APRIL 24, 2012 SLEEP

"If we want to reach a level where we can teach others, we must first learn to listen to others."

Do you listen to others? I know I do, and I really have to--especially when it comes to my patients. I have a tendency of sometimes not listening to loved ones, especially Rick and often my children. I am so overstimulated during the day, that before I engage in personal conversation I have to meditate and slow down my mind. Did you ever call a friend with a problem, but first ask how he/she is doing and 15 minutes later you are still on their issues, but you actually called for yourself? Once you ask someone how he/she is doing - you should tell he/she why you called. Or better yet, do not ask how he/she is doing until you tell he/she why you are calling. We all need to listen more. I cannot teach lifestyle changes to anyone, if I first do not listen to their complaints. I also must ask everyone about their life- do they exercise, do they meditate, do they have a hobby, et al.  As I am fond of saying and have said before in this blog, "Take the cotton out of your ears and place it in your mouth and LISTEN."

Regular restful sleep is one of the most important components for maintaining health. If you have disrupted sleep it does not allow for proper digestion or sufficient time to make new hormones and chemical messengers (neurotransmitters) which are essential to our well being. We need these neurotransmitters to wake up with energy. Do you wake up tired? I used to! No longer.
We do know that inadequate sleep has been proven to decrease work performance, alertness, memory and cognitive function and put stress on your relationships (personal and professional). Lack of sleep decreases your quality of life. Do you want that?
A study has shown that a decrease in sleep by one and half hours will result in a decrease of daytime alertness by 32%. Wow!

A large cohort study of more than 3500 patients ages 35 and over found that the optimal sleep duration of 7 - 8 hours could predict better health outcomes.

There are many remedies for sleep- conventional prescriptions as well as botanical. There are also vitamins/supplements that have been used as remedies to sleep. Some of these supplements include theanine, and sub lingual melatonin. Homeopathic remedies like HEEL- Nerviheel and Neuroxtan (available at http://www.longevitynutritionals.com/ ) are excellent. The Bach remedy called Rescue Remedy is another valuable sleep agent. Herbal Vitality has a tincture called Sleep Formula which is useful. You must find the proper sleeping agent for you if you have difficulty.

I could describe many botanicals used in the Herbal Vitality mixture, but I want to mention two botanicals that I am fond of for sleeping.

One is Passion Flower (Passiflora incarnata). The alkalids and flavinoids in Passion flower are stronger sedatives and relaxants than other botanicals. It has the ability to restore debilitated nerve centers by promoting proper nutrition uptake at  a cellular level. It supports a calming and relaxing effect on the body during times of stress. Every person in New York City needs Passion Flower. The leaves and the vines contain the many alkaloids  as harmaline, harmine etc . There are also lots of bioflavinoids such as quercitin, rutin etc in the plant.  I love history of plants so this is no exception. It was first discovered in Peru in 1569 by a Spanish physician/botanist, Nicolas Monardes. In the 1800's it became popular with the Victorians of England.

The second botanical is Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora ) It has a relaxing and calming effect on the body. I like Skullcap because I find it can be used during the day to restore balance to an overworked individual. This is me. I utilize skullcap daily during the work day. I feel rested. It does not put me to sleep, but restore my energy and balance during the day and then I get a better restful sleep at night. This plant is a nervine  and has plenty of flavinoids, ligans, and tannins. The best known flavinoid is appropriately called scutellarin.

Until tomorrow...

SEPTEMBER 22 2010 MOTHER(WORT) TOUCH

Life is about making the right decisions and moving on. ~

~ Quietly forgiving and moving on is a gift to God ~ and yourself. ~

When you make the right decision to move on it is so much easier. It feels as if a burden was lifted. What I thought was fun or rather the 'right thing to do' is no longer. Recently, in order to move on from a loving , caring project after five years I have to quietly forgive. I have to realize that everyone does not care like I do. We all have different reasons for doing projects, especially volunteering. Is it self serving? Do we need to be loved and wanted? Is it for the passion of the project? Again, here come those expectations. When you expect you get disappointment. I have to also realize that when working with people--some may not be sober. Not only sober from their addiction or drug, but sober in every other aspects of life. Then, there are those who are sober in their addiction/drug and never really changed their behaviors. I must realize that everyone has their diseases of the mind. In order to forgive, look at those faces--wish them well, pray for them and move on.

Moving on is is truly a gift from GOD -- a gift to yourself. When was the last time GOD sent you a gift? When was the last time you had a real date with yourself?
The hardest time for me was moving on after my mom passed. It is more than 25 years, but never forgotten. As I get older, it is hard to have a mental picture of the past. Today is not a special day, nor her birthday month, but I dreamed of her last night for some reason.

There's a magic in a Mother's touch
And sunshine in her smile
There's love in everything she does
To make our lives worthwhile.
We can find hope and courage
Just by looking in her eyes.
Her laughter is a source of joy
Her words are warm and wise.
There is kindness and compassion
To be found in her embrace
And I see the light of heaven
Shining from my Mother's face.



The mind... Anxiety, Depression, Paranoid, Borderline Personality Disorders...
The nervines or adaptogens that assist anxiety/stress have already been discussed. None of those herbs can make up for lack of sleep, poor diet and a host of other issues. It is said that Americans are overstuffed yet undernourished. That does make sense with all the fast food Americans consume. Nervines like passionflower, lemon balm, and hawthorne can help. Others that can help are linden flower, skullcap, motherwort and milky oats which have not been discussed in this blog yet. I also discussed another nervine, chamomille. It was discussed for gastrointestinal calming. Yet most people use and know chamomille for anxiety and sleeplessness. I cannot express the important of sleep. When sleep deprived our adrenal glands which sit on the top of the kidneys get disregulated, tired and fatigued.


Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca ) is an herb I commonly use for extra heart beats, or palpitations. I usually combine this with hawthorne, night blooming cactus and scotch broom when used to slow down fast heart rates, as in atrial fibrillation. When I use it as a nervine I combine it with vervain (Verbena hastata ). Other sources on motherwort say it is often used for women with premenstrual syndrome or menopausal irritability. I have seen other herbalists add lavender to it. Lately I have been using motherwort for those with "white coat hypertension or "doctor anxiety".

Motherwort is a herbaceous perennial plant in the mint family, Lamiaceae. Spearmint, lemon balm and other mints are in this family. Other common names include Throw-wort, Lion's Ear, and Lion's Tail. Originally from Central Asia it is now found worldwide, spread largely due to its use as a herbal remedy.

As all mints, L. cardiaca has a square stem and opposite leaves. The leaves have serrated margins and are palmately lobed with long petioles; basal leaves are wedge shaped with three points while the upper leaves are more latticed. Flowers appear in leaf axils on the upper part of the plant and it blooms from June - August. The flowers are small, pink to lilac in color and often with furry lower lips. In Ithaca I have seen it growing along roadsides.

The herb contains the alkaloid leonurine, which is a mild vasodilator and has a relaxing effect on smooth muscles. For this reason, it has long been used as a cardiac tonic, nervine, and an emmenagogue. It also contains a bitter glycosides. Remember foxglove (digitalis) is a cardiac glycoside.

I use it for atrial fibrillation, which is an arrhythmia, and it is also useful for palpitations due to Overactive thyroid.

Photographs: Motherwort

Until tomorrow... Skullcap

SEPTEMBER 20, 2010 ABOUT HOPS

"Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art... It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival."
- C. S. Lewis

DO WE NEED FRIENDS? As I get older I believe this quote more and more. How many true friends do you have? Can the friends be counted on one hand? Two hands?

We all had friends in grade school, high school and college. How many do we still keep in touch with? Facebook, Classmates and my Space has allowed us to keep in contact. True friends know you inside and out. Life partners, as in my case are often your best friend. For me, it is the best friend I have. Yes, I have another best friend with whom I have been through the tough times. And many I once thought to be friends are mere acquaintances. And there are a few, increasing in number lately that I wouldn't want even as an acquaintances. These "folk" are bad karma, or drama infested. I strive for 'drama free'. I make a decision because I want to make a decision. Today I choose whom I want to be friends with. This is not a Friend Request Confirmation on Facebook. Friendship does give value to survival. Make a list of your true friends. How many are there really?


A tisane made with fresh HOPS is a remedy for sleeplessness. Hops (Humulus lupulus) is a sedative herb that I have not discussed. The others discussed so far have been Valerian, Passion Flower, and the California Poppy. Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis ) was discussed when discussing digestive disorders as I use it for the nervous stomach.

Those who like beer, know Hops. It is used in beer brewing. Hops are used primarily as a flavoring and stability agent in beer, to which they impart a bitter, tangy flavor, though hops are also used for various purposes in other beverages and herbal medicine. Hops were cultivated continuously around the 8th or 9th century AD in Bohemian gardens in the Hallertau district of Bavaria and other parts of Europe The first documented use of hops in beer as a bittering agent is from the eleventh century. Prior to this period, brewers used a wide variety of bitter herbs and flowers. Dandelion, burdock root, marigold, and horehound were often used prior to the discovery of hops. Hops are used extensively in brewing today for their many purported benefits, including balancing the sweetness of the malt with bitterness, contributing a variety of desirable flavors and aromas, and having an antibiotic effect that favors the activity of brewer's yeast over less desirable microorganisms.

The hop plant is a vigorous climbing herbaceous perennial, usually trained to grow up strings in a field called a hopfield, hop garden or hop yard when grown commercially. Many different varieties of hops are grown by farmers around the world, with different types being used for particular styles of beer.

There is apparently more to beer than just drinking it. The effect of hops on the finished beer varies by type and use, though there are two main hop types: bittering and aroma. Bittering hops have higher concentrations of alpha acids, and are responsible for the large majority of the bitter flavor of a beer. The degree of bitterness imparted by hops depends on the degree to which otherwise insoluble alpha acids (AAs) are isomerized during the boil. Flavors and aromas are described appreciatively using terms which include grassy, floral ,citrus , spicey, "piney," "lemony," and "earthy".

Hops are also used in herbal medicine in a way similar to valerian, as a treatment for anxiety, restlessness, and insomnia. A pillow filled with hops is a popular folk remedy for sleeplessness. Hops may be used alone, but more frequently they are combined with other herbs, such as valerian. The relaxing effect of hops may be due, in part, to the specific chemical component dimethylvinyl carbinol. Tom's deodorant is aluminum free and I believe contains hops, for its antibacterial affect.

UNTIL TOMORROW...

SEPTEMBER 19, 2010 MOVING ON... NOT SLEEPING

"When we accept ourselves with all our imperfections, we then can begin to accept others just as they are."

It is a lesson to be learned. As I always say, there is no perfection only progress. None of us are perfect. We may think we are, but we certainly are not. I must say the serenity prayer more than once a day. I have accepted people just as they are. It is difficult when I see a person suffering mentally, physically and psychologically. I see it on a daily basis. There comes a time when one must move on. Have you moved on from a situation? I have moved on in relationships, in occupations, in hobbies and in volunteer positions. When something does not make you happy anymore it is time to move on. In the past I might have thought this was a defeat. Actually it is an accomplishment and an achievement to know when you have done enough. It is always better to move on when you are at the top. One should enjoy life. What have you enjoyed in your life? I am going to enjoy the peace , serenity and love of Fire Island as the future unfolds. Being with Rick, and friends at the beach and among the plants is the best. Try to find a place for yourself in life where you and nature can be one. BE AMONG THE PLANTS

In discussing the sedatives, I have discussed Valerian and Passion Flower. I want to discuss briefly the California Poppy. Like the opium poppy, Eschscholyzia california also contains alkaloids with sedative and hypnotic properties. It is native to grassy and open areas from sea level to 2,000m (6,500 feet) altitude in the western United States throughout California, extending to Oregon, southern Washington, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, and in Mexico in Sonora and northwest Baja California. At the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine, the back garden has the most beautiful orange colored poppies.

However, compared to the other poppies and their alkaloids, this poppy is relatively safe to be used. It brings the body to a state of equilibrium, not narcotic like the phenanthrene alkaloids of morphine and codeine. It is important for those reading not to confuse the California Poppy with that of the Opium Poppy.

I wonder if the Wicked Witch of west placed California or Opium Poppies in the field to deter Dorothy from reaching the Emerald City. Poppies are used as emblems on tombstones to symbolize eternal sleep. This aspect was used, fictionally, in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz to create magical poppy fields, dangerous because they caused those who passed through them to sleep forever. Do you remember that scene?

Opium poppy, Papaver somniferum, is the species of plant from which opium and poppy seeds are extracted. Opium is the source of many opiates, including morphine, thebaine, codeine, papaverine, and noscapine. The Latin botanical name means, loosely, the "sleep-bringing poppy", referring to the sedative properties of some of these opiates. The poppy is the only species of Papaveraceae that is an agricultural crop grown on a large scale. Poppy seeds of Papaver somniferum are an important food item and the source of poppyseed oil, a healthy edible oil that has many uses. It is widely grown as an ornamental flower throughout Europe, North America, South America, and Asia.

The leaves are alternately divided into round, lobed segments. The flowers are solitary on long stems, silky-textured, with four petals, each petal 2–6 cm long and broad; their color ranges from yellow to orange, and flowering is from February to September. The petals close at night or in cold, windy weather and open again the following morning, although they may remain closed in cloudy weather.

It grows well in disturbed areas. In addition to being planted for horticulture, revegetation, and highway beautification, it often colonizes along roadsides and other disturbed areas. It is drought-tolerant, self-seeding, and easy to grow in gardens. It is also pictured in welcome signs while entering California. It is the official flower of California. April 6 is designated California Poppy Day.


Top photograph: Judy Garland sleeping among the Poppies in 1939 Wizard of Oz
Other photographs: The California Poppy
Until tomorrow...

SEPTEMBER 18, 2010 PASSION FOR MEDICINE AND FLOWERS

"The most helpful thing we can do for someone is to listen and care; then we need to let go of the outcome."

On a daily basis I am reminded this is the most important aspect of my occupation as a physician. Medicine is not taught in the classroom but at the bedside according to Sir William Osler. When I read the "Quotable Osler" I get inspired. The quote above is Oslerian--if there is such a word! Medicine is my vocation. It is my belief that we do not listen to each other very well. Doctors do not listen to their patients. Patients tell us everything about themselves. Why do I let patients talk about their dreams, families, fears, hopes and their health? Because I care. Today, I try to the best of my ability to listen outside my scope of medicine. I have to take the cotton out of my ears, place it in my mouth and listen. I hope when I do that I can truly listen to the person speaking.

This week I let go of an outcome. I must tell you that I feel weightless. I feel lighter. I feel happier. I have realized that what I have done tirelessly for an effort was the right thing to do. I cannot control people, places and things. I cannot control anyone else's behavior except mine. Have you controlled your behavior in a given situation? What was your role? Do you truly listen to others when they speak?

I do know that medicine is my vocation chosen by above. Some may say it is my calling. I do know that I need an avocation- some intellectual or non intellectual pastime, which serves me to keep in touch with the world of art, science, or of letters. I have countless avocations or hobbies. What are your avocations?
Can plants and flowers be your avocation?


When I think of a sedative plant alternative I always used to think of Valerian. The nervous function is suppressed when it is used appropiately. Sedatives induce sleep. Valerian is widely used in Europe. I used to use it more in my daily practice. I have found that some people get the opposite reaction. Some take valerian and get nervous. This is an idiosyncratic reaction. It does happen more often than not. I have found that those who get active or hyper with valerian have some thyroid imbalance, either overactive or underactive thyroid function. I have seen more hypothyroidism in patients with these idosyncratic reactions.

Hops is another sedative but it is not as strong. I personally do not like the bitter taste of hops. Hops is found in beer. Beer has barley and barley is a gluten grain. For those with gluten sensitivity--Hops would not be the greatest choice for a sedative herb.

So let's discuss Passion Flower. The passion flower or passion vines (Passiflora) are a genus of about 500 species of flowering plants. They are mostly vines, with some being shrubs, and a few species being herbaceous. It is impossible to discuss every species of this plant.

I found it intriguing that many insects and birds have adapted to one or two plant species within the Passiflora Family. For example the sword billed hummingbird will feed on two species of passiflora- one being the Passiflora mixata.

Passiflora incarnata, commonly known as Maypop, Purple passionflower, True passionflower, Wild apricot, and Wild passion vine, is a fast growing perennial vine with climbing or trailing stems. A member of the passionflower genus Passiflora, the Maypop has large, intricate flowers with prominent styles and stamens. One of the hardiest species of passionflower, it is a common wildflower in the southern United States. The Cherokee in the Tennessee area called it ocoee; the Ocoee River and valley are named after this plant, which is the Tennessee State Wildflower. This is the most unique flower I have seen to date. It is 'extraterrestial' or 'maritian like' yet so beatiful.

The stems can be smooth or pubescent; they are long and trailing, possessing many tendrils. Leaves are alternate and palmately 3-lobed, measuring from 6-15 cm. They have two characteristic glands at the base of the blade on the petiole. Flowers have five bluish-white petals. They exhibit a white and purple corona, a structure of fine appendages between the petals and corolla. The large flower is typically arranged in a ring above the petals and sepals. They are pollinated by insects such as bumblebees, and are self-sterile. The flower normally blooms in July.

The fleshy fruit, also in itself called a Maypop, is an oval yellowish berry about the size of a hen egg; it is green at first, but then becomes orange as it matures. .

Traditionally, the fresh or dried whole plant has been used as a herbal medicine to treat nervous anxiety and insomnia. The dried, ground herb is frequently used in Europe by drinking a teaspoon of it in tea. A sedative chewing gum was even produced in Romania in 1978.

In addition to anxiety and insomnia, I have used passion flower in combination with valerian and lemon balm (Melissa offincinalis) to treat restless leg syndrome. Studies have been done using Passion Flower for alcohol and opoid dependence. I use 1/2 to 1 ml of tincture 2 - 3 times a day for patients with anxiety disorders.

Photographs: Both are Avocations

Until tomorrow...

SEPTEMBER 16, 2010 DREAM, A LITTLE DREAM

"GOD ...is able to do far more than we would dare to ask or even dream of --infinitely beyond our highest prayer, desires, thoughts or hopes."
Ephesians 3:20

"All big men are dreamers. They see things in the soft haze of a spring day or in the red fire of a long winter's evening. Some of us let our dreams die, but others nourish and protect them, nurse them through bad days till they bring them to sunshine and light, which always come to those who sincerely believe that their dreams will come true." - Woodrow Wilson


When I think of the word dream, many thoughts come to mind. One of those words is fun. Do you want to have fun today? The answer to that question is very simple--YES. So relax without any guilt and do not worry about the work that is not done. It will eventually get done. If I do not have a full schedule I want to have fun. I will needlepoint, paint, and even write my blog earlier. I even let myself enjoy work. Yes, work can be pleasurable too! If you decide to have fun, you must remember to LET YOURSELF ENJOY IT.

We all have dreams. Maybe not in the sense of remembering every aspect of that happy dream last night. A dream is a succession of images, sounds or emotions that the mind experiences during sleep. The content and purpose of dreams are not fully understood, though they have been a topic of speculation and interest throughout recorded history. The scientific study of dreams is known as oneirology.

When I wrote dream I knew people would think of the above definition.
Are your dreams your aspirations or desires? Are your dreams unrealistic? Is it your dream to want to be a star on the Broadway stage, or a famous writer with a book on the top 10 list? I know when I rid myself of unnecessary stress... clean 'house' of bad karma, pray and meditate for serenity and peace-- I can see my dreams more clearly.


Be grateful today and acknowledge all of your dreams. Open yourself up to try on a daily basis to achieve that dream to the best of your ability. Take responsibility for making that dream come true.


How do I go from dreams to medicine to plants... I will discuss the nervous system. So lets discuss herbal sleeping drugs. Sleep is not easily understood. There are many phases we go through when we sleep. It is not as simple as scientists once thought. Everyone goes through stages of REM sleep. REM is rapid eye movement. This is a stage of sleep where dreaming is associated with movements of muscle and the rapid eye movements. This is an active process of the brain. No one should disturb this stage or suppress the dreams. I do know that herbal medicines for sleep do not interfere with abreaction and are not powerful enough to suppress REM. Prescriptions or conventional drugs do interfere with REM. For this reason alone I would prefer to use herbal preparations to induce relaxation at night, thus helping the patient to get ready for sleep.

There are many remedies available. I love meditation and prayer before going to sleep. This alone may induce sleep. How can one induce relaxation? Lying quietly in bed has many recuperative powers. Of course, this is without the Nightly News, David Letterman, the Cooking Channel, or four books on your nightstand. Oh yes without your unfinished stitched canvas, too! Remember the older you get the less sleep you need. I do not understand this, but it has been well researched. The only advice I give to older individuals is to accept the idea of lying in bed awake. I know some individuals of that age group who do not accept this. But this is the process of aging.

When I think of the Nervous System, drugs are grouped into different categories. These are tranquilizers, anti depressants, sedatives, barbiturates and narcotics. The plant kingdom is no different, although it does depend on what book you are reading. At one point I should discuss the narcotic opium. Certainly, not my favorite with the exception of its long historical content, and the fact that Margaret Hamilton (Wicked Witch of the West) places a Poppy Field in the way of Dorothy, The Cowardly Lion and the Scarecow (Judy Garland, Bert Lahr, and Jack Haley Sr) during their trip to the Emerald City in the 1939 Classic, The Wizard of Oz.

One plant a day is my new motto. Starting with the sedatives. Valerian, Valeriana officinalis is a sedative. It is a hardy perennial flowering plant with heads of sweetly scented pink or white flowers. Did you know that Valerian comes from a plant with beautifully scented flowers? The flowers are in bloom in the northern hemisphere from June to September. Its flowers have a pleasant scent,so it was used as a perfume in the sixteenth century.
Native to Europe and parts of Asia, valerian has been introduced into North America. It is consumed as food by the larvae of some Lepidoptera (butterfly and moth) species. I think it is beautiful on a warm day to see butterflies grazing the flowers of a garden. This is a serene moment. A moment of clarity. A moment of connection with nature.

Valerian, in pharmacology and phytotherapic medicine, is prepared from roots of the plant, which, after maceration, trituration and dehydration processes, are conveniently packaged, usually into capsules, that may be used for certain effects, including sedation and anxiolytic effect. I prefer Valerian tea or a homepathic remedy that contains Valerian.

All historical aspects of herbs have myths and legends. In medieval Sweden, it was sometimes placed in the wedding clothes of the groom to ward off the "envy" of the elves. Valerian has been used as a medicinal herb since at least the time of ancient Greece and Rome. Many herbs date back to this time period. Hippocrates described its properties, and Galen later prescribed it as a remedy for insomnia.

If you are already taking a prescription sedative, please consult your health care practitioner before taking any herb.

The photographs are of Valerian, and Woodrow Wilson. Do you remember who Woodrow Wilson was?

He was the 28th President of the United States after Taft and before Harding. His history as President in unique. He served 1913-1921, yet in 1919 he suffered a major cerebrovascular accident (stroke) which was concealed from the public for some time and revealed only after his death in 1924. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1919.

Think of song lyrics with DREAM in the title. Listen to these songs.


Until tomorrow...