I love when Dr. Oz educates us on the benefits of natural herbs – power food! Plants, flowers, roots have many medicinal benefits. Think about garlic, parsley and other herbs we come across everyday that have various affects such as a natural antibiotic, offers nutrition, cleanse and build the body.

Here are some examples:
BASIL: Medicinal properties: Antispasmodic, expectorant, mild sedative.

CHAMOMILE: Medicinal properties: Sedative, anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic.

DANDELION: Medicinal properties: Hepatic, diuretic, tonic, anti-rheumatic,

Many are concerned about using herbs and if they are really safe to use. We have to do the research for ourselves to really understand herbs. Most times you can take herbs with your medications. Certain times you don’t want to mix herbs and meds. Check with your herbalist to be safe.

Where can you purchase herbs that are safe to use? Look for companies that have a serious quality control department like Nature Sunshine Products. They manufacture all their products in-house with a very serious quality control department.

Dr. Oz talked about herbs that help with anxiety, a condition many face.
VALARIAN ROOT: Medicinal properties: Aromatic, stimulant, tonic, antispasmodic, nervine. This herb helps people who have a hard time sleeping. Some children have taken valarian to help calm them down if they are hyper.

LEMON BALM: Medicinal properties: Anti Depressant, Nervine, Sedative, Anti Bacterial, Tonic. This herb relaxed the mind and reduces stress, lowers blood pressure and even eases digestion. It also is an effective treatment of Herpes, sores, ulcers and boosts memory. Nature Sunshine’s Focus Attention has Lemon Balm in it, a great natural supplement for ADD and ADHD.

PASSION FLOWER: Anti-epileptic, antispasmodic, calmative, nervine, sedative. Good for panic attacks, helps tension headaches and widely used for a restful night’s sleep. It has been helpful with seizures, hysteria and helps with nerve pain as in neuralgia and shingles. Nature Sunshine’s herbal blend called Herbal Sleep has Passion Flower in it.

So many people have asked me about herbal remedies for anxiety and panic attacks that I created a special Squidoo lens on how to deal with anxiety naturally.

Go to this link and read the recommendations and testimonies:

http://www.squidoo.com/healing_anxiety

One great natural tip Dr. Oz shared on his show recently is that you can use Witch Hazel to soothe your hemorrhoids naturally.

Photo of Dr. Oz by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images

Your herbalist Marguerite

It has been about a month now since my ZYTO Compass scanner was delivered to my home office. This is a tool I’ve wanted for a while, but was motivated to go ahead and get it after I attended an event here in Chicago sponsored by Dr. Hugh Jenkins and representatives from ZYTO Compass. The presenter clearly explained how this scanner works and how they were able to link all of Nature Sunshine’s products to this software.

You can watch a video I posted on a previous blog post. It is a simple test herbalists and natural health practitioners can offer their clients. It only takes about 5 minutes. It helps people to know which supplements their bodies prefers. It has been helping my clients to be more aware of their weaker body systems. I am excited to be able and help my clients and my own family get on healthy programs. I am already seeing the benefits with myself and my family.

I created a 2-part youtube video to describe how this great tool has helped me as an herbalist and some of the experiences I have seen already with my clients. Good video for  natural health consultants and massage therapists to watch who may be considering purchasing this tool. Continue to follow my blog for more updates.

Watch the video and feel free to leave your comments.

For more details on ordering your own ZYTO Compass go to: www.zytocompass.com/af/mwright

www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iknf53nSEQ

Each morning I like checking out the morning news on TV along with the most popular topics posted online at Yahoo and my igoogle. As a health blogger and writer for Examiner.com I try to find interesting health topics to write about.

Thursday morning, April 14th, 2011 everyone was talking about actress Catherine Zeta-Jones and her recent visit to a medical facility for bipolar type II. Between her celebrity status and the popular topic of mental illness many blog posts went up.

As an herbalist I choose to write about this because I’ve have clients contact me wanting to know of alternative treatments for mental conditions like bipolar, anxiety and other mental illnesses. Many people have been successful in dealing with mental disorders using natural supplements. Parents have been able to help their children with conditions such as ADD and ADHD.

Read my article as the Chicago Holistic Examiner about Catherine Zeta-Jones, with advice for natural ways to deal with bipolar II, including a list of recommended supplements. (Click on the headline below).

Catherine Zeta-Jones has everyone talking about bipolar type 2

I recently wrote about ways to help prevent Dementia and Alzheimer disease also:

Ways to help lower the risk of having Alzheimer’s and Dementia

www.sxc.hu

Moms and Dads come to me for information on vaccinations when making the choice to get their children immunized or not. We as the parents do have a choice and I am glad to provide any information that will help parents in making their decision. My advice is to do the research for yourself, breast feed for natural immune builders and keep your babies on healthy diet, herbal vitamins, minerals and supplements and lots of love.

(Photo by Jason Wallace)

Here are some helpful websites:

State vaccination requirements and more

Vaccination Liberation and Exemption information

Would you inject your babies with mercury, aluminum, monkey kidney cells, formaldehyde?…
Vaccine ingredients

Get Dr. Sherri’s book Saying No To Vacines.
Add her as a friend on myspace: www.myspace.com/drtenpenny

CDC Admits Flu Vaccine Failure: Even Vaccinated People Got Sick

HPV Vaccine Linked To Teen’s Paralysis?

Another recommended book:
Vaccination, Social Violence and Criminality

More links to come!

I love the study of herbs. On my latest Blog Talk Radio show I talk about how I got into the business of herbs and promoting herbal products. With a serious Health Crisis going on here in America, especially in the African American communities, with a higher rate of diabetes, high blood pressures, strokes, and so on, I have a strong passion to get the word out about the wonderful wonders of herbs and all their benefits.

This past week’s hot topics:
ADHD Drugs Cause Hallucinations in Children

ADHD and the side effects of the drugs for this condition started as a twitter post then I got into a discussion on facebook with one friend who treats many, many children for ADHD and she expressed her views on the importance of the medications for ADHD in the treatment of it. She also said diet, supplements are beneficial too. Another facebook friend shared that Fish Oil is very helpful for him with his ADHD. I highly recommend a good diet, Omega 3s or Flaxseed oil and products like Focus Attention. If you would like a consultation for natural supplements for ADHD and diet suggestions contact me.

This week’s Specials at Nature Sunshine:
CO-Q10 (30MG) (60) 15% OFF-INTERNET ONLY
Great for heart health.

Becoming an Herbalist
I am hosting a FREE teleconference this Monday evening, February 2, 2009 with tips and information on building an herbal business and training that is available. Contact me for more details.

I am going into WEEK 6 of my fitness program
I have been working out 6 days a week for 5 weeks and I feel great. I have dropped a couple of pounds and a couple of inches off the bust, so I am excited and motivated. I am meeting great people in the business of being a Team Beach Body Coach. It is a wonderful opportunity to get fit and help others. You can even win money and prizes by working out with Beach Body! If you would like to join me get more details at:
http://www.milliondollarbody.com/momsherbs

Checkout these beautiful Fitness Models, they are my inspiration. I got their pictures on my frig!

Fitness Coach Jana Stewart

Fitness  Coach Ava Cowen