1 pound sunflower seeds, 1/4 pound almonds, 1 pound wheat.  Grind up and eat 2 heaping tablespoons a day.

Barley and Coconut                                                                                                                                                                                         Brain cocktail: 1 cup barley, 1 cup coconut juice, 1 tablespoon lecithin.  Add honey if desired.

Coconut                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Coconut is brian food.  Eat the meat and drink the milk.

Cardamom                                                                                                                                                                                                              Cardamom is an eye and brain food.

Leek                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Cut leeks, boil and use in soups and salads.

Kroeger Herb’s Brain Care Blend is also on sale now and would be a great complement to these brain food suggestions.

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Hanna Kroeger taught that exercise was so important because it is the vehicle to move the lymphatic system, which is a major player in the function of the immune system. The circulatory system has a pump: the heart, but the lymphatic system needs the body to move for it to circulate. Hanna said: “The lymphatic system is extremely important. It has its own channels and disintegrates at death. When you have a hard, callous ring around your heel or foot, you have a lymph problem. The lymphatic system is pumped by movement. It does not work when you are at rest. Running and working out moves the lymphatic system. Since we have little opportunity for outdoor activity, we should have a small trampoline rebounder in our houses. Just a few minutes’ workout on a rebounder 2 or 3 times daily will activate the lymphatic system which is so very needed for good health.”

Not only does exercise affect our physical bodies, but studies have shown that exercise makes us happier and improves the quality of life  and is even being found to help people who suffer from depression.  Other researchers are finding that the chemicals produced in the brain from exercise are actually lowering anxiety levels and there’s good reason to exercise if you have insomnia since exercise helps regulate sleep patterns.  The list of reasons to exercise go on and on. Whatever your reason, make sure to add a little more movement into your day!

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Liver Rejuvenating Recipe

One teaspoon dandelion root

One teaspoon angelica or arnica

One teaspoon wormwood

One teaspoon gentian

Boil in two cups water, simmer and strain.

Add two quarts apple juice and four ounces freshly squeezed lemon juice and drink this in small portions during the day.  Do this for two to three days and repeat if needed once a month.  Take only stewed fruit and apple juice on these days.

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You can control the amount of pesticides that invade your body by paying attention to how you purchase your fruits and veggies.  The Environmental Working Group has put together a list to help shoppers buy produce with the least amount of pesticides present.  The lists below shows the top 12 foods with high levels of pesticides which should be bought from the organic section and the top 15 which are lowest in pesticides and do not necessarily need to be organic.

Dirty Dozen – Buy These Organic

1. Celery
2. Peaches
3. Strawberries
4. Apples
5. Blueberries
6. Nectarines
7. Bell Peppers
8. Spinach
9. Kale
10. Cherries
11. Potatoes
12. Grapes

Clean 15 – Lowest in Pesticides

1. Onions
2. Avocado
3. Sweet Corn
4. Pineapple
5. Mango
6. Sweet Peas
7. Asparagus
8. Kiwi
9. Cabbage
10. Eggplant
11. Cantaloupe
12. Watermelon
13. Grapefruit
14. Sweet Potato
15. Honeydew Melon

Print out this list for your next grocery visit and remember that calories should not be the only concern next time you are filling the cart.  The organic section can be a bit pricier, but it’s a small price to pay to stay clear of known toxins.

Check out EWG’s Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides for more information.

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Celiac Disease can be defined as a permanent intolerance to the gliadin fraction of wheat protein and related alcohol-soluble proteins (called prolamines) found in rye and barley. Celiac Disease is found in genetically susceptible individuals who eat these proteins, leading to an autoimmune disease, where the body’s immune system starts attacking normal tissue. This condition continues as long as these food products are in the diet.   

For those who have been diagnosed with the disease or intolerance there are many resources today to help in all aspects of living with celiac/gluten intolerances. Blogs are dedicated to gluten-free recipes  and living tips.  You can also add gluten-free cookbooks to your kitchen , ask local restaurants for gluten-free items as many now can accommodate if they do not already have a separate section on their menu, and  gluten-free iPhone apps  are available and this one is on sale for May in recognition of Celiac Awareness Month.

Hanna Kroeger  developed a formula many years ago that promoted good digestive system maintenance and to keep the intestinal wall and villi healthy.  People with Celiac Disease can have damaged intestinal walls resulting from auto-immune disorders that attack the intestinal lining and villi.  Since this is where nutrients from our food intake are absorbed it is essential to a healthy system to maintain functioning intestines.                                                        

Whether your friends, family or you have or have not had experiences with gluten issues please take some time to spread the word  and do your part.

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The following is a list of herbs and their properties to be aware of when a woman is pregnant.  Please remember that most of these are fine in small doses or when taken just as needed and not continuously.  There are varying degrees of caution for using these herbs, but is fairly complete in the need to pay attention to them.

• Agave (Agave spp) – strong bitter, laxative
• Alder buckthorn (Rhamnus frangula) – cathartic, laxative
• Angelica (Angelica archangelica) – emmenagogue
• Arbor vitae (Thuja occidentalis) – abortifacient
• Autumn Crocus (Colchicum autumnate) – teratogenic damage
• Barberry (Berberis vulgaris) – emmenagogue, uterine stimulant
• Bearberry (Arcostaphylus uva-ursi) – emmenagogue
• Beth Root/Birthroot (Trillium spp.) – uterine astringent
• Black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa)- emmenagogue
• Blessed thistle (Cnicus benedictus) – strong bitter
• Blood root (Sanguinaria canadensis) – Emetic
• Blue cohosh (Caulophyllum thalictroides) – emmenagogue
• Broom (Sarothamnus scopanius) – abortifacient
• Buckthorn (Rhamnus catharticus) – laxative
• Butternut (Juglans cinerea) – laxative
• Calendula (Calendula officinalis) – estrogenic effect
• Cascara sagrada (Rhamnus purshiana) – laxative
• Celandine (Chelidonium majus) – emmenagogue
• Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara) – possible fetotoxic
• Cottonroot bark (Gossypium herbaceum) – stimulates uterine contractions
• Damiana (Turnera diffusa) – nervous system and hormonal activity
• Dong quai (Angelica sinensis) -  hormonal activity
• Drug aloe (Aloe vera) – cathartic
• Ephedra (Ma-huang) (Ephedra sinica) – high alkaloid content, cardiac stimulant
• Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium) – emmenagogue
• Ginseng (Panax ginseng) – affects nervous system
• Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis) – emmenagogue, uterine stimulant
• Gotu kola (Centella asiatica) – affects nervous system
• Hops (Humulus lupulus) – strong bitter
• Juniper berries (Juniperus communis) – possibly fetotoxic, affects kidneys
• Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) – can cause high blood pressure
• Male Fern (Dryopteris felix-mas) – emetic and laxative effect
• Mandrake (Mandragora vernalis) – slightly toxic
• Mistletoe (Viscum album) – Hemostatic
• Motherwort (Leonorus cordiaca)- emmenagogue
• Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) – emmenagogue
• Nutmeg (Myristica fragrans) (safe to use in cooking) – slightly toxic
• Osha (Ligusticum porteri) – emmenagogue
• Parsley (Petroselinum crispum) (safe to use in cooking) – emmenagogue when used vaginally
• Pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium) – emmenagogue
• Peruvian Bark (Cinchona spp.) – strong bitter
• Pleurisy root (Asclepias tuberosa) – cardiac stimulant
• Poke Root (Phytolacca spp.) – emetic due to high sapon content
• Rhubarb (Rheum palmatum) – laxative
• Rue (Ruta graveolens) – emmenagogue
• Sage (Salvia officinalis) (Safe to use in cooking) – emmenagogue, hormonal activity
• Sarsaparilla (Smilax spp.) – hormonal activity
• Scotch broom (Cytisus scoparius) – cardiac stimulant
• Senna (Senna alexandrina) – laxative
• Shepherd’s purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris) – hemostatic
• Southernwood (Artemisa abrotanum) – emmenagogue
• Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare) – emmenagogue
• Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) – emmenagogue
• Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)- emmenagogue

Also, for all you moms out there, check out EcoMom for eco-conscious products for you and your babies.

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You might have heard about a new product that Kroeger Herb is introducing.  The moment is here and Kroeger is pleased to announce Healthy Gut to the world at Expo West in Anaheim, CA today.  Healthy Gut is an original Hanna Kroeger formula previously known as Tumee, which we are re-introducing to the world.  With an increase of health problems related to unhealthy digestive systems today, Kroeger Herb Products knows this product can do great things for many people.

The combination of chamomile, spearmint, gentian, wintergreen, slippery elm, marjoram and meadowsweet in this product does wonders to maintain a properly working digestive system.  Many times the system will fail to function properly due to years of consuming over-the-counter medicine and processed foods.  These toxins can eventually damage the intestinal wall and allow undigested foods and toxins to leak into the bloodstream which may cause severe health issues including auto-immune conditions.

It is important to maintain a healthy system so it can digest and absorb all proteins and nutrients properly.  With the increase of issues such as celiac and fibromyalgia which have been associated with improper protein digestion this product is available at no better time so people will realize how important it is to keep their digestive system functioning as it should.

Stay tuned on Hanna’s Herb Shop  to order your bottle of  Healthy Gut next week.

Click here to see more information on HealthyGut

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Hands on Heart Health-Photo by kortini

February is Heart Health Month. Everyone is getting on the bandwagon ranging from the Centers for Disease Control  to college students. It helps to bring awareness to the issue with all of the Valentine’s Day hearts in abundance everywhere we look. Of course we like the attention as well since we are “The Heart of Herbal Health”.

I recently did a radio interview for a great local health food pioneer based out of a tight knit community in southern Pennsylvania.  Sonnewald Natural Foods is one of the original American health food stores in the great family run tradition.  Willa Lefever was interested in helping people learn about our great heart health product, Circu Flow and how Hanna Kroeger was able to come up with the formula when it was needed most. Hanna’s strong medical and folk healing background combined with a strong religious faith is a story that many people find personal resonance with. It was a relatively short time slot for the interview so we didn’t really get to cover as much as we would have liked to but you can always contact us here and we would love to answer any questions you might have.

Our heart is a tireless organ that can never stop its very important work and it is a blessing to be able to do what we can to assist in its healthy function.  Heart disease is the number one killer but happily it is often preventable.  Remember the old adage “ an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” and its words were never more relevant than they are today.

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Spearmint is used in Healthy Gut for cooling, soothing and keeping the digestive sysytem healthy.

Did you know that you have space inside your body that is not “inside” your body? That’s right, your entire digestive tract is a sealed “pipe” running right through the middle of you. As strange as this idea may sound, this process is a very important feature of the human body and essential to proper digestion. Everything you eat and drink is broken down in this system, scrutinized by your immune system and then filtered through your liver and kidneys before it is allowed “inside.” This process is designed to screen out viruses, bacteria, parasites and numerous other components of food that the body cannot use or sees as harmful, as well as pulling out nutrients for the body to use.

So what happens if your “pipe” has holes in it? There’s a medical term for this issue called “leaky gut syndrome.” The most common cause in western society is overuse of anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen. These drugs are also called NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) and they effect the production of something in your body called prostaglandins. Prostaglandins are chemicals that are responsible for inflammation, but also happen to regulate the process of repairing many tissues. When the body doesn’t have enough of these chemicals, the lining of the intestines has tissues that are not always repaired properly. This lining consists of a layer of tightly packed cells called “villi.” They are very robust, but never the less are constantly dying due to the harsh environment caused by digestion. Under normal circumstances the tiny holes they create as they die are filled in and repaired almost instantly by the surrounding live villi. However, things such as NSAIDs, some other over the counter drugs and some medical conditions can cause this process to be impaired. This contributes to a more permeable intestinal lining, creating the opportunity for foreign organisms and rogue proteins to escape your digestive tract.

It’s needless to say you don’t want any creepy crawlies getting out of there, but why care about the proteins? Undigested proteins floating around in your body can be bad news. Your body will recognize them as an invader and launch an immune response to attack them. The problem with this is that once the attack has started, your body may not be able to distinguish between your own tissue and its original target. This can be a contributing factor in many auto-immune disorders.

So what to do about all this? First, try to limit your anti-inflammatory use. An ibuprofen here and there is fine, but for those of you who take a “vitamin-I” every day, you may want to reconsider. To repair your digestive system, nutritive teas of calendula, plantain, licorice, gentian and angelica can be wonderful. L-Glutamine, an amino acid, is known to have many gut-healing properties. We here at Kroeger make a fantastic Licorice Root Tincture, our STM (Stomach) tea can be soothing and we’re about to reintroduce Healthy Gut, a Hanna Kroeger original formula! Our FML and FRD teas, while used for other things, also contain ingredients that can be beneficial for stomach health.

Be cautious of what you put in your body, and keep your gut healthy!

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A less crowded gym is not the only reason I have enjoyed my new schedule and may be worth your time to experiment as well.  Although waking up earlier is rough some mornings I have found that the morning workout gives me prolonged energy throughout the day.   Exercising in the morning is a great way to kick start your energy and metabolism for the day.  Some may feel that these early sessions will drain their energy for the rest of the day.  I urge you  to give it a try in the morning and you will most likely see that it does the opposite as long as you are eating small healthy snacks throughout the day.  There are many other pros to hitting the pavement or treadmill at dawn including getting your mind functioning before going into the office, less chance of conflict before the work day starts, your body is well rested from sleep as opposed to working all day before working out, and you can use your evenings for social time and relaxing.

There are debates on what time of the day is healthiest to work out based on many different criteria so I encourage you to do the  research and experiment to find your most beneficial time.  Although a morning workout can get you on a good schedule and jump start your energy for the day, you may lack energy during your workout that you may have after eating throughout the day and working out at night.  The bottom line is that some kind of exercise is good no matter what time of day you can do it and should be incorporated in to anyone’s new health plan for 2010. Everyone has a different schedule so figure out yours and hopefully you will see the results you are working towards.

Do not forget to accompany your new workout schedule with a healthy diet and supplements to ensure you are staying healthy and getting all the essential nutrients so you will have energy for your next workout.

Cheers to a healthy 2010!

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