By Jonathan Evans
Herbal Information Specialist/Business Representative for the Herbarium
Happy New Year folks! It’s great to get a fresh start and make all those resolutions that we know will be broken by February, but what the heck. As the great philosopher W.C. Fields once said, “If at first you don’t succeed, try again, then quit. No sense making a damn fool of yourself.”
On that note, here are a few observations to start off the year:
About that January cholesterol check…
Many of you will be going to get your cholesterol checked this month. Personally, I think that is the dumbest idea around. Here is why. We just finished a major round of holidays from Thanksgiving to Christmas to New Year and a few others tossed in for good measure. Now ‘fess up, did you really keep an eye on the foods and drink? Were you watching your calories and fat intake as you poured on the gravy, had the extra piece of pie, etc., etc. The weather has gotten colder to boot. And now your doctor or health insurance is going to check your cholesterol.
Let me play Carnac the Magnificent here – your cholesterol is going to be up.
In cold weather, your body will produce more cholesterol to keep you from desiccating. It is a natural occurrence. Add to that all the fat-filled foods you’ve been eating and you will be on Lipitor faster than you can say LDL! Unless you have a life-threatening condition, I would wait until you tried to bring your cholesterol down naturally –or at least wait for warmer weather before having your cholesterol tested. Of course, this is just my opinion.
Thoughts on the shingles, flu shots
Something I heard in a television commercial pushing those shingles vaccinations caught my attention. The announcer actually said in the warning that the vaccine contains a “weakened virus”– not dead – but weakened. Personally, that bothers me. If you are already prone to getting the virus, or your immune system is weak, this seems like a great way to get shingles. I am not a doctor, but I always go back to the push for flu vaccines. I never understood how a dead virus (which isn’t even the one hitting us) could protect you from this year’s strain. I also do not know if the virus is dead or weakened. I hope a responsible Immunologist can comment. I am not telling you to not get a flu vaccine – some people have to – but I have chosen not to go that route.
My mother used to get the vaccine, and then get the flu. We were told that she probably had the virus starting before she got the shot, but Mom would get deathly ill every time. Strangely enough, when we pumped her with immune boosting herbs and the Herbarium’s cold and flu formula, she never caught the flu again. This was impressive, considering she was very active with the Friends of the Elderly and Council on Aging in her town. She was exposed to a lot of people who were sick, yet she did fine.
However, I say again, if you are in a group that really needs the flu shot then by all means get it.
And those supplement “programs”
At the beginning of the New Year many people get the idea of getting into a “program” to improve their health. Often these “programs” involve supplement regimes. Let me be the first to tell you to watch out! Every day I have customers coming into the Herbarium with bags, literally bags, of supplements that some “wellness consultant” suggested they use. Most of the time this new “program” is costing them hundreds of dollars for these supplements, and many are essentially the same ingredients – with a few minor differences – and almost always include amounts of essential minerals or herbs way below optimum levels to do much good.
Let me pose this question: If these “experts” really knew what they were doing and their stuff was any good, why in heaven’s name would customers feel the need to come to me with questions? It pains me to see people with a list of 12 to 20 supplements they are supposed to take every day who say they are not getting much improvement
If you have someone suggesting more than three or four supplements at any one time, be very suspicious. And if they continue to add products to your list for the same condition, run away and fast.
We here at HERBARIUM have always prided ourselves in offering top quality products with proven results, and people get better using them.
– Jonathan
Please send your questions on botanical remedies to Natures Rx: Jonathan Evans via email at herbarium258@gmail.com, or by regular mail to: The Herbarium, 264 Exchange St., Chicopee, Mass. 01013. If requesting additional information from Evans, please include a self-addressed stamped envelope.
