By Cathy Margolin
on August 2, 2010
Tip of the day: The best treatment for insomnia according to researchers is to change your thought patterns. Once you change your thoughts your behavior will follow. You see, what you think is what you get. So it makes sense that insomnia really is, all in the mind.
Hint: If you need a kick start to change your mind set without hitting the heavy prescription sleep aids, try our iSleep Herb Pac. It contains nine herbs and is based on an ancient Chinese herbal formula called Suan Zao Ren Tang. Famous minds have used Chinese herbs to help them calm their busy brains and induce a restful night of sleep for centuries. Nothing new under the sun here. Just natural substances found in plants, working together to help reduce stress…
By Cathy Margolin
on July 29, 2010
When I was a teen and found Prevention Magazine I was in heaven. It was the first magazine of it's kind to talk about natural cures and I knew then, (circa 1976) they were on to something. Now, some years later, the whole country knows what Prevention Magazine knew back then. Natural cures do work, from Acupuncture, to chocolate for it's flavonoids, and certainly the ancient practice of Tai Chi. Here's a quick video from the Today Show and the editor of Prevention Magazine about "9 Natural Cures you Trust".
I have to say, I'm a little disappointed Chinese herbs did make Prevention's top "9" list. There are certainly enough studies done on herbs especially Chinese herbs that are used by over a billion people on the planet to qualify them as "cures you can trust". …
By Cathy Margolin
on July 19, 2010
I love the Farmers Markets near me. The Los Angeles area has a different Farmers Market everyday of the week. Lately I've found red dates at the market, they're called da zao or fructus jujubae in Chinese Medicine. They taste a little sweet fresh but when dried the sugar content seems much more concentrated. A little like the difference between fresh grapes and dried raisins.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine the red date is used to tonify or strengthen the Qi (energy). Tonic herbs such as ginseng and red date can be eaten daily to boost immunity strengthen the a persons constitution and improve overall health. Red date can tonify the blood, which means it can help organs such as the liver and spleen do their jobs better. To receive the maximum health benefits from red dates you would need…
By Cathy Margolin
on July 8, 2010
Having a good night of sleep can make all the difference in having a good day ahead. The video below gives some good ideas about Western herbs for sleep and some foods that may help calm you down in the evening. But unfortunately, the dietitian in this segment of Fox News has obviously not heard of Chinese herbs that are commonly used as sleep aids. Drinking Ziziphi or Suan Zao Ren tea, otherwise known as spiny jujube seed, can give you as much if not more relaxation as chamomile tea or valerian tea. Americans are not as familiar with Chinese herbs because they are not yet as pervasive on the store shelves, but they are coming. (Ours are already here) As the world gets smaller, Americans are learnimg more about convention herbal medicines from far away places such as…
By Cathy Margolin
on June 30, 2010
It's been 10 years in the making! This Saturday, July 3, 2010 is the official opening of the Chinese herb garden in at Bristol University in the UK and I wish I could be there. Apparently, it's designed to be a teaching garden with over 200 species of herbs growing. According to the gardens curator Nick Wray, "the aim of the garden is to be as healing in design, as it is in content".
The garden will also be used to further research on plants used in Chinese medicine and research plants which are currently under threat in the wild in China.
Chinese medicine practitioner Tony Harrison donated his well established collection of Chinese herbs to the university in 2000, after it became too large for his own plot in Cotham, Bristol.…
By Cathy Margolin
on June 27, 2010
Did you hear the Dis-Honorable Henry Waxman (D, CA) Congressman, tried in earnest to attach wording to the current finance bill in congress that would have given the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) expanded powers to restrict access to dietary supplements including herbal supplements and Chinese herbs.
As Fox News reported it was "The Congressional Equivalent of Isner v. Mahut".
The deliberations were nearly as long as the just completed Isner v. Mahut Wimbledon tennis match. The match now holds the world record for the longest tennis match in the history.
Waxman also had the powerful support of Congressman Barney Frank (D,MA.) Barney Frank closed the conference committee at 5:39 am Friday morning, June 25th after all day and all night deliberations. Millions of Americans depend on supplements and this was…
By Cathy Margolin
on June 23, 2010
I want to scream.. and it's not because I have PMS. I just saw an ad at this pharmacy promoting its Menstrual Relief / Menstrual Complete product. Come on, it's acetaminophen and caffeine packaged in a box of pills with the name "Menstrual Relief". The box says it temporary relieves cramps, bloating, fatigue, backache and headache.
Oh, and it's "pharmacists recommended", in case you were wondering about that!
Are you serious, this is the best you can do?
Wake up and smell the caffeine.. this not an answer for menstrual cramps.
Caffeine has diuretic effects, so it may help a little with water weight gain, but I think they add it to give you a little boost of energy so you have the perception of feeling better.
Acetaminophen is as…
By Cathy Margolin
on June 20, 2010
I don't usually blog about prescription drugs, I'd much rather talk about herbs, especially Chinese herbs. But in this case, I consider this more of a "Public Service Announcement". Most of my readers have strong feelings against taking any pharmaceutical drugs and have an inherent mistrust of drug companies. Here's another reason why a growing segment of the public feels they can't trust the drug companies or their TV commercials.
June 17, 2010: According to Carrie Newcomer, a Regulatory Review Officer at the FDA, Division of Drug Marketing, Lunesta, a prescription sleep medication made by Sepracor, has made an "unsubstantiated superiority claims" in a TV commercial. According to the FDA's letter to Sepracor. "Promotional materials are misleading if they represent or suggest that a drug is safer or more effective than another drug, when this has not…
