Pain Free In 2010

What's the strongest pain reliever in the store? For the customers who ask that every day, here is a list of natural anti-inflammatory supplements commonly used as an alternative to OTC brands.

cherry-The anthocyanins found in cherries are used mainly for arthritis and gout, and work as well as NSAIDS.

tumeric-The curcumin in this spice acts as a strong anti-inflammatory with anti-cancer properties.

bromelain-A protease enzyme extracted from pineapple that blocks proinflammatory metabolites caused by sports injuries, digestive problems, and swelling.

serrapeptidase-This enzyme digests inflammation and reduces pain. As an added bonus, new research claims that serrapeptidase may also break down plaque in the arteries.

fish oil-The essential fatty acids(omega 3's) in fish oil lower inflammation and greatly benefit the brain and heart.

boswellia-Very popular among arthritis sufferers, this traditional ayurvedic herb has powerful analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and antitumor characteristics.

white willow bark-better than aspirin, the salicin found in white willow is very effective for osteoarthritis, low back pain, and tendinitis.

arnica-Probably, the most important homeopathic remedy for pre and post op surgery to limit pain and swelling.

Which one works the best? That depends on you and your situation, and what you're trying to accomplish. Try one supplement at a time or take a complex consisting of three or four. They all work to a certain degree, but in the end, only you can answer that question. ................Matt

Disease In The Trees

A customer gave me a DVD called "Under Our Skin" which details the Lyme Disease epidemic

and the lives affected by this relentless bacteria.

From transmission, to fatigue, pain, and depression......

To misdiagnosis, skepticism, frustration, and deception.....

The disease you think you have may actually be from the bite of a tick.

This is only a trailer for the documentary, but watch the entire thing if you can. .............Matt

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxWgS0XLVqw

More Testosterone For Christmas

Is tongkat ali the best root in the world for natural testosterone production? Some say it is, with experts suggesting an increase 4x the average, making the miracle plant a favorite among bodybuilders and E.D. sufferers.

Testosterone levels naturally decrease as we age, resulting in weight gain, sagging muscles, and loss of libido. Add that to an unregulated industry that encourages estrogen producing products, and you have a situation where "The Incredible Hulk" transforms into an emotional "Pee Wee Herman."

It's time to be a man again, and tongkat ali can make a big difference. .........Matt

http://www.medicinehunter.com/tongkat_ali.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jO9PHdGai9o

Not All Doctors Agree

A quick story from yesterday. A lady recovering from the swine flu explained that her entire family (husband and four kids) recently had the H!N! virus. All are fine now, but some still have lingering symptoms.

They don't believe in vaccinations, so they never even considered the swine flu vaccine. Instead they eat organic and supplement. When they went to see their doctor, they found out that he also refused the shot. He said the vaccine isn't working like they thought it would. Many of his patients who received the inoculation came down with the H!N! virus shortly after. If it's happening here, it's happening everywhere. ..................Matt

Supplements That Really Work

My wife came home from work on Monday with a virus. This is what she took to shut down the cold or flu in three days.

12 propolis capsules per day

4 liquid olive leaf extract capsules per day

12 elderberry lozenges per day

10,000 iu vitamin D per day, more might be better

multiple propolis sprays to the back of the throat

Make sure you are supplementing every 1-2 hours. Try to wake up in the middle of the night for another round of pills or lozenges, because the virus always gains ground while you sleep. You can add or substitute different supplements like silver, oregano oil, andrographis, vitamin C.... the list goes on and on.

Her symptoms were:

1st day, scratchy throat

2nd day, sinus pressure and sneezing

3rd day, headache

She never felt that bad at all. The combination of vitamins, herbs, and bee products managed to keep the cold in her head and out of her lungs. The rest of us have been boosting our immune system since Monday, and as of right now, the kids and I are feeling fine. ................Matt

Sid's Science Mirrors Climate-Gate

Sid is at it again. This time, he's recruited Kansas Governor, Mark Parkinson to push the vaccination program aimed at young children. Well done, Mark. Short and to the point, but your advice sounds like a broken record. Did former Kansas governor and now Health and Human Services Secretary, Kathleen Sebelius, talk you in to this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FPpkVGK74o

Santa, We Need Antivirals, Not Toys

Emily80, glad I could help you out. Once you know the truth, healthy decisions are easier to make. I'm hardly the first person to sound the alarm, but finally, people are taking notice, and questioning advice that defies logic. Keep doing what you're doing.

Sorry to hear the flu bug bit you recently, but it looks like you managed to successfully recover with a host of natural treatments.(maybe from that book you speak of) I still have not read that one. Does that mean, you now have a natural immunity to the swine? I'm sure the CDC can set things straight for us.

I hope you drank at least a bottle of elderberry syrup every day, or something close to it. It takes a lot to do the job unless you time it out right. Try the elderberry lozenges as a preventative next time when you're out an about.

I'd also add some kind of good antibacterial too, Steve. Propolis or oregano oil..... anything to keep the lungs clear. There is no more flu season... it's all year long now. .......Matt

Flu Relief

Steven, I like your ideas. Throat therapy, lots of liquids, and a Bragg's bath, beat needles any day of the week. It's always interesting to get your take on things. Have you soaked in vinegar before, because I don't know if I could do that. ACV has proven itself many times in the past, so why not. Alternative medicine has a variety of options to choose from, and all are effective in their own way.

And since we're talking about fighting the flu, we have another homeopathic remedy similar to the popular Oscillococcinum that may even be better. "Wellness FluGuard" from Source Naturals works in the same manner, but adds extra ingredients for a wider range of symptoms.

Oh, and good news... the other employee who missed work this week after coming into contact with an unconfirmed case of swine flu, had something totally unrelated to H1N1.

Swine Flu Strikes Employee

It was only a matter of time, and it finally happened. One of our employees came back to work the other day after suffering from swine flu like symptoms for the last week and a half. Now, let me say, that this person was never tested for this virus, but like most people that go to the doctor, .....if you have the flu, it's the swine flu.

I didn't get all the details, but here's what I found out. The employee started feeling sick, and began taking garlic and probiotics. The severe body aches and fever subsided, and she returned to work. Two or three days later, the virus entered her lungs. At that point, she supplemented three drops of oregano oil daily, but that wasn't enough. She ended up with pneumonia but has since recovered. She's never felt so horrible.

The good news..... she's fine now. The bad news.....another employee who works closely with this person has missed the last two days of work.

Garlic, probiotics, and a couple of drops of oregano doesn't cut it. I think the most important supplements are elderberry, silver, vitamin D, propolis, and oregano oil....and a lot of it. You need to be taking that stuff at least every two hours. I wish I could tell you how much, but nobody knows. As an example, I'd swallow 25-30 drops of wild oregano spread out over the entire day, and 20,000 iu of vitamin D is realistic. Just keep fighting it with everything you have, and do everything possible to stop the lung infection. ..................Matt

Natural Database

Steve, I don't remember if I brought this up before, but the best book we have is the 2009 Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. A new edition, although not perfect and slightly biased, comes out yearly. It's a huge catalog of herbs, including effectiveness, adverse reactions, mechanism of action, and dosages etc. I think the book is $60 or you can subscribe to their site for $10 per month. It's a great way to start researching.

I believe chrysanthemum was originally saved for emperors and royalty. Sometimes, I place a crown on my head, drink the tea, and order my wife to clean the house. (not recommended)

http://www.naturaldatabase.com/

Yo GABA GABA

(The title refers to a children's show that my kids love)

Many people use GABA (Gamma Amino Butyric Acid) to reduce stress and improve sleep. You can buy it as an individual supplement or find it in formulas for mental calmness and tranquil sleep. Think of it as a natural tranquilizer.

Well, after a long day of changing dirty diapers, our stress levels were off the charts. I found some chewable GABA samples from "Natural Factors" and we put it to the test. We both took two tablets of GABA containing a total of 200 mg. The results were conflicting.

I didn't notice anything. I felt exactly the same. Maybe I need 400-500 mg to produce a sense of relaxation, or maybe, it won't do anything for me. It's hard to say. I will admit that I had vivid dreams last night, but that doesn't prove anything. My conclusion..... if you weigh 200lbs, take at lest 500 mg. Anything less is a waste of time.

My wife had a better experience. After 30 minutes, she felt light-headed and calm. She thought it worked and would use it again. An hour after chewing them up, she was asleep on the couch.

All I can say is try it and decide for yourself. GABA is cheap and there are no known side effects.

...............Matt

Natural Response

Will, I don't know how much aloe you drink, but I'm going for 32oz every week. Most people probably take less, but it's cheap, and I don't have a problem with the taste. I might have noticed a slight change in how I feel, but I can't be sure yet. What about kids? I'm sure it's safe, but what age do you start?

Steven Str8, I've gone to that store many times for taro root..... that place has an "interesting" smell. I don't know anything about prunella spike, but chrysanthemum tea is very beneficial to your cardiovascular system. And as far as the best herbal website in cyberspace..... you're on it right now. Or, try "WebMD" or CDC.gov. I'm joking, of course. Don't waste your time.

That's actually a good question, but I'm sorry to say a site like that probably doesn't exist. Sure, there's lots of experts out there, but they don't work for free. The best one I've seen, when you're talking about natural health in general, is Naturalnews.com. .........................Matt

There Is No Health Care Reform Without An Emphasis On Prevention

This doctor makes some interesting remarks about what you can expect.

http://drtenpenny.com/TruthAbouttheObamaHealthPlan.aspx

As an ex-insurance agent, I'll say this.... when you force people to buy something, the price goes up, not down.

Top Shelf Aloe

I've been experimenting with aloe vera juice for the last week, and I think I'm going to continue drinking it for at least 3 months. I can't say that I've noticed the healing properties of cactus juice yet, but it's still early and I'm willing to stick it out long term.

This is the way I look at it. Research proves that aloe vera benefits the body in many ways, and that's all I need to hear. People take aloe to boost their immune system, heal wounds and skin conditions, sooth digestive disorders, reduce inflammation, and manage cholesterol. Customer feedback has always been positive on aloe, and these people had serious issues like colitis and IBS.

I'm a big noni drinker, and I know how good that stuff is........ but the taste, not so good. Aloe has a similar reputation, but has a much milder taste and is more affordable. Why not give it a shot.

As of right now, our best aloe vera supplement is "Pharm-Aloe" because it contains the highest level of polysaccharides compared to other brands. Read up on aloe's effectiveness, don't waste your money on watered down juice, and don't take the pills..... it's not the same. .............Matt

http://www.pharmaloe.com/