Understanding Herbs
By: Tabitha Wooster Known for its warm, comforting aroma and flavor, cinnamon has been valued for thousands of years—not only as a culinary delight but as a medicinal powerhouse. Derived from the inner bark of trees from the Cinnamomum genus, cinnamon has demonstrated significant health benefits, especially for cardiovascular health, blood sugar management, and metabolic …
By Dori Cranmore RN Bees produce Honey in most of the countries of the world. Cinnamon and Honey are both superfoods. Scientists of today also note honey is a very effective medicine for all kinds of diseases because it contains powerful antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. HEART DISEASES: Make a paste of honey and cinnamon …
By Dori Cranmore R.N. Naturally produced by our bodies, Glutathione is known as the Master Antioxidant because it can help protect your cells from oxidative damage. It is found mostly in the liver, and used by every cell and tissue in our body. Production of Glutathione, (or GSH) in a cell, depends on the availability of …
By Dori Cranmore R.N. Garlic has been used in many cultures for both its culinary and medicinal properties. Folklore shows garlic bringing good luck or protects against evil, ward off vampires and at the same time guaranteed to transform any meal into a bold, aromatic and healthy experience. Native to central Asia, garlic is one …
By Dori Cranmore R.N. Peppermint has often been termed the world’s oldest medicine. It is native to Europe and is actually a cross between spearmint and water mint. Its botanical name is mentha piperita. Peppermint has been studied and proved by the scientific community to have numerous health benefits. As a result, peppermint is sold …
Olive oil is very important in our diet but the oil may not be the most important product of the olive trees.
By Dori Cranmore RN Omega 3, Omega 6, Omega 7, Omega 9, EFA’s, EPA’s, DHA’s, Good fats, Bad fats….can be confusing and what does it all mean to our overall health? Omega 3 is the single most important essential nutrient that is almost entirely missing from our modern day diets. Evidence from thousands of clinical …
By Dori Cranmore RN When you hear the words Cannabidiol, cbd, Marijuana or Cannabis how do you react? For some it means breaking the law, getting “stoned”, acting giddy in swirls of funny smelling smoke, or eating a lot. Old news! For so many it’s the answer to relief. Relief from debilitating pain, chronic anxiety, …
By Dori Cranmore RN Turmeric comes from the ginger family and has a peppery, warm but slightly bitter flavor. It smells like a cross between ginger and oranges. It’s known as one of the ingredients to make curry but it is also used as a natural colorant in many foods like mustard. You might have …
By Dori Cranmore RN Collagen is a protein that is part of cartilage, face, skin, nails, teeth, bones and other tissues in animals and humans. It provides the infrastructure of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissues, which is necessary for mobility and it is the most abundant protein in the body. Peptides are short chain …
By Dori Cranmore RN There are 20 essential Amino Acids in our body. They are considered the building blocks of protein. The most abundant is L-Glutamine, produced in the muscles and distributed by the blood to wherever it is needed. Amazingly, around 60% of your skeletal muscle is made up of glutamine and by adding …
By Dori Cranmore RN The Moringa Oleifera tree can be found in tropical areas in Asia, South America and Africa. The tree has bright green leaves and covered with white flowers that turn to long flat seedpods. The tree is also known as the “Drumstick Tree” or “Tree of Life”. The leaves, bark, flowers, fruit, …
By Dori Cranmore RN Ginger does more than just add a snap of flavor to foods and beverages. For centuries, the root of the plant has been used as a remedy for a variety of illnesses ranging from the common cold to cancer. The spice has long been prized for its potent anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving …
By Dori Cranmore RN The oil comes from the nigella sativa plant which is native to Asia. The plant has small, black, crescent-shaped seeds and is a part of the buttercup family. Its recorded use dates back to ancient Egyptian times, with Cleopatra using it to achieve her beautiful complexion and shiny hair. The oil was even …
By Dori Cranmore RN Chaga (Inonotus obliquus) is a poly pore mushroom that starts its life as a spore and finds its way to a weakness in a living tree, (birch trees in colder northern climates) where it grows and stores betulinic acid, beta glucans, beta carotines and a large number of vitamins and phyto-nutients, …
By Dori Cranmore RN At the beginning of each year it seems many people come to the store asking about ways to clean out their body and get a handle on their health. We have many different full body cleanse combinations and most all have Burdock root included in the formulas. Burdock has been used …
By Dori Cranmore RN Rhodiola rosea is not a common herb but it’s getting more popular every year. It typically grows at high altitudes in the Arctic and mountainous regions throughout Europe and Asia and has over 200 different species. Rhodiola rosea is now being grown and harvested in Alaska under the Alaska Grown label …
By Dori Cranmore RN Yarrow or achillea mille folium can grow to about 3 feet tall and is found worldwide, yet is native to California and found in abundance in Alaska. The flowers are quite colorful in whites, yellows and pinks. The Latin name achillea comes from the Greek legend of Achelles, as he used it …
By Dori Cranmore RN Melatonin in the natural form, is a hormone produced by the pineal gland in the brain, to help control your daily sleep-wake cycles. Melatonin is used to reset the body’s internal clock, or circadian rhythm. This rhythm influences how much melatonin the pineal gland makes, along with the amount of light …
By Dori Cranmore RN Goji berry is the commercial name for wolfberry or Lycium barbarum. They are a bright orange/red berry with a sweet, slightly tangy taste and native to China. In Traditional Chinese medicine, goji berries are eaten raw, cooked, dried like raisins (most common way to eat), made into wines, brewed as a …
By Dori Cranmore RN The wild leafy plant yellow dock (Rumex crispus) is found growing throughout the world and belongs to the buckwheat family. This flowering perennial is characterized by the narrow leaves that curl along the edges, which is why it is also called curled dock, narrow dock, narrow-leafed dock and garden patience. The …
By Dori Cranmore RN Garlic has been used in many cultures for both its culinary and medicinal properties. Folklore shows garlic to bring good luck or protect against evil, ward off vampires and at the same time guaranteed to transform any meal into a bold, aromatic and healthy experience. Native to central Asia, garlic is …
By Dori Cranmore RN This sometimes ‘pesty’ weed growing in our gardens and lawn is actually edible and medicinal. Chickweed got its name because it’s a favorite food for chickens and other small birds. It is very nutritious for us as well, high in vitamins and minerals and can be added to salads or cooked …
By Dori Cranmore RN GABA (gamma aminobutyric acid) is a non-essential amino acid found mainly in the human brain and eyes. It is considered an inhibitory neurotransmitter, which means it regulates brain and nerve cell activity by inhibiting the number of neurons firing in the brain. GABA is referred to as the “brain’s natural calming …
By Dori Cranmore RN Rhodiola rosea is not a common herb but it’s getting more popular every year. It typically grows at high altitudes in the Arctic and mountainous regions throughout Europe and Asia and has over 200 different species. Rhodiola rosea is now being grown and harvested in Alaska under the Alaska Grown label …
By Dori Cranmore RN For many years the benefits of chlorophyll have been discovered in the field of science and research. What is chlorophyll, what makes it so special and what benefits can we get out of it? Chlorophyll is the single most critical substance in plants that allows them to absorb light from the …
By Rallie McAllister Ginger does more than just add a snap of flavor to foods and beverages. For centuries, the root of the plant has been used as a remedy for a variety of illnesses ranging from the common cold to cancer. The spice has long been prized for its potent anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving effects. …
By Dori Cranmore RN Hawthorn is known as the ‘heart herb’ for its many benefits as a heart tonic. Traditional use of hawthorn berries has been confirmed by German studies to strengthen and normalize the heart beat, prevent and reduce heart arrhythmia’s and guard the heart against oxygen deficiency. There is research to suggest that …
By Dori Cranmore RN We’ve all heard how healthy it is to include olive oil in our diet, and from a health perspective, the oil may not even be the most important product of the olive trees. The omega-9 monounsaturated fat called oleic acid is considered a “healthy” fat and it is even said that …
Benefits of Pumpkin Seeds
By Dori Cranmore RN When we think of marshmallows, generally the image of a white, sugary fluff ball comes to mind, right? Or a big fire with a bag of sugary fluffed candy ready to go on the end of a stick to roast to a toasty brown, melting the insides, then squished between graham …
By Dori Cranmore RN If you’ve ever gotten “stung” by a nettles plant, you’ve no doubt gained quite a respect for the lingering pain and possibly a fear for the plant. Hopefully I can show you the stinging nettle is probably one of the most important herbs available to us and if harvested correctly, you …
By Dori Cranmore RN The liver is the largest organ inside the body with an amazing number of essential functions to perform. The liver transforms toxic compounds into non-toxic substances, filters blood from the intestines, produces bile, mixes essential nutrients, inactivates disease causing microorganisms, regulates glucose levels, stores fat-soluble vitamins, activates and deactivates hormones, provides …
By Dori Cranmore RN We’ve all heard how healthy it is to include olive oil in our diet, and from a health perspective, the oil may not even be the most important product of the olive trees. The omega-9 monounsaturated fat called oleic acid is considered a “healthy” fat and it is even said that …
By Dori Cranmore RN Rose hips are the seed pods of roses. If you leave the spent flowers on the rose bush at the end of the season, you should see these small, berry-sized, reddish seed balls, left on tips of the stems. Both rose hips and rose petals are edible. Roses are in the …
By Chris Kilham The use of red clover as an herbal remedy goes back centuries, and the plant enjoys a history of both topical and internal applications. As a topical aid, red clover is often an ingredient in liniments and balms, for relieving the pain of both eczema and psoriasis, for sores, burns, and as …
By Dori Cranmore RN Elderberry juice was used to treat a flu epidemic in Panama in 1995.Elderberries (Sambucus) have been a folk remedy for centuries in North America, Europe, Western Asia, and North Africa, hence the medicinal benefits of elderberries are being investigated and rediscovered. Elderberry is used for its antioxidant activity, to lower cholesterol, …
By Dori Cranmore RN Scientific name: Taraxacum officinale. The word dandelion comes from “dent de lion” which is French meaning Lion’s tooth, referring to the jagged leaves that resemble Lion’s teeth. The leaves are considered to be one of the most nutritious greens available. The greens are high in potassium, which creates a natural diuretic …
By Dori Cranmore RN Omega 3, Omega 6, Omega 9, EFA’s, EPA’s, DHA’s, Good fats, Bad fats….can be confusing and what does it all mean to our overall health? EFA’s are the Fatty Acids that are Essential for our body’s many functions and come in many forms. At one time fats were hard to find …
By Dori Cranmore RN If you’ve ever gotten “stung” by a nettles plant, you’ve no doubt gained quite a respect for the lingering pain and possibly a fear for the plant. Hopefully I can show you the stinging nettle is probably one of the most important herbs available to us and if harvested correctly, you …
By Dori Cranmore RN We’ve all heard how healthy it is to include olive oil in our diet, and from a health perspective, the oil may not even be the most important product of the olive trees. The omega-9 monounsaturated fat called oleic acid is considered a “healthy” fat and it is even said that …
By Dori Cranmore RN We are hearing so much about the flu vaccines in the media, I wish there was equal exposure for the amazing effects of Vitamin D3 for protection. Not everyone is a candidate (or desires) to get the vaccines. There have been extensive studies done (Dr J Cannell MD of www.vitaminDcouncil.org, Dr …
By Dori Cranmore RN The herb Turmeric has been in the limelight recently and the more research that is done; the more wonderful healthful benefits are arising. Turmeric comes from the ginger family and has a peppery, warm but slightly bitter flavor. It smells like a cross between ginger and oranges. It’s known as one …
By Dori Cranmore RN Raspberry Ketones, in brief, can help prevent and improve various health conditions, such as obesity, cellulite, skin looseness and fluid retention. They offer lots of fiber and antioxidants with very few calories, making them very “dense” nutritionally. Raspberry Ketones help the efficiency of your metabolism by increasing the body’s core temperature …