Apoth.

Image:  NIH Clinical Center

Astragalus, also known as  huang qi  in Chinese medicine, has been usedfor centuries against colds, flus and other respiratory infections. It has even been shown to treat chronic hepatitis and according to Dr. Weil, used as an adjunctive therapy for cancer and as a folk or traditional remedy for heart disease. According to Mountain Rose Herbs, the herb was mentioned in the Divine Husbandman's Classic of the Materia Medica, written anonymously during the first century AD and attributed to the teachings of the legendary figure Shennong who is thought to have lived approximately 5,000 years ago.

Astragalus is also considered as an adaptogen by assisting in reducing both stress and aging by protecting the telomeres of cells.

Astragalus as a cancer fighter: “Preliminary research suggests that astragalus may also have powerful anticancer properties. In a study conducted at the University of Texas Medical Center in Houston, researchers found that a water extraction of astragalus restored or enhanced the function of T-cells (white blood cells that play specific roles in the immune system) taken from people with cancer. In some cases, astragalus stimulated the damaged cells to greater activity than found in normal cells taken from healthy individuals.” – The Encyclopedia of Popular Herbs by Robert S. McCaleb, Evelyn Leigh, and Krista Morien

How to take it:  An  herbaceous perennial, astragalus is harvested after 4-5 years and its roots are dried by sunlight, then sliced for distribution. I am currently drinking the root as a tea from Celebration Organics, with a drizzle of raw honey to enhance its lightly sweet and nutty flavor.

Apple cider vinegar shots are the only type of shots I’m consuming these days. The sober lifestyle I’ve recently committed to has me getting up earlier and earlier and wanting to ensure that I start each day on the highest note possible. Years of wasting my life in a destructive fashion has propelled me to really try to become the best person and how I start each day can help or deter me, depending on the steps I take. So I have been trying to instill a morning ritual that I look forward to and that’s possible for me to adhere to daily.

 I try to stretch slowly when rising out of bed, then spending time to meditate before checking my phone and then maybe I do some light reading. 

Before I eat and make my morning smoothie I always, always take a shot of apple cider vinegar. Apple cider vinegar is a favorite of countless celebrities and nutritionists, all touting its numerous and powerful benefits which include detoxifying, building immunity, lowering blood sugar and cholesterol, weight loss, joint support, improving digestion, and building stronger bones and teeth.

I was just taking a shot (about 2 tablespoons worth) of Braggs’ ACV diluted with water, followed by a 8 oz. water chaser. But I recently changed things up, adding ground turmeric, ground ginger, and a drop of raw honey to the ACV/water mixture and it’s ohhh so much better!

ACV Shot

2 tbsp. of Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar (unfiltered, with the mother)

2 tbsp. of spring, filtered, or alkaline water

dash of ground turmeric

dash of ground ginger

1 tsp. of local, unfiltered, raw honey

Mix ingredients until dissolved. Take the shot! Chase with 8-10 oz. of water. Wait about 30 minutes to eat.

Adaptogens are everywhere now it seems. Everyone’s drinking smoothies with maca, drinking mushroom coffee, etc. But what are they exactly? The new superfood? Simply put, adaptogens help your body adapt to stress. They assist in your body coping with different biological and psychological stressors and allow it to handle them. 

According to “Medicine Hunter” Chris Kilham, “An adaptogen is a botanical that greatly improves your body's ability to adapt to stress, whether it's a hectic schedule, heat or cold, noise, high altitudes or any number of other stressors. This elite class of herbs impart strength, energy, stamina, endurance, and improve mental clarity.” In order to be correctly classified as an adaptogen, the herb must be completely non-toxic, help return the body back to homeostasis, provide the body with widespread support, and reduce both physical and mental stress. 

A study published in 1969 by Brekhman and Dardymov defined the general pharmacological properties of adaptogenic substances and stated that in order to be classified as an adaptogen the substance must be the following:  a.)    Relatively non-toxic to the recipient. b.)    Possess “non-specific” activity and acts by increasing resistance of the organism to a broad spectrum of adverse biological, chemical, and physical factors. c.)   Helps regulate or normalize organ and system function within the organism.

Adaptogenic herbs work on the adrenal glands, which in this day and age, are constantly depleted and must be also constantly restored. Adrenal glands are endocrine glands which produce multiple hormones, including adrenaline and the steroids aldosterone and cortisol.  Adrenaline, of course, allows your body to respond to stress and the adrenals monitor our “flight or fight response.” Thousands of years ago, we had to make decisions quickly that could determine the fate of our lives. In a threatening situation effective and functioning adrenal glands helps us to get out of sticky situations by releasing three things. First, adrenaline, which pricks up our alertness and focus, is released. Then cortisol, which utilizes our stored sugar energy and converts protein to energy. Finally, the adrenals produce glycogen in order to fuel the body to respond rapidly.         However, in the current age, we are not (hopefully for you) running into predators and escaping enemies on a daily basis. Still, our body responds pretty much the same when we have a deadline, angry boss, or screaming kids as when we had a massive animal chasing us down. These stressors and our bodies’ responses have not yet evolved to lessening the responses with the lessening dangers. Although not daily faced with life-threatening situations, many of us do deal with traumatic experiences occasionally and periodically, so adaptogenic herbs can be a total life-saver by helping us adapt to stresses accordingly.

Many correlate the magic of adaptogens with treating adrenal fatigue, but doctors have not yet recognized this. They do however, accept adrenal insufficiency or Addison’s Disease which occurs when the body is unable to produce certain hormones and is caused by autoimmune disorders. This can lead to chronic fatigue, lowered  sex drive. irregular periods, muscle weakness, hypoglycemia, and many more other issues.                  

While adaptogens may not be the cure-all for Addison’s, they have shown to be effective throughout history. Soldiers in India and China have used them in battle. They have also been used in Chinese medicine as qi and kidney yang tonics, as well as in Tibetan, Native American, and Ayurvedic medicinal practices. 

Here are several popular adaptogens and what they have been shown to be helpful with:

1. Ashwagandha root - One of the most esteemed herbs in Aryuvedic medicine

Anxiety

Bad dreams

Mild OCD

Reduces brain cell degeneration

Insomnia

Nervous exhaustion

Helps concentration, learning, and reaction time

Anemia

Stabilizes blood sugar 

Lowers cholesterol

Combats malaria

Thyroid functions;  hypothyroidism (with Bacopa and Bladderwrack)

Fibromyalgia (with Kava and Scullcap)

Restless leg syndrome

Mild Tourette’s syndrome

Osteo-arthritis 

Sexual vitality for both men and women

2.  Cordyceps fungi

Degenerative kidney disease   

Male sexual dysfunction

Hyperlipidemia

Low platelet counts

Allergic rhinitis

Tinnitus

Chronic tracheitis. 

Cancer, leukemia 

3.  Eleuthero (formerly Siberian Ginseng) - more gentle than other ginsengs and is great with standard “American stresses” and helpful for the Western individual who is  “overstressed, undernourished but overfed, doesn’t get enough sleep or exercise, has dark circles under his or her eyes, a quivering tongue, and contracting/dilating pupils.” 

Reduces cortisol levels

Promotes improved cognitive and physical performance

Enhances immune function

Regulates neurotransmitters

 4.  Licorice rhizome - do not take in excess as it can cause hyperaldosterogenic effect and those with hypertension should avoid it.

Autoimmune disorders (Lupus, Scleroderma, Crohn’s disease, Rheumatoid Arthritis) 

 Immune deficiency conditions (cancer, HIV, CFIDS)

 Addison’s disease, with cordyceps and panax ginseng

Allergies

Gastric ulcers

PCOS (with Serenoa and Paeonia)

Spasmodic coughs. 

5.  Rhodiola root - not to be used in manic, depressive, or bipolar patients. Tibetan medicine has used rhodiola for nourishing the lungs, to increase blood circulation, for relieving fatigue, altitude sickness, and weakness.   

Mild depression

Neurasthenia

Impaired cognitive function

Erectile dysfunction

Amenorrhea

Infertility in women

Altitude sickness (use it with Cordyceps, Reishi, and Holy Basil)

Aids in recovery from head trauma injury. 

6.  Wu Wei Zi berries/seeds (Schisandra chinensis) -                                           

Promotes calm and focus

Hepatitis B and C, when combined with milk thistle and turmeric

Asthma when combined with licorice. 

Parkinson’s disease

Meniere’s syndrome 

Deficient depression 

ADHD

Increases immune function and prevent side effects caused by cancer chemotherapy

7. Reishi mushroom have been relied upon for health and vitality in Japan and China for thousands of years, and have many adaptogenic properties.

Combats effects of chemotherapy

Viral infections 

Anxiety

High blood pressure

Hepatitis

Insomnia

Asthma

Improves liver function and detoxification

Helps to inhibit release of histamine

Mediates inflammation

Defends against growth of cancer and tumors

Promotes heart health

8. Maca root, dubbed the “Peruvian ginseng,” is a native plant to the high altitudes of the Andes Mountains and was considered by the Incas as a food of the gods.

Increases libido

Boosts energy and endurance

Supports hormone balance

9. Holy Basil or Tulsi, also called “The Incomparable One,” holy basil is considered one of the most sacred plants in India. it has been prized for its effects on the mind, body, and spirit.

Antibacterial

Antifungal

Anti-inflammatory 

All of today’s stressors may be considerably less lethal than that of our ancestors’ but it does not mitigate the fact that it affects us pretty much the same so we also must adapt to our new environments in order to not only survive, but completely thrive. I am currently recovering from a period of sustained, extreme stress and am staying on a strict budget so I have not been able to purchase bottles of $30/40 supplements, but I have found other ways. Two teas I recently discovered have been quite helpful. Celestial Seasonings’ Tension Tamer tea contains eleuthero ginseng and the company’s Sleepytime Sinus Soother contains both licorice and holy basil. These run about $3 a box and hopefully, with sustained use, will help me improve a lot of what the stresses have negatively impacted. Along with meditation, regular exercise. sufficient sleep, and the healthy diet I am following I’m doing good so far! 

Doku what?

Dokudami tea is an old Japanese remedy for toxicity and poisoning and helps rid the body of harmful toxins. Literally translated to “poison eliminator,” dokudami tea is a herb that also goes by the English names of fish mint, fish herb, fishwort, lizard tail, chameleon plant, heartleaf and bishop’s weed.

During the cold weather season, many people throughout the history of Japan, including geisha, consume dokudami tea to ward off illnesses and clean their systems. According to Tatcha, Japan’s oldest elephant Hanako is given dokudami tea several times daily to help keep her healthy.

The antioxidant properties of dokudami can help fight and prevent diseases such as cancer, coronary heart diseases, and diabetes, The leaves of this ancient medicinal herb has been used to treat measles, cholera, dysentery, and gonorrhea. The juice of the root of the dokudami has been used topically to help heal wounds, snake bites, swelling, and other skin problems. 

Due to its anti-inflammatory properties, the dokudami herb has been used in injections to treat severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), a life-threatening type of pneumonia.

Dokudami tea has been shown to have anti-bacterial and anti-microbial effects, and can be utilized to combat acne. It has also been studied to have anti-histamine effects, successfully blocking histamine release and its side effects, which can help allergies and asthma.

As with anything new and found on this site,do check with your health practitioner and do research on side effects that may affect you before you ingest, as I found there are possible anti-fertility properties of this herb.

Mushrooms are truly magical, and not just the funny ones (which are also, proving their healing potential in different way). The best mushrooms include cordyceps, lion’s mane, reishi, shiitake, maitake, and more.

Mushrooms help promote immunity and help to attack cancer. The book The Maker’s Diet by Jordan Rubin tells the story of how the author came up with a supplement made of mushroom compounds and gave them to his ailing grandmother who was at the time suffering from ovarian cancer. She ultimately defeated cancer. 

The journal Experimental Biology and Medicine published a study in 2010 of 5 different mushrooms (maitake, crimini, portabella, oyster and white button) and discovered they "significantly suppressed" breast cancer cell growth and reproduction,  leading to the conclusion that "both common and specialty mushrooms may be chemo protective against breast cancer."

Golden Goodness

As someone who loves brewing fresh tea from herbs, roots, and spices, I loved making turmeric and ginger tea, fresh from the root. Sometimes, however, fresh root is not always available in my grocery store and I have learned that fresh turmeric in high amounts is not necessarily recommended for women. So it was great when I found a bulk spice shelf at my local HEB grocery store that sells dried herbs and spices. Not only were they of great quality, I also found these much more affordable. Located near this shelf was a container selling mixed ingredients to make a golden latte for about $14 for a jar. I looked at the ingredients and checked some recipes online and decided to make my own using the dried ingredients I just found. 

Turmeric has been shown to outperform many pharmaceutical medicines  in fighting several chronic conditions and has been shown to decrease cancer tumor growth. Other benefits of turmeric include possibly preventing Alzheimer’s, fighting inflammatory issues, assists in the detoxification process, relieves menstrual pain, improves cognitive function, and reduces stress and depression. 

In addition to turmeric I added more spices that are warming for the body and are great at the end of a stressful day to wind down and calm the soul. The recipe below is not in any strict measurements since I tend to adjust tastes depending on my preferences for that day. You can always make it sweeter, less sweet, spicier, etc. as you learn how everything tastes.

Golden Goddess Latte

Cup of milk of your choice (I prefer a blend of coconut and almond)

1/4-1/2 tsp ground turmeric

1/8-1/4 tsp ground ginger 

Pinch of dried cloves

Pinch of dried cardamom

Pinch of nutmeg

Small amount of virgin coconut oil

Small amount of raw honey