Okay, I haven't posted on this blog for a while. There has been a tone of things going on. I haven't been able to focus on my health as much as I've wanted, but lately I've had a little more time on my hands and have really been getting into hula-hooping. I've even started making them. They're adult size hula-hoops that are bigger and heavier then the little kiddie ones so they go slower, are more of a workout to spin and a lot easier for an adult to use. I've also been working with a video to learn all the fun things to do with a hula-hoop and have been getting a great workout at the same time. Between the hoops and walking I hope I really start to shed the pounds soon. Today I made a hoop just the right size for the kids so I can incorporate them into my workout route. We'll see how that goes.

Astraglus, Traditional and current uses:
Traditional Use:
It has been used to invigorate vital energy (qi) and in prescriptions for shortness of breath, general weakness, and lack of appetite; also as a diuretic, and for the treatment of colds, flu, stomach ulcers, and diabetes.

Current Status:
As one of the important tonic herbs in Chinese medicine, astragalus has been extensively studied by Asian scientists. Numerous studies confirm its immunostimulant, antibacterial, antiviral, anti- inflammatory, adaptogenic, and diuretic effects. It also improves stamina. No single compound is responsible for its wideranging, effects, though polysaccharides are involved in immunostimulant activity.

Since 1975, astragalus has been used in China in cancer patients undergoing radiation treatment and chemotherapy. Conventional cancer treatments reduce the function of the immune system, so astragalus helps return it to normal function. Its positive effects on the cardiovascular system have also been extensively studied in China.

In the early 1980s, researchers in Houston, Texas, studied the effects of astragalus on nineteen cancer patients and fifteen healthy individuals. A chemical fraction extract of astragalus was found to restore T-cell function in 90 percent of the cancer patients to levels observed in the healthy subjects. The studies showed that astragalus had a strong immunostimulant effect, thus establishing a basis for using it to improve response in cancer patients. Chinese studies show that immunostimulant effects include enhancing the particle ingestion capacity of white blood cells.
(I found this info from allnatural.net)

This week I've been really feeling crummy. My whole body seems to just be falling apart. Everything is going wrong at once. The other night I actually thought I might just die in my sleep. I even told my husband what I wanted him to do if I weren't around.

You can't get much lower than thinking you're going to die, but you know, you can definitely get higher. I knew that things were going to get worse before they got completely better. "For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things." 2 Nephi 2:11

If everything just came without challenges or struggles, we wouldn't appreciate, learn from or be grateful for the accomplishments that we achieve. I'm going to stay motivated and keep working towards my healing goals, knowing that eventually things are going to get better and I'm going to be a healthier, happier, smarter person that can accomplish anything.

CAYENNE PEPPER, Nutritional and medicinal uses:
The main medicinal properties of cayenne are derived from a chemical called capsaicin. Capsaicin is the ingredient which gives peppers their HEAT. A pepper's capsaicin content ranges from 0-1.5%. Peppers are measured according to heat units. The degree of heat determines the peppers' usage and value. Generally, the hotter the pepper, the more capsaicin it contains. In addition to adding heat to the pepper, capsaicin acts to reduce platelet stickiness and relieve pain. Other constituents of cayenne are vitamins E, vitamin C and carotenoids.

Today cayenne is used worldwide to treat a variety of health conditions, including poor circulation, weak digestion, heart disease, chronic pain, sore throats, headaches and toothache.

Ayurveda also utilizes cayenne to treat poor digestion and gas. Chinese medicine uses cayenne for digestive ailments.

When taken internally, cayenne soothes the digestive tract and stimulates the flow of stomach secretions and saliva. These secretions contain substances which help digest food.

Cayenne is the greatest herbal aid to circulation and can be used on a regular basis. Dr. Richard Schulze, the medical herbalist, says that "If you master only one herb in your life, master cayenne pepper. It is more powerful than any other."
(I got this information from www.healingdaily.com)

I always take this herb with a meal. If I wait too long after a meal or take it after eating something greasy I get heart burn.

OLIVE LEAF, Nutritional and medicinal uses:
Olive leaf and extracts are utilized in the complementary and alternative medicine community for its ability to act as a natural pathogens killer by inhibiting the replication process of many pathogens. More specifically, it disables infections long enough for the immune system to eliminate them and prevent pathogens from spreading.

Olive leaf is commonly used to fight colds and flu, yeast infections, and viral infections such as the hard-to-treat Epstein-Barr disease, shingles and herpes. Olive leaf is also good for the heart. Olive leaf has shown to reduce low-density lipoproteins (LDL), or bad cholesterol. Researchers have found that olive leaf lowers blood pressure and increase blood flow by relaxing the arteries.

Olive leaf harbors antioxidant properties that help protect the body from the continuous onslaught of free radicals. Free radicals are highly reactive chemical substances that, when oxidized, can cause cellular damage if left unchecked. Some recent research on the olive leaf has shown its antioxidants to be effective in treating some tumors and cancers such as liver, prostate and breast cancer but the research on this is preliminary.

Olive leaf can be taken as a dried leaf tea, powder or capsule. The leaf extracts can be taken in powder, liquid extract or capsule form though the fresh leaf liquid extracts are quickly gaining popularity due to the broader range of healing compounds they contain.
(I got this info from Wikipedia)

This is what the window ledge above my kitchen sink currently looks like. After doing bio-kinetic testing for me, my mom figured out what herbs I should start taking. When I first saw how many there was, I felt a little overwhelmed. I thought, "Is this good for me, what do all these herbs do, how can I possibly learn about all these?" My mom has studied about herbs so I trusted her and started taking them. I've been taking them for 3 weeks now. I've already noticed some big changes. I've decided that I want to learn about what these herbs specifically do, so for the next couple of weeks I'm going to study them out. I figure if I start now and work on learning about them one at a time it doesn't seem so overwhelming. Eventually I'll have a pretty good knowledge of all the different natural remedies.

My Mom (whom I couldn't survive without) made this chart to help me keep all the herbs I'm taking straight. It's been a very helpful way to keep tract of when and what I've taken. When it comes to making charts, my Mom is the queen, thanks Mom.