Roots of Healthy Living

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Roots of Healthy Living
http://rootsofhealthyliving.com.

By reading this article you will clearly and easily learn what antioxidants are, their function in our health and how they can fight the antiaging process. We will talk about why getting enough sources of antioxidants are vital when exercising. We will discuss where we find sources containing high levels of antioxidants, including types of foods and herbal supplements. We will learn about the health benefits of antioxidants and be introduced to research linking cures for disease to antioxidants in the diet. Also, we will cover the potential consequences of not having sufficient sources of antioxidants in our diet.

What Are Antioxidants and how do they Work?

To understand what antioxidants are and how they work, we first have to have a simple chemistry lesson on free radicals. What are free radicals? They are atoms or groups of atoms (molecules) that are missing an electron. Electrons like to be in pairs. When you have a single electron in an atom or molecule it ravages other cells and robs them of one of their own. This process not only damages the cell but causes that cell to become a free radical since it is now the one missing an electron. This process can cause a chain reaction continuing to damage cells until it is stopped. This is called oxidation.
It is important to understand that oxidation has its role. It is by oxidation that the body slowly and carefully breaks down food and stores it for potential energy. The irony is that this same process can damage our cells causing premature aging, muscle soreness and fatigue, disease, etc.

Where do Free Radicals come from?

Something as simple as breathing can be a problem, as oxygen is an example of free radicals. The very source that gives us life also causes that oxidation process. Athletes, who do a lot of aerobic exercise, naturally take in more oxygen and can be vulnerable to accelerated free radical oxygen damage. Over time this cellular damage can lead to injury, longer recovery, extreme muscle soreness, etc. Other sources of free radicals are everything from toxic metals in our bodies such as lead, to things like pesticides, ionizing radiation, alcohol and cigarette smoke. Sun damage can also be a source of free radicals as well as eating fried food. All of these examples combined can wear down the muscle tissue and cause our bodies to wear out and age a lot faster. The causes are many, and it can seem like a hopeless situation. That’s where antioxidants come in.

Antioxidants, Nature’s Super Heroes!

Antioxidants are the antidote to the damage caused by oxidation in our bodies. Antioxidants are free radical scavengers. They can neutralize a free radical by donating one of their own electrons without causing problems within their own structure. While antioxidants are manufactured within the body it is not enough to combat all the oxidation happening. Making sure we are getting antioxidants from foods we eat and other supplemental sources is critical to our health and vitality. Current research shows antioxidants may benefit in the fight against allergies, cancer, help with inflammation, and viruses. They can help increase recovery time in athletes as well as provide what is termed, “Nature’s Sunscreen”. Specific herbal sources of antioxidants can even target certain areas of the body, helping not only repair tissue damage but carry in needed nutrition as well.


Antioxidant Foods, Eating Your Way to Better Health

A good rule of thumb is the darker the fruit or vegetable the more antioxidants it contains. For example, berries are EXTREMELY high in antioxidants. So are your dark green leafy vegetables like spinach and kale.
To get your best sources of antioxidant foods, you want to look at raw fruits and vegetables, beans, nuts and seeds. Vitamins C&E are antioxidants as well as Vitamin A. Be careful, however, because research shows that it is necessary to get these vitamins from the foods themselves to gain the maximum benefits. Don’t be fooled into just taking a vitamin supplement and think you are getting the antioxidants you need. Think instead of the produce section of your local grocery store. Vitamins C and E work synergistically, or in other words, they work better as a team than individually.
An additional caution, be aware that cooking your food (including pasteurization) destroys both Vitamins C and E so look to eat raw fruits and vegetables. The ascorbic acid put back in is not complete Vitamin C and will not provide the same antioxidant benefits as eating the whole food.
For sources of Vitamin C think of oranges, strawberries, pineapple and Kiwi. For Vitamin A, turn to carrots, sweet potatoes and apricots. For Vitamin E choose nuts, seeds and healthy vegetable oils.
To have a diet rich in antioxidants, have a diet full of healthy fruits and vegetables. Try to eat a good size salad every day. Eat fresh fruit for breakfast. Grab a handful of nuts on your way out the door. Snack on some fresh or frozen blueberries. With a little focus you can easily make antioxidants a part of your daily food intake.
Make a conscious effort to include these in your lifestyle and begin eating your way to better health.

Herbal Antioxidants Can Help Target Specific Health Concerns

Herbs are a FANTASTIC source of antioxidants that don’t get enough attention. Many of these antioxidant herbs have proven to consistently concentrate in certain areas of the body making it easier to work on. For example, Gingko is an herb that is growing in popularity. It is an antioxidant that can go to your head, literally. It concentrates in the brain, in the eyes and in the inner ear. Pairing it with other antioxidant herbs like Gotu Kola and Rosemary has proven very effective with memory, macular degeneration in the eyes, helping soothe ADD and many other related health problems.

Here are some additional herbs for specific areas:

For the liver: Bitter Herbs like: Milk Thistle, Dandelion and Parsley
For Digestion: Pungent Herbs like: Turmeric, Ginger, Cayenne and Mustard.
For the heart: Hawthorne Berry and Cayenne
For the entire body: Grape Seed Extract and Ginseng

Research is clearly connecting the dots between health and the role of antioxidants. Knowledge of how herbal supplements can target specific areas of the body helps us in improving our overall health. Choosing raw fruits and vegetables as well as nuts and seeds can flood our bodies with plenty of antioxidants, including Vitamins C &E. By understanding and utilizing the information in this article we can empower ourselves to increase our energy, decrease our recovery time after strenuous exercise and begin to take back our health!

Allergies have hit big at our house this week.

My son was telling me yesterday that our town had the highest pollen count in the world yesterday. So I guess there is a reason for the runny noses, itchy throats, read eyes, etc.For years, my husband and son have not enjoyed Spring. They are allergic to grasses and we happen to be the grass capital of the world. Not good.

Starting in early spring they would usually both be drugged out on Benadryl and miserable. They've tried every allergy product out there. Last year, when we were looking for natural alternatives we found some great herbal solutions. Jeff only had to take an over the counter allergy mediciation twice the entire season.

So, what do we do?

Dr. Christopher has a great product out there called Immucalm. It is 50 percent Astragulus Root and 50 percent Marshmellow Root. Astragulus is great at strengthening the immune system and marshmellow is soothing. Allergies are the body's way of overacting to something it shouldn't be overreacting to. This combination calms down the overreaction and yet still strengthens the body at the same time. It is amazing. I would never be without this combination.

Nettles are another great herb for allergies. I don't know how it works, I only know that it does. Yes, this is the stinging nettle that we have all learned to fear. It is one of natures GREAT overall nutritional herbs. It containes many minerals in it and has wonderful healing properties. If you go to any herbal/healthfood store this time of year you will see displays of Nettles in tinctures, capsules, and even herbal tea. Why? Because it is great for allergies and a host of other ailments.

For eyes, we use Dr. Christopher's Herbal Eyebright Formula. It is an eyewash. You take 3-5 drops in a little glass eye cup (from the health store) filled with distilled water and wash out your eye. It has a little sting to it but worth it for the results you get.

Last year, my son woke up one day with his allergies so bad and his eyes so red he couldn't even see. He was a freshman in highschool. He was miserable and refused to go to school. I had a class and needed to leave. I told him about the Herbal Eyebright Formula and how to use it. I had never used it before so I said it was up to him if he was brave enough or desperate enough to try it. An hour later I came home to find his eyes clean and white and he was ready for school. We've been a fan ever since.

The last product we love is Dr. Christopher's Sinus Plus Formula. It containes the herb Brigham Tea which has some mild ephedra properties and seem to help with the congestion and runny nose problems associated with allergies.

We stock up on all of these herbs well before springtime allergies hit. I would not be afraid to use them for ANY type of allergy in my family. They idea is the same for all types of allergic reactions. Strenthen and calm the immune system.

Mountain Rose Herbs have some WONDERFUL how to videos. I am including this one as an additional help to the previous post on St. John's Wort. Enjoy!

What do you know about St. John's Wort? Living in the northwest it comes up a lot as an herbal remedy for seasonal depression. That's about all I knew.

Many people have found it very helpful with treating anxiety, stress, depression, chronic fatigue, etc. It is also wonderful for treating damaged nerve endings due to wounds, burns and other skin related injuries. I discovered this personally this past month or so.

In a recent herb class the teacher produced some olive oil that had been infused with St. John's Wort and shared a story where it had helped someone recover from nerve damage. Now, (I don't believe in coincidences) the week before I had suddenly lost the feeling down the front of my right leg. It had happened over night and I hadn't told anyone. Well, my hand shot up and I asked if it would be appropriate to try it on my leg. She actually gave me some oil to take home. I applied it that night and by the next morning it had already begun to work. It took about three weeks and the feeling in my leg was completely recovered. Amazing.

It is important to apply the oil where you think the nerve damage occured, not necessarily where you are numb. For example, If you had recent surgery or an injury in a certain place and all of a sudden you can't feel in another area...treat the area of the surgery or injury first.

In my case, I had a scar on my leg and was certain the damage there was what was causing the nerve damage. It worked like a charm.

So, how do you make an oil infusion? Here is a basic simple recipe that works for just about any herb or combination of herbs.

Recipe for St. John's Wort Infused Massage Oil
*Get a clean sterile glass jar (you pick the size, small pint jars work great)
*fill the jar with plant material a couple inches from the top
(with St. John's Wort use 70% flowers and 30% leaves)
They can be fresh or dried...doesn't matter (dried need a little extra room to reconstitute)
*Cover with good quality olive oil an inch above plant material
*Put in a dark place and shake twice a day for two weeks
*Strain, bottle in dark glass bottles and your ready to go!

Note: There are a lot of healthfood stores that carry bulk herbs, or you can find them online. Two of my favorite online sources are Wholesome Botanicals and Mountain Rose Herbs.