The Herbalist

The Autism Connection

2012-01-27T16:03:00.000-08:00

" The definition of autism is expected to change dramatically in the upcoming edition of the manual doctors use to diagnose mental health conditions. According to a new analysis of the potential changes, narrowing the definition could result in far fewer diagnoses of Autism — and reduced services available to many people previously diagnosed as autistic." - Wendy Stone, director of UW Center for Autism on KUOW, National Public Radio

More children than ever before are being diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Approximately 1 out of every 500 children are diagnosed each year according to the CDC. Twenty years ago that number was 1 in every 4000. It is still unclear whether this increased trend is due to changes in how we define and identify Autism, and how much is due to a true increase in occurrence. The causes of Autism remain a mystery. Some experts believe it is the result of a neurological imbalance. Others believe it is solely genetic, as parents with one autistic child are 8% more likely to have another. More and more research is emerging suggesting that Autism is the result of environmental factors. There is a correlation between heavy metals (such as mercury, present in the MMR vaccine) and Autism. Food allergies and food sensitivities, specifically to gluten (wheat protein) and casein (cow's milk protein), are often present in Autistic individuals. Many parents observe a significant improvement in behavior when these foods are eliminated. Natural supplements and herbal remedies have much to offer in the maintenance and potential improvement of this mysterious disorder.

The Autism Connection:
Eliminating Food Allergens is a first line of defense.

Dietary Considerations

Identify and eliminate potential food allergens. Complete elimination of gluten and dairy is highly recommended. Frequent consumption of food allergens contributes to Leaky Gut Syndrome, a condition in which children are unable to absorb nutrients from food. A higher than normal number of Autistic individuals have severe food allergies or chronic GI issues, suggesting a strong correlation between the two. Focus on stabilizing the child's blood sugar levels, by avoiding sugary, starchy and all processed foods, and eating plenty of good quality protein.

Essential Daily Supplements

Omega 3 Oils (Fish or Flax Oil) especially EPA, are important for maintaining brain and neurological health.

Probiotics improve digestive function and boost immunity, they are especially important in leaky gut syndrome or chronic GI stress.

The Autism Connection:
Always support with herbs.

Phosphatidyl Serine improves brain cell communication, function and circulation.

B Vitamins, especially B3 and B6, are essential to ensure optimal function of the brain and nervous system. Deficiencies of B6 specifically have been linked to Autism.

Herbal Remedies for Autism

KID-Alert is comprised of herbal brain tonics that are safe for
children. It feeds and balances the nervous system, increases mental
clarity and the ability to stay alert and focused.

KIDS Be Well is an immune system tonic for kids. Depleted or
hyperactive immune function is often present in Autism, these herbs
boost and stabilize immunity.

For more information visit TheHerbalist.com and discover the herbal remedies best suited for your needs.

Cholesterol: An Herbalist's Approach

2012-01-23T16:03:00.000-08:00

A recent report aired on NBC Evening News found that women who take statins (Lipitor, Crestor) are 50% more likely to develop Type 2 Diabetes. The report was based on the results of 3 different clinical trials which actually surfaced over a year ago. Why do not more people know about this? At risk of setting off on a crisis of health care/political rant - suffice to say that statin drugs mean big money for pharmaceutical companies. They would have lots to lose if mass media got a hold of these clinical trial results because it would discourage their use. Especially if the efficacy of herbal remedies in the realm of cholesterol maintenance were to become public knowledge.

Cholesterol: An Herbalist's Approach...
If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

This news is very disturbing (to say the least) especially to the women who were prescribed this medication. It has always boggled my mind about how this medication works - it blocks the enzyme that is linked to the liver's cholesterol production. How can blocking a key function of the liver ever be good long term? This new revelation about statins can now be added to the long list of other side effects I like people to know about when choosing this health option. The key word here is 'option' because there are many other options (like our Liv-Well) available with side benefits, not side effects. The reference range for what is considered "healthy cholesterol" has steadily been lowered so that it has become more and more difficult for people to achieve a normal cholesterol level. There is concern as to it being set unrealistically low, especially when considering that its placement is a way for drug companies to increase their sales of statins.

On the positive side, borderline high cholesterol can also serve as a good incentive for women to improve their diet and lifestyles, including the use of herbal remedies. If my blood work showed high LDL cholesterol, and my doctor wanted to put me on statins, I would first take 3-6 months to make a few lifestyle and dietary changes. I would re-test my cholesterol levels after this time to see how I fared. I have seen this approach work in many of my clients over the years, preventing them from statins and their numerous side effects. For women, especially during perimenopause, there are extreme hormonal fluccuations, which can greatly affect cholesterol levels. Perhaps consider a blood test twice a year (as opposed to only once), to establish a baseline. Keep in mind that having an optimal ratio of HDL:LDL is more important than a total cholesterol count.

High Cholesterol: A Natural Approach

Liv! Well is a liver tonic
for healthy cholesterol.

Liv! Well: Contains herbs that promote optimal fat and cholesterol metabolism by supporting liver function.

Intestinal Rescue: Sufficient dietary fiber is essential for cholesterol maintenance. This blend contains Psyllium and Guar Gum - both insoluble fibers that bind to excess cholesterol and triglycerides in the large intestine, and escort them out of the body helping to reduce and maintain healthy levels.

Omega-3 Oils: Choose from fish or flax, good oils are essential for promoting the health and integrity of the heart and blood vessels, keeping them "slick" so that arterial plaque cannot form.

Niacin: A B Vitamin that improves circulation to deter arterial plaque buildup and has been found to increase levels of HDL (the good guys).

Red Yeast Rice w/ CoQ10: Red Yeast Rice contains a natural form of the active ingredient in statins, that work in a similar fashion. Take with CoQ10, a vital nutrient for health function, as statins inhibit CoQ10 synthesis.

Exercise Is Essential! It gets the blood moving and the heart pumping, improving circulation and promoting optimal health of the blood vessels.

The Obvious: Quit smoking. Limit alcohol consumption. Avoid highly, processed and junk foods, especially those that have unhealthy fats. Limit pastries, sweets and baked goods, as sugars increase triglyceride levels.

For more information visit TheHerbalist.com and discover the herbal remedies best suited for your needs.

Cleanse Update: Final Results!

2012-01-16T13:31:00.000-08:00

We made it through the rain of cleansing... just in time for the snow to arrive! Our timing couldn't have been better - snow causes coldness and dryness (in the weather, and in the body), which creates a sure recipe for excess congestion in the body. Read below to see how each of your favorite Herbalist team members is feeling after their 10 day detox.

Tierney
The Herbalist herself with an
armful of organic veggies.
Results from Cleansing: Day 7 of my New Year Cleanse: When I woke up, jumped out of bed, and could not wait to start my day. Took my herbs and Intestinal Rescue, went for a long walk with my dog, Dutch, then off to yoga, and then to Chaco Canyon for my Green Detox Drink. When I got home I completed many projects I have been putting off, then I paid my bills…. The point is I have all this energy. Result #1.
Result #2: My lungs feel so good! Usually the winter is a hard time for my lungs. But they feel great, less congested and breathing is easier.
Result #3: I had a small cyst in my breast and it is totally gone.
Result #4: I put more thought into the nutrition I am receiving daily. I consider myself a healthy eater but after cleansing I realize there was a lot of room for improvement.
Result #5: I have had the best sleeps and the most fun dreams.

Lauren running the juicer.
Lauren
Cleansing does not come easily to me. I'm a Taurus (known for their tendency to indulge in good food and drink) who can't remember ever having skipped a meal. I also have high protein needs - going without meat for even a couple days challenges my mental function and energy levels. This cleanse marked a shift in my eating/cleansing habits. While I did suffer from protein withdrawals the first day or so, overall I had lots of energy, a clear head and increased vitality. My digestion and elimination improved greatly and while I haven't weighed myself, I know that I lost at least a few pounds, mostly around the waist where I had gained some holiday pudge. The greatest gift of this cleanse was the habit changes I will take with me - I realize that I can not only survive but flourish on lighter meals, more vegetables, and yes even smaller meat servings.

Kimberley
Tierney, John & Kimberley
giving a Cheers to health!
Seven days of cleansing for me! I am sooo proud of myself and am reaping the benefits and enjoying the rewards. This break from sugar, dairy, wheat, caffeine and animal proteins, allowed me to reconnect with my “healthly self “and am more in tune to what works best for my body…and what doesn’t.. My cravings from now on will be to always feel this healthy and vibrant. Many thanks to my fellow coworkers who joined together to make this cleanse not only possible, but enjoyable.

Alexis

This was the best cleanse I have ever done. With the support of my co-workers it became much easier to stick to the program. During my cleanse I felt much more energetic and awake. My digestion improved immensely and my skin cleared up.The hardest part of cleansing for me is usually finding a good variety of foods to eat. During this cleanse I learned a couple new recipes that I really enjoyed like Kimbeley’s miso rice noodle soup and Lauren’s beet salad. So yummy!

Each time I cleanse I learn something new about myself and it becomes a little easier than the time before.

For more information visit TheHerbalist.com and discover the herbal remedies best suited for your needs.

Cleansing Update: Day 7, Liver Flush

2012-01-09T13:46:00.000-08:00

An optional, yet highly recommended, adjunct to our 10-day cleanse is a liver and gallbladder flush. Day 7 is an ideal time to take the flush, as the body has already begun to deeply detoxify - and bile, stones and other toxins have begun to loosen up in the liver. After 7 days of cleansing, liver supportive herbal remedies like our Renew-U extract have had sufficient time to prepare the liver and gallbladder for the flush. There was no question for me about including a liver flush in my cleanse, as my liver suffered some unrelenting abuse (wine and rich meals) over the holidays!

The traditional recipe for the flush, as recommended in the classic book The Amazing Liver and Gallbladder Flush, is quite vile (to put it lightly). You drink 4T of dissolved epsom salts in four 90-minute increments before drinking 1/2 a cup of olive oil with 3/4 cup of fresh-squeezed lemon juice. This combo stimulates the liver and gall bladder to dump toxins and old bile into the intestines so they can be eliminated through the colon. The epsom salts relax the bile duct so stones can pass, and empty the bowels to prepare for the flush. Both Tierney and I decided to go all out this cleanse, and do the traditional flush... well I can tell you, that neither she nor I will be doing it this way again, as the epsom salts are beyond disgusting... especially after the 3rd or 4th go around. Yuck. Though I must say that this morning, I did notice 3 pea-sized green floating stones in the toilet after my bowels moved... almost worth the suffering!

Due to the horribly unpleasant taste, and often harsh results of the traditional flush, Tierney formulated a tamer and much tastier, though still effective liver flush recipe. We recommend taking this flush on days 6-10 of a 10-Day Cleanse.

Small pea-sized pebbles you may
notice after the flush (I did!)

The Herbalist's Liver Flush

3 Tb olive oil

Juice of 2 lemons

1 clove garlic

1'' piece ginger

pinch of cayenne

1 orange for taste (optional)

Directions: Mix ingredients in a blender and follow with a cup of herbal tea such as Tummy-Ease Tea or Peppermint. Drink the tea immediately following flush. Go to bed and lie on your right side with knees up to the chest. Some people experience moderate nausea but this passes quickly. In the morning, you should have a healthy elimination.

- Shared by Lauren H.

Cleanse Update: Day 4

2012-01-05T15:18:00.000-08:00

We're on Day 4 of 10 for our New Year's Cleanse - almost half way done! Everyone's in good spirits, other than a transient case of the blood sugar blues here and there, and of course... cravings for our vices. For John, it's coffee... yes, John went above and beyond and decided to give up coffee, even though we permit 1 cup during our cleanse. Being a vegan who doesn't drink alcohol, he had to give up something in order to cleanse! Go John. Lauren's struggle has been meat. Battling the brain fog and low blood sugar symptoms that accompany switching from a high protein diet is challenging, yet worthwhile, and improving each day. Herbal remedies help deter these side effects that can accompany cleansing.

Patty Callaghan: The Herbalist's biggest fan
chowing down on a cleanse-friendly lunch of sprouts.

Being diligent cleansers, Tierney and her friend Patty did a sauna-thon yesterday. This consisted of alternating hot saunas with cold plunges. Though shocking and slightly uncomfortable, alternating 15 minute saunas with a quick dunk in a cold shower is a tried-and-true detoxification practice. The sweating from the sauna promotes detoxification through the skin, while the cold plunge stimulates circulation and lymphatic detoxification. Open up those channels of elimination!

Another way to detox through the skin is dry skin brushing - a practice we strongly recommend during a 10-day cleanse. When you dry skin brush you stimulate your lymphatic system to cleanse itself of toxins that collect in the lymph glands and discourage discharge of metabolic waste. How To Dry Skin Brush: Before showering, brush the entire body with a long-handled, natural bristle brush. Begin with the soles of the feet, always brushing towards the heart, and finish with the hands to the arms. Follow by applying Renew-U Oil to the entire body, wait 10 minutes before showering.

Today, Lauren was on lunch duty. She whipped up a salad that Tierney called "The Broom" when she saw it. Consisting of antioxidant and fiber-rich carrots, beets, kale and rainbow chard - this dish cleans the bowels, liver and kidneys.

"The Broom" Salad
Lunch on Day 4

"The Broom"

Salad

4 beets, diced

2 carrots, grated

1 bunch scallions, finely chopped

1/2 head rainbow chard, chopped

1/2 head kale, chopped

Dressing:

4 T olive oil

3 T balsamic vinegar

2 T stone ground dijon mustard

1 tsp herbamare seasoning

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

Cook beets in boiling water. 1 minute before beets are done, toss in kale and chard. Remove from heat. When cooled, add carrots and scallions. Cover with dressing and serve chilled.

Questions? Comments? Interested in cleansing but feeling unsure? Visit theherbalist.com, call us, or stop by the shop!

Join The Fun!

Cleansing: Day 1

2012-01-02T16:38:00.000-08:00

Cleansing time is here, and boy could it not have arrived soon enough! The photo below sums up how we're feeling around here... bring on the cleanse! Today was Day 1 of 10.

THE PARTY IS OVER, It's cleansing time!

Here at the shop, we are getting into the full cleansing swing of things. We started the day with a run to PCC, and got our menu plan into place. As vegetables are the staple of a good cleanse, we stocked up on fresh, organic and colorful veggies. Our shopping list included carrots, beets, apples, ginger and leafy greens for juicing (we have a juicer in our staff kitchen!). Vegetables for future lunches include cabbage, onions, romaine, kale, parsley, cilantro and garlic. We loaded up on almonds, cashews, sunflower seeds and carrots with hummus to snack us through the day. Tiny's Organic were generous enough to donate two huge boxes of organic Gala apples to our cleanse, so we will be snacking on those with raw nut butters throughout the day.

Vegetables are the staple of a good cleanse!

Tierney whipped us up a batch of Spicy Lemonade from the Master Cleanse. A combination of fresh squeezed lemons, cayenne and maple syrup, this cleansing beverage helps break down mucus congestion in the body. Between warmed Spicy Lemonade and 2 pots of Namaste Tea, we have kept warmed and cleansed throughout this rainy, dreary day.

Kimberley, our store manager extraordinaire, was on lunch duty today. We are taking turns preparing lunches during the cleanse. This makes the new diet easier, provides support, and lightens the load of constantly having to cook for oneself.

Kimberley's Kale Salad

In a bowl combine:
3 cups each kale and red cabbage, finely chopped
2 large carrots, thinly sliced/julienned
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
2 Tb toasted sesame seeds
2 Tb pumpkin seeds
2 Tb hemp seeds

Dressing:
In a small mason jar, combine:
2 Tb unrefined olive oil
1 Tb flax oil
2 Tb dijon mustard
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
coarse salt and pepper to taste

Shake vigorously and drizzle over greens and coat evenly.

Tonight's Dinner Plans:
Tierney: Wild Rice w/ Sauteed Veggies
Lauren: Baked Portabello Mushroom w/ Green Salad
Kimberley: Rice Noodles w/ Dairy-free Pesto
Alexis: Loaded Green Salad: Organic greens, Cucumber, Garbanzo beans, Tomatoes, Beets w/ Olive Oil/Balsamic Vinegar dressing

Questions? Comments? Interested in cleansing but feeling unsure? Visit theherbalist.com, call us, or stop by the shop!

Join The Fun!

- Shared by Lauren H.

Reason #5 To Cleanse for 2012: Weight Loss

2011-12-29T15:20:00.000-08:00

Why Weight? Start the New Year off right by letting go of what's weighin' you down!

Give 2012 A Fresh Start!

Stored up extra fat this winter? Sweets, too much bread, alcohol, potato chips and rich foods will turn to fat in the body. Stop! Start Fresh with the Fresh Start ... Kit - a 10-day cleansing path to wellness.

Sugar, alcohol and caffeine all tax the liver, kidneys and glandular system (pancreas, adrenals, thyroid) - all of which play a significant role in weight distribution, fat metabolism and overall detoxification. When these structures are weakened and underactive, it sabotages the ability of the body to take off weight and creates stress on the entire body system. Metabolism becomes stunted, detoxification processes are slowed, digestion is impaired, and fat, mucous and toxins all accumulate. Many toxins (xenohormones, pesticides, heavy metals) are fat-soluble, and thus are stored in fatty tissue (strongly correlated with cellulite - read "Cellulite" section below). This further exacerbates the weight/toxicity cycle.... hence, Reason #5 to Cleanse: Weight Loss.

A 10-day cleanse is instrumental as an effective weight loss program for several reasons. First, foods that add weight to the body are eliminated (sugars, bad fats, starches, stimulants). These foods are all difficult on the digestive system, and are not efficiently processed. Highly allergenic foods such as glutenous grains, soy, corn, dairy and eggs are all eliminated - these are foods that cause inflammation in the body. By eliminating these foods, it gives the body the break it needs to let go of extra weight. It also provides a tune-up for the endocrine system, including the thyroid and adrenals, both of which play a large role in metabolism and weight distribution.

Weight Loss-Tips: Get off your butt and move! Not to the bakery or Dick's. Avoid sugary and starchy foods completely. This includes all fruits, processed foods and root vegetables. They all give the body the message to store fat for the winter.

Cellulite
Cellulite is a sign of poor fat metabolism and impaired detoxification, and can be thought of as "fat gone wrong." The more toxic a person is (due to impaired detoxification ability such as constipation) the more likely that toxins will find its way into subcutaneous fatty tissue, causing cellulite. Cleansing is an essential component towards reducing cellulite as it reduces the intake of toxic load and boosts your body's detoxification.

Detoxifying Mineral Salts by Abra Therapeutics

Cellulite Cleansing Practices:

Daily dry-skin brushing with Renew-U Oil to stimulate lymphatic circulation and detoxification
Baths with mineral salts to promote detoxifciation through the pores
Exercise daily to increase circulation
Receive or self-administer massage to promote circulation and break up fatty deposits
Practice deep breathing exercises to promote detoxifciation through the lungs
Ensure regular bowel elimination to decrease overall toxicity

Join The Herbalist for a 10-Day Cleanse beginning January 2nd.

Questions? Comments? Interested in cleansing but feeling unsure? Visit theherbalist.com, call us, or stop by the shop!

Join The Fun!

- Shared by Lauren H.

Reason #4 To Cleanse: Food Addictions & Allergies

2011-12-28T15:36:00.000-08:00

Sugar, alcohol, caffeine, meat, carbs, dairy.... we all have our vices. Most of us are all too well aware that these foods should be limited, yet feel such resistance to actually doing so. It is a cruel and unfortunate fact of life that our bodies crave most what we need least. Harsh irony. Examples abound: people often crave the exact foods they are allergic to; those with chronic candida crave starches; diabetics and others with blood sugar challenges crave sugar; people with adrenal burnout crave coffee and other stimulants.
This brings us to Reason #4 to Cleanse: Food Addictions & Food Allergies

Not sure what foods you're addicted to? Take inventory of the things that you just can't live without - for some it may be a cup of coffee in the morning, for some animal protein everyday (ahem, that would be me), for others it may be a sugary snack in the afternoon. Whatever that one thing is you just can't do without, is most probably the exact thing you need to give up in order to truly cleanse and restore optimal vitality.

Reason #4 to Cleanse: Food Addictions
2012 is just around the corner - Join us in starting the New Year off right!

During our 10-day cleanse, we will be eliminating all foods that are commonly addictive. Removal of these foods and substances frees up our bodies' detoxification and digestive organs (liver, gall bladder, stomach, intestines) and glandular system (pancreas, adrenals, thyroid, etc.) from their unrelenting task of processing our intake of inflammatory and taxing foods. By freeing up our bodies from digestion, we give these organs a chance to really do their job of detoxification. Toxins are liberated and excreted, mucus is dislodged and eliminated, metabolism and glandular function is restored.

Often, once the body has been cleansed, you will find that the foods that you craved no longer sound appealing.

The exciting part of cleansing is all the foods that you do get to include! Vegetables are the staple of a great cleanse and may be eaten freely. Fresh seasonal fruits, non glutenous grains, nuts and seeds, healthy oils and condiments can all be included in moderation also. Brightly colored foods promote detoxification and rejuvenation - eat the rainbow! Click here for some of The Herbalist's favorite cleansing recipes.

Join The Herbalist for a 10-Day Cleanse beginning January 2nd.

Questions? Comments? Interested in cleansing but feeling unsure? Visit theherbalist.com, call us, or stop by the shop!

Join The Fun!

- Shared by Lauren H.

Reason #3 To Cleanse for 2012: The Digestive Tract

2011-12-23T13:04:00.000-08:00

Feeling stuffed? Bloated? Weighed down from Holiday fun?

Reason #3 to Cleanse for 2012: Digestive Tract
mucoid plaque eliminated during an intestinal cleanse.

Holiday habits including poor food combining, excess food and drink, and stress all contribute to poor digestion and accumulation of debris in the gut. The colon is known to hold up to 30 pounds of old matter. This mucoid plaque can be packed with fermented and undigested foods, parasites, yeast, harmful bacteria, drugs, heavy metals, and other toxic substances. Mucoid plaque is a gel-like, viscous and slimy mucous that forms layers covering the inner lining of the digestive tract. Layers of mucoid plaque, often many inches thick, stretch the entire length of the stomach to the small intestines to the bowel. Plaque harbors toxins and interferes with nutrient absorption. This mucoid plaque accumulation interferes with normal elimination and nutrient assimilation and can create a cycle of craving for non-nutritious foods creates a myriad of other problems including poor skin, bad breath, chronic gas, fatigue, allergies, acid indigestion, chronic inflammation, and even autoimmunity.

Hence, we arrive at Reason #3 to Cleanse: The Digestive Tract

Join The Herbalist for a 10-Day Cleanse beginning January 2nd!

During a cleanse, foods that are inflammatory (mucous-forming) are eliminated - including wheat, gluten, dairy, corn, soy, and red meat. Non-inflammatory, organic, cleansing foods that are easy to digest are eaten, with a strong emphasis on colorful fruits and vegetables. Intestinal cleansers, including cleansing herbs and bulking fibers, eliminate mucus and debris in the gut. Gentle laxatives ensure complete cleansing through the bowels. We recommend taking enemas or having a colonic done as an adjunct to the cleanse - this helps to rehydrate the bowel and remove toxic residual matter in the gut.

Following a cleanse, it is common for people's digestive and eliminitave health to feel transformed. Many notice more regular and well-formed bowel movements, and a decrease or disappearance of indigestion, gas, heartburn and other signs of digestive distress. Digestion affects and shapes the health of the entire body - Give your digestive tract a Fresh Start for 2012!

Questions? Comments? Interested in cleansing but feeling unsure? Visit theherbalist.com, call us, or stop by the shop!

Join The Fun!

Reason #2 To Cleanse for 2012: The Adrenals

2011-12-22T16:56:00.000-08:00

Coming down with a case of the Holiday Grouchies? Stressed out, burnt out, low energy, trouble sleeping… if this sounds like you, then welcome to Reason #2 to Cleanse: The Adrenals!

The adrenals adorn the kidneys, sitting atop them like little hats. Their biggest claim to physiological fame is the production and secretion of adrenaline and cortisol, aka stress hormones. The adrenals control the body’s response to stress. So many people today live under constant and unrelenting stress. Top these excess demands with the added stress and pressure of the holidays, and oftentimes the adrenals simply can’t keep up. Sugar, starchy foods, alcohol and caffeine (all Holiday staples of course) stimulate and ultimately deplete adrenal function. Alcohol + Christmas cookies + cup of coffee is a recipe for taxed adrenals. Thanks to the holidays, adrenal fatigue often arrives just in time to ring in the New Year. Fatigue, low energy levels, increased stress and anxiety, and sleeplessness all arrive too. Your adrenals could use a break.

Reason #2 to Cleanse: The Adrenals
Freshly baked key lime pie in Mexico this November...
so good for the soul, so bad for the adrenals!

Join The Herbalist for a New Year’s Cleanse, beginning January 2^nd!

Give your adrenals a Fresh Start for 2012!

During our 10-day cleanse we will be eliminating all foods that stimulate and tax the adrenal glands, including sugar, starchy foods, alcohol, caffeine and chocolate. While giving them this much-deserved break, we will also be taking adaptogenic herbal remedies that restore and revitalize adrenal function. We will be eating mineral-rich foods that feed the adrenals and support endocrine function. After a cleanse, people commonly experience more energy, more vitality, better sleep and improved tolerance to stress due to adrenal restoration.

Simple daily practices to decrease Holiday adrenal damage include:

Adapt to Life this holiday
season with
Adapt to Life formula.

- Take 3-5 droppersful twice daily of an herbal adrenal adaptogen formula. Choose between The Herbalist’s Adapt to Life or Rasayana formulas. Both nourish and restore health to the adrenal glands.

- Exercise daily. Even 15 minutes of walking does wonders for decreasing stress and anxiety and promoting balanced adrenal health.

- Stick to one cup of coffee each day. Caffeine is commonly called upon this time of year to stimulate and get us through the stress and fatigue of the holidays... but we pay for it later. One cup a day won’t overly tax the adrenals.

- Relax! Take at least 15 minutes daily to relax - meditation, reading, a warm bath, gentle walk, listening to music, yoga. When you are truly relaxed, it frees the adrenal glands from combating stress and lowers cortisol and adrenaline levels. This has huge long term effects – lowered blood pressure, better heart health, improved digestion, decreased depression and anxiety, improved immunity.

- Breathe deeply. Nothing relaxes as wholely and deeply as a few full belly rejuvenating breaths. This can be done in the car, at your desk, lying in bed. It is simple, easy and hugely effective for managing stress and energy levels.

Questions? Comments? Interested in cleansing but feeling unsure? Visit theherbalist.com, call us or stop by the shop!

Join in the fun!

Reason #1 To Cleanse for 2012: The Liver

2011-12-20T15:49:00.000-08:00

The liver is a silent warrior… steadfastly controlling digestion, hormone production and breakdown, energy storage and use, and of course: detoxification. With unfaltering loyalty, the liver is constantly ensuring that none of the poisons that enter our body (through food, drugs, air, water) do harm. All this it does without our conscious awareness. It is said that the liver can be 80% nonfunctioning and still serve the body admirably.

Reason #1 to Cleanse for 2012: The Liver
Tierney exercises her liver in Mexico this November.

During the holidays and other times of indulgence, the liver gets an extra workout. Imagine your last holiday party: a few too many glasses of red wine, rich protein meal (ham perhaps?) paired with carbs and fats (poor food combining) followed by at least one Christmas cookie and a cup of coffee to get you home safe. Not only are you busy during this season but so is your liver! Alcohol, rich and fatty foods, caffeine and sugar all tax the liver.

Which brings us to:

Reason #1 to Cleanse for the New Year:

Your Liver!

Join The Herbalist for a New Year's Cleanse, beginning January 2nd!

Give your liver a Fresh Start for 2012! I can say with utter confidence that your liver has been good this year and deserves a Christmas gift… A break! A cleanse! During our 10-day Cleanse, we will be eliminating foods that are hard to digest and avoiding alcohol, caffeine, tobacco and other toxins - this provides the liver well-earned rest and rejuvenation... this also speeds detoxification for a deeper cleanse. (In a later blog we will be discussing Liver Flush recipes, so stay tuned!)

Try to do 1-2 nice things for your liver each day.

Here are some ideas:

Keep the liver well
with Liv! Well Extract.

- Take 6 droppersful daily of an herbal liver tonic tincture. Choose 1 of The Herbalist’s therapeutic extracts: Detox, Renew-U, Liv! Well. Take before a a holiday party to help the liver process alcohol more efficiently, plus prevent hangovers.

- Drink a couple cups daily of a liver cleansing tea. Choose from Renew-U, Mineral Spring, or fresh Ginger root tea.

- Eat a salad of bitter greens like kale, endive, arugula, epazote, etc. dressed with lemon juice and olive oil.

- Drink a green juice including beets, carrots, kale, parsley, garlic, celery, etc.

- Eat yellow and orange foods: Lemons, grapefruits, carrots, sweet potatoes, turmeric, squash, onions.

Join The Herbalist for a New Year’s Cleanse - January 2nd

2011-12-19T16:15:00.000-08:00

The Herbalist wants to invite you to join our entire staff for a 10-Day New Year’s Cleanse starting Monday January 2^nd. After the past weekend with party after party I am so ready to give my body a breakand start 2012 off with a Fresh Start.Over the next few weeks we will be posting blogs that will help to educate youabout the liver, the thyroid, hormonal balancing, and more . . . and of course thebenefits of Internal Cleansing. Between now and January 2^nd, we will beblogging about Ten Reasons to Cleanse – and believe you will find, as I have, therereally is no good reason not tocleanse!

The Herbalist and her staff

How to participate:

1) Join us by following our Blog: Herbal In-Site and liking us onFacebook.

During thecleanse: We will be sharing ideas, results, challenges, progress and experience, as well as daily recipes, menus and food ideas for cleansing.

Make comments on our blog andfacebook – let us know how you’re doing (no details are too graphic!)

2) Join the Cleansing Fun - Choose a Cleanse Kit – Pick one ofour two 10-day full body cleansing kits (Fresh Start Kit or Detox-It Kit).Between now and January 2^nd, the kits are on sale for 15% OFF.

3) Stop by The Herbalist - for a cup of cleansing tea, asmoothie, herbal tonic, shot of fresh green juice, Intestinal Rescue, orcleansing herbal extracts. Bringin your questions, feedback, results, and challenges.

Let’s have fun together.

DIY Gifts: Hot Lips Lip Balm

2011-12-16T13:12:00.000-08:00

Wow your friends and family this year with homemade lip balm - the perfect stocking stuffer! A basic lip balm recipe consists of: 1 Tb Beeswax, 3 Tb Oil, 12 drops essential oil of choice. Essential oils, infused oils and natural coloring agents customize your own individual recipe.

Easy to make and deliciously luscious to use, Hot Lips Lip Balm is a tried-and-true recipe for a spicy, smooth lip balm with a lovely red hue. Swap Peppermint essential oil for the Cinnamon and you have Cool Lips Lip Balm!


DIY Gifts: Lip Balms Add flair with decorative containers and labels!

Hot Lips Lip Balm

Ingredients:

1 Tb Beeswax

3 Tb Sweet Almond Oil

½ tsp Alkanet root

12 drops Cinnamon essential oil

1 Capsule Vitamin E oil

8 Lip balm Containers

Piece of Wax Paper

To Make:
1. In a double boiler or small pan, gently heat oil.
2. Add beeswax and alkanet root to oil.
3. When the beeswax is entirely melted, pull pan off of heat.
4. To ensure that your lip balm is the consistency that you like, put a large drop of mixture onto wax paper and put in freezer. After a couple of minutes, test the consistency on your hand or lips. Add more beeswax if you would like it harder. Once you have a good consistency, follow the next steps quickly so that the mixture does not start to harden.
5. Strain oil into an easy pour measuring cup, removing alkanet root from the mix.
6. Puncture Vitamin E capsule and add to oil/beeswax mix.

Essential Oil of Cinnamon adds the
Hot to the Hot Lips Lip Balm!

7. Add drops of Cinnamon oil. Note: If you would like super hot lips add more drops of Cinnamon, such as 5 to 10 drops. Stir well.
8. Pour melted mixture into lip containers being careful not to overfill. Pour extra mixture into a favorite container for yourself.
9. Allow to harden, and then put lids on and label lip balms.

Find all these supplies and more at The Herbalist.

For more information, visit our website www.theherbalist.com and discover the herbal remedies best suited for your needs.

'Twas An Herbal Night Before Christmas

2011-12-14T16:41:00.000-08:00

‘Twas the night before Christmas

When all through the domicile

Not a creature was stirring

Not even a Chamomile

Empty capsules were hung

By the chimney with care

In hopes that St. John’s Wort

Soon would be there

The herbs were Nettled

All snug in their beds

While visions of Golden Rods

Danced through their heads

And mama in her Cowslip

And I in my Skullcap

Had just settled down

For a Hop cup of Pine Sap

When down in my stomach

There arose such a clatter

I took some Ginger but

That didn’t matter

Away to the bathroom

I flew like a flash

Tore open the Lobelia

And threw up . . .

Then, what to my Wandering Jew did appear

But a Marshmallow sleigh

And eight tiny Red Raspberries

And a little old plant

So lively and tart

I knew in a moment

It must be St. Wort

As he Thistled, and Sprouted

And chomped Irish Moss

With the skill of a chef

A salad he tossed

Now Ginger, Now Yarrow

Now Hawthorneand Barley

On Ginseng, On Clover

On Squawvine, and (of course) Parsley

On the top of the heap

On the top of the pile

He placed Chaparral and

A dash of Pimpernel

(For those who many not recognize the names of all these herbs,

don’t worry . . . it’s all Fenugreek to me too).

And then, in a twinkling

I heard on the roof

The prancing and dancing

Of Deerberry and Wild Horsehoof

As I came to my Senna

And was turning Asurum

Down the chimney St. John’s Wort

Came like a Plum

He was covered in Prickly Ash

From his stems to his stalks

He was garnished with Valerian

So he smelled like dirty socks

A clove of Garlic

He held in his Palm

And he looked like a Goilead

Who’d just lost his Balm

His Eyebrights – how they twinkled!

His Juana – how Mari

His cheeks were like Rose Hips

His nose like a Cherry

He was a very Chic Weed

Drove a racey Pinto Bean

And he shook when he Yucca’d

What a wild, wild scene

He was chubby and plump

A right holly old Hock

And I laughed when I saw him

In spite of my shock

A Slip of his Elm

And a Flax of his Seed

Soon gave me to know

He was nothing but Weed

He spoke not a word

But went straight to his work

Filled all the capsules

With Barberry Bark

Then laying his root

Aside of his stalk

Which is no small task – but Yerba Santa’s a jock!

He has tennis elbow, football knee

And Mistle Toe!

He sprang to his sleigh

To his team gave a whistle

And away they all flew

Like the down of a Thistle

But I heard him exclaim

This one last Dande line

“Gotu Kola to all

And to all a good Thyme!!!”

The Endive

This version of Twas the Night Before Christmas ran in an old issue of The Herbalist newsletter many years back. We found it and thought that those of you reading this blog would find some enjoyment reading it. And that's what this season's about right?

Have a safe and happy holiday!

DIY Holiday Gifts: Bath Salt Blends

2011-12-06T12:16:00.001-08:00

Let's face it: Homemade gifts are better for the wallet, for the environment, and for the soul. When custom-whipped with all-natural ingredients including herbs, organic oils, essential oils and pure mineral salts, homemade gifts are infused with nature's best and topped off with a dash of love.

Being an ardent do-it-yourselfer, I have tried it all when it comes to homemade herbal holiday gifts: personalized tincture, tea and oil blends, facial toners, creams and clay masks, lip balms, salves and ointments, dream pillows and herb sachets, after shaves, medicinal syrups . . . the list goes on and on. Oftentimes these projects end up being more of a pain to me than they are worth to the recipient in the end. Over the years, I have distilled down my gift making projects to those that fit three criteria:

1. Cheap

2. Easily made in bulk

3. People will actually use them!

Aromatic Bath Salts: The perfect Holiday Gift

Bath Salts: A basic combination of salts and essential oils, few things elicit relaxation quite like an aromatic and therapeutic bath. Salts (including epsom, mineral, sea and Himalayan) relieve muscular aches and pains, rejuvenate tired and sore muscles, detoxify and cleanse through the skin, and purify mind, body and spirit. Essential oils are chosen for their specific therapeutic properties, for example: relaxing, detoxifying, uplifting, muscle relaxing.

Get creative with packaging ideas:
antique bottles, ribbons, charms, tags...

Basic Bath Salt Recipe

1 Cup Epsom Salt

1 Cup Sea Salt

50 drops Essential Oil of choice - See Below

To Make:

1. Combine Epsom and Sea salts in a nonporous bowl.

2. Add approximately 50 drops of essential oil, mixing well with a metal spoon.

3. Transfer the bath salts into a decorative container.

4. Choose a container with a lid or top to preserve the fragrant essential oils.

Directions For Use: To use fill the tub with warm water and add four tablespoons of bath salts.

Essential Oils for the Bath:

Cedarwood: Decongesting respiratory herb for colds and flu, transportive scent for meditation and introspection.

Eucalyptus: Decongestant oil for respiratory congestion, colds and flu, sinusitis, asthma, etc. Anti-inflammatory for pain, arthritis, muscle aches, spasms and tension.

Ginger: Anti-inflammatory and circulatory stimulating properties - good for arthritis, muscle aches and pains. Tones and tightens skin, deters cellulite.

Grapefruit: Detoxifying oil that deters stimulates circulation and lymphatic drainage. Energizing and uplifting to combat fatigue and depression.

Lavender: Relieves stress and anxiety, promotes relaxation and sleep, relieves headaches and sore muscles, soothes itchy and irritated skin.

Lemon: Fresh and clean scent that clears the mind and lifts the spirit, stimulates lymphatic drainage, stimulates immune function.

Peppermint: Cooling and refreshing qualities clear the mind, cools the body, relieves headaches and deters nausea.

Rosemary: Stimulates circulation and digestion, anti-inflammatory property relieves muscle aches and pains.

Wintergreen: Strong anti-inflammatory and pain remedy for sore muscles, arthritis, sprains, strains and other injuries.

Aches & Pains Bath Blend

20 drops Rosemary

10 drops Wintergreen

10 drops Eucalyptus

Relaxing Bath Blend

25 drops Lavender

15 drops Jasmine

10 drops Sage

Detoxifying Bath Blend

25 drops Grapefruit

10 drops Lemon

15 drops Cedarwood

For more information visit TheHerbalist.com and discover the herbal remedies best suited for your needs.

Shared by Lauren H.

Herb-Inspired Winter Crafts for the Home

2011-12-02T12:09:00.001-08:00

Herbal-inspired crafts and culinary endeavors offer a delightful way to harness the energy of Autumn/Winter. This time between the fall equinox and winter solstice is a time for going inward. It's a time for introspection, reflection and self-nourishment, as well as a time to literally go inside - it's cold out! In this blog we share creative ideas for bringing Nature indoors and warming up the home with herb-inspired holiday projects.

Herbal Chai Blend

Ener-Chai ZING Tea: Invoke the warmth of holiday cheer with a cup of spicy, warming herbal chai. This blend is our rendition of a traditional chai recipe with a few special twists. We add Cacao for increased feelings of elation and Ginseng for increased energy and inner fire. Simmer the herbs for 15 minutes in water, strain and enjoy (preferably around a wood-burning fire). A spot of steamed milk, cream, honey or brandy may be added for an extra holiday twist.

Do-It Yourself Option: Make your own personal Chai blend with a combination of some or all of these herbs: Cinnamon, Clove, Star Anise, Cacao, Cardamom, Nutmeg, Black Pepper, Orange peel, Elderberries.

Mulling Spices: Make your own blend of traditional mulling spices to bring the scents of the holidays into the home. Traditional blends include: Cinnamon, Orange Peel, Cardamom, Cloves, Star Anise.

Simmer in water over the stove to infuse the scent throughout the home.
Simmer in apple juice for 15 min, strain and serve (with or without a spot of brandy) as spiced cider.
Simmer in red wine for 15 min, strain and serve warm.

Bring the Smells of the Forest inside: No matter your religious tradition, a home smelling of freshly cut pine, fir or cedar is a winter treat.

Add a few drops of Pine or Cedar essential oil to an aromatherapy diffuser.
Burn natural incense of Fir, Pine or Cedar. (We carry wildcrafted incense from Juniper Ridge).
Burn essential-oil containing candles (We carry Pine and Spice from local candle company Big Dipper). Candles are traditionally burned this time of year as they invoke the light during this time of gradually building darkness approaching Winter Solstice.

Make your own Holiday Potpourri Blend!

Potpourri: Any combination of herbs that are appealing to your visual and olfactory senses may be blended as a potpourri. Combine 5 cups of herbs with 1 T Orris root powder and 15 drops of essential oil.

The Herbalist's Holiday Potpourri: Mix together 1/2 cup each of Rose buds, Hawthorne berries, Cinnamon sticks, Cardamom Pods, Star Anise, Orange Peel, 1 T Orris Root powder, 5 drops Cinnamon essential oil, 2 drops Orange essential oil.

Place in bowls around the home.
Place in muslin sachets for clothing drawers, under pillows, tossed in freshly dried laundry.
Simmer over stove to "mull."

Shared by Lauren H. @ The Herbalist

For more information visit TheHerbalist.com and discover the herbal remedies best suited for your needs.

Ease Your Cough with Cough-Eze Syrup

2011-11-29T11:33:00.001-08:00

Cough season is upon us and here at The Herbalist, we're prepared. It is important to remember that coughing is the body’s way of detoxifying the lungs to promote healing, and that simply suppressing the cough impulse is ultimately non-productive, often exacerbating the underlying cause. This is the downfall of most over-the-counter cough remedies. There are many kinds of coughs: productive, non-productive, wet, dry, voluntary, involuntary, wheezing, racking, whooping . . . the list goes on and on.

I have yet to meet a cough that our Cough-Eze Syrup can’t soothe. A blend of a variety of herbs that are indicated for different kinds of coughs, this alcohol-free and soothing syrup covers all the cough bases. It can either suppress the cough impulse or expectorate, depending on the needs of the body.

Read below about the medicinal actions of the various herbs in the Cough-Eze Syrup. For all you do-it-yourselfers, a personalized tea or tincture blend can be made of a few of these herbs that is perfectly tailored to your cough.

Marshmallow & Slippery Elm: Two soothing demulcent herbs indicated for dry coughs and irritated, inflamed tissues and sore throats.

Elecampane: A reliable expectorant indicated for wet coughs, especially those that are lingering, persistent, non-productive and include wheezing.

Wild Cherry: An antispasmodic to the respiratory tract that soothes the cough impulse. Indicated for dry, hacking coughs that are non-productive.

Mullein: A soothing expectorant for dry, harsh, non-productive coughs.

Horehound: Dries mucous and promotes a productive cough, especially useful for wet coughs.

Licorice: A soothing anti-inflammatory and expectorant, indicated for dry coughs, also a strong anti-viral for coughs of a viral origin.

Skunk Cabbage: A powerful antispasmodic to the lungs and respiratory tract that soothes the cough impulse and relieves wheezing and constriction.

Lobelia: A strong antispasmodic that relaxes a spastic cough or constricted bronchioles, also a stimulating expectorant.

For us herb shop employees, the cough season means two things: 1) Our customers are seeking cough relief and 2) we must protect ourselves when they come seeking relief! As a result, I keep a bottle of sinus oil on hand to sniff and inhale frequently throughout the day - especially after a coughing customer leaves the shop! The immune-stimulating essential oils (eucalyptus, thyme, tea tree, ravensara) coat the mucous membranes of the sinuses and respiratory tract to protect those tissues from any bugs floating in the air, and to decrease mucous congestion.

For more information visit TheHerbalist.com and discover the herbal remedies best suited for your needs.

Shared by Lauren H. @ The Herbalist

How To: Freedom of Thanksgiving Digestive Distress

2011-11-22T14:41:00.001-08:00

We have much to be thankful for here at The Herbalist: fabulous customers, a devoted team of herbalists, radiant health, and of course, the healing herbs themselves. Each morning when I walk in and each evening when I leave I take a moment to breathe in the exquisite smell and bask in the energy of the healing plants which I am fortunate enough to be in the presence of daily – for this I am grateful! My gratitude for herbs expands each year as I delve deeper into their endless medicine. This gratitude grows each Thanksgiving – of course in appreciation for how they have enriched my life, but additionally because each year my digestion of the infamous meal improves… and THAT is something to be grateful for - freedom from gas, bloating, heartburn, constipation and general digestive distress.

Below is an Indigestion-Prevention Protocol for tackling the Thanksgiving meal.

Pre-Meal Digestive Prep:

Say a blessing, offer thanks and gratitude, and take 10 deep breaths before beginning to eat. Taking the time to relax before eating switches to parasympathetic ("rest and digest") mode, which prepares the body for food and improves overall digestion.

A digestive bitters
blend to improve digestion

Digestive Enzymes: Take 1-2 capsules before meal. I like to add the capsules to everyone’s nut cups! The poor food combining that characterizes Thanksgiving throws off the delicate balance of digestive enzymes and juices, resulting in poor digestion. Adding extra enzymes helps restore balance to the distressed state of the gut.

Digestive Bitters: Bitter is better! When the tongue tastes bitter, a signal is sent to the brain which responds by triggering the entire digestive system to get ready to digest. It increases the secretions of digestive enzymes, bile and stomach acid; stimulates the function of the liver and gallbladder and increases peristaltic contraction of the intestines to move food through more quickly.

Tummy-Ease Tincture: An herbal blend of digestive bitters that improves digestive power. Take 30-60 drops 10 min before meal.

Bitter greens: Start the meal off with a salad that includes seasonal bitter greens – kale, endive, dandelion, escarole

Dessert Prep: After your second or third helping of dinner, that feeling can begin to set in that there is no chance you will ever eat again… yet dessert is lingering in the near future…Yikes! Adding a soothing digestive tea or tincture can be just the trick to prep your gut for another round.

Tummy-Ease Tincture: Contains angelica, fennel and ginger – all soothing digestive herbs that deter heartburn, acid indigestion, gas and nausea.

Tummy-Ease Tea: A soothing digestive tea with peppermint and chamomile that relaxes the digestive tract, deters gas and acidity.

Place a dish of fennel seeds on the table
and encourage guests to chew after meal
to relieve indigestion.

Aromatic Seeds: including fennel, caraway, dill, anise: Taking a tip from Indian cooking (you may have noticed small bowls of seeds at Indian restaurants), chewing these carminative seeds after a meal speeds the digestive process and allays any indigestion.

The Aftermath

LBT Caps: Take 1-3 caps before bad. After Thanksgiving meal, taking a gentle laxative agent ensures that the digestive system continues to move smoothly, and nothing is left in the gut to cause future problems. Wake up the next morning with a clean digestive slate with which to tackle ensuing days of leftovers!

For more information visit TheHerbalist.com and discover the herbal remedies best suited for your needs.

Shared by Lauren H. @ The Herbalist

Prevent and Treat Holiday Ulcers

2011-11-16T15:10:00.001-08:00

Many customers have visited us over recent weeks seeking out relief and alternative healing treatment for ulcers. Not surprising. As we approach the holidays, rich, heavy foods and alcohol find their way into our digestive tracts in greater frequency. Poor food combining is a hallmark of the holidays (a traditional Thanksgiving meal breaks ALL food combining rules), which throws off the delicate balance of digestive juices and enzymes, resulting in poor digestion. Add all that to stress, a well-known perpetrator of ulcers that also increases around the holidays, and the ideal stage is set for an ulcer to occur. During an ulcer, stomach acid literally burns a hole through the stomach or duodenal wall... Ouch! Horribly sharp burning pains result.

Factors Associated with Ulcers Include:

Alcohol and tobacco use

Regular use of Aspirin and other NSAID's

Poor food combining
Overly acidic, spicy, greasy foods

Food allergies and food sensitivies

Excess caffeine, especially energy drinks and othersugar-laced caffeine beverages

Stress – (“Calm down or you’ll give me an ulcer!")

Thankfully, simple herbal therapies come to the rescue tosoothe the pain and heal the damage. These natural options relieve the pain and burning, promote healing, and prevent ulcers from recurring in the future. While antacids and other OTC ulcer medications do relieve symptoms, they do not address the underlying causes, and in some cases can exacerbate the problems that caused the ulcer in the first place.

Step 1: Soothe

Marshmallow root is soothing and healing
to the entire digestive tract.

GI Gel: A combination of two of nature’s bestsoothers (Marshmallow root and Slippery Elm bark), this dynamic powdered duocreates a soothing and healing gel when added to water or juice. It lines the entire lining of thedigestive tract to soothe, protect and decrease pain and inflammation of theirritated ulcerated tissues.

Step 2: Fight Infection

Herbal Biotic contains
herbs that are effective
against H. pylori.

Helicobacter pylori isa bacteria with the uniquely virulent ability to exist in an overlyacidic environment (the stomach). H. pylori is believed to be at least contribute to 90% of stomach ulcers.

Herbal Biotic: A blend of antimicrobial and astringentherbs that fights H. pyloriinfections and help to restore tone and tissue integrity of ulcerated tissues.

Garlic: Strongly antibacterial, garlic has been found tobe effective against fighting H. pyloriinfections.

Step 3: Heal

DGL: A Licorice root supplement that increases the health of the cells that line the inner stomachwall. It decreases inflammation, increases secretions, prostaglandin and mucous production of these cells to promote healing.

Step 4: Prevent
- Determine your individual hydrochloride (HCl) levels. Ulcers can occur in the presence of both low and high HCl. Take 1 capsule of HCl with a meal, if burning is felt, it indicates you have high level of HCl which may be contributing to your ulcer. If no burning is felt, take 2 capsules with your next meal, and continue increasing by 1 capsule each meal until burning is felt. Subtract 1 capsule from the amount that caused burning and take that amount with each meal. This will ensure sufficient levels of HCl for optimal digestion and a decreased likelihood towards ulcers.

- Identify and eliminate food allergens

- Practice proper food combining

- Avoid excessively greasy, spicy or acidic foods that arehard on the stomach

- Take Digestive Enzymes with every meal to ensure optimaldigestion and reduce incidence of food sitting in the stomach, causingreactions.

- Avoid drinking excess water or other liquids with meals as they dilute digestive enzymes in the stomach

- Smaller meals are easier to digest than larger meals

- Eat plenty of demulcent foods like oatmeal, flax, bananas, and other soothing fibers that are healing to the gut and easy to digest.

- Raw cabbage promotes regeneration of a degraded gut lining

- Manage your stress levels! Kava Kava Plus is our herbal stress tonic that helps promote a feeling of calm and grounding even amidst the stressful chaos that life so often brings.

For more information visit TheHerbalist.com and discover the herbal remedies best suited for your needs.

Shared by Lauren H. at The Herbalist.

Usnea: The Antibiotic of the Pacific Northwest

2011-11-11T17:03:00.001-08:00

Written by Lauren H. @ The Herbalist

Usnea, also known as OldMan’s Beard, is a lichen that is seen adorning the branches of coniferousforests in its Pacific Northwest home.

I have been shocked at the numberof customers who have asked for Usnea over the past week . . . so much so that I hadto ask if Dr. Oz had mentioned it! Surprisingly, he didn’t! In this case, itseems the natural health community is finally catching on to the usefulness ofthis wonderful lichen (hopefully not to its detriment). As I thought about it,I realized that it should be no surprise that Usnea is growing in popularity inthe Pacific Northwest, and that it is doing sothis time of year. We live in a cool,damp climate and we are entering the coolest and dampest time of year. The excess moisture in the air creates excessmoisture (mucous) in the lungs, causing chronic respiratory congestion to bequite common, especially this time of year. The excess moisture also creates an environment for other moisturelovers, molds, to flourish – when this happens in our homes, it exacerbates therespiratory problems.

This old man's beard is ripe for a trim.

The active ingredient in Usnea is a constituent called usnicacid. Usnic acid has been shown to be apowerfully acting broad-spectrum antimicrobial, meaning it is protectiveagainst many a wide variety of pathogens, including those that are stubborn andhard to treat. It has been found to beuniquely effective against gram-positive bacteria including strep and staph,two common culprits in the respiratory system and infections elsewhere. It isespecially helpful in deep-seated and nasty respiratory infections, such aspneumonia, tuberculosis, and strep throat. It is also incidated in tuberculosis,trichomonas and various fungi and mold infections, including yeast and candida. Many take it daily as a tonic to protect against congestion caused by indoormolds and fungus. When applied topically, it is an effective anti-fungalagainst athlete’s foot and ringworm, and when taken internally against candida,thrush and vaginal yeast.

Lung Defend

Usnea does grow in other regions of the country, though nowhere is it asprolific as in the Pacific Northwest. The reason? Rain – and lots of it. Usnea thrives in wet forests with plenty ofmoisture. Many consider Usnea to be the lungs of the forest. As it doesn’t have roots and instead hangsoff tree branches, Usnea resides in the airand is associated with the Air element,suggesting an obvious correlation to the lungs, masters of respiration. Additionally, Usnea’s affinity tomoisture-rich places demonstrates its association with the Water element. Put these two together and we see that Usneais indicated for wet conditions in the lungs characterized by excess phlegm andmucous including bronchitis, pneumonia, COPD, emphysema, and mold sensitivities.

What is a Lichen?
Lichens are amazing creatures that blur the boundaries ofwhat separates one living organism versus another. A lichen is the physical manifestation of a symbioticrelationship between fungi and algae – the algae does the photosynthesizingwhile the fungi provides protection from the elements. “Think of them as fungi that have discoveredagriculture,” says Pojar and McKinnon, authors of Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast.

For more information visit TheHerbalist.com and discover the herbal remedies best suited for your needs.

For Extra Energy and Stamina . . .Rhodiola Works!

2011-11-09T11:36:00.000-08:00

The resilient Rhodiola plant.

Dr. Oz discussed the herb Rhodiolalast week, stating that it promotes energy, stamina, sexual function, andlibido. Well Dr. Oz, we couldn’t agreemore with you on this one! Like most of America, we closelyfollow Dr. Oz. However, unlike most of America, we keep up with Dr. Oz outof self-defense . . . to prepare ourselves for the onslaught that occurs when hementions an herbal supplement. After Dr.Oz waves his invisible magic wand at an herb, we receive10 phone calls about anherb that we have barely received 10 phone calls over our 30 years of business.

Also known as Arctic Rose, Rhodiola grows in cold and harsh climates in areas ofhigh elevation including Siberia, Iceland, Scandinavia, and other areas of the Arctic. Theharshness of Rhodiola’s native climate illustrates the hardiness it possesses. The hardiness of Rhodiola is used medicinallyto increase hardiness in individualswho require extra resilience. Thisincludes athletes and others who require extra stamina including firefighters,those who work night shifts, new mothers, and burnt out graduate schoolstudents. Rhodiola increases overallphysical performance, energy levels, and mental function.

As an adrenal adaptogen, Rhodiolaworks in part by strengthening the HPA axis, the network of neuroendocrineinteractions between the hypothalamus, pituitary and adrenal glands. The primary role of the HPA axis is thecontrol of the body’s stress response. By strengthening the HPA axis, Rhodiola has a protective effect againstall forms of stress and normalizes the endocrine, neurological, andimmunological systems.


Adapt to Life

Rhodiola is a cooling adaptogen (unlike ginseng, for example, which is heating),therefore it is less likely to cause over-stimulation, insomnia, nervousness, oranxiety. It is indicated in cases ofemotional depression, mental fatigue, and low energy. It increases mental andphysical performance, emotional health, and stress coping ability without overlystimulating and increasing anxiety. Itis the adaptogen for depression.

Rhodiola is a primary herb in ourAdapt to Life formula, an adrenal tonic that helps the body adapt to life and all its stressors tosupport adrenal, immune and cardiovascular function. Rhodiola also promotes hormone balance inboth men and women, and has been shown to improve fertility, libido, and sexualperformance in both genders.

Introducing LifeForce Essences

2011-10-21T11:20:00.000-07:00

LifeForce Essences

Brand new Pacific NW Flower Essence Line

We are excited and honored to announce the arrival of a new line of flower essences called LifeForce. These essences are handcrafted by our very own Monica Caulfield, longtime friend of The Herbalist. Some of you may have met Monica at our in-store events over the summer when she was offering free astrology readings.

Monica will be back at The Herbalist on November 2rd once again offering free mini-Astrology readings and sampling her fabulous new line of flower essences. Make sure you sign up for our newsletter so you get the announcement when we send it out.

About LifeForce Essences:

LifeForce Essence blend
"Peace of Mind"

LifeForce Essences are created in the most beautiful place on Earth: the Methow Valley! Nestled up against the North Cascade Mountains, the Methow Valley provides an exceptionally serene place to gather flowers and create essences of the highest quality. Clean mountain air, pristine rivers and lakes, and 300+ days of sunshine a year, make this area the ideal atmosphere to create flower essences of exceptional vibrational energy.

LifeForce Essences are infused with Reiki, Acutonics, and other healing energies including love and gratitude water. Because of the unique energetic vibration of these essences, our bottles are filled with pure love and gratitude, intentional energy to shift the current consciousness, and a mission to help transform ourselves and ourworld into the grandest version of our true authentic spirit.

In addition to flower essences blends, Lifeforce features a line of Zodiac blends, specifically designed to promote balance and encourage strengths of the 12 zodiac signs.

What are Flower Essences?

Flower essences are unique and subtle extractions that capture the vibrational essences of flowers; the highest physical manifestation of a plant’s energies. Being energetic remedies, flower essences do not have any direct biochemical or physiological reaction with the body. Instead, their vibration interacts with one's vibrational energy field to help un-stick patterns that do not serve a person. Essences address and help heal emotional, mental and spiritual issues, behavioral and thought patterns, and assist in soul work. As mind and body are inherently related, essences can also help heal physical imbalances as well.

Using Flower Essences:

Flower essences are most commonly taken orally, 4-7 drops placed under the tongue. With essences, the quantity/volume of essence taken is less important than the frequency and rhythmic pattern of administration. Four times daily is a general rule, done on a rhythmic basis to encourage the vibrational re-patterning to occur and to stick.

As flower essences are vibrational remedies, they do not need to be ingested in order to be effective. They merely need to interact with the energetic body (aura), which extends far beyond one's physical body. Therefore, be creative with how you use essences and infuse them into your life.

Healing Heart Formula contains flower essence
of Bleeding Heart.

Ideas for Use:

- Mix a few drops into water, tea or even food

- Use in a spray bottle to create an aura mist

- Add to cleaning products, washing machine, clothing

- Apply a few drops to certain areas of the body, acupressure points, chakras, etc. to active that area

- Add to bath water, pillow, bedding

- Mix into other facial and bodycare products including lotions, creams, body oils, cleansers, etc.

Catch me if you can . . .

2011-10-17T11:49:00.000-07:00

"Catch me if you can" should be our motto as we enter the colder months of the year. Countless customers have visited us over the past few weeks complaining of a sinus infection/head cold accompanied by bodyaches and fatigue. For many unlucky victims, this head cold has moved down into the chest and lungs, and chronic congestion is still hanging on, sometimes for weeks following the initial infection. This first round of the flu season is a virulent one, hopefully the worst is behind us. This time of year, as the weather cools down and moistens up, our health focus should be to build our immune defenses to decrease susceptibility to this cold and flu season's primary contenders: the viruses. There are many ways to ensure you don’t catch a cold even though the season can throw a lot of them at you.

A seasonal cleanse boosts immune
function to decrease susceptibility.

The common cold can be viewed as the body’s way of seasonally cleansing out the lymphatic system. As it is the change of seasons, an internal cleansing program is recommended to decrease congestion in the body and ensure vital immune function for the ensuing season. The benefits of rest and warmth, as well as a light diet including plenty of fluids and warm brothy soups cannot be overestimated. Herbs can work wonders, but when taken within the context of proper diet and lifestyle, they become miracle workers.

The "Catch me if you can" Protocol:
Treatment for the Common Cold

Echinacea Plus: A tried and true immune remedy for colds and flu. When you have a cold you want to bring heat to the body, which Echinacea does as a circulatory stimulant, lymphatic cleanser and immune stimulant.
Suggested Use: At first sign of symptoms, take 30-60 drops every hour if possible throughout the waking day.

The popularity of Echinacea is well-deserved,
it is a strong immune stimulant and cleansing herb,
perfectly suited for the common cold and flu..

Respitonic: A specific blend for upper respiratory infections, this blend contains antiviral herbs that help to reduce fever, and relieve aches and pains.
Suggested Use: 60 drops 3-4 x daily.

Seasonali-Tea: A warming, decongestant tea that is soothing to the throat, soothes the cough impulse and helps the body break a fever. Suggested Use: 2-3 cups daily.

Cough-Eze Syrup: An alcohol-free cough syrup that tastes great, soothes the throat and relieves coughing.
Suggested Use: 1 Tb as needed.

Breathe Free Oil: A petroleum-free alternative to Vick's VapoRub, etc. This aromatic ointment opens the nasal passages and relieves chest congestion.
Suggested Use: Apply to chest and temples, or as vaporizing steam in bath.

Vitamin C: Stimulates immune function and speeds healing time.
Suggested Use: Up to 4000 mg in divided doses throughout the day.

For Kids:

Safe, tasty and effective, Elderberry may be
the best cold and flu herb for kids.

Immuno-Blast: Echinacea fortified with Elderberry extract provides cold and flu support for the whole family and protects against air-borne pathogens.
Suggested Use: 30-60 drops every 2-3 hours.

Cough-Eze Syrup: An alcohol-free cough syrup that tastes great, soothes the throat and relieves coughing.
Suggested Use: ½ - 1 tsp as needed.

Kids Choice: This is a cold-and-flu formula just for kids, as it is alcohol-free, tastes great, and contains antiviral immune boosting herbs that work well in children.
Suggested Use: 30-60 drops 3-4 x daily.

Blue Eyes: Discover Your Health Blueprint with Iridology

2011-09-12T10:11:00.000-07:00

Eyes are often called “the window to the soul.” When we think of the eye, it is the iris, its color and characteristics, that we are referring to. Iridology, or the study of the iris, is an ancient diagnostic tool in medicine. While the study of iridology is vast and intricate, every person can glean valuable health information from their eyes - beginning with their eye color. The color of one's eyes determines what iridologists call their “primary constitutional type.” There are 3 primary constitutional types: brown eyes (hematogenic), blue eyes (lymphatic) and mixed brown/hazel eyes (biliary). Each type is constitutionally predisposed to its own health challenges. Thus, there are certain supportive lifestyle, herbal, supplemental and dietary factors that each type can do to promote balanced health.

This blog is dedicated to the Lymphatic Constitution, people with blue eyes.

Blue irises with a yellow background
suggest challenges with kidneys and lungs.

What does a Lymphatic Iris look like?

These people have a blue or blue-gray iris. The fibers are easily viewed and may be straight and silk-like or slightly wavy and moderately spaced. Other colors may be visible, but the predominant color is blue.

Blue irises with a white-grey background
often have problems with acid indigestion.

Potential Challenges

"Lymphatic" refers to the lymphatic system in the body. The lymphatic system is comprised of a network of vessels that function as part of the immune system to circulate fluids throughout the body. People with this constitution are prone to lymphatic congestion and overactive immune function. They are also prone to catarrhal (mucousy) conditions in the respiratory system and sinuses such as allergies and hayfever, colds and flu, asthma, bronchitis, etc. They have a tendency towards swollen lymph glands, and don’t do well in cold, damp climates or seasons. Skin afflictions such as eczema, psoriasis and dandruff are common due to lymphatic congestion and overactive immune function. These people’s systems are overall more sensitive, environmental and food allergies are common. Inflammatory in general, lymphatic people are prone to stiffness, arthritis, rheumatic disorders, and aching muscles.

Health Promoting Considerations:

Essential Health Practices:

Drink at least least 8 cups of water daily, as water flushes the lymphatic system.

Stay away from mucous-forming foods, especially dairy.

It is important to identify and eliminate food allergens and sensitivities, either through food allergy testing or an elimination diet. Consuming foods that one is sensitive to creates mucus and lymphatic congestion in the body.

Dry skin brush daily, this is a detoxification practice that stimulates lymphatic circulation. Follow with Renew-U oil to further detoxify the lymphatics and deter cellulite.

Exercise regularly to promote lymphatic circulation and detoxification.

Regular use of saunas, hot baths and steams promotes lymphatic cleansing.

Supportive Daily Supplements:

Lymphatone: Contains herbs that promote circulation in the lymphatic system, and alleviate boggy, swollen lymph nodes.

Namaste Tea: A detoxifying, uplifting tea blend that cleanses and supports the lymphatics, liver and kidneys.

Intestinal Rescue: High-fiber intestinal cleanser that eliminates mucous in the digestive tract.

GI Gel Plus Fiber: Soothing intestinal cleanser for those prone to acid indigestion.

Fresh-start Kit: A 10-day cleanse done seasonally eliminates excess mucous from the body and ensures optimal and balanced immune function.

Sinus and Respiratory System/Allergy Support:

Sinutone Plus Triple Kit: For those prone to chronic sinus congestion.

Respiratory Rescue Triple Kit: For those prone to chronic respiratory congestion including asthma and allergies.

For more information visit TheHerbalist.com and discover the herbal remedies best suited for your needs.

Mixed-Brown Eyes: Discover Your Health Blueprint with Iridology

2011-09-07T13:56:00.000-07:00

What does a Biliary iris look like?

These people have a mixed-brown iris.

There is usually a brown pigmentation especially around the pupil, and may be gold to red pigments present. This iris is prone to pigmentary changes and may be observed to lighten or darken with time.

People with this constitution often say they have hazel eyes.
Upon closer examination, many pigments can be present, but always
alongside brown. Thus, this iris type is known as "mixed-brown."

Potential Characteristics, Behaviors, Risk Factors

"Biliary" refers to bile, a substance secreted by the liver and gall bladder for fat digestion. People with this iris type are prone to liver and gall bladder insufficencies, and it is always important to support liver health and function. As the liver and gall bladder are often weak, there is often challenges with fat digestion and metabolism, creating a potential for high cholesterol. A weakness in pancreatic function is common, creating a potential for blood sugar challenges. Gastrointestinal and digestive issues including constipation, diarrhea, bloating and indigestion are common.

These people are most prone to Metabolic Syndrome – a modern disorder characterized by insulin resistance, hypertension, poor fat metabolism, high cholesterol and obesity.

Health Promoting Considerations:

Always give extra daily assistance with digestion

Tummy Ease: A digestive bitters formula best taken before meals that improves secretion of digestive enzymes and bile, and improves digestive function.

Digestive Enzyme + HCl: Taken with meals to improve digestion and metabolism of fats.

Support liver and gall bladder health

Renew-U Extract: Provides
extra daily liver and
gall bladder support.

Because fat digestion is often impaired, eliminate hydrogenated fats and deep-fried foods

Liv! Well Extract: Liver tonic that promotes healthy metabolism and circulation of blood fats.

Renew-U Extract: Cleansing and revitalizing to the liver and gall bladder.

Liver/Gall bladder flush: Done regularly, deters liver stagnation and ensures optimal function of the liver and gall bladder. Click here to read a blog posting about the benefits of this flush.

Strive to balance blood sugar levels

Keep sugar and simple starch intake, including fruit, to a minimum.

Focus on getting enough protein

Blood Sugar Blues: Pancreatic tonic that promotes healthy blood sugar levels

Ensure healthy and regular elimination

L.B.T. caps: Soothing laxative for the relief of occasionally sluggish bowels.

G.I. Gel Plus Fiber: Soothing intestinal cleanser

Seasonal cleansing

Detox-It Kit: A 10-day Cleanse done seasonally promotes proper metabolism and optimal digestive function.

For more information visit TheHerbalist.com and discover the herbal remedies best suited for your needs.

Brown Eyes: Discover your Health Blueprint with Iridology

2011-08-30T11:22:00.000-07:00

This blog entry is dedicated to the hematogenic type; people with pure brown eyes.

What does a Hematogenic Iris look like?

These people have a pure brown iris with dense pigmentation that looks almost ‘velvety’ with little or no visible fibers.

Potential Characteristics, Behaviors, Risk Factors

“Hema” means blood. People with this iris type are predisposed to blood abnormalities, such as anemia and other blood disorders. They have difficulty absorbing and storing minerals. Most often there are digestive and eliminatory sensitivities, such as indigestion, dyspepsia, flatulence, constipation, diarrhea. Often there is also glandular weakness in the thyroid, adrenals, and pancreas affecting overall vitality and metabolism. This person could be prone to circulatory disorders, arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), varicose veins, and hemorrhoids.

Health Promoting Considerations:

The local Stinging Nettle leaves are a
supreme mineral-rich, blood-building tonic

Focus on getting enough minerals in the diet

Multiple Choice: Mineral and glandular tonic.
Mineral Spring tea: Mineral-rich and liver tonifying tea.
Nettles Infusion: Chlorophyll and mineral rich cleansing tea that is excellent for anemia. Instructions: Put 1oz.of dried nettles into 32oz. of distilled water and bring to a boil. Steep for 10 minutes, strain, and drink throughout the day
Include plenty of blood building and mineral rich foods like beets, kale, mustard greens, cherries, spinach, oats, almonds, kelp, and broccoli in the diet.

Promote healthy metabolism

Blubberwack: Glandular supportive and metabolic tonic.

Promote healthy circulation

Lay on your back with legs up the wall
Circutone: Supports circulation and vascular health.
Exercise regularly

Reduce or eliminate refined or processed foods, alcohol, sugar, fried foods, and heated oils.

Support digestion and elimination

L.B.T.caps: Soothing laxative for occasionally sluggish bowels.
Intestinal Rescue: High-fiber intestinal cleanser
G.I.Gel Plus Fiber: Soothing intestinal fiber
Fresh Start Kit or Detox-It Kit: A10-day Cleanse done seasonally promotes proper metabolism and optimal digestive function.
Digestive enzymes with each meal

For more information visit TheHerbalist.com and discover the herbal remedies best suited for your needs.

Elderberry: Nature's Cold-and-Flu-Ready Remedy

2011-08-24T13:53:00.000-07:00

During late summer, the east side of
Washington is teeming with these
vibrantly blue medicinal elderberries.

Elderberry extract is a powerful antiviral that is a safe natural remedy to prepare the immune system for the coming school year and the cold and flu season. The elder tree has a rich history of folklore and use in herbal medicine, in both European and Native American traditions. Commonly associated with both the fairy realm and the underworld, elder was believed to be a portal of sorts between this realm and others.

Any berries of elderberry (Sambucus) that are blue, purple or black are considered safe for herbal use. In Washington, Blue Elder grows east of the Cascades and can be easily and abundantly harvested . . . in fact, now is the perfect time for elderberry harvest! The berries can be dried for tea, or can be processed fresh into a medicinal syrup.

While the entire plant is medicinal, recently the berries have come to the herbal forefront in response to clinical trials demonstrating their immune stimulating and anti-viral abilities. These antioxidant-rich berries have been shown to speed healing time of influenza flu, colds, and other viral upper respiratory infections. Elderberries reportedly work by inhibiting viral replication and stimulating production of cytokines (immune molecules). The berries are rich in anthocyanins, antioxidant compounds that increase the body’s natural defenses and improve the performance of the immune system. It is also a diaphoretic, helping the body to break a fever if indicated.

The Herbalist's new
extra-strength tonic for
colds and flu contains
elderberry.

This combination of anti-viral, diaphoretic and immune stimulating properties make elderberry the perfect natural herbal remedy to combat seasonal colds and flu. The berries are completely safe for long-term use, and safe for use with children and the elderly. In fact, at a recent herbal workshop, I heard a pediatric MD claim that 100% of upper respiratory infections in children could and should be treated with elderberry syrup to prevent use of antibiotics.

In light of the impressive research on elderberry, The Herbalist has added a new formula called Immuno-Blast. A combination of Elderberry and Echinacea, this formula provides a “blast” to the immune system when faced with seasonal or travel challenges. It is beneficial and tasty for both kids and adults and is specific for boosting immunity against colds and flu. Useful at the first sign of a cold to help fight it, or for protection while entering germ-infested places like airplanes, daycares, or classrooms.

For more information visit TheHerbalist.com and discover the herbal remedies best suited for your needs.

If I only had a brain . . .

2011-08-12T15:27:00.000-07:00

You do have a brain! Lucky you! Let's explore some natural, practical ways to keep that brain strong for a long time to come.

The epicenter of cognition, personality,
physiology, movement, spirituality... the amazing
human brain is worth the effort to keep healthy.

Whether you experience occasional forgetfulness, brain fog, loss of short-term memory, or tend to feel spaced out and detached, all are related to the health of the brain. With the rapidly rising rates of Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia, taking care of your brain is more important now than ever.

Heredity does play a role for some people, but equally important is diet and lifestyle factors. Here are 5 common "no-brainer" tips for boosting and maintaining brain function.

#1. Avoid poisons. Environmental toxins including aluminum and mercury are strongly correlated with degenerative brain disease. Avoid mercury-containing seafood such as tuna and swordfish, and include colorful, antioxidant-rich vegetable and fruits into your diet. Limit alcohol use and quit smoking, as both are associated with poor brain health.

#2. Lower stress levels. Chronically elevated cortisol levels (aka chronic stress) is associated with memory loss and a decrease in brain function.

Adapt to Life: Contains adaptogenic herbs that support the adrenal glands, modulate cortisol levels, reduce stress and promote mental clarity.

Ingredients: reishi, ashwagandha, schisandra, rhodiola, turmeric, american ginseng, ginger

Engage in stress reduction techniques including aerobic exercise, yoga, meditation, breathing, and laughter

#3. Increase circulation to the brain. Adequate blood flow to the brain is essential to promote focus, concentration, and mental clarity. Additionally, blood brings oxygen to the brain, providing an anti-oxidant function that protects brain cells from oxidative damage, a contributing factor to Alzheimer's.

Herbal Brain Tonic

New Brain Choice: Rejuvenating brain and energy tonic that promotes mental acuity. Contains herbs that increase circulation and protect the brain.

Ingredients: ginkgo, gotu kola, green tea, american ginseng, licorice, ginger

Stand on your head.

#4. Use it or Lose it. People no longer have to spell, navigate, calculate or remember anything on their own - we now have smart phones to do all this "brain work" for us. The phrase "Use it or Lose it" applies to the brain too . . . hopefully this arrival of smart phones isn’t creating a future of unintelligent people who have forgotten how to think. Make it a point to exercise your brain.

Crossword or Sudoku Puzzles.

Put down that smart phone and use that smart brain instead! Attempt to calculate, navigate, remember things on your own from time to time . . . it adds up.

Engage in meaningful, enlightening and stimulating conversation regularly.

#5. Feed the brain. Though we live in a culture of excess when it comes to food, ironically, our brains are more malnourished than ever before. The following supplements provide building blocks to boost, sharpen and provide much-needed nourishment to the brain.

Green tea: Drink throughout the day as it is extremely protective and antioxidant to the brain.

B Vitamins: Necessary for optimal function of the nervous system. Deficiencies in Vitamins B1, B6 and B12 are correlated with Alzheimer's.

Omega 3 Oils: These fatty acids are "essential" for proper brain function.

L-Carnitine: Increases levels of important neurotransmitters including dopamine and acetylcholine.

Phosphatidyl serine: Improves brain cell communication and memory.

A 10-Day Cleanse is recommended if you are serious about getting a jump start down the "yellow brick road" towards optimal brain health. Internal cleansing provides a full body tune-up resulting in better overall circulation, ensuring sufficient blood flow to the brain, decreasing inflammation and reducing oxidative stress. Choose between our Fresh Start Kit or Detox-It Kit.

For more information visit TheHerbalist.com and discover the herbal remedies best suited for your needs.

Crash Course in Aches and Pains:A natural approach

2011-08-08T11:00:00.000-07:00

Tierney on her boat, "Herbalist's Choice"

I received a "crash" course in pain 15 years ago when I crashed onto the anchor of my boat, the Herbalist’s Choice, and cracked two ribs. In desperate need of a quick fix for the crippling pain, I accepted a prescription of Codeine, an opiate pain reliever, and Naproxen, an anti-inflammatory NSAID. After the first day on these two meds, I could not distinguish which pain was worse – my rib pain or the side effects of the drugs! I was bloated, constipated, extremely thirsty and horribly nauseous. Yuck! Forget the quick fix! For me, the drugs were not a viable option. On top of failing to decrease my comfort level, these drugs did not increase my body’s ability to heal itself.

I know that prescription pain drugs are extremely valuable for many people who live with chronic pain, and strongly believe they have their place in healing. I provide the following natural options that also help lessen pain and reduce inflammation, but without the side effects. Instead of hindering the healing process, they strengthen the body's ability to mend and repair itself.

It is important to remember that recovery from injuries, as well as with arthritis and other disorders of chronic pain, requires patience and resolve.

Pain Protocol:

The Herbalist's
formula for
aches and pains

Ache-Less Extract: Reduces pain, inflammation and swelling associated with injuries and arthritic conditions.

Ingredients: white willow, jamaican dogwood, feverfew, passionflower, black cohosh, st. john's wort

Suggested Use: Take 2-3 droppersful 3 times daily

Flexible Choice:A daily anti-inflammatory that also alleviates the effects that pain has on emotional health and mood.

Ingredients: turmeric, green tea, chamomile, st. john's wort, licorice, ginger

Suggested Use: 2-3 droppersful 3 times daily

Ache-Less Rub: A cooling massage liniment that relieves pain and reduces swelling when applied topically.

Turmeric root: the source of curcumin, a brightly
orange colored anti-inflammatory compound

Turmeric: Contains curcumin, a well-studied anti-inflammatory compound.

Suggested Use: Add 3-4 droppersful of turmeric tincture to a daily smoothie with flax oil or another healthy fat. Taking turmeric with a fat improves its absorption and assimilation.

Additional Suggestions

Omega-3 Oils: Increase lubrication and decrease inflammation in the joints

Quercetin/Bromelain Compound: Provides anti-inflammatory support to the joints and musculature.

Glucosamine sulfate: Promotes healthy cartilage in the joints, decreases inflammation and pain.

If on NSAIDs or other Pain Medications...

Tummy-ease: This bitter formula increases stomach acid and improves digestion to alleviate common side effects of these medications.

Suggested Use: Take 2 droppersful before each meal

Food sensitivities and allergies very often play a large role in chronic inflammatory conditions including arthritis, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, headaches, etc. Identifying and eliminating food allergens (either by an elimination diet or food allergy testing) is highly recommended, and for some people can be just the ticket for reversing the pain cycle.

Anti-Inflammation Diet

Try to have lots of Omega-rich foods and different colored organically grown foods and beverages everyday. Vibrantly colored foods are high in phytonutrients that boost the immune system and have anti-inflammatory effects.

Avoid the following Inflammatory Foods:

Nightshade Family Plants: eggplant, peppers, potatoes, tomatoes

Caffeine: coffee, black tea, chocolate

High Allergen Foods: peanuts, milk, corn, soy, wheat, gluten, eggs

Red Meat

Baked Goods: gluten-containing grains including bread, wheat, oats, rye, barley

Dairy: ice cream, frozen yogurt, milk, eggs

Beverages: soft drinks, fruit juices, diet drinks, tap water, alcohol

Sweeteners: corn syrup, sugar, artificial sweeteners

Farm-raised fish and shellfish

Pork and Pork products

Deep-fried foods

For more information visit TheHerbalist.com and discover the natural remedies best suited for your needs.

Combat Adrenal Fatigue and "Adapt to Life!"

2011-08-03T14:57:00.000-07:00

Chronic stress is an epidemic in our culture today, with so many people living under constant and unrelenting stress. The body's responses to stress is controlled primarily by the adrenals, a pair of endocrine glands that sit atop the kidneys and are responsible for the secretion of cortisol, adrenaline, and other stress hormones. When a person is under excessive stress for prolonged time, the adrenals simply cannot keep up with the demands and they become fatigued. This adrenal fatigue throws off the body's entire homeostasis, and the body becomes less equipped to deal with stress. This causes the whole system to suffer.

When the adrenals are weakened, energy levels decrease, digestion and immune function become impaired, mood and emotions suffer and sexuality and libido diminish.

The HPA Axis

The HPA Axis: The body's
Stress Response System

The HPA axis is the network of neuroendocrine interactions between the hypothalamus, pituitary and the adrenal glands. This physiological trio works via a negative feedback system to control how much cortisol is circulating in the blood at any given moment, and thus, controls the body's stress response.

Herbal Adaptogens to the Rescue!

A category of herbs known as adaptogens, work to strengthen the HPA axis, which in turn lend a helping hand in increasing general resistance, have a normalizing effect against all forms of stress, and are safe to use on a daily basis. Herbal adaptogens normalize the endocrine, neurological and immunological systems to enable the successful multitasking of the HPA axis. Herbal adaptogens are vital to the health of our overwhelmed immune systems and increasing our adaptability to stress.
Herbal Adaptogens Include: Ginsengs, Ashwaganda, Licorice, Schisandra, Astragalus, Holy Basil, Rhodiola, Reishi, Fo-Ti, Cordyceps

The Herbalist's Adaptogen Formulas:

One of The Herbalist's
Adaptogen Blends

Rasayana: In Ayurveda, Rasayana means “that which makes new again.” By working on the HPA axis, this formula promotes stress reduction and increases overall vitality. This adaptogenic formula is specific for those undergoing hormonal changes.
Ingredients: Ashwaganda, Astragalus, Maca, Siberian Ginseng, Milky Oat Seed, Licorice

It is written of rasayanas, “One obtains longevity, regains youth, gets a sharp memory and intellect and freedom from diseases, gets a lustrous complexion and strength of a horse.”

Adapt to Life: Herbal adaptogens in this formula help the body “adapt to life” and all its stressors to support energy, adrenal health and immune health.

Ingredients: Reishi, Ashwaganda, Schisandra, Rhodiola, Turmeric, American Ginseng, Ginger

How to Dose Herbal Adaptogens:
Take 2-4 droppersful twice daily: once first thing in the morning and again in the afternoon. This dosing pattern works with the body's natural Circadian Rhythm of cortisol, helping to potentiate cortisol's effects and decrease symptoms of fatigue associated with adrenal insufficiency.

Other Tips for Adrenal Fatigue:

Avoid stimulants like caffeine, nicotine and chocolate that stimulate, but ultimately deplete the adrenals.
Regular Yoga or Meditation promotes stress reduction
Avoid foods that spike blood sugar including sugars, refined carbohydrates, alcohol, etc.
Identify and eliminate food allergens
Laugh regularly and breathe deeply
Sleep at least 8 hours each night
DHEA: A precursor to important adrenal hormones
B Vitamins: Provide nourishing support to the nervous system

For more information visit TheHerbalist.com and discover the natural remedies best suited for your needs.

Tune-up and restore liver health:The liver is a busy organ!

2011-07-14T14:54:00.000-07:00

The liver is a busy organ. Between metabolizing food, digesting fat, making and breaking down hormones, and controlling body-wide detoxification, the liver gets quite the workout. Add to these jobs a bit too much alcohol or fatty food, and the liver can get fatigued. A seasonal liver flush is a great way to tune-up and restore liver function after a bout of “too much fun.”

Just recently, my 21-year old sister called me, stating that she and her 5 roommates were interested in liver cleansing. I was slightly taken aback, seeing as my sister has never cleansed before, nor really expressed an interest in it, but nonetheless I was up for the challenge of preparing her.

Seeing as she and her house of 6 college roommates are all 21, it wasn’t too difficult to discern the reason behind their desire to cleanse their livers. Too much alcohol was their main motivation, which is not an uncommon occurrence during the season of barbecues, beach parties and vacations. In addition to alcohol, too much fatty food, not enough exercise, pharmaceutical drug use can also be real justifications for cleansing the liver.

The flush stimulates the liver and gallbladder
to dump toxins into the small intestine and out
through the bowels.

The liver and gallbladder flush was the primary treatment I advised my sister and her gaggle of first-time cleansers to undertake. It involves drinking a combination of olive oil, lemon juice and fresh herbs. “We have to drink oil!?!” my sister said. “It’s really not so bad” I replied… and really, it’s not - if you can do fish oil, olive oil and lemon juice is like dessert.

Essentially the flush restores the normal functional capacity of the liver, especially helpful if it has been over-taxed. The high amount of oil combined with lemon juice stimulates the liver and gallbladder to dump toxins and old bile into the intestines so that they can be eliminated through the colon. It also stimulates the formation of new bile so that fat and alcohol digestion improves.

One of the best times to do the liver flush is in the evening just before bedtime. It is best to eat a light dinner so that the flush is done on an empty stomach.

Some people report passing small pea-
green stones after taking the liver flush:
these are gallstones.

How to Liver Cleanse:

Liver Flush Recipe:

Mix these ingredients in a blender or jar

Olive Oil – 3 Tbs.

Juice of 2 organic Lemons

Garlic – 1 medium clove, minced

Ginger – small chunk, minced

Cayenne pepper – just a pinch

Orange (optional) – 1 for taste

Directions for Liver and Gallbladder Flush:

Follow liver flush with a cup of
The Herbalist's Tummy-Ease Tea

1 - Prepare a cup of caffeine-free herbal tea such as Peppermint tea or our Tummy-ease tea. Have this ready to drink immediately following the flush.
2 - Mix all ingredients in a blender and drink
3 - Immediately follow with a cup of herb tea. This helps relax the digestive tract and reduce the occurrence of cramping and nausea.
4 - Go to bed and lie on your right side with your knees up to your chest, this causes the mixture to go directly to your liver and gallbladder.
5 - In the morning you should have a healthy elimination. Some people even report observing small pea-green stones in the toilet which indicates the formation of gall stones.

The liver flush is a great addition to a complete internal cleansing regimen. We recommend it as part of our 10-Day Whole Body Cleansing Kits.

ADDENDUM
Some of you have asked us if doing just one of the liver flushes is enough to get rid of stones. In response to this we would say for some yes, but for the best results doing the flush every night for one week is recommended to really loosen up and remove toxins, stones and old bile in the liver and gall bladder.

For more information visit TheHerbalist.com and discover the natural remedies best suited for your needs.

Feverfew: A Floral Healer

2011-07-08T16:31:00.000-07:00

The showy flowers of Feverfew are also
valued in the garden for their ability
to control unwanted pests.

During summer, nature is all about flowers. Yards, sidewalks, meadows, mountains and forests are all bubbling with brightly colored flowers as plants pull out all their glitzy stops to ensure they reproduce before the growing season ends. Summer is the time for harvesting medicinal flowers. In the wild, this is the time to harvest the flowers of Hawthorn, St. John's Wort, Wild Rose and Arnica. Gardens are overflowing with star medicinals as well including Calendula, Chamomile, Lavender and Feverfew.

Today's blog is dedicated to Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium). The white, showy flowers bloom from June through November, and should be harvested just after the flowers bloom. To harvest, use garden clippers to snip off the flowering tops, making sure to include a few inches of the leaves, as both the leaf and flower and medicinal. As feverfew is a very bitter herb, it is not commonly enjoyed as a tea. Instead, it should be immediately made into a tincture. To do this, place the fresh flowers and leaves into a glass jar and cover them with 50% vodka. Allow the tincture to soak for at least two weeks, taking time each day to shake it and infuse it with your loving and healing intentions. After two weeks, strain out the herbs and now you have a medicinal tincture!

Feverfew has been a valued herbal remedy since the time of Dioscorides, the first century Greek physician, for headaches, stomach complaints, fevers, and menstrual irregularities. It was cited in Culpepper’s famous herbal for headaches: “It is very effectual for all pain in the head coming from a cold cause, the herb being bruised and applied to the crown of the head.”

The active constituents found in the flowering feverfew are essential oils containing camphor, borneal, pinene and several pinene derivatives. It also contains a sesquiterpene lactone, parthenolide, which is believed to be the primary active chemical responsible for alleviating the severity and frequency of migraine headaches.

In addition to migraine headaches, Feverfew's anti-inflammatory properties make it an effective herb for arthritis. Feverfew inhibits the production of compounds that promote inflammation, similar in action to cortisone (but without its side effects). David Hoffman states: “Part of the herb’s action appears to be via an inhibition of secretion of the granular contents from platelets and neutrophils in the blood. This may be relevant to the therapeutic value of feverfew in migraine and other conditions such as osteo-arthritis.” Pharmacologists say that it is very likely that the sesquiterpene lactones inhibit prostaglandins and histamine released during the inflammatory process, so preventing spasms of the blood vessels in the head that trigger migraine attacks.

Feverfew Tincture made
from the fresh flowering tops

For arthritis, it is especially helpful during the painfully active inflammatory stage. Feverfew is also effective in easing tinnitus and dizziness, especially if combined with other herbs such as Ginkgo. Its bitter property makes it useful as an appetite stimulant. It has been used for relief of painful periods and suppressed menses with good success, especially when combined with White Willow, Jamaican Dogwood, and Black Cohosh.

Taking enough of the feverfew is essential for this herb to be effective. For prevention of migraines, take 30 drops of feverfew tincture 2 times daily, or take two capsules daily of freeze-dried feverfew. For an acute attack of a migraine, take 30 drops of the extract 4 to 7 times daily, or 2 capsules 3 to 4 times daily of the freeze-dried form.

For more information visit TheHerbalist.com and discover the natural remedies best suited for your needs.

DIY: Summer First-Aid Essentials

2011-07-01T16:22:00.000-07:00

They say that summer doesn't really begin in the Pacific Northwest until July. Today being the first of July, we sure hope that is true! With the arrival of summer, more time is spent out of doors playing, hiking, gardening and doing summer projects. With this increase in outdoor activity comes an increase in summer-related injuries. Bug bites, bee stings, scraped knees, rashes, bumps and bruises all occur with greater frequency, making summer the season when a home made herbal first aid kit becomes the most useful. Especially if you will be traveling or back-packing, an herbal-aid kit that you can pack along is quite the asset.

Calendula flower: Supreme
First-aid herb for the skin

An herbal-aid kit can cover most basic first aid needs and minor emergencies. Because herbs are multi-faceted, or useful for multiple situations, stocking just a few versatile herbal products creates a well equipped and comprehensive first aid kit for home care.

Before making your herbal-aid kit, it is important to assess the realistic needs of you and your family. Do you have children? What injuries are common in your family? What kind of lifestyle do you live and what potential injuries are likely to arise because of it? After you figure out what kinds of incidences you need to be prepared for, then you can begin choosing remedies and supplies that will be helpful and versatile.

Old sewing boxes, cosmetic bags, fish tackle boxes, tool boxes, suit cases and brief cases all make wonderful containers for your home first aid kit.

Here are some of our favorite First-Aid remedies that together provide a comprehensive herbal kit for home care and travel. Many of the remedies you can make yourself, of if you'd rather not make your own, we include products that The Herbalist makes.

Super Salve:
First Aid in a Tube

All-purpose salve – An all-purpose soothing and herbal healing ointment for cuts, wounds, burns, sunburns, scrapes, rashes, etc.

Commonly includes: calendula, plantain, chickweed, comfrey, lavender, st. john's wort
The Herbalist's option: Super Salve

Anti-fungal salve – An herbal disinfecting ointment for skin infections, deeper cuts and wounds, fungal infections, etc.
Commonly includes: tea tree, cedar, calendula, goldenseal
The Herbalist's option: Defense Salve

Lavender essential oil – A cooling anti-inflammatory essential oil for burns, sunburns, wounds, headaches, bug bites, bee-stings, etc.

Activated Charcoal – A remedy for digestive upsets including bloating, cramping, infectious diarrhea and food poisoning.

Anti-microbial Tincture – For colds, flu and all kinds of infection.

Commonly includes: oregon grape, echinacea, goldenseal, yarrow, lomatium
The Herbalist's option: Herbal-Biotic

Digestive Tincture – Including bitter and carminative herbs to ease stomach upset, nausea, acid indigestion, heartburn, gas, diarrhea, etc.

Commonly includes: gentian, ginger, peppermint, chamomile, fennel, catnip

The Herbalist's option: Tummy-Ease

Relaxing Pain and Sleep tincture – For insomnia, stress, anxiety, pain, spasms, etc.

Commonly includes: valerian, oats, kava kava, passionflower, skullcap, california poppy

The Herbalist's option: Relax-U

Laxative Pills – For the relief of temporary constipation.

Commonly includes: senna, cascara, rhubarb, aloe, yellow dock

The Herbalist's option: L.B.T. caps

Arnica 30c Homeopathic – For the treatment of trauma, bruises, sprains, strains, concussion and shock.

If you'd prefer to buy a ready-made kit, pick up The Herbalist's Herbal-Aid Kit.

For more information visit TheHerbalist.com and discover the natural remedies best suited for your needs.

Happy St. John's (Wort) Day!

2011-06-23T16:17:00.000-07:00

The birthday of St. John the Baptist is June 24th , a day that has been celebrated for hundreds of years in European countries. On the Feast of St. John, it is customary to gather the herb St. John's Wort in honor of its namesake. Believed to keep evil away, it was hung in houses and over doorways for this purpose.

St. John's Wort Flowers & Buds

St. John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum) usually blooms on The Feast of St. John and remains through August. Indeed, just yesterday we noticed these sunny yellow flowers blooming for the first time, making now the perfect time to harvest St. John’s Wort! The flowers and flower buds are the medicinal parts of St. John’s Wort, and you want to harvest them when there are some buds and some flowers present (which is right now!). To harvest, simply snip off the terminal 2” or so of the plant – some leaves will be included which is just fine. You know your St. John’s Wort is strongly medicinal because when you crush the flowers, they exude a maroon red juice that will stain your fingers blue violet. This red juice contains hypericin, one of the essential medicinal constituents in the plant.


The deep red color of St. John's Wort Oil

St. John’s Wort is commonly made into an herbal oil and a tincture. Both should be a deep maroon-red due to the presence of medicinal compounds. The oil is made by steeping the flowers and buds in olive oil, and can be used externally on wounds, burns, nerve pain, shingles, and cuperose (broken blood vessels on one's face). The tincture is made by steeping in alcohol, and can be used internally for all kinds of nerve pain, viral infections, and depression, anxiety and hysteria.

St. John’s Wort has gained quite a reputation for its usefulness in depression. Research has shown its ability to increase the concentration of neurotransmitters including serotonin and dopamine. It is the anti-depressant herb for those with a bad case of “the grumpies.”

Lauren celebrating the day by
harvesting a bouquet of St. John's Wort

Michael Moore describes it as, “one of the best therapies for depression and numbing frustration. Think of it for a friend who is out of work, the overwhelmed postgrad student, the woman who feels graceless and is unprepared for menopause.” Its sun-shiney energy also makes it a wonderful remedy for SAD (seasonal affective disorder), which is unfortunately quite common right now in this cloudy late June weather.

If you find yourself stuck in traffic, look beside the road and you will see St. John's Wort. Quickly hop out and grab a handful of the flowers, and you will be home in no time.

For more information visit TheHerbalist.com and discover the natural remedies best suited for your needs.

SUMMER TEA - Tip of the "Iced"-berg

2011-06-17T17:30:00.000-07:00

Nothing says summer like a homemade refreshing iced tea, sipped through a straw while basking in the sun’s healing, heating rays. The Summer Solstice is rapidly approaching, and while we are still fairly Sunless in Seattle, we are holding out that those rays will be arriving soon! And with the sun, comes a summer full of iced herbal infusions.

Most people associate “iced tea” with chilled black tea . . . while iced black tea is quite delicious, it is just the tip of the “iced”-berg for iced herbal beverages. A pinch of black tea can be added to any recipe to make it taste more like the iced tea you know and love.

Any herbal tea that you enjoy hot would be equally delicious and more refreshingly enjoyed chilled. If you are drinking a tea for its therapeutic effects, having the tea chilled does not decrease its medicinal prowess (as long as you prepare it by the “Quick-Iced Tea” method).

HOW TO MAKE HERBAL ICED TEA
Sun Tea – This method has the added benefit of harnessing the healing and heating powers of the sun. Fill a gallon jar with 1oz. of herbal tea blend and water. Set the jar in the sun to steep for several hours. Strain and serve iced. Can keep in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Lunar Tea – This magical method adds the healing powers of the moon to your infusion. Fill a gallon jar with 1oz. herbal tea blend and water. Place the jar in the path of the moonlight and allow to steep overnight. In the morning, strain and serve iced. Can keep in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Our Namaste Tea makes a
great Iced Tea in the Summer.

Quick Iced-Tea – Prepare as you would for hot tea – pour boiling water over your tea blend and allow it to steep covered for at least 15 minutes. Strain and add a generous amount of ice to gradually cool the hot tea.

Seattle Sun-Tea Recipe
1oz. Red Raspberry leaf
2oz. Rosehips
2oz. Hibiscus
2oz. Orange Peel
2oz. Lemongrass
3oz. Peppermint

To Make:
Makes 12 ounces of dried herb blend. 1 ounce makes 10 cups of tea. Mix all the herbs together and fill a reusable muslin tea bag with the tea blend.

Any of The Herbalist’s Medicinal Tea Blends can be enjoyed iced.

For more information visit TheHerbalist.com and discover the natural remedies best suited for your needs.

Skin-Can You Bare It?

2011-06-14T11:38:00.000-07:00

Herbs cleanse and strengthen the body's natural detoxification routes so that toxins aren't pushed out through the skin, causing inflammatory skin issues. The skin is an external reflection of one's internal health. Heredity, food and environmental allergies, hormonal imbalances, stress, and one’s lifestyle contribute to over-reactive and irritable skin conditions. The stronger and healthier one is, the stronger one's defense system becomes, and the more resistant they are to skin problems. The goal is to better your internal and external environment to reduce the body’s overreaction to inflammatory-promoting influences. By promoting detoxification, one’s internal environment clears as does the skin!

Skin Clear Extract – The combination of herbs in this formula help the body channel toxins out of the liver and kidneys instead of the skin.
Take 2 dropperfuls daily

Contains:

Oregon grape: the PNW herb for skin

Echinacea root – Strengthens the immune system which increases one’s resistance to skin inflammation, and promotes lymphatic cleansing.
Yellow dock root – A liver detoxifier that increases the body’s ability to digest fat more efficiently.
Sarsaparilla root – A primary ingredient in traditional blood-cleansing root beers, it helps balance hormones which aids in acne associated with puberty and menstrual cycles.
Burdock root – Purifies and promotes removal of wastes from the blood and lymph, stimulates the urinary tract, acts as a and improves kidney function.
Oregon Grape root – Stimulates the liver and improves digestion.

A rich, rooty flavored tea
that "renews" the health of the skin.

Renew-U Tea - Contains cleansing herbs that improve the function of all the body's major organs of elimination including the skin, liver, kidneys and lymphatic system.
Contains: Pau d'Arco, Raspberry leaf, Nettle leaf, Calendula, Sarsaparilla, Plantain, Licorice, Lemon balm, Ginger, Sassafras, Cinnamon
Drink 2-4 cups daily

Smoothie for Skin Health – This daily smoothie helps promote liver detoxification and combats skin inflammation.

5 oz. Frozen fruit: blueberries, strawberries, bananas

Organic apple juice

1Tb Flax Oil

1Tb Maca powder

4 pumps Skin Clear herbal extract

4 pumps Flexible Choice Elixir

1 emptied capsule of Probiotics

1 tsp Chia Seeds

The Herbalist's Tip #1: Stubborn skin conditions often afflict stubborn (strong-headed) individuals. Try channeling that stubbornness to the skin! This may help correct the seemingly unrelenting and “stubborn” inflammatory process behind skin disorders.

The Herbalist's Tip #2: Healthy elimination is paramount to skin health. We know it may sound gross, but a pimple can be thought of as a “bowel movement through the skin”… If your bowels are not eliminating efficiently, those toxins have to get out somehow – and the skin is often the next route taken. Click here to find out how to combat constipation.

For more information visit TheHerbalist.com and discover the natural remedies best suited for your needs.

Bitter IS Better!

2011-06-09T17:28:00.000-07:00

Gassy . . . Bloated . . . Nauseous . . . Heartburn . . . We are hearing these complaints from our customers more than ever these days. Digestive disorders are on the rise, and while the causes are numerous (poor diet, insufficient fiber or water intake, food allergies, high stress, overuse of antibiotics, etc.) – one piece of advice we always give is: Bitter is better.

Bitter is one of the five flavors our taste buds can recognize (the others are sweet, sour, salty, and umami.) Unfortunately, bitter is the flavor that is most lacking in the average modern American diet, and this may be a contributing factor to our culture's indigestion epidemic.

Why is Bitter Better?

When bitter-tasting compounds touch their taste receptors on the tongue, it immediately sends a signal to the central nervous system, who responds by triggering the entire digestive system to get ready to digest. Bitter flavor essentially sends a message to the digestive tract that says, "Hey! Wake up! Food is on the way!"

Photo of the very bitter Gentian root

Some of the many effects of bitters include:

Stimulating HCl secretion in the stomach
Stimulating the release of digestive juices from the pancreas
Stimulating bile secretion from the gall bladder and liver
Improving the digestion and metabolism of dietary fats
Stimulating the liver to do its detoxification work
Increasing peristalsis of the small intestine to move food through more quickly

Alkalizing the digestive tract

Herbal Bitters: Gentian, Hops, Yarrow, Wormwood, Goldenseal, Dandelion, Horehound

Bitter Foods: Kale, Endive, Frizee, Dandelion greens, Escarole

It only requires a few drops of a bitter herbal tincture, a few sips of a bitter herbal tea, or a few bites of a bitter green before a meal to impart all of these wonderful digestive effects.

Tummy-Ease extract

To make your own Digestive Bitters formula, use the following recipe:

- Angelica 1oz.
- Gentian 1oz.
- Oregon Grape ½oz.
- Bayberry ½oz.
- Fennel ½oz.
- Ginger ½oz.

Directions: Mix the dried herbs together in a glass mason jar. Pour enough Vodka over the herbs to cover them completely. Secure the lid tightly on the jar and shake well. Store the jar in a cool, dark place and shake it daily, each time infusing it with your loving intentions. After 2 weeks, strain the herbs. The resulting liquid is your own Digestive Bitters formula! Drop 10-15 drops in your mouth before each meal.

Alternatively, if you don’t want to make your own formula, Tummy-Ease is our ready-made digestive bitters formula.

For more information, visit theherbalist.com to find natural remedies best suited for your needs.

Stinging Spring Tonic

2011-06-07T12:20:00.000-07:00

At the Farmer’s Market this past weekend, I was delighted to see that dried Nettles were for sale! I overheard a lady exclaim, “What are those?!” in regard to a jar of the dried green nettle leaves. When she was informed of their identity she exclaimed, “OH! I don’t want stinging nettles!”

Stinging Nettle Leaf

I resisted the urge to launch in to a long speech to this woman about the medicinal wonders of this versatile herb. Instead, I reserve my words of wisdom for my customers and readers.

During a plant identification exam in herb school, I was stumped on the identity of one certain plant. My teacher told me to touch it. Well, I did, and of course the ensuing stinging informed me of the plant’s identity. The image of that Nettle plant is forever instilled in my mind - thanks to the tough love of my teacher (and of course, Nettles).

The “sting” of Stinging Nettle is caused by formic acid and histamine that live in the tiny hairs that cover the stalk and leaf stems. Thankfully for us, these stinging compounds are destroyed when the plant is dried, heated or cooked. The fresh leaves can be steamed, added to soup, or juiced. To dry Nettle, bundle it by the stems, and hang them to dry in a well-ventilated room.

To Make a Nettle Infusion
Pour 1 quart of boiling water over 1/2 - 1 oz. of dried Nettle leaf. Let steep covered for at least 15 minutes. Strain the Nettles and drink 1-2 cups of the infusion throughout the day. This herbal tea can be drunk cold or re-heated.

Nourishing Nettles
Nettle is an excellent nourishing food for the whole body. The leaves contain a rich supply of iron, chlorophyll, vitamin C, calcium, magnesium, silica, potassium, and albuminoids. To include it as a medicinal food, eat in soups, casseroles, stir fries and juices, or drank daily as an infusion. The high mineral content also make it a “blood building” tonic for anemic states, during pregnancy or in times of convalescence.

Healthy, Happy, Hair
For healthy, happy hair, there is no better herbal tonic than Nettles. The high mineral content increases hair growth and creates radiantly vibrant hair that is full and glowing. It is especially helpful for dry, brittle hair that breaks easily.

Drink 1-2 cups of Nettle Infusion daily, and use infusion as a hair rinse.


Freeze Dried Nettles - Eclectic Institute

Spring Detox
Nettle is one of the premier spring herbal tonics, used to detoxify the liver of built-up winter toxicity. As a traditional blood cleanser, it provides a gentle and effective cleanse.

Drink 1-2 cups of Nettle Infusion daily

Allergies
That which stings, brings welcome relief to many allergy sufferers.
Freeze-dried Nettle is quite effective for all allergic reactions, including allergies to dogs and cats, hay fever and hives. Whenever I go to a friend’s house that has cats, I take nettles beforehand to prevent the stuffy nose and itchy eyes I would normally experience. Nettles work in as little as 20 minutes after taking one to three 300mg capsule. Histamine and formic acid, present only in the freeze-dried form, are the most effective.

For more information visit TheHerbalist.com and discover the natural remedies best suited for your needs.

Time To Get A Move On:COMBATTING CONSTIPATION!

2011-06-02T15:38:00.000-07:00

Has anyone ever told you that you’re “full of it?” Well, if you’re constipated, then you are full of it, literally! In fact, more people are “full of it” today than ever before. Caused by food sensitivities, hereditary factors, poor diet, insufficient hydration and even chronic stress, constipation is all-too common and results in many negative effects. Waste accumulation in the gut can lead to poor digestion and assimilation, weight gain, gas, chronic fatigue, suppressed immunity, poor skin health, and bad breath to name just a few. Reversing constipation can be the missing link for many people with chronic health conditions.

Our most recent cleansing banner. Everyone does it, right?

The Herbalist Tip #1 - Water! Water! Water!
Not coffee. Not soda. Not tea . . . water! Nothing replaces water when it comes to the bowels. For many people, insufficient water intake is the culprit behind constipation. Water is essential for providing bulk and having healthy elimination. A good rule of thumb for water intake is to divide your body weight in half, and drink that number of ounces of water each day.

The Herbalist Tip #2 - Have a Hard Time Letting Go?
Those who struggle with letting go of things mentally often struggle with “letting things go” physically. A good exercise if your bowels are having a hard time letting go is to clean out a dirty drawer or closet and “let go” of the things that no longer serve you. I have seen this practice help people to “let go” in their physical bodies and help un-stick patterns of constipation.

Tummy-Ease Tea – This soothing herbal tea lubricates the bowels and gently cleanses the intestines.

2-4 cups daily

LBT Caps – Effectively promotes healthy elimination.

2-3 caps at bedtime

GI Gel Plus Fiber – Contains soothing mucilaginous herbs and fibers that have a gentle bulking effect that promotes regularity.

1-3 T daily in 8 oz. of water or juice

Probiotics – Friendly gut bacteria comprise the body’s own GPS (Gut Protection System) that make sure no food goes undigested. Compromised gut flora (such as from antibiotic use) can be the primary reason behind chronic constipation.

40 billion organisms daily is optimal.

For more information visit TheHerbalist.com and discover the natural remedies best suited for your needs.

Which Color Are You? Learn about The Herbalist's Color Healing System

2011-05-27T17:18:00.000-07:00

There is an order to our color madness!

Our labels are color-coded according to body system. We use this color system of healing to classify our products, making it easy for our customers to understand with a glance what part of the body the product has an affinity for.

Just like every person is born with an innate constitution, most people have one body system that presents their primary health challenge in life. For example, Tierney has had life-long struggles with asthma and respiratory congestion - her color is green! Lauren, one of our resident herbalists, endures recurrent bladder and kidney issues, making her an orange person. Alexis, our shipping person extraordinare, has a tendency towards liver stagnation, a yellow characteristic . . .

Which Color Are You?

PURPLE: Mental Clarity, Emotional Balance, Brain & Nervous System

The color purple enhances mental clarity. It is useful for short-term memory loss, forgetfulness and dementia. It also supports nervous system health, useful for decreasing anxiety, depression and insomnia.

BLUE: Sinus, Ears, Mouth, Throat, Thyroid

The color blue helps to open sinus and ear passageways, and relieves sinus allergies. It is also indicated for sore or hoarse throats, and mouth and gum challenges. The thyroid has an affinity for the color blue.

Tierney, John, and Lauren showing
off their color specific blends

GREEN: Respiratory System & Cardiovascular System
The color green helps to clear respiratory challenges such as asthma, bronchitis, respiratory congestion and coughing. It is also indicated to support the health of the heart, healthy veins, and circulation.

YELLOW: Stomach, Gall bladder, Pancreas, Liver
The color yellow supports healthy digestion and elimination. In nature, the color of yellow is found in dandelions, yellow dock root, and turmeric, which are all good for liver and gall bladder detoxification. Yellow is also good for healthy pancreatic function and efficient blood sugar metabolism.

ORANGE: Immune System, Bladder, Kidneys, Intestines
The color orange is beneficial for the health of the immune system, kidneys, bladder and gastrointestinal tract. In nature, the color orange is found in oranges, yams, carrots, and pumpkins. These healing foods are rich in phytonutrients and antioxidants that boost and sustain immunity and promote healthy elimination.

Brand new color healing signs
above our tincture wall.

RED: Reproductive System & Libido
The color red promotes reproductive health in women – such as with fertility, pregnancy, PMS, and menopause. Red also supports the health of male reproductive organs, such as the prostate and promotes hormonal balance and increased libido in both men and women.

Don’t get the Blues – the Blood Sugar Blues that is

2011-05-24T16:31:00.000-07:00

Herbal remedies can help combat blood sugar challenges and increase energy. Devil’s Club (Oplopanax horridum), the primary ingredient in our Blood Sugar Blues herbal extract, helps to level or lower blood sugar levels. This plant is unforgettable in more ways than one.

Habitat
This northwest herb grows in moist and well drained soils on both sides of the Cascades stretching from northern Oregon through the coastal red cedar forests of Washington and up the coastline to Alaska. It is also found in northern Idaho, Montana, and western Wyoming, western Alberta, and Ontario.

Appearance
It is an unforgettable if you ever come in contact with this plant in the wild. It is described by northwest’s own, Ryan Drum, well respected wild harvester of medicinal plants: “In the wild, devil’s club occurs in both small patches and upright spiny stem 6 – 15 feet tall with huge spiny leaves 2-3 feet across in apical terminal clusters, and in huge rambling masses of ferocious interwoven recumbent and upright spiny stems covering acres and sometimes square miles of wet, shady understory in stable coastal rainforest. Hikers who wander unawares into these huge devil’s club patches can panic at the first slash and multiple stabbings and make the experience much worse by running or trying to hurry out of the dilemma, tripping on the recumbent stems and levering the erect stems into their faces and arms. In these moments, the appellation “Devil’s Club” seems diabolically appropriate. I harvest it with both caution and extreme respect.”

Historical Usages
A member of the Araliaceae (which also contains the ginsengs), Devil’s Club is related to Asian ginseng, and American ginseng, Eleuthero, formerly known as Siberian ginseng, but does not share the same qualities as it relatives. Indigenous use includes the treatment of tuberculosis, rheumatism, and other respiratory infections because of its significant antibacterial, antimycobacterial, antifungal, and antiviral qualities. Historically and today it is useful for rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune disorders. Michael Moore, my teacher and well known herbalist, states: “It is most helpful when taken during remissions and has little effect during active distress; its main value is in modifying extremes of metabolic stress and adding a little reserve to offset the person’s internal cost of living.”²

Current Medicinal Value
The most popular usage of Devil’s Club is for normalizing blood sugar levels. Today more than ever it is valuable for those who have hypoglycemia, or high triglycerides, or adult onset diabetes – Type II diabetes. It appears to act on the re-synthesis of glycogen, facilitate the repair of the islets of Langerhans of the pancreas, and promotes better production and utilization of insulin. I have seen it work effectively for the acute symptoms of low or high blood sugar such as mental fog, dizziness, irritability, low energy shortly after eating, and lows at 2 -3 p.m. in the afternoon. Better control of blood sugar cravings for chocolate, sweets, breads, and other binge–prone foods, balances energy levels and promotes weight loss.

Got the Itch? Time to Beat the Yeast!

2011-05-20T16:25:00.000-07:00

Have you ever noticed that after eating, your stomach starts to rise like a loaf of bread? More often than not, the food itself isn't the culprit behind that uncomfortable and unsightly bloating. Oftentimes the bloating can be caused by an over population of candida yeast, a microscopic fungi that lives inside your gut. Just like bread rises when yeast is added, our bellies “rise” and bloat when there is excess yeast residing there.

Another tell-tale sign of yeast overgrowths is chronic itching. If you “got the itch”, you most likely “got the yeast” too. Many chronic conditions characterized by persistent itching are caused by yeast overgrowths. If you have recurrent itchy ears, eyes, or skin (such as eczema, psoriasis or dandruff) or uncomfortable itching in the mouth, vagina or anus, then you may need to “beat the yeast.”

For a simple yeast Infection...

Fungal Defend – Contains strong anti-fungal and immune stimulating herbs that cleanse the body of unwanted yeast. Take 2 droppersful 3-4 times daily.

Super Suppositories – Contain antifungal herbs that cleanse the vagina or anus and soothe the irritated mucous membranes. Insert 1 suppository every 1-3 days.

For more chronic and persistent overgrowths...

Beat The Yeast Triple Kit – Provides complete support for yeast control. Contains three of our liquid extracts: Fungal Defend, Herbal Biotic and Astragalus Plus that work synergistically to cleanse the body of yeast and restore ecological balance in the gut. Take 2 droppersful 3-4 times daily of each extract.

Renew-U Tea – An herb tea that contains anti-fungal herbs that nourish and promote all the body’s major organs of elimination. Drink 2-4 cups daily.

Probiotics – Replenishes good bacteria in the colon to restore proper ecological balance.

Anti-Yeast Diet (very important!!) - Diet is an essential component to combating a yeast overgrowth. Strict avoidance of all refined carbohydrates, sugars, sweeteners, and sweet beverages like soda and juice can do wonders for reducing yeast populations. Fruit and dairy must be avoided as well as all yeast and mold-containing products like beer, cheese and bread.

For more information visit TheHerbalist.com and discover the natural remedies best suited for your needs.

May is National Arthritis Awareness Month

2011-05-19T23:02:00.000-07:00

Arthritis is inflammation of one or more joints, which results in pain, swelling, stiffness, and limited movement. Inflammation in the musculoskeletal system can be very painful and can significantly decrease quality of life. Modulating the inflammation response through a combination of diet, lifestyle and herbal medicine can be very effective at restoring joint and muscle health.* Herbs help by decreasing inflammation, decreasing pain and detoxifying the body to prevent the inflammatory response from occurring.*

Daily herbal tonics help to reduce overall inflammation in the body.* Herbs such as Turmeric, which is the source of curcumin is well-known for its influence on inflammation.* For more information on herbal remedies that support Joint and Muscle Health visit www.theherbalist.com.

The 2011 Arthritis Walk is May 21st in Bellevue, WA at Crossroads Park. Their rallying cry, Let's Move Together® encourages people to get up and get moving. When you join the Arthritis Walk®, you're not moving alone-you are becoming part of a community looking to achieve better health and change lives at the same time.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease.

Health Topic: SPRING ALLERGIES

2011-05-17T13:00:00.000-07:00

Spring is a magical time of year. The weather is warming up, the flowers are blooming, and all of nature is bubbling with vitality and new growth. Unfortunately, for many people the arrival of May flowers heralds the arrival of their pollen allergens. For those that suffer from seasonal allergies, springtime pollens trigger their immune systems to release histamine. Histamine is a neurotransmitter that causes inflammation, excess mucus production, respiratory and nasal congestion, watery eyes, runny nose and even bronchial constriction. Thankfully, herbal remedies can be quite helpful at preventing and combating allergies. Over the years, The Herbalist has developed an effective protocol that we have seen successfully bring relief to allergy sufferers.

Quercetin/Nettle Plus – A combo of quercetin (a bioflavonoid) and freeze-dried nettles this formula has a strong anti-histamine effect that helps with the prevention of allergies and provides symptomatic relief. Take 2-4 capsules daily to prevent and combat allergies.

Sinutone – One of The Herbalist’s top-selling products, this herbal formula decongests the head, opens the sinus passages, dries up excess mucus, relieves itchy and runny eyes, and allows for easier and clearer breathing. Take 1-2 droppersful several times daily to relieve allergy symptoms.

Similasan Allergy Eye Relief – This homeopathic remedy is a sting free eye-drop that stops itching, burning and watery eyes caused by allergies. Drop 2-3 drops in each eye as needed.

Neti Pot – An ancient yogic cleansing technique, irrigating the sinuses with an isotonic salt solution decongests the sinuses and flushes out the layer of inflammatory mucus that builds-up and causes allergy symptoms. Add ½ tsp of mineral sea salt to the neti pot and use 1-2 times daily to prevent and decreases allergy symptoms.

Seasonali-Tea – An herbal tea blend, that soothes and decongests the throat and sinuses. Drink a couple cups of tea daily for allergy support.

If you have any further questions, please feel free to email us at info@theherbalist.com or give us a call 206-523-2600

Welcome to The Herbal In-Site Blog!

2011-05-13T15:16:00.000-07:00

The Herbalist’s new-and-improved blog. Consider this your blog stop for all things related to herbs and natural health. Our goal at The Herbalist has always been to empower our customers to make their own informed decisions regarding their health. By offering classes, providing reference material, staffing educated herbalists, and filling our website with health and herbal information, we constantly strive to inform you of your options. This blog is an extension of that quest. We are excited about this new opportunity to educate you. We will be posting regularly about common health conditions and specific protocols that describe which herbal remedies and natural supplements to use. Follow us to expand your herbal knowledge!

If there are specific herbs or health topics that you would like to learn more about, email us your blog requests at info@theherbalist.com.

Artichoke Extract - Great for Fat Digestion!

2011-04-20T15:05:00.000-07:00

Artichoke Liquid Extract!

Dr. Oz recently had a show touting the benefits of taking artichoke leaf extract for better digestion and to emulsify fats, thereby reducing gas and bloating. He also talked about how other digestive disorders such as irritable bowel could be helped with Artichoke extract.

Besides having Artichoke as a single extract it is also the primary herb in our Liv! Well extract which is specific for promoting healthy blood lipid levels, increasing HDL while lowering LDL levels. It contains bitter herbs, such as Artichoke and Tumeric that stimulate production and release of bile by the liver and gall bladder helping to emulsify and metabolize fats. Liv! Well protects liver cells from free radical damage, inflammation, and the effects of liver disorders.

There’s a new power player in health -- artichoke extract. This natural healer will help soothe an upset stomach, lower cholesterol and more.

For more information visit TheHerbalist.com and discover the natural remedies best suited for your needs.

Iodine Protection from Radiation by Ryan Drum

2011-03-15T15:02:00.000-07:00

This is an excerpt of an article written by Ryan Drum (who we get our wild crafted Kelp from) about the Medical Uses of Seaweeds. In light of the recent tragedy that has struck our friends in Japan, the threat of nuclear radiation is on everyone's minds. Read on below for more information on how seaweeds can help protect your thyroid or click here to read Ryan's article in it entirety.

IODINE PROTECTION
The iodine story as related to human health took an interesting turn when Uranium was used to cause nuclear fission: one of the decay products of nuclear explosions is Iodine 131. That means not only nuclear weapons, bombs, but also, all of the controlled nuclear events in Nuclear reactor fuel rods. ALL NUCLEAR FACILITIES release radioactive Iodine 131 into the atmosphere. Hundreds of them are licensed to do so. This means that we are all continually and erratically dusted with Iodine 131 every day of every year. As shown by reliable research for over 50 years, nuclear power plant stack gases circle the earth in 3-5 days, continuously dusting us all until all settled. Additionally, there are nuclear disasters, such as Three-mile Island in USA and Chernobyl in Ukraine. The Chernobyl disaster on 26.April 1986 released enormous quantities of Iodine 131 into the atmosphere. Since then, millions of iodine131-induced thyroid disease patients have been reported worldwide starting shortly after the event and continuing today. Relatively rare 20 years ago and unknown prior to 1945, thyroid cancer is now the number one cancer in children in USA. Thyroid cancer is one of the fastest increasing cancers in both adult men and women.

Iodine 131 is hazardous because our bodies will happily take it in if we need iodine. Since prior to the human atomic age there was no iodine 131, we have no defense against it if we need iodine, and no way to selectively excrete it. IF we have sufficient iodine in our bodies, Iodine 127, the only natural iodine isotope, our bodies will not take in the heavier iodine 131. How the weighing is done is an interesting question to be considered elsewhere. The critical information is: if we continually take in 150 micrograms of iodine 127 daily, we will most likely be protected from iodine-deficiency “iodine aggressive uptake”. We can do this by eating 5-10 grams of seaweeds daily. If we are worried about iodine 131 which reasonably might be expected in the seaweed, we can let the seaweed iodine 131 if any, decay for 8 weeks. How do we know and expect this seaweed iodine to be protective against iodine 131 fallout and decay? The Polish example. Within hours after the onset of the Chernobyl disaster, Polish authorities acted to get iodine solutions, potassium and sodium iodide tablets, even seaweed tablets and capsules into as many of their citizens as possible to protect them from the nearby huge amounts of iodine 131 coming their way. Over the intervening 20 years, the Polish people treated with iodine 127 have almost 1000 time less thyroid disease than neighboring countries even further than Poland from the Chernobyl disaster site.

Unfortunately, ALL Nuclear Power Plants are nuclear disasters waiting to happen. Not because of evil intent (we hope) but because of mechanical and materials deterioration and human error. Hundreds more nuclear power plants are planned, especially by developing countries anxious to reduce their energy dependencies on fossil fuels. Of course, that will mean increasingly huge amounts of radioactive iodine 131 into the atmosphere and huge quantities of nuclear waste begging for safe disposal. Simpler of course, would be to boil water with solar mirrors. All nuclear power plants so far are just fancy water boilers. Strange.

Again, to read Ryan's entire article on the medicinal benefits of seaweed, click here.

Visit TheHerbalist.com, manufacturer of Natural Remedies, Herbal Teas, Detox Cleanse and Essential Oil Blends.

Is ‘Eat Real Food’ Unthinkable?

2011-02-09T11:18:00.000-08:00

This article was written by Mark Bittman, an opinion and Time's Magazine food columnist, and says a lot of the things that we encourage people to do, especially while cleansing.

Is ‘Eat Real Food’ Unthinkable?

In recent weeks we’ve seen a big, powerful government agency, a big, powerful person and a big, powerful corporation telling us what to eat. Even with all this big, powerful input, we know nothing that we didn’t know last year. We do, however, have a new acronym; unfortunately, it’s not the one we need.

And a little progress. Limited kudos go to the United States Department of Agriculture, whose Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010 — yes, it’s 2011, but they’re published every five years — are the best to date. We’re told to eat “less food” and more fresh foods; wise advice. But aside from salt, the agency buries mostly vague recommendations about what we should be eating less of: we’re admonished to drink “few or no” sodas — hooray for that — and “refined grains,” Solid Fats and Added Sugars. And there’s our fabulous acronym: SOFAS.

The problem, as usual, is that the agency’s nutrition experts are at odds with its other mission: to promote our bounty in whatever form its processors make it. The U.S.D.A. can succeed at its conflicting goals only by convincing us that eating manufactured food lower in SOFAS is “healthy,” thus implicitly endorsing hyper-engineered junk food with added fiber, reduced and solid fats and so on, “food” that is often unimaginably far from its origins. When it comes to eating more “good” food, the report is clear, because that can’t harm producers. When it comes to eating less of what’s “bad,” the language turns to “science,” because telling us which products to avoid — like a 3,000-calorie fast-food “meal” or a box of low-fat but chemical-laden crackers — would play badly with industry. Instead we’re told to avoid SOFAS. Where’s that SOFAS aisle?

The report might have led with Michael Pollan’s ground-breaking slogan — “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” — and then explained details in a few pages. But although the agency’s advisory committee suggested a “shift . . . toward a more plant-based diet,” the report itself backs “a healthy eating pattern,” and then, over 100-plus pages, proceeds to imprecision to avoid offending meat and sugar lobbies. (The salt lobby is evidently puny.)

In its attempts to upset no one powerful, the U.S.D.A. offers a typically contorted message. The advice people need is to cook and eat more real food, at the expense of the junk served in most restaurants and take-out places. In fact, most of the mysterious SOFAS come from so-called “fast” and “convenient” food, as does most sodium. (The salt shaker is not the culprit .)

It isn’t easy to cook with the junk that makes junk food junky, but the agency spends little energy boosting cooking. There is the, “Cook and eat more meals at home . . . include vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fat-free or low-fat dairy products, and protein foods that provide fewer calories and more nutrients.” But it stands almost alone, and could have been far simpler and stronger. Why isn’t it? Because “protein foods that provide fewer calories” doesn’t offend the meat industry, as Pollan’s motto does.

Which brings us to the powerful person: Oprah. Ms. Winfrey, who has been on more diets than the rest of us combined, challenged her staff to “go vegan” for a week. Intriguing, except her idea of surviving without meat and dairy — no explanation given for why we should go from too much to none — is to fill your shopping cart with fake versions of both, like meatless chicken breasts and dairy-less cheese.

But the goal is not universal veganism, which is pie-in-the-sky; it’s health and sustainability. And we get there by preparing real food, vegan or not. (Remember: Coke, Tostitos and Reese’s Peanut Butter Puffs — yum! — are all vegan.) The answer is not fake animal products, whose advocates argue that they’re transitional to a kinder-to-animal diet. Indeed, that’s good, but a real food diet is better.

Finally, our powerful corporation — Wal-Mart — whose alliance with Michelle Obama looks pretty good, at least at first. We are promised more affordable produce, which undoubtedly means that Wal-Mart will beat the living daylights out of produce suppliers, crushing a few thousand more small farmers. (In fact, what we need is higher-quality and probably more expensive produce, that which is less damaging to the environment, laborers, and consumers, but that gets into the “how do we afford it?” argument, which must wait for another day. Let’s leave it that we like Wal-Mart’s goal of selling more produce.)

The real problem, again, is Wal-Mart’s other promise: “healthier” packaged foods. And whether baked, low-salt chips are “better” than fried ones, is not only arguable — the baked ones are more likely to be chemical-laden — but misses the point which, again, is that real foods are superior in every way.

The truly healthy alternative to that chip is not a fake chip; it’s a carrot. Likewise, the alternative to sausage is not vegan sausage; it’s less sausage. This is really all pretty simple, and pretty clear. But the messages we’ve heard recently are as clear as . . . well, a SOFA.

You want an acronym? Let’s try ERF: Eat Real Food.

Visit TheHerbalist.com, manufacturer of Natural Remedies, Herbal Teas, Detox Cleanse and Essential Oil Blends.

2 Day SURPRISE Holiday Event - Dec 7th & 8th!

2010-12-07T11:21:00.000-08:00

Starting today and going through tomorrow. Everything in our retail store and online is 20% OFF. Take advantage. Tell your friends. Our gift to you for the holidays!

Trick or Teeth!

2010-10-18T12:49:00.000-07:00

Hard to believe it's October already. 2010 seems to just be flying right on by. Admittedly, the last half of the year is probably my favorite. Switching over from summer to fall, then eventually to winter is truly a great time of year. Warm clothes, herbal teas , crunchy leaves under your feet, and most importantly lots of food, specifically sweets. For those of you who partake in the festivities at the end of October known as Halloween, you know that the consumption of sugary treats tends to go way up. Good or bad, it happens to most of us. Kids definitely indulge more than their adult counterparts, as they should. Part of being a kid, I believe, is being care-free and just living in the moment. Regardless, young or old, some gum and mouth prevention is always helpful.

The Herbalist encourages good mouth health and the healthier your mouth is the better you'll be able to handle those sugary attacks. Besides a quality toothbrush, toothpaste, and floss (which we recommend using twice a day), we strongly urge the use of our Mouth Defend extract and Gum-Ease rinse.

MOUTH DEFEND
While the herbs in the Mouth Defend have traditionally been used to strengthen and heal mouth and gum tissue, this blend also works as a great preventative tonic which helps to eliminate bacteria that live in the crevices between the gum and tooth. Considering that bacteria feeds on sugar and allows it to proliferate, a little prevention during Halloween time never hurts. This blend also helps to kill harmful bacteria that can travel into the bloodstream and potentially compromise the health of the individual. Spilanthes, widely used by Eclectic physicians for toothaches, along with Echinacea and Yerba Mansa stimulate the immune system and promote of the regeneration of healthy new tissue. Then if extra sugar isn't your concern, Mouth Defend is great for any sort of gum disease, as well as canker and cold sores, and after tooth extractions and gum surgery.

GUM-EASE
Where the Mouth Defend is an extract that you ingest, Gum-Ease is used as an oral rinse. It can be used in a water pik or just mixed with a little luke-warm water and used as a mouth wash after brushing. It helps with bleeding, swollen gums, bad breath, and hot & cold sensitivity. Bayberry works as an astringent and helps to tone gum tissue, whereas the essential oils (clove, peppermint, and cinnamon) alleviate pain and leave the mouth feeling clean and refreshed.

No matter what the severity of your mouth health is, Mouth Defend and Gum-Ease are great additions that will only improve the health of mouth and gum tissue.

For more information visit TheHerbalist.com and discover the natural remedies best suited for your needs.

Contact us with any questions
Email - theherbalist@theherbalist.com
Telephone - 800-694-3727

Local herb distributor makes good despite recession

2010-09-22T11:36:00.000-07:00

We love herbs . . . obviously, and when one herb company does well, it truly benefits us all. We're a small group that needs to stick together and support each other. Today, while poking around Google news, I found this article on Mountain Rose Herbs in Oregon written by NPR.

For those not familiar with them, they're a small organic farm in Eugene, OR who grows, dries, and distributes their own herbs. It's inspiring to see a small business, similar to us, not only succeeding but thriving in this economy! Our collective hats are off to them.

Read more about Mountain Rose Herbs here.

Cheap food is more expensive!

2010-08-26T10:46:00.000-07:00

I was sent this article last night and thought it'd be a good thing to add to our blog. It was written by an MD, he does a good job at being encouraging that we all have the ability to change the way we live and eat, without drawing major lines in the sand. And by doing so, will pay off in the end.

WHY QUICK, CHEAP FOOD IS ACTUALLY MORE EXPENSIVE
by Mark Hyman, MD

I was in a grocery store yesterday. While I was squeezing avocados to pick just the right ones for my family's dinner salad, I overheard a conversation from a couple that had also picked up an avocado.

"Oh, these avocados look good, let's get some."

Then looking up at the price, they said, "Two for five dollars!" Dejected, they put the live avocado back and walked away from the vegetable aisle toward the aisles full of dead, boxed, canned, packaged goods where they can buy thousands of calories of poor-quality, nutrient-poor, factory-made, processed foods filled with sugar, fat, and salt for the same five dollars. This is the scenario millions of Americans struggling to feed their families face every day.

Read more here.

Take control of your health. We all have the power to do so.

- John
The Herbalist Team

chill out!

2010-08-11T16:09:00.000-07:00

This is our new banner. For all of you getting a little frustrated with the 45th Street detour, stop in for a relaxing herbal tonic.

It's august already! NEW cleansing guide sneak peak!

2010-08-02T13:13:00.000-07:00

Hey loyal readers!

Hard to believe that we're this far into 2010. It's been a great year so far, here's to it getting better by years end.

So it's been quite a while since we've made a substantial blog update. We'll be back soon with regular updates. For the last couple of months we've been toiling away working on our brand spanking new CLEANSING GUIDE! By next week we'll be able to link it here for you all to check out. For now here are a few snippets of the insides to hold you over. Spread the word. Let us know what you think. We've made a few changes here and there.

EDIT: You can take a look at the ENTIRE guide by clicking here!

Our new cover. We went over this multiple times before we got one we really liked and felt represented our cleanse and our products.

Both kits offer a little something different. Lots of benefits from each, but which one is the cleanse for you. Our new guide will help you figure that out.

These two pages are a more organized version of our previous shopping list. This will help you figure out a few things that you CAN eat while cleansing, which we found was one of the biggest questions people had with our previous guide.

The beloved schedule. We had something like this in an old, old guide that we decided to bring back with this new edition. The times aren't necessarily concrete, so you can adjust as needed, but this gives you an idea of how and when to eat, take your herbs, tea's, and fibers. Also a little side bar on the benefits of dry skin brushing.

If you're new to cleansing there can be issues that arise. Gas and bloating and constipation are two of them. That's not to scare anyone that it will happen, but if it does these are some suggestions for what to do.

One of the biggest additions to this guide versus previous guides is the focus on food allergies and the benefits of an elimination diet. Lots of diseases can be caused by food allergies which will weaken the bodies defense systems, making it weak and more susceptible to ailments. An elimination diet is a good way to find out of your body feels better without some common food allergens, such as gluten, eggs, and dairy.

That's that. The new guides are at the printer as I type this. It was a long, but rewarding process that everyone who works here took part in. We should have them by mid-late August. We're all very excited and hope that this little sneak peak has you more interested too.

We'll be back on a more regular blog schedule soon. For more information visit TheHerbalist.com and discover the natural remedies best suited for your needs.

Stay tuned and thanks for reading.
- John & The Herbalist Team.