Where Do I Find Information About Using Medicinal Herbs?

The Web offers a lot of information about the use of medicinal herbs and supplements, but sometimes the information conflicts and it can be hard to determine what is accurate and what is marketing. If you are thinking about incorporating herbs into your daily diet, you may want to spend some time researching.*

Herbs are attributed with many health promoting properties. How you use herbs may depend on the health benefit you are seeking: Is it general wellness or something more specific? Like pharmaceutical drugs, herbs can have several actions in the body, as well as potential contraindications, so if you plan to combine herbs--or to combine herbs with pharmaceutical medications--you will want to research the specific properties of the medicinal herbs you are interested in.*

Here are some research-based resources you can start canvassing. Remember to bring any questions you have to your primary care physician and you may even want to bring copies of your research!

> The ACHS Wellness Guide includes more than 120 pages of health and wellness tips.

> "Herbal and natural health tips for women experiencing menopause" on the ACHS website includes natural health and herbal tips and recipes for easing the menopause transition and improving overall health.

> MedlinePlus is a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine from the National Institutes of Health and posts new and developing studies daily.

> The American Botanical Council regularly posts new HerbClips on their website. HerbClips are summaries and critical research reviews of articles about the research, regulation, marketing, and responsible use of medicinal plants.

> The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) offers an A-Z Index of Health Topics, including profiles of specific medicinal herbs, supplements, and CAM modalities.

> The Apothecary Shoppe College Store carries a large selection of organic, sustainably wildcrafted herbs. Most herbs include a description of their traditional uses, medicinal uses, active constituents, and many have recipes too!

Education About Healthy Lifestyle Important In Fight Against Obesity

Earlier this year, President Obama produced a report with more than 70 recommendations for strategies to help reduce childhood obesity. The goal of this initiative is to reduce the childhood obesity rate from 20% to 5% by 2030.

"According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention," the American Botanical Council HerbClip News reports, "two-thirds of U.S. adults and 15% of U.S. children are overweight or obese, which places them at risk for developing heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. [Note: The percentage of overweight and obese children may be higher, with other sources saying 20-30%.] "

To help combat these numbers, Obama's report focuses on prevention, including prenatal care, breast-feeding, community education, and providing healthy food and nutrition education at schools. The White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity is leading these efforts.

"Complementary and alternative medicine practitioners, botanical and supplement companies and organizations, and health food companies have a wonderful opportunity to participate in this initiative, " ABC's Managing Editor Lori Glenn adds. "While much of the focus has been on botanicals' abilities to decrease obesity and its subsequent ailments (See the FasTrak HC 051031-401 which covers green tea's benefits of reducing obesity and diabetes), providing proven ways to maintain a healthy lifestyle and weight can also be a core message."

To read ABC's original article, go to: http://cms.herbalgram.org/herbclip/401/news140.html

To learn more about nutrition education, check out the ACHS Certificate in Holistic Nutrition Consulting and to help support the health and wellness of you and your family, check out Introduction to Nutrition.