New Zealand Herbals Newsletter


	Thank you so much for all your good feedback - as long as you want to receive news updates and this newsletter we will keep it coming. Let us know your comments on feedback@nzherbal.com. If you are getting this email directly and haven't been forwarded it by a friend then you are already on what we call "The Program". You probably already have some idea on the wonderful results that it can achieve. In this months issue we would like to expand your understanding and hopefully give you a deeper insight into how this system works, how much can be achieved by using it, how important it is to continue using it, and what you have already achieved on subtle levels that you may not be fully aware of yet. Fertility problems seem to be becoming more and more of an issue in today's society. Almost all of us know of a couple who has been trying to conceive a child but have been plagued with fertility problems. We will discuss this common problem and offer some insights into potential solutions and some of the causes of infertility. If you have received this newsletter and are not an existing patient of ours, then please let us know if you would like to subscribe to it (you don't have to become a patient if you don't want to!). Send us an email on newsletter@nzherbal.com. What is "The Program"? The Program is the main system that we use to restore health. The principles used are universal - this system works for everyone no matter what their age, gender, or ethnicity. It consists of four main herbal formulas developed by Michael McCammon over a period of more than twenty five years and has been extensively trialed within his clinic during this time. One of the main formulas considered to be the most essential to restoring good health is New Zealand Herbals Blood Purifying Tonic. This incredible formula purifies the blood stream and enhances overall immunity. It contains approximately eight carefully selected herbs that work together to provides a stimulating effect upon the body which in turn strengthens and encourages your body to rid itself of toxins and other impurities. It is almost impossible to avoid these toxins in today's world. New Zealand Herbals Blood Purifying Tonic is designed to detoxify your body on a daily basis and address all areas of physiology (not just the bloodstream). This includes the liver, kidneys, immune systems and other bodily organs. In fact this formula addresses every single cell within the body. We will talk more about the different elements of the program in up coming issues of the Herbalist. Stay tuned for more! Taste & Physiology In many of our formulas a balanced combination of tastes is very important. The reason for this is that different elements of taste (e.g. sweetness, bitterness, etc.) relate to different aspects of human physiology. We thought it would be interesting for you to learn about the different types of taste and how they related to our physiologies. Sweet: Sweet tastes address the nervous system and is the taste of pleasure. It makes you feel comforted and contended and is one of the most important healing tools for treating debilitating weaknesses. It also nourishes, strengthens, and promotes the growth of all tissues. It is good for growing children, the elderly, and the weak or injured. Sweetness increases the subtle body fluids and promotes longevity. Good for hair, skin, complexion, and for healing broken bones - it adds wholesomeness to the body while nourishing and soothing it. Natural foods that are sweet include: Most fruits, vegetables such as sweet potatoes, carrots, and beetroot. Many dairy products are sweet including milk and butter. Bread also has a tendency to be high in sugar. We strongly recommend that you avoid highly processed sweets which tend to contain additives, food colouring, and preservatives. Sour: Tends to create a feeling of adventurousness. Stimulates the appetite and sharpens the mind (strengthens the sense organs). Causes secretions and salivation. Good for the heart, digestion and assimilation, and helps to dispel gas. Many sources of sour tasting foods include: Yoghurt, vinegar, cheese, sour cream, green grapes, lemon (and many other citrus fruits), pickles, caraway, coriander, and cloves. Salt: Tends to decrease nervousness and dryness. Improves digestive power, tissue building and fortifies structures. A basic unit of electricity, salt helps those who have dry skin and hair to retain moisture. Pungent: Increases energy and enthusiasm. Increase digestive power and decreases fat for those who are overweight or sluggish. It stimulates appetite and improves digestions, and like salt and sour pungent tastes tends to improve the overall taste of many foods. Purifies the blood, aids with the treatment of certain skin conditions, and helps to eliminate blood clots - in general it cleanses the body. Some pungent foods include: Onion, radish, chilli, ginger, garlic, cayenne pepper, and black pepper. Bitter: Increases energy and aliveness. Decreases excess body heat and congestion. Considered to be one of the most healing tastes for many kinds of imbalances of the mind and body. Many bitter tasting herbs have strong antitoxic and germicidal effects. Some bitter tasting foods include: Dandelion root, holy thistle, yellow dock, rhubarb, bitter melon, lettuce, spinach, and fresh turmeric root. Astringent: Decreases inflammation, heat, and can help with weight reduction. Astringent foods and herbs help to squeeze out excess water and promote healing. Astringent tasting foods include: Unripe bananas, cranberries, goldenseal, turmeric, beans, parsley, basil, and alum. Naturally any excess of any one of these tastes can lead to an imbalance (e.g. an excess of sweet tastes can lead to obesity and can make the person feel lethargic). The science behind the Blood Purifying Tonic is that no one taste should be in excess, but rather, it should be balanced with the correct proportion of each taste. The tonic is usually delivered in a liquid medium to allow the perception of taste as part of the action of the formula. Many people say that they cannot taste the six different types of taste within the formula - be rest assured that the formula contains an equal balance of all the tastes. This is usual due to the excessive amounts of white sugar that many people are consuming. If you continue to consume an excess amount of one particular taste (in this case sweetness) then this can lead to an imbalance within the body and result ultimately in disease. This concept is not very well understood by Western medical practices. Bitter pills are often covered in sugar or plastic to disguise the flavour. For a formula to be truly comprehensive, it must contain at least five of the tastes in an equal proportion. Fertility Programs We have been approached by the producers of Inside New Zealand who wish to do a documentary about male fertility in New Zealand. We are looking for some courageous men who would be willing to be filmed each session so their case can be televised. Some of the advantages of allowing your progress to be filmed include: You will get heaps of Michael's time for free (the cost of remedies are charged however). You will get to increase your potency (well that is the idea anyway). More men get to hear about the wonderful value of herbal medicine in treating these problems. In terms of private and confidential clinic time we continue to have great success with our fertility programs (for both men and woman). If you know of anyone who is currently having problems with fertility then let them know that we might be able to help. We are currently getting success rates of over 90%. This is good news for childless couples who often have been spending a small fortune on fertility programs with little success. Fertility for Women There are well established protocols in herbal medicine for a healthy conception and pregnancy. One famous woman who lived in the late 1800's in the mid west United States was Lydia Pink Ham who's famous "Medicinal Compound" was reputed to have "a baby in every bottle". A famous song was made about her, you may remember it being released during the 70's called "Lily the Pink". It begins.... *"We'll drink a drink a drink* *to Lily the pink the pink the pink* *the savior of the human race* *for she invented medicinal compound* *most efficacious in every case!"* The main ingredient in this compound was Black Cohosh - a herb used by the American Indians to aid in childbirth and problems related just to women's health. She was so successful that the law of the time actually imprisoned her for "practicing medicine"! However, please don't rush off and buy a bottle of Black Cohosh because although this is herb is very effective in certain cases, its high levels of phytoestrogens (precursors to estrogen) can cause problems and it needs to be balanced with other herbs. We continue to have wonderful successful with our Woman's Tonic. Michael created this formula in response to the many woman who complained of menstrual problems (such as tension, difficult periods, hot flushes, or irregular and painful periods). Black Cohosh is a major component of this formula, however it is combined with many other herbs in order to balance Black Cohosh's effects (and therefore avoiding hormone imbalances). Normally this formula requires three months to balance the female system although many users of it find that it works remarkably quickly. In cases of infertility or excessive hot flushes, we sometimes add shatavari to the tonic. The total combination of herbs within this formula plus the addition of shatavari result in a greater action on all the herbs (by up to nine times!). With one in six couples having difficulty conceiving, modern issues affecting fertility need to be addressed. Many factors that can affect fertility include: Stress. Toxicity. Radiation. Immune system status. Drugs, including caffeine, tobacco and alcohol. Previous contraceptive history. Genitourinary infections. Certain reproductive conditions. Preconception Nutrition & Lifestyle Both you and your partner will need to eat healthy, highly nutritious whole foods in order to provide your bodies with the building blocks needed to produce healthy eggs and sperm which ultimately leads to a health baby. Things you should watch with food during this time include: Proteins and fats are the most important food groups to focus on. It is important to get three servings of protein a day. You can obtain these fats and proteins from foods such as fish, nuts, seeds, and flax oil. Try to eat organic foods, this is especially so when it comes to meats. Drink filtered water. Recent studies have shown that tap water may negatively effect female hormone cycles which results in reduced menstrual cycles. Avoid alcohol and give up smoking. You should also change you lifestyle. Try: Minimise your stress levels. Avoid exposure to toxins. We are exposed to many toxins each day, often from items that are commonly found in the home. Stay clear of household cleaners, petrol fumes, glues, solvents, chlorine, insecticides, etc. Address any weight issues you may have. If you are underweight this increases your child's susceptibility to disease later in their life's and can impair organ development early in life. If you are overweight this considerably effects fertility. Children's susceptibility to obesity, cardiovascular disease and diabetes increases if their mothers are overweight. Exercise for at least two hours per week. This reduces stress, normalises weight and increase pelvic circulation thereby providing sperm and eggs with increased nourishment. Watch the Timing Your preconception care should being at least four months prior to conception attempts (although it doesn't hurt to try!). This preparation time is very important because eggs take three months to mature and sperm take almost four months to generate. This means that sperm that is being expelled now has been exposed to all the toxins the maker has been exposed to over the past four months. Fertilisation with sperm or eggs that have been exposed to toxins increase the chances for your baby to be ill. Think of this time as training... Staying Young We thought these words from George Carlin where rather appropriate in today's society. Remember ENJOY LIFE! Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight, and height. Let the doctor worry about them. That is what you have them for! Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. "An idle mind is the devils workshop". And the devils name is Alzheimer's. Enjoy the simple things. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person who is with us our entire life is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive! Surround yourself with what you love, whether its family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, and hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge. Cherish your health. If it is good, preserve it, if it is unstable improve it, if it is beyond what you can improve, get help. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, to the next country, to a foreign country, but NOT to where the guilt is. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity. And always remember that life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. If you don't send this on to at least eight people, who cares? - George Carlin. Wishing you all the best this month from all the team here at New Zealand Herbals! Team: Michael McCammon (practitioner, managing director), Christopher Toki (practitioner, naturopath), Marie Grant (secretary and coordinator), Alexander Brouwer (computer technician & programmer), Christine Chaston (herbal technician), and Rose McGown (herb & organic gardens).

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	The Herbalist
	May 2005