Mayura's Herbal

Incense for Thought

2011-07-13T00:18:00.001+08:00

Various Type of Incense Commonly Used

I have always had a love for incense. This interest might well be cultivated by the fact that I have been raised in a traditional Chinese family who values the practical application of incense. The usage of incense, more often than not, is directed towards worship in modern Chinese society.

Offerings of such is not unique to the Chinese alone, so to speak, as Catholics and Eastern Orthodox also used incense in their worship. As I have always been fascinated by the smell of incense, I have became one of those who would patronise a incense shop just because I want to take a curious sniff on those newly arrived sandalwood or the oft-abandoned Aloewood.

Well, as I have read quite a number of literature on incense, the use of it only in term of worship might in truth depreciate its value greatly. Incense can be used to alleviate the atmosphere of a totally grumpy room or to impart a sense of familiarity on a newly moved house. Incense, in essence, can be uplifting, relaxing, and cleansing if used correctly.

Let me list down a few of these incenses I have in hand.

Sandalwood

Sandalwood is one of the favourite of the Chinese. It is called 'Tan Xiang' and it brings a connotation of cleansing as well as calming in the human psyche. It is called Chandan in Indian. Used primarily to bring on a meditative state, I have always find this incense to be calming and somewhat improves concentration when lit.
It articulates our strength of conviction and, also, sandalwood is said to 'cleanse' your immediate area of spiritual 'uncleanliness'.

Aloeswood

This is one of those hard to find wood as the supply is dwindling in the wild. termed as 'chen xiang', it reflects the condition of the wood when it is in water, it sinks rather than floats. I am currently lighting this incense when writing this article. There is a lot of Aloeswood incense but my personal favourite has been 'Shui Chen' (Water Aloes).
The smell of Aloes alleviates one into musing ability, offering peace and stability. Often it helps to clear writers block (based on personal experience). It has antiseptic properties, and it helps to clear the air of germs when lit.

Benzoin

Benzoin is especially useful if there is an upper lung infection (coughs and flu) as it is anti-inflammatory. Benzoin is commonly used in Chinese version of the 'kemanyan' which is easily available in any good Chinese incense shop. It's available in resinous form (which requires charcoal to burn) and in incense form in which the resin is incorporated into a matrix of compacted wood dust.
It's a potent anti-microbial agent. If you house has always had some sort of 'damp' smell to it, chances are some mildews are growing somewhere. This can be remedied by using benzoin incense.

Cinnamon

People are always estranged when they see this entry. I even ask a few friends if they have heard of such incense and many just shook their head in disbelief. However, this herbalist tells you that YES, this is an incense.
The things it can do is tremendous. besides being an excellent aphrodisiac, it is very good in producing an aroma which imparts confidence together with a tint of courage. Especially useful when self-esteem runs low as this is one of the few uplifting incense.
It helps in relieving nervous exhaustion as well.

Frankincense

The most commonly known incense from the Bible. It is one of the most potent air purifier which cleanse the surroundings from negativity. Lore has it, if combined with sandalwood, this make a very potent spiritual cleansing blend.
Frankincense helps in catarrhal conditions as well. It is useful in bronchitis and especially so in cough and flu. It helps expectoration of the mucus. Also, it quiets the mind thus its use in meditation. It has been reported to slow down breathing and aid concentration. This incense should be used to fight stress in today's modern world.

Myrrh

The resin of myrrh is used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for centuries. It is anti-inflammatory and antiseptic. It can benefits a sore throat, hoarse voice, and catarrhal conditions. Myrrh is expectorant as well.
Myrrh is stimulating on the digestive system. It can help to ease flatulence and enhance a jaded appetite.
This incense is warming and relaxing and particularly useful in elevating depression and stress.
In herbal lore, myrrh is used to heal the cuts and bruises of the soul. It also teaches us to let go instead of clinging when the time is right. Thus, perhaps, it helps in depression as it unburdens from inside rather than just a mere abandonment.

Subsequently, it is a bit unimpressive when incense therapy is not even considered to be a form of therapy in itself. At best it would be termed as 'placebo effect' when it works. It can be considered as an alternative form of aromatherapy as well. As this herbalist sees it, such an old approach couldn't be too wrong and while writing this entry, this herbalist is enjoying its fair share of lit aloewood. Cheers.

Ginkgo, the Naked Truth

2011-06-26T23:11:00.001+08:00

Introductions

Who has never heard of Ginkgo before? Derived from its scientific name (Ginkgo biloba), it is the most taken herb compared to all in the market. Well, as a herbalist, its popularity in herbal lore has been indisputable. From the Maidenhair of the English to the 銀杏 of the Chinese and the 은행 of the Korean; such a wide entry into the nations' numerous pharmacopœia must, at its very least, connected to its effectiveness if not its efficacy. However, despite its popularity, this grumpy old herbalist still thinks that the public has been fed a myriad of lies concerning its usages and effectiveness. Pharmaceuticals Companies tend to exploit the 'naturalness' of this herb and from there, they deduced numerous extrapolations which are imagined rather than factual.

One of the aim of this article is to educate the masses regarding this oft-liked herb. Consumers need to know how to differentiate factual claims from dubious ones. A few interesting issues surrounding Ginkgo will be enumerated here.

How much of Ginkgo would I really need?
- No it doesn’t depends on individual unless you are using it for special needs viz. Alzheimer and the like. If you are using it for health maintenance, this author would strongly suggest that you keep to the recommended dosage of 40-60 mg two times per day. Taking too much would not help you going anywhere. Also, claims that pills having over thousands of mg of Ginkgo is misleading. Those superfluos numbers simply refers to the weight of the crude herbs whereas the 40-60 mg aforementioned is the content of the active ingredients (which is 6% terepene lactones and 24% flavone glycosides of standardised extracts). If one where to take 2000 mg worth of active ingredients, that person would be akin to committing suicide.
Will Ginkgo improves my memory?
- While it’s true that taking Ginkgo would sometimes improve the memory but this is not always the case. It is also unfitting to prescribe this to kids to improve their memory and concentration unless under dire needs (a more fitting herb would be Centella asiatica which is known as Pegaga in Malaysia).
- Ginkgo improves memory and intellectual capabilities by improving circulations as well as micro-circulations of the body. Hence, if the lost of memory is caused by insufficient transportation of the blood to the brain, this would certainly be improved by taking Ginkgo. Ginkgo does this indirectly and never would one be legal to claim that Ginko improves memory.
Ginkgo is natural, so there is no worries over its intake.
- The more worrying and sorry state of today’s world has always been a very wrong adage that ‘anything natural is safe to take’. It is true that herbs have always been safer than pharmaceuticals but it is still better to treat them an ‘as necessary’ item. Take it this way, you don’t take an aspirin or two on one fine sunny day but you would definitely do that when you have a splitting headache. It is crucial to treat herbs as medication regardless of its application; only take herbs when you are in need.
- Ginkgo by itself is blood thinning and ‘blood-moving’. Hence it has a very good capacity to further thin your blood if you are taking anticoagulant medications. This might cause internal bleeding if your blood is too thin. Such occurrences are rare at best but it is my duty and job to ensure that you will not make it to the headline to be the first.
- In addition, if you are taking MAO inhibitors (for depression), it is wise to exclude Ginkgo as it has the potential to potentate the drug.
- Also, do not take Ginkgo before ANY surgery as this will cause bleeding during operations. However, there is some evidence of good result when used in bypass surgery.

The Factual Usage

There has been an extreme recent reports on local newspaper that Ginkgo does nothing. Such extreme claim did not need proof of refutation from our side, rather the burden of proof is on their side as they claim that all these years of research and tradition is futile in the hand of one research.

It is well-established that Ginkgo helps to improve blood circulation but one has to know, not all product is created equal. Reliable supply of Ginkgo extract is relatively few and it is easy to misconstrue that Ginkgo has no effect if we take the wrong product. However, how could consumers discern which product is good and which is not? The answer is simple: Always read the label. Products which claim to have thousands of mg of Ginkgo leaves powder might not be reliable and neither does one that does not offer standardised extracts. Those which does not state the content of ginkgolic acid is dangerous as well. Ginkgolic acid has to be ‘not detectable’ as this could pose health threat if taken.

It is interesting to note that Ginkgo helps with conditions listed below as well:

Tinnitus (Ringing of the ear). Usages might be long term to discern effect.
Elderly Depression.
Vertigo

Which Brand Then?

In this author’s humble opinion, two reliable brand that I would endorse using is Tanakan and Tebonin. Tanakan is used when someone needed some general boast on the circulation. Usually, this is prescribed together with Bacopa (Bacopa monnieri) for a synergistic effect. Tebonin is usually sued when patients are elderly and needed an extra boast on their circulation. For such patients, it is recommended that they took Tebonin with other potent antioxidants such as asthaxanthin, bilberries extract, Coenzyme Q10, and Lutein as well as Zeaxanthin (being specific to the eyes).

Introducing AVOFT.com

2010-09-12T20:45:00.002+08:00

If you have been following this blog, you will notice one thing: It's dead. I admit my laziness and my lack of motivation to be the cause (and my job as well). However, I am not shutting it down forever, just lagging here and there.

Anyway, I have one very good announcement: I have joined a group devoted to natural healing and healthcare products. We call ourselves AVOFT which is short for "Another Version of Familiar Truth" and we are not affiliated whatsoever with the company with an almost same name.

So, what is AVOFT? Well, a herbalist or phytotherapist couldn't just sit there and do nothing right? Well, writing is nice, blogging is like to spread the words but the best way would be to really help others in developing useful products. However, I am still encouraging others to make their own cosmetic products ( at least you are taking charge of your health) but if you really find that the only free time you have is to hold a baby in your left arm and an iron in the next, you would REALLY need our help.

Well, what is my function in AVOFT? Pretty much easy, I help them to formulate their products and so, in turn, it is my product. Treat them much like my baby. Well, your favourite herbalist used nothing else but all natural products. Our products are:

SLS-free
Sodium benzoate free
Additives free
Fragrance free

Anyway, we are trying to be different than any other companies who valued profits more than their customers. We are our own customers as well, and we would not let our beloved consumers used something that we would not imagine putting on our face. Moreover, we are gearing towards prescription based healthcare and beauty to deliver a more comprehensive, holistic as well as wholesome package. Hang on tight as we will offer you more useful updates.

P.s. We are constantly updating our inventory of products. So be sure to drop by frequently.

The Glasses of Glasses

2008-05-24T15:05:00.001+08:00

So everyone has heard the hype that is going around lately: pinhole glasses. From controversial issues to conspiracy theories, pinhole glasses have continued to attract charm and disgust. The orthodox medical world said it is a hoax (that it can't cure eye diseases such as myopia) while the alternative medicine world has harped on its efficacy in treating myopia and also preventing acquired myopia syndrome so innately common in prescription glasses wearer.

Basically, it boils down to this: when we use too much of lenses, we will have some sort of dependency (duh, everyone knows that) and it can, too, cause our eyes to deteriorate and later on, exaggerate our eye condition seriously. So what's the best bet? If you were to ask me (as a prescription glasses wearer), I would prefer to eliminate glasses from my life forever but this will be impossible. However, what if I told you that you do not need to wear glasses with lens but you can still see, nonetheless, as clear as you were wearing one? Too good to be true?

Come to it, the utilisation of pinhole glasses is very convenient. We do not need to have our glasses replaced each time and we do not need to worry about our myopia worsening by using glasses. There is one website that caught my attention lately and it is http://www.pinhole-glasses-direct.com and their products are one best bet. The service is fast and yet, they have friendly customer care too. This is what I call service!

The Science Jargon Mumbo Jumbo Behind All This

There are a lot of people who asked about this: how can a glasses perforated with so many holes with opaque lenses can help me see things clearly! There are a few peoples too, if I did not remember wrongly, upon seeing the glasses cuss like mad but after they wore it they smile like they are in heaven. They can see clearly and no matter how bad their eye condition is, they can still see clearly.

So how does this thing work?

When light is travelling, they did not travel in one ray of light. Several rays of light can be reflected from a same point and then it enters our eyes. When it enters our eyes, our lens will help to focus the ray into a single point, hit on the screen at the eyeball and voila you get an image! The illustration on the right illustrate this.

However, you don't get this pretty picture when you have short-sightedness, long-sightedness, or astigmatism. Refer the lower picture on the right, the rays of light I've mentioned did not hit the screen at a point at the back of the eyeball (the retina), hence the image formed is blurry.

Then, how does pinhole help to improve this condition? Simple!

When a single ray of light enters through our lens, it won't be refracted at all (provided the ray of light is travelling straight) and it will hit the retina straight. So we will get a crystal clear image without the need of using a glasses. It will be all okay then.

This is the benefit of pinhole glasses and to understand more about this click pinhole glasses.

True Benefit

The true benefit after all those jargons are this: You do not need to change your glasses to higher power at a regular interval. Your eye sight might worsen (because of exposure to radiation and UV light) but you do not need to change your glasses. I have another nifty trick which I've done with my pinhole glasses (which I procured from pinhole-glasses-direct.com). I attached a clip-on sunglasses to my pinhole glasses and it looks way cool (and it helps when I am walking from class to class too). Anyhow, it is not advisable to use them for driving and a person with refractive disorder of 6 diopters.

Where It All Started

What prompted me to write this review is because of the discovery of the website Pinhole-glasses-direct.com. Quite a mouthful but nevertheless, a very good service site where you can order their glasses online. Free shipping and then you will get fast service and a bunch of friendly people waiting to serve you. To order your shipping free glasses, click here: pinhole glasses.

If you have any question regarding their product, you can always refer to their FAQ.

Bear in mind that this is a good way of reducing stress to your eyes. Though this is not herbal in relation but this is a safer alternative to the eye-straining glasses. Good in term of health and it saves your wallet from getting a hole.

So, the natural way is the better way. Opt for pinhole glasses and save your money from being burnt again.

Pesticide Management at Home

2008-05-09T00:29:00.000+08:00

Everyone knows that pesticide poses problem to the society at large; but yet, some of us just don't plain care. All of us should know that proper cleaning of produces should be done wholeheartedly to prevent excess residues of pesticides to accumulate in our body. detoxification therapy is centred around this idea, where accumulated toxins get detoxified. According to Doctor Leon Chaitow, detoxification therapy is likened to a little nudge to our body, where normally it will perform neutralisation of toxins naturally and automatically.

For everyone's convenience sake, I have listed a few food that are rich in contaminants. Bear in mind that this data is procured from the United States and this might not be representative of all data in the whole wide world. I am not even sure will this data be applicable to food imported from the states.

Here is the list:

Test Results: Complete Data Set

Rank (worst to best)	Commodity	Combined Score	Percentage of Samples Tested with Detectable Pesticides	Percentage of Samples With Two or More Pesticides	Average Number of Pesticides Found on a Sample	*Average Amount (in ppm) of All Pesticides Found**	Maximum Number of Pesticides Found on a Single Sample	Number of Pesticides Found on the Commodity in Total
1	Peaches	100	96.6%	86.6%	3.1	1.134	9	42
2	Apples	96	93.6%	82.3%	2.8	0.894	9	50
3	Sweet Bell Peppers	86	81.5%	62.2%	2.4	0.138	11	64
4	Celery	85	94.1%	79.8%	3.0	0.413	9	30
5	Nectarines	84	97.3%	85.3%	3.0	0.576	7	26
6	Strawberries	83	92.3%	69.2%	2.3	0.799	8	38
7	Cherries	75	91.4%	75.8%	2.8	0.290	7	25
8	Lettuce	69	68.2%	44.2%	1.7	0.142	9	57
9	Grapes - Imported	68	84.2%	53.2%	1.8	0.284	8	37
10	Pears	65	86.2%	45.7%	1.6	0.586	6	33
11	Spinach	60	70.0%	31.2%	1.1	1.240	6	24
12	Potatoes	58	81.0%	18.0%	1.0	1.655	4	18
13	Carrots	57	81.7%	48.3%	1.6	0.046	6	31
14	Green Beans	55	67.6%	42.0%	1.4	0.199	6	35
15	Hot Peppers	53	55.0%	27.5%	1.0	0.290	6	51
16	Cucumbers	52	72.5%	31.7%	1.2	0.057	6	40
17	Raspberries	47	47.9%	23.3%	0.9	0.906	6	21
18	Plums	46	74.0%	27.1%	1.1	0.666	4	15
19	Oranges	46	85.1%	34.6%	1.3	0.100	4	18
20	Grapes - Domestic	46	60.5%	23.4%	0.9	0.104	7	31
21	Cauliflower	39	84.6%	14.6%	1.0	0.004	5	15
22	Tangerines	38	66.7%	33.3%	1.2	0.375	3	4
23	Mushrooms	37	60.2%	22.3%	0.9	0.158	5	16
24	Cantaloupe	34	53.3%	19.4%	0.8	0.026	4	25
25	Lemon	31	55.6%	10.0%	0.7	0.188	5	10
26	Honeydew Melon	31	59.2%	14.2%	0.8	0.012	4	16
27	Grapefruit	31	62.9%	15.2%	0.8	0.056	4	9
28	Winter Squash	31	41.3%	11.6%	0.6	0.017	5	26
29	Tomatoes	30	46.9%	13.5%	0.6	0.029	5	16
30	Sweet Potatoes	30	58.4%	10.0%	0.7	0.198	3	17
31	Watermelons	25	38.5%	13.2%	0.6	0.021	4	13
32	Blueberries	24	27.5%	10.0%	0.4	0.327	4	11
33	Papaya	21	23.5%	5.0%	0.3	0.053	4	19
34	Eggplant	19	23.4%	6.9%	0.3	0.013	4	15
35	Broccoli	18	28.1%	3.2%	0.3	0.004	3	19
36	Cabbage	17	17.9%	4.8%	0.2	0.121	3	18
37	Bananas	16	41.7%	2.0%	0.4	0.029	2	7
38	Kiwi	14	15.3%	3.4%	0.2	0.160	3	8
39	Asparagus	11	6.7%	0.6%	0.1	0.026	2	19
40	Sweet Peas - Frozen	11	22.9%	2.3%	0.3	0.010	2	5
41	Mango	9	7.1%	0.5%	0.1	0.057	2	13
42	Pineapples	7	7.7%	0.6%	0.1	0.002	2	7
43	Sweet Corn - Frozen	2	3.8%	0.0%	0.0	0.005	1	3
44	Avocado	1	1.4%	0.0%	0.0	0.001	1	2
45	Onions	1	0.2%	0.0%	0.0	0.000	1	2

Note: We ranked a total of 44 different fruits and vegetables but grapes are listed twice because we looked at both domestic and imported samples.

* ppm means parts per million

*This is procured from http://www.foodnews.org/fulldataset.php and Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce by Environmental Working Group is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

The Bad News

Time to list out the top Twelve of the Most sinister Produces.

12 MOST Contaminated Fruits and Vegetables

Apples
Bell Peppers
Celery
Cherries
Imported Grapes
Nectarines
Peaches
Pears
Potatoes
Red Raspberries
Spinach
Strawberries

Those produces used in the test were prepared in a standard manner i.e. washed, peeled, cored etc. as they are prepared before we ate them. Latest FDA standard dictates that a large amount of the produces be used for sampling so the data procured here is not just estimation, this is real hard cold data (for the States).

The problem we have here is this; the twelve most contaminated food are eerily common and consumed almost routinely. What options do we have here then? Surely all of you have heard of detoxification therapy (this is the best bet) but is this a long run to exhaust our body (i.e, consuming toxic to burden our liver, kidney etc.)? How about organic food? That is another best bet but sometimes, how organic is ORGANIC food? Some of them don't even pass tests and their certificates are counterfeited. This has appeared a number of times in the news and has cause quite an uproar in the community.

So, buy organics that you have confirmed its authenticity. Do not buy food arbitrarily without any verification on the organic certification. Check with your local authority to ensure this.

The next best thing to do is to clean them thoroughly. What I feel as a best tool is to wash them thoroughly with a teaspoon of sea salt (richer in ionic content) and a tablespoon of vinegar (half of a lemon might be more appropriate) added to a Basin of water. This will remove most of those chemical residues in the produce. Peel apples, melons, and cucumbers even tough the skin is supposedly to be good for all of us. The amount of pesticides just does not worth it. If you want to eat those peels, try buying organic produces that you have verified. It just worth the money.

Good News

Then those produces least contaminated (consistently clean) are:

12 LEAST Contaminated Fruits and Vegetables

Asparagus
Avocados
Bananas
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Corn (sweet)
Kiwi
Mangos
Onions
Papaya
Pineapples
Peas (sweet)

So maybe it is better for us to eat food from the LEAST contaminated group than the MOST contaminated group. This is, no doubt, common sense but some of us just prefer the food in the MOST list (just because of habit?). It is time to rethink our food intake...

Conclusion

The golden rule is to clean the produces thoroughly to remove all the residues. This is done by using the produce wash mentioned above which is far better than some commercial produce cleanser. The recipe is:

1 teaspoon of Sea Salt
1 tablespoon of Lemon Juice or Vinegar
A Basin of water

The "recipe" is actually Dr. Ben Kim's, appeared in his website, http://drbenkim.com/articles-pesticides.html. It is not created by me but self-modified as I saw lemon is only fitting in the context of western society as they are cheap there. The use of vinegar replace the use of lemon as vinegar contains ethanoic acid. The acid might be a good amphiphatic molecule in removing the often hydrophobic pesticide residues.

A short and comprehensive guide can be downloaded, http://www.foodnews.org/pdf/EWG_pesticide.pdf.

Some Common Example of Gums

2008-05-04T11:16:00.008+08:00

Gums and mucilages are two products in which carbohydrates formed the main components. Gums are pathological products, meaning that they are harvested after the tree or plant is injured considerably. Gummy exudates, will be secreted from the tree and when it hardens, it will be ready for harvesting. Most gums dissolve in water and if hydrolysed, it yields a lot of sugar molecules. This will be highlighted below.

Tragacanth Gum

Astragalus gummifer. Tragacanth gum came from the dessert.
Flattened, ribbon-like pieces.
Contains Bassorin and tragacanthin.
Used as emulsifiers, for oil and resins.
Hand lotion, demulcent, emollient, Cloth Sizing, Confectionary.

Acacia Gum

Gummy exudate from the stems and branches of Acacia senegal.
Known as Gum arabic.
Spheroidal tears, angular fragments or flakes of a myriad of sizes. Very brittle.
Consists of Arabin, mixture of Calcium, Magnesium, and Potassium salts of Arabic acid.
Suspending agent, demulcent in the form of mucilage.

Sterculia Gum

From Sterculia urens and S. tragacantha, from incisions made to the heartwood.
In tears, irregular appearances, crystalline in appearance.
Have an acetous taste.
Swell in water but not soluble in alcohol.
Consists of D-galacturonic acid, D-tagatose, D-galactose, and Rhamnose.
Also known as gum Karaya.
Used as a cathartic, for emulsions and suspensions, wave set solutions and in skin lotions, textile and printing industries, preparing food products, in preparation of composite building materials.

Mesquite Gum

An arabinogalactan with a β-1,3-galactopyran core and L-arabinose side chains.
Emulsifying agent. Obtained from Prosopis juliflora.

Ghatti Gum

Exudation from the wood of Anogeisus latifolia.
Very soluble in cold water and it will form a very viscous mucilage.

Hey, What's Going on With This Blog?

2008-03-19T14:53:00.004+08:00

Shalom to all of you good readers,

It has been a few months since I blogged... Please pardon me for my laziness but I am taking a leave because I am currently following a herbal course to become an official Herbalist. Then I am not an aspiring herbalist any more. I am to be a herbalist (I prefer the term phytotherapist though)...

So what will happen once I have gotten my diploma? I will write more about herbs for sure and maybe publish a book or two. I already have my pharmacopoeia ready, just with a few works and editing, it will be ready. I have no qualms in producing an accurate and usable account of herbs... Do bare in mind, I practice Evidence Based Complementary Medicine. I don't use folklore unless it is verified by science; I am not those herbalist that opens up a musty ol' herbal shop down the neighbourhood street. (Just kidding, no offence)...

I am much of an scientist that meddles in Herbalism. in order to bring this practice higher, I would really like to be a phytotherapist. I will continue my education until I reach a Higher International Diploma.

Well, dear readers, if you find my content useful, do click on the adverts displayed by Googles. They paid for each click (duh... Everyone knows that) so don't be a click-miser... Feed this poor herbalist to continue his education so he can benefit all of you.

I dread the fact that I did not update this blog as often as possible. I am really sorry for that... I am very busy with my works and studies. Hope all of you understands...

Henri

Cheap Things Are Effective Too!

2007-10-16T11:40:00.000+08:00

This may sound ridiculous but it is true. I have tried those superbly expensive skincare products and it cause me my visage! It has caused overgrown pimple population on my face and with really big ones too!

After a few product switching and all, I have finally came across a RM8.70+ solution to my dilemma. Aiken Tea Tree Oil Face Cleanser. Really a neat product that does a very fine job in making my face clean.

However, the excessive usage of Tea Tree Oil will result in effeminate male. So, guys, proceed with caution and don't overdo with Tea Tree Oil (and Lavender too...). However, washing your visage with this cleanser twice or thrice a day is not a big deal. Tea Tree Oil is also very useful in eradicating microbes without harming your cells.

Where to buy this magnificent product? I bought it from Tesco Ampang but I am not sure whether any pharmacies carry this product. The formulation seems alright to me but to be on the safe side, you should check it yourself.

I am not endorsing or advertising any products in this blog, just to share my experience to all of you readers.

So what you waiting for? Get one for Blemish Free Skin! :-D

When Your Children Constipated...

2007-10-02T15:06:00.001+08:00

Most children, more often than not, will experience constipation. This is most likely to be caused by their reluctance to consume greens and fibre-rich food. However, this is not always the case. If your children often vomit and growing exceedingly pale, it might be worms plugging the small intestine. This is a serious ailment and requires immediate medical attention.

However, if the constipation is due to their dislike of vegetables, this might be a good help. Moreover, parents must ensure that their children have sufficient nutrient too and also, force them to eat greens or cook those glorious greens in such a way that your preciouses will deem fit to consume. Most children reject eating vegetable because they taste bitter.

So, with this knowledge in mind, prevention is better than cure. Also, make sure your children drinks much of fluid to help lubricate the system. However, don't overdo with oil as this will affect purging in the children.

Anyway, if your child has already constipated, there is no use crying over spilled milk and start to blame yourself for not feeding your child properly (grin) instead try this remedy and if it works, feed your princes and princess with more greens (not grasses of course)...

Gentle Aperient for Children

Rose Petal Jelly
100g of white rose petals
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons clear honey
450g of white cane sugar
150ml water

Discard the base layer of the petals and place all ingredients, except the petals, in a stainless steel pan (or preferably, pyrex ware) and leave it to stand without heat as long as it takes for all the sugar to get melted. After which, place the petals in the solution and heat very gently. Continue to cook in this very condition until the rose petals appear to dissolve. Stand until it cools and seal. Take a teaspoon full on the morning and peristaltic movement is ensured. Also effective for tonsillitis.

Herbal Supplement that Works

2007-09-16T17:28:00.000+08:00

Bear in mind, this herbalist is a grouchy old-minded man who never thinks that supplement works. However, things changed after my sister start using a product from Extra Excel (more commonly known E. Excel). It is termed NOCO and it is a combination of various herbs which work together to improve relief throat irritations caused by infection, pollution and bad quality air.

The price is quite reasonable as it is only sold at RM 71.25 considering the herbs they used. it contains Ginseng, Dark Plum, Peppermint, Chrysanthemum Flowers, Licorice, and Ganoderma mushroom (traditional Chinese: 靈芝; simplified Chinese: 灵芝; Japanese: Reishi; Korean: Yeong Ji, hangul: 영지).

As you can see, the various ingredients utilised have anti-inflammatory properties. Also, Chrysanthemum is a well-known (in the east that is) antiseptic and anti-inflammatory herb. Besides, Ganoderma mushroom, Ling Zhi is well known as an immune system stimulant. It is very helpful in heightening immune responses.

However, I am not endorsing this product nor am I criticising it. I am merely expressing my opinions on this particular product.

Image taken from Extra Excel website at http://www.eexcel.net.

St. John's Wort

2007-09-15T20:37:00.000+08:00

Good Day,

Everyone knows the almost 'holy' properties of St. John's Wort i.e. alleviating depression. However, the herbs lack studies and from the finest research paper possible, I have extracted an excerpt to inform all of the readers about this herb.

Lately I have done one assignment that have connection with herbs. This is an analytical biochemistry coursework and in this coursework, I have done some library research on St John's Wort. In this research however, researchers have mistaken that the active compound in St. John's Wort is hypericin and pseudohypericin. These two compound has been denounced as the active substances lately and has been abruptly reported that the active component in Hypericum perforatum is hyperforin. However, hypericin is still a very good substances at benchmarking the particular potency of an extract as hyperforin is a fragile chemical. Anyhow, hypericin and pseudohypericin are proven antiviral agents and can be used on herpes sores.

I have put this PDF file (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader) in my newly created Google group. It is in this URL. You need not to join first but if you do so I will really appreciate it.

St. John's Wort Analysis

Lately this aspiring herbalist has been really busy with his coursework and also with his life. Haha :-). I hope that everyone will have a better year ahead (Rosh HaShanah ma...)...

What's New?

2007-08-13T23:52:00.000+08:00

I have added a merchandise shop bearing Mayura's Herbal products. It includes t-shirts, mugs, bags, and caps. Go and check it out, and show your token of appreciation to this blog. Show your support by wearing Mayura's Herbal T-shirt and sip herbal tea with Mayura's Stein.

Click on the button below to visit my new store:

Typhus Fever

2007-08-12T16:17:00.000+08:00

Among the diseases I have learnt lately, the one of great relevance and occurrence (till today) is typhus. However, this disease should not be confused with typhoid, which is caused by a different kind of bacteria. Characteristics symptoms constitute high fever (obviously), and blurring of thoughts (hence the name typhus, which means hazy in Greek). Symptoms very much vary among different type of Typhus.

Typhus compromises five types namely;

Epidemic Typhus.
Endemic Typhus.
Tsutsugamushi Fever.
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.
Brill-Zinsser Disease.

The following typhi are described in the following table:

Type of Typhus	Causative Agent (Bacteria)	Vectors	Symptoms	Occurrence
Epidemic (Classic Typhus)	Rickettsia prowazeki	Body Louse, Head Louse (lesser extend). Usually borne by rats.	Fever and macular rash (spotted rash). If left untreated, maculopapular and petechial (small) rashes will appear.	Worldwide; especially during war and famine. Poverty can be a causative as hygiene is not emphasised.

Endemic (Murine)	Rickettsia typhi or Rickettsia felis (Cat Flea)	Fleas; borne by rodents.	Similar to epidemic symptoms but milder. Tenderness, cerebral bleeding and if too severe, renal (kidney) faliure. Differentiated from epidemic typhus by Weill-Felix test.	Worldwide; concentrated in warm coastal area.
Tsutsugamushi Fever (Scrub Typhus)	Rickettsia tsutsugamushi	Mites (chiggers) that resides in scrubs or around nests of rodents; feeds on rodents.	Formation of papule at the bite site and later on will become ulcerated and necrotic. Myocarditis (inflammation of heart muscle) and Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation.	Asian in origin (hence the name tsutsugamushi). It receives very little attention in the west before the World War II. During the World War II, many soldiers from the US stationed in the Pacific contracted this disease, thus increasing attention to his illness.
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (Tick Typhus)	Rickettsia rickettsi	Tick (ixodid ticks) which also lives in rodents.	High fever, severe headache, chills, prostration, myalgia, hepatomegaly (swelling of liver), and pneumonial symptoms.	America and Mexico. The most common reported Rickettsial illness in the States.
Brill-Zinsser Disease (Recrudescent Typhus)	Rickettsia prowazeki	Recovered patients from epidemic typhus. The bacteria might not been cleared completely from the body (especially in the lymph nodes) thus the disease relapses. Also, if the person is bitten by lice, it can get transmitted to another. Can be spread through physical contact.	Mild epidemic typhus symptoms.	Worldwide, prevalent in area once infested with epidemic typhus.

Herbal Treatment

I am not sure whether herbal treatment is as effective as orthodox medication. The bacteria is intracellular parasites; they multiply only in living cells (much like viruses). However, herbs such as Echinacea can be used to treat such bacterial infection. also a combination of other antiseptic herbs such as garlic can be useful as well. Others provide formulation including Ling Zhi (Reishi) mushroom.

Anyway, the most effective treatment is to see a physician, herbalist or orthodox medicine practitioner alike. Just to get the symptoms right.

What's Going On Lately?

2007-07-27T14:31:00.000+08:00

Okay, what's up with me disappearing for a few months? Easy answer, I was so damn busy with my studies that I do not update my blog! Anyway, I am now back on track and now, you favourite herbalist-wannabe is an official herbalist-in-training. I am now majoring in Biohealth Science and I am selecting the Herbalism Module as my field of specialisation. I am so happy that I can get the course.

So, this herbalist can now go through advance training rather than only giving general advices on some matters. Later I will host a Ask the Herbalist Section which everyone can benefit. Watch out for Mayura's Herbal new edition coming soon! I will regularly update my blog from henceforth. My disappearing act is for all of you, my dear readers.

However, as usual, I am not always in adequate funding. If you find this blog useful, please have a look at our sponsors. Their advertisement is displayed in this page and are provided by Googles. Every click will bring me some funding that is necessary for all these informations supplied. Think of it as some give and take situation (Hey, it's just a click but it pays my hard effort!) Thanks again for viewing my blabbering!!!

Anyhow, any idea on what's herb to blog about? This semester I am taking a course titled Tropical Infectious Diseases. I hope to share what I learnt in this course with all of you. In addition, I am learning pharmacology; so I can be of help to explain some drugs pathway in coming posts (or lectures).

Also, this herbalist is teaching tuitions lately and on the way to become a Religious Philosopher. This herbalist is now an ordained Reverend (By the ULC) and as a religious enthusiast, I am glad to offer my guidance to all that require such help. My Judaism Blog is at http://hagoyim.blogspot.com and I am offering my sermons there. For any questions, do contact me through the comment page or join in my group. However, please note that I am not a Rabbi and I do not possess any simecha. I am just a fellow religionist sharing my view on this world. However, I am safe to say that every teachings or sermons of mine is based on Orthodox Judaism teachings (by the way, Orthodox is not orthodox at all...)

That's all I think, hope to see you guys more often here!

Shalom,

Henri.

The Whiskers of Cat or Java Tea

2007-04-03T10:09:00.000+08:00

It has been quite a while since I blogged seriously about an herb. Guess I am too lazy after all. Not really, being really busy after Chinese New Year.

Well, this plant, you might be quite familiar with it since it has been such a pop icon in the herbalism boom lately. It has quite long stamens and white petals. The stamens, are purple at the tips and this is the part that gave the famous plant its name. Its scientific name is Orthosiphon stamineus.

It is cultivated in Indonesia, Malaysia, and in Australia for its medicinal properties. Some of its properties are summarised below:

It is diuretic (Which means it stimulates urine production; a good way to get rid of fluid accumulation in your body).
Antispasmodic, which means it could stop spasms but it is documented that its effect is mild.
Also, it promotes secretion and regulation of bile juice.
The best news is that it helps to lower blood pressure. This is especially helpful to those that have hypertension.

The consumption of this herb, coupled with Bitter Gourd, will not help but to cure high blood pressure symptom (if consumed on a regular basis). Subsequently, my recommendation is that, consume more Bitter Gourd (in juice form) and take Java Tea as beverage. It tastes great and it can be consumed daily without much side-effect. However, I recommend that you keep moderation, limiting to two cups per day (for hypertension patients). For those that do want to savour its taste, I recommend that you keep it to a minimum, maybe thrice a week or so.

Well, if you plant one of this baby, then remember the following:

Harvest the leaves when it is in full blooms (or about to bloom).
Only use the leaves.
Dry the leaves under shade (refer to my post on preserving herbs).
Crumble the leaves, and use 1 tablespoon for 600ml of boiling water.

It looks almost like peppermint, and it tastes like Cincau, a kind of black coloured Chinese herbal jelly. The tea can be sweeten with honey to bring out its flavour.

Image retrieved from: http://pics.davesgarden.com/pics/rcn48_1102806586_807.jpg

Rice Tea 숭늉 (Sung Nyung)

2007-03-25T14:38:00.004+08:00

A Refreshing Cup of Sung Nyung

I know it has been quite some time after my last posts, I am really sorry but I have more crucial task at hand... I have a lot of projects and assignment currently at hand.

I would like to introduce a kind of Korean Beverage called Sung Nyung. It is a kind of tisane, made from toasted rice.

The origin of this wonderful beverage is rather humble. Often, if you cook rice using earthenware pot like the Koreans do, the presence of charred grain sticking to the bottom of the pot would be inevitable. In order not to waste this delectable resource, Koreans will pour some boiling water on it to make Sung Nyung, which is the one I am recommending today.

This beverage is usually taken after meal (as evident from its charred grain origin) as a digestive tea. As some remnants of charred rice grain is presence in the tea, it is most certain that this can be used to dispel wind and eliminate flatulence.

Some recommended cooking the rice before proceeding to toasting but I beg to differ. Pre-cooked rice will not taste as good and the end result is smokey rather than nutty. Not to mention it is a waste of resources to cook the rice and then charred it afterwards.

So, without much babbling, this is my version of Rice Tea.

Ingredients

A handful of white or any kind of uncooked rice grain (I prefer brown rice).

Methods

Fry the rice grain (without any oil) in a pan until it is brown and smells nutty.
After which, take a teaspoon for a cup-worth of tea (250ml of water). Put in the fried grain first and then pour hot boiling water into the cup. Steep not more than 10 minutes.
Enjoy sweetened with honey or 'as-it-is'. It is just as nice chilled or hot.

Echinacea for the Prevention and Treatment of Colds in Adults: Research Results and Implications for Future Studies

2007-03-06T19:01:00.000+08:00

Updated October 2005

On July 28, 2005, The New England Journal of Medicine published the results of a study of Echinacea for the prevention and treatment of the common cold that was funded by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM).¹ The research was conducted by Dr. Ronald Turner, of the University of Virginia School of Medicine, Dr. Rudolf Bauer, Karl-Franzens Universitaet, Graz, Austria, and collaborators at Clemson University in South Carolina.

The research team tested three preparations of the roots of a species of Echinacea called Echinacea angustifolia, which prior smaller studies had found to benefit adults with the common cold. The three preparations were made by extracting the root of E. angustifolia using procedures that represent some of the different ways that Echinacea is available and used to treat the common cold.

E. angustifolia was chosen for the study as it is one of the species endorsed by the World Health Organization for treating the common cold.² The study was designed to test if Echinacea would help prevent or treat cold symptoms, since this is how Echinacea is often used by consumers.

In the study, 437 healthy adult volunteers were assigned at random to receive one of the three E. angustifolia preparations or a placebo. The volunteers received various combinations of Echinacea and/or a placebo in two phases: a "prophylaxis" (i.e., preventative) phase and a treatment phase. The prophylaxis phase lasted 7 days. On the seventh day, the already treated volunteers were exposed to a nasal spray containing a virus that induces signs and symptoms of a cold in about 2 days. Then, the volunteers were isolated for 5 days while the research team observed and tested them, using state-of-the-art measurements and instruments, as to the appearance and severity of cold signs and symptoms.

In this study, the researchers found that none of the three preparations of E. angustifolia at the 900 mg per day dose had significant effects on whether volunteers became infected with the cold virus or on the severity or duration of symptoms among those who developed colds. However, critics of this study believe the dose of E. angustifolia used was too low.

Research Design Challenges

Research on botanicals and other natural products presents a number of challenges related to product characterization, standardization, and dosage. For Echinacea, these challenges include:

determining whether the roots, leaves, flowers, seeds, or stems are the most effective parts of the plant,
investigating the differences between the major Echinacea species (E. purpurea, E. angustifolia, and E. pallida), and
determining the proper dose.

It is only after these questions have been answered and standardized preparations have been developed that additional large-scale Phase III clinical trials can be conducted.

NCCAM's strategy to guide the design and conduct of research on biologically active products through an integrated series of studies is more fully articulated at nccam.nih.gov/research/policies/bioactive.htm.

NCCAM Research on Echinacea Is Ongoing

NCCAM will continue to support research on Echinacea. A number of preclinical, Phase I, and Phase II studies of Echinacea products are currently under way. This research is being done both because of the public health burden of the common cold and the public's widespread use of this natural product. A recent survey of complementary and alternative medicine use by adults in the United States found that, among those who reported using natural products, Echinacea was the most commonly used.³

References:

¹Turner RB, Bauer R, Woelkart K, et al. An evaluation of Echinacea angustifolia in experimental rhinovirus infections. The New England Journal of Medicine. 2005 353(4): 341-348.

²WHO monographs on selected medicinal plants. Vol 1. World Health Organization 1999:125-35.

³Barnes P, Powell-Griner E, McFann K, Nahin R. CDC Advance Data Report #343. Complementary and alternative medicine use among adults: United States, 2002. May 27, 2004.

**Taken from http://nccam.nih.gov/research/results/echinacea_rr.htm at 6th of March 2007

The Meaning of Flowers

2007-02-13T15:51:00.000+08:00

Well, this writer is still single, for sure he does not know anything about love. However, being a herbalist wannabe has its advantages. At the very least, I am trained in the Flower Language. I am listing a few common flowers here and their symbolism, then you can decide which one to give then. However, the recipient(s) might not know the meaning though. It's advisable to include a small notes to forward the message.

So, here goes nothing...

Acacia – Sacrifice; 'Wait for me; it might not be long.'

Anemone – Estrangement; 'I no longer find you appealing.'

Apple Blossom – Goodness; 'Your inner and outer beauty shines as bright.'

Basil – Animosity; 'I loathe at your sight.'

Begonia – Warning; 'Walls might have ears.'

Borage – Brusqueness; 'I am embarrassed by your whim.'

Broom – Devotion; 'I will be yours forever.'

Burdock – Persistence; 'I will never be discouraged.'

Buttercup – Radiance; 'Your magnificence is as radiant as the sun.'

Camellia – Loveliness; 'How radiant is your beauty.'

Chamomile – Fortitude; 'I admire your courage. Do not be despair'

Carnation (pink) – Encouragement; 'Yes'

Carnation (red) – Ardour; 'We must meet soon.'

Carnation (white) – Pure Devotion; 'A chaste love I offer you.'

Cherry Blossom – Increase; 'May our friendship grew stronger and firmer.'

Chrysanthemum (bronze) – Amity; 'We can just be friends.'

Chrysanthemum (red) – Requited love. 'I love you also.'

Chrysanthemum (white) – Honesty; 'I trust you completely.'

Chrysanthemum (yellow) – Coolness; 'I belong to another.'

Cleavers – Tenacity; 'I shall strive to win your love.'

Clover (pink) – Hurt pride. 'Do not belittle my affections.'

Clover (red) – Entreaty. 'Will you be faithful with my absence?'

Clover (white) – Promise. 'I shall stay true to you.'

Coriander – Hidden Qualities. 'Do not judge a book by its cover.'

Daffodil – Rebuttal; 'I do not share your feelings.'

Dahlia (red) – Dismissal; 'You presumed too very much.'

Dahlia (white) – Rebuff; 'Keep your distance.'

Dahlia (yellow) – Distaste; 'Your attentions are not to my liking.'

Daisy – Delay; 'Await my answer in a few days.'

Daisy (Michaelmas) – Goodbye; 'Do not contact me, I am unable to love you.'

Dandelion – Absurdity; 'I find your presumption laughable.'

Dog Rose – Purity; 'Your purity is comparable to this flower.'

Fern (Maidenhair) – Virginity; 'I am yours completely.'

Feverfew – Protection; 'Let me take care of you.'

Forget-me-not – Remembrance; 'Think of me often.'

Foxglove – Fickleness; 'Your love is superficial.'

Gardenia – Sweetness; 'You are like this flower.'

Geranium (pink) – Doubt; 'I am expecting your explanations.'

Geranium (red) – Duplicity; 'Be gone, you are not trustworthy.'

Geranium (white) – Indecision; 'My mind is not made up.'

Hawthorn – Hope; 'Even though you love me not, I will keep trying.'

Holly – Recovery; 'I am grateful that you have recovered.'

Honeysuckle – Love; 'With this I pledge my loyalty.'

Hyacinth (blue) – Dedication; 'I shall pledge my life to you.'

Hyacinth (white) – Admiration; 'I esteem you highly.'

Iris (purple) – Ardour; 'My heart is aflame.'

Iris (yellow) – Sorrow; 'I share your sadness.'

Ivy – Tenacity; 'I want you above everything else.'

Jasmine – Elegance; 'I admire your poise.'

Lavender – Sad refusal; 'I only like you as a friend.'

Lilac (purple) – Spring love; 'You are my first love.'

Lilac (white) – Innocence; 'A sign for your purity and beauty.'

Lily (tiger) – Passion; 'Till the end of the earth, my love is there.'

Lily (white) – Purity; 'I kiss your fingertips.'

Lily-of-the-valley – Modest Detachment; 'Friendship suffices me, touch not of love.'

Magnolia – Courage; 'Be not disheartened, better days are arriving.'

Marigold – Jealousy; 'You jealousness is of unfounded reasons.'

Marjoram – Maidenly Innocence; 'Your outburst of emotion blushes me.'

Mimosa- Sensitivity; 'You are too frank.'

Mint – Homeliness; 'You fare better with someone your age and background.'

Mistletoes – Sweet Kisses; 'My kisses is abundant for you.'

Myrtle – Fragrance; 'Be my love.'

Narcissus – Self-love; 'Your love is only for yourself.'

Nettle – Coolness; 'I feel offended.'

Oak Leaves – Courage; 'Pay heed, love will have its course.'

Orange Blossom – Virginity; 'Your fairness and beauty are untouched.'

Orchid – Luxury; 'I pledge a sweet life for you.'

Pansy (purple) – Memories; 'I treasure the happy times we have together.'

Pansy (white) – Loving Thoughts; 'I always think of you.'

Pansy (yellow) – Memento; 'Oceans part us but my heart stays with you.'

Passion-flower – Denial; 'I belonged to another.'

Peony – Contrition; 'Forgive my carelessness.'

Periwinkle – First Love; 'My heart is mine till we met.'

Phlox (pink) – Friendship; 'My wish is that we can be friends.'

Phlox (white) – Awakening Interest; 'Tell me more about yourself.'

Poppy (red) – Moderation; 'We shouldn't rush, take our time.'

Poppy (white) – Indecision; 'My mind is not made up yet.'

Primrose – Novel love; 'I may learn to love you. It's too soon to tell.'

Rocket – Competition; 'You are not without a rival.'

Rose (moss) – Timid love; 'I watch you from afar.'

Rose (red) – Love; 'I Love You.'

Rose (white) – Refusal; 'I love you not.'

Rose (yellow) – Misplaced affection; 'I love another.'

Rosemary – Remembrance; 'Your memory will never fade.'

Snapdragon – Refusal; 'You are nothing to me.'

Sunflower – Showiness; 'Outer splendour impressed me not.'

Thyme – Homely Virtue; 'I love a home-maker like you.'

Tulip – Confession; 'With this flower, I declare my Love.'

Valerian – Concealed Merit; 'Though lowly, I aspire to love you.'

Vervain – Enchantment; 'You've bewitched me.'

Violet – Modesty; 'You are a pure as this sweet flower.'

Wormwood – Sorrowful Parting; 'Farewell is a common thing. I bid you well.'

Well, there you have it. A list of useful flowers and their meaning. I wish all of you a Happy Valentine's Day!

Side Effect of Lavender and Tea Tree Oil

2007-02-05T18:53:00.000+08:00

It seems that boys using products containing Lavender or Tea Tree Oil products will produce enlarged breast among them. This is as reported in Issue of New England Journal of Medicine published on 1^st of February 2007. As this is a new discovery, the exact mechanism of how the essential oil affect development of enlarged breast in boys is unclear. They speculate that both of these essential oils can mimic the action of female hormone oestrogen and block off male hormones which suppresses breast development and promote masculine characteristics.

The lesson to be learnt here is that, do not take herbs lightly as I ever said in my very first post titled 'Herbal for You'. It is not bad to incorporate herbal extract in toiletries but it is bad enough to do not enough research before using them. Herbs has become almost a pop culture among users and almost every hygiene products now contains at least one natural ingredients mimics. One has to aware though, that plants contains a lot of oestrogen mimics. This includes soy bean and Lady Fingers.

My suggestion is to use these products sparingly. However, surprisingly, these two essential oils are the two most useful one in aromatherapy and can be used neat without dilution. Also, if we notice, only male adolescences are affected which might suggest a pre-puberty link. However, whether such side-effects are present in adult males are not known and unstated.

So, what else can we do about this? The Chinese principle is, men should avoid flowers whenever possible and reserve it only for medical conditions. Besides, the reason of incorporating Lavender and Tea Tree Oil in toiletries are more than a pop-culture. Lavender has been appreciated for centuries for its exquisite fragrance and healing properties while Tea Tree Oil is internationally renowned for its antimicrobial properties. As a safer substitute, I suggest using these instead.

Lavender Substitute

If you prefer Lavender products just because of their scent, I would like to advice you to use the oil as well as the products containing them sparingly (if you are a guy or when you use it on your children). If you are thinking of skin-care, opt for Aloe-Vera or Cocoa butter enriched products. Try Fruit of the Earth^®products; they produce excellent quality Aloes and Cocoa Butter toiletries.

Tea Tree Oil Substitute

I don't think that you will opt for Tea Tree Oil because of its scent (well, I do). If you are, as I have said, use sparingly. If you are selecting them for their antiseptic properties try using Pine Oil, Thyme, or Oregano instead. There are a lot of products containing Pine Oil in the market. Most notably is soaps and shampoos. Try avoiding synthetic antiseptic soaps and the like. Pine Oil is a quite safe oil to use in a household provided it is diluted less than 2 percent in a suitable carrier oil. For this purpose, refer to my previous post titled 'Base Oil for Aromatherapy' (use the search facility for this).

Notes on Infants

However, on infant I do not recommend the usage of any herbal or commercial products. For this matter, you have to refer to a qualified paediatrician.

Anyhow, this is just a general guidance and as the scientific world is ever expanding, we do not know what will come up next in the herbal world. So always be alert to the latest news whether in herbal or orthodox medicine field.

Chocolate!

2007-01-30T22:13:00.000+08:00

The Celestial Food aka Cocoa

The scientific or Latin name of the plant is Theobroma cacao, the genus name means 'Food of gods' which I simply termed as 'Celestial Food'. Peculiar, but it seems that the ancient Mexican that encountered this plant, treats it as a heavenly food as well. Royalties often savour their chocolate drinks unsweetened in the same ways as us nowadays. In addition to this, they have their chocolate drinks occasionally flavoured with Vanilla pods and sweetened with honey. Anyway, we do enjoy our hot chocolate from time to time and not to mentioned, our after dinner nibbles usually consist of chocolates 'spiked' with mint.

We are all too familiar with the calming and pleasurable effect the Chocolates bring to us when we indulge in them. The feeling of being in love, some says, manifest itself at the very same time your every taste buds being excited by the flavourful yet beneficial 'Celestial Food'. However, chocolate is quite fattening, partly due to the amount of sugar they contain and also the fat they possess naturally. Anyhow, one research suggest that Milk Chocolate doesn't elevate body fat level drastically and the research also forward the idea that this is the unique effect of Stearic Acid (a kind of saturated fatty acid) it contains (in lay man term, this means it might not be fattening).

Before I forget, Cocoa beans are called also called Cacao, a much less familiar name.

Its usage as a herb comes to a surprise to many, in fact one of my special friend proclaim that such good tasting snack had hardly any benefits on health. Well, herbs are suppose to heal and most of them are derivatives from either the plant kingdom or the fungi kingdom (however, some even suggest the usage of bacterial (from the kingdom prokaryotae as herbal, I loosely disagree on this but my stance is quite shaky actually).

Cocoa bean and chocolate (the yummy snack) can be of help to the digestive system, facilitates blood circulation, and ease chest congestion. It is a vascodilator in a sense and also helps in bronchial spasms. This means it is quite useful as a symptomatic relief caused by asthma and allergic reactions.

The 'Celestial Food' contains caffeine, theobromine, trytophan (one of the precursor for serotonin), and amandamides (humorously, this is the substance that activate the same receptor in the brain that marijuana does).

You might ask, how to take advantage of this nice and nutritious herb? I didn't like to endorse commercial chocolate as they are too fattening (However, they make great Valentine's Day gift, well, they are suppose to make people happy. However, love for this herbalist wannabe is just a trivial matter). So what I endorse? See the following;

Hot Chocolate

Ingredients

Two and a half teaspoon of Van Houten Pure Soluble Cocoa Powder
A dash of ground Cinnamon (optional)
A dash of ground Nutmeg (optional)
Honey to taste (optional)
Stevia to taste
A cup of hot boiling Soy Milk (can be substituted with a cup of boiling hot water mixed with two tablespoon of Soy Bean Milk Powder)

Put the Cocoa powder into a cup, put in the Cinnamon and Nutmeg. Mix well with a spoon.
Then pour in the Soy Milk slowly while mixing.
Lastly, put in the Honey and Stevia.

This drink is a healthy alternative to conventional hot chocolate which is laden with fat. Opt for organically grown Soy Beans. Cocoa is definitely useful for a little mood elevation.

**Image Retrieved From http://www.tradinorganic.com/images/photos/cocoa.jpg

Bergamot

2007-01-25T21:55:00.001+08:00

Citrus bergamia

An evergreen citrus fruit tree that is a member of the Rutaceae which includes all the citruses. Also known as sweet orange, this fruit is shaped like a pear and only grow in warm climate.

The common usage of this herb is usually in its essential oil form. The oil has quite a distinctive, pleasant smell, often pungent and sharp. It's different from orange essential oil in many expect but distinctively citrus. The oil is extracted from the rind mainly by hand but it is now done extensively by machines.

The essential oil is reputed to be very antiseptic and it has been used for many centuries, particularly in Italy. There, the oil is used to treat fever and worms. It is also used as a nice additives to food products, such as the world renowned Earl Grey Tea (oh I love that tea). It is also used to perfume certain toiletries such as Eau de Cologne.

When used in appropriate dilution, it is useful in treating a myriad of skin diseases including eczema which does not respond well to other treatment. The oil can be use to clear stress-induced symptoms such as headaches and irritability by introducing it into massage oil. I personally like to include this in my vaporiser.

Moreover, Bergamot helps in gastrointestinal spasm and flatulence, and when used in massage oil, it can cure constipation and colic. The oil is also detoxifying and helpful in the treatment of cellulite.

When used in bath, it can soothe vaginal itching and helps in cystitis. While used in steam inhalation, it cannot help but cures respiratory infections such as sore throat and bronchitis. Also, it can be used on the hair to fight dandruff and used in mouthwash to deodorise. (for more about deodorising your mouth, refer to my previous post of Bad Mouthed Symptoms.

There is also another usage for Bergamot, that is the usage of the leafs (esp. the young shoot) as tea leafs. It is very fragrant and it is used favourably in the United States before tea achieved its fame. They called it Oswego Tea.

Skin Toner

2007-01-21T21:39:00.000+08:00

Skin Toner

Every now and then we need a nice refreshing toner for our beloved face. This is an all natural toner that can be of help after you washed your face. Provided is the recipe that will suits a variety of skin type, bot really a general genre but more specifically, adjust your ingredients to suit your face type. I do not believe in a fix all as everyone is different.

As I have learnt that plain Standard Rose Infusion can be a great toner to the skin once refrigerated, this recipe provides a more extensive toner for the skin. To make a Standard Rose Infusion, refer to my other post on how to make one. Search for it using my new search facility.

Elderflower Skin Toner

10 dried Elderflower heads
300ml of bottled spring water boiled in a Pyrex pot or stainless steel ware.
15ml of the following;
- Normal Skin: Apple Cider Vinegar
- Oily Skin: Witch Hazel
- Very Oily Skin: Vodka

Strip the Elderflower from the stem and place in a clean bowl. Pour the boiling water over the flowers and infuse for 20 minutes.
After which, add in the Vinegar, Witch Hazel or Vodka. Cover and leave overnight.
Strain into a sterilized jar and store in the fridge.

However, for really oily skin, I prefer the usage of 25g of Fresh Mint with 15g of Marigold Petals substituting the Elderflower heads. Also, double the content of water and use Vodka.

Garlic

2007-01-18T22:27:00.000+08:00

Garlic

Also known as 'Poor man's Treacle', this herb is fantastic! It's almost a panacea for a variety of disease that is viral, bacterial, or fungal in origin. It acts on respiratory infections such as chronic bronchitis, respiratory catarrh, and recurrent colds and flu. It is said to prevent H.pylori as well as it is extremely antiseptic. Also, it's useful for digestive infections.

Garlic is diaphoretic, diuretic, expectorant, and stimulant. Garlic is also beneficial in treating hypertension and high triglyceride level. It prevents arteriosclerosis, and acts as a tonic on the cardiovascular system. Moreover, it strengthen the immune system and has anti-cancer effects. Aged garlic extract seems to be more effective in this manner.

However, those who has sensitive stomach or gastrointestinal inflammation might not want to take this herb as it is can be overly stimulating.

One might ask, what is the best way to utilise Garlic in our everyday life? The answer is simple: use them in what they do best, flavouring your food! You might want to try them in your favourite dishes, such as in marinade (it works well with Rosemary and the mixture goes on well with Thyme and Oregano too, both herbs being an effective antibacterial herbs too) and frying vegetable. Use Garlic when you are frying with oil as Garlic contains various antioxidants to prevent oxidation of the oil.

Garlic can be used as an anthelminthic, usually used to treat diarrhoea caused by worms and dysentery. It can be used in conjunction with Tree Tea Oil (in a poultice form) to treat fungal infection on the skin. However, do remember to prepare a suitable preparation as too strong a preparation can burn the skin.

If you are struck down with flu, try this recipe. It cures me instantly when I am on the brink of infection. However, take it after a light meal but never on an empty stomach. Yikes it hurts!

Garlic Syrup

Ingredients

1 head Garlic
300ml of water
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoon Honey

Peel the Garlics crush them before putting in the water and bring to the boil. Simmer gently for 20 minutes.
Allow to cool to lukewarm, add the honey and lemon juice. Strain and drink.

My advice is, prepare the juice later when the concoction is simmering. This will prevent the Vitamin C content to oxidise rapidly. It might smell bad too, so down it all without taking even a sniff (this works well when you are having a running nose).

However, I also recommend Garlic capsule i.e. the capsule of Garlic essential oil as supplement.

**Image taken from http://www.foodmuseum.com/images/garlic1.jpg

New Forum!

2007-01-17T22:13:00.000+08:00

I am proud to present to all of you the lastest forum I have created. Please take your time to have a look there and discuss whatever is in your mind there. Share your experiences, and state your opinions. I created this forum because there have been a few numbers of people requesting posts for certain topic. In the interest of meeting this deman, I purposely create this forum for discussion and building criticism. Enjoy! Click on the Button on the right to go to my forum!

Natural Sweetener

2007-01-15T23:38:00.000+08:00

If you are someone who is constantly searching for a replacement for table sugar, I might be of help to put an end to your search. For me, aspartame is usually out as I don't buy artificial product (even my car perfume compromise nutmeg and cinnamon). Moreover, Aspartame is dangerous for people suffering from phenylketonurics; sufferers of this disease cannot digest phenylalanine (a kind of amino acid) because of lacking certain enzyme. Some even rumoured that Aspartame can damage our nerves, though baseless, but I am always sceptical about synthetic products, especially foodstuff.

So what is the natural sweetener you might ask, the answer is easy: Stevia. Some might not even heard of it before, and some might frown, thinking that it is just another over the counter sweetener. Stevia is alright if used in right dosage as any other herbs and according to research (Curi et al., 1986), “water extract of Stevia Leaf caused a decrease in blood sugars and an increase in glucose tolerance,” However, the research was done on healthy individuals (human of course).

Stevia is a plant that comes from the rain forest in Paraguay and Brazil. The purified white extract of the leaves is up to several times as as sugar its weight. However, there is lingering chemical after-taste which is not so detectable and almost negligible if added in coffee or when cooking. Stevia is not toxic in sweetening dosage, which is to taste. Dieting or diabetic patients can often benefit from this sweetener.

For a refreshing fruit flavoured drink, I recommend the following:

Mock Fruit Punch

Ingredients

St. Dalflour Teabag (Lemon tea, Earl Grey, Black Cherry, etc.)
Stevia to taste
a cup of boiling hot water.

Steep the tea bag in the hot water (preferably spring water boiled in a glass pot or stainless steel kettle) in a cup.
According to the direction given, one shouldn't steep the tea too long, this is known as 'stewing' and it will result in a bitter after-taste.
Put Stevia extract to taste. The resulted drink is a refreshing fruit flavoured drink. To make a cool drink, simply pop in a few ice cubes.

You might be wondering the reason I introduced St. Dalflour Tea. The reason is simple; their product is organic and naturally flavoured. I am the biggest fan of their Earl Grey but do remember you are dealing with caffeine drinks here.

How about Stevia? What's the brand I should buy? Well, for Malaysian, I have not much to endorse as we only have one popular Stevia product which sells by the brand Greenlite^TM produced by Stevian Biotechnology Corp. Sdn. Bhd. However, I have seen pure dried leaves sachets of the plant sold in a nearby pharmacy. Also, a word of advice from me, if you want to buy Greenlite^TM, try their pure leaves extract instead of their pills and sachets. The packing is white while others are green coloured.

Also, try this:

Hot Chocolate

Ingredients

Two and a half teaspoon of Van Houten Pure Soluble Cocoa Powder
A dash of ground Cinnamon (optional)
A dash of ground Nutmeg (optional)
Honey to taste (optional)
Stevia to taste
A cup of hot boiling Soy Milk (can be substituted with a cup of boiling hot water mixed with two tablespoon of Soy Bean Milk Powder)

Put the Cocoa powder into a cup, put in the Cinnamon and Nutmeg. Mix well with a spoon.
Then pour in the Soy Milk slowly while mixing.
Lastly, put in the Honey and Stevia.

This drink is a healthy alternative to conventional hot chocolate which is laden with fat. Opt for organically grown Soy Beans. Cocoa is definitely useful for a little mood elevation.