Author: Chris Habib

Posted on by Chris Habib

Autoimmune Conditions

There are many types of autoimmune conditions. Some are easier to treat than others, but they all share a common feature. That is, the immune system is triggered to target specific cells and damages them. For instance, in psoriasis, the skin cells get damaged. Whereas in rheumatoid arthritis, the joints and cartilage get damaged. Inflammation is often involved.

There are 2 ways to treat an autoimmune condition. Moderate the immune system or suppress it. The key to the severity and treatability of a condition is the degree to which the immune system has targeted its attack. Primary herbs to consider include alteratives, immune-modulators, and anti-inflammatories. Secondary herbs to consider may surprise you: immune stimulants.

Alteratives will always possess some anti-inflammatory action, but by facilitating the elimination of toxins (which also act as immune triggers), they help directly to reduce inflammation. Immune modulators should be considered as they can moderate the response of the immune system. Mushrooms are a good example, as they down-regulate pro-inflammatory cytokines. Immune stimulants should be used with caution, but some include Astragalus, Cordyceps, and Ginseng.

Here is an example of a formula that could be considered:

Red clover 20mL

Wild yam 20mL

Yellow dock 20mL

Reishi 20mL

Bupleurum 20mL

The suggested dose is taking 15-30mL per day in a cup of warm water once per day.

As always, ensure your care is properly managed.

Posted on by Chris Habib

Stress and Anxiety

Everyone experiences stress at some point in their lives. Actually, stress is supposed to be an adaptive mechanism, something that is good for us! It alerts us when action needs to be taken. However, in modern life, stress seems to cause more harm. It causes our bodies to worry as if there were a tiger in front of us, even though it’s just a malfunctioning printer.

Over time, these ongoing little stressors (or big ones!) can lead to anxiety. We don’t necessarily need to put a label on it and call it “Generalized Anxiety Disorder” or GAD, but let’s just say it’s enough of a bother that it can impact daily life. It can make us less happy than we would be otherwise.

So what can we do about it?

In herbal medicine, there are are herbs called adaptogens and there are herbs called anxiolytics.

The adaptogens are herbs that help us cope with stress, allow us to deal with regular stressors rather than to get exhausted. They give us a little bit more energy for a little longer. Examples include the herbs astragalus, rhodiola, and licorice.

The anxiolytics are more specific to helping with anxiety. This class of herbs help the body and mind relax, and sometimes help with insomnia. Examples of these herbs include valerian, lemonbalm, or skullcap.

Although you should certainly check with your health practitioner, these herbs are generally safe to use. Many can even be used in conjunction with regular medication, but you must have your practitioner do an interaction check for you just to be on the safe side. We offer all of these herbs individually or as part of herbal combinations, both as tinctures and as teas.

Acupuncture and acupressure are other alternative therapies that you can use along with herbal medicine to help alleviate stress and anxiety.

Posted on by Chris Habib

The Dreaded SIBO

SIBO is the acronym for Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth. Just like it sounds, it is what happens when there is unusual bacteria growing in the small intestine. These bacteria can process nutrients from food and create products like gas, which can then cause indigestion, irritable bowels, and prevent proper functioning of the digestive system.

So how does SIBO even happen in the first place?

One of the obstacles is that it is completely normal to have some bacteria in the intestines. Lots in fact. However, when certain organisms grow too high in number, they can skew the natural balance into SIBO. They can impair digestion and the regular functions of the intestines.

There are many normal and pathogenic bacteria associated with SIBO, including Streptococcus, E. Coli, Staphylococcus, and a laundry list of others.

The signs and symptoms of SIBO are: bloating, gas, constipation, weight loss, abdominal discomfort, and weakness. This set of symptoms doesn’t need to happen in everyone and for this reason can make SIBO hard to diagnose or assess quickly. It may take time to rule out other potential causes first.

There are many health conditions that increase the risk of SIBO. There are also medical procedures that can increase the risk of SIBO. So how do we get rid of SIBO and feel better? The conventional medical system usually suggests antibiotics. The obvious problem with this approach is that it will often kill healthy bacteria too. And of course, there’s no guarantee that once the slate is wiped clean, that the balance will be naturally restored.

It’s a good idea to consider probiotics if going this route. Also, there are many herbs that have antibiotic properties against the bacteria that cause SIBO. These include:

  • Goldenseal
  • Oregano
  • Garlic
  • Andrographis

These herbs can be used in many forms, but most commonly in tincture form. There’s also a common formulation with a bit of an unusual name… I won’t share it here, you’ll have to ask us for that. But it’s named the way it is because it doesn’t have the greatest taste. It’s a combination of Goldenseal, Myrrh, and Thyme.

If you think you may have SIBO, please get yourself checked out. There’s no substitute for an assessment by a qualified health practitioner.

Posted on by Chris Habib

Combating Seasonal Allergies, Naturally

Tis the season for allergies – tree and grass pollen are the most common culprits this time of year, with allergies to grass pollen being referred to as ‘Hay Fever’. If you’ve experienced hay fever, you’ve likely experienced some of the most common symptoms: itchy eyes, runny nose, and hives. Luckily you don’t have to suffer – if you simply incorporate some healthy habits and make the most of your herbal allies, you’ll be on the right track to reducing or eliminating those irritating symptoms of allergy. Here are some ways we can help:

Acupuncture:

Acupuncture is an effective treatment in relieving allergy symptoms and even preventing their onset. Acupuncture is said to be more effective when treatment begins before allergy season kicks into full force, but still effective enough to help relieve symptoms when they show up.

Herbs: Continue reading Combating Seasonal Allergies, Naturally

Posted on by Chris Habib

Growing Your Organic Garden

It’s warming up outside…

To be optimally healthy, we need nutritious food, and that’s hard to find anymore. Even organic farmers can’t get anywhere close to the nutrient density you can get in your backyard or even on your balcony.

But growing food comes with many challenges: Insects, diseases, and animals destroy your plants, weeds take over, fruits and vegetables fail to produce.

Many people are interested in growing healthier plants that don’t get bothered by pests, that look great and produce high yields of nutritious foods.

That’s where organic fertilizers and microbial inoculants really make a big difference. They might be homemade fertilizers or purchased, or a combination of both.

The best source to learn more about this is Smiling Gardener.

Smiling Gardener provides massive value, including free gardening lessons, books and how-to guides, and the best actionable information.

We hope this helps you with your summer gardening!

Here’s the link again. Let us know how it goes!

Posted on by Chris Habib

Top 5 Oils For Sleep

Lavender – It’s a classic. It can relieve all kinds of stress and can completely relax you, which will certainly help to put you to sleep. It is even known to provide mild pain relief and improve overall skin health. This floral sensation is brimming with uses, and also smells indubitably delightful.

Frankincense – Frankincense is an excellent addition to your bedtime routine. It’s incredible at relaxing the mind and can even reduce joint pains. Are you feeling a little bit achy? Can help with that too.

Cedarwood – It is known to have energising properties that can increase concentration levels, but it can also relieve stress and tension due to its ability to cloak the body in a shroud of calmness.

Valerian – Smell wise; Valerian root is undoubtedly different. Fortunately, the benefits far outweigh the smell. It naturally aids sleep, calms anxiety, lowers blood pressure and can help with muscle spasms. There is a high chance that its scent will knock you out, but at least you’ll get a peaceful nights rest.

Ylang Ylang – This amazing oil can reduce anxiety and stress. It can help fight depression and can also reduce joint and muscle pains. It’s well known for its aphrodisiac qualities, so if you’re looking to restore the magic in the bedroom, look no further. It naturally increases your libido and lifts your mood,  which could certainly help you sleep.

Using Essential Oils

Use a Diffuser – add a few drops and turn it on. Put it on before bedtime and drift off into a sleepy slumber.

Inhale – add about 10 drops of oil to a bowl of warm water. Stir well and then inhale. Do this for a good 5 minutes, and this should induce a mode of sleepiness.

Application – you can apply these oils to your chest, temples, forehead, back of your neck or even on the soles of your feet. It’s always best to dilute the oils in a carrier oil first.

Sleep well!

Posted on by Chris Habib

Change of Season? Herbs have got you covered.

Guest post by: Emma Downie, Registered Herbalist

As we enter into the fall season of colder nights, windy days, fall colors and cozy blankets, we may notice some bodily changes in response. For some, this is the season of back to school coughs and colds, digestive change or upset, and seasonal allergies.

Throughout history, herbs have been used to rebalance our system through all seasonal changes, and often there is a correlation between which herbs are in season, and which seasonal ailments they help to balance or treat. In Traditional Chinse Medicine, a traditional change of season soup is brewed for every seasonal change, to help increase vitality, strengthen digestion, immune function, and overall constitution. This soup/brew is made of Goji Berries, Codonopsis root, Wild Yam root, and Astragalus.

Below are a few helpful tips to help keep your system balanced this coming change of season!

Digestive Sensitivity:
During a change of season, our digestive system can sometimes become sensitive and unbalanced due to the change in temperature and pace of life. Our digestive system loves schedule and routine, and during changes of season, often times are schedules change. This can create upset stomach, irregular bowel movements, indigestion or lack of appetite. Eating with the seasons is a wonderful way to mitigate this. As the weather turns colder, and a chill settles in the air, try to avoid having cold things in the mornings. Sub the smoothie out of a turmeric late in the morning, or chai tea. Warming herbs such as turmeric, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger, all help gently wake up the digestive system, and prepare it for the coming meals of the day.

If appetite is more your issue, you may consider warming bitters (cooling would be counterintuitive to the season), to help promote ndigestion! Bitters can be added to a morning tea, or just a glass of warm water with lemon, 15 minutes before meals. These bitter and warming herbs help promote the creation of bile, and hydrochloric acid in the stomach, and aid in proper digestion and assimilation.

Seasonal Allergies:
Coughing, Sneezing, and itchy eyes, are enough to make anyone unhappy that fall is just around the corner. A few seasonal herbal allies can assist in easing your symptoms, before you reach for the benadryl. Nettle, being a natural antihistamine, can be drunk as a tea or taken as tincture, to help with itchy eyes, skin, and throat. Nettle can be taken daily, and can be paired with other herbs such as Astragalus, or Eye bright, to further decrease symptoms.

Coughs and Colds:
With school starting up again and our weekly schedules picking up, the chance for germ exchange and compromised immune systems increase. Our immune system does best when it is supported both physically but also emotionally. Our immune systems often become compromised when we are stressed, or not eating or sleeping our best. Therefore, there are many ways we can support this system, in children and adults. Getting adequate nutrition and sleep are key here – as the days get shorter and the nights grow longer, our bodies will naturally want to sleep longer. This is a natural cycle that we would do well to indulge during fall and winter. Some herbal allies to consider are; Elderberries: These adult and child friendly dried berries can be made into syrup, tincture or teas, to help increase immune function, and fight viruses.

When made as a syrup with honey or cane sugar, can be a delicious way to keep your little ones sniffle free. Add ginger for an extra antiviral kick. Astragalus: An immune-modulating herb from the East, this sweet herbs can be cooked into rice, made as a tea, or taken as tincture, to increase immune activity when under stress, or when there is a pathogen threatening to take you down during a busy week. Echinacea: This adult and child friendly herb is another potent antiviral, and can be great for sore throats. This herb works best when it touches the tissue it is meant to affect, therefore tea or syrup for sore throats is a handy ally to have.

Yarrow: This herb is a nice one for adults who spike a fever. Yarrow is diaphoretic, meaning it helps your body to sweat. This will help the body feel the fever, and sweat it out. Especially helpful if you have associated chills, as it will make you feel warm and toasty.

About Emma: Emma Downie is a Registered Clinical Herbalist, with a Diploma from the Institute of Traditional Medicine, as well as a Certificate of Advanced Botanical Medicine. She has worked under both classically trained, eclectic, and indigenous herbalists, and is grateful for all she has learned in the process.