Medicinal Herb Info

Exotic Herbs in Prime Time Again

2008-12-18T16:13:35.800-06:00

(image) Once again, a prime-time crime-solving drama has used exotic herbs in an episode. This time, it was CSI: NY and the herbs were integral to both the mode of death and to solving the cirme.

(image) The first herbal culprit was the so-called Miracle Fruit. Amazingly, when a person swishes the seed of this berry in their mouth for a few seconds, everything that's bitter or sour will taste sweet to the person for a half hour to two hours afterwards. It's a very unusual concept and if mothers of toddlers get the idea of this, there might be a lot more vegetables eaten...

But then, I doubt that it is a good idea to use exotic plants on our children...who knows what harm they might be able to cause.

(image) The other odd plant that was ingested in the episode was one commonly chewed as a stimulant in in Asia. It's called Betel Quid and according to the show anyway, its chewing is supposed to keep a person's DNA from being detected. I was curious and did some research online about it and sure enough, it's a commonly chewed herb in Asia...but I found no references to the DNA anomoly. But whether it's true or not, it made for good television.

Let's hope it doesn't become used by criminals in the commission of crimes to mask their DNA...unless it doesn't work. Then it could be great, since it would offer a false sense of safety.

I love how TV writers are getting more creative with their use of herbs and herbal treatments in the plots of their shows. It's just another indication that people are becomming more used to herbs being used for medicinal and other uses. I just wish the herbs on TV didn't always have to the be killers... ;-)

Find out more about Betel Quid here.

Carnival of Natural Health - December 2, 2008

2008-12-06T20:45:40.443-06:00

Welcome to the December 2, 2008 edition of Carnival of Natural Health.Generalswapnil warang presents How to know if you are underweight posted at switch2life.Betina Thygesen presents Triage posted at Betina Thygesen.banquet manager thatsme presents Important Health Advice For Women posted at So You Want To Be a Banquet Manager....Joshua Seth presents Why Diets Don’t Work posted at Joshua Seth Blog, saying, "My good friend Justin Kredible from the Rachael Ray show stopped by to do a quick interview recently. In part one of this video he asks “What’s the difference between using hypnosis for weight loss and just going on a diet?”Alternative MedicineAmy Smith presents Natural Help for ADHD posted at Kids Love Learning.sunny narin presents d master cleanser: November 2008 posted at d master cleanser.Carmen Davailus presents Natural Holistic Therapies for Common Illnesses posted at Naturally Holistic, saying, "What works and what doesn't? Natural Treatments for Common Conditions such as the flu, degenerative eye conditions, depression, menopause, PMS and more."HealingHarmonics in Cairns, Australia presents Upper Back Stretch posted at Harmonics in Cairns: Real Lifestyle Change.Good Thing presents A Million Good Things posted at A Million Good Things.Healthy LivingErnesto Maitim presents Anti Acne Program: How to Prevent Acne from Happening posted at Man Skin Care World.Kiera Pedley presents Tips For Using Cloth Diapers posted at Natural Parenting Tips, saying, "Cloth diapers are the natural way to avoid plastics and chemicals for your child. This article details the basics on choosing, and using cloth diapers."Patricia Turner presents 100 Tools and Resources to Secure Your Health Records posted at Online Nursing Degree Guide.Nancy Miller presents A Few Good Stress Busters posted at Becoming A Radiologist.Aparna presents Beauty and health effects of negative emotions posted at Beauty and Personality Grooming.Peter presents The Ultimate Guide to Stress Relief posted at The Change Blog.Arun presents A Matter of Perspective posted at Arun is Bringing You...Your Daily Remedy, saying, "Sometimes, a little perspective is all we need to realize how great our lives are!"GrrlScientist presents Bottomfeeder: How to Eat Ethically in a World of Vanishing Seafood posted at Living the Scientific Life, saying, "There's plenty of fish in the sea, as the old addage goes -- but are there, really? I experienced a rude awakening at the peak popularity of Orange Roughy, which I loved. I learned that Orange Roughy, Hoplostethus atlanticus, an extremely long-lived benthic species in the Western Pacific Ocean that doesn't even reach sexual maturity until 40 years of age, was being eaten out of existence by people like me. After I learned that, I never touched Orange Roughy again."Coatlicue presents Natural vs. bottled water posted at Raw Fitness Online, saying, "An article about the health benefits of natural waters, and the dangers of bottled and distilled water."Carole Fogarty presents 14 Funky Ways To Calm Your Nerves Consistently: posted at THE HEALTHY LIVING LOUNGE, saying, "Do yourself a favor and add more deliberate moments of relaxation and deep rest into your day. This article is a reminder of the many ways you can put yourself first more often and soothe your nerves consistently. You can also tell where my focus is at the moment .... nourishing my nervous system."Peter Crump presents Dangerous Cosmetics May Harm Teenage Girls posted at Natural Health - Natural Skin Care.Jeremy Zongker presents 76 Ways to Save Money While Saving the Environment posted at Destroy Debt.Marsha Hudnall presents Preventing Holiday Weight Gain: 10 Tips to Guarantee Holiday Weight Gain posted at A Weight Lifted, saying, "The annual holiday food fight is about to begin. You know, the one where conflicted women nationwide (even worldwide) face down rich-food eating traditions.Lovelyn presents 7 Foods to Boost Your Immune System posted at The Art of Balanced Living.Alvaro Fernandez presents Brain Fitness 2: Sight & Sound, at P[...]

Carnival of Natural Health - November 2, 2008

2008-11-02T17:25:45.313-06:00

Welcome to the November 2, 2008 edition of Carnival of Natural Health.GeneralAparna presents Beauty and Personality Grooming: Yogic diet posted at Beauty & Personality Grooming.Andrew Michaels presents Lifecrafting · Meat Part I: How It’s Slowly Killing You by Strangling Your Heart and Riddling You With Cancer posted at Lifecrafting, saying, "How removing meat from your diet can save your life."Phil B. presents Reducing Stress « Phil for Humanity posted at Phil for Humanity, saying, "All too often, I see people around me looking for short term solutions to stress, such as taking “must needed” vacations, and then they go right back to their hectic and stressful schedule immediately afterwards. I equate this with yo-yo dieting that does not work in the long term. Handling stress must be a lifestyle change that minimizes everyday stress."Maria Johnson presents Mailman, Florist, Taxi Driver & Irritable Bowel Syndrome posted at Maria Johnson.Maria Johnson presents The Golden Years Are The Time for Colon Cleansing posted at Maria Johnson.Maria Johnson presents Causes & Ways to Cure Irritable Bowel Syndrome posted at Maria Johnson.Alternative MedicineSam presents Alternative Medicine posted at Surfer Sam and Friends, saying, "Improve the quality of your life with a whole body, holistic approach to healing. Dozens of therapies are here."Conan Stevens presents Natural Cure For A Sore Thoat posted at Conan Stevens Online, saying, "I can't understand why people run out and buy medicine everytime they get a little bit sick - as if taking pseudoephedrine is going to help your body heal itself."PhilosopherVet presents Acupuncture for Acne - A Long Term Acne Solution posted at Ambitiously InquisitiveTheNourisher presents How to Make Calcium using Egg Shells posted at Nourished Magazine, saying, "Cheap and Easy Calcium Supplementation."Jimson Lee presents Copper, Magnetic and Titanium Bracelets - PhysioBalm posted at Speedendurance.com, saying, "A detailed look at copper and other heavy metals for alternative medicine."Dr. Jason Richards presents Why hasn't my OB recommended chiropractic care? posted at Pregnancy and Back Pain.Alexandr B.S. presents Best Toothache Remedies. Stop Toothache. posted at Worldental - world dental treatment guide.HealingAndrea presents What is Physiotherapy? posted at Travel Vaccinations, saying, "The health benefits of physiotherapy."Raymond David Salas presents How to Heal Yourself posted at ZenChill.com - Power Tools for Mind, Body, and Soul.Anmol Mehta presents Book of Kundalini Yoga Poses & Kriyas - Spinal Warmup Yoga Exercises - Ch 1 posted at Mastery of Meditation, Enlightenment & Kundalini Yoga, saying, "An effective and simple Kundalini Yoga set to heal and strengthen the back and spine. The set also works on the digestive systems and improves emotional balance."Healthy LivingVahid Chaychi presents Health and Happiness Formula posted at Healthoma.com.Wenchypoo presents Oh No—Not Another Detox! posted at Wisdom From Wenchypoo's Mental Wastebasket.Alfa King presents Stop… for health « Alfa King Memories posted at Alfa King Memories.Wenchypoo presents The Return of NNR Food Scores (L-O-N-G) posted at Wisdom From Wenchypoo's Mental Wastebasket.Amy Pedersen presents Ergonomics, Office Chairs and the Real Definition of Ergonomic Workplace Posture posted at Sit On This Office Chair ...., saying, "The dictionary definition of ergonomics or human factors is the application of scientific information concerning humans to the design of objects, systems and environment for human use. When a manufacturer uses this process they take into account many factors which can affect the consumer. They use theory, data and principles in order to design a chair that limits all unnatural motions which will cause fatigue and pain."David Richeson presents How to Keep Yourself Healthy posted at 360 Degree Success, saying, "Simple steps to keep yourself healthy and prevent illness."Aparna presents Bhramari Pranayam posted at Beauty & Pers[...]

A Deadly Herb Hits Prime Time

2008-10-17T22:25:09.759-05:00

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One advantage to having a TiVo is the fact that I can watch a TV show when it's convenient to watch, not just when the show airs. So with that in mind, I just watched the second episode of a new series on CBS. The show is called Eleventh Hour and I'm not sure yet if I like it enough to recommend it, but I admit that the second episode was MUCH better than the premiere was.

In episode 1.02, the seriously smart science-guy and his hottie female FBI sidekick were called in to figure out why several 11-year-old boys had suddenly died of heart attacks in the same small town. After a lot of investigation, including that of poisonous toads, the pair arrived at the culprit - fox glove. Fox glove is a purple-flowered herb that grows wild in the woods. It's extremely poisonous if used improperly. If a person knows what they are doing, it can be used to make Digitalis, a powerful medicine for heart problems.

There's a video clip on the CBS site that shows the team finding the fox glove. Believe it or not, the killer turned out to be a boy genius who was killing off his classmates...I don't want to spoil it for you if you haven't watched it yet.

But the interesting part was the woman in the town who grew herbs of all kinds with which to make and sell herbal medicines, such as the digitalis.

I think it's cool how the idea of medicines being made from plants is gaining such credibility. In earlier generations, it was just taken for granted that medicines were taken from plants. But then "modern" medicine convinced so many for so long that only chemically created medicines were good. I'm glad the awareness is returning.

But as this program illustrates, some herbs are not to be played with at all. And if one doesn't know what they are doing, those dangerous herbs can kill. So be very cautious when harvesting and using herbs!! It's important to give them the proper respect for their power. Find out much more about fox glove here.

I'm Going to Grow My Own Saffron!

2008-10-15T22:45:19.549-05:00

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I admit it, I'm a huge lover of paella, that wonderful Spanish rice and seafood and whatever-else-you-want-to-add dish! The only drawback is that for a truly tasty pan of paella, one must use the most expensive spice in the world...saffron. It's made from the tiny filament in the center of a specific crocus flower and must be harvested in the fall using a pair of tweezers!

The incredibly wonderful news is that I found a source for the bulbs of the saffron crocus! It's a web site for the Rosemary House. I just ordered a bunch of bulbs and apparently, this is the perfect time of year to plant them. so next fall, about this time, I should be able to harvest my own saffron.

So if you like dishes that use saffron, you have a choice of substituting turmeric (not perfect, but it'll do in a pinch) or you can grow and harvest your own saffron!

Learn about the midicinal uses of saffron at the Medicinal Herb Info site.

Welcome to Medicinal Herb Info Blog!

2008-10-05T13:18:26.665-05:00

This is the blog that will accompany the web site medicinalherbinfo.org. The web site is a compilation of my late mother's research on medicinal herbs and I will continue her mission to report on the latest medicinal herb news here in this blog.

I hope you'll enjoy the information here and that you'll subscribe and visit often!

Namaste.

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