April 2022

How to Make an Infusion

One of the most common methods for herb use you’ll see today is infusions. They are similar to tea, and many herbalists use the term interchangeably, but they are not the same. They are the same in that they both use water and steeping the herb for a set amount of time to extract the active chemicals out of a plant. The difference lies in the strength of the end product. Teas are much weaker and can be easily sipped on as a beverage. Infusions are a much more concentrated medicine.

Infusions can be made with both hot and cold water.

Hot Infusion

A standard recipe calls for 1/2 to 1 rounded teaspoon (1/2 to 1 ounce) of dried herb. Pour boiling water (one cup water per teaspoon of herb) over the herb and steep for fifteen to twenty minutes. Strain the mixture, saving the water. Can be drunk warm or when cooled if desired. This method is usually used for leaves and flower to make instant medicine for drinking. The parts of the plant that are harder like bark, root, seeds, resin, bruised nuts, seeds, and buds can be used in infusions if they are powdered so they are then receptive to steeping in boiling water.

Cold Infusion

Steep the herb in cold water or cold milk for several hours. Wet, mashed herbs can be used internally as a drink or as poultices on the body.

Infusions do not have a long shelf life. They should be made as soon as they are needed. Making the infusion can be a healing process as well. While the infusion is steeping, inhale the steamy warm vapors. If you desire, tent a towel over your head to trap more steam to get a more concentrated steam treatment. This can act as a decongestant and prepare your body to receive the medicine you are creating. As you inhale the vapors, visualize your body receiving the medicine and your body healing. Studies show that such meditative visualization stimulate the immune system to fight many diseases more effectively.

The main problem with infusions is their taste. Most healing herbs do not taste very good and are quite bitter. This is nature’s way of discouraging overdose, but if you can’t swallow your medicine, it does not good. To help make your medicine a bit more palatable, mix in sugar, honey, stevia, milk, lemon, herbal drinks, whatever tastes you think will help you get it down. If you still can’t manage, try another method instead. Practice with infusions does make it easier as you become more accustomed.…

Type 2 Diabetes and Sexual Dysfunction!

Sexual problems are common and are often associated with type 2 diabetes. But please be aware these problems affect other people too, especially as people get older.

Type 2 diabetes is rather a dramatic condition, it creeps up on you whilst you are not looking. It brings along with it symptoms such as:

memory loss

feeling hungry even after eating

affects the quality of your sleep at night

interferes with concentration levels at work

it can increase urination during the day or night

Many changes were taking place in your body, often for ten years before the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes was made. The drama of diabetes becomes obvious when complications start to appear.

Sexual dysfunction and infertility are amongst the cruel complications of type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Within ten years of diagnosis, many men notice changes in their sexual performance:

by age 60 more than half of all men with diabetes experience erectile dysfunction

9 percent of men in their twenties experience impotency also

The cause is excess blood sugar … it damages the nerves and blood vessels of the penis. When the nerves are damaged sensory information from the nerves cannot be transported and an erection is not triggered. So poor circulation means the blood flow is inadequate to cause and sustain an erection

Good blood sugar control can prevent erectile dysfunction and, at an early stage, can reverse symptoms. The results of a study published in the International Journal of Impotency Research on September 17, 2009, showed that the higher the hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) level was on the one hundred men who took place in this study, the greater the degree of their erectile dysfunction.

The hemoglobin A1c level is the name for the test used to measure your average glucose control over a longer period of time. It is important to know the HbA1c reflects an average of your blood sugar levels, the higher your HbA1c the more uncontrolled your blood sugars. Normal levels should be less than 5.9.

Health care providers have difficulty telling male patients about this particular danger of poorly controlled diabetes. Once these problems develop, medications such as Viagra, can help men to resume sexual functions. If damage progresses and medications don’t work anymore, penile implants and vacuum devices can get the penis erect.

Diabetes can also interfere with adolescent girls and young women … high blood sugar levels can cause yeast infections and vaginal inflammation. These too rob women of sexual enjoyment. If diabetes complications involve the nerves and circulation to the womans’ genital tract, she may be unable to experience the normal pleasure associated with sex. But these problems are less likely to occur when blood sugar levels are controlled.…

Green Tea to Improve Health

Green Tea has long been valued in China for its contribution to good health. Popularity of the tea in the United States continues to grow, showing that it is a natural source of antioxidants. These antioxidants help protect the body from accelerated aging and increased risk of diseases. Decades of research show that the tea inhibits the development of undesirable cell colonies, thus making it the healthiest tea available.

Green tea has higher contribution to health than other teas, because of the way it is dried. It is organically grown and the traditional drying technique used with it prevents the tea from the negative effects of fermentation. The products come in potency levels. Some supplements contain low potencies of the active polyphenols, while others go as far as using un-standardized tea leaf powder.

It has been prove that green tea is bursting with health benefits. It acts as a powerful antioxidant, which has been know to help prevent cancer, recover from the harmful cholesterol, and protect against damage caused by free radicals.

1. Medical Benefits

Green tea has many medical benefits, and is also know for prevention of the following diseases: Cancer, Rheumatoid Arthritis, High Cholesterol, Cardiovascular Disease, Infection, and Impaired Immune Function.

2. Promotes Weight Loss

The leaves of the plants help raise metabolism in the body. By increasing the amount of calories burned in a 24-hour period,it promotes weight loss.

3. Prevent Bad Breath

An element found in the tea decreases the growth of odor-causing bacteria. It is mention that drinking a cup or two of it may help maintain fresh breath.

4. Reduce Smoking Risks

Cigarette smokers who drink up to six cups daily reduces their susceptibility to risks caused by the toxins emitted in cigarette smoke.

5. Beauty Remedy

Green tea may be use to freshen up the face and sooth tired or strained eyes. It can be apply to spots and blemishes to lessen their visibility.

6. Antiseptic Properties

Green tea is also know to treat minor cuts and rashes, and are an effective treatment for sunburn. The teas inhibit the expression of antigens made by the body, substances that can trigger an immune response.…

Herbal Tea and the Many Benefits of Green Tea

Sipping a nice cup of herbal tea is a long-standing tradition in cultures all around the world, and not just because of the great taste. Green tea, for example, has been consumed in Asia for thousands of years, much to the enjoyment and health benefits of the population. Hundreds of studies have been conducted to determine just how and why green tea (and other herbal tea) seems to make such a difference in health and vitality.

Herbal tea is used medicinally for all types of purposes. An upset stomach may be calmed by a cup of strong peppermint tea. Sleeplessness can often be overcome with a dose of chamomile tea. It is even thought that various herbal teas, green tea among them, have the ability to prevent cancer in the human body. Just the act of brewing and drinking a cup of herbal tea can be calming, as the aromas delight the drinker and the warm liquid soothes the throat.

Some of the most interesting medicinal uses for herbal tea include:

o Burdock to clean the blood, regulate blood sugar, and for anti-inflammatory uses

o Cardamom to improve digestion, reduce gas, and calm stomach cramps

o Cinnamon to calm upset stomachs, relieve menstrual cramps, and regulate blood sugar

o Dandelion as an expectorant or diuretic

o Fennel to soothe coughs, stimulate appetite, and relieve stomach cramps

o Ginger to ease stomach and menstrual cramps, relieve nausea, improve circulation, and alleviate cold and flu symptoms

o Kava Kava to relax muscles, reduce anxiety, promote urinary tract health, and promote sleep

o Lemon balm to reduce anxiety and relieve stomach upset

o Licorice to sooth coughs and sore throats, improve digestion, and ease menstrual cramps

o Nettle to relieve diarrhea and constipation, sooth coughs, and support the liver and kidneys

o Rosehips to relieve headaches and prevent bladder infections

o Rosemary to relieve cold symptoms, ease headaches, improve circulation, and lessen joint pain

o Sage to improve digestion, relieve coughs and lung congestion, and to soothe the nerves

o Skullcap to relieve PMS symptoms and reduce anxiety

o St. John’s Wort to lessen anxiety, improve mood, and promote relaxation

o Valerian root to promote relaxation and sleep, relieve stomach cramps, and calm the nerves

o Yarrow to stimulate appetite, improve digestion, and relieve cold symptoms

Green tea is probably the most well-known and studied of the “herbal teas.” With a wide range of scientific studies to back up the experience of thousands of years, sources ranging from The Journal of the National Cancer Institute to the Mayo Clinic have found exceptional benefits to green tea and its components. In addition to potentially preventing cancer, green tea has also been credited with lowering the risk for heart disease, lessening symptoms of arthritis, preventing tooth decay, and playing a role in healthy weight loss.

Most green tea is made from the Camellia sinensis bush, but herbal tea will include other botanical elements, including leafs, roots, stems, and even the flowers of various plants. It is possible to make “tea” that doesn’t use Camellia sinensis at all, although this would more accurately be referred to as an “herbal infusion” or “tisane” than as an herbal tea.…