herbal supplements

A little bit out there...that was refreshing!

2008-09-20T13:00:00.000+07:00

Yesterday was one of those gorgeous days that make you want...no, make that need ... to get outside. Sunny sky, a breeze, temperatures that aren't like a blast furnace, and the vegetation at the very brink of toppling into fall made it an incredible adventure.

A few days earlier, Maryanne found herself at our bayberry source and picked about a quart. We figured we could go pick some more because we use it in the holiday bayberry soap that we only make at this time of year. In the same general direction is a park where I'll be setting up for a book signing next Saturday afternoon, and had offered to include a weedwalk. Always good to check that stuff out first ;-) . And I'm glad we did, because we may need to revise the plan a bit since it is more of a landscaped area than I thought - and WAY too much poison ivy back on the paths to be going off the path.

As we headed out the driveway, I looked at my sister and it struck me that it had been at least a year since we'd done anything together that we didn't *need* to do for some reason or another. Yesterday was just a fun ramble. Sure, both of our destinations were necessary, but not like our usual (lately) somewhat driven pace. Taking care of a desperately ill person is hard all the way around, but now he's quite a bit better. So we had a day.

As we left the park we noticed a stand of small trees that the birds were just fluttering around. They were having such a ball that the trees seemed almost to be in motion themselves. We pulled over to check it out and found 2 varieties of Silkie Dogwood with the most beautifully shaded blue berries.

Almost at the end of the drive we found these Winterberries. It took my sister and her husband quite a while to identify with field guides and computer because these just aren't that commonly used around here in landscaping - and don't occur too much as natives.

Next we went to the bayberry "secret site". Heh heh. Ours aren't quite producing yet, so for now our source is a secret location. We each filled a quart freezer bag. We boiled off a lot of the wax last night and will probably do the rest today. It will most likely result in less than a pound. Not a lot, but so worth it. I'll add a pic of the wax later.

As we sat looking through the fieldguides, I found a picture of hazelnut pods and exclaimed how cool they were. Yeah, yeah... I hear you asking, "what the heck was she doing in the nut tree section of the field guide when she was supposed to be looking at berries?" and I'll just say that this is all supposed to be FUN!
So it was pretty funny when Bob said, "I have 50 of those trees - just babies - out in the little nursery outside and today I SAW those things today. Come on, I'll show you."

Life here can be so good.

Almost September! Harvest! Quick!!!

2008-08-31T21:47:00.000+07:00

This morning I feel determined to write *something*. One of my best friends (since Jr. High!) wrote last night and wondered if everything was alright since the there was nothing new on the blog for so long. Way to kick my butt, Patty :-).
This time of year gets so hectic. Besides all the things that go on inside the house, like getting the kid off for her first day as a senior today - sob! - the things going on outside are driving me to distraction. Suddenly I realize that if it isn't gathered and preserved now, it will be gone until sometime next year. Things like plantain and jewelweed are used for products that are needed before they are big enough to use next spring. The elderberries are are turning just about dark enough to pick --- when the birds eat them. We have a constant battle going on. If I pick them just at dusk, they will have had a whole day to deepen, and it seems that the birds feed in the morning.
All of the sudden, everything is ripe or just about to go to seed or drop seeds.
The garden is pathetic, but occasionally I go out and kick a clod of dirt and mutter to myself.

Right now I'm looking out the window at the roving band of banty chickens on the hillside. It is a good 100 - 150 yards away, but there is a optical illusion caused by the way the hills and valleys make things appear. The chickens are on the next rise over, so they appear closer. Anyhow, there are several generations of these cute little fowl. My sister calls them the kids, the teenagers, and the grown up. There is also a gang of babies, but they don't go up on the hill yet.
They wander among the rows of trees, and it is a funny sight. First thing this morning Molly and I were standing at the window watching and laughing. The funniest part is that the guineas have decided that they want to be chickens too. The pale guinea doesn't want to hang around the gray one anymore. They were 2 peas in a pod for years. But the pale one thinks she's a chicken and the poor gray one stands in my yard plaintively calling for her friend who pretends to be deaf to her call.

Below is a picture I took a couple of weeks ago of some of the tobacco in a farm field in the other end of the county. Tobacco seems to be coming back as a crop here. Locally, the tobacco grown is for cigar wrappers. As kids we tried it a time or two (I believe we used notebook paper - gag) and believe me, it is different. But the farmers "top" it when the blossoms begin to appear.
After seeing the price that tobacco absolute is going for, perhaps I should talk to one of these guys and ask them to save the flowers for me. Wouldn't THAT be fun to distill!?!

We're back - and planning some winter tea

2008-08-31T21:45:00.000+07:00

The ocean was beautiful, and the temps along the coast quite a bit cooler than our inland weather. It was so nice to go away and not be hauling the still or giving talks on various topics - just being away with my sweetie :-).
We got home to find that our blog was locked up. Fortunately Blogger figured out the problem quickly so that we can go on posting!
Last night Molly and I cleared the garden of weeds (again!). It has been a while, and it showed. Still, we have the best conversations while we are each working on a row, just talking companionably. I realized while we were out there that it is time to start working on the Winter Tea. This is a project that gives us pleasure all year long. The planting, planning, and gathering is a big part of the fun. Learning new plants and testing them out for flavor, making sure to find certain wild plants during the season, and finding surprises and volunteers is all part of the process.
As the season progresses, we'll gather and dry smallish amounts of many different herbs/weeds. They will all be mixed together into a large "batch" from which we will take portions to brew up pots of flavorful, healthful tea during the cold months.
Anyone can do it, and every potful comes out just a little differently than the last.
Some choices that we will be drying and mixing:
Echinacea, all parts of the plant
Dandelion root
Chicory root
Rosemary
Chamomile
Mints - Apple, Chocolate, Peppermint, Meadow Mint, Mountain Mint
Bee Balm
Thyme
Elderberries
Raspberry Leaf and Fruit
Basils - Purple, Cinnamon, Holy
Stevia
Blueberries
Comfrey (yes, we choose to use it in tea...don't tell anyone)
Red Clover
Sassafras
Vitex Berries
Nettle
Oat Seeds
Lavender
Fennel Seeds
Hyssop Flowers
Catnip
Rosa Rugosa petals and hips
As you can see, the list goes on and on. There are many more that we'll add, and some - like Nettle, Chickweed, Violet Leaves and Flowers, and St. John's Wort - that were gathered earlier in the year for this purpose. We'll add a few things that don't grow here... like Cinnamon Chips, Star Anise, and perhaps a few Cloves. Bits of Vanilla Bean and Cardamom Seeds are delicious too. Each person will choose to add or delete different ingredients, depending on what they like and what grows nearby.

You can use this same process to gather Bathing Herbs for the coming winter. Adding some Oatmeal and Sea Salt will help the skin stay hydrated and smooth in the cold weather.

The Sept/Oct issue will be delivered tomorrow or the next day, so today is a good day to get the decks cleared before we start the rigorous process of labeling, sorting, and sacking the mailing. I'll be out wandering in the woods and fields!

Palo Alto Labs Reset AD 60 capsule

2008-07-22T14:19:00.000+07:00

Palo Alto Labs Reset AD 60 capsule

You spend twelve stressful hours a day at work, you bust your ass in the gym each and every night, you've got a spouse that constantly gives you a hard time and you never seem to sleep enough. Face it, you're flat worn out from all the stress, and the only thing that keeps you going are the energy drinks and the fat burners that you're constantly throwing down. Like millions of others around you, you are suffering from Adrenal Fatigue, a chronic condition brought about by long periods of intense exposure to stress, sleep deprivation and overuse of stimulants. What you've probably also noticed is that the stimulants that you've been throwing down, just don't have the same kick anymore. All those preworkout powders and fatburners and energy drinks you take just to get you pumped for your workout, and they just don't seem to be cutting it anymore. You even wonder if the formula of your favorite product has been changed without you knowing. The formula hasn't been changed in most cases, you've just become DESENSITIZED to the effects of stimulants because of poor adrenal function.

Introducing Reset-A.D., the first of its kind supplement, designed specifically to resensitize your adrenal system to stimulants while helping to improve overall adrenal function and aid in the alleviation of fatigue, weight gain and muscle weakness brought about due to the over-exertion of our adrenal system. Reset-A.D. has been formulated to offer needed support to the over-taxed adrenal gland and provide your body with many of the missing adrenal hormones that are no longer being adequately produced.

Reset-A.D. is NOT a stimulant, and has NOT been designed to replace any of the stimulant products in your arsenal. It has been specifically formulated to work in close concert with your preworkout and fatburning products as a stimulant facilator in order to give you the maximum perfomance boost in your workouts and throughout the rest of your day.

Symptoms of Adrenal Fatigue:

* Morning Fatigue. Not seeming to "wake up" until 10am even though you've been up for 3 hours.
* Middle of the Afternoon "Low". Sluggishness and clouded thinking in the middle of the day.
* Burst of Energy around 6pm
* Sleepiness around 9pm, but a "Second Energy Burst" around 11pm till 1am.
* Mild Depression, Decreased Sex Drive and Lack of Energy
* Muscular Weakness and declining endurance
* Weight gain, with extreme difficulty in losing it
* Unrelaxing or Unfulfilling Sleep

Directions: Take 1 capsule in the morning and 1 capsule in the afternoon. For extreme adrenal fatigue, take a maximum of 1 capsule 3 times daily.

C-1000 with Rose Hips

2008-07-17T21:08:00.001+07:00

Vitamin C vitamins include both L-ascorbic acid (ascorbic acid) and L-dehydroascorbic acid. However, ascorbic acid is the primary dietary form of vitamin C. In most contexts vitamin C, ascorbic acid, and ascorbate are used interchangeably.

Vitamin C is an essential nutrient for humans. However, unlike humans, most other animals and advanced plant species can synthesize vitamin C from other dietary sugars, especially glucose. All animals, including humans, which require vitamin C lack the necessary enzyme L-gulano-gamma-lactone oxidase that is required to synthesize vitamin C from glucose.

The major result of vitamin C deficiency is scurvy. The symptoms of scurvy include bleeding gums, petechiae, ecchymosis, follicular, coiled hairs, hermorrhages, impaired ability to heal from wounds, dry eyes and mouth, joint effusions, muscle weakness, myalgia, fatigue, anemia, anorexia, depression, and kidney disorders. Most of the body's systems and organs are affected by scurvy.

The major deficiency syndrome of vitamin C is scurvy. Symptoms of scurvy include inflamed and bleeding gums, petechiae, ecchymosis, follicular hyperkeratosis, coiled hairs, perifollicular hemorrhages, impaired wound healing, dry eyes and mouth (Sjögren's syndrome), arthralgia, joint effusions, muscle weakness, myalgia, fatigue, depression, frequent infections, anemia, anorexia, diarrhea, and pulmonary and kidney problems that can lead to coma and death. Basically, scurvy affects all systems of the body.

Vitamin C plays an important role in the formation of connective tissues, including Collagen the glue that strengthens many parts of the body, including muscles, blood vessels and internal organs. When vitamin C is absent, collagen cannot be properly synthesized, resulting in a collagen like substance with irregular fibrous structure and blood-vessel fragility. This phenomenon explains many of the symptoms of scurvy, especially those relating to connective tissues.

Vitamin C is required to synthesize other important connective-tissues including bone, elastin, fibronectin, and fibrillin. It also helps to regulate the body's ability absorb, transport, and store iron. However, vitamin C is best known for its antioxidant effects and its purported ability to prevent certain degenerative disorders, including heart disease and cancer.

Vitamin C's antioxidant effects are well established. As an antioxidant, one of vitamin C's most important functions is to protect LDL cholestoral (the good cholestoral) from oxidative damage. It is believed that when LDL is damaged only then does cholesterol begin to build up in the body and lead to heart disease. Vitamin C may be one of the best sorces for protection of LDL cholesterol.

A recent study of nearly 1,600 Finnish men, ages 42-60, who were atherosclerosis free, showed that risk of myocardial infarction was considerably higher among those participants with the lowest baseline plasma vitamin c concentrations than among those men with higher levels.

Supplemental vitamin C may be beneficial when used in connection with the following conditions:

Anemia (if vitamin C deficient exists)
Athletic performance (if vitamin C deficient, or to reduce pain and speed up muscle strength recovery)
Bronchitis
Bruising (for vitamin C deficiency)
Burns (in combination with vitamin E for prevention of sunburn only)
Capillary fragility
Common cold/sore throat
Gingivitis (for periodontal disease and vitamin C deficiency)
Glaucoma
Heart attack (for vitamin C deficiency)
High cholesterol (protection of LDL cholesterol)
Infection
Infertility (for sperm agglutination)

Dosage and Administration

Typical doses of vitamin C range from 500 milligrams to 2 grams per day. However, many people increase their dosage to 4 to 5 grams a day when coming down with cold to produce an antihistaminic effect. High doses of supplemental vitamin C may help to detoxify some carcinogens in the stomach prior to digestion of the vitamin.

Supporting Literature

Antunes LMG, Darin JDC, Bianchi MDLP. Protective effects of vitamin C against cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity and lipid peroxidation in adult rats: a dose-dependent study. Pharmacol Res. 2000; 41:405-410.
Balz F. Antioxidant vitamins and heart disease. An excerp from the 60th Annual Biology Colloquium, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, February 25, 1999.
Carr A, Frei B. Does vitamin C act as a pro-oxidant under physiological conditions. FASEBJ. 1999; 13:1007-1020.
Hwang J, Peterson H, Hodis HN, et al. Ascorbic acid enhances 17 beta-estradiol-mediated inhibition of oxidized low density lipoprotein formation. Atherosclerosis. 2000; 150:275-283.

C-1000 Ascorbic Acid Complex

2008-07-17T20:44:00.002+07:00

Vitamin C is consumed as a supplement by many millions of people throughout the world for its antioxidant properties. C-1000 (ascorbic acid) provides a potent dosage of this key vitamin important for maintaining health and longevity**

Supplemental Facts

Serving Size: 1 Tablet
Servings Per Container: 100
	Amount Per Serving	% Daily Value
Vitamin C	1000 mg	1667%
* Percent Daily Values are based on 2,000 calorie diet. † Daily Value not established

Suggested Use: One (1) tablet daily as a dietary supplement.

Free of: Corn, Yeast, Wheat, Milk, Egg, Sugar, Starch, Salt, Colors or Preservatives.

Other Ingredients: Cellulose and modified cellulose, stearic acid, magnesium stearate, silica, titanium dioxide, pharmaceutical glaze.

Warnings: Keep out of reach of children

Storage: Keep tightly closed in a dry place: do not expose to excessive heat.

Disclaimers: **These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Bad Dream Sprinkles for Children

2008-07-16T18:47:00.000+07:00

Comfort Night Terrors and Bad Dreams in Children

Bad Dream Sprinkles is a child-safe supplement that offers night-time comfort to young children. Use the natural

remedy to:

ease your child during bedtime
encourage normal and restful sleep patterns
prevent middle-of-the-night upsets
naturally calm down children
promote peace and harmony at night

Natural Allergy Relief for Children and Adults

2008-07-16T18:38:00.000+07:00

Natural Allergy Relief for Children and Adults

AllergiClear will help keep you allergy-free by supporting immune system functions naturally. Use the natural remedy

to:

keep clear and healthy the nose, sinuses, chest and eyes
sustain respiratory system health
maintain skin integrity and the organ’s natural resilience to allergens
improve the body’s natural defenses against allergens
keep natural histamine levels regulated within normal limits
enhance the functions and health of the mucous membranes
reinforce immune system health to reduce the body’s susceptibility to colds, sinusitis, influenza and other respiratory infections

A+ TestCalmer for Children and Teens

2008-07-16T18:36:00.000+07:00

Calm Exam Nerves of Children and Teens

The natural ingredients of A+TestCalmer will work in synergy to relieve exam-triggered anxiety in students of all

ages. Use the herbal supplement formula to:

soothe frayed nerves without inhibiting concentration or ‘dulling’ the mind
reduce anxiety and stress induced by exams
support cognitive functions by promoting mental clarity
help sustain calmness and confidence during oral and written exams