Herbs are the most exciting topic emerging in the health and wellness field today. What was once the "go to" solution for all things medical and healthy aging has been relegated to the annals of history, until now. There is a reawakening to the error of our ways in 20th Century medicine. I encourage all who read this article to stand guard to your health and longevity by looking deeper into the secrets of human biochemistry and its relationship with what I call "Natures Pharmacy", the plant kingdom. It is here that we, as a species, can find solutions to all ailments, diseases, infections, and longevity issues. The sad fact is that, through a very aggressive 100 year long marketing campaign by the modern day pharmaceutical industry, we have forgotten where we came from and have paid a heavy price for it.

We are borne of the earth just as we return to the earth. Natures plant kingdom has always produced everything, whether for nourishment or healing, everything the human body has ever needed. What most people aren't aware of is that, at the turn of the 20th Century, discoveries in the plant kingdom led to the isolation of certain plant compounds that had medicinal properties that could be profitable when engineered in a laboratory. Plants can't be patented but synthetic compounds can. This was the birth of the modern day pharmaceutical industry. The level of toxicity and damage to the liver and immune system that occurs with medicinal drug treatment has led to a long awaited reawakening in the search for truth in the design of the human health profile. People are now demanding an alternative way to address maladies in the human body. How exciting! The most powerful thing that ever happens in time is "an idea whose time has come".

We seem to be slowly creeping back toward the times where the Romans, Persians, Hebrews, Egyptians, and Native Americans relied on Mother Nature to battle disease and illness. Those segments of the population in the U.S. who are in search of natural solutions to aging ang disease are driving the awareness of Naturopathic and Homeopathic medicine, herb solutions, and herbal rememdies back into mainstream thinking. 80% of the world still relies on herbal remedies and tonics to deal with health and disease issues. From their point of view we are crazy to forego solutions, provided by nature, and resort to toxic substances that always have a negative impact on human biochemistry. With the reawakening of medicinal herbs as a natural solution healing and maintaining a healthy profile, we are relearning that herbs can be used to treat and cure conditions such as gall bladder disease prostate cancer, leukemia, toxic buildup in the body. They can also be used as an anti-inflammatory, muscle relaxant, liver function normalizer, and more.

Herbs perform one of two functions; either as a "tonic" or as a "stimulator". Tonics are relatively gentle in their affect on the human body and can, over time, slowly strengthen weakening immune systems and are beneficial for nourishment of the body in general. There are a number of herbs that can be taken on a daily basis for overall health such as Echinacea, cayanne pepper, milk thistle, ginger, garlic, rosemary, and green tea. Plants that are designed, by nature, for short term use in the stimulation of various and specific healing processes are called "stimulators. Example of these herbs include peppermint leaf, cramp bark, barberry bark, catnip, aloe vera, and ginger root to name a few. When purchasing such herbs purchase organic herbs whenever possible as these herbs, as opposed to bulk herbs, are usually more nutrient dense, contain no chemical fertilizers or pesticides, and typically are grown locally.

All in all we are, as a society, are beginning to look in the right direction for alternative solutions to health, wellness, and longevity. Pick up a copy of any book on medicinal or therapeutic herbs from any bookstore and learn how to find herbs that can easily be implemented in your daily eating or cooking routine and bring yourself back to your roots.