Category Archives: Health Concerns

Nervous Exhaustion

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Nervous Exhaustion?

We have been very successful with the root of the Winter Cherry (also known as Withania, Ashwaganda, Indian Ginseng) for helping with this kind of fatigue.

The Winter Cherry can be helpful in:

  • Nervous exhaustion;
  • Tonic for all ages: from young athletes to the elderly;
  • Recovering from illnesses;
  • Increases resistance to cold stress;
  • Supports the adrenal gland to keep the cortisol level stable;

We have found True Botanica’s Recovery Tonic especially helpful because their formula has the unique feature of including not just the root extract, but also the native salts of the root, additional potentized minerals for strengthening the adrenal gland and Bioperine to further improve absorption.

New Article on Spring Allergies Treatment

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We have posted a helpful review of Allergies in our Health Information and Articles Category. Click here to be directed to the page, then click the article link. The article can also be found on the Allergies page.

New Article on Memory Loss and Blood Vessels “Stiffening”

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We have posted a helpful review of Memory Loss and Blood Vessels “Stiffening” in our Health Information and Articles Category. Click here to be directed to the page, then click the article link. The article can also be found on the Cardio-vascular page here.

Foot Massage for Migraines, Thyroid Health, and Fatigue

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An Integral Part of Anthroposophic Therapeutics

Reflexology has been successfully practiced due to the understanding that all organs are projected on the foot sole.

Massaging the foot can have a significantly invigorating effect on the whole body. An evening foot massage can restore a lot of the energy that is lost during the day. Rudolf Steiner recommends foot massage, for example, in migraines as a means of attracting the astral body to the region opposite the head and decongesting the affected area.

He recommends the massage of the heel in thyroid disorders. He gives, of course, innumerable indications for the feet in the practice of eurythmy. Overall the feet may affect the health of the entire body just by how they affect the position and function of the spinal column.

A favorite product we use and recommend is True Botanica’s Refreshing Foot Cream™. It uniquely contains jasper (the gem stones corresponding to the feet), boswellia (the frankincense resin that is healing to the skin), anti- inflammatory oils, etc., without any damaging additives.

Give it a try for your health or to overcome tiredness!

New Article on Asthma Treatments

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We have posted a helpful review of Asthma Treatments in our Health Information and Articles Category. Click here to be directed to the page, then click the article link.

New Article on Headache Treatment

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We have posted a helpful review of Headache Treatments in our Health Information and Articles Category. Click here to be directed to the article page.

 

 

 

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) and frankincense (boswellia)

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A recent study demonstrated that a combination of boswellia (frankincense) and curcumin lowered signs of inflammation in chronic kidney disease. This study is especially important since it was conducted in patients. A sign of inflammation and reduced antioxidant capacity is an increase is the physiological marker called interleukin-6, IL-6. Practically all chronic diseases have an increase in this and other similar markers. consequently to see these two herbal supplements improve the status of these markers is highly significant.

See the full article at:

Moreillon, J.J., et al, The use of an anti-inflammatory supplement in patients with chronic kidney disease, Journal of complementary & integrative medicine, Volume 10, 2013

 

Brain “Fog” – A New, Natural – Anthroposophic Way to Help

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Brain Fog – a new anthroposophic way to help!

We all know the feeling: the evening comes, we are tired and we have difficulty concentrating; or after the all too big lunch (or any meal) and we can barely keep the head up- let alone have the crisp mind for mental activity.

Even worse this condition can be nearly permanent in some people!

To help with this “state of mind” we need to understand some basic physiology from an anthroposophic point of view first. These insights were given by Rudolf Steiner in a lecture on the 3.22.1923.

During eating the digestive process gets activated and the etheric, life forces in the intestines become stronger. Additionally, an etheric image is generated by the plant product that has just been consumed. (It is similar with eating animal foods.) However, whatever excess activity has been generated in the metabolism is usually neutralized within a day or so.

Very importantly, however, while this is going on in the lower organism a “negative” is also created automatically in the upper organism, in the brain.

That is the rule for regular edible plants. A poisonous plant though has an additional element in this configuration. The poison is of an “astral”, soul like nature, normally seen only in animals but not “appropriate” in herbs and thus of more significant consequence. When we consume such a plant a much stronger form results in the intestine and the form does not get cleared so rapidly. It lingers much longer. The same goes for the “negative” created in the brain. It remains there much longer also. It also adds an additional “astrality”, soul quality, and yes, awakeness in the mind.

If this process is repeated over and over, an overcoming of the “foggy” mind, an overcoming of the mere “vegging”, numb, out of focus feeling, is achieved.

The most important medicinal plant that is helpful in this respect is Hyoscyamus niger- black henbane.

it can be taken as an over the counter homeopathically potentized (diluted) natural remedy called then “Hyoscyamus 6x”. It is usually taken several times a day, throughout a longer period of time. It can have a greatly beneficial effect in this respect. (The same in a slightly different way can be accomplished with Belladonna.)  Several companies make a similar remedy but we would recommend the one made by the True Botanica Company since they actually verify that the potency they claim is in the bottle is actually active.

Berberine and Ageing

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Several recent studies seem to suggest that berberine slows down the ageing process. Of course the quality of the formula the individual person is using is  crucial in achieving the same results as those indicated in the studies. We generally recommend formulas that have the berberine ashes together with the main ingredient.

Below are excerpts from one such study.

The authors describe in the abstract to their work that:

Berberine (BRB), a natural alkaloid, has a long history of medicinal use in both Ayurvedic and old Chinese medicine. Recently, available as a dietary supplement, Berberine is reported to have application in treatment of variety diseases. The authors tested whether Berberine can affect premature, stress-induced cellular ageing.  All the markers of senescence were distinctly diminished, in a concentration-dependent manner, by Berberine. In view of the evidence that BRB localizes in mitochondria, inhibits respiratory electron chain and activates AMPK, the observed attenuation of the replication stress-induced cellular senescence most likely is mediated by AMPK that leads to inhibition of mTOR signaling.  The present findings reveal that: (a) in cells induced to senescence BRB exhibits gero-suppressive properties by means of mTOR/S6 inhibition; (b) in parallel, BRB reduces the level of constitutive DNA damage response, previously shown to report oxidative DNA damage by endogenous ROS; (c) there appears to a causal linkage between the (a) and (b) activities; (d) the in vitro model of premature stress-induced senescence can be used to assess effectiveness of potential gero-suppressive agents targeting mTOR/S6 and ROS signaling; (e) since most of the reported beneficial effects of BRB are in age-relate diseases, it is likely that gero-suppression is the primary activity of this traditional medicine. Zhao et al, Berberine suppresses gero-conversion from cell cycle arrest to senescence, Aging, Volume 5, Issue 8, 2013, Pages 623-636