Astral Health

It is actually a member of the pepper family, grows as a bush in the South Pacific. Explorer Captain James Cook gave this plant the botanical name of “intoxicating pepper”. Kava has been used for over 3,000 years a sedative, muscle relaxant, diuretic, a pain reliever and as a remedy for nervousness and insomnia.

As Kava Kava is also a euphoric and a narcotic it has also been used among indigenous cultures in part of the South Pacific as a ritual stimulant to achieve altered states of consciousness. In Germany, Kava Kava is sold over the counterto reduce anxiety. Kava Kava has also gained popularity with the natives of Hawaii, Australia and New Guinea where it is used medicinally as well as recreationally.

Recent clinical studies show that this pepper is as effective as lorezapam and Valium for treating anxiety. It is also safer because it is not addictive. Whereas lorezapam and valium tend to cause drowsiness and mental impairment, kava kava has been shown to improve concentration, memory, and reaction time for people suffering from anxiety.Kava is a diuretic and an anti-inflammatory, thus is also useful for gout, rheumatism, bronchial congestion, cystitis and prostatis. It is also a mild aphrodisiac.

 

Alcohol interacts with Kava so you should avoid alcohol the same way you would when taking any kind of anti-anxiety medication or muscle relaxant.

Peace Be Still, Sam

The history of this leafless spiny succulent plant is unique. It grows naturally in the harsh conditions of the Kalahari Desert of Southern Africa where it has been used for centuries by the SAN indigenous peoples to suppress the appetite and sustain them during long period of migration during a famine. Warriors of the tribe also consume the plant to nourish them on long hunting trips that last for two weeks or more. In the eighties the plant was discovered by a UK company, Phytofarm who then sold the knowledge rights to the pharmaceutical drug giant Pfizer. Pfizer discovered that the active molecule known as P57 in hoodia gardonii could help suppress the appetite by up to 2000 calories a day.

The P57 molecule within Hoodia Gordonii is almost 10,000 times stronger than glucose and works by fooling the body into believing it is full when little or no food has actually been eaten. Unfortunately this discovery has led to a rape of the plant from its natural environment by weight loss manufacturers who have deprived the Kahlari tribes of the profits they should receive from their knowledge of this discovery.

Be careful when you buy Hoodia, especially on the Internet contains large amounts of caffeine and very small amounts of hoodia so that the initial rapid weight loss that most people see if from water loss, not burned fat.

 Peace Be Still, SAM

This important but crucial supplement also plays an important role in preventing breast cancer and prostrate cancer. It is one of those supplements that raises good estrogen and lowers “bad estrogen” Naturally it is found in cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli o r cauliflower. DIM protects the heart and brain with its antioxidant activity. This results in increased physical and cardiovascular fitness as well as improved memory, focus and clarity of thought.

DIM is highly recommended for women on HRT or at risk for breast cancer, as it will reduce the likelihood of getting breast cancer.

Peace Be Still, SAM