Health Blog

Staying healthy and maintaining our energy level is about so much more than what you eat, and as we age, it becomes more and more of a concern. Naturally, if you are thinking about health in the holistic sense, you may have already cut out refined sugar (one of the main causes of inflammation) from your diet and noticed a remarkable difference in your overall bodily performance. Once you have cut down, or eliminated, that sweet dependence, you may even consider going dairy-free or gluten-free too. After all – life is too short to spend your days sick or unwell with a lack of energy.

You have work to do, kids or grandchildren to play with, places to travel, and new hobbies to explore. If you love life, and you do, you’ll discover the importance of maintaining a healthy water intake, along with exercise and herbal supplements to support your entire body and reverse the ill-effects associated with a modern diet.

Let’s start first with water – the source of life.

Without it we struggle, with it we thrive. Clean, pure water is essential for your well-being. How much you drink per day is entirely up to individual needs, though it is recommended to consume 1.5-2 liters, or half a gallon, of water per day for an adult. Of course, if you are exercising, hiking or gardening, you will need much more depending on your level of activity, as well as the weather conditions at the time. Pay attention to what your body is telling you and remain aware of how you feel if you drink too much or too little.

Warning signs of dehydration

• Lingering headaches
• Lack of energy
• Brain fog
• Weight gain
• Weakened immune system, susceptibility to colds and flu

There are numerous ways to get enough moisture into your diet besides drinking plain water. The most obvious way is to drink herbal teas which also provide a boost of nutrients; think nettle, alfalfa, dandelion root, and piñon pine (Pinus Edulis) needle tea.

Another fun and healthy way to keep hydrated is to eat more fruits and vegetables. Choose your favorite from watermelon, tomatoes, berries, cucumber, bell peppers, citrus fruits, and celery; consume them raw, fermented or add them to smoothies and soups. Yes, you can stay hydrated by eating the right things too!

Staying hydrated leads to exercise. Sweating is good for us as it helps to maintain our core body temperature, expel toxins and keep our livers healthy. Movement increases our circulation, which in turn improves our electrolyte levels allowing the body to absorb more nutrients into our cells. Bottom line: stay fit by walking, hiking, swimming, doing cardio, biking, whatever it is that calls you to keep moving.

The use of herbal supplements in staying healthy

A natural, organic lifestyle is being nurtured and cultivated by people today, more than ever, beginning to seek alternative treatments to their ailments. Not only do herbal remedies often cost less than their conventional pharmaceutical counterparts, in many cases they are more effective too. They may be chosen when science-based medicine has failed to cure the problem, or in the avoidance

of chemicals and man-made substances altogether.

Herbs vs. drugs is a big debate, so read up, explore the incredible possibilities and know that the final choice is yours tomake.

 

 

Cheryl Magyar

https://forestcreekmeadows.com/

     Citrus fruits are widely known to be beneficial for healing inside and out – we love to eat them fresh, slice them up in a salad, or squeeze a little lemon into our morning glass of water, yet there is a hidden side to these fruits that many of us have not realized. Ground into a powder, citrus fruits take on a life of their own.

The uses of citrus powder are not limited to food consumption

In the pursuit of a holistic life, we must think about the entire system, the whole fruit. In this case, choose organic citrus as you will be using the peel along with the insides. If you are not eating the amazing citrus powders that you blend, then you can add them to homemade cleaners for the kitchen and bathroom, you may even toss some into your shampoo and body products for healthy, glowing skin.

4 citrus powders to add to your spice rack

Lemon – dried lemon peels contain 5-10 times more vitamin power than the juice itself: vitamins A and C, beta carotene, calcium, and magnesium. Why not include them in your health-giving routine of life? More wonderful than their zesty flavor, perhaps, is the ability of lemon powder to fight cancer on all fronts.

Mango – also called amchoor or aamchur, mango powder is made from dried, unripe green mangoes. You’ll most likely be able to buy this citrus spice online, or in a market specializing in Indian cuisine. Used in cooking it adds a sour tang to dishes without adding moisture, you often find it in curries, chutneys and pickles, or as an enzymatic tenderizer for meats.

Orange – full of citric acid and abundant antioxidants, oranges are the perfect superfood for your skin. They fight acne, even out your skin tone, exfoliate to give you clear, smooth skin, and they moisturize and shrink your pores. If any of this has you thinking of an orange face pack, then you are headed in the right natural-beauty direction. Orange peels also contain polymethoxylated flavones, which help to lower your cholesterol levels – in this way you can add the benefit of well-being to your smoothie!

Pineapple – exceptional for the mind and body, pineapple powder is brimming with the enzyme known as bromelain. Bromelain reduces inflammation inside the body, and as a powder it can be topically applied on the skin to limit pain and swelling associated with arthritis. If a known pineapple allergy exists, please refrain from using this citrus powder.

 

If you are the DIY type, there are plenty of tutorials on how to make your own dehydrated citrus powders, you may even be inspired to dry and grind limes and kumquats! The process is simple – slice the fruit thinly, lay them out on parchment lined baking sheets, and dehydrate them in the oven at 150 degrees until completely dry, checking occasionally. Using a small coffee grinder, or spice mill, the citrus fruits can be ground until they reach the desired fineness, then sieved for more purity.

Now you can add a special tang to your favorite soups, salads, stews, smoothies, cakes or cookies. They also serve as wonderful dry rubs for seafood and chicken, creatively combine it with pine needle powder and you are in for a real treat!

Cheryl Magyar

https://forestcreekmeadows.com/

       Horny goat weed. To some it is considered a weed, like most green things that grow taller than three inches, hence the name, but the horny goat part? An ancient Chinese story tells that the male goats who ate this herb regularly, had greater sexual prowess – in other words, skill or expertise in this particular field…

Maybe you were thinking along these same lines after all. It does enhance sexual health, yet it also does us further service by naturally treating bone and kidney disease. In the botanical realm it is found in the genus of Epimedium, though the common names run the gauntlet from “barrenwort” to “fairy wings,” and from “bishop’s hat” to “yin yang hou.”

Like raw pine pollen powder, horny goat weed improves and enhances sexual health in men by greatly increasing testosterone levels. This is extremely important because low testosterone has a significant impact on overall health.

Horny goat weed and low testosterone levels

Low testosterone levels are often associated with reduced sexual desire, but it affects much more than that. In the process of restoring our vibrant health we need to look at the entire body, and we must realize that symptoms are often overarching and abundant. In the case of lowered testosterone, we are also dealing with insomnia, sleep apnea, risk of diabetes, heart disease, reduced muscle mass, increased body fat and in severe cases, even depression.

Improving testosterone levels helps men feel like men again. There are so many choices/remedies to do it naturally, that it only makes sense to eat well, exercise enough, get plenty of sleep and avoid toxic chemicals. Being and becoming healthy is all about making long-term changes to your diet and lifestyle, but fortunately, once you (re)gain your health, you’ll feel compelled to continue to opt for the health-promoting natural route.

Western medicine tries to treat the symptoms that cause us pain and suffering. Natural healing on the other hand attempts to discover the cause of the symptoms and find a suitable treatment from there.

Dealing with herbs is complex business, always find the most reputable seller, using only the purest ingredients, whether you are taking your supplement in tea, tincture or capsule form.

Icariin is the active component found in horny goat weed – a prenylated flavonoid. In essence, an antioxidant with anti-aging characteristics.

Horny goat weed is not only for men

Women can enjoy the benefits of this herb too. Elevated testosterone levels help in preventing bone loss, which is great news if you are diagnosed with, or at risk for, osteoporosis. It also increases estrogen levels in post-menopausal women by the means of phytoestrogens. It is a wonderful way to naturally deal with symptoms of hot flashes, mood swings, fatigue and insomnia associated with menopause. Keep in mind that horny goat weed is not recommended while pregnant or nursing.

Horny goat weed can not only be used to treat erectile dysfunction in men, in women it helps correct vaginal dryness – and, of course, it boosts the libido of both sexes.

As a side bonus, horny goat weed is also being explored for its anti-inflammatory powers, as well as the ability to aid memory, improve brain health and prevent dementia. If you are considering any natural aphrodisiac, let horny goat weed take the stage, increased muscle, bone strength and all!

 

Cheryl Magyar

https://forestcreekmeadows.com/

 

You long for vibrant health and for healthy, flawless skin, yet to nourish and balance the largest organ of your body it takes limitless patience and a pinch of trial and error to find what works best for you.

Dermatologists can work wonders for some of their patients, but true, long-lasting healing comes when natural treatments and herbal remedies become a part of your daily regimen. To restore your skin after years of mistreatment is no easy task, but Schisandra Chinensis, commonly known as either schisandra or schizandra berry, is ready and waiting to help you out.

To reduce signs of aging, there are many simple things you can do:

For starters, you can limit your time spent out in the sun – avoid sitting outside during the hottest part of the day and always cover up when necessary, forgo the chemical sunscreen with endocrine disruptors and opt for an alternative homemade solution with almond, coconut, carrot seed and raspberry oils along with shea butter.

It is also essential to get enough (quality) sleep, which may mean shutting off your Wi-Fi at night. You’ll also want to take steps to reduce your stress levels, consume foods rich in vitamin A and free radical fighting antioxidants.

Every bite of food you ingest, either nourishes you or takes away from your energy. And every commercially created cream that you apply to your skin either moisturizes or dries you out, other side effects may surface below the skin.

If you care deeply for the health of your skin, and your entire body working as a whole, you will eventually seek out “unorthodox” treatments.

Take a quick glance at Traditional Chinese Medicine and you will immediately discover the 5-flavor berry, schizandra, when searching for the path to flawless skin. With its anti-inflammatory effects, the schizandra berry promotes youthful skin, as it enhances skin tone and elasticity while deactivating those harmful free radicals that damage your liver cells. There is wondrous beauty in nature, feel free to use it on your face, hands and feet too!

 

Schizandra protects more than just the skin

The schizandra berries are also associated with improving mental function. They stimulate the central nervous system and promote mental clarity which helps immensely in the midst of a long day at work. In the body it acts similarly to caffeine, but without the side effect of nervousness – in fact, it gives you a sensation of calm as it helps you to fight off tiredness and fatigue.

Schizandra aids digestion as it increases the flow of bile, easing the digestion of fatty foods.

Most importantly, schizandra has become known for protecting the liver. It is believed that this miraculous berry can undo the damage caused by chronic hepatitis and that it can lower the levels of GPT in the blood. Because the liver is strongly tied to robust immunity, you must take care of it. Drink less alcohol, get plenty of exercise in nature, remove potential toxins from your environment and use a combination of milk thistle, dandelion and turmeric supplements, or teas, when necessary.It is also good to note that schizandra helps to promote a strong libido as well, making a positive impact on hormone production, estrogen included!

 

 

Cheryl Magyar

https://forestcreekmeadows.com/

 

 

       With every moment, time is passing and slipping away, we are all aging – some of us seem to age much faster than others. At some point we look in the mirror and wonder where our youth went. Where and when did we lose our energy? When did our sexual desires fall by the wayside? How did our metabolism slow to a near halt? Why does brain fog seem like an incessant condition that rarely goes away.

It is true that the body slows down with age, yet there are herbs we can take and lifestyle changes we can make to live a healthy and fulfilling life. If we are lucky, we can even manage to live pharmaceutical-free as people have done for centuries before us.

It takes a certain level of curiosity to learn about and try new things, so when your libido suddenly has you down, know that there is one herb you can count on – tongkat ali, Eurycoma longifolia, otherwise known as pasak bumi or Longjack. Tongkat ali is an exotic plant, native to Indonesia and Malaysia. It also grows in Vietnam and Thailand where it is valued for its roots, leaves and flowers. The root of the plant is utilized in the far Eastern part of the world, boiled in water to eliminate intestinal parasites, dysentery and diarrhea, yet is also serves as an aphrodisiac. Talk about a versatile herb!

Tongkat ali and women’s health

Modern life sees women with their fair share of hormonal imbalances. There are exposures to toxins that didn’t exist a hundred years ago. Cosmetics have been developed to make us feel beautiful and better about ourselves, yet we are learning that sometimes the combination of nail polish, dyed hair, shampoo, conditioner, hair spray, eye liner and mascara fights against us. It is an overload of chemicals that not only harm our personal health, but pollute our water too. As we grow older we also grow wiser, and natural remedies along with health-supporting herbs become part of our lives. Tongkat ali helps to balance your low energy levels and at the same time increases your metabolism. Weight gain and fatigue don’t have to be a part of aging! In order to combat them you must stabilize your hormones – it works equally well for men too.

Mood support. We all need a bit of that these days. In a life that is beyond hectic, it is wonderful to have an herb that keeps you, and your attitude, in check. Tongkat ali reduces everyday stress, tension and anxiety by lowering cortisol levels in the body. It is a great natural treatment in combination with an anti-inflammatory diet, regular exercise and aromatherapy that promotes relaxation. Benefits of tongkat ali for men and women As a natural libido enhancer, tongkat ali works its magic by boosting testosterone levels. Again, in gathering years of life, you may not be the same person you once were. If you are looking to increase your libido and your sexual performance, experience fat loss and muscle gain all at once, this may be the herbal supplement to try. Whether you are a man or a woman, also know that increased testosterone levels help in the fight against osteoporosis, so your bones can thank you too!

 

Cheryl Magyar

https://forestcreekmeadows.com/