Stevia Recipes

Stevia is a wonderful dietary supplement used for over 1500 years as a sweetener and for medicinal purposes. Since the 1970's, stevia has been used in Japan as the main alternative to sugar, used instead of the banned aspartame in diet soda, gum and other food and beverages. Stevia is also being used as a sweetener in other countries after extensive studies proved it's safety. Stevia has been used with success to treat many ailments including diabetes, high blood pressure, gingivitis, digestion ailments, addictions, topically for acne and other skin ailments and also as a wonderful weight loss aid.

DIABETES: Known for its nourishing properties for the pancreas, stevia has been used by diabetics for centuries as a sweetener and also as a method of controlling blood sugar levels.

HYPERTENSION: Studies have shown that stevia lowers high blood pressure without affecting normal blood pressure.

TEETH AND GUMS: Due to high beneficial mineral content and anti-bacterial properties, stevia is a wonderful additive to toothpaste or diluted as a mouthwash.

DIGESTION: Stevia improves digestion and intestinal function, soothes an upset stomach and promotes quicker recovery from minor ailments.

TOPICAL APPLICATION: Applied to the skin, stevia treats acne and other skin ailments. It also protects against premature aging.

WEIGHT LOSS AIDE: Stevia contains no calories and actually reduces cravings for sweets and fatty foods. Studies have shown that it also minimizes hunger sensations.

Learn more about Stevia and try some Stevia Recipes!

Migraine Prevention

Are you or someone you know one of the multitude of people
who suffer from migraine headaches?

Migraines can be incapacitating! They can be ocassional for
some, but frequent for others.

Today I'd like to share with you a herbal remedy that can
help prevent migraines...

Feverfew has been studied and found effective for the
prevention of migraine headaches, reducing the number
of headaches suffered by as much as 70 percent, or reducing
the pain and controlling the nausea commonly experienced
with such headaches. Once a migraine headache begins,
however, feverfew does not appear to relieve the pain.

Feverfew has been linked to several measurable changes
in physiology. Extracts of the aboveground parts of the
plant can reduce the body's manufacture of prostaglandin,
a chemical important in inflammation, by up to 88 percent.
This and other anti-inflammatory activity might explain why
the herb has been used to treat psoriasis.

In the test tube, feverfew extracts can keep blood platelets
from sticking together and forming clots, so the herb may
be useful as a mild anticoagulant. It achieves this through
a different chemical pathway than aspirin or other salicylates.

Feverfew also blocks platelets from releasing serotonin,
which may help to explain how it works to prevent migraines.
Feverfew extracts also prevent the release of histamine from
mast cells, so the plant may be useful in the treatment of
allergies.

Learn more about Feverfew here:
http://www.herbsandnaturalremedies.com/herbs/feverfew.htm

To Your Health,

Deb
http://www.herbsandnaturalremedies.com

Herbal Tinctures & Teas

Important Considerations When Making
Teas, Infusions, Decoctions and Tinctures:

• Not all herbs are suitable for making medicinals.
• It is important to cover your pot while boiling or steeping to prevent the aromatic oils from evaporating into the air. A lid will cause the steam to condense back into the water.
• Use a glass or ceramic container. Aluminum, iron, tin or other metals will leach into the tea. Although copper and stainless steel may be okay, herbalists recommend you use clean glass, ceramic, pottery or unchipped enameled pot.
• Use pure water. Fresh spring water or distilled water is best.
• Boil the water first, then remove it from the heat and add the herb or pour over the herb.
• Strain the finished tea before capping and storing.
• Refrigerate if kept for more than a few hours.

Learn how to make your own herbals with these instructions and recipes...

Alternative sleep aids...

We've all heard, by now, about the bizarre behavior from some people taking prescription sleep aids. We should all be questioning the safety of them. Binging, sleep walking... and driving!... abherant and abnormal behaviours... the incidence of such strange activities is on the rise. Why? Well, there has been an estimated 50% jump in the number of us taking sleep medications since the year 2000.

While we are told that these incidents are "rare" other side effects also cause concern. Daytime sleepiness, that "drugged-feeling"... imagine the result when operating machinery or driving!

If you're having problems sleep there are a number of natural helpers that you can try:

Chamomile tea helps clam the nervous system.

Valerian - Nature's answer to valium.

St John's Wort settles you down and relaxes you.

Kava improves the quality of your sleep.

In addition, a lack of calcium and magnesium can cause problems with sleeping. Melatonin can also break the cycle of sleeplessness and help you to establish a regular sleep pattern. It's considered a way to "reset" your internal clock which puts you to sleep.

If you are having problems sleeping, consult the advise of a healthcare practitioner, but choose a holistic doctor or at least one that believes in alternative methods.

Learn more about herbs and natural remedies and start sleeping better without the consequences or side effects of non-natural preparations.