Herb Corner
Archived Articles:
Winter is over. Where did that time go?
Keeping Your Memory Sharp with Herbs
A Good Night Sleep is Key to a Healthy Life
There's a New Bug in Town
Aid for the Adrenals
A Healthy Coffee Does Exist!
Don't Forget the Willard Water
Do You Know Anyone on Ritalin?
Ephedra Ban
Fibroids
Hepatitis C? What You May Not Know
Honoring the Men in Our Lives
Hormone Replacement Alternative Therapy
How Toxic is Your House
Hurricane Readiness
Lets Talk Stress
Spring Detox
What's Bugging You?
Aid for the Adrenals

Adrenal GlandsThe adrenal glands are small glands that rest on top of the kidneys. The outer part, the cortex, produces cortisone or steroids. Its job is to maintain the body's sodium, potassium, sugar and hormone levels. The inner portion is the adrenal medulla. It secretes adrenaline and nor-adrenaline that support the body through situations of fear, worry, stress or anger; it is the "fight or flight" hormone. These glands provide us with the hormonal support that is required by the body to get through the day.

Stressed WomanIn today's fast paced society our adrenal glands are constantly being overworked. We run from one thing to the next, we have to manage our homes, our children and their lives and activities and our careers. We eat in a hurry to get from one commitment to the next and the foods we eat are often not nutritionally balanced. With this lifestyle, eventually the adrenal glands begin to shrink in size and become less effective laying the foundation for many of today's illnesses.

There are other things that can cause your adrenal glands to become weakened other than continual stress and poor diet. Excessive sugar or carbohydrate intake, over use of alcohol, tobacco, caffeine or medications all affect the function of the adrenals. Additional burdens to the adrenals are: too much exercise, exposure to toxins, allergies, trauma, lack of sleep, chronic illness, pain and surgeries.

So how do you know if your adrenals are inefficient? Some of the symptoms can be recurring infections, depression, weakness, poor memory, low blood pressure, irritability, hypoglycemia, fatigue, brittle nails or a low sex drive. Do you wake up feeling tired? Do you feel you need to eat sweet snacks to get through the day? These feelings can be associated with an adrenal overload.

Eat more fruits and veggies!In order to strengthen the adrenal glands we can start by modifying our diet. Eating more foods that are higher in Vitamin B and C, more fresh fruits and vegetables, cold water fish, brown rice, whole grains and legumes; cut back on fatty foods, red meats and processed foods, especially those that are high in sodium. These adjustments in your diet will aid in strengthening the adrenal glands. Moderate exercise will stimulate the adrenals aiding them to function better also.

Herbs can be very useful in strengthening and feeding the adrenals. Licorice contains natural plant steroids that are helpful in supporting the adrenal glands. Borage helps to restore the adrenal cortex and tone the gland. This herb can be used over a long period of time with no adverse effects. Borage can also be helpful if you have been using cortisone or steroid medications. Ginseng helps to increase stamina and physical performance reducing mental or physical exhaustion or weakness. It is known for its adaptogenic properties naturally increasing the bodies' resistance to all kinds of stress. Astragalus can aid the body in coping with stress by boosting the adrenal functions, helping the body to naturally resist illness.

Thanks to Patty Gadone, an apprentice at The Herb Corner, we now have an excellent adrenal formula that contains:

2 parts licorice
2 parts gotu kola
1 part ginseng
1 part borage

(licorice is not recommended for people with high blood pressure)

This is an excellent formula as is or can be modified for your specific needs. Thank you Patty for sharing this with us.

References:
ABC's of the Human Body "Readers Digest"
The Herbal Handbook by David Hoffman
Women's Body Women's Wisdom by Christine Northrup
Holistic Herbal by David Hoffman
Prescription for Nutritional Healing by James Balch

BooksReference Library

As most of you are already aware, we have a reference area here at the shop available to anyone who wants to come by, have a cup of tea and use the materials.

You should call first in case we have a class or other events going on.

Gift Certificates Available
Capsule Machines

Making your own capsules is quick, easy and inexpensive using one of our great capsule machines. You know you are getting exactly what you want in your own herbal formula. Using our organic or wild crafted herbs gives you the peace of mind that your capsules are the best quality because you mixed the herbs and encapsulated them yourself. We have 2 capsule machines to choose from. Come by and ask us how, we'd love to help!

Neti Pot

If you have never heard of this you may not know what it is used for. A Neti Pot is used to wash out the nasal passages. When the nasal passages become thick with mucous or too dry or runny it is easier for bacteria and viruses build up causing further problems. Since the nasal passage is the bodies first line of defense against colds a Neti Pot is a good defense against colds and nasal blockages. In folk medicine gargling or sniffing salt water was the first line of defense against a cold. A nasal with a Neti Pot takes this to the next level washing the nasal passages with a salt water solution washes away all of the mucous and impurities from the nasal cavities. And compared to any other technique of washing out the nasal passages this is by far the easiest, quickest and the best I have ever used.

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The Herb Corner
277 N. Babcock St.
Melbourne, FL 32935
Phone: (321) 757-7522
Fax: (321) 757-7520
herbcorner@cfl.rr.com

Copyright © 1998-2006 Graphic Mac. All rights reserved.

We do not directly or indirectly dispense medicinal advice or prescribe the use of herbs as a treatment for sickness. Any plant, whether used internally or externally, can cause an allergic reaction in some people. In the event you use the information without doctor approval, you are prescribing for yourself, which is your constitutional right, but we assume no responsibility.

 

 

 

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