ELEUTHERO (Eleutherococcus senticosus) 2/6/18 Excerpted from: Adaptogens in Medical Herbalism By Donald R. Yance “Eleuthero is the most well-known, well-researched, and well-suited adaptogen in the world. Often referred to as the ‘king’ adaptogen, there are more published scientific studies on Eleuthero than on any other herb. It blends well with other herbs, […]
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Herbal Information Sheet: Bacopa
BACOPA (Bacopa monnieri) Excerpted from: The Way of Ayurvedic Herbs By Karta Purkh Singh Khalsa and Michael Tierra “In India, Gotu Kola is often used interchangeably with another similar herb, Bacopa. Both are called Brahmi. These two plants are not very well distinguished in the […]
The Other Uses of St. John’s Wort
by Cheryl Hoard An ornament of meadows, St. John’s Wort, Hypericum perforatum, is a beautiful, yellow-blooming shrub which doesn’t demand much for its survival. It makes itself available even for those living at an altitude of 10,000 feet where many other plants refuse to live. Often found growing comfortably in woods basking in speckled […]
Essential Oil Profile: May Chang
By Amelia E. Stone, RN Common Name: May Chang Latin Binomial: Litsea cubeba Family: Lauraceae Other Common Names: Exotic Verbena, Tropical Verbena, Pheasant pepper tree Production Method: Steam Distilled Countries of Origin: China Typical Constituents: Geranial (37.9- 40.6%), Neral (25.5-33.8%), [+]-Limonene (8.4-22.6%), Methyl heptenone (0.5-4.4%), b-Myrcene (0.5-3.0%), Linalool (1.2-1.7%), Geraniol (0.5-1.6%), Sabinene (0.1-1.6%), Linalyl […]
Parkinsons
QUESTION: I am looking for a natural way to help my mother. Her doctors think she has Parkinson’s Disease but they aren’t sure. She has tremors in both of her hands, and everyday activities are becoming more difficult for her. Can you recommend some natural products that she can try? The drugs that her doctors […]
Hyperthyroidism in Cats
QUESTION: Your article in the latest issue of Spirit Seeker could not be more timely! My sweet Alex Cat has been diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. I am seeing Dr. Schaefer — who does provide chiropractic and acupuncture treatments, but the “disease” is causing an extremely high heart rate. He has put him on Tupazok (drug) and […]
ADHD – Alternatives to Ritalin
Question: I am desperately trying to avoid giving my 9 year old Ritalin for ADHD. Her behavior, impulsiveness and distractibility have caused all facets of her life to suffer. Of course the “mental health” professionals have an easy answer, a little green pill twice a day. We have switched to a whole foods diet but […]
Essential Oil Profile: Tea Tree
by Marie Temmen Common Name: Tea Tree (or Ti Tree) Latin Binomial: Melaleuca alternifolia Family: Myrtaceæ Part Used: Leaves Extraction Method: Steam Distillation Country of Origin: Australia Tea Tree essential oil is currently one of the most popular of the essential oils. Herb stores, aromatherapy catalogues, cosmetic counters and drug stores abound with […]
What Is Aromatherapy?
The area of Aromatherapy is concerned with the (human) inhalation and bodily application of essential oils. The tools of aromatherapy are essential oils and hydrosols, which are hopefully used to achieve the potential goals of good physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual health and balance. Essential oils are obtained by a process called distillation, whereby selected […]
Turmeric: A superior herb hiding beneath media hype
by Laurel Redmon, M.S., L.Ac. Dipl. C.H. Turmeric rhizome, Curcuma longa, or jiang huang has been enjoying the limelight in recent months. It was the herb-du-jour, in the wake of the Vioxx scandal, along with a bit of research funding and an urban myth that Indian women never contract breast cancer. Media scrutiny […]