MAY 3, 2023 HOW DO HERBS TASTE ?
In my years as an herbalist I have found that the worse tasting herbs are the most effective. There are at least ten (10) different tastes from herbs. Some of these tastes are bitter, sour, pungent, spicy, acrid, sweet, salty and bland.
There are three different energetics for the bitter tasting herbs. The bitter tasting energetics are alkaloidal, non alkaloidal and fragrant. The non alkaloids can be hot/dry or cold/dry. It does get confusing.
I think it is important that when you are using an herb you describe the taste to the practitioner. If you take many herbs you will be able to differentiate between the tastes. The bitter herbs regardless of the energetics, are bitter. Some of these herbs are Oregon grape root, barberry, coffee (all alkaloid), artichoke, motherwort (cold/dry nonalkaloid), tumeric (warm/dry) and wormwood, black walnut (fragrant). All of these bitter herbs can be used to treat/support the gastrointestinal system.
The sour herbs can be true sour or astringent. The energetics of true sour are cool/dry whereas the energetics for astringent are neutral/dry. The true sour herbs can be wild blueberry, schisandra and raspberry leaf. Examples of astringent herbs are witch hazel and bayberry. I love the true sour herb taste. I like sour.
The pungent herbs are the second most disliked herbs after bitter tasting herbs. The pungent herbs can have energetics of hot/dry or cold/dry. Examples are garlic, cayenne, and ginger (hot/dry) and echinacea, eucalyptus (cold/dry).
The spicy herbs are my second favorite after sour. The spicy tasting herbs have warm/dry energetics. Examples are the culinary herbs basil, thyme, oregano, rosemary, sage, and bergamot. This is an easy category to remember. Most of us who cook even a little and are Italian have used these herbs.
The acrid herbs have energetic of cold/dry. Examples are lobelia, vervain, kava and black cohash.
The sweet tasting herbs have warm/slightly moist energetic. The examples are stevia, astragalus, and licorice. Not a bad tasting group. Used as immune tonics.
The salty tasting herbs are either true salty (energetic cool/dry) or mineral salt (energetic cool/dry). An example of true salty is glasswort. I have not used this herb and have very little information on this class. The cool/slight dry mineral salt tasting group encompasses nettles (used extensively for allergies), horsetail (used extensively to grow my hair) and dandelion (as a diuretic).
The last tasting category is bland slippery with energetics of cool/moist. These are the moistener herbs like slippery elm, marshmallow, and comfrey. I used these herbs in helping with Irritable Bowel Disease. I also add meadowsweet (which is not bland slippery) but sweet.
Most of this information has been derived from the herbal courses in Black Mountain, North Carolina at the Medicines from the Earth Conferences in the last fifteen years. Through the years I am becoming more familiar with the different herbal tastes.
Often a patient will ask, "What does it taste like?" I think it is important to be honest with the patient if you have tasted the herb. I also find it important as an RH to taste as many different herbs as I can.
Until tomorrow...
MAY 2, 2023 OSTEOPOROSIS
MAY 2, 2023 OSTEOPOROSIS
Many millions of pat9ients every year get diagnosed with osteoporosis. What you need to know are two facts. Women and men get osteoporosis. You need not always take a drug to treat osteoporosis
I was very impressed hearing Dr John Neustadt lecture on osteoporosis . I was equally excited reading his book Fracture Proof Your Bones : A Comprehensive Guide to Osteoporosis Not only is the book informative and simple to read ( for everyone) but it clearly states the facts
There are many prodcuts to treat osteoporosis. These ranbge from vitamin D, calcium, magnesium, and even strontium I havce used strontium to treat osteoporosis. I also have used Vitamin K — which is essential Dr Neustadt formed a company called NBI ( nbihealth.com) He has excellent products with excellent results. The one product i recommend and have used for my patients is Osteo-K This product provides 45 mg of MK4 plus calcium and Vitamin D
If you or a loved one has osteoporosis I would recommend this product
Until tomorrow…
MAY 1, 2023 INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE
More than 3 million people live with inflammatory bowel disease and many struggle with food anxiety I see a lot of patients with IBD despite the fact that I am not a gastroenterologist. IBD is a condition that includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Both are characterized by chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract that often leads to diarrhea, abdominal pain, and rectal bleeding. IBD can also lead to fatigue, weight loss, malnutrition, and vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Specific foods are not known to trigger IBD flares. IBD is different from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), food allergies, and food intolerances, as it is a chronic inflammatory condition of the entire digestive tract (Crohn’s disease), or specifically, the large intestine (ulcerative colitis), which can inhibit absorption and impair digestion.
I do test for food allergies ( Ig G testing) as well as small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. Most gastroenterologists do not test for SIBO. I believe in a thorough analysis of the microbiota in all patients . In the past 10 years we have come a long way in gastrointestinal diseases. I also believe that medications not be prescribed for many of the diseases and supplements/herbs do a fine and even sometimes a better job
Patients with IBD often associate their gastrointestinal symptoms—abdominal pain, diarrhea, rectal bleeding, nausea or even vomiting—with the foods they eat There is not one diet for all I incorporate various dietary modifications looking at their blood diet and food sensitivities by Ig G All patients with IBD are unique and therefore should discuss diet and nutrition This is essential
Until tomorrow…
APRIL 27, 2023 HAIR GROWTH
As I started to lose my hair I become obsessed with using herbs to grow my hair. I did not want a hair transplant, hair plugs etc. The reason I shaved my head at one point was to see if I ever lost all my hair how would I look. I liked it and did it for two summers. Now I keep my head shaved all the time I have found 'my mixture' to get my patient’s hair longer
I began to lose my hair when I was a vegan I wasn't eating enough protein and my hair started to thin. So protein is very important in maintaining hair. There are some basic supplements that are essential for hair growth. These are Vitamin A, Vitamin C Vitamin E, Biotin, Zinc, and Selenium. I like hair formulas also to contain L-cysteine and methionine. In addition I utilize a MSM shampoo (Methylsulfonylmethane) After studying in Ithaca NY with 7Song I began a search in old herbal books by Culpepper, Sauer and others for hair growing herbs. I have had much success with Horsetail (Equisertum ssp), Saw Palmetto (Serenoa repens), Fennel (Peucedanum officinale) and Milk Thistle (Silybum maranum) . I am not a Tradional Chinese Herbalist, but learniong on my own from reading and seminars. If I had more time I would enter a 4 year program, but....
There are 3 chinese herbs I see in the literature that stimulate hair growth. These are Fo-ti (Polygonum multiforum) Bu Gu Zhi (Psoralea corylifolia) and Han Lian Cao (Eclipta prostrata)
The reasons for hair loss are very misunderstood. Is it autoimmune, congenital alopecia, a thyroid issue or build up of DHT (Dihydrotestosterone)? This hormone, DHT is responsible in both men and women. Excess of DHT in the hair follicle causes it to begin shrinking, which changes the natural resting and growth phases of the hair. This hormone builds up around the follicle like wax.
Follicles do not last-- they eventually die. The others have build up wax so no more follicles and the hair begins to thin and then you have hair loss. To increase scalp circulation you can massage your scalp.
Until tomorrow
APRIL 26, 2023 EMF
There are a lot of questions about EMF (electromagnetic field) radiation and how it affects our bodies! From Wi-Fi dangers to microwave radiation, EMFs are all around us.
The full impact of EMFs on human health is largely a question mark; however, many studies conclusively verify harm to humans, including an increased risk of several forms of cancer. There are many devices and supplements I see in newsletters and on line that supposedly protect you against EMF I think you can start by eating an anti-inflammatory diet and taking some basic antioxidants. I would start by taking liposomal; glutathione and tumeric ( Curcuma longa ) I also like to take and diffuse essential oils to protect me
Although essential oils have long been used in traditional and alternative health practices, in recent years researchers have also begun to study their purported health benefits. Essential oils are aromatic, concentrated plant extracts that have a wide range of uses, from creating the scents that emerge from aromatherapy diffusers to adding fragrance to lotions, soaps and other beauty products.
The essential oils I diffuse for EMF protect are lemongrass, lavender and peppermint Some essential oils also may have antifungal, antiviral and antibacterial properties.
Using essential oils in your daily life can change your life
Until tomorrow…
APRIL 25, 2023 RELAXING HERBS
Regular restful sleep is one of the most important components for maintaining health. If you have disrupted sleep it does not allow for proper digestion or sufficient time to make new hormones and chemical messengers (neurotransmitters) which are essential to our well being. We need these neurotransmitters to wake up with energy. Do you wake up tired? I used to! No longer. We do know that inadequate sleep has been proven to decrease work performance, alertness, memory and cognitive function and put stress on your relationships (personal and professional). Lack of sleep decreases your quality of life. Do you want that?
A study has shown that a decrease in sleep by one and half hours will result in a decrease of daytime alertness by 32%. Wow!
A large cohort study of more than 3500 patients ages 35 and over found that the optimal sleep duration of 7 - 8 hours could predict better health outcomes.
There are many remedies for sleep- conventional prescriptions as well as botanical. There are also vitamins/supplements that have been used as remedies to sleep. Some of these are theanine, pro som, and myopcalm The Bach remedy called Rescue Remedy is another valuable sleep agent. You must find the proper sleeping agent for you if you have difficulty.
I want to mention two botanicals that I am fond of for sleeping.
One is Passion Flower (Passiflora incarnata). The alkalids and flavinoids in Passion flower are stronger sedatives and relaxants than other botanicals. It has the ability to restore debilitated nerve centers by promoting proper nutrition uptake at a cellular level. It supports a calming and relaxing effect on the body during times of stress. Every person in New York City needs Passion Flower. The leaves and the vines contain the many alkaloids as harmaline, harmine etc . There are also lots of bioflavinoids such as quercitin, rutin etc in the plant. I love history of plants so this is no exception. It was first discovered in Peru in 1569 by a Spanish physician/botanist, Nicolas Monardes. In the 1800's it became popular with the Victorians of England.
The second botanical is Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora ) It has a relaxing and calming effect on the body. I like Skullcap because I find it can be used during the day to restore balance to an overworked individual. This is me. I utilize skullcap daily during the work day. I feel rested. It does not put me to sleep, but restore my energy and balance during the day and then I get a better restful sleep at night. This plant is a nervine and has plenty of flavinoids, ligans, and tannins. The best known flavinoid is appropriately called scutellarin.
Until tomorrow…