First: The anxiety answer!
At last, the 12 million women who suffer from heart-pounding anxiety have an effective alternative to modern mind-numbing drugs: age-old herbs.
[pull quote] Before I turned to Chinese herbs, I wondered if I was crazy.
Driving along the coast as the sun set should have been a relaxing ride, but
Laurel’s head was spinning, her heart was racing and she could barely
breathe. “I felt scared,” she recalls. Fearful of losing consciousness, she
pulled over and called for help. Why does this keep happening? she asked
herself.
After a number of tests, Laurel’s doctor ruled out heart problems and
diabetes and diagnosed her with anxiety. “It made sense -my life was coming
down on me. My marriage was in trouble, my job was frustrating and I was
unhappy,” she says.
Her doctor’s answer: beta-blocking drugs that left her feeling numb. “My
anxiety attacks had subsided, but the drug’s side effects were as bad as the
problem,” she says. She began searching for alternative remedies. When a
friend raved about Chinese medicine Laurel decided she had nothing to lose.
“The herbalist looked at the swollen whitish circle on the tip of my tongue
and knew immediately that my liver was clogged, which he said was a factor
in anxiety,” she says. “I was sold -I quit the drugs and switched to the
herbal regimen he developed for me.”
–Nature’s healers calm an anxious mind–
Unlike Western practitioners, Chinese medical experts treat the body as a
whole and believe wellness occurs when the energy produced by each organ
system flows freely through the body. When toxins from processed foods or
the environment overload the liver (a filtering organ) and adrenal glands,
mood-regulating hormones such as cortisol, estrogen and testosterone can’t
be produced properly and anxiety sets in.
The remedy? Medicinal plants that bolster the liver’s defenses and ability
to flush toxins. In one study, 87.5 percent of patients with anxiety,
chronic fatigue and depression had “remarkable” reductions in symptoms after
taking herbs designed to enhance liver function. Andrew Weil, M.D., director
of the Program in Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona at
Tucson, isn’t surprised. “Since Chinese herbs promote the health that your
body is already programmed to achieve, they don’t interfere with mental
function like Western anti-anxiety medications -and that makes them more
effective.”
–Finally, life without anxiety and fear–
The herbs worked for Laurel -with no side effects! She learned that what she
was feeling was a real problem that is treatable without having to walk
around like a zombie. Now two years later, Laurel is anxiety-free. In fact,
on a recent trip to Switzerland, she went paragliding, soaring up to 9,000
feet and feeling no worry! “It was a test to see if I was over my
anxiety -and I passed!” she says.
Sidebar:
The herbs that guarantee health and happiness!
Chinese herbs can be used to remedy a variety of health concerns, from
everyday aches to serious conditions. Here, the natural wonders proven to
relieve the most common female concerns.
Feel alert and energized with rhodiola:
This sacred root is prized for its ability to reduce mental fatigue during
stressful situations. In one study, medical students who took the herb for
20 days enjoyed significant improvements in mental energy, final-exam
grades, physical fitness and general well-being. Researchers point to
rhodiola’s ability to stimulate neurotransmitters, including serotonin and
dopamine, that control emotional response and physical movement. (Try Natrol
Rhodiola 300 mg, $10 for 30 capsules, at drugstore.com.)
Prevent mood swings with black cohosh:
This herb traditionally has been used to even-out the menstrual and
menopausal hormonal flux that triggers mood swings, depression and insomnia.
Now a wealth of research proves that it works, perhaps thanks to a compound
called fukinolic acid that mimics the effects of estrogen. (Try GNC Herbal
Plus Concentrat-ed Black Cohosh 1000 mg, $10 for 60 softgels, at
drugstore.com.)
Beat fatigue and boost fat burn with cordyceps:
Research proves this mushroom optimizes the body’s ability to burn stored
fat for fuel, which means more energy to be active. (Try CordyMax Cs-4, $25
for 120 capsules, at www.pharmanexusa.com.)
We’re here to help!
Most insurers do not cover the cost of herbs, which range from a few dollars
to over $100, depending on the type, grade, strength and dose. For
information on Chinese herbs, visit drweil.com.