This year we are partnering with leading fair trade brands Alter Eco, Choice, Dr. Bronner’s, Equal Exchange, Theo, and Maggie’s Organics to bring the celebration to our shelves. You can choose authentic, quality products whose production is helping to build a better world!

Want to see the power of fair trade firsthand? Don’t miss the opportunity to enter for a chance to win a Fair Trade Adventure for Two to Peru with Intrepid Travel, supported by fair trade sponsor brands. Visit with the cacao and coffee cooperative farmers who supply Alter Eco and Equal Exchange while exploring the Sacred Valley of the Incas, Cusco and majestic Machu Picchu.

 Click here to enter:  http://fairworldproject.org/sweepstakes. Your chance of winning must surely be fair!”

You get to use saffron, which is the most expensive spice in the world because it is harvested by hand with tweezers for a yield of two threads per plant! It does impart an indefinable something wonderful. Of course you can substitute a pinch of turmeric, which is called “poor man’s saffron.”

Makes 4 servings                                                       roast in 425 degree oven

If using tofu, slice into ¼-inch slices. You can slice length-wise or cross-wise.

How long to roast? Depends. Chicken will take 25 minutes. Tofu about 10. Fish fillets about 10 minutes (depending upon thickness of fillet), or until translucent when you break off a corner with a fork. Shrimp and scallops about 15 minutes.  

*Can you make your own preserved lemons? Epicurious says yes. Here are their directions for an easy, quick way to make them. 6 thin-skinned lemons, scrubbed, trimmed at both ends, and sliced 1/8” thick. Toss lemons with 6 Tbsp coarse salt. In a baking dish that can hold the lemons placed in a single layer, cover with 1 C fresh lemon juice. Bake lemons, covered, in a preheated 200 degree oven for 3 hours. Let lemons cool and transfer them with their brine to an airtight container. They keep, chilled, indefinitely.

Roughly 2/3 of Leaping*(Soaring) is an extract of Cordyceps, a rare, high-altitude mushroom which is one of the most prized treasures of Tibetan medicine. Within 30 minutes, Cordyceps begins to increase oxygen uptake from the lungs. With oxygen, every metabolic process runs more smoothly.

I was originally taught how to use Cordyceps by my friend, the herbalist Paul Gorman, on a hike in the Cascade Mountains in 1999. High above the world, I felt the air, gorgeous and green and blue and clear and clean, fill my lungs with energy. No adrenalized jolt, no caffeine buzz, just pure calm energy. (On the way back down, we found a sunlit grove full of Reishi mushrooms. That’s the day I fell in love with herbs).

ANYWAY, I’ve used Cordyceps many times since, and it’s never felt spiritual like that first time. I’ve given it to hundreds of people, and ditto. But it works. Whether it’s a competitive cyclist in time trials, a weekend warrior struggling to keep up with the youngsters, or a student trying to get by on three hours’ sleep, Cordyceps works. It can be used in regular, moderate doses on a daily basis. But I prefer to follow what Paul taught me – use only when needed, but then feel free to use a lot.                       The other ingredients in Leaping*(Soaring) are adaptogens, herbs that help us adapt to stressors. Of course worrying and aggravation are forms of stress, but so is low blood sugar, overtraining, exposure to cold, too much boozing, not enough snoozing, and really anything that's not 100% healthy. In other words, most of your life. All these stressors might feel very different to us, but the physiological consequences are the same: depleted immunity, depleted vitality, muscle drain, brain fog.

Adaptogens work by modulating hyper-reactivity along the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis (or, as the Chinese would put it, by nourishing the kidney yin). They don't make us stronger, but they keep stress from making us weaker.  

All adaptogens have a certain character. Leaping*(Soaring) uses Panax ginseng, Rhodiola root, and Schizandra berries. I consider Rhodiola a "white collar adaptogen," ideal for anyone who stresses themselves with too many hours in front of a computer, studying, working late, or otherwise trying to maintain focus after the brain has said “ENOUGH!” It should be no surprise that two of the many clinical trials on Rhodiola involved med students during their finals, and doctors on night call. 

Panax ginseng is a stimulating adaptogen, suited for the cold, lethargic, and exhausted. Shizandra berries (“the five flavor fruit” in TCM) are balancing, nourishing for the adrenals, and protective of the liver.

Supportive practices: Get a good night’s sleep. Use caffeine judiciously, but do not abuse it. Stay hydrated. Eat a minimum 30 grams of protein three times a day. In fatigue that is truly chronic, rule out Lyme disease, adrenal exhaustion, anemia, hypothyroidism, or depression. If low blood pressure is involved, consider ½ tsp twice daily licorice solid extract, plus 2000 mg/day pantothenic acid. For true Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, explore the possibility of RNAse polymorphism with a naturopathic or integrative physician.

… Adam Stark

1. Zoe Gardner on the importance of primary sources. Zoe Gardner is one of the editors of the new, 2013 edition of the Botanical Safety Handbook . This is a monumental text – 16 years in the making since the first edition, and expanded from 256 pages to 1,072. Obviously, an enormous amount of work was involved!  

One of the biggest tasks, according to Gardner, was tracking information and beliefs back to their roots. This is always important, but especially in a field as rich in hearsay as herbal medicine. One little piece of information, or an unsubstantiated report, can grow and become magnified, quickly becoming an unquestioned truism.

She used as an example the truism that the extracts of the herb Ginkgo Biloba might cause dangerous bleeding. Everyone says it can. The journalists say it. The doctors say it. The herbalists say it. Even I say it! It’s nearly impossible to read a scientific paper on Ginkgo that doesn’t mention this alleged danger.

But why do we say it – where did the information come from? Turns out, there was one case report – of a single person – who couldn’t clot efficiently after taking Ginkgo. Another 178 papers were published that mentioned this danger, citing only this one report. Those 178 papers were cited by over 4,100 other papers. So now we have almost 4-and-a-half thousand references in the scientific literature – not to mention the tens of thousands of references in the popular press – to the dangers of Ginkgo, all traceable back to a single person whose bleeding may or may not have been attributable to the herb…

2. David Winston on Medicinal Plants Speaking to Us, and How He Discovered an Effective Remedy for Kidney Disease. The day before the show – before the commerce really kicked into high gear – some of us who arrived early had the opportunity to go on an herb walk through the Fullerton Arboretum, led by David Winston. (David is a great herbalist, and a brilliant formulator. He’s the author of Adaptogens, and the man behind the “Herbalist and Alchemist” line of herbal products). The walk was entirely unscripted: we’d take 10 or 20 steps, encounter another plant, and David would just start talking about it.

We encountered a Stinging Nettle, and David told the story of how a nettle once “talked” to him. I’ve always known David as a very “technical” herbalist, so I was fascinated to hear him describe what I’d call a “supernatural” experience. (Of course he describes it much more eloquently than I will…)

            According to David, over ten years ago, he had a patient with degenerative kidney disease who wasn’t responding to herbal treatment. (There are a lot of herbs that can stimulate the kidneys, but precious few that can actually heal them). And at less than 20% kidney function, there wasn’t much left to stimulate, and the patient was close to dialysis. So one day David was doing work out near his barn, sort of thinking about this client, and he noticed a nettle plant, comfortably growing in a pile of manure, “waving” to him. He looked around. There was no breeze. There was no bird or chipmunk in the nettle plant shaking it. As far as he could tell, it was just waving under its own power.

And he thought back to his uncle, a Cherokee medicine man, who had taught that when you have a difficult client, take a walk in the woods and think about her, and the plant you need will signal you. “But at that stage,” said David, “I already knew more about herbs than he did, so I never actually did that.”

But the plant kept waving, and as he got closer, he saw that it was the seeds – not the leaves or the stems – that were rattling and shaking around especially vigorously.

Well, David, like any herbalist worth his salt, knew about using Nettle leaves as a diuretic, as a source of minerals, for sinus congestion, etc.  He knew about using Nettle roots as well, as one of our best remedies for an enlarged prostate. But the seeds…? Nobody used nettle seeds!

But he had nothing to lose, and neither did the client. (David knew they weren’t toxic). So he called her up and said, “Listen, are you willing to try a little experiment?” And she said “sure.”

So David made up an extract of nettle seeds, and gave them to her.  Over a few weeks, and then months, her kidney function edged back up to the point where she was okay. Not 100%, certainly, but enough that she could live her life, and didn’t need dialysis. Now, more than a decade later, she’s still fine. And David has case reports of over 30 patients with similar results.

And he states “The plants will talk to you.”

[Debra’s note: I know Plant Spirit Medicine isn’t the same as what Adam is relating here, but if you want to explore that, local practitioner, Kateri McCue, can be reached via www.dancinglightha.com.]

… Adam Stark

Traditionally, sumac was used as a medicine for things such as promoting healthy digestion, easing upset stomachs, and reducing fevers. Today, research has found sumac to have antimicrobial properties, and in one experiment, when it was added to the drinking water of animals, their DNA oxidized less.  It can also simply be used on the table as a condiment to replace salt and pepper.

Makes 6 servings

Right in a colander, knead cabbage with salt for a minute or two (this I learned from Elena Volkova when I took her cooking class on “Fermentation” in the store). This will not only tenderize the cabbage, but will get the juices flowing. Allow cabbage to sit in the colander an hour (put colander in a bowl to catch juices or simply place the colander in the sink). After an hour, add remaining veggies and combine well. Let sit in the colander the same way as before another hour.  

Turn veggies into a large salad or mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients and toss again. Let salad sit, dressed, for 30 minutes or longer at room temperature. Serve. This is very yum.  

Deer and elk antlers are the fastest growing bone/organ in the entire mammalian kingdom: these amazing horns grow and fall off in an annual cycle (every year!) The most dominant and sexually active male stags produce the largest crown of branchy horns atop their majestic heads. The ancients saw this natural magic as a powerful symbol of regenerative strength. This is why the people of China and Korea have used antler as food and medicine since recorded history to promote strength & virility.

In traditional Chinese medicine (TMC) deer antler is a profound and legendary tonic herb, held in the same regard as Ginseng and Reishi mushroom. It is said to be the "Premier Fire" or the "No. 1 yang jing substance" in the entire TCM pharmacopeia (yang being the fiery, male, strengthening aspects of the herb; jing being the physical life essence in our bodies). Traditional uses for deer antler include treating low back pain, weak knees, infertility, senility, premature aging, exhaustion, impotence, and arthritis amongst many more. In a healthy body, it can promote or enhance physical athleticism, longevity, strength, beauty and willpower. [editor’s note: wow!]

This deep and complex food/medicine increases hormone levels, nourishes the skeletal structure, increases red and white blood cell production, strengthens the nervous system and immunity, and is a wonderful whole food source of many nutrients including glucosamine/chondroitin, calcium, collagen, and natural growth factors such as IgF-1. It is possibly our most important whole food, natural supplement for hormonal health, as it stimulates and nourishes the entire endocrine system, and in particular androgenic compounds such as DHEA, and other growth factors. Hormonal wellness could be the most desirable aspect of antler, as it can restore someone weakened by age or excessive living, and is often quite invigorating in a strong healthy body.

Our hormonal systems are the source of our "lust for life," our drive to conquer goals and expand creative expression or artfulness. Our lives are the canvases on which we offer the unique gift of who we are. If we are depleted, or our hormones imbalanced due to xeno-estrogens from plastics and pesticides, a post-industrial "wimpy" diet, and a sedentary lifestyle, our staying power is cut short and our brushes run dry.

We can begin to reverse this with a robust healthy diet, exercise, balanced living, and rich superfood products such as deer antler (maybe mixed with some of the practices of our older and wiser medical systems [i.e Taoism, Ayurveda]), and then we can offer the following generations a stronger gene pool to swim in as well as adding some extra "Umph!" and zest to our current life situations. [editor’s note: “strengthening the gene pool” is still controversial in mainstream science, but new breakthroughs in epigenetics at least show us that at the very least gene expression can be modified much more than previously believed.]

I have used deer antler for some nine years and truly believe it has offered a profound vigor and become an integral part of my master nutritional strategy for maximizing my human potential.

It is noteworthy to point out the different forms of deer antler. Powdered antler is just that, the powdered down horns of deer. It may be considered lower quality by antler connoisseurs, but it should be enough to feel a difference. Deer antler collagen is from antlers that are boiled down to extract the collagen. This form is especially beneficial for joint health. Deer antler tips are the most desirable part of the antler, with the most growth factors and hormone activity, because the antlers grow from the tip.

I would also like mention four antler products I especially like. 1) "Antler 8" by the Seven Forests company, which is a formula composed of powdered antler, antler-collagen extract and supportive plant-based herbal tonics for strengthening blood and chi (energizing). It seems to promote injury recovery, relieve low back pain, heal from surgery, build muscle, improve joint and bone health, as well as provide general superfood nourishment. 2)"Woman's Treasure," also by Seven Forests, features deer antler as part of an amazing herbal tonic for female hormonal health both before and during menopause. 3) A high-quality pure antler supplement from Planetary Herbals, called "Antler Velvet." [editor’s note: the velvet is the scrapings from the coat of the antler, and is considered to be higher in growth factors than the antler core]. 4) The liquid extract of deer antler tips from Ron Teeguarden’s Dragon Herbs. I haven’t tried this one yet, but I promise by the time you read this, I will have. Ron Teeguarden products are always wonderful and highly concentrated. Come in and ask me what I think

I should also mention that the deer and elk are not killed in the process of harvesting their horns – it is a sustainable practice and is in the best interest of the farmers to have the healthiest and happiest deer possible in order to reap the most benefit from their yearly harvest. Tyler is in the supplements department on Tuesdays and Saturdays, and whenever else you can catch him.

Don’t worry about using coconut; it’s not bad for you. Here, we’re using a full-fat canned coconut milk with no additives; full-fat so you get the beneficial, special medium-chain triglycerides (fats) that burn efficiently in the body and that are satisfying and energizing too. So here goes…

Serves 6-8 people     

Spoon out coconut milk into a large skillet. Add spice packet (this packet contains all the separate spices you’d ordinarily use like curry, garlic, lemon, salt and pepper, and more!) Add protein, chickpeas and sprouted mung beans. Stir. Turn on flame and simmer for five minutes. Add peas and simmer another 2 minutes. Of course you can add other veggies like spinach, broccoli florets or kale too. There’s enough sauce as is.

Turn off heat and stir in cilantro. Serve. This goes well over a grain to absorb the liquid, but I didn’t. We sipped the extra liquid right from the plate!

*Arora Creations makes spice blends that are gluten-free and really wonderful. Hold the salt, pepper and other seasonings when you use them.

**I cook a big pot of chickpeas while I read the Sunday paper and then divvy them up into old glass jars that I save from things like peanut butter. I store the jars in the freezer so they’re there when I decide it’s chickpea time! Cooking your own beans costs less than buying them in cans. How to cook? Put uncooked beans in a big pot with a 2-inch piece of kombu (a seaweed that makes beans more digestible). Cover beans with water by 4 inches. Bring to a boil, turn down heat and cook covered on low for about two hours. No time to cook your own? Buy Eden beans – they’re the best (they also use kombu when they cook their beans).

How herpes works: Viruses — all viruses, not just herpes — don't really "do" much as they float around the bloodstream or in the tissue fluids. They don't eat. They don't generate energy. They don't move under their own power. They don't attack anything. They just… float. That is, they float until they manage to stick to a host cell and get inside. Inside the cell is where they reproduce, and do their damage. 

Viruses – all viruses, not just herpes — are unable to reproduce on their own. Instead, they trick their host into doing it for them. Once inside a host cell, the virus splices its DNA into the host’s DNA. So when the machinery of the host cell does its normal job and transcribes its own DNA, the viral DNA gets transcribed along with it. (It's sort of like sneaking couple of pages into a stack of papers someone is about to run through a Xerox machine).

Once the virus is replicated, the copies can leave the host cell and move on to spread and infect another cell.

When herpes viruses are actively replicating, they are said to be lytic. "Lytic" means "splitting cells open."  The countless viral copies crowd the cell and produce enzymes to break down the cell membrane. Eventually, the cell bursts open, spilling out viral particles that can then move on to infect countless other cells. If you've ever experienced a cold sore blister or a chickenpox rash, you've felt the damage a lytic herpes infection can cause.

When herpes is lytic, it causes enough havoc to draw the attention of the immune system, which eventually contains and eliminates the active outbreak. However, the immune system never completely eliminates the virus. Some of the virus remains, sort of hibernating inside host cells. In this phase, the virus is said to be latent. It isn't replicating, but it still produces proteins to protect itself, largely by suppressing or tricking the immune system into not destroying it.

A latent herpes infection can become lytic again at any time, and when it does, it’s called an outbreak. Triggers for reactivation are poorly understood, but we know that getting a lot of sunlight or being under a lot of stress can be triggers. Some believe that the arginine:lysine ratio in the diet (see below) can be a primary trigger. Ultimately, it's hard to say. Many outbreaks just appear to be inexplicable.

Types of Herpes Infections:

Cold sores and genital herpes are caused by the same herpes virus, which is spread by close contact. It infects the mucoepithelial tissues (basically, skin areas that tend to stay moist), when it’s active and lytic. The virus then retreats to local nerves, where it can lay dormant for months or years, until another outbreak. It’s only contagious when it’s lytic.

Shingles and Chicken Pox are caused by another herpes virus. It affects cells in the skin. Like cold sores and herpes, it too will retreat to nerve cells after an active outbreak. Unlike the cold sore and genital herpes virus, however, it doesn't just retreat to a local nerve and come back in roughly the same place. Since chickenpox affects large areas of the body, it retreats back into nerve ganglia (bundles of nerves) along the entire spinal cord. When it reactivates, it tends to do so in just one ganglion, from where it migrates down the associated nerves to the skin. Since each ganglion only enervates a certain area of the body, shingles will manifest as a chickenpox-type rash covering only a certain area, usually a horizontal band on one side of the body or the other.

Shingles usually manifests in middle age or later. The later it pops up, the worse it tends to hurt — burning, itching pain: very distracting — and the more likely you're to be stuck with post-herpetic neuralgia, nerve pain that lasts long after the outbreak goes away.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) and Epstein-Barr viruses are the viruses behind what we call "mono" or mono-like symptoms — infectious herpes mononucleosis, a.k.a. glandular fever or the "kissing disease." It can infect skin mucoepithelial cells (which is how you can pass it by kissing), but also immune cells. It manifests with flu-like symptoms, almost always with sore throat and swollen lymph nodes, and deep fatigue that can last for weeks or even months after the active disease. While there's still plenty of debate on this point, it's likely that lingering CMV and Epstein-Barr may be behind at least some cases of what we call "chronic fatigue."

What to do?

Treating internally vs. topically? If you have a single cold sore or other herpes blister, there's little need to treat it internally. Topical products containing Lysine, Lemon Balm, Red Marine Algae, or other antivirals (see below) work nicely. For mono, you definitely want to treat it internally. For larger rashes (shingles or even chicken pox), you might want to do both.

Antiviral herbs (not the same as immune-stimulating herbs!) usually interfere with a virus' ability to bind to a host cell. Meaning, they control the spread of an infection and contain and outbreak. But they will not eliminate a latent infection. I like to use antiviral herbs during the early, very active phase of mono, or in shingles.

What herbs are antiviral? There's a long list here. Names like Isatis, Andrographis, Hyssop, and Lomatium would top my personal list. Usually, formulas work better than individual herbs.

Monolaurin is a special fat. In supplement form, it's usually a derivative of coconut oil. Outside of supplements, probably the richest source is human breast milk, where it functions as an important antiviral before an infant's immune system can establish itself. So it's safe for infants and children, and it appears to be safe during pregnancy. It's a lot more limited than most antiviral herbs in that it only works against what are called enveloped viruses. So, cold viruses? No so much. But herpes viruses? Absolutely. (Flu as well). A standard dose is 3-4,000 mg a day. This is another one to use during the early, very active phase of mono, or in shingles.

Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis) is an herb in the mint family. It isn't a great broad-spectrum antiviral, but it works nicely against viruses in the herpes family. I'd rank it as "alright" taken internally, and "great" used topically.

Taken internally, Lemon Balm is also slightly calming. It's sometimes used as a mild calmative, especially for children and for people with hyperthyroid anxiety. Don't worry too much about this aspect of the herb: you'd have to take a pretty hefty dose for it to actually sedate you. A standard dose would be 4-8 500-mg capsules daily, or 3-4 cups of tea.

Topically, however, is where Lemon Balm really shines. Lemon Balm is nice because it not only inhibits the virus, but also promotes healing in its own right. There was one good clinical trial (in genital herpes) where it worked every bit as well as the first-line medication, acyclovir. In this trial, they were using an aqueous (water-based) extract of the plant. What hasn't been formally researched, to my knowledge, is the highly-concentrated essential oil of the plant. In my experience, however, it has been tremendous. Used in a formula, it can start shrinking a cold sore in a number of hours, with almost complete clearance in 24 hours. 

If you get a lot of cold sores throughout the winter, you might want to try the Lemon Balm Lip Salve from Avena Botanicals. It's basically a Chap Stick-type product, only with small amounts of Lemon Balm in it. Not enough to suppress a strong outbreak, perhaps, but enough to keep them away in the first place. Use it daily, like any other lip balm.

Lysine vs. Arginine: Lysine and arginine are both amino acids, which is to say, they're components of protein. Herpes viruses thrive when there are high levels of arginine in the blood. On the other hand, lots of lysine can push arginine levels down. So, during an outbreak, arginine should be avoided, and lysine should be sought out.

Easier said than done, of course, since all protein-containing foods contain at least some arginine (and some lysine). The actual trick is to avoid foods that are disproportionately high in arginine. Basically, we're looking at nuts and seeds (including peanuts), most grains, and chocolate. Which isn't to say you can't have a few peanuts, or a square or two of chocolate. But if you do, try to have them as part of a larger meal with other protein, where all the other amino acids can balance them out.

Foods higher in lysine, on the other hand, include dairy, eggs, and meats. Dairy products consistently top the list. (So is a cheeseburger with an egg on top the best food for a herpes outbreak? Perhaps. Just ask for it without the bun).

Lysine can also be taken as a supplement, which is the best way to do it. Bear in mind again that we're most concerned with lysine:arginine ratio. So for example, while an egg may provide over 400 mg of lysine (a little less than a standard capsule), it also contains over 300 mg of arginine. The capsule, on the other hand, will provide no arginine. A standard daily dose of lysine is 1-2 grams as a daily preventative; 3-6 grams to suppress an outbreak. Take it in divided doses, and away from food. Some of the other items on this list can be more effective than lysine. But lysine is nice and inexpensive. A gram daily, for example, will cost you about $5 a month.

Lysine can also be used topically. There are salves and creams and lip balms that contain it.

Micronized or Colloidal Silver is just what it sounds like: silver, dispersed into little super-microscopic particles, usually in water.

Micronized silver is one of our very best broad-spectrum antimicrobials. It is quite effective against most bacteria, moderately effective against yeasts, and good against viruses. One of the nicest things about silver solutions is that they taste like water. They're easy to take, and easy to give to children.

It's important that you buy a high-quality product, with a very small particle size. The tiny particle size is important, not just because it makes the silver work better (you get more bang for the buck — important when you're dealing with a precious metal!), but it also reduces the possibility of a rare and (forgive me for saying this) somewhat comical side effect. Because when you consume vast amounts of

silver, for vastly extended periods of time, and that silver isn't in a small enough particle size, you can turn a dark-mauve-silver (and the color doesn’t go away). It's medically harmless, but socially awkward.

To my knowledge, this has never, ever happened with anyone buying a commercially produced silver product. It only happens when somebody consumes poorly-made home-made silver solutions, what I call "moonshine silver."

Anyways, the dose you're looking for in shingles or mono is relatively high. Try a teaspoon of 500 ppm silver, every 3-4 hours. (Debra’s hung an email in the store from someone she knows who relates how she used silver successfully for shingles.)

Immune-Strengthening Herbs: Most of our immune-strengthening herbs work primarily by increasing immune activity vs. virally infected cells. This doesn't happen overnight, and you're going to want to consume these herbs consistently for a number of weeks to really have them build you up. Here, when I say "herbs," I'm referring not just to well-known plants like Astragalus and Echinacea leaf, but most of the medicinal mushrooms, aloe vera juice, and even goji berries. (Try eating two dozen little raisin-sized berries a day). Again, these herbs are better in prevention than in treatment. So consider them especially when you're subject to frequent outbreaks — and not just of herpes viruses, but colds, flus, etc. 

Red Marine Algae (Gigartina spp.): These seaweed species contain both immune-strengthening compounds as well as compounds that block herpes viruses from binding to host cells. This double-whammy makes Gigartina among our best interventions for an active herpes outbreak. I like to use Gigartina in people with stubborn, recalcitrant outbreaks.

Fatigue Following Mono: Well, this could be a whole dissertation, but let me keep it simple. Look for an herbal formula that combines ginseng-type stress response herbs (what herbalists call adaptogens) with immune-strengthening herbs. There are a lot of them out there. A personal favorite, which I've gotten tremendous results with, is a formula called Astragalus 10+ put out by the Seven Forests company.

Swollen Glands Associated with Mono: There's an herb called Red Root, which is wonderful for shrinking and toning swollen lymphatic tissue. Combine that with other herbs that stir up the lymph itself (Red Clover, Wild Indigo, Figwort, Violet, etc.), and you've got a great little formula. Luckily, there are companies that already put those formulas together for you. I'm also a big fan of another Seven Forests product called Viola 12, which combines the fatigue/rebuilding actions of Astragalus 10+ (see above) with some lymph-clearing herbs.

Post-Herpetic Neuralgia: In a perfect world, everyone would go after the active shingles outbreak as soon as possible, with all guns blazing. The more quickly and aggressively you push back the outbreak, the less likely you are to have complications afterwards. 

Having said that, there's a lot to be said for cayenne pepper, both in pills (or piled on your food if you can handle it); and in ointments and creams. Cayenne depletes a major pain neurotransmitter called Substance P. (Here, P stands for "pain" — for once, the scientific name is easy to remember!)

Beyond that, I'd explore the herb Saint John's Wort. Yes, Saint John's Wort is known as "the antidepressant herb." (It's reasonably effective, too, although you can normally do better). Of relevance to us here, is the fact that it's a decent antiviral. It is also for nerve pain. So it's a nice double-whammy to address the pain that herpes can leave behind. You can take it internally. And you can use the infused oil topically. It doesn't work quickly, but it works deeply, and well.

For nerve pain that's lingering on and on, I'd look at the antioxidant alpha-lipoid acid and a version of vitamin B1 called benfotiamine, both of which can often address chronic neuralgias. Look for 600-1,200 mg of the alpha-lipoic acid, and 300-600 mg of benfotiamine.

 … Adam Stark

You do have to use a super-duper blender like a Vitamix. Mine is years old, and has been worth every penny because I can just about grind rocks in it (ask me about the fertilizer I make for my garden with my Vitamix!) Of course we sell them, and they are available lots of other places too.

Why brewer’s yeast in this smoothie? It’s the richest source of the B-vitamins – the nerve and stress vitamins. Brewer’s yeast is good, too, for beautiful skin because it helps prevent the breakdown of collagen. And it has protein. As do the chia seeds that are so nutrient-dense they were said to have allowed Aztec warriors to march for days without other food. Did you know that chia seeds are a rich plant source of omega 3’s? Maca, another ingredient here, is nicknamed the “South American ginseng,” an energizer safe for all ages.

Use organic ingredients? Of course. You don’t want to eat pesticides or herbicides, do you?  And organic prohibits any GMOs (genetically modified organisms).

Makes 1-2 servings

Okay, in all seriousness, it isn’t that easy.  Yes, there are herbs that can help. But none of them are magically effective. None of them take the place of those major life changes we might want to prescribe for others, or perhaps reach out and grasp for ourselves. None of them can accomplish what meditation, mindfulness, or a solid night’s sleep can. Having said that…

Easy Wanderer (Xiao Yao) is a famous Taoist herbal formula that’s been around for about 400 years.  It’s said to remove obstructions to the harmonious flow of qi, dissipate heat, and clear stagnation from the liver. If you’re a Westerner (like me), that probably sounds poetical, vaguely attractive, but hard to grasp.

As far as I’m concerned, Easy Wanderer is all about pent-up anger and frustration – the sort of feelings that lead a child to throw tantrums, or an adult to get snappy. “Irritability” is a key word, with or without outbursts. Easy Wanderer can be great for PMS, incidentally.  

The noted scholar of Chinese medicine Subhuti Dharmananda explains that Easy Wanderer “helps overcome the ingrained personal approach of clashing with – rather than flowing around – a difficulty that is encountered.” (Dharmananda’s wonderful paper on the formula can be found online at http://www.itmonline.org/arts/xiaoyao.htm.)

A standard dose will usually start to be noticeable in about a week, although for PMS, you’ll probably want to run it through at least a full monthly cycle. Bear in mind, you may feel more irritable for a few days in the beginning as the “heat” – i.e. the pent-up anger and frustration – is released.

Again, as a Westerner, with a Western understanding of anatomy and physiology, it doesn’t quite fit into my standard worldview, but I’ve seen the formula work. Easy Wanderer combines well with mood elevating herbs in treating depression; with adaptogenic herbs when dealing with fatigue/sleep-deprivation.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids (most commonly found in Fish Oil) are great at elevating mood, and there’s a solid body of research to prove it. Having said that, what really impresses me here is some of the research linking fish oils to a reduced rate of violence and assaults. What’s especially impressive is that the research isn’t out of a lab or a university, but a very “real-world” environment: the prison systems.

Two studies, one out of the U.K., and the other out of Holland, found that when inmates were given fish oils plus a standard low-dose multivitamin, prison assaults and other markers of “antisocial behavior” fell by over a third vs. prisoners given placebos.     

While it’s possible these results could be attributed to the vitamins, almost all the research suggests it’s the fish oils. There’s also research out of Finland showing that people arrested for violent crimes have lower blood levels of omega-3s; and research out of this country showing that people who consume more fish oils murder people less. For mood, the most important thing is the amount of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) your supplement contains. A standard starting dose would be 1,000-2,000 mg EPA daily.

Honorable Mentions include the herb Bacopa for impatience, and adaptogenic herbs like Ashwagandha and Rhodiola for fatigue-irritability.

… Adam Stark