Remembering Rosemary

Recently, my daughter was married. As I'm sure you know, weddings take a LOT of time, planning, purchasing, scheduling,.....worrying. It was quite a time, no doubt. I didn't have tons of time to plan the reception, so I opted to cut costs and time where I could. Fortunately for me, I have a small garden where I grow herbs that I particularly like. One of them is rosemary. For my daughters wedding reception, I cut lots of fresh rosemary stems (and a few other of my flowering herbs) and made fresh flower arrangements with them to decorate the tables. I put them together on Friday afternoon and Saturday night, the entire room smelled like BLISS! I was very pleased with the way it worked out, and was quite proud of myself for my herbal flower arrangements.

Rosemary is great all year round. It has health benefits, aromatherapy benefits, and decorative benefits. With these thoughts in mind, I thought I would revisit a previous blog I wrote January 2011. Click Here to revisit that with me....

Oolong Tea

Oolong Tea has been around for many, many years, but only recently has the western culture begun to take notice of its wonderful properties. It is made from the camellia sinensis plant, as are all true teas, however to become oolong tea, it must go through a process different than black or green tea. It's taste is similar to green tea, yet it is darker in color and lacks some of the distinctive flavor of green tea.

The health properties of oolong tea are quite similar to those of green tea, which makes sense considering they come from the same plant. Oolong tea may help reduce cholesterol, burn fats, aid improvement of heart conditions, ease digestive disorders, strengthen the immune system, strengthen bones and fight tooth decay.

Oolong tea is rich in antioxidants, which fight free-radicals that cause aging and weakness in many areas of the body. It is rich in quercetin which has its own set of health benefits (read the previous article regarding the benefits of quercetin) which is great to dilate the blood vessels and provide improved blood flow. In this manner, it is quite helpful in heart health. It is also high in potassium, an electrolyte that is crucial for brain and nerve function. It can increase the body's metabolism rate and helps control the production of sugars in the blood stream. This activity, plus the fat burning energies of oolong tea make it a great option for weightloss.

Oolong tea, like green tea, has naturally occurring amounts of caffeine. This is not quite the same as adding caffeine to a product. Of course, caffeine being present means there is an increased amount of energy obtained from a cup of tea and the potential for increasing heart rate is there, although the caffeine is far less than a cup of coffee and even less than a cup of green tea.

Enjoy a cup of oolong tea hot or cold, prior to workouts, or in the evening to hold off sweet cravings. No matter your reason, your taste buds and your body can appreciate a cup of oolong!

This and more info can be found at:
http://www.teabenefits.com/oolong-tea-benefits.html
http://www.teasetc.com/tea/article.asp?ID=1
http://whatisoolongtea.com/oolong-tea-benefits

Quercetin

It's allergy season!
Are you feeling it?

Quercetin may be just what you need to deal with seasonal allergies. If you suffer frequently, this article may be quite valuable to read!

Quercetin is a type of flavonoid found in most citrus fruits, and apples, onions, parsley, and others. For the plant, it assists in the pigmentation of the fruit, vegetable or flower. One of quercetins benefits is its potent antioxident action. Antioxidants fight free-radicals, and free-radicals play a major role in many illnesses. Therefore, it stands to reason that quercetin assists in repairing those free-radicals and easing illness.

Quercetin is also a great anti-inflammatory. This is most helpful with combating allergies. It can inhibit the production and release of histamine, which is what makes you feel like you do when allergies "attack." Acting as such a mediator, quercetin can be helpful for all sorts of pollen related allergies, such as hayfever, sinusitis, and asthma. It even assists where hives appear.

Studies have shown that quercetin is also helpful for improving circulation, alleviating bruising, reducing edema, fighting non-bacterial prostatitis, and is a part of the "bio-flavonoids" mentioned in manufacturers labels along with vitamin C because it enhances the action of vitamin C.

All good reasons to make quercetin a part of springtime regimen!

*NOTE: quercetin can be taken by itself, or included in a formula of other herbs to aid other symptoms involved with allergies. Check with your local herb shop if you have questions.

**Source- http://www.nutritional-supplement-educational-centre.com/benefits-of-quercetin.html

Stevia - More than a sweetener!

Have you ever wondered what stevia looks like before it becomes the powder or liquid sweetener you've heard you should use? Stevia is a leafy little plant that has amazing qualities. In fact, I deem it worthy to hold a place in a first aid kit! It's in mine!

Stevia is a super sweetener and depending on the processing of it (or lack thereof), it can be 40-400 times sweeter than regular sugar! That alone is pretty powerful, but there is more! It also handles heat well, so feel free to bake with it. Why is it preferable over sugar? Because it does not raise blood sugar levels and is beneficial for high blood pressure (although it does not affect blood pressure in normal ranges). For more information on that, please visit Stevia.com.

There is more to this little green plant than sweetness, though! In fact, it is great to rid the complexion of blemishes. It tones the skin and tightens pores. This is not why it is in MY first aid kit.... I keep it because of it's power to fight streptococcus bacteria. For those of you who deal with strep throat from time to time, you may also want some handy on a regular basis! Why? Because strep bacteria can't survive in an atmosphere filled with stevia. Doesn't that sound wonderful?

Here is what I do:
When using stevia, use PURE stevia,...not blended with chromium or inulin or anything else. (Those things are good for the body, but they don't contribute to fighting strep bacteria, and if you've ever had strep,...you want fighting abilities!) If you choose powdered stevia, you can use about a teaspoon of the powder in approximately 1/2 cup of warm water. Stir it together and gargle a mouthful. Swallow it. Ahhh.... you'll feel soothing relief....and think "good grief that stuff is sweet!" Get another mouthful and gargle. If you feel the need to spit it out, that's fine too,...but try to swallow at least one big mouthful of it. If you have liquid stevia in a dropper bottle, I use about 3 droppers of liquid to half a cup of warm water and do the same.

The results I've seen have been.... if I do this once or twice today, no more strep pain tomorrow. It's also good if it's a regular sore throat. Use it regularly as a mouth rinse / mouthwash to prevent a lot of colds or other infectious illnesses.

The information contained in this article is not intended to diagnose or treat, but is a statement of the authors experiences and refers to other information found on other sites, noted within.

Ginger Root Tea

Ginger root is quite ugly to look at and think "food", but it is one of THE BEST foods you can eat! It tastes great in different meals, but it also makes a great tonic for your health.

Whenever I have a sore throat or sniffles or other cold symptoms, ginger root becomes my close friend. A single cup of hot ginger-lemon tea warms me and soothes me better than even a bowl of chicken soup. I'll even share my recipe with you:

Ginger-Lemon Tea
approx. 2 inches of fresh ginger root, grated
1 fresh lemon
honey to taste
2 cups of water

Bring the water to a boil. Add the ginger root and let it boil for a few minutes (maybe 5-10). Remove from heat and squeeze juice from one half of the lemon. Stir it and let it sit to cool down to a drinkable temperature. Add honey to your liking and pour up a cup. Be sure you strain the tea you are drinking from! It's ok to allow the rest to remain in your pot to steep further. It will just make it a stronger tea. Sip on it and relax.
If for some reason, it is too strong for your enjoyment, you can add juice from the other half of the lemon or add more honey, or both! Refrigerate the rest and warm it before drinking it next time.

Ginger has been used for many digestive upsets and inflammatory conditions, and is quite helpful in most aspects of health. One thing to keep in mind is that ginger has a blood-thinning nature, so those who use blood-thinning medications should probably use it only occasionally, sparingly, and with the doctor's knowledge.

To your health!

Magnesium For Your Stress

Magnesium is an essential nutrient for all living things. It influences numerous bodily processes, including digestion, energy production, muscle function,......and RELAXATION of muscles. It assists heart, kidney, brain and adrenal functions too. Lack of sufficient available magnesium in the body can interfere with any or all of these processes.

Magnesium depletion can be caused by such things as mental stress, caffeine, sugar, alcohol, tobacco, drugs, high perspiration, low thyroid function.... many things.

Symptoms of magnesium depletion can be:
* Low Energy / Fatigue
* PMS / Hormonal Imbalances
* Insomnia / Body Tension
* Headaches / Muscle Tension
* Backaches
* Weakening Bones
* Anxiety / Nervousness / Irritability

Calcium has an opposite action to Magnesium. Calcium excites nerves while magnesium calms them down. Calcium makes muscles contact. Magnesium is necessary for muscles to relax. Calcium is needed for blood clotting, but magnesium keeps the blood flowing freely. It is easy to see that it is vital to keep these minerals in balance and that too little magnesium to balance calcium could be both uncomfortable and unhealthy.

Peter Gilham's Natural Calm is a good supplement choice. It is in a powder form that should be mixed in water. It is 100% water soluble and easily absorbed. It comes in flavors if you prefer a taste change. It's fizzy nature makes it a fun drink for children too. Yes, even children face daily stresses and physical challenges that bring about physical difficulties.

This and more information can be obtained at Robin's Herb Shop. Stop in and ask for your free sample while supplies last!

L-Tryptophan

It's Thanksgiving time, and tradition says "we must eat turkey!" Following our over-indulgence of deliciousness, we slump over on the sofa and get very drowsy. Is this because we've worked ourselves to death cooking all of that food and cleaning house in preparation for family gathering? Well that's probably a contributing factor, but one definite reason for the drowsies is all that l-tryptophan you ate!

You didn't know you were supplementing during your meal? That's the way foods work though! We get a lot of vitamins and minerals and SUPPLEMENTATION in the foods we eat everyday---and every Thanksgiving. That holiday turkey contains enough l-tryptophan to increase serotonin levels in the brain, which helps us to experience restful sleep and brighter, happier moods. If you enjoy feeling these things during the holidays, and find that you don't feel this way much during the rest of the year, you might consider supplementing with l-tryptophan. Nobody can eat turkey every single day. Sometimes you just really want a good salad, right? And that's the way it should be, eating a variety of good foods every day.

L-Tryptophan is available at Robin's Herb Shop, and many other retail herb shops. Stop in and try some! It could be Thanksgiving for you year round!