Making your own Adrenal Support Herbal

As most of you know, I have fought my way back from adrenal fatigue, and now I help other people to do the same.  Adrenal support supplements of various kinds are very useful tools in this process.  Many of them use herbs that support the adrenals, such as ashwagandha, siberian ginseng, schisandra and rhodiola.

I decided recently to try my hand at making my own herbal extract for adrenal support.  This allows me to get to know these herbs better, save some money on supplements, and, my favorite part, to feel more in touch with my own healing.  I consulted with an Expert Herbalist who is a friend of mine in designing this remedy.

STEP ONE: Get some herbs
I chose the following for my herbal.  Mainly, I chose herbs I have taken before, not too many, and fairly small amounts to make one jar of extract, as this was kind of an experiment for me.  Where I live, I can buy raw herbs like these. Your other option would be to order them online.

I bought the following:

• ASHWAGANDHA 1 1/4 ounce
• SIBERIAN GINSENG 1 ounce
• SCHISANDRA BERRIES 1 ounce
• ASTRAGALUS 1 ounce
• MILK THISTLE 1 ounce

I had planned on also buying 3/4 ounce of Rhodiola, but the store was out, so my mixture does not have any Rhodiola in it.  Just a caution, some people really feel great taking Rhodiola and others don't, so make sure you have taken something containing Rhodiola with success if you plan to put it in your mixture.

STEP TWO: Get some alcohol
My herbalist friend told me that brandy and vodka are great types of alcohol to use to extract herbs.  She thinks brandy works particularly well, and I had some in the cupboard for cooking, so that's what I used.  So basically, get yourself some brandy or vodka, it doesn't have to be particularly good quality to work well for this purpose, just whatever you can get.

STEP THREE: Sterilize a Glass Jar
You always want to extract herbs in glass, not other type of container.  Grab yourself a glass jar with a good lid, and get it very clean - put it through the dishwasher, or boil it.

STEP FOUR:  Measure out the Herbs.  Then measure out the alcohol - 1 to 2 times as much as the herbs by volume.
The strength of herbal extractions is measured in parts herb to parts alcohol, and it's not by weight, it's by VOLUME.  Put your dry herbs all together in a glass measuring cup and see how much volume they have.  Now pour that same volume of vodka or brandy into another glass measuring cup.  That's how much you would need for a 1:1 extract.   The more herbs compared to the amount of alcohol, the stronger the extract.  You will see lots of 1:1 or 2:1 extracts on the market.  1:1 is pretty strong.  2:1 means twice as much alcohol as herbs.  I added about one and a half times as much alcohol as the herbs, to make a 3:2 extract - get it, 3 parts alcohol, to 2 parts herbs, right?  Mostly, I did that because that's how much my jar would hold.

FIVE: Put your herbs in the jar.  Add the alcohol.  Get it all wet.  Shake it up.
Put the herbs in first.  Stir them to mix them up together.  Pour in the alcohol.  Take a clean stainless steel spoon and stir it around to get all the herbs wet.  It will take a few minutes.  Wet down any little pockets of dry herbs remaining.  Put the lid on tight.  Label it carefully with exactly what's in it and the date.  Shake it up for around 10 minutes, at least 200 times, all around, upside down, until it looks super wet and saturated.

SIX: Put it in a dark cupboard for TWO WEEKS.  Shake it every few days.
Keep it in a dark place.  Your extract will take a full fourteen days to be ready.  You will want to give it about 50 shakes every 2-3 days.  It doesn't need as thorough a shaking as you just did, just slosh it around, up and down, upside down, and put it back.

SEVEN: Strain it sweeten it, and USE it!
After two weeks, you can strain all or part of your extract.  It is ready to use.  I strained about 1/3 of mine, and left the rest to soak longer.  It's fine to do that.  My herbalist friend says you can leave it to soak for as long as you want.  Strain it through a coffee filter lining a strainer, into a glass container.  It will take awhile.  After that, you can cook it to reduce it down, or just sweeten it and use it as is. 

Add something to sweeten it to taste.  You can make up little "shots" to experiment with various sweeteners, such as agave, vegetable glycerine or palm sugar, date sugar, coconut sugar, stevia, maple syrup, etc.  Many herbalists will use a mixture of sweeteners to make it palatable.  I added a touch of molasses and some honey.  It tastes ok to take a dropper or two at a time, which is how much I take.

Put it in a sterile glass bottle with a dropper - I boiled an empty one I had from another herb.  Make sure to label and date your new bottle so you know what's in it.  Alcohol extracts stay viable for quite a long time, at least 3 years.  They do not need refrigeration.

At a professional herb company, they would typically strain the extract at least twice, to get it clear, flavor it, and bottle it into glass bottles that have been boiled. 


Note that there's a lot to the herbmaking craft that is not included here.  It's important to extract each herb in the way that is well-suited to it, and to carefully construct your blends.  This is just an example of a good beginners blend that might be really useful to you.


Happy herbmaking!

What you need to know about Jenny McCarthy, autism and the Press

Many of you know that I have long personal experience with autism in my family and my business.  Here's my reaction to the press "kerfuffle" about Jenny McCarthy joining The View.  Btw, I don't agree with everything Jenny says, but I do think she has been courageous in shining a light on the issue of autism and vaccines.

Despite the fact that the press has decided it’s out of fashion right now to think that vaccines are related to autism:

• My son developed autism not long after his vaccines, and was later confirmed to have mercury toxicity.  He got a lot better when we got mercury out of his body.
• As president of a vitamin company for kids with autism, I talked to literally hundreds of other moms who had the same experience.
• There are many (70) scientific studies that do support the link between autism and vaccines, contrary to the consensus in the popular press, which is fad-driven and doesn’t know or care much about science.  There is a HUGE investment in the medical status quo to not allowing people to know this.
• There is no healthy amount of mercury to put into a human body.
• Autism is now 1 in 50 children.  We are losing our next generation to it.
• The public seems to be asleep to this fact.  Some of us wonder, what will it take to wake people up?
• Jenny is not alone, and we (the thousands of moms and dads who have seen the connection between autism and vaccines with our own eyes) have her back.
• The more press attention this issue gets, the more the truth will come out.  We say, bring it on!

Sleep Hygiene

What is sleep hygiene?

Sleep hygiene is a variety of different practices that are necessary to have normal, quality nighttime sleep and full daytime alertness.

What are some examples of good sleep hygiene?

The most important sleep hygiene measure is to maintain a regular sleep and wake pattern seven days a week. It is also important to spend an appropriate amount of time in bed, not too little, or too excessive. This may vary by individual. Research tells us that it is best to spend between 7 and 9 hours a day sleeping.

In addition, good sleep hygiene practices include:

• Avoid napping during the day; it can disturb the normal pattern of sleep and wakefulness.
• Avoid stimulants such as caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol too close to bedtime. While alcohol is well known to speed the onset of sleep, it disrupts sleep in the second half of the night as the body begins to metabolize the alcohol, causing poorer quality sleep.
• Exercise can promote good sleep. Vigorous exercise should be taken in the morning or late afternoon. A relaxing exercise, like yoga, can be done before bed to help initiate a restful night's sleep.
• Food can be disruptive right before sleep; stay away from eating close to bedtime.  And, remember, chocolate has caffeine.
• Ensure adequate exposure to natural light. This is particularly important for older people who may not venture outside as frequently as children and adults. Light exposure helps maintain a healthy sleep-wake cycle.
• Establish a regular relaxing bedtime routine. Try to avoid emotionally upsetting conversations and activities before trying to go to sleep. Don't dwell on, or bring your problems to bed.
• Limit screen time later in the evening.  Try to “wind down” and do relaxing activities not associated with TV or computers.
• Make sure that the sleep environment is pleasant and relaxing. The bed should be comfortable, the room should not be too hot or cold, or too bright.  You spend a third of your life in your bed... make sure you feel good there!
• Minimize sources of EMF’s in your bedroom, especially near your head.  Use a battery alarm clock.  Don’t sleep with your head near your cell phone, laptop, TV, etc.

  

Why is it important to practice good sleep hygiene?

Sleep is important for everyone, from childhood through adulthood. A good sleep routine promotes healthy sleep, daytime alertness, and has many health benefits, from supporting hormones such as melatonin and cortisol, to allowing your body a chance to recharge and replenish minerals and heal itself.  Good sleep hygiene practices can help prevent the development of sleep problems and mood disorders.

How does someone know if his or her sleep hygiene is poor?

Sleep disturbances and daytime sleepiness are the most telling signs of poor sleep hygiene. If one is experiencing a sleep problem, he or she should evaluate their sleep routine. It may take some time for the changes to have a positive effect.

How do I know the best sleep hygiene routine for me?

If you're taking too long to fall asleep, or awakening during the night, you should consider revising your bedtime habits. Most important for everyone is to maintain a regular sleep-wake schedule throughout the week and consider how much time you spend in bed, which could be too much or too little.

If I still can't sleep well, what should I do?
If you have worked on your sleep hygeine, and continue to have problems getting good sleep, give us a call.  We can discuss other underlying reasons your body may not be able to sleep, such as hormone and adrenal imbalances, and suggest some Functional Diagnostic Nutrition treatment for you.

Are there any danger signs to watch for, with regard to my sleep?
If you snore loudly, and feel sleepy or tired during the day, you should get screened for Sleep Apnea.  Sleep Apnea is a serious medical condition in which your body does not get enough oxygen during the night.  It is associated with elevated odds of heart problems and other serious health issues, up to and including death.  It should not be ignored.