Tag: stress

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Botanical Support For Anxiety

In my post last week, I discussed at length the use of kava (Piper mythesticum) for the treatment of anxiety. Kava is one of my favorite herbs—not only for its beneficial effects on the nervous system, but also because it appears to have unique anti-cancer properties. However, as with any herb, I recommend using it in combination with other herbs and nutrients. In my practice, I’ve found that combining herbs and nutrients enables me to create formulas that are far more effective than relying on a single herb. This is the traditional manner of practicing herbalism, and it is as much an art as it is a science.

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Kava: Natural Relief For Anxiety

Many people feel anxious when they’re under stress, but for approximately 40 million Americans, anxiety is more than a passing state of emotion. Shortness of breath, racing heartbeat, dizziness, upset stomach, tension, irritability, sleep difficulties, memory problems, and feelings of dread are common daily experiences of people who suffer from chronic anxiety. For those who consult a physician, the first suggestion is usually drugs: tranquilizers (benzodiazepines), often coupled with antidepressants, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). But these medications come with a long list of unpleasant side effects, and have a significant risk of dependence.

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The Relationship of Insulin Resistance and Cancer: A Botanical Approach

It’s well known that elevated fasting blood sugar is a precursor to diabetes. Less well known, but increasingly recognized, is that elevated fasting serum glucose and/or insulin levels are also risk factors for cancer, and the risk grows as fasting blood sugar and insulin levels rise. With the escalation of obesity and diabetes worldwide, it is important to recognize these diseases as causative factors for cancer development, especially for older individuals.

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Thoughts on Healthy Aging

Woman Standing on Rock

This may seem to be a radical stance, but I believe it is mistake to think that illness and disease are an inevitable part of the normal aging process. Although we may think of aging in relation to outward appearance, the way we look reflects only certain aspects of age, some of which are superficial–such as gray hair and laugh lines. How we think and feel inwardly–including our energy and zest for life–and the way our brain, bones, digestion, immune system, and the rest of our body functions is a much more accurate indication of our aging status.

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Reflections At The New Year

New Year 2013

Greetings, and Happy New Year!

If you’re like most people, you likely have a list (written or mental) of New Year’s Resolutions. And if you’re like most people, many of these resolutions will fall by the wayside by the end of January. Although I don’t particularly ascribe to the notion of resolutions, I do believe that it’s worthwhile to spend time in self-reflection, and to notice without judgment what is and what isn’t serving you in your life.

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Building Healthy Bones

In the last twenty years, osteoporosis has morphed from a relatively rare (albeit serious) condition affecting elderly women into an epidemic threatening close to half of all post-menopausal women and almost one-third of men in the United States. What’s changed? Frankly, not much except the hype. Unfortunately, I believe this is yet another case of the medical establishment and drug companies creating disease diagnoses by manipulating diagnostic criteria. The more medications prescribed for osteoporosis and osteopenia, the more profits for the corporations. And not a lot of doctors are offering healthy, natural solutions prior to doling out prescriptions, either.

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