The Herbal Insider

Elizabeth J Baldwin says “Forget the Viagra for men, where the heck is something to boost a woman’s libido?”

After enjoying a healthy sex drive since the onset of puberty I suddenly had little or none. This did not make my husband happy, and it made me even more unhappy. After consulting with my doctor, trying various over-the-counter remedies, and generally pursuing any avenue that promised even a slight renewal of my sex drive I stumbled on a combination that works for me.

First taking a two mile walk two or three times a week, in addition to my regular activities, helped a bit. Some of the natural remedies offered seemed to help some. The biggest aid though was discovering that the antihistamines I take for my allergies may be the biggest culprit. My allergies have been getting worse over the years and I’ve been taking more meds for them. Once I discovered this possible problem I began making certain I did not take them within twenty-four hours of times I thought we might have time to play. Then I added Guaifenesin to ward off Read more… »

With the approach of autumn, we welcome that slight chill in the air after the relentless heat of the summer. We look forward to the brilliant colors of the changing leaves, the final harvest of the fruit trees and digging out our favorite sweater. Cooler temperatures and shortening days also signal the start of flu season and the time to prepare is now. Read more… »

Have you ever wondered, “Why does my pain keep coming back?”
Your pain may keep returning because many foods in the typical American diet produce prostaglandin in the body. So pain relievers in the absence of other strategies to combat prostaglandin can lead to a chronic state that recurs or doesn’t resolve.

This is especially alarming because numerous scientific journals link usage of pain relievers, whether acetaminophen or NSAIDs, to an increased risk of cancer, stomach bleeding, heart disease and high blood pressure. That is, the more doses and the more often the pain relievers are consumed, the more likely those chronic, degenerative and potentially deadly diseases occur. Read more… »

Statistically speaking, there’s a very good chance that you know someone who has had a heart attack. You also are quite likely to know several more individuals who have cardiovascular disease but are unaware of it and the fact that their lives are in jeopardy as a result. But here’s the clincher: if you’re over 50, there’s a better than even chance that you yourself fit into one of these two categories. You may need Nattokinase.

It is generally accepted that the Japanese have longer life spans with far fewer health problems associated with cardiovascular disease than almost any other nationality in the world. Of course, part of this record can be attributed to a diet high in grains, vegetables and fish. However new research has shown that another important and relatively little known aspect of the Japanese diet, a fermented food called natto, plays a very large part in Japanese cardiovascular health. It was also what led researchers to discover the enzyme Nattokinase, an essential component of natto. Read more… »

When the Stevia plants first arrive water them thoroughly to settle the soil. Keep in partial shade for a day or two then plant in full sun. We find that Stevia will grow in almost any climate, if it is given the correct soil, fertilizer, and light conditions. Stevia is not frost hardy and must be planted each year. In areas where there is no frost, Stevia is still replanted each year, due to the poor growth of the 2nd year root system.

Stevia should be planted in the spring after the soil temperature reaches 65 deg F. Plant in full sun and in a light, sandy, open, well drained soil with neutral pH. Use a standard garden fertilized. Do not use a lawn fertilizer or fertilizers with high nitrogen. Adding extra Boron will help keep the Stevioside level high.

Stevia should be harvested in the fall. The leaves contain about 12% Stevioside (one of the sweet factors). The old brown Stevia leaves will contain 8 to 10% Stevioside. The stems contain about 3% Stevioside. Our Stevia Sweet Recipes Cook Book has many recipes that use Stevia leaf powder.

In the Fall just as the plant is starting to bloom you cut the plant off at ground level (the sweet factor is the highest just before flowering). The plant should be harvested early in the morning and dried in the full sun. The whole plant should be dried first then the leaves pulled from the stems. Hang the plant upside down or lay on a plastic window screen in full sun until completely dry. Strip the leaves off the stems. Discard the stems. When crispy dry, store in a plastic bag until ready to use. Leaves harvested this way in the fall will be 2 to 3 times sweeter than leaves from the same plant harvested in the summer. Break the leaf with your hands or put them a blender to make powder. Please email or phone if you have additional questions. The best place to buy Stevia plants is at www.stevia-plant.com .