AUGUST 16, 2018 – PECANS

Now in its 30th year, you can join the American Council and get its journal HerbalGram online or the magazine. I find this to be essential to both herbalists and naturopathic doctors.  One feature of the magazine I love is their highlighted each month a specific food. Here's an except from this month.

"Each month, HerbalEGram highlights a conventional food and briefly explores its history, traditional uses, nutritional profile, and modern medicinal research. We also feature a nutritious recipe for an easy-to-prepare dish with each article to encourage readers to experience the extensive benefits of these whole foods. With this series, we hope our readers will gain a new appreciation for the foods they see at the supermarket and frequently include in their diets."

This month the highlight food was the Pecan.  The pecan is not truly a nut, and a member of the hickory family. It is technically a fruit called a drupe, a fruit with a single stone or pit surrounded by a husk . Pecans provide phytonutrients, plant-based compounds that have powerful antioxidant benefits. They're also a good source of the mineral zinc, crucial for immune-cell development and function. Brazil nuts have a high content of selenium. Pecans are chock-full of monounsaturated fatty acids, a type of fat linked to improving total cholesterol levels.  Another benefit to these tasty tree nuts is that Pecans are filled with beta carotene and vitamin E. Pecans are also chock full of flavonoids.

I urge you to read the HerbalGram this month and every month.

Until tomorrow...

AUGUST 15, 2018 – HALITOSIS

Halitosis, or bad breath, isn't something to ignore. It is more than a drink, a cigarette, or a food that can cause bad breath. Sometimes it is the sign of underlying disease as dyspepsia, gum or periodontal disease, and even Helicobacter pylori infection. The underlying cause must be found.

The King of Hollywood in the 1930's was none other than Clark Gable. He suffered from halitosis as his co-star Vivien Leigh (Gone with the Wind) mentioned to many. So did other co-stars. 

There are many breath mints and mouthwash that can work. I utilize essential oils, green tea, thyme, and ginger for halitosis. Recently the American Botanical Council in its HerbalGram  wrote an article on Ginger and Halitosis.

If you want a natural way to rid yourself of halitosis, here is a solution. Botanical Bounty will create a custom herbal tea blend just for you from their selection of more than 50 organic herbal teas. It is now available on their website www.botanicalbounty.org or by calling (646) 723-1823.

Until tomorrow...

AUGUST 14, 2018 – TWO PRINCESSES

Books, books, books. The world is made of books. I feel, with the use of iPhones and computers, many young people don't read enough. I read a lot. Of course I read medical literature, medical journals, and medical textbooks. I do that to keep up on current medical technology and to gain knowledge. I want to keep learning.

I also read sci fi novels about dragons, wizards, and the books of Steve Berry. I just finished The Lost Princess by Peter Silverman.

"In late 2010, art collector Peter Silverman revealed that a ""German, early 19th century"" portrait he had bought for $19,000 was, in fact, a previously unknown drawing by Leonardo da Vinci—an exquisite depiction of Bianca Sforza, rendered 500 years ago."  It turned out to be a Leonardo DaVinci.  Fascinating book!

I also recently read Ninety Nine Glimpses of Princess Margaret by Craig Brown.

"She made John Lennon blush and Marlon Brando tongue-tied. She iced out Princess Diana and humiliated Elizabeth Taylor. Andy Warhol photographed her. Jack Nicholson offered her cocaine. Gore Vidal revered her. Francis Bacon heckled her. Peter Sellers was madly in love with her. For Pablo Picasso, she was the object of sexual fantasy"  It captivated my mind , my fantasy and the Royal Family."

You see, I am not just about hearts and parts, herbs and plants and bees and things.

Until tomorrow...

AUGUST 13, 2018 – HONEY AND CINNAMON

I love to talk about honey. According to ancient Ayurvedic practices, honey and cinnamon can cure most diseases. This combination is highly effective for weight loss, acne, bladder infections, indigestion, and immune health. I have seen this combination heal toothaches and treat a cold and flu. Both honey and cinnamon can be added to a drink of your choice, or even externally applied as a paste or mask for acne.

For hair loss...

Apply a paste of hot olive oil, 1 tbsp honey, and 1 tsp cinnamon powder before taking bath and keep it on for approximately 15 min. Then, wash your hair

Until tomorrow....

AUGUST 10-12, 2018 – NECK PAIN

With the constant motion of the neck – along with position and the structures within the neck – it is susceptible to many types of injuries. Whether it is sleeping in the wrong position, an old or current whiplash, or even neck spasm. I suffer from cervical problems due to vertebrate C4-C5-C6 herniations. I am not a weight lifer and must have had this after a car accident. I have done prolotherapy, PRP (with my own platelets) and even bee venom therapy with live honeybees. 

I have used the following herbs for inflammation: Jamaican dogwood, white willow bark, and St. Johns Wort. I was told to drink celery juice to ease the pain which I have not tried.

I did use a homeopathic remedy Cimicifuga for neck stiffness/pain with some relief after 2 days.  I even used the homeopathic remedy Bryonia for stiffness. 

Until tomorrow...

AUGUST 9, 2018 – ARTHRITIS

There are many remedies for arthritis. There are countless books written on the subject. I believe more than 15 million American suffer from one form of arthritis or another.

Most are familiar with Willow Bark for arthritis. It contains the active component, Salicin. If used as a tea, (which I utilize) it is more potent than some anesthetics for pain.

The late, great master herbalist and author of the beloved book The Green Pharmacy, James Duke (who recently passed away), believed that black cohash, poplar (a tree), and yarrow could be used to treat arthritis.

I had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Duke many times at the Herbal Conferences. We once gave him a birthday cake to celebrate his 80th. He was a real gentleman and scholar. I had him autograph my book, Medicinal Plants from the Bible. 

Until tomorrow....

AUGUST 8, 2018 – PINE

We all associate pine with Christmas and the holiday season. For the American Indians, it was more than that. Many medicinal remedies were made from pine, including chewing gum for sore throats, a paste for headaches, and the bark was used for wounds. 

Even salves were used to treat sore muscles and pains, soothe aching joints, and a form of aromatherapy inhaling pine needles.

Pine needles have been to treat upper respiratory conditions. When reviewing Pine, I was amazed at the 90 different varieties of pine needles.

I am clearly not literate in the many trees I see every day. There are many books I have to read. I started with the The Sacred Language of Trees by A T Mann. 

Until tomorrow...

AUGUST 7, 2018 – HOW TO CHANGE YOUR MIND

"In my experience, psychedelic mushrooms … have the potential, if used carefully with knowledge and awareness, to be useful for developing sensitivity to the cycles of nature, to learn how we c an be in harmony with its processes." -Christopher Hobbs

These mushrooms have a variety of uses. In traditional Chinese medicine, these were used to treat a form of polyarthritis, Kashin-Beck disease, which was believed to be caused by another fungus on the grain.

You must read about these mushrooms. If you want the latest book to mention these, I would suggest none other than author Michael Pollan's new book - How to Change Your Mind. He is the best selling author of Omnivore's Dilemna, Foods Rules and In Defense of Food. My favorite book by Mr Pollan is Botany of Desire. To borrow a from a review, it is  "[a] brilliant and brave investigation into the medical and scientific revolution taking place around psychedelic drugs–and the spellbinding story of his own life-changing psychedelic experiences."

Until tomorrow...