November 1, 2008
Contents:
- Feedback on Strauss Herb Co. Versus Health Canada Court Case
- Shorten Your Cold! Use Zinc Lozenges More Effectively.
- Improve Yoga Practice with Herbal Traditions
- Round One Legal Victory for Organic Consumers and Dr. Bronner's against "Organic Cheater" Personal Care Brands and Certifiers
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Feedback on Strauss Herb Co. Versus Health Canada Court Case
by Lorna Hancock, HANS Executive DirectorThe court case of Strauss Herb Company versus Health Canada that we'd encouraged HANS members and friends to attend in Vancouver last month has concluded. After three (not five, in the end) days of listening from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm (12:00 noon, the last day), the case is now waiting for a judgment from the judge, which could take months.
From an observer's perspective, it is hard to say how it went, but at the end, the judge remarked on how pleasant it was to be working with these two lawyers. How professional they were, and well prepared with their good arguments on both side. I must confess that I maybe understood about half what was said when they delved into the technicalities and intricacies of the law.
Nevertheless, the outcome is very important. Health Canada is saying that YOHIMBINE is on Schedule F, and because Yohimbe Bark 'contains' Yohimbine, it cannot be included in a Strauss product for non-prescription sale. Nor can anyone else. Strauss is saying that Schedule F includes 'Yohimbine', but it does not include Yohimbe Bark, which is what is included in their Strauss Energy 6 product.
Yohimbine is known as a stimulant, and Health Canada says it is 'dangerous' when someone has high blood pressure, or is pregnant, although this wasn't a court case on risk, but more on jurisdiction. I was very impressed with Shawn Buckley's handling of this court case. I was also very pleased to see that the gallery contained many HANS members, and I wanted to thank all of you who attended. People DO care what happens in this trial, and your presence indicates that. Thank you!
At the conclusion of the case, the judge said that there are times when he needs a little pick me up, and maybe he should take some Strauss Energy 6, at which everyone had a good laugh. So, the judge was paying careful attention throughout, and asked some excellent questions. It will be interesting to see what the outcome is, but for sure, if Strauss wins this case, there will be much rejoicing in the natural health community because herbs have been successfully defended and this is a precedent-setting decision. We will keep you posted as to the outcome.
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Shorten Your Cold! Use Zinc Lozenges More Effectively.
by Dr. Brenda Gill, NDFor years, there's been a debate going on about whether or not zinc lozenges actually shorten the duration of colds. The latest word from a prestigious medical journal concludes that they are indeed helpful. In my opinion, they'd work even better if used properly…but more on that in a moment.
In this "double-blind" study, the researchers had 25 individuals use zinc-acetate lozenges within 24 hours of the onset of cold symptoms, while 23 other individuals received identically flavored placebos. Both groups used their treatments every two to three hours (while awake) for four to five days.
At the end of the trial, it was found that those taking 80 milligrams of zinc daily reported that their symptoms left in five days, compared with an average of eight days for those using the placebo.
Now let's go over making those zinc lozenges even more effective. We're usually advised to allow the lozenge to dissolve slowly under our tongues. But since concentrations of zinc kill micro-organisms by direct contact, it's even more effective to "swish and gargle" some of the dissolved zinc, contacting as many oral and throat surfaces as possible with the solution. Individuals who have used this simple adjustment tell me their zinc lozenges work even better than before.
Dr. Brenda Gill, ND, The Natural Path Clinic
1995 Columbia Ave., Suite 1, Rossland, BC, (250)362-5035
601 Lake St. Nelson, BC, (250) 352-3150
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Improve Yoga Practice with Herbal Traditions
by Wenrong Chen, RTCMPDuring more than thousands of years of practice, oriental practitioners of Tao or yoga have experimented with tremendous ways to achieve wellness and longevity. Their experiences had been recorded and can be applied to our benefit.
In the West nowadays, the word "yoga" is so popular, you could easily book into a yoga studio and explore this ancient art. You could be well-equipped with all sorts of yoga books, music, tools and clothes, most of which don't have much to do with the ancient yogis, however. Yoga is more of a unity of healthy lifestyle. Looking into the wisdom and life of real yogis can help us master the principles of the art of wellness.
In the East, original India yoga spread over the Himalaya into Tibet and Central China one thousand years ago. This ancient teaching was integrated into local culture and well kept even though the original Indian culture was destroyed by foreign invaders. Tibetan yogis integrated Indian yoga into Buddhist practice, while Chinese Taoist yogis absorbed the Indian yoga into their longevity approach. In 1973, a silk painting 2,200 years old was unearthed in China that revealed Taoist yoga practice with therapeutic description.
A related document introduced how to apply herbal supplements to enhance the yoga practice, which was the first record of yogi herbs ever found. The Taoist yogis found that specific herbs work well with different meridians to develop energy balance during their practice. At different levels of their practice, specific herbs were formulated to improve circulation or adjust the inner organs performance. For instance, some formula could help relieve the muscle tension and ache during training; other herbs could cultivate the mind for meditation practice.
Yogi herbs were included in the first Chinese Medical Herbal Pharmacopoeia, called Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing. The Taoist idea of using solar energy, botanical essences and internal energy in the pursuit of wellness were incorporated into traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) as the "Three Treasures" theory, i.e. "Jing (Essence), Qi (Vital energy) and Shen (Spirit)", which is equivalent to the popular words "body, mind and spirit". Herbal power is a must in Taoist yogi practice, just like today's gym goers use nutrition and supplements for their training.
In Tibetan yogi training, herbal essences have been taken as a secret power to achieve enlightenment. The famous Yogini Yeshe Tsogyel was told by Guru Rinpoche when she was too weak to continue her yoga practice, "You are too repressed and too fervent in your practice. You should use essential elixirs of herbs and shrubs to cultivate the play of your intelligence and restore your body to health".
As a result of 20 years of study of Taoist and Tibetan yoga, I have integrated TCM wellness and traditional yogi herbs. Intensive research after two years of Taoist longevity practice in the famous Taoist yogi mountain Mount Laoshan have inspired me to found a herbal product line called Dr. Herbs. Taoist yogis in Mount Laoshan enjoy a long history of unique practice and have set up their own school of practice that highly values the usage of herbs to help wellness and yoga practice.
My formulas - Moonlit, CardioQi, PainAway and ImmunoPlus - are especially suitable for those who practice yoga. Modern body and mind balance can be improved thanks to thousands of years of yogi herbal practice.
The Care Centre
Wenrong Chen, RTCMP
213-1529 West 6th Ave 604-518-6455
1467 Bellevue Ave 604-913-2262
518-510 West Hastings St 604 518 6455
Vancouver & North Vancouver, BC
Free consultations to HANS members and a 15% discount on treatments.
www.thecare.ca
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Round One Legal Victory for Organic Consumers and Dr. Bronner's against "Organic Cheater" Personal Care Brands and Certifiers
by Organic Consumers AssociationAfter hearing oral arguments last month, the San Francisco County Superior Court on Thursday Oct. 8th ruled that Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps can proceed with its lawsuit seeking to compel organic cheater companies & certifiers to drop, or stop certifying, deceptive organic label and brand claims.
Culprit brands include Avalon "Organics", Jason "Pure, Natural & Organic", Nature's Gate "Organics", Kiss My Face "Obsessively Organic", Giovanni "Organic Cosmetics", Head "Organics", Desert Essence "Organics" and Stella McCartney's CARE "100% Organic". The culprit certifiers are OASIS and Ecocert; Estee Lauder is also a defendant due to its expressed intent to enter the market under its Aveda brand with misleading OASIS certified "organic" products.
The 800,000 supporter strong Organic Consumers Association has played a leading role in exposing and educating consumers about deceptive organic branding, and is a party in the litigation with Ecocert.
More at
http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_151...