It seems a pity that mother nature has provided thousands upon thousands of species of plants and mushrooms for conditions and ailments in the body, and very few people take advantage of their healing and rejuvenating powers.
I have obtained some amazing benefits from herbs, for specific conditions such as joint pain, insomnia, flatulence, over stressed liver, and general overall well being.
I must say up front that herbs are nothing to "play around with". I found it most important to take your time, if possible and practical, talk to a Naturopathic Practitioner or other specialist pertaining to which herbs you might want to step into. I have a small group of herbs that I rely on for ongoing minor conditions, because I have proven that they are very beneficial to the body. In many of these situations, the alternatives would be pharmaceutical drugs that I am totally opposed to, unless in medical emergency or otherwise unavoidable situations, of which I have been blessed to never have had.
I remember when I talked to the owner of Life Spring Health Food Store and Juice Bar on 3352 N. Broadway in Chicago, I was telling him that Ginseng that I started taking seem to disrupt my sleep and leave me a little "wired". He informed me that I had to understand my yin and yang. Certain ginsengs may throw a person out of balance, especially me since I am naturally slightly overly bubbly and wired anyway. Experimenting, if that an appropriate word for it, with herbs may seem like something a person might be afraid to do, but I think we are doing much more experimentation when we eat genetically modified corn and soy, high fructose corn syrup, canola oil, and refined sugar each and every day. Those four previously mentioned things have caused my body, my sleep habits, and my mental clarity, more havoc that anything imaginable.
Herbs such as Gotu Kola is such a good "general well being" type of herb. I had read so much about it, did my homework and thorough research as I always do, and after determining it to be safe, I thought I'd give it a try. After a few days I had this very subtle but noticeable sense of well being. It is hard to explain but I felt more alive and more healthy. The same can be said for another herb I take which is called Ho She Wu. I originally started taking it because it has been reported to address issues of premature graying hair, but I also found that it gave me such an awesome sense of well being. I don't think it reverses grey hair however, although my hair is mostly black, I cannot attribute that to the Ho She Wu. From what I later learned, the key word here is "premature" grey hair, perhaps for someone who is going grey in their early thirties. Too late for me on that one, but it is still a great herb that is well worth my money.
Nonetheless, I really think herbs should be considered as part of your own personal wellness regiment. It could make sense to start with addressing a specific ailment or condition, or experimenting with a safe herb such as Gotu Kola for general well being. Whole Foods has a couple good lines of quality herbs, most notably Gaia (gotta love that name), and Herb Pharm. I have found them reliable , quality brands of herbs. Whole Foods staff is always very helpful and knowledgeable.
As I keep saying in my articles, consider digging into the unique individual you to determine for your self what herbs you might want to give a try. My personal belief is that is best to already have made some strides with nutritional and lifestyle changes, since herbs work best in conjunction with everything else you are doing for general wellness. As the body becomes more balanced and healthier, herbs perhaps have more fertile ground to perform better . I think you might be well pleased and surprised with your discoveries so far as what Mother Nature has provided for you. Stay open minded, untapped treasures await that Mother Nature has placed all around us for our use and benefit.~dw~
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