Posts

Posted on

Helping Others with My Favorite Summer Pastime

As many of you know, I have been a lifelong musician. This summer I’ve had the pleasure of playing music with several professional musicians in the Rogue Valley, namely, my good friend and drummer, David Bolen. Having joined the “I Have A Dream” band for a special performance celebrating African American musicians at the Craterian Theatre in early 2016 under the direction of singer-songwriter, Doug Warner, I was beyond impressed by the caliber of musicianship. We all wanted to continue playing together, so I decided to bring the group together for a summer benefit concert for the Mederi Foundation.

Continue reading “Helping Others with My Favorite Summer Pastime”

Posted on

The Truth about Herb-Drug Interactions: An Honest Evaluation of the Benefits and Risks When Weighing Scientific Data and Clinical Experience

“I have no data yet. It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories instead of theories to suit facts.”  ~Sherlock Holmes.

Conventional medicine has long been wary of traditional herbal medicine, particularly when it comes to the potential interactions of herbs and pharmaceutical drugs. However, the focus of conventional medicine always seems to be on the negative interactions of herbs and drugs, when in fact, herb-drug interactions can often be positive.

Continue reading “The Truth about Herb-Drug Interactions: An Honest Evaluation of the Benefits and Risks When Weighing Scientific Data and Clinical Experience”

Posted on

Holy Basil: An Herb With Incomparable Benefits

Closely related to the culinary herb sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum), holy basil (Ocimum sanctum) is a plant with a rich history of use as a healing herb. Because this venerable herb has so many applications, it has become one of my favorites. I often include holy basil in adaptogenic tonics, and also find it useful for specific conditions, ranging from support for cancer and cardiovascular disease to improving skin health.

Native to India, holy basil is also known as tulsi, which means “the incomparable one.” Considered as sacred in the Hindu faith, most traditional homes and temples in India have at least one tulsi plant, which is used in prayers to insure personal health, spiritual purity, and family well-being. In Ayurvedic medicine, tulsi is classified as a rasayana, an herb that nourishes a person’s growth to perfect health and enlightenment and promotes long life.

Continue reading “Holy Basil: An Herb With Incomparable Benefits”

Posted on

Connecting the Dots in Adrenal-Thyroid Health (Part 3 of 3)

In my two previous posts on these health, I discussed the potential problems associated with diagnosing and treating them. As I stated in my first post, thyroid problems are frequently under diagnosed, primarily because of inadequate testing and incomplete understanding of the complexities of thyroid function. At the same time, they are often treated in ways that further compromise function.

Continue reading “Connecting the Dots in Adrenal-Thyroid Health (Part 3 of 3)”

Posted on

Natural Strategies to Maximize Thyroid Function (Part 2 of 3)

In my post last week, I introduced the topic of thyroid health and the many misconceptions that the medical profession has about diagnosing and treating thyroid disease. In general, thyroid problems are under diagnosed because the standard blood tests used to evaluate function are woefully inadequate. At the same time, an underactive thyroid is often over treated with thyroid replacement hormones—which frequently cause even greater dysfunction. In my experience, a much more effective approach is to focus on the factors that underlie the dysfunction, providing the support needed to restore balance and function to an endocrine system that has gone awry.

Unfortunately, conventional “modern” medicine insists on viewing the thyroid as an independent entity, and treats any dysfunction by addressing only the thyroid. But in fact, the thyroid sits at the epicenter of the endocrine system and oversees the critical job of regulating the body’s metabolism. Although the thyroid gland weighs less than one ounce, the hormones it produces affect virtually every cell in the body.

Continue reading “Natural Strategies to Maximize Thyroid Function (Part 2 of 3)”