Magnesium aids Memory

If you want to be a little smarter, increase the amount of magnesium in your diet.
The nutrient is one of the most vital for healthy brain functioning, something that becomes increasingly important as we get older.
High magnesium levels in your body can improve cognitive abilities and memory, and can stop the brain from deteriorating as we age, a new study confirms.
Beijing University recently tested magnesium levels on laboratory rats to see how their brain functioning improved. The rats given a high-magnesium diet displayed improved cognitive abilities compared with rats fed a standard diet, which is usually thought to contain sufficient magnesium for our body’s needs.
Aside from supplements, magnesium can be found in spices, nuts, in coffee and tea, and in green leafy vegetables, such as spinach.
(Source: Neuron, 2010; 65: 165-77).
From Linn:
The herb Valerian is also a very high source of Magnesium, but make sure  it has been dried for at least 12 months prior to use or it may cause nightmares. Best sourced from a herbalist making their own extracts and so knows the Valerian is correctly aged.
Almonds are also a good source of Magnesium
The flower essence Isopogon, taught in Level 1 Australian Bush Flower Essences Workshop and the combination Cognis, can also be of assistance.

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post

No Comments

Copyright Linn Wiggins www.yourherbalmedicine.com

Flower Essences for Menopause – Part 2


What most people think is a “bad menopause” is really oestrogen dominance. This is when the proportion of oestrogen is too high compared to the other female hormone progesterone.

Dr John Lee, an American gynaecologist, did ground breaking research in this area. He discovered that it is the hormone progesterone that stimulates the body to lay down new bone, while excess oestrogen erodes bone. According to his research, internal and external dryness also resulted from not enough progesterone. Dr Lee consequently pioneered natural progesterone treatment. A free series of articles on Oestrogen Dominance, how it can affect women throughout their lives, as well as how natural remedies can assist with it, is available here.

Poor memory and vagueness are also common complaints during the hormonal shift in menopause. A good digestive detoxification, along with flower essences such as Isopogon, Paw Paw and Crowea help strengthen both your digestion and your brain function. Your brain has first dibs on any nutrition you extract from your food. If its truggling, imagine what is going with the rest of you.

Dagger Hakea Flower Essence

Mood swings can be another problem in normally rational, sensible women through menopause. Crying spells, outbursts of anger, bitterness and feeling low can all be helped with specific flower essences. I find Red Suva Frangipani wonderful for assisting with excess crying; Dagger Hakea for bitterness; Mountain Devil for anger, and Tall Yellow Top for low moods. I use these flower essences an excellent addition to herbs when supporting women through menopause.

An important part of this healing process is to allow yourself to acknowledge your feelings, understand where they may be coming from and take various steps to release them. This may include counselling; it is quite extraordinary how much resolution with old emotional baggage can be reached in a short amount of time with a good counsellor.

For more on flower essences for women, Australian Bush Flower Essences have a One Day Workshop on Women’s Wellbeing. Their Level 1 workshop discusses women’s hormonal health in detail and one of the themes in Level 2 is the release of anger and sadness. More information on these workshops and the full international workshop schedule is available here.

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post

1 Comment

Copyright Linn Wiggins www.yourherbalmedicine.com
Want to see more? See older posts , check out the posts below, or visit our site archives in the sidebar.