Archive for November, 2008
Growing herbs for tea can be either a pleasant hobby or become a market crop offered to customers in a variety of ways, giving them the opportunity to add healthy variety to their beverage menu, whether warming up in the morning with a fresh-picked brew, or sipping garden-grown iced tea on a summer afternoon.
Humans and tea go back a long way. Black, green, oolong and the rarer white tea, which all come from an evergreen bush (Camellia sinensis) native to China and India, are popular worldwide. According to legend, tea drinking from this plant originated in China four to five thousand years ago, reaching Europe in the 1600s. Infusions of this plant are considered “real” tea. For the purposes of this article, I’ll casually call infusions of any appropriate plant material for beverage purposes, “tea.” Another couple of exotic plants out of Africa, Rooibos (pronounced roy-boss) and Honeybush, have recently entered the worldwide tea market. Both are often grown sustainably and can be found in Europe and North America through fair trade from their native land of South Africa.
But herbal tea, grown from a variety of herbs, is also a well-established tradition worldwide. Such herbal tea was in use in Europe long before black tea arrived. Drinking herbal infusions is believed to date into prehistoric times. Even animals have been known to put specific plants into small water-holding areas and seemingly wait for infusion before drinking.
Some herbs thrive in full sun, but others prefer partial sun or even shade. Needing only moderate watering, their soil calls for little or no fertilizer, and in fact should not be too rich as to cause excessive greenery that seems to dilute the aromatic oils. Each herb has its own special needs and specific plant parts that are used for tea and cooking (for tea, the leaves or flowers are most often used. However, roots, bark and berries are also harvested for herb tea). The specific plant parts and detailed growing instructions are usually described with the purchase of the plant or in any good herbal book.
(c) 2006 Barbara Adams
Barbara Adams
Author: Micro Eco-Farming: Prospering from Backyard to Small Acreage in Partnership with the Earth (New World Publishing)
http://www.MicroEcoFarming.com
Tags: herbs, herb growing, tea, health, profit, backyard, garden, gardening, herbal, business, eco-business
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Phentermine - The Medical Wonder for Appetite Suppression - Are There Safer, but Equally Effective Alternatives?
The prescription weight loss drug Phentermine has been on market for a while, and has gained notoriety and a reputation for being a VERY effective weightloss pill. However, along with this drug’s exceptional abilities to help people lose weight by dramatically curbing their appetite, it also has a bad reputation for some rather unsavory side effects.
Dry mouth, sleeplessness, irritability, stomach upset, and painful urination are just some of the side effects patients on Phentermine have reported while taking this medication. And that short list is just the beginning. Side effects of the leading prescription brands of phentermine can also carry blurred vision, adverse effects to the central nervous system, and decreased sexual drive.
The History of Prescription Phentermine
Well, more specifically of Phentermine and its highly publicized withdrawal during the phase of marketing the combination “miracle weightloss drug” Fenfluramine Phentermine
(AKA Fen-phen). Phentermine is still on the market, but the combination of the two drugs mentioned above which was coined Fen-phen was removed from shelves citing severe health hazards
after several people taking the drug Fen-phen were diagnosed with heart valve problems, and several deaths resulted.
Fen-phen refers to the use in combination of fenfluramine and phentermine. Fenfluramine (”fen”) and phentermine are prescription medications that are approved by the FDA for several years as appetite suppressants for short term management of obesity. Short term in this case means only a few weeks, since the appetite suppressing capabilities of the powerful Fen-phen drug were so overwhelming that only a few short weeks were needed to see dramatic weight loss in many patients.
Phentermine was actually approved in 1959 and fenfluramine was approved by the FDA for public use in 1973.
The cost of Phentermine - even at its most reduced discount price online is about $99 for 30 tablets (a one month supply). This can cost even more if prescribed and purchased through a doctor’s office. Not only that, but you are also looking at a whole host of some very scary possibities as far as side effects go.
Side effects of prescription Phentermine may also include: dry mouth, sleeplessness, irritability, stomach upset or constipation may occur the first few days as your body adjusts to the medication. Phentermine alternatives do not cause any of these symptoms. Not only that, many users of Herbal Phentermine have reported very comparable results and are extremely happy with their results.
Another benefit of a quality natural Phentermine alternative is that it may be used on a more long term basis, where its prescription counterpart may not. Longer use = more weight loss = more time for your body to adjust to ingesting smaller amounts of food = smaller stomach = less food consumption once off the product. It really is a win/win situation.
The Phentermine alternative is, in my opinion, one of the best all natural appetite suppressants available on the market today. The benefits are abundant to this herbal alternative.
1.) Price - About 35% less than prescription
2.) Safer - No side effects
3.) Can be taken for a longer period of time allowing for more weight loss, more bodily adjustment to smaller amounts of food
4.) No prescription required
5.) One of the BEST all natural appetite suppressants available on the market today
6.) Produces exceptional results in its users. Noticeably and consistently curbs appetite and cravings, stabilizes mood and blood sugar to sustain weight loss momentum
7.) Only 2 pills per day required. The company actually recommends only taking one per day if you initially have any difficulty sleeping if your second dosage is too close to your personal bedtime.
8.) No harsh stimulants. No Ma Huang. No Ephedra.
Visit Aternatives to Phentermine for information on the most promising Phentermine alternative today. Danna Schneider is the founder of Dieting Magazine -Online Resource for Weightloss and Dieting
Tags: alternative, phentermine, alternatives, natural, herbal, fen phen, fen-phen, safe, weight loss
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St. John’s Wort is a popular over the counter herbal supplement, used primarily for depression. However, as herbal supplements go, this one has a great deal of precautions to be heeded before taking it.
First, do not use if pregnant or nursing.
Second, be aware of potential side effects, including nausea, vomiting, high blood pressure, headaches, stiff neck and hair loss.
Third, St John’s wort contains Hypercin, and many products mix adversely with hypercin, causing nausea and vomiting. DO NOT take the following if taking St John’s wort: antidepressants, asthma medications, Coumadin, diet pills, decongestants, hay fever meds, pain meds among others; in fact, if you are on ANY prescription medication, consult your doctor and pharmacist before taking St John’s Wort; it is IMPERATIVE that you check for any potential drug-herb interactions.
Potential drug interactions with St John’s Wort may occur with anticonvulsants, antiretrovirals, benzodiazepines, digoxin, immune suppressant drugs, methadone, theophylline among others; thus the importance of checking carefully with your doctor and pharmacist cannot be overstated before taking St. John’s Wort, if you are taking prescription medication.
Combining St John’s Wort with prescription antidepressants can cause serotonin syndrome, a rare, but extremely serious medical condition. Onset of symptoms is sudden, and includes mental confusion, headache, agitation, excess sweating, shivering, fever, rapid heart beat, muscle twitching, tremor….the condition warrants IMMEDIATE medical attention- if you know of someone who takes antidepressants and also takes St John’s Wort, please notify them to contact their doctor immediately and about the risks of serotonin syndrome. You may be the one person to provide them with this life-saving information. While serotonin syndrome is rare, it is potentially life-threatening; it speaks to the need of avoiding too much serotonin, as caused by the combination of St John’s Wort and most prescription antidepressants.
DO NOT eat the following foods while taking St John’s wort: coffee, salami,smoked or pickled foods, yogurt, any alcohol, chocolate.
Avoid exposure to the sun on St John’s wort- it increases sun sensitivity.
Do NOT use St John’s wort while taking Oral Contraceptives- St John’s wort may diminish the effectiveness of the oral contraceptives
DO NOT use if any history of mania or hypomania
DO NOT use with any history of seizures- St John’s wort may lower the seizure threshold.
In fact, new information on safety precautions and drug-herb interactions is being published all the time; it’s a great idea to spend some time discussing potential precautions with your doctor and your pharmacist before embarking on a trial of St John’s Wort or other over the counter supplements.
Summary: St John’s Wort can be used safely when precautions for use are adhered to. Individuals using St. John’s wort are strongly advised to adhere to safety precautions; in fact, it is in all of our best interests to read and study about all the supplements and prescription medications that we take.
Copyright 2006 INTEGRITY HEATH SOLUTIONS
Mary F. Zesiewicz, MD, serves as Chief Medical Officer of INTEGRITY HEALTH SOLUTIONS, a not-for-profit corporation dedicated to the transformation of health care through research, relief and education. To learn more, please visit: www.drmaryz.org.
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Tags: St John’s wort, depression, depression and Herbal supplements, precautions with St John’s wort
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