Herbal Medicine

[Passionaria]

Originally Posted by violaine

exotic pets, such as cavies/guinea pigs, are super drug-sensitive, and cannot be treated with many medications used for people, cats, or dogs. i'm caring for a little guinea pig who was quite a while at the shelter. since i've already posted some of his background in the animal rescue thread, so i won't go into all of it here, but i will share some links, please, on neem oil, and essentials not only for humans, but our animal-family members.
ox

Violaine! This is fascinating, I really appreciate you sharing it here. I love the ability for people not only to be able to diagnose some basic conditions and then treat their own pets, but also to do so naturally, is just exciting. A friend of mine who is an herbalist treats her dog with herbs, and actually saved the dogs life when western medicine could not find a way. I think it is powerful for people to know how to treat at home. Brava, you Critter Diva



I have Himalayan cats, Amorcita's eyes are prone to mild infection, so I will put some colloidal silver in the water, and that seems to help. Do you have any tips for that????

[Andrew, Jr.]

I always rely on Violaine for her knowledge. She is my contact in case Dino or one of my animals get sick. She is brilliant! I am grateful to have her.

Drew

[Passionaria]

Originally Posted by Andrew, Jr.

I always rely on Violaine for her knowledge. She is my contact in case Dino or one of my animals get sick. She is brilliant! I am grateful to have her.

Drew

I second that Andrew, Violaine is FABULOUS!!!!

Pashi

[Nat]

Gracefully Entering the Winter Season notes from Herbs for Life by Amanda from Lion's Tooth Herbals
http://www.lionstoothherbals.com/home.html

- Drink more water
- Humidifiers - especially if you are the type to get a dry throat in the middle of the night

Use of Essential Oils
(Anti-viral essential oils: tea tree oil, eucalyptis, lavender, rosemary, thyme - can be combined with other essential oils as well)

- Essential oils can be used in a non-plastic humidifier or put in boiling water on the stove to act as a diffuser
- Room spray - half water, half alcohol then add essential oil (15 drops per ounce) - spray as needed

Diet:
- *Increase intake of dark leafy greens - supports liver - spinach, kale, collards, dandelion greens, arugula, romaine
- Also this time of year, you want to start cooking your vegetables. no more salads. you need things that are warming and nourishing to your body like casseroles and soups.
- Soups are a great way to hide all those medicinal herbs (rooty vegetables like dandelion root, burdock root, yellowdock, red clover, astragulus) that don't taste so great - you can put them in a muslin bag and use them in soup stock - and when you add in all of your delicious vegetables and grains and spices, you won't be able to taste them. *You can also add seaweeds to your soup stock and then pull it out when you're done if you don't want to actually eat it.
- Elderberry extract or elderberry syrup - can be used at the onset of feeling ill (which is the only time to take echinacea), during your illness and for at least a week after you start to get better.

To Nourish Hair, Skin and Nails

- If your skin tends to be not super-dry, you can buy a skin brush and brush toward your heart just before the shower and it helps stimulate circulation and moves toxins out and is generally invigorating.

- If your skin is dry, sesame oil is fantastic. you can also use virgin coconut oil or sunflower oil. You want to use unrefined oils because those will have more minerals and vitamins. *You should warm it up like you would a baby bottle and massage it into your skin, let it soak in for a couple minutes before you hop in the hot shower. *The hot steam will open your pours so your skin can suck in the moisture more easily. *As the moisture is sucked in, dirt is pulled out because oil is a cleanser. You can add your favorite essential oils.

Add color to your life

- Bring bright, vibrant summer colors indoors (like cut flowers) or you can wear them can help counteract winter blues
- You might want to buy full-spectrum bulbs to simulate sunny energy indoors

Exercise - move your body every day preferably 45 minutes a day but even a little helps

[Nat]

Notes from listening to Herbs for Life w/ Amanda at Lion's Tooth Herbals


For Depression and Anxiety

The first thing she recommends is to listen to / acknowledge / experience your emotions and give them the time and space they need and to let them guide you. *She recommends taking a moment to really feel the emotion and let it sit and be and just witness it - and this will make it easier to accept it and let it go. *If you are still having negative emotions, it may be an indication that something needs to shift in your life.

She also mentions breath is important - if you aren't breathing - if you hold your breath or breathe shallowly - make a conscious effort to take 5 deep and slow breaths. *This will cause your body to relax more.

Journaling also helps - just purge everything you can - everything that's bothering you. *She recommends reviewing these on the full moon and consciously releasing them.

Also she says it's good to imagine leaving the gunk of your day outside when you walk in the door of your home. Sometimes people leave a pot or other container outside their door and mentally put the bad stuff in it before walking in the door.

Herbs

Dill - Helps with erratic compulsive thinking that can turn into thoughtlessness, argumentative, rigid or spiteful behavior. Brings focus to attention and thoughts, calms a person's mind and helps them to digest the issues they are dealing with. Dill can be taken as an essence or carried around and smelled.

Teas or extracts/tinctures: Teas are gentler, you can drink them all day long and tinctures are more abrupt and immediate. She recommends teas when possible. She says these can all be blended together.

Nettle - one of the most powerful nervous system herbs available - feeds and serves the entire nervous system.

Lemon balm - calms, warms, settles you down. Also a helpful anti-viral.

Oats - oat straw or oat tops - great for nervous system - soothes, supports, lifts, regenerates nervous system

Rose - good for emotional imbalance, depression and anxiety - makes you feel loved, soothing, healing. she recommends rose glycerite which is rose extract in vegetable glycerine and a little alcohol.

Chamomile - don't steep too long or it will get bitter - great when you just can't stop yourself from whining, helps you let go, look for things to appreciate, give yourself a break. *

Basil - especially holy basil - adaptogenic herb, powerful, knows what your body needs, very warming and soothing to the body, brings gentleness to the body, sooths, regenerates - similar to nettle and oat straw but super-potent for feeding your adrenals, liver, kidneys, hair, skin and nails.

Lavender, Rose and Lemonbalm tea - lavender is soothing, relaxing, great for anxiety. rose makes you feel loved. lemonbalm calms and warms you. *the combo helps make you feel better.

Mimosa bark (not tea - just extract) - funny taste but it helps with depression - feeds your soul, feeds your heart, gives you a boost, elevates and shifts thought patterns, helps release stuff that doesn't serve you. *works well in combo with rose and/or lemonbalm

Flower Essences -

Agrimony - great for the kinds of people who are like, "no i'm fine, everything's great" while inside they are not happy. basically, the stuffers, people who hide behind a happy face.

Rescue Remedy from Bach is good for anybody who just needs to regroup and get their feet back into the earth and just breathe.

Larch is good when you're feeling really down and out about yourself, low self-esteem, boosts confidence

Rock Rose is great for fear, just deep-seated fear even if you don't know where it's coming from but you need to break free of it.

Foxglove - getting back to childlike enthusiasm of enjoying life, just being excited

Star of Bethlehem - good for dealing with shock or trauma

[girl_dee]

I find the list overwhelming at times..

I've recently been dealing with getting old toxins out of my system and replacing them with natural healing ingredients.. my lungs are a concern so a hot cleansing bath helps a great deal..its great for the soul too.

A spirit /body cleansing bath:


Cup a little sugar/sea salt in the palm of your hand, moisten it with essential oil of your choosing.. give yourself a light scrub imagining all of the pores opening and allowing toxins to be released, along with any negative vibes you could be holding on to...focus on breathing in... all of the good stuff and exhaling all of the stuff that needs to be released.. as you are done focus on the water going down the drain..watch it spiral down... this represents all of the icky stuff you just released .. all gone.

[Passionaria]

The Green Project: Herbs for Sex

August 03, 2009

Long before the days of Viagra, vibrators, and streaming porn videos, we humans pursued new and better ways to heighten our sexual pleasure through every imaginable means. From dildos made of animal hides to dildos shaped like animals—no stone, nut or rock was left unturned by our fore-mothers and –fathers.

Herbage for Her

Because the world had yet to see the invention of medication (or rechargeable dildos, or Real Dolls), exploring the natural world for nookie enhancement became a calling of the highest order—just ask the local shaman (or his modern-day counterpart, hawking ‘natural male enhancement’ at 3:00am on cable).

We still use herbs today—especially those of us who are looking for ways to nourish and augment our bodies and biochemistry, without relying on chemicals or supporting the current bloated pharmaceutical industry. The challenge, though, is that there’s a veritable litany of inaccurate, unsafe, and downright dangerous information being passed along as fact—and precious few ways by which to pluck the good from the bad. And while we’re not experts in the realm of herbal research, we do want to talk about some of the herbs that are currently being touted as sexual enhancers—and try to separate some of the myths from the realities.

But first, the ubiquitous fine print:
Supplements are not subject to the Food and Drug Administration; therefore, they do not actually undergo scientific testing to ascertain various claims. Some supplements, in fact, can be harmful! Please be smart and do your research, and if at all possible speak with both holistic and traditional medical practitioners before self-treating with any herbal remedy.


For her pleasure:

Bayberry Bark
Bayberry bark has been used to address different female health issues, most notably as a douche to treat excess discharge (leukorrhea) from the vagina and cervix, as well as to increase blood flow. However, it’s also used for vegetable tanning leather—so if you go this route, you’ll want to be very careful about the accuracy of your measurements…we don’t want to think about what the negative effects might be (because, kiddies, nobody wants a vagina that feels like the finest cowskin).

Black Cohosh
Also called squawroot, black cohosh has compounds that mimic the effects of estrogen, balancing the body's hormone levels. Some studies have shown that it can improve symptoms of menopause such as hot flashes, mood disturbances, diaphoresis, palpitations, and vaginal dryness—and for women who have those symptoms, you can bet that any relief from them would definitely help get the sex drive back on track!

Dong quai ( Angelica sinensis )
Also known as Chinese Angelica, has been used for thousands of years in traditional Chinese, Korean, and Japanese medicine. It remains one of the most popular plants in Chinese medicine, and has been called "female ginseng," based on its use for gynecological disorders (such as painful menstruation or pelvic pain), recovery from childbirth or illness, and fatigue/low vitality. Dong quai seems to have minimal side effects for many women, and has been getting a great deal of positive press lately.

Cayenne Pepper
Cayenne Pepper has been highly touted as a remedy for poor circulation—and the better the circulation, the more our bits get engorged, n’est ce pas? In fact, some sexual lubricants use Capsicum (the chemical component of Cayenne that causes the heat) as a vasodilator to increase stimulation—so while we don’t know that you’d want to use undiluted Cayenne right there, you certainly could try it in other ways. Additionally, it has been used to help regulate menstrual cycles—and being able to rely on your Aunt Flo to arrive on time is often a boost when it comes to planning a hot night of sexing.

Sage Leaf Extract
Sage leaf is used to regulate a women’s menstrual cycle and improve circulation. Again, a regular cycle makes for a generally more relaxed woman—which makes for better sex.

SAMe
SAMe is used for, among other things, infertility, premenstrual disorders and musculoskeletal disorders. Again, this is a substance that has received a good deal of research, and there are a number of indicating studies that show that, especially for musculoskeletal health, SAMe shows considerable promise.

Soy
Soy, and components of soy called isoflavones, have been studied for the treatment of many health conditions. Isoflavones are believed to have estrogen-like effects in the body, and as a result, they are sometimes called phytoestrogens. Laboratory studies aren’t able to determine whether these phytoestrogens block or stimulate the production of natural estrogen; however, there are a number of studies that show that the female libido can increase with the addition of soy to your diet. Tofu Surprise with a side of edamame, anyone?

Wild Yam
Wild Yam contains a natural steroid called dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) that rejuvenates and gives vigor to lovemaking, as well as being used by many women as a way to minimize the effects of menopause, such as hot flashes. This is usually found as a cream that you rub into your skin (no, not there!) in order to experience the chemical benefits of the plant.

For His Pleasure

Arginine
Arginine is a natural substance that during processing turns into nitric oxide, which causes blood vessel relaxation (vasodilation). Early studies point to the idea that arginine may help treat medical conditions that improve with vasodilation, such as chest pain, clogged arteries, coronary artery disease, erectile dysfunction, etc. Arginine also triggers the body to make protein and has been studied for wound healing, bodybuilding, enhancement of sperm production (spermatogenesis), and prevention of wasting in people with critical illnesses. So—for keeping your boy up (and your swimmers swimming), it may be a great supplement to consider.

Fenugreek
Fenugreek is another herb that has acquired a reputation as an aphrodisiac. Chemical analysis has revealed the presence of diosgenen, a substance that acts in a similar way to the body's own sex hormones. Fenugreek has long been recommended by Chinese herbalists for impotence—I guess this is one of the real “ancient Chinese secrets”, eh?

Gotu Kola
Gotu kola (not to be confused with Hota Kotb, who should in no manner be ingested) improves circulation as well as enhances mental performance and concentration. As we’ve mentioned before – healthy circulation is very important to a healthy sex life, and additional mental acuity means that you’re less likely to yell out “Angelina” or “Brad” accidentally in bed.

Ginger
Ginger is a relative of Cardamon, and well known for its warming, aromatic properties. In an article titled "Studies on Herbal Aphrodisiacs Used in the Arab System", published in the American Journal of Chinese Medicine, some Saudi scientists asserted that ginger extracts significantly increase sperm motility and quantity. (Motility means capable of moving spontaneously and independently—which, when you consider it, is kind of unnerving when you think about sperm doing it).

Tribulus
No, it’s not the name of those fuzzy things on Star Trek – tribulus is an herb that has been shown to help with impotence and infertility, as well as stimulate hormone production. (This is a main ingredient in Enzyte*—you know, Smiling Bob’s enhancer of choice?). In fact, studies show that it can actually boost testosterone levels—and, at least in animals, induce rutting behavior (which, by the way, means “mounting other animals”).

Saw Palmetto
Native American Indians considered the ripe fruits of the saw palmetto a tonic and an aphrodisiac. The berries do, in fact, have a toning effect on the male reproductive system and have been employed for impotence and prostrate problems. It can be used to treat prostate enlargement and cystitis. Saw palmetto ( Serenoa repens , Sabal serrulata ) is used popularly in Europe for symptoms associated with benign prostatic hypertrophy (enlargement of the prostate). Although not considered standard of care in the United States, it is the most popular herbal treatment for this condition, and thus is very easy to find in pretty much any drugstore with an herbal supplements section.

Yohimbe bark
Yohimbe bark comes from west Africa, and is said to expand the blood vessels in the penis and increase blood flow. It also claims to increase nitrous oxide (NO), which is important for producing an erection. However, renal failure, seizures, and death have been reported from the use, or misuse, of this herb. Most sources suggest that one never take a product containing yohimbe if they have high blood pressure. Of course, high blood pressure carries its own set of problems when it comes to physical activity – like good sex, for instance.


For Both

Cardamon
Cardamon is an aromatic spice, held in high esteem by the Arab culture as an aphrodisiac. Cardamom’s sexual nature is centered in its high content of cineole, which is a central nervous system stimulant. As most of us are aware, people often equate any stimulation as a sexual stimulation; a caffeine buzz can get us going, so why not a bit of a sexually arousing buzz from cardamom?

Damiana
Damiana is good for improving blood flow to the genital area and increasing desire. It can also benefit the hormonal balance of the body, bringing things to a healthier, more natural level. Many studies report that the loss of sexual arousal can be dependent on hormonal imbalances, so making sure that your body’s chemicals are well regulated can be a first step towards regaining (or improving) your sexual response.

Ginkgo Biloba
Ginkgo improves circulation to the penis as well as acts to alleviate the symptoms of depression, which may be a cause of impotence. Ginkgo also stimulates the mind and helps with concentration. Although not definitive, there is promising early evidence favoring the use of ginkgo for memory enhancement in healthy subjects, altitude (mountain) sickness, symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), and reduction of chemotherapy-induced end-organ vascular damage. So, the overall benefits of ginkgo are only partly related to our sex life—it has the potential to improve other aspects as well.

Ginseng
Ginseng is well known as a sexual stimulant, and was initially used in Chinese herbal medicine. It is both a stimulant and relaxant on the central nervous system, improves muscle stamina and function, and is used as an additive in many energy drinks sold in the U.S. and overseas. Its use has become almost global; it’s found in dozens of “vitality” formulas available over the counter worldwide. One thing to be careful of is that ginseng can cause problems for people who have blood pressure issues, are pregnant, or have other physical challenges, so be sure to research before you use it.

There are tons of supplements out there – we’ve only covered a brief list. The important things to remember are:
1. Not everything that says it’s good for you actually is. Do your research.
2. No amount of supplements will make up for a lack of creativity and fun when it comes to sex.
3. A healthy body, coupled with a creative and engaged mind, is the best recipe for a great sex life.


*(Enzyte® Proprietary Blend:
Tribulus Terrestris extract (aerial), L-Arginine Base, Korean Ginseng, Maca (Lepidium meyenii), Orchic Substance, Epimedium Sagitatum extract, Yohimbe Extract (Pausinystalia yohimba), Muira puama, Avena Sativa extract, Zinc Gluconate, Ginkgo Biloba extract , Saw Palmetto (Serona repens), Niacin, Copper Gluconate, Octacosonal, Thymus Gland. )