Michael’s Blog

The secret to successfully treating the common cold and cough is to differentiate the type based on Traditional Chinese diagnostics ...
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Are you ready to hear about a medicinal named after a supreme god? Because of its rejuvenative healing properties Mahanarayana ...
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Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a degenerative condition affecting the central part of the retina (the macula). It is the ...
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In this discussion, TCM organs describe functions that do not perfectly correspond to what we know regarding the Western anatomical ...
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Shenqu, called by various names “massa fermentata,” “Chinese yogurt,” and mysterious ferment,” was first recorded in the Yaoxing Bencao (ca ...
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Of the hundreds of herbs Ayurveda has to offer, guggul is one of the most important ones to add to ...
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Research has shown that regularly taking Bacopa monnieri for eight to twelve weeks can improve your memory. “Nootropic” is a pharmaceutical term ...
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Triphala consists of three phytonutrient-rich fruits Emblica officinalis (Amla, or Amalaki) also known as Phyllanthus emblica; Terminalia bellerica (Vibhitaki); and Terminalia chebula ...
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It seems that each year it is getting increasingly more difficult to depend on my garden to produce enough to ...
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“It is quite important to know what kind of a patient the disease has got as to know what kind ...
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After traveling to places in Arabia where saffron and other herbs and spices were sold and used, I attended a ...
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A selection of Chinese tonic herbs The Importance of Qi in the Body Qi means “life energy.” The source of ...
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Unfortunately, too many people think about their teeth only in crisis stage. A common pre-crisis symptom is receding gums. This ...
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When was the last time you visited a doctor and the first thing asked of you was to show your ...
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Every December we try to offer some possibilities for gifts you can make or buy to enhance your holidays. It's ...
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Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is described as a rasayana in Ayurvedic medicine. In Ayurveda, rasayanas are used as Traditional Chinese medicine ...
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Asava and arishta, meaning “distillate” in Sanskrit, are two naturally fermented alcoholic extracts used for making Ayurvedic wine medicines. Draksha ...
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Many years ago, while visiting Baton Rouge, Louisiana, I happened upon a local herb shop.  While perusing jars of dry ...
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“Let your medicine be your food and your food, your medicine.” The sovereign dictum of Hippocrates is aptly epitomized by ...
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My acupuncture teacher, Dr. Miriam Lee, said she never studied herbs but she had a very busy practice in San ...
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Many mothers are afraid to give their babies and young children vaccinations. Pro and con arguments on both sides make ...
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In the midst of the current pandemic, I'm surprised how little mention there is of boneset, once considered the number ...
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So far, 14,000 people have died and 250,000 people have been hospitalized during the 2019-2020 flu season, according to preliminary estimates from the ...
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Recently Lesley and I toured Jerusalem and various parts of Arabia featured in the Bible. One of our stops was ...
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Have you ever wondered what the Holy Family did with the three gifts brought to them from the far-off lands ...
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“Let food be your medicine.” -- Hippocrates I founded the East West Free Natural Health Clinic in Santa Cruz, California, ...
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It is virtually inevitable when lecturing on herbs that a man might surreptitiously take me aside and ask for an ...
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Sleep is a period of reduced activity where we leave waking consciousness to drift into a land of dreams and ...
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On our recent second visit to Costa Rica, we re-experienced the wondrous biodiversity of its plants, exotic wildlife, volcanoes, and ...
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“The perfected breathe all the way to their heels, unlike ordinary folk who breathe only as far as their throats.” ...
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The renowned 16th century English herbalist, Nicholas Culpeper, described the use of lemon balm for depression by quoting Serapio who ...
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Oxidation in the body is a natural process caused when wandering electrons called free radicals react with other molecules. Oxidation ...
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Korean Hand Therapy (KHT) was discovered by Tai Woo Yoo, OMD, PhD, a South Korean acupuncturist, in 1971, when he ...
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Oxymel is one of the oldest herbal preparations. The word is derived from the Latin oxmeli meaning “acid and honey” ...
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Mung Bean for Hypertension Hypertension is a major risk indicator for heart attack and stroke. In the United States, approximately ...
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Nutmeg (Myristica fragrans), a common kitchen spice with a warming, spicy energy, is used to add flavor to desserts and ...
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Once when comparing relative merits of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Ayurvedic medicine with an Ayurvedic doctor in India, the ...
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Recently, someone wrote me in response to an article I wrote on the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) principle of dui ...
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A recent article published in the New York Times has questioned the value of one of the sacred cows of ...
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For the last 3 1/2 weeks, I’ve been suffering from shingles and postherpetic neuralgia. It is a terrible condition. There ...
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Recently the CDC announced that some 40 cases of salmonella associated with individuals who took certain batches of kratom. I’ve ...
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Victoria Fortner, herbalist and artist, was a beloved elder and member of the American Herbalists Guild. She passed away nearly ...
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I have been treating a young man with Down Syndrome mostly with acupuncture over the course of years. His mother ...
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An old Chinese folk adage “Trying to cure disease after it has begun is like trying to forge weapons while ...
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"Tonic" in TCM specifically refers to herbs that: increase Qi, usually through enhanced absorption and mitochondrial replication nourish Blood, usually ...
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While acknowledging all the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) principles of healing, a branch of TCM called Taoist Traditional Chinese Medicine ...
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  I really like when I can use a standard protocol for a disease and receive consistently good results. This ...
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See Part 1 of my series on kratom here. I work at a local free clinic alongside other students and ...
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As of the beginning of August 2017, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) published notice of the state of the ...
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Could you ever imagine yourself as being ‘sugar deprived?’  Do you find yourself unable to sleep soundly throughout the night, ...
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What's that sound? Why won't it go away? Tinnitus, commonly known as "ringing in the ears" and the perception of ...
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Arthritis, joint and back pain is so prevalent throughout the world that there really is no point to describe how many ...
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In my previous blog on treating H. pylori-induced stomach inflammation with herbs, I touch briefly on a fundamental difference between conventional ...
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Recently, a colleague sent me the following question: A friend in Canada tested positive for H. pylori bacteria. Of course, ...
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Acupressure applied to Gall Bladder 20. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) there are 361 charted acupuncture points on ...
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Michael Tierra with a view of the Huangshan mountain range. The East West Herb Course and TCMZone organized a special ...
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by Beverly Jennings, RH (AHG), MT, East West School of Planetary Herbology Graduate East West students were fortunate to have the opportunity ...
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“Northwest Passage” The amazing music of composer, Alex Shapiro Featuring the world premiere of ARCANA: SUITE FOR PIANO  commissioned by ...
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The most widely used Chinese herbal formula comes with the boastful name, “Curing Pills.” In North America and Europe any ...
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My clinical experience using the Ayurvedic formula Triphala is extensive, based on literally thousands of cases over the course or ...
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Wouldn’t it be nice if we all had a little spot on our head that we could tap to clear ...
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One of my favorite movies, Where the Wild Lilies Bloom (1974), tells the story of a family of five Appalachian ...
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Michael Tierra applies cups to a patient with severe back pain at the East West Free Clinic in Santa Cruz ...
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As we continue this blog series on Yin Deficiency (with Heat), I want to make clear that the description of ...
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Heat is an extremely common condition in Traditional Chinese Medical Diagnosis. In Ayurveda Heat can be described as pitta and ...
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How beautiful in autumn shadows, the blood red berries of hawthorn are!  Drooping in small clusters along thorny branches they ...
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In desperation, a family with strong ‘old world’ roots brought to my office their beloved father, a humble Italian man ...
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Can the claims of traditional herbal medicine be substantiated scientifically? Because trials are expensive and because there is no profit ...
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Mention “noni” (Morinda citrifolia) to anyone who has tasted the fermented fruit, and the conversation is over. Some people would ...
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East West Free Clinic herbalists Maureen Flash, Erin Massengale, Michael McEvoy, Beverly Jennings. I have always had the desire to ...
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A much-touted recent investigation by the New York State Attorney general’s office claimed national store brand herbal supplements sold at ...
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My last two blog posts attempted to answer two questions: 1. Is it really necessary for all or even the majority ...
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Gluten sensitivity and the TCM Spleen The unique concept of the ‘Spleen’ in TCM encompasses far more than the standard ...
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12/1/2014 In my 40 years of involvement as an herbalist in the natural health movement, I’ve seen a panoply of ...
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Like garlic, cayenne pepper (Capsicum annum) is one of those rude, crude herbs that has staunch friends and enemies. Regarded ...
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While I don’t think it is appropriate for any herbalist or alternative practitioner to claim to be an expert in ...
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While many people may think that taste and flavor are the same, they are actually different. Here’s why: Taste refers ...
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Ever wonder why you never hear mention of certain well-known herbs in the higher echelons of herbal medicine? Garlic is ...
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Be it ordained established and enacted by authority of this present parliament, that at all time from henceforth, it shall ...
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Wild cherry bark (Prunus serotina, P. virginiana) also known as choke cherry, is one of several herbal remedies that contain ...
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The FDA’s recent report on "Pathogens and Filth in Spices" finding salmonella in imported spices, especially from India and Mexico, ...
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Besides the ancient traditions of Traditional Chinese Medicine based on the Huangdi Neijing and the Nan Jing, there have been ...
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Chinese medicine divides diseases into two broad categories: 1. Diseases of "external contraction" (Wei Guan), which are relatively simple conditions ...
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To feel healthy, strong, vibrant, and vital each day sets the stage for all the other virtues, hope and interest ...
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We are pleased to welcome to the East West family Áine Amanita Rose McCormack, born to East West graduate Anne ...
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I'm not sure when the use of poppy for the relief of pain was made illegal for herbalists, but it ...
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It’s hard to believe that only about 25 years ago computers became the thing and I and a few of ...
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Numen: The Nature of Plants A film about the healing power of plants http://www.numenfilm.com This is the most beautiful film ...
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I recently gave a free in-depth introductory webinar on pulse diagnosis. We have since published it on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6WTq0GhnyQ Pulse ...
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A close member of my family recently went on a weight loss diet and happily dropped 25 pounds within two ...
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The word is finally getting out. Approximately one third of Americans are overweight. As a result, they suffer from a ...
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"Adaptogen" is a term coined by Russian professor of medicine and physiological medicine Dr. Israel I. Brekhman and colleagues to ...
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I think climate change is affecting my garden in Ben Lomond, California (a section of which shown at right). It ...
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Menstrual Irregularities and Infertility Conception Vessel 4, called guan yuan or "origin pass"is located approximately two inches above the top ...
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Last time, I talked about moxibustion and its uses on the acupuncture point Stomach 36. There are several other uses and ...
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Moxibustion, commonly called "moxa," is one of the methods used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) where the downy fluff of ...
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In my previous blog, I discussed the little-known use of ragweed for allergies. Another herb that can give over-the-counter antihistamines ...
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Spring conjures images of life renewed, flowery blooms, love and mating. But for one in five people, it means shutting ...
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Before there was any understanding of biochemical constituents, traditional herbal healing systems relied on flavors as indicators of medicinal properties ...
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Here it is again – another influenza epidemic claimed to be the biggest in 10 years. We’re bombarded by the ...
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Ulcerative Colitis Ulcerative colitis affects approximately 100 out of 100,000 people in the United States. Genetic disposition and food sensitivities ...
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A few months ago, I found myself asking the question that so many of my students and colleagues were polite ...
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Hawaii is the endangered species capital of the United States, according to paleoecologist David Burney, author of Back to the ...
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Most herbalists have learned that preparing several herbs in a formula which are extracted together or brewed into a tea ...
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Once upon a time, when people got sick they knew that that they must "drink their bitter brew" to get ...
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Michael Tierra in the Sierra, August 2012 "I'm gathering pulsatilla which is all around me. There are also stands of ...
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The nondescript appearance of herbs in their dried or powdered form, coupled with their high commercial value, has historically made ...
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Many of my readers will have heard that holy basil (also known as tulsi, Ocimum sanctum/tenuiflorum) is the most sacred herb in ...
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Dandelion root and burdock root are my two most commonly prescribed herbs when chronic conditions require anti-inflammatory, blood purifying alternatives ...
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According to a medical researcher on the Dr. Oz show, because of the early Spring and prolonged proliferation of windborne ...
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In its February-April 2012 issue, HerbalGram, one of the most reputable and distinguished journals in the world on all things ...
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Despite the overwhelming evidence of the added health benefits of fiber, vitamins and minerals of whole grains, most traditional Chinese ...
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Healing should always leave room for the miraculous to occur, and our belief system is usually the foundation that allows ...
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A wise sage once told me "where there is great light, there is great darkness." For many, this is especially ...
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Despite their shared love of nature, plants, caring for the earth, animal and human life -- herbalists as a bunch ...
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The entire class of tonics in Chinese medicine is defined as herbs that "make things normal." They are regarded as ...
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Your child is sick and you'd like to try administering herbs rather than drugs. The reason is obvious: you correctly ...
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I always think it's a good idea to learn to derive your special nutrients from foods rather than pills and ...
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A recent article published in the Economist (May 19, 2011) entitled 'Think Yourself Better' claims that all alternative medical treatments ...
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In the springtime, when birds do sing, tree pollen flings, eyes itch, noses clog,  throats do hack '" hey ding ...
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The threat of exposure from the nuclear reactors in Japan made unstable by the recent earthquake has captured the world's ...
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If you suffer from hypertension, several avenues of treatment are available to you. How do you choose what is best ...
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Nancy Angelini, the author of the article, "What Exactly Are Ferment Metabolites?" which I'm featuring in this blog post, is ...
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An article published in the UK Independent on Dec. 30, 2010, reports: 'From 1 May 2011, traditional herbal medicinal products must ...
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My friend Don Monkerud recently sent me his periodic political critique which included the following: 'Corporate controlled politicians claim America ...
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Thus far in this series we have described two other powerful herbs for coronary heart disease: hawthorn from the Western ...
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Sage Advice For the treatment of Coronary Heart Disease It's not too often that a representative of a pharmaceutical company ...
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It's no secret that cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the #1 killer in the United States. Estimates are that 81,100,000 people ...
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For years I have known and used DMSO for the topical relief of inflammation and pain. It's unfortunate that even ...
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I've lived through 40 years of fad diets ranging from Adele Davis, living foods, Paul Bragg, juice diets, macrobiotic, low ...
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Above: Richo Cech in Zanzibar Just as a horse whisperer understands the particular needs and psychology of horses, a plant ...
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Each spring, the honeysuckle flowers gather at the end of their stems to trumpet their sweet, gentle scent of purification ...
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During the 1970s on one of my trips to Bangalore in southern India, I made it a point to seek ...
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Almost exactly one year ago today, I published a blog post, 'Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Flu,' about the ...
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My first Chinese herb teacher Foon Lee Wong once cryptically remarked: "It's not good to be too healthy." Since then ...
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The pomegranate (Punica granitum), highly touted these days as an antioxidant-rich superfruit, has an ancient metaphysical and culinary history. In ...
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In the marketplace, it is often more difficult to sell the general public on an herbal formula as opposed to ...
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It's no secret that acid reflux is a widespread condition. Just think of all the antacid, Nexium or Prilosec advertisements you've seen ...
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For a good 'romp in the hay' this Valentine's Day, be sure the hay is oat straw! Wild oat straw ...
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After the period of feasting from Thanksgiving through Christmas, the New Year leads many of us to think about getting ...
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As I mentioned in last week's blog, exercise and wise dieting principles aren't enough to help you reach your optimal ...
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I'm rounding out this trio of blogs on diet and weight management with the following 20 tips. Under each tip ...
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This Dec. 1, 2009, article at the BBC website entitled "Prince Charles: 'Herbal medicine must be regulated'" points to a ...
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Driving on Highway 50, the only highway on the island of Kauai, during morning traffic, a sign advertising fresh Longan ...
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Both gotu kola (Centella asiatica and/or Hydrocotyle asiatica) and Bacopa monnieri (pictured at left) are known as "brahmi."This has created ...
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Have you ever had one of those lingering, deep-seated coughs (often the last hanger-on symptom after a cold or flu) ...
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Albizia is one of my favorite herbs because of its real and unique ability to nourish the spirit in a ...
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There is mounting fear -- and perhaps even hysteria -- around the H1N1 virus as we usher in the fall ...
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Recently a friend of mine called to say that she had a terrible bladder infection. Her doctor prescribed an antibiotic, ...
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Have you noticed the lack of health care in your area? I have, in Santa Cruz. So many GPs have ...
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"This is the way the world ends This is the way the world ends This is the way the world ...
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Corfu Bay: Practically every square yard of arable land is covered with olive trees or grapevines As someone who's worked ...
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Ashwagandha root (Withania somnifera) is considered a most important herb in Ayurvedic medicine. Its ability to serve as a tonic ...
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Pianos... I'm in Fort Worth right now, at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. As a classical pianist, the opportunity ...
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Recently on our East West Herb Course private student forum, a student asked about my distinction between the terms 'herbology' ...
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Who's afraid of the Big Bad Flu? I know many of us are concerned about Swine Flu, and as I ...
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Have you seen those PSAs for MRSA (methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus) that have made their way onto primetime television lately? ...
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If you or someone you know is one of the unfortunate 0.1% of the population who suffers from cluster headaches, ...
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Michael Moore, the great Southwestern herbalist of North America, left his earthly dwelling for other realms on Friday, Feb. 20, ...
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Been to a piano recital lately? Thanks to the dedication of the impresarios at the UCSC Arts and Lecture Series ...
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When the little bluebird Who has never said a word Starts to sing Spring When the little bluebell At the ...
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We're already halfway through January! How are you doing with your health-centered New Year's resolutions? In my last post on diet ...
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Please copy and sign the following petition and submit it to change.gov/agenda/health_care_agenda Then please send or forward it to as ...
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It's the new year and guess what's on (almost) everyone's minds: Losing weight and dropping some of the pounds they ...
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The theme for today, day seven of Kwanzaa, is Imani -- Faith: To believe with all our heart in our ...
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The meditation for today, the fourth day of Kwanzaa, is Ujamaa -- Cooperative Economics: To build and maintain our own ...
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The meditation for today, the fifth day of Kwanzaa, is Nia -- Purpose: To make our collective vocation the building ...
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The meditation theme for today, the third day of Kwanzaa, is Ujima -- Collective Work and Responsibility. I can hardly ...
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Many of us have heard of the African-American celebration called Kwanzaa, but I must confess that I along with the ...
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The meditation for yesterday, the first day of Kwanzaa, was: Umoja (Unity): To strive for and maintain unity in the ...
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Lesley and I recently returned from a relaxing vacation on Kauai. Granted, it's not a large island, but by pure ...
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It is well known that oils of aromatic herbs which include all the mints, lemon balm and sage serve the ...
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With the holidays and the season for gift-giving upon us, I thought I'd put together an Oprah-style list of "My ...
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Like many of our friends, Lesley and I are ecstatic about Barack Obama's winning the American presidency. It lifts a ...
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When someone is diagnosed with cancer, they of course seek the help of an oncologist. The oncologist, in turn, is ...
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In 2008, Planetary Formulas (now renamed "Planetary Herbals" to account for many of the single herbs that have been incorporated ...
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An old method my mother used to prevent my catching airborne colds and flus was to go to the pharmacy ...
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Autumn Parched over Sun's heated passion Causing plants to ripen Squirrels to scamper and work, And many colored leaves to ...
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Behold, our new website! Many of you -- especially my own students -- will notice that it looks considerably different. Our goal ...
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