Shopping List for a Clutter-Free Medicine Cabinet

UPDATED May 11, 2008
There are so many products on the market claiming health benefits, immune system boosting and antioxidant prowess that it’s difficult to know how to make sense of it all. Here’s a no-nonsense summary of Best Practices for building an arsenal of healthy herbal and supplemental products. It’s not a complete list, by any means, and it does not cover food, but it's a good foundation for any health-oriented kitchen.

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Devil’s Claw is God’s Gift for Back and Muscle Pain

Brazilians are using all sorts of plants and herbs to alleviate pains and strains. What’s “in vogue” today is an herb called garra do diabo, or devil’s claw (scientific name, Harpagophyitum procumbens). But don’t be startled by the name; it’s not what you think. Devil’s claw got a bad rap in the name department. As you will see, it’s more like a gift from the gods in the treatment of arthritis, rheumatism, fibromialgia, bursitis, tendonitis, spinal problems, osteoporosis, and general muscular pain.

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What's All The Nonsense About Noni?

If you've been keeping an eye on the latest buzz in the natural health world, you've certainly heard about the new super-juice coming from Hawaii, Tahiti and other tropical regions. Like many natural products that have received a lot of attention for their health benefits (and claims), Noni has been the subject of a lot of controversy, including a series of FDA warnings regarding health claims made about the juice.

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Noni fruit photo by http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User_talk:Marshman

Herbal Aphrodisiacs

Part Two: From the Amazon to Copacabana
Brazil is known for being a sexy place. From Copacabana to the sensual beaches of Bahia, it’s difficult to escape the sensuality of its people and landscape. What’s more, Brazil is blessed with the abundance of nature, from its many different ecosystems to the numerous varieties of fruits and nuts that grow wild, throughout the countryside. Avocados and mangos are so abundant, you can find them growing in public spaces just about anywhere in the countryside and even in some cities. Both of these, by the way, are considered to be aphrodisiacs—the avocado mostly for male potency and the mango for stimulating desire in both sexes. With all this natural stimulation available for the taking, it’s no wonder that Brazil’s sensuality exudes in its people, its music and its culture.

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Herbal Aphrodisiacs

Part One: Out of the Amzon
On a visit to the interior of Brazil, in a small market in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, I came across a basket full of small plastic bags, each with a different homemade mixture of herbs and spices from the region. Poking through the various baggies, I noticed one that claimed to be an aphrodisiac. Naturally, I purchased it and a week or two later, came across it in my bags and decided to try it out with my wife. She tells me that was one of the hottest nights she can remember sharing with me. The mixture? Catuaba powder, Guaraná powder, Marapuama, and Noz de Cola, among other herbs and spices. All of these are plants from the Brazilian Amazon Region.

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Heart by http://www.everaldo.com/

Lose Weight Naturally: Nature Lends a Hand

Losing weight does not have to be a struggle. Nature provides all kinds of herbs and foods that help you feel full, increase energy and metabolism, and process fats and sugars more efficiently. Here is a list of some of the best herbal supplements that you can add to a weight control program. Mix and match for best results, depending on your needs.

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Dandelion photo by BenHur: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:BenHur

Stuffed Grape Leaves: Healthy for Anyone, A Diabetic’s Delight

Walnut and Spinach Stuffed Grape Leaves
Here's a delicious recipe that is not just acceptable for diabetics, but actually helps combat diabetes and many side effects resulting from diabetes and high blood sugar. The combination of the antioxidants, live probiotic cultures and LA (lipoic acid) combats diabetes and helps maintain healthy immune and digestive systems. Garlic, onions and other ingredients help purify the blood, while walnuts, brown rice, and selenium sources work on the thyroid. But this is not just for diabetics. The health benefits from this dish are great for anyone.

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Treating with Tea

Whatever ails you, there's a tea treatment you can try
Tea time anyone? The varieties of herbal teas is astounding and so are their healing qualities. It seems there is a tea for nearly anything that ails you. The Chinese have known this for millennia. Their strange and wonderful herbal concoctions are carefully constructed to combat illness. Not to mention their daily consumption of green tea, which is a natural anti-inflammatory, antiviral and full of antioxidants. Here are a few other possibilities:

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Tea photo by: http://www.flickr.com/photos/david_wilmot/

Happiness Shake

A tasty way to cure the blues
Here's a recipe for a tasty chocolate smoothie that combats depression. The ingredients in this concoction are selected for their antidepressant qualities and for their ability to work together in this mixture. Here's what you'll need:


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Chocolate photo by
http://www.flickr.com/photos/whitewizard_studio/147401275

Thyroid Imbalance: An American Epidemic

The number of Americans suffering from thyroid imbalance is reaching epidemic proportions. An estimated 15 million individuals are living with this imbalance, but the number is probably much higher. The most common imbalance is Hypothyroidism, which is an under-active thyroid. Symptoms include low energy, sensitivity to cold, slow digestion and elimination, weight gain, slow heartbeat, and even depression.

Sound like you?


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walnut photo by http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Fir0002
Kelp phot by http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Lyzzy

Stop Colds Before They Start

Colds are caused primarily by inhaled germs and bacteria. These airborne molecules first come into contact with the tissues in your throat, which is why most colds begin with minor itching or soreness in the throat. From there, the bacteria grows and descends to your chest and lungs…or rises up to the mucus membranes in your nasal cavities. By then the game is over. You lose.

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5 Things You Should Know About Liver Detoxification

1. Everyone has gallstones! They are essentially hardened bile caused by too much cholesterol in the diet. They obstruct the normal production of bile in the liver and gallbladder, which results in impaired digestion, reduced ability to process fats and proteins, poor elimination, and poor blood health. They generally go unnoticed until they present a major problem. But the “minor” problems they cause include low energy, allergies, low immunity, weight gain, IBS, and other bowel problems.

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Best Practices to Boost the Immune System

With all the noise about the immune system and its importance to our health and longevity, it can be difficult to boil things down to the best practices, therapies and supplements for giving our immunity a bump and keeping it healthy. So I've compiled this little list of best practices to make it easier. Remember that these are just a few of the most noteworthy practices and supplements I've come across in my studies and that these should probably be done in concert to assist the immune system on various levels.

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Two Recipes for Reducing Heavy Metal Toxicity

Here are two great recipes that help to reduce heavy metal toxicity in our systems. They both use a generous amount of cilantro, which has been shown to have chelating qualities, meaning that it binds to heavy metals in our blood and helps carry them out. Other ingredients are chosen for their antioxidant-rich qualities (helping reduce damage from heavy metals) and other benefits.


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Cure for ADHD: Eliminate Dysfunction at Home

Scientific studies into the causes of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) remain inconclusive as to a neurological origin for the disorder. Although allergic reactions to environmental and food toxins continue to warrant study in their connection with ADD and other behavioral and cognitive disorders in children (and adults for that matter), there is still some mystery as to why some children exhibit ADHD symptoms and others do not. We remain with no conclusive evidence that food allergies or heavy metal poisoning actually cause ADHD.

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Coffee Drinkers Take DHEA to Combat Adrenal Depletion

Did you know that drinking excess caffeine can cause your adrenal glands to over-produce and wear themselves out? Excessive caffeine intake causes the adrenal glands to react much like they do with chronic stress – by producing adrenalin. If you don’t give your adrenal glands a break, you’re likely to require more and more coffee to get the same energy effects. In other words, you are in a state of adrenal depletion.

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