August 2000 Ageless herbal newsletter
One of our subscribers wrote to us this month to say that he enjoys the broad range of subjects that we discuss every month, although he was not particularly interested in some of them.
The reason why we discuss such varied topics is the fact that our lives are made up of a selection of different influences and experiences, which all adds up to the sum total of our experience in life, which also determines our health, happiness and effectiveness in having a great life.
The jojoba plant should not really be classified as an herb as such, but placing it in any other classification is also difficult. This slow growing plant has a lifespan of nearly a hundred years and its small beans yield its highly coveted oil.
This oil has been used in beauty and hair products for some time, and has been proven to be one of the best skin moisturizers and lubricants that can be found.
The oil is made up of liquid wax esters - which are what we also have on our skin naturally. Our skin waxy esters are known as sebum, and it is this natural oil that keeps our skin soft and young looking. As we age, our skin starts to produce less sebum and starts to look old.
This wonderful oil can assist with this "drying" up problem since it is extremely compatible to our own skin's natural sebum, yet it does not make the skin oily when used. In studies it was found that it could increase the skin's suppleness by 45%, and while working on softening and smoothing the skin, it also assists in fine line reduction.
But jojoba has another quality as well - people with oily skins produce excessive amounts of sebum, and here it helps to control the excessive excretion of natural sebum, as well as to assist in breaking down and cleaning up plugged up pores.
People with skin problems also benefit from this product since it does not "block" the pores nor does it cause anaerobic microbial growth, inflammation and redness, so often found with some other ingredients.
In studies it has also been found that some bacteria and fungi cannot grow in this product and that it is able to destroy certain bacteria - that is why so many people suffering from psoriasis use the pure oil for symptomatic relief of psoriases.
The hypoallergenic properties of it help to make it a great ingredient to use in a variety of skincare and hair care products.
Ingredients
1 lb tomatoes (450g); ½ lb mozzarella (225g); sea salt and freshly ground black pepper; 3 tablespoons olive oil; 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar; 1 ½ tablespoons chopped basil.
Skin the tomatoes and slice them thinly. Lay them on one half of a serving plate. Slice the cheese thinly and place on the other side of the same plate. Next, season the tomatoes with the salt and pepper - but the mozzarella with pepper only. Pour over the mixed vinegar and oil and scatter over the finely chopped basil.
Allow the salad to stand for at least 20 minutes and serve.
Depression is such a nebulous term, yet when you struggle with it, you cannot always see your way clear from the dark pit of impotent emotions and inability to live your life.
The symptoms of depression vary from person to person, and depending on the severity of the problem, can manifest in a selection of symptoms - such as: chronic fatigue, irritability, sleep disturbances, headaches, changes in appetite, restlessness, anxiety, loss of interest in life, anger, feeling of worthlessness, too emotional, too little or no emotions - the list just carries on and on.
Another side of depression is that you also stop taking care of what you look like or your level of grooming drops, and I have found that people that have been depressed for some time also seem to age quicker - maybe because grooming is then a very low priority and proper nutrition is also lacking.
When somebody is diagnosed with clinical depression, it is so easy to simply prescribe a mood enhancing anti-depressant tablet or capsule - and although they are very valuable tools in the right medical professional's hand, they can be over-subscribed and abused.
Patients can also be wrongly diagnosed and be placed on lithium therapy for manic depression for years, while manic depression was never the cause of the problem.
When the root of the depression is not sorted out, the medication can only act as a crutch, but will not sort out the problem, and while it does assist with the depression, it also impacts on the quality of your life.
The other down-side of chemical support is the varied side-effects that it has - hair loss, psychotic episodes, loss of sexual drive, impotency, tinnitus, drowsiness, dry mouth, weight gain or loss, heart palpitations, disorientation, confusion, fine hand tremors, excessive sedation, changes in blood sugar levels, violent behaviors, suicidal tendencies, etc.
Actively working on maintaining a positive mental attitude and proper nutrition can be a great way of assisting with depression and various other alternative remedies can be supportive in this time - aromatherapy for instance is a great mood enhancer and people also report great help from acupuncture as well as reflexology.
Body massage is also helpful in lifting the spirits while various other dietary elements are also used, such as vitamin B complex, nicotinic acid and St John's Wort.
St. John's Wort has been used extensively for years in Europe as an anti-depressant and mood-altering herb.
Although a lot of medical professionals will not openly support this humble herb, they do normally agree in private that it has a role to play in mental health and hygiene, although intake of this herb can cause sensitizing to light.
To read more on St John's wort, have a look around our sister site www.anyvitamins.com/vitamin-info.htm.
Other articles of interest
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