Holy basil is one of the most commonly used herbs in Ayurvedic medicine. This flowering plant is sacred to Hindus, and is used not only as a medicinal herb but in worship as well. Often referred to by Hindus as the “Elixir of Life” and the “Queen of Herbs,” this beneficial and powerful plant has been used for medicinal purposes for thousands of years.

Health Benefits of Holy Basil

Holy basil is an adaptogen. This means that the herb has the power to increase vitality and generally rejuvenate the body. Adaptogens are also often referred to as tonics, which are used primarily in medicine to maintain a general wellness and balance. Adaptogens work more by keeping the body healthy, than curing an illness that is already present.

Holy basil has positive effects on both the mind and the body. It is used to enhance natural homeostatic balance to the receptors in the brain to prevent stress to the physiological systems and helps the mind have the capacity to cope with challenging situations that can normally induce significant levels of stress. It is used in Ayurvedic medicine to help provide nutrients to the brain that are necessary for assistance with meditation and spiritual enlightenment.

Holy basil is a strong antioxidant that provides protection from free radicals that can damage the body. It neutralizes biochemicals that can lead to degenerative diseases and cancer. It increases the absorption of healthy nutrients from foods by enhancing the digestive system and promotes healthy liver function.

Holy basil is a powerful anti-inflammatory that reduces inflammation, and it is beneficial to your cardiovascular system as it helps to lower blood pressure and cholesterol. It helps to moderate blood sugar levels which makes it a powerful treatment for those with diabetes. It provides staminate, reduces and prevents fevers, enhances the bodies ability to process proteins, has anti-aging effects and much, much more. In fact, there are very few things that Holy basil is not beneficial for in our bodies.

Taking a Holy Basil Supplement

Holy basil can be found in a variety of dosages. Some recommend taking one dosage per day while others feel a single dosage a day will suffice. The most important thing to consider when taking a Holy basil supplement is the quality of the product to ensure that you reap the most benefits from the herb. Products such as Holy Basil Extract by Source Naturals provide an adequate dosage of the herb in just one serving per day.

Holy basil is a relatively safe herbal supplement with very few side effects being reported by those taking the medication. However, as with most herbal supplements it should only be used for brief periods of time with small breaks in between uses and should not be used by women who are pregnant or breast-feeding. It should also not be used prior to any surgical procedures you may be having, as it may pose a risk of excessive bleeding during surgery.

Ashwagada, also known as Indian ginseng, is a member of the pepper family and grows in hot dry climates of the world such as western India, northern Africa, and the Middle East. This small plant that grows to reach 2-3 feet in height is an amazing plant that possesses medicinal properties in every aspect, from its roots to the tips of its leaves, as well as the blooms and berries that grow on it. Also, there are nearly as many names for the plant as there are uses for it, some people may call it winter cherry, withania, or asgandh, and the spelling may very; Ashwagada vs. Ashwagandha. No matter what you call it, or how you spell it the facts about it are the same; it is a powerful and extremely popular herb that possesses many uses.

This plant’s roots so to speak, run deep in the Ayurvedic system of health and healing, a hindu tradition that has been practiced in India for over 2,000 years. This natural form of healing is very patient specific, and takes all aspects of the mind and body in consideration when treating a problem. The tradional practioiners used Ashwagada as a stand alone herb sometimes, but mostly they would combine it with something to create a completely individualized prescription for the persons ailments. While this combination of herbs worked extremely well, it sometimes hid the true power of the ashwagada as a stand alone medicine. However, it wasn’t long before the herb was being taken for its outstanding abilities on its own.

The ashwagada plant is what is called an adaptogen. The encyclopedia of natural medicine says this simply means that the herb un-specifically enhances and regulates the body’s natural ability to withstand stress. As well as increases its general performance in ways that help the whole body resist disease. More specifically the plant is known for its ability to have an over all affect on the body. Some of these affects are:

Boosting strength

Increasing stamina and alleviate fatigue

Enhancing sexual energy and rejuvenate the body

Increasing the immune system

Strengthening the young and elderly

Naturally calming the body without causing drowsiness

Improving clarity and memory function

And, slowing the aging process

As you can imagine, with this many over all effects on the body, the disease specific uses are numerous. This plant is used for everything from anemia, to asthma, and arthritis, as well as cancer, chronic fatigue syndrome, the common cold, depression, hypertension, hypoglycemia, leprosy, and lupus just to name a select few. The uses are endless because this plant is so very powerful… and the researchers are intrigued.

Studies on this plant have been on going since at least the 1960’s, quite possibly because of its wide spread popularity. After all it is the most common herb used in India, and it is rapidly gaining popularity in other parts of the world as well. Reports put out by these medical studies state that the ashwagada plant possesses compounds that have anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, and anti-fungal properties. While other compounds using different parts of the plant have been linked to anti-stress, and sedative effects.

There has been so much research performed on ashwagada that reporting every single case is nearly impossible. The fact is that clinical studies have shown that the herb increases endurance, and immune function. But it decreases inflammation, stress, tumor size, and fungal infections as well as working as a sedative. The reports have been posted, and the results are astounding, ashwagada is an herb that possesses so many different benefits that it may just be the most useful herb in the world!

Who doesn’t love the juicy sweet taste of a nice ripe red Pomegranate? I know I do, they are in my opinion, one of the most delicious health foods available. However, many people refrain from eating the juicy sweet fruit because it can be time consuming, as well as a bit tricky to eat if you have never eaten one before. Also, all that sweet juice can stain your clothes and hands if you’re not careful; that is why not too long ago someone came up with the idea to make pomegranate juice and supplements. Now we can enjoy the benefits of this delicious fruit any time or in any place, no need to worry about stains, or knifes, or anything. All you have to do is swallow a pill or drink a lovely glass of juice.

Right about now I am sure you are wondering why you should worry with either one of these things. Well, the answer to this is quite simple…it is tremendously healthy! Pomegranates possess an extremely high amount of antioxidants, and antioxidants are essential to health. As we age our bodies antioxidant supply dramatically decreases and becomes dangerously low, meanwhile the free radicals that can cause serious chaos and disease inside our body are growing at an astounding rate. Without antioxidants to battle and destroy these free radicals they simply take over, allowing us to age prematurely and even develop deadly diseases such as cancer.

Even though we receive antioxidants from a healthy diet, many of us have forgotten what exactly the word healthy means and we eat nothing but chemically altered “fat free” foods that come portion ready in a box. These types of foods are empty calories and while they might keep your weight down, they are doing little more than that. Supplementation of antioxidants is imperative, and pomegranate juice is a great, tasty way to do it. Even if you aren’t a fan of the juice taking a pomegranate supplement is a great idea because pomegranates…

• Fight diseases such as heart disease and cancer

• Lower cholesterol

• Have been linked to increased energy and weight loss

• Pomegranates are an excellent source of vitamins and nutrients

• Reduces inflammation, and keeps your skin looking young and vibrant.

These are the top five reasons to take a pomegranate supplement (such as PomGuard); there are more benefits to taking an antioxidant rich supplement such as this. To find out more about antioxidants, pomegranate supplements, or juice, please visit your one stop shop for everything nutritional, N101.com.

Ah, the blues. Both a wonderful music genre defined by such legendary musicians as B.B. King and Eric Clapton, and a feeling of depression sometimes triggered by the postholiday season. During the elation of Thanksgiving through New Year’s, you were filled with joy, cheer and love for everyone. But the holidays are also a difficult time, full of unrealistic expectations that can lead to loneliness, feelings of inadequacy and general malaise.

You’re tired, not sleeping, a bit depressed, not eating well and you’re generally
lethargic. You may even be feeling a little guilty about all those holiday indulgences with food and alcohol. In other words, you’re singing the post-holiday blues.

In an online article entitled “Give Yourself Permission to Feel: How to Lessen Post-Holiday Blues,” noted psychotherapist Richard O’Connor wrote: “Clinics like ours see many more depressed people after the holidays. My theory is that most people put on their character armor a little tighter [during the holiday season] and do everything they can to get through a stressful time, then allow themselves to fall apart a little bit afterwards.” It’s time to get put back together and it starts with de-stressing.
STRESSING YOUR BODY
Most experts agree that stress is a major factor in disorders and diseases such as anxiety, insomnia, depression, ulcers, rheumatoid arthritis, headache, hypoglycemia, asthma, herpes, hypertension and heart disease. It’s no wonder, then, that research suggests that chronic stress speeds up the aging of your body’s cells.

In a study of 39 women, ages 20 to 50 who suffered from chronic stress, researchers studied telomeres—caps at the ends of chromosomes that naturally get shorter and shrivel as cells age and continue to divide. The scientists concluded that chronic stress appears to speed up this process So not only are you stressed, you’re also aging more rapidly than you thought. Arguing with family, friends or co-workers, not getting enough sleep, worrying, working too hard or even playing too hard can all create stress. Weekend warriors, who try to make up for a week (or in this case, season) of inactivity by spending too many hours doing strenuous physical sports, raise their stress to unhealthy levels.

Any activity that is practiced without moderation can lead to a stress response. Even a positive experience like a new job, marriage or moving into a new house can be a stress-provoking event because stress is defined as a reaction to any stimulus that upsets our normal functioning. There are many wonderful herbs that have been proven to reduce stress. But nothing compares to extracts rich in the phytochemicals honokiol and magnolol, both of which also have numerous health benefits.

One of the most impressive benefits is their ability to alleviate stress while producing a calming effect. Dozens of studies have shown that they act as a non-addictive, non-sedating anxiolytic (anti-anxiety and antistress) agent at low doses. That means small doses can help calm your nerves and alleviate anxiety, without making you sleepy. The beauty about these two phytochemicals is that honokiol exerts an anti-anxiety effect, and magnolol exerts an antidepressant effect. Honokiol has a long history of use in traditional Chinese formulas for relieving anxiety without leaving you feeling like you’ve been drugged, and has been known to induce a more relaxing effect, which in turn leads to easier sleep-time.

PRECIOUS SLEEP
According to the National Sleep Foundation, 25 percent of the United States population suffers 34 the doctors’ prescription for healthy living from lack of deep, restful sleep. That 25 percent may also be suffering from a lack of calcium since calcium is directly related to our cycles of sleep, with one study finding that calcium levels were
higher during some of the deepest levels of sleep. Calcium is one of the few minerals that acts as a natural sedative because it causes the release of the sleep-inducing amino acid tryptophan. The perfect counterpart to calcium is magnesium, and works best when it’s balanced with magnesium in a two to one ratio.

In one research study of more than 200 patients, magnesium chloride was administered as a possible means of combating insomnia. It was reported that sleep was induced rapidly, was uninterrupted, and waking tiredness disappeared in 99 percent of the patients. Another benefit was that anxiety and tension were diminished during the day. Calcium and magnesium act synergistically in hundreds of reactions in the body, and both must be respected and taken in balance. In addition to helping you sleep, they may also help muscle spasms (cramps), muscle tone, osteoporosis, faulty nerve transmission, anxiety, PMS, menstrual cramping, blood clotting, iron absorption, heartbeat irregularities, hypertension, colon conditions, and even chronic fatigue. In fact, magnesium is so important in energy production that trials utilizing its power have improved the well-being of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

PHENIBUT FOR ANXIETY
Phenibut, more often known as Beta-phenylgamma- amino butyric acid, is a derivative of the neurotransmitter gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA). It has been clinically proven to be supportive for anti-anxiety, muscle relaxation and a mild feeling of tranquility. Studies have compared the profile of phenibut to diazepam (commonly known as Valium), which has pronounced anxiolytic properties, and piracetam, which has weak anxiolytic properties. One study found phenibut had a tranquilizing effect similar to, but weaker than, diazepam. It also caused sedation and muscle relaxation (whereas piracetam did not), but again these effects were weaker than those caused by diazepam.

In Russia, phenibut is commonly used to treat many neuroses, including post-traumatic stress disorder, stuttering, and insomnia. In double-blind placebo-controlled studies, phenibut has reportedly been found to improve intellectual function, improve physical strength, and reduce fatigue in neurotic and psychotic patients.
It all adds up to this: When it comes to the blues, you might consider something truly simple like relaxing. And you might consider doing it with Relax-All from Metabolic Response Modifiers (MRM).

TIME TO RELAX
Chronic stress, tension, anxiety and lack of a good night’s sleep can and will negatively affect your health, your happiness and your overall enjoyment of life. Some people turn to drugs or alcohol for an immediate escape. But those can only exacerbate the problem. A healthier alternative can be found in Relax-All, an herbal supplement designed to support relaxation. The formula includes calcium and magnesium (in the perfect two to one ratio), both well known for their tranquilizing effects. They assist in alleviating anxiety, nervousness, irritability, lack of or restless
sleep and physical fatigue.

The formula also includes the proprietary blend MyoCalm™ of wild jujube seed, highly regarded by the Chinese for centuries for its supportive relaxation properties and extremely low toxicity; honokiol and magnolol to support regulation and calming of the central nervous system, reducing stress and anxiety; betaphenyl- gamma-amino butyric acid, or phenibut, which successfully crosses the blood-brain barrier to elicit anti-anxiety, muscle relaxation and a mild feeling of tranquility; and L-theanine and valerian, well documented to support the formation of GABA, which influences the levels of two other neurotransmitters, dopamine and serotonin, producing a key relaxation effect.

So if you’re stressed, a little depressed and having trouble getting a good night’s rest, stop singing the blues. Kick back and take the ultimate chill pill.