The Himbalist

23/04/2023

Korean Ginseng
Panax Ginseng

I was never a fan of the Beatles until I started listening to them. And I was never a fan of Panax Ginseng until I started using it. For me, it's like getting a little help from my friends. The more I listen to the Beatles the more I realize their songs are played everywhere. I learned their sound, and it's distinctive and recognizable. Panax ginseng is similar. I recognize its effects and it's in a lot of medicinal and commercial products. All kinds of products, including energy drinks, s*x enhancements, diet pills, sports supplements, nootropics, immunity tonics, body wash and more. Panax ginseng is everywhere, kinda like the Beatles. Sometimes things are popular because they are great.

So what does panax Ginseng actually do? What does it do so well that it was valued more than gold in ancient China, in thousands of products and is a billion dollar industry?

Panax Ginseng, the true ginseng contains active phytochemicals called Ginsenosides. Their molecule structure is similar to that of sugar and falls under the category of "glycosides". So sugar gives energy, similar to Ginsenosides, Ginsenosides trigger various actions within our body that could be simply explained as "they stimulate your nervous system".

So if your nervous system is stimulated and working "better", everything else works "better". So better concentration, better endurance, better fitness, better recovery. This is why it's used in a diverse selection of products. I personally use ginseng with Ginkgo Biloba for better focus and concentration, it helps me overcome potential stressful situations by being a little better.

There are some contraindications to certain medication and underlying conditions. Think of Ginseng as a "nitrous oxide" but for the body, you would not use "nitrous oxide" in any vehicle, especially cars with a faulty engine or transporting kids. Pregnancy, heart conditions, autoimmune are some examples, but there are more, when in doubt ask a professional.

As the Beatles say, all you need is love, but take it with Panax Ginseng, it should make it a little better.

20/04/2023

Rhodiola
Rhodiola rosea
Artic rose, ginseng of the north

What do the vikings of old, Soviet union athletes and Buddhist monks have in common? Their incredible superhuman feats and the history of using Rhodiola Rosea.

Intensive athletic programs from the grade‐school level up, is the reason given by the New York times for the legendary Soviet Union athletes that dominated sporting events for centuries. This may be true but I don't think it would have been achievable if not for supplements, before the days of "steroids'' the Soviet where recorded using a special plant to achieve superior endurance and focus, although documentation on the subject is not freely available, leaked secret sources confirmed that it was likely Rhodiola Rosea. Perhaps this seems a little like something out of an "captain America comic". Buddhist monks also accredited their renowned ability to focus and perform incredible tasks, to the plant. The great vikings also used the Adaptogenic actions of the plant to achieve focus and concentration on long journeys over troubled waters. They were the first to cross the Atlantic in 1021-AD.

So what does Rhodiola actually do to people?

Simply explained without the scientific jargon, it works with your brain to optimize performance under stress. Giving you the ability to push yourself further. The more you use it, the better it works. It does not discriminate and does not matter if the stress is the physical pressure of pushing your body to the extreme or the emotional stress on a wedding day. It is still used today by successful business professionals, athletes and moms.

But if you like that scientific jargon, Rhodiola rosea stimulates the creation of beta-Endorphin, an opioid neuropeptide that influences neurotransmitters like serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine. Beta-Endorphin is that stuff behind that great feeling after exercise, and one of the reasons exercise is such a great stress reliever. The neuro cocktail that is released, gives pain relief, lifts mood, increases focus and lowers the stress hormone, cortisol.

So monk, viking, athlete, business man or super mom, rhodiola is a great herb to take and recommend.

06/04/2023

*Lemon balm*
_Melissa officinalis_

Irony is that when the hardest working neurotransmitter is plentiful, we feel calm.

Lemon balm somehow has a positive effect on Acetylcholine production, the term is choligenic. For this reason it is a recognized nootropic. (healing or enhancement of the brain). However it works, lemon balm has a long history of getting a person into a calm relaxed state, the perfect state to be in before sleep comes naturally.

Lemon Balm balm is used for all conditions that have a relationship with acetylcholine, and acetylcholine has a relationship with everything from the gut to mental focus, making lemon balm a very versatile herb.

25/03/2023

*Bearberry*
_Arctostaphylos uva-ursi_

Bears are scary! If you met one in the wild you would likely p*e in your pants. This has nothing to do with the name Bearberry, but it is a well known diuretic. Herbalist have been making people p*e with Bearberry for centuries, more than scary bears. Bearberry also contains a antibacterial compound called Hydroquinone, making it one of the choice herbs for UTIs and bladder infections.

The pretty blond girl that broke furniture and stole porridge, Goldilocks, she may have used the berries to keep herself looking beautiful, but she has nothing to do with the "bear" in the name. Bearberry has a history of use in skin beauty products: soften complexion, protect, decrease wrinkles and heal scars. Use a standard ratio of 20%, Bearberry tincture. 80%, aqueous cream to make your own beauty cream.

Bears like the eating the berries. We assume this is the scientific reasoning behind the complex name, also why you never hear a bears sneeze, bearberry is also an immune booster.

02/02/2023

Can't sleep?

Don't worry and laugh it off.

One of the common reasons people struggle to sleep is hormones. Or atleast the wrong hormone at the wrong time. Kinda like a guest arriving and you haven't cleaned the house.

Cortisol is the hormone that wakes you up in the morning, it's the message that travels around your blood network informing all your organs that, it is time to be alert and ready. Great message, we are thankful for it. Except when it is 2am and we need to get up in 3 hours. Please someone stop that message!

Cortisol is not only released when we wake up, it's also released when we are stressed and worry. So stop worrying about it. If you think it's harder than it seems, a herbal supplement like Ashwaghanda is great for this particular reason, it is an adaptagen, helps your body achieve normality under stress, so it doesn't do things like full you up with cortisol at 2am.

Laughing? You should, a good mood and laughter releases seratonin that eventually becomes melatonin. Melatonin is the opposite of cortisol. That's the message that travels your blood network telling your organs to relax and prepare for sleep. We like melatonin at 2am.

Melatonin products are available, but it is recommended that you let your body produce it naturally, seratonin changes into melatonin, so producing more seratonin will lead to more natural melatonin.

If you are not happy, try some herbs that may make you happy, and encourage the production of seratonin, herbs like sceletium, hops or passion flower.

Wishing you a happy and worry free night.

01/12/2022

Ginkgo biloba

250 million years is a long time ago. Way before humans and few million before birds flew in the sky. Even before the dinosaurs roamed. Alot of memories. One tree species remebers them all and is famous for helping people improve theirs. The mighty maidenhair tree, known by herbalists as ginkgo biloba, although China stake their claim for the tree, it's been around since all the continents formed one. Pagerea. It's old age is not the only remarkable trait of this ophan foliage (no living relative species). 6 trees survived the Hiroshima nuclear bomb blast, one of the few living things to do so, but I suppose, what is a little radioactive explosion when you can live to 2500 years.

Phyto-Force GINKGO herbal tincture not only helps with managing stress and panic attacks but also helps with memory and concentration, tired brain, depression and chronic fatigue. Suitable for children and adults.

28/11/2022

Meet Mervin the myosin, he makes me happy, literally.

18/11/2022

Ginkgo
Science identify: Ginkgo biloba
Other name: the maidenhair tree
Common uses: ingredient used in memory and concentration supplements.
Parts used: leaves

250 million years is a long time ago. Way before humans and few million before birds flew in the sky. Even before the dinosaurs roamed. Alot of memories. One tree species remebers them all and is famous for helping people improve theirs. The mighty maidenhair tree, known by herbalists as ginkgo biloba, although China stake their claim for the tree, it's been around since all the continents formed one. Pagerea. It's old age is not the only remarkable trait of this ophan foliage (no living relative species). 6 trees survived the Hiroshima nuclear bomb blast, one of the few living things to do so, but I suppose, what is a little radioactive explosion when you can live to 2500 years.

15/11/2022

Puncture vine
Science identity: Tribulus Terrestris
Other Names: goat's-head, bindii, bullhead, burra gokharu, bhakhdi, caltrop, cat's-head, devil's eyelashes, devil's-thorn, Devil's-weed, and tackweed.
Common use: ingredient found in musse and libido supplements.
Parts used: fruit and root.

Playing barefoot as children outside, gentle laughing was often replaced with loud tears because of this Prickly ground vine. Hated by every one except King Shaka of the Zulu kingdom. This mighty warrior king trained his barefoot Impi soldiers on fields of the vine. He did this to strengthen their resolve to pain and get used to raw feet, all in preparation for a potential looming battles from other tribes and mysterious threats coming from across the oceans.

I wonder if he realized that he was also giving his soldiers a testosterone boost, that is what the plant is commercially popular for, often a main ingredient in "testo-boost" supplements. The Zulu Impi warriors have a reputation for being powerful, aggressive fighters. How much of this is owed to infamous Prickly ground vine?

13/11/2022

Bearberry
Science name: Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
Other names: arbutin, mountain cranberry, and uva ursi
Common uses: used in various supplements mainly for kidney bladder and arthritis.
Parts used: fruit.

Bears are scary, seeing one in real life could realistically make you p*e in your pants. These diuretic berries did not get its name because of this reason.
The pale blond girl that broke furniture and stole porridge in old fairy tales, she may have used the natural skin lightening effects of the berries, but she is not the reason for the name.
Bears like the berries. They eat them. We assume this is the scientific reasoning behind the complex naming process.

17/07/2022