Herbal medicine to the rescue

DEAR DONOVAN,

What are some natural supplements that I can take to improve my life? I’m talking about supplements that would be equal to taking a daily multivitamin. I see the herbal man all the time, and I visit natural stores, but I don’t even know the first thing to buy. I am 40 years old, 135 pounds, and I don’t do much exercise. I’m lethargic all the time — so tired that I sleep at work despite getting eight hours sleep at night; and I have puffy, sallow skin. What would you recommend? My diet is also terrible with a lot of carbs, sweets and sodas, but I want to eat better and supplement with herbal medicine.

The first thing I will tell you is that you need to make some lifestyle changes in order to improve your health and life. A healthy diet along with exercise is the foundation for a healthy life.

However, herbal supplements can also be used along with your diet and exercise to improve your general health.

At this stage you are lethargic, you have puffy, sallow skin and you are even sleeping during work time. This is not good. A major part of the problem is that your body is toxic. This is due mainly to your poor diet which has a lot of carbohydrates, sweets and sodas. These foods tend to stay a little too long in the digestive system, often leading to constipation. The breakdown of this food mass usually by microorganisms can lead to toxins which can affect the skin tone, energy, as well as general health of an individual.

The first thing I would suggest is that you do a detox to clean the intestines. Herbs such as aloe vera, cerasee, psyllium, cascara, and senna can be used for detoxing the body. If possible, get a professional to work with you in this detoxing exercise.

However, it makes no sense to clean the intestines and then go back to eating unhealthy foods. I would suggest that you cut back on your carbohydrates, sugars and sodas and consume more fruits, vegetables, vegetable juices, ground provisions, nuts and whole grains. These foods are packed with nutrients and fibre that will help to keep the intestines clean as well as improve overall health.

Also, avoiding greasy, sugary and processed foods would be helpful. In addition, you also mentioned that your energy is low. Eating properly, keeping hydrated, reducing stress and improving your sleep quality can be helpful with this. Your energy can also be boosted by some fruits, for example, bananas, grapes and apples. Other herbs such as Panax ginseng, also called ginseng, can be important in boosting energy. Also, beetroot juice, vitamin B12 and CoQ10 can also help with low energy. It should also be noted that some teas such as green tea, black tea, ginger tea and moringa tea can also help to improve focus and boost energy levels. Molasses and flax seeds will also be helpful. Molasses is loaded with iron as well as vitamin B complex. Flax seeds are loaded with Omega 3, 6 and 9 which help in energy production.

It is also important to boost the immune system in order to keep healthy. Eating fruits and vegetables with vitamin C will be very helpful in this respect. In addition, herbs such as echinacea elderberry, garlic and pepper, along with foods containing antioxidant properties, can also help to boost the immune system. These foods include grapes, berries, carrots, spinach, parsley, etc.

Exercise helps to keep you healthy and you should make an effort to increase your activity/exercise levels. Overall, I believe having a healthy diet, exercising, getting restful sleep, keeping the bowels clean, boosting the immune system, keeping hydrated and managing stress will go a far way in improving your health and quality of life.

We will answer your weight-related questions

Are you struggling to lose weight or just need some advice on living a healthier life? Tell us about your health issues and we’ll have nutritionist and wellness coach Donovan Grant answer them for you. Grant has over 12 years’ experience in the fitness industry and is the owner of DG’s Nutrition and Wellness Centre, 39 Lady Musgrave Road. Call him at 876-286-1363. E-mail questions to clarkep@jamaicaobserver.com.