Rosemary offers a wide range of benefits for health and longevity.  It is an ancient herb that has been used since the beginning of time for medicinal purposes. It was held sacred by Egyptians and revered by Greeks.  Rosemary shrubs grow prominently in areas along the Mediterranean sea, the Himalayas and other parts of the world. The word rosemary derives from the latin rosmarinus officinalis which means “sea dew.”  Symbolically, Greeks have used rosemary at weddings to represent love and remembrance.  In Greek mythology, Aphrodite would arise from the sea with rosemary draped from her neck and this is where the name affiliation stemmed from.   This herb can help stimulate circulation and aid in hair growth when applied to the scalp.  Rosemary is also a natural pain reliever that can be useful in individuals living with arthritic conditions.   The herb possesses powerful antioxidant and antimicrobial properties.  The antioxidants in ros...

Red Yeast Rice Red yeast rice is an ancient Chinese and Korean herbal medicine that has significant benefits for heart health.  It’s been viewed within Asian culture and civilization as a dietary staple.  Red yeast rice is a natural statin made from cultivating strains of yeast with rice. It contains Monacolin K, which is similar in property to the drug lovastatin. Red Yeast rice has been clinically proven to reduce low-density lipoprotein (bad) cholesterol levels in humans.   The results of cholesterol reducing properties were seen in over 30 randomized clinical trials.  Red yeast rice was also proven to reduce the risk of adverse cardiovascular events. Some cardiologists have not heard of the natural supplement, red yeast rice.  Cardiologists like Drs. Becker & Gordon ( AMA Journal of Ethics ), once detailed their unfamiliarity with red yeast rice.  After starting a patient on statin therapy, his patient returned to the office informing him that ...

The Silphion (silphium) plant had great value during the Roman Empire.  The saplings of its leaves which had a gum like resin were valued at the same price as the precious metal, silver.  Ancient Greeks valued the plant so much they inscribed it on their money.  Cyrenaica was an ancient Greek city and was known as the most important city of the Pentapolis geographic region.  The Silphion plant was first discovered along the coast of Cyrenaica which is now part of North Africa. Though it was once thought to be a treasure of the ancient Roman empire, it became extinct.  Was it eaten into extinction? It’s very possible!         Ferula Drudeana plant What Did Ancient Civilizations Use it For? Ancient civilizations heavily used the Silphium plant for its numerous therapeutic and medicinal qualities.  The plant has anti-cancerous, contraceptive and anti-inflammatory compounds.  Notable Greek physician, Hippocrates tried to cultivate ...

We all know that plants are living, breathing entities.  Both humans and plant forms receive energy from the sun.  The main difference that separates humans from plants is photosynthesis; however plants and humans are dependent on each other for survival.  Plants helps humans to breathe by providing us oxygen and humans help plants to breathe by providing them with carbon dioxide.  This cycle of plants and humans being dependent or interacting with each other don’t simply happen on an ecological or biological level; it can also be on social, spiritual or cultural levels. Of course when it comes to foreign ideologies, there is always the need for evidence for those doubting Toms who are skeptical of that which is elementary or different to current knowledge or belief systems.  Studies have shown that plants can be mood boosters as well as reduce stress; they help to eliminate toxins and clean the air by providing us oxygen. Nurturing and caring for plants he...

Pregnant women and new mothers have to face many changes and transitions on the journey to and through motherhood. For new mothers, nothing can be worse than not being able to produce enough milk for your baby. Twin actresses and mothers, Tia and Tamera Mowry, infused their creative minds together in order to develop a product for lactating women everywhere. Milky, a product of NEED Brands, is a natural, chemical-free herbal tea that assists in a woman's production of milk when taken orally. After having their own bout of trouble with lactation, Tia and Tamera decided to go out and research ingredients that helped to encourage lactation. Viewers and fans alike were able to see the twins' passion for creating a lactation product for new mothers on Season 3 of their reality show on the Style Network. The celebrity sisters found that herbs like fenugreek and fennel, were extremely helpful for increasing the production of breast milk. Fennel and fenugreek have been used for cent...