There are good reasons that we’re all so interested in cleansing. Our bodies do their best, but they need help to process the environmental and emotional toxins we’ve taken in over the years. Many turn to quick, dramatic cleansing procedures that often end up doing more harm than good. These cleanses flush too many toxins…
by Susan Wolfe Recently some interesting findings were released linking gingivitis to the development of Alzheimer’s disease. Pretty scary, since about a third of us have gingivitis to some degree or another. The long-term effects of inflammation of the gums is also known to stress the cardiovascular system, so those are two strong reasons to…
Arjuna is an herb used in Ayurvedic medicine that specifically cares for and strengthens the heart. Its botanical name is Terminalia arjuna, and it is a beautiful, green-leafed tree that grows in parts of India and Bangladesh. The bark of the tree is harvested and used for its rejuvenating, strengthening effects on the cardiovascular system.…
It’s not quite time yet for full-on spring cleansing, but if you’re anything like me, you may be getting eager to make some changes from the winter diet and start getting ready for spring! It may not be a good time to cleanse or fast intensely, but we can start to prepare our digestive systems…
There can be a lot of pressure to jump-start a new diet or cleansing regimen in the month of January. But if you ask your body, you might end up hearing it say that it wants to hibernate just a little longer, that it’s still winter. Just like spring and fall cleaning, physical cleansing is…
When cooler, drier air comes rolling in, sometimes drinking more water isn’t enough to stay hydrated. If you’re like me and lack a humidifier, these simple self-care techniques help make the cold months of the year much more enjoyable! Here are a few easy ideas to soothe the senses and stay supple this season, inside…
Here comes the season that brings strong feelings about food to just about everyone: The Winter Holidays! The holidays come with feasting and all manner of special treats and temptations, which both bring us great happiness and sometimes stress and digestive upset. Ideally we can enjoy the former with a minimum of the latter, but…
Despite our best efforts, sometimes we end up getting sick. When this becomes our fate, we can shorten the duration and severity of the illness with certain herbs and therapies, but what about after that? How can we support our liver’s “clean up” efforts in the aftermath of a virus? The liver never stops fighting…
By Tom Wolfe R.H. (AHG) R.H. means Tom is a Registered Herbalist (since 1980) in the American Herbalists Guild (AHG) “I have worked at Smile for 49 years and believe you me have heard Smile’s customers (very best customer folks in the world) speak of every way of herbal healing many, many, many times over…
Despite our best efforts, sometimes we end up getting sick. When this becomes our fate, we can shorten the duration and severity of the illness with certain herbs and therapies, but what about after that? How can we support our liver’s “clean up” efforts in the aftermath of a virus? The liver never stops fighting…
By Tom Wolfe An Example of Current Herbal Understanding in One Major Chronic Illness Globally, nearly one billion people have high blood pressure (hypertension); of these, two-thirds are in developing countries. Hypertension is one of the most important causes of premature death worldwide and the problem is growing; in 2025, an estimated 1.56 billion adults…
“Collectively, these diseases where the immune system attacks itself affect more than 24 million people in the United States. An additional eight million people have auto-antibodies, blood molecules that indicate a person’s chance of developing autoimmune disease. Autoimmune diseases are affecting more people for reasons unknown. Likewise, the causes of these diseases remain a mystery”.…
Intelligent Spring Cleansing To Heal The Five Major Organs Of The BodyA Sensible and Gentle Six-Week CleanseBasically from my 30 years of herbalism I have found that there are six stages to the cleansing process. Each of these stages takes one week to perform and spring is the perfect time according to Ayurveda to do…
‘Tis the season for joyful eating, and for doing it at other people’s houses and far-off places. Big meals and travel can put stress on the digestive system, and a stressed out digestive system can really ruin a good party. Here are some simple, easy, and portable remedies that can help not only with the…
Mild to moderate heartburn, also called GERD, is pretty common. It’s not a serious condition, in terms of threat to your health, but it can be frustrating and uncomfortable. If left untreated, GERD can develop into more serious conditions, like stomach ulcers, but if dealt with while mild it can be managed. There can be…
Back-to-school season can bring with it a number of health challenges. Here are a few herbal ideas to help make the experience a healthy, happy, and successful one. Immunity Medicinal mushrooms are miraculous in their ability to “reset’ the immune system. Mushrooms like Reishi are known as immune amphoterics, which means they have a normalizing…
The Digestive and Immune Systems, an Ayurvedic Perspective Part 2 In Part 1 we discussed Dosha, or Ayurvedic constitution, and the energetic element of Fire that is an essential component in both digestive and immune function. Today we’re going to look at some specific ways that digestion and immunity can become out of balance in…
I don’t know about you, but I’ve been spending an awful lot of time lately thinking about potatoes. Not just potatoes, but squash too, and casseroles, and thick hearty stews, and pie. I’m starting to think about my Great-Aunt’s gingerbread cake, and roasted turkey, and all those wonderful late Autumn, Holiday foods. But I’m also…
Sleep. It’s such a basic and important part of life, we could fill volumes with all there is to say about it. The whys and wherefores behind sleep disorders are often highly individual and tied in to one’s own personal history. But for today, let’s keep it basic. This list of do’s and don’t’s applies…
Part Three Tom’s newest Pathways article came out on June 1st, and in it he describes the connection between the digestive system and the immune system, and introduces the three aspects of digestion known in Eastern traditional medicine. Not to put too fine a point on it, if your gut is weakened, so is your…
