Capsicum annuum, or Cayenne pepper as it is commonly called is a moderately hot chili pepper. Cayenne peppers are tapering fruits, 10 to 25 cm long, skinny, mostly red-colored peppers, often with a curved tip and somewhat rippled skin. There are many varieties, most are rated at 30,000 to 50,000 Scoville units. The heat is the thing with cayenne. The benefit as an herb and super food derives from it's ability to bring the FIRE! Dried and ground to make the powdered spice, culinary blends may be comprised of different types of peppers, quite often not containing cayenne peppers. Which is fine for cooking spicy dishes, but when it comes to use as an herb/super food, you want the real thing. Cayenne ranked as renown Herbalist, Jethro Kloss's number one "go to" herbs. Added to herbal tinctures cayenne promotes an increase in the function of other herbs, a boosting power. This fire stoking herb is an adaptogen, in that it can stimulate and calm. For example in cases of low blood pressure, cayenne will increase the blood pressure and stimulate vitality in one who is listless. On the other hand, when someone is suffering with high blood pressure and anxious, cayenne provides a relaxing influence! The mysterious world of medicinal plants! Medicinal Properties of Cayenne Pepper
The bottom line on this fiery, red hot herb...put it to use! Best source for cayenne for cooking is the bulk department at a natural foods stores or on-line. Check to make sure it has it's Latin botanical name, Capsicum annuum. Look for liniments and pain relieving ointments that contain capsicum, the phenol of cayenne peppers. Capsules are the best method for taking internally. 1-2 capsule per ingestion are more than sufficient, up to 6 - capsules per day depending on the condition you are wanting to improve.
2 Comments
As a Wellness Practitioner I spend a lot of time with my clients. I listen to how they speak about themselves, what kinds of statement do they tend to make about their lives. The self-talk script is format of beliefs that we play out in our daily life. It plays in our hearts and minds. It is a story we tell ourselves about who we are, what we believe and what choices we have. If it is self limited it holds you prisoner to false beliefs. You are continuously "creating our life" every minute of everyday. Whether you are doing this consciously or unconsciously is the question! Creating your life is no different than designing the look you want for your bedroom, choosing a paint color for your house, or reworking your wardrobe. Creating your life means dreaming your life "on purpose" with intention to manifest what you want in terms of evolving in your consciousness. You live in a dream field that will/does conform to your expectations, for better or worse! How to's to support "creating" or "evolving" your life?
Success Tip: The process of recreating your life is simple but not necessarily easy. As with any human activity involving establishing new habits, you won't stick with it if it isn't fun and enjoyable. Find a way to see this as something playful. Start small with one new and simply intention, such as "I am changing the way I see myself"! Here are some suggestions to get you started creating your life.
Creating a dream version of yourself and your life is an art form that will yield amazing results over time. In the end you will FEEL more confident and capable. The true stuff of life we experience viscerally through our feelings. By creating and dreaming your intention you will improve the way you feel on every level and that's empowering!
Supportive Reading:
The Four Agreements, Don Miguel Ruiz The Power of Now, Eckhart Tolle Waking the Tiger, Peter Levine Book of Secrets, Deepak Chopra * Be encouraged to buy used books! Happy Dreaming Vanessa Goldeen Founder of Bridge to Health A Commonsense Approach to Health and Wellness Lobelia (Lobelia inflata) The main parts used of the Lobelia plant are the flowering parts and the seeds. The seeds are the most potent because they contain lobeline, a piperidine alkaloid. Named after Matthias de Lobel, a 17th century botanist, Lobelia is known as Indian Tobacco because it contains lobeline. Lobeline is believed to have a chemical make up similar to nicotine and was therefore used as an alternative to tobacco. In the 19th century, Lobelia was also used as a medicinal herb to induce vomiting, thus removing harmful poisons from the body. An often misunderstood herb that has been maligned by pharmaceutical companies and allopathic medicine. Lobelia is a very potent herb that can produce profound results in a short period of time. It is an herb which should be used with caution. When used properly lobelia is an excellent expectorant to loosen phlegm, an anti-asthmatic. It is also used to treat hysteria, panic attacks as well as convulsions and spasm or spastic conditions. It’s effect is somewhat narcotic, but it is a safe an effective treatment for any condition of spasm or pain. Also very helpful for nicotine withdrawal. It is important to begin with lower dosages and increase the dosage over a period of time.It is also imperative that you never surpass a dosage of 20 mg per day. If you consume a dosage higher than 500 mg, it could be fatal. I have used lobelia for years in combination with skunk cabbage and other herbs in the form of Muscle Calmer, which is based on Jethro Kloss’s old time antispasmodic tincture. His book Back to Eden paved the way for many people to become their own best doctors. You're hearing it everywhere, but it's not new news! Commonsense tells us, if we are having issue chronic with our digestion and elimination, something is wrong. Gut health... you may be asking why are so many people having problems with their guts? Well, there are many factors that go into this equation.
Chronic health and immunity conditions are widely varied, but the root cause is the same. We see such a wide range of symptoms and manifestations because each individual is susceptible where they are genetically the weakest. Something you should know about digestion. Stress and trauma hinder digestion. Saliva dries up when the body is in fight or flight. When a person is experiencing high stress or chronic PTSD symptoms their food does not get properly saturated with digestive enzymes of the mouth. The food arrives at the stomach already behind in the digestion production line. The stomach, also affected by fight or flight is not producing enough stomach acids to further breakdown the food you have eaten. Now this undigested mass of liquified food enters the small intestinal tract where it's meant to ferment with the aid of your healthy probiotics. If you are probiotic deficient or out of balance with a high level of not so helpful bacteria, undigested food molecules are absorbed into the blood stream where your immune system sees them as invaders. This is the root of the problem. Over years your immune system becomes taxed and symptoms start. Again, where you are weakest you'll start having symptoms such as food allergies, sleep disorders, fatigue, bowel issues all the way down to serious autoimmune disorders and diseases. It all starts right there in your mouth. Okay here's the GOOD NEWS....YOU HAVE A CHOICE! You have the choice to say no to a way of life that will inevitably lead to chronic health problems and premature aging. This message is not just for the over 40 crowd because the greatest number of victims are kids, young kids! Many suffer with "spectrum disorders" of a wide range. Research and commonsense can agree these conditions are PREVENTABLE. Here's the BAD NEWS... If you are suffering from chronic auto-immune disorders, spectrum disorders, IBS, rheumatoid conditions or any other long term health issue, you will have to MAKE CHANGES IN YOUR LIFESTYLE AND FOOD CHOICES in order to heal. It will take a diligent effort and long term commitment to change not only the way you eat, but also the type of medicine you choose and most importantly...THE WAY YOU THINK! If you believe you are unable to change and heal, you won't! Here's another important factor about gut health. A poorly functioning digestive system equals a poorly functioning brain. We now know that the gut has as many neural pathways and the brain, that a lot! The 'gut feeling" is no myth. Our intuition derives from our gut where we sense and feel the world around us. When this ability is impaired we are unable to trust ourselves or others. That tends to make us nervous and edgy or even panicky in many cases. Researches are now on the trail of gut health as a major contributor to mental health issues from depression to manic/depressive disorders. How, you ask can the gut be HEALED? By diligently unraveling the symptoms down to the source of your immune susceptibility and getting to the root cause one can begin to find resolution of even long standing symptoms. This process is not a magic pill or bullet, but it will do much to improve the quality of life for many people. With this in mind, Bridge to Health is excited to offer a new addition to our on-line Detoxes, Restoring the Gut! This on-line detox offers an affordable and complete guideline to tried and true steps to restoring gut health. With a little courage and determination, one can do much to improve one's health and life! It is recommended that you review the Restoring the Gut Protocol with your physician or principle health care professional. Modification may be required to adapt the plan to your individual needs. Schedule a free 15 minute phone consult with Certified Wellness Consultant, Vanessa Goldeen to learn more about how the Restoring the Gut Detox may help you. Purchase Restore the Gut Online Protocol The genus Echinacea has ten species, commonly called coneflowers. They are found only in eastern and central North America, where they grow in moist to dry prairies, grasslands and open wooded areas and many gardens as well! They have large, showy composite flowers and bloom from early to late summer. Echinacea purpurea is the medicinal herb from this Asteraceae family. It is a perennial medicinal herb with important immuno-stimulatory and anti-inflammatory properties, especially the alleviation of cold and flu symptoms. Echinacea is a go to to build immunity especially during the winter months. All parts of the plant are used. When purchasing echinacea bulk as tinctures or capsules, you'll want to be sure it's the whole plant; leaf, flower, seeds and root being used for maximum benefit. This herbs is best used as a tonic starting in the late part of summer or very early fall. Used in this way it is able to help boost T-cell production and boost your immune system. Echinacea works well in combinations with other herbs such as goldenseal, astragalus and other herbs that support immunity and detoxification. Since inflammation is an integral part of compromised immunity, echinacea benefits those suffering from any autoimmune disorders which present with inflammation as a byproduct of the immune system imbalance. In recent years cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy have been proven to benefit from the infection protection echinacea offers! Echinacea is now being widely studied to document claims that natural healers and herbalist have known about for many years. It's a true homegrown healer for those of us in the North American Continent! Here are some of my favorite echinacea products and producers. Herb Pharm - since 1979! Herb Pharm offers this package of winter must haves, Immune Collection Traditional Medicinals makes this great tea! Echinacea Plus In times past I had to make my own tinctures, but with todays modern methods of standardization you really cannot beat products manufactured by reputable companies such as these two. EVERYONE KNOWS....getting the flu is not fun and for those with compromised immunity a severe case of the influenza can be life threatening. However, common use of the "flu Shot" or inoculation is misleading in terms of the vaccine's ability to prevent you from getting the flu. The University of Chicago's Biological Sciences Department has this to say about the fallibility of the yearly "flu Shot", "Why doesn't the flu vaccine work, sometimes?". These inoculations can be dangerous and are toxic, some contain mercury, some do not. There are many reason vaccines for the flu don't always work, but let's dig deeper into what happens with your immune system when you do get a case of influenza. I was delighted to find ample documentation to prove my long standing theory about influenza and natural immunity. I have always believed that getting a case of the flu every 7-8 years or so is the best protection against getting it yearly. What, you say? Read this Blog published by the New York Times to understand this concept of natural immunity better. The basics are that when you get the flu your body is equipped for sometime afterwards to naturally defend its self against the current mutation or strain. This immunity will last until the virus has mutated to an entirely unrecognizable version and your body will again be susceptible. This is a natural phenomenon that keeps us healthy and gives us "natural immunity". Great design! Thanks evolution! Be that as it may when we do get the flu, we can sail through it easier with the help of the wonderful world of homeopathy. Engystol is a homeopathic remedy available for injection, which must be prescribed by a physician. At Aesthetic and Medical of Scottsdale, Dr Kristi Norris, NMd. provides both the consult and injection for those who desire a safer and more effective alternative than the traditional and less than effective vaccines. Engystol is a clinically proven antiviral and immune stimulant with efficacy demonstrated both in a preventing the flu AND influenza-like-illness, the common cold, Herpes simplex, and RSV or Respiratory Syncytial Virus. The NCBI provides this research abstract with supporting documentation on the efficacy of this healthier option. Since the Engystol homeopathic is an immune booster it can also be used to treat the flu once you get it. When you do get the flu! - Basic 101 survival
Sarsaparilla: S.regelli & S. aristolochifolia A member of the lily family and native to tropical and temperate parts of the world and comprises about 350 species worldwide. It is native to South America, Jamaica, the Caribbean, Mexico , Honduras, and the West Indies. The name sarsaparilla is not surprisingly a derivation of the Spanish words zarza a bramble or bush, parra or vine, illia a small vine. It is a component of traditional Root Beer used to produce the characteristic foam (saponins form soapy bubbles in solution), rather than as a flavoring agent. Root Beer was flavored with Sassafras. Sarsaparilla root is globally recognized for medicinal properties. It has been used to treat gout, gonorrhea, open wounds, arthritis, cough, fever, hypertension, pain, a lack of sexual desire, indigestion, and even certain forms of cancer. More serious conditions have also been treated with sarsaparilla root. In the Amazon, some tribes used it as a treatment for leprosy by ingesting it as well as using it externally. Introduced to Europe in the 1400s as a medicine discovered in South America. Europeans used the root to encourage sweating and urination and to purify blood. During the 1800s, sarsaparilla was used in both Europe and the United States for its blood purifying properties and recommended as a treatment for the sexually transmitted condition syphilis. Studies suggest that the benefits come from antioxidant properties and plant sterols beneficial to human health. Sarsaparilla also contains flavonoids, a pigmentation chemical that gives many plants their leaf, stem, flower and even root color. In the past decade, flavonoids have garnered more widespread recognition for their use in treating autoimmune conditions and inflammation. The sarsapogenins have been shown to bind to endotoxins in the alimentary canal and encourages lower inflammatory response in the body as a whole. One of the active agents in sarsaparilla root are saponins, a chemical compound. Saponins, usually bitter to the taste, are named after soap because of the foam-like reaction they have when placed in water. In the plants where they originate, saponin chemical compounds help deter fungi and insects from eating their leaves. This could be one of the possible reasons that sarsaparilla has anti-fungal properties. The best way to prepare dried sarsaparilla root is to boil it into an infusion and take a cup of it several times a day. It is readily available in tea form both bulk and in tea bags. Tea is the preferred way to consume this healing herb but capsules and tinctures can also serve well in pace of the tea. With capsules follow the dosages recommended on the bottle. Usually, it takes less than half a teaspoon of ground root powder to have the desired effect. In the case of tincture, half a teaspoon / 40 drops twice daily is a recommended dose. It’s best to work up to maximum dosages starting out with lower amounts thereby allowing the body to adjust to the herb. This is true of all botanicals, especially if your condition is a chronic one. Here are three ways to consume this very helpful herb.....just click on the image!
Pau d'arco (Tabebuia avellanedae) A tree native to South America, has been used to treat a wide range of conditions, including pain, arthritis, inflammation of the prostate gland (prostatitis), fever, dysentery, boils and ulcers, and various cancers. As early as 1873, there were reported medicinal uses of pau d'arco. Scientists have identified two active chemicals in pau d'arco. These chemicals are called naphthoquinones: lapachol and beta-lapachone. In lab tests, these chemicals kill or impede some bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites. They also have anti-inflammatory properties, and may be effective against diseases such as osteoarthritis. It also contain significant amounts of the antioxidant quercetin helpful for allergies and mast cell immunity conditions. Useful for the following conditions...
As with the use of all botanical medicine you should exercise caution, more is not always better. Check with your health care provider or pharmacist if you are taking medication that may interact with herbal supports. I’ve used a variety of different poultices over the years, from ones as simple as wetting clayish soil to put on a bee sting to all the others you’ll find below. Poultices are overlooked and considered to be out of fashion these days, but that never stopped me from using them. I encourage anyone dealing with health issues or pain to consider trying a poultice. The results will amaze you! Poultice Options
Purchase Links Video how to demonstrations for poultice making and using! Charcoal - Bentonite Clay - Cabbage - Onion - Garlic - Castor Oil Pack Poultice Flannel Ace Bandages The onion video also demonstrates a very old time remedy from Europe using raw onion at the bedside of anyone coming down with seasonal colds, flus or bronchitis! I encourage you to explore the world of poultices, there are many other herbs and foods that can be used to create healing poultices! Please post & share your experiences with our Community of Bridge Crossers! Sleep is truly our built in healer. Of course, today you can find yards and yards of research on the benefits of sleep, but is that information helping you SLEEP? There are a myriad of sleep aids from natural herbal and nutritional sleep supports to addictive sleep drugs which do not give you healthy sleep. You can have a sleep study done, which will tell what you already know...if you're like the average American, you are not getting ENOUGH SLEEP. We search for the seemingly elusive answer to our lack of sleep but for most of us the information does not translate into actual sleep! The answer to good sleep lies in a basic commonsense understanding about what the body can deal with and what it cannot. During a recent workshop as a part of my Chi Nei Tsang training, Gilles Marin laid out succinctly what is the obvious answer when one really thinks about it. The average person lives in a body charged with adrenaline and deplete in serotonin which makes normal healthy sleep patterns impossible. At this workshop he gave us a simple exercise to restore the balance of serotonin which in turn leads to increased production of melatonin paving the way for sleep. SEE BELOW FOR INSTRUCTIONS. Interestingly, this ties into what I have been saying for years...we do not get enough sun! Sun stimulates the production of many hormonal processes, including most especially the production of melatonin and in turn produces the vitamin D supply so essential to hormonal function. Oh no, you all GASP! The sun gives you skin cancer. Yes, if you don't have a healthy tan, that can happen. The production of melatonin from moderate sun exposure protects the skin from burning and makes it possible for you to receive your daily dose of healthy sun without fear. Twenty minutes a day is all you need to support melatonin and vitamin D production, YOU CAN DO THAT! FYI, the best way to protect your kids from too much sun is not to have them out for longer than 20 minutes, after that cover up, long sleeves, hats, you know the basics! How did we get to this fear of the sun? From sunscreen manufacturers who promote to use of sunscreen. Sunscreens block the healing benefits of sunbathing and the production of vitamin D. Use of sunscreen misleads us by implying it's safe to be in the sun for hours. Longer unsafe exposure equals higher rates of skin and other cancers. The dangers of a lack of vitamin D is well documented. So we reach for another manufactured answer...vitamin D supplementation! GOOD GRIEF! It's a crazy catch-22! WE cannot replace or recreate what the natural body can do all on it's own, if you give it the chance! So why the seque? Increasing vitamin D, improves calcium utilization. Calcium is the calming nutrient that supports healthy adrenal glands and kidney energy. Getting a little sun daily makes for a lively and healthy you with a beautiful sun glow! YOU'LL FEEL BETTER AND ENJOY LIFE MORE WHICH IS THE GREATEST PATHWAY TO TRUE HEALTH AND HEALING! Americans are among the most sleep deprived people in the world! We don’t take the time to rest. We pay the price with stress related disorders and a sense of low level exhaustion that we try to recover from by drinking caffeine and eating chocolate and sugar in the afternoon to pick us up.
Restoring healthy levels of serotonin are the key to sleeping well and enjoying life more! If you or someone you love is having chronic sleep difficulties consider a Free Fifteen Minute Wellness Consult with Vanessa Goldeen, Certified Wellness Consultant Bridge to Health offers Restoring Sleep Online Protocol to help you sleep better and enjoy life more! Why does sun gazing work to restore healthy sleep patterns? We are a nation of adrenaline junkies. Coffee, Red Bulls, Matcha, rushing through our day, never feeling like it all gets done! YIKES, that's not enjoying life. This pattern of over stimulation is made further worse by eating fast, being on devices such as computers, pads and phones all day long. No wonder we cannot sleep! The end result is depletion of serotonin. Serotonin works to promote the production of melatonin, essential to healthy sleep. When we sun gaze, the suns rays penetrate the eye lids, stimulating the pineal gland through the optic nerve. This small, but powerful gland initiates the process of melatonin production. Once you get the pineal gland back on line you will gradually begin to have better sleep. Dive Deeper into this subject, "Enhancing Pineal Function through Light Therapy" Blog Attention females! You can also stimulate more serotonin by making sure you get plenty of girl time. Women produce more serotonin when the gab it up with their gal pals! Men do not possess this skill, but they do get to pee standing up! It all balances out! Along with sun gazing here are some other healthy habits to promote better sleep.
|
VanessaCertified Wellness Consultant speaks up! Categories
All
Archives
February 2024
|