alternative health tips

Recently, when doing a little grocery shopping I accidentally crossed paths with a friend of the family who is in her late 70’s. She looks great, lives at home with her husband, doesn’t wear glasses, is very active (still participates in a tennis league), and mentally is a sharper than most half her age. But for me what made this grocery store chance encounter stand out was how many alternative herbal health remedies were in her shopping cart.

There was saw palmetto for her husband’s prostate and to protect against hair loss, echinacea for immune system health, and ginkgo  for mental agility. There were also a couple of supplemental formulas as well including two big bottles of fish oil, along with glucosamine and chondroitin for bone and joint health. She also had some healthy food items as well, including low fat yogurt, flax seed bread, and an array of  fruits and vegetables, including blueberries and broccoli. I would have never guessed it. In all the years we have known each other alternative herbal health has never been a topic of conversation.

You can clearly see that this woman (and her husband) are advocates and committed users of alternative herbal health products, supplemental formulas, and a natural style of living that minimizes the need for prescription medications, in an attempt to achieve both longevity and quality of life. She was not going to be reliant on prescription medications to solve all her woes, no she was going to take the bull by the horns and do her best to avoid those woes in the first place.

This is the real untold story about alternative herbal health. It is a way of life that when combined with a healthy diet and exercise can improve overall quality of life, and in some cases longevity.

But what is this alternative herbal health stuff anyway? One of the beauties of alternative herbal health is that the ingredients in most herbal remedies are fairly mild and work with your body to achieve the desired goal. The downside is sometimes they may interact negatively with prescription or non prescription medications. For this reason it is always a good idea to consult your doctor before deciding on alternative herbal health remedies.

The use of leaves, flowers, fruits, stems, bark, and roots is nothing new, and has been a mainstay in many Asian and European cultures for hundreds and in some cases thousands of years. herbal remedies come in many different forms including capsules and tablets, tinctures (liquid concentrates), teas, and ointments that contain ingredients taken from nature to treat diseases and maladies of all kinds. Some of the more common alternative herbal remedies include ginger root (nausea and motion sickness); ginkgo (circulation and memory); chamomile (flatulence); valerian (anxiety, insomnia); saw palmetto (hair loss and prostate); and St. John’s wort (depression).

In summary, alternative herbal health remedies are not for everyone, but most would agree that they can be a helpful tool in the quest to achieve overall good and enduring health, and longevity. Whether they are right for you, well that is a question best left between you and your doctor.