Top 5 Herbal Formulas for Health and Wellness

Why do the Chinese have a reputation for living long, healthy lives? A long history of using Chinese herbs may play a role. Here are five of the most popular herbal formulas and how they help promote health and wellness in the body.

A Basic Formula (Gui Zhi Tang)

This was one of the first formulas used to fight off signs of the common cold. It works by pushing pathogens out of the body, primarily through sweating.

Digestive Aid (Ping Wei San)

This formula works to tonify the stomach and improve digestion and elimination. It is often used when there is stomach upset or bloating, and has been used to help relieve fullness in the chest and abdomen.

Liver Support (Xiao Chai Hu Tang)

This formula has been used for lingering colds that persist for more than five days with alternating fever and chills. Over the long term, it also has helped improve liver enzymes and general fatigue from chronic illness.

Energy Support (Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang)

This formula helps strengthen weakened and debilitated patients and has been used with various types of prolapses, frequent urination, bleeding problems like anemia, and generalized weakness.

PMS and Mental Support (Xiao Yao San)

This formula, one of the most popular Chinese formulas used in America, focuses on supporting the mind/body balance. It soothes the mind and promotes blood movement, which also helps relieve pain and cramping.

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Baby's First Foods

A baby's body develops and grows more in the first three years of their life than in all of their remaining years. Thus, what a child ingests during these highly developmental years is of paramount importance.

There never will be a question whether breastfeeding is best for a baby. A mother's milk is nature's perfect and complete food for her baby and can't be reproduced. While there is no way to re-create a mother's milk, it is possible to improve on the standard formulas available by adding necessary nutrients that are lacking. For instance, most infant formulas are lacking a key nutritional component: fatty acid. Considering the fact that the brain is 60 percent lipid (fat), this is an important part of a newborn's diet.

One of the worst things to do to an infant's digestive system is to introduce solids too soon. This may cause future food allergies, as well as overtax their digestive tract and cause them to become "gassy" or "colicky." When to introduce solid foods is determined best by the maturity of the digestive system and should never start with "baby cereal." Many authorities discourage grains until a child is at least one year old.

Until a child is 6 months old, breast milk is best; after that, it's advised to begin on simple fruits and vegetables which are preferably organic. Introduce one new item at a time over several days; first, to see how the baby responds to each new food item and, second, to allow the baby's digestive system to adapt to the change.

Your baby is growing and developing at an astonishing rate, and it's vital that the building blocks you provide are the best they can be. Talk to your doctor for more information about holistic newborn nutrition and supplementation options.

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Think Natural

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 1.6 million elementary school-aged children have been diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Many parents of hyperactive children have long suspected that artificial ingredients in foods worsen their children's behavior. Now there's evidence to back up those suspicions.

A recent study in The Lancet is the first to show a link between various common food dyes, such as "sunset yellow" and "allura red," and sodium benzoate (a preservative used in many soft drinks, fruit juices, salad dressings and other foods) and hyperactivity in some children.

The research tracked 300 children in two age groups, 3-year-olds and 8- and 9-year-olds, who were put on a diet free from additives and given one drink per day containing either fruit juice or a mixture of benzoate preservative and food coloring. After two weeks, children in both age groups were significantly more hyperactive when drinking the beverages containing additives.

Researchers advise parents that hyperactivity has complex causes and cannot be cured by simply avoiding food colorings. But by limiting preservatives and artificial flavorings in your child's diet and replacing them with natural, whole foods, you can be sure you're giving your child a sound foundation for health and wellness.

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