One of the least spoken about challenges in a post petroleum age is wellness and healthcare. Our present-day pharmaceutical and medical technology is very much petroleum-based, and hence, much like food transportation and energy, our healthcare system is threatened by the decline of the oil supply.

Petrochemicals are used in the manufacture of hundreds of prescription and over-the-counter medications, and are the base for most commercial body and facial care products. Heart valves, IV tubing, hip and knee replacements, and other medical devices are produced with numerous plastics and other petrochemicals.

Throughout much of the world, plant-based medicine is still used for most chronic complaints with greater success reported than those choosing modern pharmaceutical medicine. And this is not just in developing countries. Throughout Europe, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), including acupuncture and herbal and homeopathic medicine, is used nearly as often as Western medicine for the treatment of disease. In Germany, 98 percent of all pharmacies now sell homeopathic medicines.

With a broad view of the whole person, including their diet, environment, and situation, CAM has a primary focus on the prevention of the disease in the first place, making detection and diagnosing, along with their often invasive and expensive practices, unnecessary. And the person need not suffer.

For example, if a woman has a severe mold problem festering in the basement of her apartment building, which begins to travel up through the walls, and settles into her cupboards and clothes closet, and she experiences daily headaches, her doctor might prescribe a medication without asking about her home environment, and order a battery of tests. After reviewing all the test results, they may or may not ever come to a conclusion about why she is having headaches. She may spend years taking the medication, experiencing low-grade side effects for which she may need a second medication, and her body may begin to have new symptoms caused by the mold in her walls.

On the other hand, a CAM practitioner, whether an acupuncturist, naturopathic physician, or herbalist, will first provide simple remedies, often plant-based, for her pain, and then begin to ask the woman a number of questions, and search for the root cause of her condition, and what changes may have taken place around the start of her symptoms. In this way, they will search together for the problem that has caused the headaches, the imbalance within her life, and be able to address that root cause, and thereby eliminate the headaches altogether.

In the United States, many believe that we have the greatest health care in the world. We certainly spend significantly more per capita than those in any other country. But the United Nations’ Healthy Life Expectancy Report (the HALE report), released in 1997, which measures how healthy we are during each year of life, showed that we were 24th in the world. The latest UN HALE report shows that we have fallen to approximately 33rd. And in June of this year, CNN reported that the U.S. has fallen to 38th in overall life expectancy.

We would likely spend less money and feel healthier throughout life if we moved toward a more integrated approach to wellness, choosing nourishing, mostly local food, safe herbal remedies, and other simple strategies to address nagging chronic complaints before they fester into greater imbalances and more serious disease.

Pharmaceutical medications have their place, but our modern medical approach is to hide symptoms, and not associate the small stuff with a growing health threat. We are a complex whole, and what we ignore or suppress can become a more complicated concern.

There is a growing body of research showing that community-based support for the ill, disabled and aged populations improves good health and longevity and costs far less. Loneliness and lack of social support have been linked to higher mortality rates, and increased risk of cancer, heart disease, and viral infections.

As we move toward a post oil society, we would be wise to learn about our local plants and other allies provided by the natural world. Regardless of where we live on the planet, we have an abundance of plants to support optimal health and well-being, and to treat most chronic disease. And this is especially true here in Vermont. Our natural world is alive with hundreds of plant medicines with a long, rich history of supporting people’s health and vitality. And we have an abundance of great teachers and practitioners of plant wisdom.

There is a saying in herbalism that whatever we need to restore good health and emotional harmony will come to our backyards. I once had a profound experience in this way. When my daughter turned sixteen and began to practice her independence, she acted out in ways that were extremely challenging for me.

On a warm spring evening during this difficult time, I went to our backyard to decompress. I lied down on the ground to feel the earth, and realized that I was lying in a bed of Star of Bethlehem flowers. There were thousands of them; they covered our entire yard. In herbalism, Star of Bethlehem flowers are used for comfort and reassurance of our spirit!

Now, I had lived there for more than seven years at that time, and had never seen a Star of Bethlehem flower in my yard, nor in our neighborhood. I lived there for two years more, and the following spring, I could only find about a dozen of these precious little flowers. They came to me when I needed them most, and seemed to have moved on when they were no longer needed.

Hippocrates told us “Let your medicine be your food, and your food be your medicine.” Using foods and herbs as medicine is safe, cost-effective, accessible to all, and our best first line of defense—both now and in the post petroleum world.

Many thanks to Leda for your wonderful editing expertise. You’re the best!

And all these newfangled expensive fancy bottled ‘water’ like products on the market are all hype (and sugar and chemicals) with clever names, as if they’re somehow benefiting our bodies or minds. They are, in reality, benefiting the bottom lines of the manufacturers; often able to be produced for pennies then sold for much, much more.

But if you want to provide real healthy choices for your children, please consider offering them lots of fresh, pure filtered water (contact me for more information) and lots of herbal teas.

Now, there are several keys to success with making herb teas for children so that they’ll drink them and enjoy the experience. First, determine whether or not they like strong or milder tea, and make it to their preference. Then experiment with various flavors. Offer herbal teas to them unsweetened before automatically adding any sweetener. Most of them don’t need anything added.

Remember to ALWAYS put a lid on the tea, so as to receive all the nutritional benefits from the herbs. Most herb teas need to steep for 8 to 15 minutes, or longer. I often make herb teas up in pint, quart or even half gallon Mason jars at night before I go to bed. The next day, we have a delicious, nutritious beverage for room temperature consumption (the healthiest temperature for teas in warm weather) or to warm up a bit on chilly days (in a saucepan on the stove, please; not in a microwave).

To learn to make healthy herbal teas from bulk herbs, fresh or dried, please read “Quality is Everything!”

We may serve teas to children warm, at room temperature or chilled. But adding lots of ice may actually inhibit the body’s digestion and ability to reap the nutritional benefits of the herbs.

When she was younger, my older daughter always preferred weaker tea made with only one tea bag per pint of hot water. Kaia enjoyed having nettles added to just about every tea she drank. It was a helpful choice for her dry skin, and she loved it.

My younger daughter, Mollie, liked her teas as strong as possible; 2 tea bags, and sometimes even 3, per pint of hot water. She liked to have raspberry leaf added to whatever tea she was into at the time. Over the years, she enjoyed raspberry leaf added to Throat Coat, Herbatussin and even Pregnancy Tea! (She enjoyed the Pregnancy tea from four years old until about age eleven, when it began to be just a little too weird!)

One of our family’s favorite teas is made from one of my long time favorite New Chapter products; the

Ginger Honey Tonic (also called Ginger Wonder Syrup or Digestion Ginger Honey Tonic; same wonderful product with three different names). Just add a teaspoon (or more to taste) of this delicious syrup to some warm, (not hot, as we don’t want to destroy some of the enzymes, vitamins and phytonutrients) water; sip and enjoy this tasty, nourishing, invigorating, tummy soothing tea.

I also love to add a good Elderberry syrup to warm water to make a soothing delicious tea, especially during cold and flu season or when I know we’ve been exposed to something I don’t want to come down with. My favorite commercially available Elderberry syrup is Sambu

(or Sambu Guard) from Flora Health. Just a teaspoon or two or this protective syrup in the morning and at night has gotten me through many a cold and flu season feeling healthy, strong and free of the respiratory problems I used to suffer from regularly. It’s a great tea for sinus and allergy sufferers, too.

I have known many children, babies to teens, that have enjoyed the following (and other) teas, warm or cool, over the years. I hope that you will have some fun experimenting with a variety of flavors, and find many herbal teas that your kids will enjoy as much as mine have.

Tulsi Teas – from Organic India (comes in 18 flavors, you may want to try them all!)

Sweet Rose Tulsi
Sweet Lemon Tulsi
Lemon Ginger Tulsi
Chai Massala Tulsi
Pomegranate Green Tulsi
Red Mango Tulsi
Vanilla Crème Tulsi

Raspberry Peach Tulsi
Orange Mint Tulsi
Red Chai Masala Tulsi
Passionfruit Tulsi
Licorice Spice Tulsi
Honey Chamomile Tulsi
Bija Teas (distributed by Flora)
Cold Stop
Cranberry With Rooibos
Sleepwell
Hawthorn

Traditional Medicinals
Just for Kids Organic Throat Coat
Just for Kids Organic Tummy Comfort
Just for Kids Organic Nighty Night
Just for Kids Organic Cold Care
Eater’s Digest
Organic Ginger
Organic Ginger Aid
Organic Roasted Dandelion Root
Organic Chai

Organic Lemon Yerba Mate
Organic Nighty Night
Organic Rooibos with Honeybush
Organic Rose Hips
Organic Spearmint
Throat Coat
Organic Lemon Echinacea Throat Coat
Herba Tussin Herbal Tea
Breathe Easy
Cold Care PM
Gypsy Cold Care

Cran Aid
Female Toner
Organic Mother’s Milk Tea
Organic Pregnancy Tea
Organic Raspberry Leaf
Women’s Liberty Tea

Yogi Teas
African Redbush Peach
Bedtime
Berry Antioxidant
Berry Detox (soon to be released)
Breathe Deep
Calming
Organic Cold Season Tea
Detox
Egyptian Licorice
Egyptian Licorice Mint
Ginger
Himalayan Apple Spice
Honey Lemon Throat Comfort
Kava Stress Relief
Mayan Cocoa Spice
Meditative Time
Mexican Sweet Chili
Moroccan Orange Spice
Peach Detox
St. John’s wort Uplift
Stomach Ease
Tahitian Vanilla Hazelnut
Throat Comfort
Woman’s Nursing Mom
Woman’s Raspberry Leaf

Most of the vitamin and mineral products found on the shelves of vitamin shops, pharmacies, grocers or health food stores are made of isolated purified chemicals. We’ve been told (lied to) for about four decades that these chemicals are ‘natural’, but it’s simply not so. Minerals are essentially powdered rocks, while the vitamins can be chemically purified substances from many sources, including genetically-engineered corn, fish heads, skin or brains and even photo finishing chemicals! Seems odd, doesn’t it?

Many have come to believe that most of the vitamins and minerals in the health food stores, whether they’re multi’s or single nutrients, are more natural than the grocery store, pharmacy and big box store brands. It’s a myth, however, in most cases. What’s true about many of these more expensive vitamin and mineral supplements is that these companies often choose to use the ‘better’ chemical forms.

If you would prefer to use real whole food supplements, you’ll need to do more than read and believe the words on the label. Many products state that they’re made with whole food, but what they’re actually saying is that there might be 2% or more of a dehydrated whole food added to several chemical ingredients.

Vitamin A
Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin used by the body for vision, growth, development, skin, hair, mucous membranes, immune function and reproduction.

Vitamin A in its purified form is called Vitamin A retinol, palmitate or acetate, and in excess, is considered toxic. Newer research shows that these forms may increase risk of birth defects and osteoporosis. Yet most vitamin companies continue to use these forms, even in their prenatal and seniors’ products.

The mixed carotenoids, pigments that make our vegetables and fruits colorful, are found in complex whole foods and shown in research to be safe and easily utilized within the body. Several carotenoids are converted by the body into the necessary Vitamin A for optimum health. Sea vegetables and algae are rich in carotenoids, as are the orange, red, pink, green and other brightly colored vegetables and fruits. Cultured whole foods are another excellent source of easily utilized mixed carotenoids.

Since most Americans and people in developed countries are believed to get an ample amount of Vitamin A in their diets, there are few real whole food sources in supplement form. These products offer numerous nutrients and are rich sources of mixed carotenoids. If you’re interested in a supplement form of Vitamin A, you may want to check out most of the certified organic algae products from Pure Planet or Nutrex, any of the multi’s from New Chapter or Megafood and a delicious liquid multi from Flora, called Floradix Epresat Multivitamin.

Vitamin B Complex
The B Complex of vitamins are water soluble and are also mostly isolated, purified chemicals in the majority of products on the market. If we have sufficient numbers of beneficial bacteria in our intestines, we should have ample B Vitamins for our bodies’ needs, as these beneficial bacteria manufacture B Vitamins as they support our digestive and immune health.

B Vitamins are essential for the nervous system, energy production, muscle tone of the digestive tract, and skin, hair, eyes, mouth and liver health.

Ideally, we want to consume plenty of complex cultured whole foods and be sure to keep healthy colonies of beneficial bacteria in the gut so as to provide the body with plenty of B Vitamins. If you are looking for truly natural sources of supplementation, however, I believe that the New Chapter Coenzyme B Food Complex is the best of the best! In fact, all of their vitamin and mineral products provide easily utilized B vitamins, since they’re all made from complex, cultured whole food!

Vitamin C
Most Vitamin C is isolated from corn, and much of that corn the past few years is believed to be genetically modified. If you’re interested in only consuming the very best, most easily assimilated, honestly natural Vitamin C, there are only a few on the market. They tend to be lower milligrams than you’re used to. That’s because, when the vitamin or mineral is easily utilized on a cellular level (more potent), you no longer need to consume exaggerated amounts of milligrams, as with the purified chemicals.

Vitamin C is well-known for its support in protecting cells from free radical damage to help lower cancer risk, improving iron absorption, help with wound healing, prevention of frequent colds or infections and lung-related conditions.

There are a few products that are made predominantly from whole food ingredients and, therefore, easily assimilated (utilized on a cellular level). Pure Planet offers a great Amla berry Vitamin C. Megafood and New Chapter both offer complex whole food supplements. (With the Megafood brand, be sure to choose the yellow label products, as the Megafood Essentials contain significantly less complex whole food than the yellow label products.)

There are also many herbs and whole foods that contain reasonable amounts of Vitamin C in its usable form. In nature, as in the true whole food supplement products, a variety of bioflavonoids are always present as co-factors for the utilization of the Vitamin C.

These herbal and whole food choices include: rose hips, acerola fruit, bitter melon, all the other peppers, including hot pepper species, mango, horseradish, cashews, walnuts, parsley, strawberries, citrus fruits, watercress, kale and Brussels sprouts.

For years, my younger daughter, Mollie’s, favorite after-school snack was a red pepper, a vegetable very high in Vitamin C. She would core it and eat it like an apple, especially when she was feeling on the verge of getting sick! Red pepper is significantly higher in Vitamin C than oranges, grapefruits, tangerines or lemons. Her intuition must have caused her to choose the red pepper the first time, and the improvement she experienced in her health drew her back time and again.

We will continue this topic soon, discussing Vitamin D, E, etc. I hope this has helped you to be able to distinguish between the truths and myths that we’re told about health and nutrition, and the products that truly are most ‘natural’.

Below, you will find statements that I have found in articles or advertising about health, wellness, fitness and nutrition. (Some have been modified for conciseness.) The unfortunate thing for those of us who eat whole foods and practice holistic therapies is that much of what we read is either not quite accurate, poorly researched half-truths, or out-and-out fibs (lies) told to sell a product or idea.

The following is the first part in a series of posts where I will attempt to dispel some of these myths, providing you with the information and research necessary for you to see more clearly where the truth about health and nutrition actually lies.

Wonder bread builds strong bodies.

Wonder bread is made from the following list of ingredients:
Whole wheat flour, water, wheat gluten, high fructose corn syrup, contains 2% of less of: soybean oil, salt, molasses, yeast, mono and diglycerides, exthoxylated mono and diglycerides, dough conditioners (sodium stearoyl lactylate, calcium iodate, calcium dioxide), datem, calcium sulfate, vinegar, yeast nutrient (ammonium sulfate), extracts of malted barley and corn, dicalcium phosphate, diammonium phosphate, calcium propionate (to retain freshness).

Remember; if you can pick it from a stem or vine, dig its root, or consume it in its whole state as harvested, it is truly natural. And likewise; if it sounds like a chemical, it’s a chemical. So, we have in the ‘natural’ category:
Whole wheat flour
soybean oil
molasses
yeast
vinegar
extracts of malted barley and corn

I didn’t list salt because the salt used is purified sodium, not naturally occurring salt as it was harvested. And I didn’t list high fructose corn syrup, as this, too, is highly refined and could not possibly be considered ‘natural’ by anyone who is aware of the refining process (which I will go into someday).

Did you ever make a sculpture or relief map in elementary school from flour, sugar and water? It essentially turns into a rock, right? This is similar to what happens in our digestive tract when we eat such highly refined ‘white’ foods. Is this your idea of a ‘strong body’? It is certainly not mine!

In an attempt to imply that there is any redeeming value at all to eating such products, the isolated, purified chemical forms of some nutrients are added so that the label may state that nutrition is contained. This is done because the nutritional values of the ingredients used, the B vitamins, etc, have been removed to provide the bread with an excessively long shelf life.

If you’ve been reading my previous posts, you’re likely becoming aware of the fact that these isolated, purified chemical forms of nutrients do not act the same within our bodies’ cells as the nutrients found within the complexity of whole foods. Please see “Most Natural Vitamins are not Really Natural”, posted to this site very soon, for a more complete story.

Two or more glasses of milk daily improves bone density.

Here’s one that I’ll bet a lot of folks still believe to be true. We’ve been told for more than 50 years that milk makes strong bones, but research shows that the truth may be exactly the opposite. Surprised?

More than a dozen years ago, because of considerable research findings to the contrary, the dairy council was forced to stop their advertising campaign that told the public that milk built strong bones.

The Harvard Nurses’ Health Study, one of the largest and most reliable studies of its kind, began in 1989 by Dr. Walter Willett. They released findings on osteoporosis in 2004, which showed that drinking two or more glasses of milk daily was associated with a measurable increase, not a decrease in osteoporosis, hip and arm fractures.

Other studies have also shown similar results. For more information on the truth about bone health, please read: Strong Healthy Bones at Any Age

Whole grains such as oatmeal or whole wheat bread are always healthy and nutritious.

Complex whole grains are certainly considered to be far better for us than products made with refined white flour, devoid of virtually all nutrient value, fiber and germ. The statement is not completely true, however. Oatmeal, although still containing all of its parts, is thoroughly crushed. Something that is crushed cannot be considered truly whole. Whole oat groats take hours to cook and are slightly higher in nutrients than the flattened, rolled oats, especially quick oats.

The other concern here is that wheat contains gluten (and oats may, as well). Gluten is a protein found in wheat and barley, and it has become one of the leading food sensitivities, causing or contributing to dozens of health concerns. Oats, because they are often processed in facilities where wheat has been processed, may contain trace amounts of gluten, as well.

Celiac disease is also on the rise. Celiac is a very serious digestive disease that causes damage to the small intestine and interferes with absorption of nutrients from the food that is consumed. People with Celiac have severe reactions to even minute quantities of this protein known as gluten.

Vitamin E supplements prevent heart disease and keep skin looking youthful.

Hundreds of studies done over several decades have shown that eating a diet containing a high number of foods rich in Vitamin E supports heart health and radiant, youthful skin and hat the more ‘natural’ Vitamin E supplements (which, by the way, are not truly natural at all) have also been associated with good heart and skin health.

But we cannot expect these kinds of results from all Vitamin E products. There are products on the market that are called Vitamin E, but alas, in reality they are by-products from the smelly chemicals used in the photograph developing industry! They can call it Vitamin E on the label, but it’ll never be remotely similar to a vitamin in my mind, and it will probably never work in the human cell like real Vitamin E from food, either.

In 2004, a meta-study was released that showed that Vitamin E is not as effective as was once believed. Firstly, a meta-study is when researchers review several, sometimes dozens of studies to find patterns. In this case, the Vitamin E meta-study simply looked at 19 previous studies–18 of which showed no greater mortality with E supplementation–and one that did. This study did not distinguish between the isolated, purified chemical form (the Vitamin E that’s considered more ‘natural’ and the synthetic chemical version, formerly part of a photo finishing chemical soup.

I hope you feel a bit wiser now, better equipped to decipher the stories we’re told about our health. Happy trails.

There is a wide array of processing methods used in the nutritional and herbal supplements industry, providing a great variety of possible effects on the body. Herbs, foods, mineral water and nutritional concoctions have been used for thousands of years to help the body prevent or recover from illness. This was, and still is today, the primary ‘medicine’ of the majority of the people around the globe. Today’s supplement industry has flooded the market with products labeled ‘natural’ and ‘from real food’, but these statements may refer to only 10% or less of the products’ total components. And many of the ingredients may actually be ground rocks, chemical compounds or may have been processed with chemical solvents such as acetone (nail polish remover) or PERC (dry-cleaning fluid). This sure doesn’t qualify as ‘natural’ in my book!

This will certainly be an ongoing series of posts, as I attempt to help you to better comprehend the similarities and differences between the products available in the supplements aisle and their processing methods, with a brief description and history of each process. Let’s begin today with the herbal products.

Herbs, spices and medicinal mushrooms have been used as teas and food flavorings for all known time. The ancient uses were traditionally passed down verbally or in writings, and modern science is now proving the validity of many of the properties and benefits that have been believed, sometimes for centuries or thousands of years. Although it is illegal to make specific health or curative claims for any herbal or nutritional products, the scientific research is beginning to build a very good case for the safety and potential effectiveness of the ‘cream of the supplements crop’.

What is so deceiving to the consumer is that inferior companies’ products may be advertised as possessing the same research and benefits as the ones studied, which are often those very best products. These deceptive advertising and marketing practices are commonplace in this country and in much of the world.

There is a wide range of growing methods for the raw materials used in herbal and nutritional supplements. Certified organic products have much stricter standards of growing than commercial crops, and biodynamically grown herbs may be even more potent than organic ones. Fresh or recently dried herbs and foods will be significantly more potent and effective than old, dried out, lifeless herbal material, harvested years ago..

Of course, until less than 100 years ago, there were no chemicals applied to vegetable and herb crops. But even back then, many farmers followed the common farming practices of the day, where crops were not rotated as often as needed for optimal soil nutrients. It was known that the soil in much of the heartland of America was considerably depleted of many of the minerals and trace elements necessary for optimal health a century ago.

Fresh herbs are often used during the growing season and autumn harvest. Fresh herbs compliment foods with their delicate flavors. Teas made with fresh herbs are also delicious with their light, refreshing flavors and aroma. The conversion for using fresh herbs and spices in a recipe that calls for dried herbs is 3 to 1, so if a recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of dried mint, for instance, you would use 3 teaspoons (1 TBSP) of fresh mint instead.

Dried herbs – But for the manufacture of most commercially prepared products, we must dry the herbs or super foods. Drying herbs properly is important for the quality of the finished product. Too much heat, light or too little air circulation during drying will produce a product with very little vitality and activity. When drying is optimally performed, the color will be bright, the scent pungent, the texture and taste strong and vital, and effectiveness potent and powerful.

For some herbal and nutritional products, the processing ends here. Most herbs are believed to be much more effective when they are put through an extraction process, creating an herbal concentrate. Again, there is a wide variety of possibilities here. The following will help to differentiate those variables so as to better understand, as a consumer, what we are really getting.

The most common herbal extraction methods include:

Chemical solvents – These products, usually produced by pharmaceutical or chemical companies, are often referred to as ‘standardized extracts’. The more common chemical solvents used are hexane (removes grease from a cement floor in five or ten minutes), acetone (nail polish remover), PERC (dry cleaning fluid), methanol, methylene chloride and ethyl acetate. With these chemical solvents, a chemist may alter the plants’ constituents to almost any desired specifications. Please see: Myths in Nutrition – Part Two – An Active Ingredient is Not the Same as the Herb Itself, posted on Dec. 15, 2006 for more information about this practice of altering herbs.

One of the big concerns with these standardized extracts is that there is always residue of the chemical solvent left behind in the herbs. There may be 65 parts per million (PPM) of dry cleaning fluid in your Echinacea or 44 PPM of acetone in your Ginkgo. Either way, it is likely not what we were bargaining for when we purchased a ‘natural’ herbal product.

Water extracts – An example of a water extract is herbal tea. There are also products that are water extracts in capsules or tablets that are made by dehydrating a tea until it is a concentrated powder. These are often very potent products, but it will really depend on the reliability of the company producing the product. If there was high heat applied or if the herbs were grown poorly, the finished product will be of little value.

Alcohol extracts (Also called Ethanolic or Hydro-ethanolic extracts) – Alcohol is an excellent solvent for extracting the constituents from herbs and delivering them into the bloodstream in approximately 90 seconds. Tinctures, alcohol (or more often, alcohol and water extracts), may be diluted with a small glass of water or tea for increased palatability.

Tinctures are considered safe for most people, with the probable exception of recovering alcoholics. It is a myth that tinctures are unsafe for children. The amount of alcohol in an adult serving of tincture is significantly less than the alcohol contained in a ripe banana! We feed bananas to babies as one of their first foods, so this minute amount of alcohol is considered to be safe. I do suggest than we never offer a tincture to a child without diluting it first, so they do not feel the burn of the alcohol on their tender mucosal tissue in the mouth and throat.

Glycerine – Vegetable glycerine is a sweet medium for carrying the vitality and phytochemicals from the herbs into the body. Some companies will first extract the herbs in alcohol or alcohol and water, remove the alcohol, and add the vegetable glycerine. Other companies use the glycerine directly for extraction purposes. Children, recovering alcoholics and elders may be good candidates for these herbal glycerites.

Supercritical extraction – The supercritical extraction process was developed in Germany in the last twenty years. Rumor has it that some food scientists were hired to work on a new extraction process that may work with hops to make a better beer. It worked! Soon thereafter, other herbs were being extracted with this newest of the extraction methods. There are only a few companies in the US employing the supercritical extraction process and they offer only very high quality products. They are all using full spectrum extracts, which means that they maintain the integrity of the herb’ constituents in the same balance that nature provided. The supercritical extracts may be refined or altered in the future, but for now, we receive the benefits of high-grade concentrated herbs in these powerful full spectrum extracts.

Vinegar extracts – Apple cider vinegar may be used for extracting herbal constituents for those who choose to use a liquid herbal extract, but are unable to consume alcohol. Vinegar extracts are not commercially available due to their very short shelf life.

Freeze drying – The process of freeze drying begins with freshly harvested herbs. They are frozen at very low temperatures, and while frozen, the moisture is removed. The herbal material is then powdered and encapsulated or tableted. These concentrated products can be as much as 200:1, but can be very sensitive to heat and light. My favorite freeze dried herb is nettles.

Syrups and pastes – Most of us think of cough syrup when we consider a healthful herbal syrup. Syrups can be a very pleasant way to take herbs for a wide variety of health concerns. Today, they’re offered for cold and flu, bone health and a wide variety of health concerns. Pastes are often used in Ayurveda and occasionally in Chinese medicine. A small amount of the herbal pastes may be added to warm water for a potent, pleasurable herb tea.

Oil infusion – Some herbs are extracted with oil, usually extra virgin olive oil, and although they are often used topically, some may also be ingested.

Some of the most pure and potent herbal and nutritional products may be found in the following trustworthy, honorable and reliable companies’ lines of (mostly) organic products. Many of these companies have been pioneers in organic and biodynamic growing practices, and developing and improving both new and ancient technologies. Some have worked tirelessly toward protective legislation for our right to consume nutritional supplements, and for products to be required to be labeled honestly, as well as fighting bad legislation jeopardizing our rights to buy and take supplements by educating the public. Their commitment to excellence is strong, and the products they produce are of exceptionally high quality.

New Chapter,
Flora- Floradix, Bija, Udo’s Choice and Dr. Dunner,
Organix South- Thera Neem and Thera Veda
Gaia Herbs,
Pure Planet
Renew Life,
Eclectic Institute, (most of their product line)
Avena Botanicals,
Nordic Naturals,
Herb Pharm,
Megafood

Many small herb companies owned and run by regional herbalists could also be added to this list, as well.

Remember, it is considered ideal to consume most herbs and herbal products on an empty stomach. This means that we would consume liquid herbal extracts, capsules or tablets at least 15 to 30 minutes before our next meal and two hours after our previous meal.

There are several interesting health myths that have their origins in medical and scientific journals. These myths trickle down to the articles that we read in news journals, alternative health and women’s magazines. These myths stem from the scientific reductionist viewpoint that looks at the isolated parts of the whole as if they were actually the whole itself.

Now, I certainly do not mean to imply that the study of the separate constituents has no value; this is exactly how many pharmaceutical medications originate. Instead, what I’m attempting to do is to dispel the confusion about several very different types of herbal products. When an herb is comprised of hundreds of complex constituents, a single one of those constituents cannot and should not be considered to be the same as the whole herb, being spoken about and used interchangeably.

Here is my favorite (or should I say ‘least favorite’) example of this; turmeric, according to research, has approximately 100 constituents. One of those constituents is called curcumin, and curcumin has been considered by some researchers to be the one ‘active constituent’ (or the curcuminoids are considered the ‘group of active constituents’). Research has shown that, although curcumin provides noted activity against excess inflammation, the extract of the whole turmeric, with all its other active and inert constituents, has significantly more activity. And although curcumin supports detoxification of the liver and blood, the full-spectrum turmeric extract has been shown to provide us much greater detoxification than the isolates alone.

In fact, isolated constituents have never been found to work more effectively than the whole herb, spice or mushroom without also having potentially harmful side effects. With virtually all herbs and fungi, the whole provides the benefits along with the checks and balances to prevent possible side effects.

Many of the turmeric products on the supplements market are not really turmeric at all. These products are labeled as turmeric on the front, but if you read the fine print on the ‘Supplement Facts Panel’ (the fine print box found on the back), you would see that there is 95% curcuminoids (including the curcumin). According to nature, 5-11% of the root is comprised of curcuminoids. This means that most of the turmeric root was disposed of and the capsule was filled with a small fraction of turmeric’s actual constituents. Personally, I would prefer these kinds of products be labeled as over-the-counter drugs with clever names than to mistakenly refer to them as herbal products.

Another concern with these altered products is that those curcuminoids were isolated from the whole root through one of the chemical extraction processes used by the pharmaceutical industry. Hexane, acetone or (my favorite) PERC (dry-cleaning fluid) may have been used to isolate the chosen constituents, and small amounts are usually left behind in the finished product. I think it ironic that dry-cleaning fluid might be contained in our daily detoxification product!

Green tea contains more than 500 constituents. Again, as a result of research, there is one special constituent that has been deemed by scientists to be the most active. This constituent is called EGCG, and the story is really quite similar. EGCG is in the family of catechins, which are potent antioxidants.

Green tea has been shown to support weight loss, reduce oxidative damage caused by free radicals, prevent cancer and heart disease and improve immune function. Products containing the isolated EGCG are often sold with claims of the same benefits as the whole, complex green tea.

Research was done on both green tea consumption and green tea extract usage. Just as with the whole turmeric root, the complex whole herb of green tea appears to support health and detoxification more effectively than the isolated EGCG. In fact, it seems that when you remove even one ingredient, caffeine for example, green tea has little, if any effect on detoxification and inflammation.

Saccharides, some of the important building blocks of our healthy cells, are found in several herbs and in all medicinal mushrooms. One of the most common sources for some of the Saccharides being isolated for products on health food store shelves is the Aloe vera plant. I repeat the running theme here; these Saccharides, so essential for our healthy cells, are not the same as the whole Aloe vera, Shiitake or Maitake. They cannot be; one is singular, simple; the other complex, multifarious.

Here is another important example, a nutrient that’s recently gotten a lot of press. Lycopene, a powerful antioxidant in the carotenoid family, is usually found in red fruits and vegetables. Lycopene has gotten quite a bit of publicity in the last few years for its potential to protect us from cancer, especially cancer of the prostate, diabetes and osteoporosis. Research showed that men who ate the greatest amount of tomatoes seemed to have fewer prostate issues. Researchers determined that the activity in the tomatoes was due to the Lycopene. Upon the release of this important new information, many new Lycopene products arrived in stores and were selling out in no time. But a funny thing happened when the researchers looked at the isolated Lycopene; it had no antioxidant activity. It didn’t work. Lycopene, it seems, must be present in the tomatoes, watermelon, papaya or avocado to help protect our health.

So, if it sounds like a chemical, it is most likely a chemical. If you can go out in nature and pick it or dig its root, then it’s really natural. And when it is isolated from something that formerly lived and grew in nature, it was probably separated with a chemical solvent, and is therefore no longer truly natural.

Most of the nutritional supplements on the market are called ‘natural’, but in reality, they aren’t even close. Please stay tuned for more on how vitamins and other supplement products are processed and made, and which supplements are truly the most natural, safe and effective.

We are certainly a culture of people that like to have lots of ‘things’. But some of the best things in life aren’t things at all. Take, for example, good health. Many people have lots and lots of very nice items like cars, boats and homes, but they experience poor health. Did you ever wish you could give your loved one a gift of vibrant health, energy and vitality? Now you can! Here’s how…

I’m a Community Herbalist with more than thirty years of study and practice using healing foods, herbs and supplements to heal myself from several serious chronic health conditions that the medical community often says cannot be recovered from. I have raised my daughters, now bright, vibrant young adults, using organic whole foods and holistic practices (with the exception of medical emergencies). Over the last twenty-five years, I have taught whole foods cooking classes and health promoting practices so that the participants could also learn to heal themselves from chronic health conditions or life-threatening illnesses.

I currently provide this instruction through Wellness Consultations. A Wellness Consultation is an educational service where the recipient is taught how to use safe healing foods, herbs and supplements to regain health and vitality, find freedom from chronic or acute pain, lift the spirits and be released from the grips of anxiety, mood swings and irritability.

Wellness Consultations may be received in person in the New England area or by telephone from anywhere in the world. They do not interfere with medication, but I urge consultation recipients to check with your healthcare provider(s) before starting any new health regimen. If you are on prescription medications, this might be even more important to follow, and please be sure to visit your doctor about two months after beginning to make the healthier choices as outlined in your Wellness Consultation, as your doctor may find it prudent to reduce or eliminate your medication at that time. (I do not discuss reduction or elimination of medication with consultation recipients, as this is a conversation between you and your healthcare provider.)

Wellness Consultations are usually about one hour long, but may be shorter or extended in increments of fifteen minutes, if desired. Wellness Consultations may be experienced by individuals, couples, sisters or brothers, entire families or a pet’s person.

Too often, when a person becomes ill or experiences chronic pain, their doctor puts them on a medication or two, and pretty soon, they have a few minor side effects, and they need more medication for that. Although there are certainly instances where medication is necessary, too often it is used to mask the symptoms rather than getting to the root cause of the problem.

An example of this scenario is described in the following story. My friend’s uncle had a bit of a heart problem, nothing serious according to his doctor. He went on one medication, then two, and a few months later he needed another. Now, ten years later, he takes thirty-one prescription medications every day!

I recently spoke to a local pharmacist about this who stated that, after three or four medications, it is impossible to know what the interactions are going to be and how those combined medications are really affecting the body. He felt it may be unsafe for doctors to place a person on more than three or four medications at one time, and certainly not a senior citizen on thirty-one! Unfortunately, this is more often the norm than the exception for our elders in this society. But it certainly doesn’t have to be this way!

Using healing foods and herbs is a gentle healthful way for us to address the cause of the imbalance that often leads to illness, chronic conditions and serious disease. Many of the greatest health concerns that plague our society today are considered to be caused by nutritional deficiency or toxin overload or both. When we detoxify the organs, cells and tissues, then supply the body with easily absorbed and utilized whole food nutrients to repair the damage, we regain our health, vitality and happiness. Life begins to feel good again!

If you know someone that deserves to find their path back to good health from illness; vitality from exhaustion; happiness from despair, then it is the time to give them the greatest gift of all; the Gift of Health. Why wait? Contact Cindy today to set up an appointment for a Wellness Consultation, and see your loved one(s) feeling fantastic again!

Cindy

When it comes to using herbs and nutritional supplements to support health and prevent or care for an illness, there is one feature that is unconditionally most important, and that is QUALITY! If we are interested in good health, and we invest our money, time and energy into a supplement program, it is imperative that we select the most pure, potent and effective products available to us for the desired results. Choosing products wisely can make all the difference in whether or not we experience optimal health and a considerable improvement in our condition, as confirmed by uplifting vital energy, vitality, inner calm, greater motivation and less pain.

Much of the information found in the following paragraphs, I want to share with all of you who are attempting to get well, but have trouble choosing a program because there are so many choices. There are thousands of books and tens of thousand of articles out there to explain to us that Ginkgo may help improve your memory, and elderberry is a powerful herb used to fight viruses for more than a thousand years. What these articles usually don’t share with the reader is that if we choose an inferior quality product; grown in poor soil, harvested before the peak of ripeness, then processed with dry-cleaner fluid, it may not work well, and it may even contribute to our problems. In 35 years of reading articles and books on holistic health, herbs and nutrition, I have never found one source that explains how to make the best choices by using only the highest quality products available. Wouldn’t this help to explain why a half dozen friends take Saw palmetto for their prostate health and some find results, while others don’t see any results? Here is the information that it took me years to gather, often through trial and error, offered to you so that your journey to vibrant health will be an easier, gentler one.

We will begin by discussing herbal products, but much of this information may be applied to other nutritional supplements and foods, which we will discuss in more detail in future posts.

Most people do not realize that there are a wide variety of choices in how a product was grown, formulated, processed (powdered, extracted, etc) and offered (capsules, tablets, teas, tinctures, syrups, lozenges, salves, fresh or dried), and each of these choices impacts its ability to be effective.

Let’s begin with the importance of how an herb is grown. It is very important to choose certified organic herbs (or organically grown by a very reputable farm or company), as herbs grown with commercial practices may contain trace amounts of herbicides, fungicides and some of the very toxins that we may be trying to eliminate through the use of herbs, nutritional foods and supplements.

We should always choose certified organic products which have received certification from a reputable organization. Some of the most trusted certifying groups include Oregon Tilth, Northeast Organic Farmers’ Association (NOFA) and Ecocert. There are more than 150 more certification bodies, including the USDA Organic certification program. The superior nutritional value of organically grown produce has been established in numerous studies, and the increase in starch, along with diminished nutrient value of commercial crops may indeed contribute to the dramatic increase in diabetes over the last several decades. Research suggests that organic herbs would likely serve us better, as well.

Harvest of the herb should ideally take place at the peak of ripeness for an ideal nutrient and phytonutrient value, which is more likely assured in organic products from reputable companies. The herbs found in many commercial or low-priced products contain little or none of the plant constituents believed to be some of the active elements, and sometimes they are even the wrong species of plant entirely. (This happened with Scullcap, a delightful stress reducing herb, a few years ago. Many products were found to contain little or no scullcap, but a plant that is known to be potentially toxic to the liver instead. Please read the future article for additional information called: Myths in Herbalism, posted to this site shortly.)

Formulation is an art, a gift really, that only a few are bestowed with. Thousands of years of empirical evidence, as well as some more recent research, show that herbs combined into a synergistically blended formulation have a greater effect on health and wellness than do single herbs. The weight of the individual herbal ingredients used becomes less important in an herbal formulation.

The processing of the herbs is of greatest importance. The majority of herbal products found on grocer, big box store and pharmacy shelves fall into two basic categories; dried powdered herb (often found to be poorly effective) in a capsule or tablet, or chemically extracted herbs. The latter may have been extracted with chemical solvents such as hexane (used to remove grease or oil from floors or mechanical parts), acetone (fingernail polish remover), PERC (dry-cleaning fluid), ethyl acetate, methylene chloride or methanol! If these chemicals sound scary to you, you are not alone. Such solvents are employed regularly in the pharmaceutical industry or in the processing of commercially prepared foods and food ingredients. Research shows that some of these solvents may not be as safe in the body as once believed.

Ironically, these chemically extracted herbs are often referred to as ‘standardized extracts’, and a media campaign over the last decade has touted standardized extracts as being of higher quality. They are certainly a consistently produced product, but of higher quality? You be the judge. Now that you’re a better educated consumer, you will make a more informed choice. (Remember, how and where we spend our money directly impacts the world we live in.) Such chemical solvents may not extract the nutrient profile of the plant as nature has provided for us, and are feared to react with some of the phytonutrients, causing them to work differently (or not to work at all) within the body. Worse yet, trace amounts of these solvents often remain in the finished product. I’m not sure any of us need 44 parts per million of dry-cleaning fluid with our Ginkgo every morning!

Because there are no labeling requirements to allow for a better comprehension of the product for the consumer as to the processing method(s) used, I will be sharing with you which companies use the various processing methods discussed in this article in the very near future. Please read: Processing Methods Employed by Various Companies, posted to this site very soon.

What we want to look for is an organically grown herbal formulation that has been extracted in some of the following ways:

Supercritical extraction (of full-spectrum herbs)
Alcohol (often called ethanolic) extraction
Water extraction
Alcohol and water (hydro-ethanolic) extraction
Any of the four above may be dried and encapsulated or tableted
Freeze-dried
Cultured (fermented)
Culinary herbs and spices, fresh or dried
Teas
Tincture
Glycerite (alcohol-free tincture)
Salves (petroleum free)
Syrups (without refined sugar or chemical sweeteners)
Dried herbs (in capsules or tablets)*

*I previously discouraged you all from choosing dried herbs (in capsules or tablets), but if the list of superior quality products above is unavailable, dried herbs may be of better quality than chemical solvent extractions.

The following brief descriptions of the various processing methods will help you to understand how very different two products with similar names and similar labels may really be.

Supercritical Extracts – The Supercritical extraction process was first developed by German scientists as they made a new type of hops extract in an attempt to create a better beer! They were successful! They were also successful with creating an extraordinary new herbal extraction process, particularly effective for herbs with a high content of oily compounds. This technology uses carbon dioxide (the same as we exhale with each breath) under very high pressure and at a particular temperature to produce a gentle, easy-to-use, concentrated, potent and effective herbal extract. These concentrates may be as high as 300:1, (or 300 pounds of fresh herb will produce one pound of Supercritical extract,) making them a powerful choice.

Please note: It is important to choose a Supercritical extract that is full-spectrum, meaning that the plant constituents were extracted as nature provided them to us, and not to a chemist’s specifications (differing from nature’s balance). A full-spectrum extract offers the full benefits of the herb, with all the checks and balances to help prevent uncomfortable side effects or side discomforts.

Alcohol (Ethanolic) extract – Pure grain alcohol is used rarely as an extraction menstrum. Very few herbs require pure alcohol, and they are often taken in minute amounts.

Water extracts – A water extract is usually a tea. Sometimes, though, the water extraction (the tea) may be reduced to a syrup or dehydrated to a powder and then encapsulated or tableted. Ideally, this would be done using low heat and significant air movement, as heat may damage the delicate plant constituents.

Alcohol and water (hydro-ethanolic) extract – Most tinctures are hydro-ethanolic extracts and many use only certified organic herbs. Tinctures deliver the herbal extracts into the bloodstream within approximately 90 seconds. Most herbalists suggest the use of tinctures, in part because a small amount is often highly effective. One of the mechanisms believed to be at work here is tasting the herbs. This is believed to have a positive effect within the limbic brain, the part of the brain in charge of emotions, feelings and mood. Many believe that this sets a positive healing response in motion within the entire body, even if the taste of the tincture were very bitter, sour or pungent. (These more strong tasting herbs may be mixed with water or chased with a piece of bread to minimize the unpleasantness of the flavor.)

Any of the four methods described above may then be dried (dehydrated) and encapsulated or tableted – Herbs extracted with one of the four methods above, then dried and either encapsulated or tableted, are likely to be much more beneficial than herbs that are simply dried and encapsulated or extracted with chemical solvents.

Herbal teas, fresh or dried – Herbs may be picked in the garden or the wild, then dried or used fresh. They may also be purchased in bulk or in tea bags to make delicious, refreshing, nutritional and healthful herbal teas. There are a few things that one should know if they are choosing to use herbal teas for health benefits, and not just for sipping a pleasant beverage.

Teas made of roots and barks are ‘most always decocted.
This means that you:
Place the roots / barks into cold water preferably in a glass saucepan.*
Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat.
Simmer for twenty minutes.
Let cool for 15-30 minutes or more before consuming.

Leaves, stems and flowers (often referred to as aerial parts) are usually infused. An infusion is made by the following process:
Boil water.
Pour over fresh or dried herbs.*
Place a lid or saucer over the teapot, teacup or mug.
Let steep for 5 to 30 minutes, (most herb teas steep for 20 minutes for optimal benefits).

*Measure the herbs for bulk teas using the following measurements:
Note: Measurements are per cup 8 oz of water.

Decoctions:
1 teaspoon, level to rounded, of dried herbs, or to taste.
1 TBSP, level to rounded, of fresh herbs, or to taste.
Infusions:
1 teaspoon, rounded to heaping, of dried herbs, or to taste.
1 TBSP, rounded to heaping, of fresh herbs, or to taste.

Teas are usually drunk in 4 or more five to eight ounce servings per day for maximum benefits.

Culinary herbs and spices, fresh or dried – Herbs and spices may be used in food preparation, contributing to good health. Using cinnamon in baking and adding thyme, oregano, garlic and basil to many Italian dishes are good examples. For maximum benefits, we certainly want to choose organic herbs and spices, purchase in small quantities to ensure freshness, and always store in glass jars with tight fitting lids. Ideally, we should choose the herb as whole as possible, and crush, grind, slice or use whole as needed for the recipe.

Freeze-dried – Freeze-drying removes the water from the herbs in a vacuum at very cold temperatures. This process provides a full-spectrum of the herbs’ constituents, without compromising the nutritional value and phytonutrient content, providing a very concentrated (often as high as 200:1 concentrates) dried herb for use in foods, teas, capsules or tablets. These products are considered to be quite potent and very supportive of good health.

Cultured (fermented) – This newer technology in western herbalism is actually an ancient food processing technique used by people throughout the world for more than 6000 years. Fermentation uses beneficial microorganisms to transform foods to superfoods. Considered pre-digested, these fermented herbs and foods have increased nutrient value, support detoxification, digestion and immune health. The importance of fermented whole foods in the diet has been established by food science researchers in the past decade, once again proving the ancient wisdom of our ancestors.

Because of concerns about candida (yeast) overgrowth, cultured foods have been seriously misunderstood for about the last twenty-five years. Please read: The Power of Fermentation, posted to this site soon, for a greater understanding about the importance of fermented foods in the diet to support digestive and immune health.

Tincture – There are many excellent tincture companies in North America and Europe, both large and small. Tinctures are predominantly hydro-ethanolic extracts, (see above). Tinctures are generally used in small amounts (10-60 drops, 1/3 dropper-2 droppers respectively), usually 2-4 times daily, but some may be used 30 drops (one dropper) as often as once every hour or even once every 15 minutes. Some people feel concerned about the alcohol content in the tincture. There are approximately 80 (thirty drop) servings in a one ounce bottle of tincture (comparable to one shot of alcohol), which would usually be used over the course of 20 to 40 days. Unless we have a condition where zero alcohol is imperative, then tinctures would not pose a problem. In fact, there is more alcohol in a ripe banana than in a dropper of tincture!

Glycerite (alcohol-free tincture) – Glycerites are most often produced as hydro-ethanolic extracts which have had the alcohol and water removed, then vegetable glycerine added. They are generally sweet to the taste and are easily used by children or anyone who may prefer to avoid alcohol.

Salves (petroleum free) – As a topical or trans-dermal application, salves have the ability to deliver the herbal formulation into the bloodstream without the use of the digestive processes. Salves have been applied to the skin for thousands of years, whether on achy joints, dry itchy areas, sprains, strains, cuts, burns, acne and the like, to provide some relief.

Syrups (without refined sugar or chemical sweeteners) – Syrups can be a pleasant way to consume herbs. We immediately think of cough syrups, but syrups may also be used for nourishing, detoxifying and energy lifting formulas, as well. Children, elders and many of us will enjoy the gentle, sweet flavor and the soothing, protective coating of the throat that syrups provide.

Dried herbs (in capsules or tablets) – Some herbs, such as organic ginger, are shown to be quite effective when used in powder form. With most herbs, however, a clean pure extract is likely to be our best value, and the best approach to our wellness plan. Freshly dried herbs are likely to be more useful than older (dried out) products. (You may try checking the expiration date on a product.)

As you can see, there are so many choices that the average consumer likely has no idea what they are really purchasing, and how effective the product might be. For 35 years now, I have bought, grown and used herbs, foods and supplements to heal myself from a variety of discomforts and auto-immune conditions. My rule of thumb has always been to seek out the very best options available to me in the region where I was living. This took effort, but since I am only given one body in this life, I have always found it important to support it in every way that I can.

Another consideration when seeking out an herbal product is the form of the finished product. For about three decades, there has been a myth floating through the supplements industry. This myth implies that capsules are better than tablets, and liquids are better than both tablets and capsules. Although both of these statements are sometimes accurate, the processing methods above make much more of an impact on whether or not a product may be effective and supportive of overall health or not.

One of the greatest misunderstandings when choosing an herbal product is the comparison of the milligrams (mgs), micrograms (mcg) or IU’s. These simply measure weight, not the potency of a product. For example, 400 mgs of a Supercritical extract or a freeze-dried herb will be considerably more potent than 400 mgs of fresh or powdered herb. We need to begin to look at herbs and nutritional products in a whole new way, and stop trying to compare apples to zucchini squash! When it comes to our health, compromising on quality may not be a wise option! Without our health, we can’t fully enjoy anything else we may have.