A variety of solutions for your health issues this fall

By Jonathan Evans Herbal Information Specialist /Business Representative for the Herbarium Special to PRIME It's back-to-school and back to work for most of us. Getting into a regular routine can be hard, but here are a few suggestions to help with the transition back to the real world. Get started on the right track with a good high potency multivitamin and a mineral supplement. This does not include your major brands or the stuff at the discount houses. Regardless of what the front label says, you need to read the back label. Do not be fooled by percentages. 100 percent of the Recommended Daily Intake is so pathetically low as to be almost useless. If you go by those numbers established by the government I will guarantee you will not get rickets or scurvy, but that is about it folks. These numbers are established on the absolute minimum amount needed for the nutrients and that is not good enough. For those of you who believe that by having a good diet will do it for you, you are also sadly mistaken. It has been known since the 1920s that our land is very depleted in basic nutrients, and the nutrient content of our foods is sorely lacking (check it out for your self in the congressional record-1926). When it comes to mineral supplements, avoid the Cal- trate and Oscal type of supplement. Again, read the back label. If you are buying calcium carbonate and little or no magnesium content, you truly are wasting your money. If you have this stuff on your shelf just give it to your plants. They will utilize it, you won't. No sooner does the school bell ring than the sniffles begin. Some things to stock up on include probiotics for improved immune function, fish oil (there is a number of companies that make flavored fish oils that are so good, even little kids think they are a treat!) and hand sanitizers are very popular. Hand sanitizers only work on bacteria and with continued use the bacteria can become resistant to the cleanser. We have suggested adding essential oils to the sanitizers to make them anti-bacterial and anti-viral. Lemon Myrtle, Geranium and Palmarosa are very effective. By changing the oils and the amount each time keeps the viruses and bacteria from becoming resistant. Herbarium has a special blend of oils called Germstop that will do the trick. For those of you who have difficulty concentrating, there are several products that can help. These are for children and adults alike. Oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPC's) are bioflavonoids that help to strengthen capillary walls and promote circulation as well as new blood vessel growth. We have used these for children and adults with ADD/ADHD. Buried Treasure makes a liquid formula especially for kids that has the OPC's, Phosphatidylcholine, Phosphatidylserine, DHA, B vitamins, and herbs to help calm and focus. Dr. Christopher's makes a formula called Mindtrac that really helps when you had six things on your mind and forgot the first four. Essential oil blends are also very helpful to relieve the stress and aid in concentration. Last but not least, we enter into the dreaded fall allergy season. Take heart that the first frost will save us but in the meantime try another Buried Treasure product. Aller-Ease helps to stop the histamine response, reduce inflammation, reduce mucous production and the other symptoms. Quercetin, bromelain, and vitamin C are very helpful in relieving allergy symptoms, there are a variety of homeopathic formulas and individual remedies available. — Jonathan Please send your questions on botanical remedies to Natures Rx : Jonathan Evans via e-mail at info@theherbarium.com, or by regular mail at The Herbarium, 264 Exchange Street, Chicopee, MA 01013. If you are requesting additional information from Jonathan, please include a self-addrresed stamped envelope.