SPECIAL
 

Vigorous physical work and exercise are vital for keeping our cells, breathing, heartbeat, and digestive tract strong and healthy. The cells are bathed in fresh oxygen rich blood when we exercise which rejuvenates them and makes them more resistant to disease. Oxygen rich blood also has the added benefit of relieving depression and uplifting the spirits! It also helps our body deal with excess adrenaline from daily stresses. Mental work can be far more fatiguing than physical work, and definitely does not increase oxygen levels in the blood! Our bodies were designed thousands of years ago (if not millions) to be strong and physically active for survival. Our modern lifestyle has greatly reduced the need for physical activity, and our bodies pay the consequences. Unless your work is physically demanding, it is vitally important to develop a daily routine of physical activities to accommodate the needs of your body.

The body was also designed to eat many natural foods from plants - fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds, and beans. This is an ideal diet! Eating foods as close to nature as possible, not processed, refined, artificial, micro-waved fake foods! Why do you think we call them JUNK foods? Our body really has no need or purpose for them. They end up being stored as toxins in our fat cells, or accumulate in our digestive tract as undigested, putrefied foods that become toxic! Our bowel can expand to 5 times its size to accommodate built up waste. From the weight of the bowel it can put pressure on the prostate and bladder and built up toxins can leak out of the bowel creating more problems! (We'll talk about that later!)

A healthy, balanced diet is not only essential for providing the many nutrients, building blocks, of all of our cells, but it will keep the digestive tract clean and healthy, able to absorb the nutrients needed, and efficiently eliminate the waste (without build-up). It is also important eat slowly and chew your food thoroughly, until it is liquid, before you swallow! Swallowing chunks will create unhealthy digestion and poor assimilation of nutrients! Instead of reaching for the antacids, change your eating habits!

Many herbs are considered tonics for the male system. They are usually rich in vitamins and minerals, as well as supportive to the body. A nice Male Tonic Tea can be made by the quart and carried in a thermos to be drunk either hot or cold during the day. I will list some of the most important herbs for men, along with their uses, although there are many others that are helpful for all of us!

American Ginseng -Increases vitality and improves the body's resistance to a wide variety of illnesses. Eat a piece of root the size of your pinky nail daily, or use in tea or extract form.

Sarsaparilla - It is used to restore proper functioning of the body as a whole. Good for psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis. It also contains chemicals with properties that aid testosterone production!

Saw Palmetto - Used to tone and strengthen the male reproductive system! An antiseptic for the urinary tract, it is also specific for enlarged prostate glands! Use the berries as tea, or extract 3x a day!

Horsetail - Rich in silicic acid, it's an excellent astringent for the genital-urinary system, used with Saw Palmetto in cases of inflamed or enlarged prostate glands. Helps heal wounds too.

Siberian Ginseng - Strengthens the adrenal glands, increases resistance to damaging environmental factors, increases vitality. Reduces incidence of illnesses. Excellent general tonic!

Licorice Root - Acts on the endocrine system and liver as an anti-hepatotoxic effect for hepatitis and cirrhosis. As an anti-inflammatory, it's used for gastritis and bronchial conditions.

Milk Thistle Seed - Excellent liver tonic - has a detoxifying effect on liver and gall bladder and is the only herb to reverse toxic liver damage over time! The active ingredient, silymarum, is alcohol soluable, so use the extract 2-3x a day, in water, juice, or tea.

Ginkgo -Has a powerful effect on brain function! Increase blood and oxygen to the brain to improve memory, tinnitis, vertigo, alzheimer's, diminished intellectual capacity due to stroke or injury.

Sassafras - Used primarily for excema and psoriasis, and also useful for rheumatism and gout!

Wild Yam- A valuable antispasmodic used to relieve intestinal colic, diverticulitis, and arthritis.

Damiana -Tonic for the central nervous and hormonal systems. Used in depression, anxiety, strengthens the male system. Has alkaloids with testosterone-like action. Known as an aphrodisiac!

Hawthorne - One of the best remedies for the heart and circulatory system! Used safely in heart weakness or failure, angina, palpitations, high blood pressure, and arteriosclerosis.

Yellow Dock - A powerful blood cleanser, promotes the flow of bile from the liver. Used for jaundice, constipation, and especially useful for psoriasis and eczema!

This condition has become very common in men of all ages, not unlike the widespread occurrence of PMS, which can be caused by the same lifestyle problems. Stress (even sexual stress), unhealthy diet, excess consumption of alcohol and caffeine, lack of physical exercise, poor elimination, accumulation of toxins (particularly nickel), or other infections such as infected teeth, tonsillitis, or a venereal disease.

Most men that show a large, protruding gut often have poor elimination, toxins leaking out of the intestines into the blood, and a prolapsed transverse colon, which can weigh heavy on the bladder and prostate glands! Nickel is usually found accumulated in the prostate from wearing metal watches, jewelry, chains, using stainless steel cutlery, or working with metal objects. Small amounts can be absorbed through the skin and build up over time. The urinary and digestive tracts need to undergo a thorough cleansing, which usually clears up the condition. Daily habits need to be adjusted as well to support healthier organs.

Foods to include on a daily basis would be Pumpkin seeds (1/4-1/2 cup, not salted), Cucumbers, Watermelon, Calcium/Magnesium supplement (600 ml. daily), 400 I.U. Vitamin E, and Zinc. Absolutely avoid all alcohol and caffeine! They will exacerbate the problem. Eat simple, nourishing foods of steamed vegetables, grains, and miso soup.

For babies, children, or men the quickest and most effective remedy is to make a powder of Goldenseal (Antimicrobial to clear the infection) and Slippery Elm (which is very soothing and healing). Keep the area clean and dry, and sprinkle on the powder several times a day. Washing the area with a solution of comfrey or chamomile tea will provide immediate relief from inflammation. You can also take internally Echinacea, Goldenseal, Myrrh and Slippery Elm as an extract.

Several things can really help with this problem. ALL of them should be incorporated into a daily routine.

Eat a good cleansing and nourishing diet with lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, high quality proteins, fresh fruits and grains. Avoid all processed foods, caffeine and alcohol!

Use liver cleansing herbs (the liver regulates our hormones) such as dandelion, burdock, and yellow dock roots. Milk Thistle and red clover tops will also help cleanse the liver and blood.

Take 400 I.U. of Vitamin E Daily.

Use a good quality, natural vitamin/mineral supplement, preferably liquid and organic (from plant sources). 

Employ a good stress reduction program, learn meditation, yoga, Tai Chi, listen to relaxing tapes, take walks in nature, whatever it takes to fully and deeply relax! Some herbs to relax tension and anxiety are Skullcap and Valerian.

Use some good strengthening herbs such as Saw Palmetto, Ginseng, Sarsaparilla, Gota Cola to help build and balance the male system. Yohimbe can be used in small amounts for impotence and lack of libido.

Several things can contribute to premature hair loss. The skin on the scalp is thinnest during youthful teenage years, encouraging lots of hair growth. As you get older, it can thicken and block hair growth. DIET is very important! Take good supplements of vitamins and minerals. Reduce meats and dairy products, as they can block hair growth in the middle area of the head. Sugary, processed foods encourage hair loss in the frontal regions. Nickel is also found to be present, and this coincides with prostate problems! Cleansing the body thoroughly will help reduce toxic build up, as well as improve absorption of nutrients. Stimulate the scalp daily by rubbing a few drops of Rosemary Oil in. You can put a few drops in your shampoo or conditioner too. This stimulates hair growth and helps stop premature baldness. Regular hair brushing is also very helpful. Avoid ripping the hair! Lie on a slant board daily to increase blood supply to the head region.

I highly recommend picking up a good herbal book, such as The Male Herbal, by James Green, or The Holistic Herbal, by David Hoffmann, to learn more about herbs and how they work in your body!