Understanding Alkaloids In Plant Medicine

So I have written in the past about the importance of understanding the chemistry behind plant medicines.


I really think that if we fully understand the workings of the body and how the phytochemicals in the plants effect them, plant medicine can be effective just as much as modern pharmaceuticals.


I have been really trying to study the chemistry behind plant medicines and to tell you the truth really enjoying it.


I have started to think I might go back to school to study biochemistry. But that will need to wait until I get this website up and running at 100%.


Any how here is what I have t say about Alkaloids.


Alkaloids are the largest category of secondary metabolites. The reason for this is very simple, any nitrogen containing compound that does not fall into another category is currently classified as an alkaloid.


Right along with this goes the fact that we can find alkaloids that effect all most every area of the body.


Alkaloids can be used by plants to deter animals from eating them and to store carbon for later use when needed by the plant.


Because of the size of the group there is no one best used solvent for alkaloids. Some are better dissolved in water some in alcohol and others oils.


Many alkaloids have a stimulating effect on the nervous system. The best know and widely used alkaloid is caffeine.


Many alkaloids have been researched in great depth and are now used in modern medicines but many we still know nothing about.

Healthy Tips For Using Stimulants

Healthy Tips For Using Stimulants

Do you drink coffee in the morning?

Do you have a second cup in the afternoon?

Well I sure do, and because I understand that my body gets used to the caffeine in the coffee I also use those other gifts of nature to try and get more done in the day.

For most of us that are trying to do our best to get ahead in life, using one or more of natures boost plants is just part of the game. You cant make the day longer no matter how hard you try but you could sleep less and then have more time to get things done.

That’s the way that I look at it and probably you do as well or you wouldn’t still be reading this.

Yerba matte, tea in all of its wonderful colors, cola nut, and of course chocolate. All of these contain stimulating compounds which work like caffeine, but have a slightly different chemical make up.

Which could be my first healthy tip for using stimulants.

Tip number one: variation

I just went with this one as my first tip because really its not a health tip but a get better results tip.

What happens is we build up a tolerance to the coffee and then we try to just drink more of it. But how many cups of joe can you have in a day?

So instead we need to alternate our uppers or stimulants if you like in order to continue to get the best results.

It is important for me to mention that this sort of thing is very unhealthy if we don’t give our bod a time to recuperate.

The way to live this kind of jacked lifestyle is to make sure to take a cleansing vacation at least a few times a year and lay off the caffeine for a bit.

Tip number two: Drink lots of water

This can also go right along as a get better results tip but even more importantly for your health.

Drinking lots of water is super important for over all health at all times but even more so when using stimulants such as caffeine.

Because these substances also increase your kidney functions they cause an increased release of fluids from the body. If we are not carful to replenish our bodies water supply we run the risk of dehydration, and just think about how bad that could be for your productivity.

Also when we are properly hydrated everything in our body flows better.

Pun intended.

Our blood flows better, our absorption of nutrients is better, and its easier for our bodies to eliminate waste.

So drink up!

Tip number three: Protect the stomach

As I go through these it seems that they are all not just help tips, but also get better results tips.

Now these stimulants also increase the acid levels in the stomach so if you don’t have something in the stomach for the acids to brake up they could start to damage the stomach lining. This could end up causing stomach ulcers.

Once again not good for productivity.

When I first started studying nutrition I would use carbohydrates to get even more of a boost out of caffeine, now I have learnt that using proteins gives me a longer lasting and more balanced energy.

Eat healthy proteins such as nuts and seeds to protect your stomach and also provide even more energy for the body.

Tip number five: Take B-complex plus C vitamins

Now this is the super boost to go along with your coffee. B-complex vitamins and vitamin C are what helps the cells to produce energy.

By taking a solid B-complex plus C formula you can really boost your energy levels in a balanced and healthy way, together with some good old Joe.

Now these are my top four tips for using stimulants. Please let me make it clear that using too much stimulants is not good for your over all health.

To really have the most energy in your life you need to be healthy in all ways both mind and body.

And to be most productive you need to make sure to just get things done.

Otzi The Iceman And His Natural Antibiotics

In 1991 the well preserved remains of a man were found in the melting ice of an alpine glacier.

This discovery was of great importance for archeologists because he is the oldest human mummy found in the area.

There are a lot of interesting things about the remains of Otzi.

There was a legal dispute over who actually was going to claim ownership of his remains, which interested me a bit. 

Then there was talk about a curse related to his remains, this interested me a lot more.

There have been seven people who were involved with the discovery of Otzi that have died some what untimely deaths. Some believe that he was killed in a ritual sacrifice and there for his remains are cursed to this day.

But what really interested me was the fungus that was found with his remains that he was using to treat a case of intestinal parasites that he was suffering from.

Found with Otzi’s remains was two pieces of organic material, that was something between cork and leather in its consistency.

At first this was believed to be tinder for starting fires (not the tinder for starting fires that single people use today), but was later found to be the fungus piptoporus betulinus, which can be found on the birch tree in cold climates.

The fungus contains chemicals that are toxic to certain parasites and when taken by humans can cause diarrhea.

An autopsie of Otzi’s intestines found eggs of the parasite trichuris trichiura, and it is believed that he was trying to treat the condition using the fungus.

Today there is research into new antibiotics that have been found in the piptoporus fungus.

Also very interesting is that Otzi had tattoos in the areas of his body where he was found to be suffering from arthritis. This may have been a form of pain relief similar to that of acupuncture.    

Otzi is estimated to have lived about five thousand years ago. I thinks its amazing to see that people had the ability to diagnose and treat disease with out the use of any of the modern sciences. 

But if you are thinking to your self “where can I get some Birch fungus extract”, you are out of luck. It has not made it to the health food stores yet.

It seems that it will be turned into a new anti biotic or even a cancer fighting medicine first.

But if you are looking for a strong natural anti biotic, you can try oregano oil.

There are a good number of studies showing it to be use full at killing viruses, parasites, and bacteria.

Flaxseed – Good For The Bowls And Good Your Brains

The main category for flaxseed in plant medicine is as a bulk laxative.

The truth is that flaxseed works in two ways as a laxative.
1.    High fiber content creates bulk laxative
2.    Oils in the seed help to add a lubricating and emulcent effect
The oils from flaxseed also contain a high concentration of omega 3 oils.
The fatty coting that covers the dentraite part of neurons is made up of omega 3 fatty acids. This fatty layer help the nerve signals to move faster. This is one of the reasons that omega 3 is known to improve memory and brain function.

Omega 3 is essential fatty acid, which means we cannot produce it in our bodies and must obtain it from our nutrition.

Omega 3 has also been found to have anti-inflammatory activities.

But keep in mind that most of the research done on omega 3 has been done on fish oils which contain EPA and DHA form of omega 3.

ALA is the form of omega 3 found id flaxseeds and can be turned into the EPA and DHA forms.
 
Just for a bit history:

Fax seed has also been used for making linen even by Neanderthal man.

Flax seed oil is a great source of omega 3 for vegans

But omega 3 from fish oils is still more effective for increasing brain functions.

Multivitamin Review Number One

​As I have mentioned many times, I am a very strong believer in the importance of taking a good multivitamin.

Once again I find that just the first thing I write needs its own blog post or webpage as in “Why should you take a multivitamin”.

Now I have been taking GNC MEGA MEN multivitamin for a very long time now, about nine years, and I am very happy with it.

My wife has been taking GNC WOMEN’S ULTRA MEGA also for about nine years. She is very happy with the GNC multivitamin, but I recently switched her to Pure Synergy Multi for women, and I will tell you why.

There are two very important things that I take into consideration when I am buying a multivitamin. Now this is for me and my wife who lives the same life style and has the same budget. If I was recommending a multi to a client or a friend then I would change my approach according to their needs.
The two things that I look at are:
How much B-complex vitamins does it have
What is the herbal formula that it includes, if it has none then I will not buy it
B-complex vitamins

What did you say? You don’t know what B-complex vitamins are good for. No problem, I will explain it to you real simple and fast.

B-complex vitamins are essential for our body to be able to produce energy on the cellular level. In my opinion and from my experience, the recommended daily amounts for all B-complex vitamins is very low and should be changed, but I am not there yet to change them. But really the recommended daily amounts of B-complex vitamins may be enough to survive, but not enough to be totally pumped.
So I am looking for something that has at least 200% of the recommended daily value of B-complex vitamins.

Now the GNC vitamins have a much higher level of B-complex Vitamins then the pure synergy ones, but the pure synergy vitamins have a much better herbal formula.

This brings me to my second decision making aspect of a multivitamin, the herbal formula. All good quality multivitamins today have an herbal formula packed with a bunch of those super herbs that everyone should just be taking.

The GNC multivitamins have a very nice herbal formula but in my opinion the pure synergy multivitamins have a better one.

Also the pure synergy vitamins are much more natural; this means that the vitamins and minerals they contain are taken from all natural sources. Making them more fit for absorption by the human body.

Probably the next time I purchase a multivitamin I am going to try the pure synergy multi for men.


In the end they are both good quality multi vitamin that have noticeable effects on overall health.

My Home Garden

Here is just a quick picture that I got this past Friday while getting some of the things that my wife needed for our Friday night dinner.


The real beauty in this garden of ours is in the fact that it doesn’t need any up keep. The sad part is that I don’t take care of it.


What a double edged sword right?


But the real truth is that if I just put a little bit of TLC into this garden it could really be a breathtaking place.


When I do I am going to take some good pictures and share them with you.


But what you can learn from my neglected garden is what useful herbs can grow well with minimal care.


The plants that I have in this garden are rosemary, sage, aloe, and after the winter fresh onions.


All of these just need a good soil and a bit of water and sunshine and they will grow just great.


I hope that the next time I write about this garden it will be a natural medicine garden.

Hot Peppers And Red Onions

So this is just a bit about what I like to eat.

Really I was just putting a salad together and there was just something about the way the sunlight was shining down on the red onion that I thought it would make a great picture. 
 And hey what is some good pictures without at least a bit of words explaining them.
 So yes red onions and hot peppers.

When I was studying nutrition I remember one of my teachers saying that perhaps one of the reasons that some of the third world countries, such as India and Mexico, eat so much spicy foods is because of the anti bacterial aspects of these strong spices. 

I think that this is one of the reasons that I don’t get sick very often, because I eat such spicy foods all the time.