick also works great on crayons and markers  kids may have used to decorate the walls!!

 

Is Goji Berry The Best Chinese Herb For The Elderly?

Posted by Cathy on

Chinese herbs for energyIt really doesn't matter what your age, goji berries are a healthy food for everyone. But, if you are over 65, goji's could be extremely beneficial by enhancing your immune system, according to a recent study.  

 

Goji berries are also know as Wolf berries and they taste great and are such an easy snacking food or drink, how can anyone ignore them today?  

A new study done by Nestle and some scientists in China decided to test out a milk based formulation of goji berries. They studied healthy Chinese people age 65 to 70 and gave them a "lacto-wolfberry" supplement to improve their immune system. The same group was also given a seasonal influenza vaccine. The study was recently published in the scientific journal called Rejuvenation Research.  

  

The results showed that while all the participants had increased levels of influenza-specific antibodies after being vaccinated, those who had consumed lacto-wolfberry had a higher increase in antibodies than those in the control group. This means that the people who had consumed lacto-wolfberry could fight infection better and their immune system was working better. “People’s natural ability to fight infection often declines as they age, as does their capacity to develop effective vaccine response,” says Dr Karine Vidal, the scientist from the Nestle Research Center in Switzerland who led the study.

 

Goji berries have become popular in the U.S. and throughout Europe in the last few years.  The small red berries have been eaten and used in Chinese herbal medicine in Asian cultures for centuries.  Today research has established high antioxidant properties and energy enhancing properties in these small little red fruits.  We add goji berries to our Energy Booster Herb Pack for exactly this reason.  They also help make our Energy Booster taste great!  Try some today! Not only will you feel the nice energy boost, but you will also be enjoying several immune boosting herbs including ginseng.