Valerian Root the Natural Sedative of Europe

I like to use valerian root in capsule form when having trouble sleeping rather than over-the-counter sleep aids. I prefer the capsule form because of the somewhat unpleasant odor of the plant.

Valerian was referred to as the 'Valium of the 19th century'. Bear in mind that it is no way related chemically to valium. It may because of some of its natural properties such as being classified as a calmative, antispasmodic, nervine, sedative and others.

Old school herbalist used valerian as their ‘herb of choice’ for dealing with panic attacks or nervous tensions (remember the nervine property). On another note the ‘food of choice’ for the nervous system in my book is vitamin B-Complex.

If you are the nervous type, stressed out or under a lot of pressure on the job take a good quality B-Complex daily and consistently and you will most likely find your nerves not so on edge after a short while.

Some common names you might hear for Valerian are all-heal, heal-all, blessed herb, capon’s tail, English or German Valerian, setwell, vandal root and wild valerian. There are more names but these are some of the more common.

Besides being used as a natural sleep aid some herbalist also use it for hypochondria, nervous headaches, irritability, mild spasms, diarrhea, hysteria, cramps, PMS symptoms and other related problems.

As with all things moderation is best. If taken in excess valerian can actually cause the symptoms you are trying to relieve. Headaches, spasmodic movements or hallucinations maybe caused by excess use.

As always check with your medical provider before taking any herbs as some may interact with and/or counteract important medicines you may be taking.

Vitamin C Tissue Tightener & Bach’s Agrimony

This posting is about amazing Vitamin C and the Bach Flower Remedy Agrimony.


Vitamin C The Tissue Tightener
Vitamin C is essential to our health and well being. Unfortunately for human beings we can not manufacture it like most other mammals so we must get it through our foods.

Vitamin C is amazing and has so many uses for our bodies:

· A must have in making collagen, which without our blood vessels, tendons, ligament, and bone would have very little structure.
· A must for making neurotransmitters, which are critical in brain function.
· A must for assisting our bodies produce energy.
· Only small amounts of Vitamin C make a strong antioxidant to protect out body.

Not having enough Vitamin C can cause your tissues to become looser, can lead to bleeding and bruising more easily. Unhealthy hair and loose teeth with bleeding gums along with joint pain and swelling can occur.

So eat your citrus fruits, mangos, red & yellow peppers, kiwi and broccoli as good sources of Vitamin C. Even a baked potato is a good source of Vitamin C. You can also take a supplement. There is no reason to be low in Vitamin C when fruits and vegetables are plentiful and Vitamin C supplements are so inexpensive. Take C everyday remember as humans we don’t make our own.
For more information on Vitamin see check out the Oregon State University website at http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminC/


Agrimony – mental torture behind a cheerful face

Agrimony is the remedy for people who keep their troubles hidden under a mask of pleasure and happiness. The classic Agrimony person would be the sad clown, suffering anguish inside but still the life and soul of the party. Their friends are often the last to know that anything is wrong in the Agrimony person's life.

Agrimony folks tend to inwardly stress in excess amounts over illness, money or problems at work. Again they put on a happy face to cover it up. Agrimony people are very sensitive and have a longing for harmony. They will really go out of their way in being kind to other to the point of sacrificing for them. Since they want to be spreaders of cheerfulness and make light of their own problems they become very well-liked people. That may seem like a good thing to some but keep in mind they are really suffering inside.

Agrimony people can turn to drink or drugs to help them maintain a mask of happiness, and they lean toward not being alone since they find it harder to keep the mask up when they are forced into their own company. Instead they will seek out friends, parties and bright lights. Only at night when they are alone with their thoughts will the mental torture they have held back so effectively come back to disturb them.

Agrimony is given to help Agrimony people to accept and come to terms with the darker side of life and their own personalities, so that they can become more rounded human beings. They will not lose their sense of humor, but they will laugh at their troubles to dismiss them, rather than laughing to hide them. As a mood remedy, Agrimony helps anyone who is trying not to face a trouble and using jokes, wit and smiles to avoid a painful reality.

Dr Bach's description
The jovial, cheerful, humorous people who love peace and are distressed by argument or quarrel, to avoid which they will agree to give up much. Though generally they have troubles and are tormented and restless and worried in mind or in body, they hide their cares behind their humour and jesting and are considered very good friends to know. They often take alcohol or drugs in excess, to stimulate themselves and help themselves bear their trials with cheerfulness.
Agrimony will help bring about a cheerful outlook and increase confidence. After treating with the Agrimony remedy this person can finally feel safe in facing both sides of their personality. They will even feel safe to discuss life’s problems. This is in balance.
For more information on Bach Flower Remedies or Dr. Edward Bach go to http://www.bachcentre.com/

The Bach Flower Remedies

One of my all time favorite natural health subjects has got to be the Bach Flower Remedies.

There are 38 different remedies each one for a different emotional state. They can be combined as we sometimes have different emotional states going on at any one time. But ultimately it works like peeling away the outer layers of an onion until you reach the center. Until we get to our actual flower type so to speak.

To understand how Bach Flowers work we need to understand more about Dr. Edward Bach. Dr. Bach studied medicine at the University College in London, where he was also House Surgeon (the senior member of surgical staff responsible for carrying out the orders of the attending surgeon). Later he worked in general practice on Harley Street in London which would be equivalent to having a private medical practice on Park Avenue in New York City. As a bacteriologist and pathologist he worked on vaccines and a set of homeopathic nosodes still known as the seven Bach nosodes. Nosodes are like a homeopathic immunization to build up an immune response against a specific disease.

Even though he was very successful in his practice he was unhappy with the way doctors were expected to focus on diseases and ignore the people who were suffering from them. In 1930 he walked away from his very lucrative practice to devote the rest of his life to develop this kinder gentler way of medicine.

Dr. Bach found there were 38 states of mental unrest or unbalance and found a remedy in nature to help the person suffering from it to a more balanced state.
Dr. Bach found that when he treated the personalities and feelings of his patients their unhappiness and physical distresses would be alleviated. This was due to the natural healing potential in their bodies being unblocked and allowed to work once again.

This is a list of the 38 remedies. I will be giving an explanation of one each week along with an herb, vitamin, mineral or other health related subject. If you would like to learn more about these wonderful remedies follow this blog by clicking on the follow link in the upper left corner.

Agrimony – mental torture behind a cheerful face
Aspen - fear of unknown things
Beech - intolerance
Centaury – the inability to say no
Cerato – lack of trust in one’s own decisions
Cherry Plum – fear of the mind giving way
Chestnut Bud – failure to learn from mistakes
Chicory – selfish, possessive love
Clematis – dreaming of the future without working in the present
Crab Apple – the cleansing remedy, also for self-hatred
Elm – overwhelmed by responsibility
Gentian – discouragement after a setback
Gorse – hopelessness and despair
Heather – self-centeredness and self-concern
Holly – hatred, envy and jealousy
Honeysuckle – living in the past
Hornbeam – procrastination, tiredness at the thought of doing something
Impatiens – impatience
Larch – lack of confidence
Mimulus – fear of known things
Mustard – deep gloom for no reason
Oak – the plodder who keeps going past the point of exhaustion
Olive – exhaustion following mental or physical effort
Pine – guilt
Red Chestnut – over-concern for the welfare of loved ones
Rock Rose – terror and fright
Rock Water – self-denial, rigidity and self-repression
Scleranthus – inability to choose between alternatives
Star of Bethlehem – shock
Sweet Chestnut – extreme mental anguish, when everything has been tried and there is no light left
Vervain - over-enthusiasm
Vine – dominance and inflexibility
Walnut – protection from change and unwanted influences
Water Violet – pride and aloofness
White Chestnut - unwanted thoughts and mental arguments
Wild Oat – uncertainty over one’s direction in life
Wild Rose – drifting, resignation, apathy
Willow – self-pity and resentment

Do one, two or three of these remedies jump out at you or does one in particular tug at you?

Echinacea the Immune Booster

Echinacea looks something like a daisy. Echinacea is often referred to as the Purple Coneflower because of its color and shape.

Echinacea was initially a native plant to the North American plains. You will see it grown widely in many gardens nowadays.

Native American’s used the plant for a variety of ailments such as; skin problems like measles, insect and animal bites, wounds and even more serious conditions.

However, these days Echinacea is utilized mainly as an immune system booster and enhancer. This in turn gives our bodies a better chance of resisting and fighting infections and other illnesses.

The question is how does Echinacea assist our bodies in doing this? After all it’s just a plant or is it? While it is true herbs are plants it seems to be more true herbs are plants with concentrated combinations of plant chemicals. Most things in life actually take place by means of different chemical reactions in one form or another.

This particular herb and its combination of plant chemicals are able to increase the potency and the activity of our white blood cells. Think of your white blood cells as defenders of your body or your “White Knights”. If there is an invader many white knights are sent out to do battle with the invader and protect you. Increased amounts of interleukins are also secreted. Interleukins stimulate the growth and activities of certain kinds of white blood cells.

One of the problems over the past few years has been the over prescribing of antibiotics. An antibiotics main use is against bacteria. Problem is they were being used for viruses too. They are not an antiviral but antibacterial.

The interesting thing about plants and their combination of plant chemicals is there ability to assist our bodies in doing a better job at fighting its own battles.

Echinacea is known to have antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral properties.

There are many different companies offering Echinacea in capsules, pill and liquid form which leads to many different qualities. In general a good quality Echinacea root should make your tongue tingle and salivate.

As with all herbs there can be some side effects. If you are already allergic to plants in the ragweed and marigold family this plant may bother you too. Folks who have systemic problems like TB, lupus or HIV could experience some side effects because of the way it effects their immune system.

It is best not to use Echinacea any longer than about a month and a half without taking a break from it. If you do so then a side effect can be a suppression of the your immune system.

Okay here’s the disclaimer: With any herb, herb supplement, vitamin or mineral always consult your doctor or other healthcare provider before taking any alternative treatments.