The Great Herbs of the World

Before I start I want to let everyone know that when I say herbs that may also include fruits, seeds, mushrooms, and animal products. The ancient people included all of those as "herbs" so I'll just leave it at that.

Amazon rainforest - Pau D'arco - Chuchuhuasi - Sacha Jergon - Cat's Claw - Camu Camu berry - Sacha Inchi

Ayurvedic system in India - Shilajit - Ashwaganda - Bacopa - Gotu Kola - Tulsi (holy basil) - Mucuna Pruriens - Tumeric - Ginger

Traditional Chinese Medicine - Chinese Ginseng Root - American Ginseng Root - Schizandra - Reishi - Cordyceps - Eleuthero - Deer Antler - Polyrachis Ant - Albizzia Flower - Asparagus Root - Astragalus - Atractylodes Root - Cistanche Stem - Cnidium Seed - Codonopsis Root - Cornus Fruit - Cuscuta Seed - Dang Gui - Dendrobium Stem - Epimedium Leaf - Eucommia Bark -Gynostemma Leaf - He Shou Wu - Jujube Fruit - Licorice Root - Ligustrum Fruit - Goji Berries - Morinda Root - Ophiopogon Root - Pearl - Peony Root - Poria - Rehmannia Root - Snow Lotus Flower - Tibetan Rhodiola Root -Tribulus - Polygala - Chrysanthemum flower - Chaga - Pine Pollen

High Andes of Peru - Maca root

I believe all of the great herbs were designed to nourish life for the human race. Nature holds the key to true health. And let's be real the herbs can't help you if you don't take them.

My research of the ancient herbal systems started with the Amazonian system and it stemmed from trying out camu camu berry (highest known source of vitamin C in the world) and Sacha Inchi (seeds found in star shaped pods that are a complete protein source and loaded with nutrients), and then going from there. Each one I'd buy online and find the highest quality, and then implement them into my diet. I've always stuck to the ancient wisdom I feel these people had, by preparing them the way they themselves did. But at the same time while staying true to their wisdom, I also used modern scientific research to see how that works in combination. For example, a traditional healing tea the amazonian people would make is by combining Pau D'arco, Chuchuhuasi, and Cat's Claw. How I would tie in modern scientific research to this combo would be to add in some lemon juice or apple cider vinegar to extract more of the tannins and alkaloids. It's fun to think about the countless times I'd be in the kitchen making my herbal creations and my roommates would be like you making some crazy tea again? Ha too good. But from my perspective I'm creating art that is specifically designed to nourish my body and elevate my spirit. See how my mindset works when it comes to food and herbs? People on the outside may think I'm some sort of looney tune with all my wacky herbs but in my mind I'm an artist creating a masterpiece. My old roommates actually used to call me the medicine man because if they'd have a headache or other ache or pain I'd make up some concoction and just about every time within twenty to thirty minutes their pain would be gone. That is the ultimate puzzle to me and I love it so much. Like someone comes in to Real Foods Market where I used to work and I'd ask questions and they'd say the kind of problems their dealing with and at the same time my mind is giving me all these food and herbal possibilities that could help. I enjoy being that source of information whereby people can hear what I have to say and either try it out or not. That's all I can really do. I'm not gonna force it on anyone. People will do as they'll do.

My research of the amazonian system led me into the other great herbal systems of the world like the Ayurvedic system originating in India. The system they have is amazing. It really encompasses a holistic approach and it utilizes many different techniques to heal the body. I think other than the herbs used in Chinese Tonic Herbalism the herbs of India are some of the best and most effective in the world. Take ashwaganda for example, it's a root used to nourish the entire endocrine system (one of the best for thyroid issues) and it's one of the top adaptogens, meaning it increases your resistance to all types of stress (biological, environmental, mental, social, everything). And in a world where all of us are exposed to toxins everyday an herb like this is very useful because it balances the entire body and promotes homeostasis. Mucuna Pruriens (which is a legume known as velvet bean) is a fascinating herb as well. It's the highest known source of L-Dopa, the precursor to dopamine, thus those who take it enjoy improved moods, sleep, energy, and less stress. And this is one you have to be careful if you do use it to get either the whole herb or concentrated whole herb. Some companies just take out the L-Dopa and make it crazy strong but it's imbalancing and comes with many side effects at that point. I've been taking Bacopa the past few months fairly consistently and seen some amazing effects. Bacopa is a great calming brain tonic. It's main active compounds bacosides A & B improve the transmission and speed between nerve cells thus greatly boosting memory retention, reducing anxiety and even helping with depression. I've noticed my ability to remember names, numbers, and other information has greatly improved. I gotta write a little bit about Shilajit as well, the stuff is magical. It's said that people first found out about Shilajit when they saw monkeys eating this black tar-ish looking substance oozing out of rocks in the Himalayas and noticed how energetic and happy they were! Ha! So cool! And the people started eating it too and noticed astounding benefits. Shilajit is a true spiritual substance. It's composed of organic plant matter that is thought to have been compressed for hundreds or even thousands of years. The amount and quality of fulvic acid in this substance is remarkable, and fulvic acid is a nutrient transporter so when you take it with other food or herbs it enhances the effectiveness of it. So what did I do after I read about this? Well, bought the real stuff of course! And when I opened the container and put a little under my tongue to get a feel for it, oh my goodness! High high high vibrations. No wonder in sanskrit Shilajit means "conqueror of mountains and destroyer of weakness." Stuff is unreal. After that I started adding it to my teas to energetically enhance all the herbs I was consuming.

Saved the best for last. Chinese Tonic Herbs. Very few things have had such a profound effect upon my life. No words can describe how these herbs have changed me but I will do my best. Ever since I first read about their perspective of the body and how food and herbs affect that energy system it vibed well with me instantly. I love how they use herbs as a preventative and to build up the energies of the body. The whole western idea of energy is grossly out of alignment compared to in Chinese Medicine. We have all these 5 hour energy drinks, coffee, energy drinks, soda, synthetic stimulants, which just burn out the adrenals and ultimately deplete the body. Does that seem right to anyone? Whereas in Chinese Medicine the herbs provide clean sustainable energy while also building up vitality and uplifting the soul. It's not even comparable. Their herbal system is composed of thousands and thousands of herbs but I focused primarily on the top fifty or so, because who cares about herb 12,352 right? Just give me the top 50 and I'll work with those. It was so groovy learning about the top herbs, otherwise known as superior herbs, because a lot of these herbs were literally reserved for the emperor and high class of China. That really opened my eyes and the fact that all these wonderful herbs are available to everyone at this time! Shortly after I started reading about these herbs I found a company called Dragon Herbs and used them as my primary source. The company is owned by master herbalist Ron Teeguarden and all of their herbs are Di Dao certified meaning the herbs come from their original source. They are the creme de la creme of tonic herbs. And I only want the best for my body so that was an easy choice. I will go more in to detail about Chinese Tonic Herbalism in a later blog post, but to sum it up these herbs changed my life on ALL levels. They provide abundant energy and clarity and over time I noticed how much better I was feeling about everything. Literally had me dancing and singing my way through my days.

After months of implementing all the great herbs of the world and getting a feel for each one I began to intuitively take my herbs as a way to design each day. You know like ask myself what do I want out of this day? Do I have a lot to get done? Do I want to have a more relaxed meditative day? And adjust my intake of herbs accordingly. Pure magic baby!