Holistic Path

The Healthy Varieties of Herbal Teas

Aromatic and chock full of amazing health benefits, herbal teas are made from various leaves, roots, bark, or flowers. Here are just a few:

• Ginger: Soothes the digestive system and keeps your energy fired up
• Chamomile: Settles the stomach and is calming and soothing for the nervous system
• Peppermint: Increases healthy gastric secretions, relaxes the intestines, and settles the stomach
• Dandelion: Detoxifies and supports healthy liver functions
• Valerian: A natural herbal substitute for sleeping pills

Date updated: December 14, 2006

Content provided by Cleveland Clinic Caregiver burnout is a state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion that may be accompanied by a change in attitude -- from positive and caring to negative and unconcerned. Burnout can occur when caregivers don't get the help they need or if they try to do more than they are able -- either physically or financially. Caregivers who are "burned out" may experience fatigue, stress, anxiety, and depression. Many caregivers also feel guilty if they spend time on themselves rather than on their ill or elderly loved ones.What are the symptoms of caregiver burnout?The symptoms of caregiver burnout are similar to the symptoms of stress and depression. They include:

• Withdrawal from friends, family, and other loved ones
• Loss of interest in activities previously enjoyed
• Feeling blue, irritable, hopeless, and helpless
• Changes in appetite, weight, or both
• Changes in sleep patterns
• Getting sick more often
• Feelings of wanting to hurt yourself or the person for whom you are caring
• Emotional and physical exhaustion
• Irritability

What causes caregiver burnout?Caregivers often are so busy caring for others that they tend to neglect their own emotional, physical, and spiritual health. The demands on a caregiver's body, mind, and emotions can easily seem overwhelming, leading to fatigue and hopelessness -- and, ultimately, burnout. Other factors that can lead to caregiver burnout include:

• Role confusion -- Many people are confused when thrust into the role of caregiver. It can be difficult for a person to separate her role as caregiver from her role as spouse, lover, child, friend, etc.
• Unrealistic expectations -- Many caregivers expect their involvement to have a positive effect on the health and happiness of the patient. This may be unrealistic for patients suffering from a progressive disease, such as Parkinson's or Alzheimer's.
• Lack of control -- Many caregivers become frustrated by a lack of money, resources, and skills to effectively plan, manage, and organize their loved one's care.
• Unreasonable demands -- Some caregivers place unreasonable burdens upon themselves, in part because they see providing care as their exclusive responsibility. Some family members such as siblings, adult children, or the patient himself/herself may place unreasonable demands on the caregiver. These individuals also may disregard their own responsibilities and place burdens on the person identified as primary caregiver.
• Other factors -- Many caregivers cannot recognize when they are suffering burnout and eventually get to the point where they cannot function effectively. They may even become sick themselves.

How can I prevent burnout?Here are some steps you can take to help prevent caregiver burnout:

• Find someone you trust -- such as a friend, co-worker, or neighbor -- to talk to about your feelings and frustrations.
• Set realistic goals, accept that you may need help with caregiving, and turn to others for help with some tasks. Local organizations or places or worship may provide support groups (either in person or online) for caregivers or family members of those suffering from diseases such as cancer or Alzheimer's. These organizations may also provide respite care to allow the caregiver to have time away from the patient.
• Take advantage of respite care services. Respite care provides a temporary break for caregivers. This can range from a few hours of in-home care to a short stay in a nursing home or assisted living facility.
• Be realistic about your loved one's disease, especially if it is a progressive disease such as Parkinson's or Alzheimer's. Acknowledge that there may come a time when the patient requires nursing services or assisted living outside the family home.
• Don't forget about yourself because you're too busy caring for someone else. Set aside time for yourself, even if it's just an hour or two. Remember, taking care of yourself is not a luxury. It is an absolute necessity for caregivers.
• Talk to a professional. Most therapists, social workers, and clergy members are trained to counsel individuals dealing with a wide range of physical and emotional issues.
  Know your limits and be honest with yourself about your personal situation. Recognize and accept your potential for caregiver burnout.
• Educate yourself. The more you know about the illness, the more effective you will be in caring for the person with the illness.
• Develop new tools for coping. Remember to lighten up and accentuate the positive. Use humor to help deal with everyday stresses.
• Stay healthy by eating right and getting plenty of exercise and sleep.
• Accept your feelings. Having negative feelings -- such as frustration or anger -- about your responsibilities or the person for whom you are caring is normal. It does not mean you are a bad person or a bad caregiver.
• Join a caregiver support group. Sharing your feelings and experiences with others in the same situation can help you manage stress, locate helpful resources, and reduce feelings of frustration and isolation.

Children of mentally ill parents may also experience added difficulties as adults. These may include:

Relationship difficulties:

• difficulty in initiating relationships, and experiencing feelings of isolation
• difficulty in romantic relationships
• difficulty in maintaining friendships
• difficulty with trusting self and others
• difficulty balancing level of intimacy (excessive dependence or excessive avoidance)
• difficulty balancing taking care of self and taking care of others
  
  Emotional difficulties:
• guilt, resentment
• shame, embarrassment
• depression
• fear of inheriting parent's mental illness
• fear of discovery by partner, friends
• inability to express anger constructively, angry outbursts or repressed anger
• confusion about one's own identity
• negative outlook on life
• inability to deal with life unless it is chaotic or in crisis
• overly responsible or irresponsible in many areas of life such as commitments, money, alcohol, relationships, etc.
• self defeating thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors such as "I don't matter; I'm not worth much; It's no use trying."
• self defeating themes involving a tendency to equate achievement with worth as a person, such as: "Maybe I can matter if I can excel at something, be perfect in school, my job, my relationships. But if I fail, I'm worthless and it's terrible."

If you are experiencing any of these difficulties, you are not alone. It is helpful to recognize that these problematic feelings and behaviors helped you to cope and survive the more vulnerable years of childhood. Your recognition that they limit your life choices as an adult is the beginning of your search for more rewarding and functional ways of relating.

How You Can Help Yourself:
1. Acknowledge that you have a parent with a mental illness and acknowledge the effects this has had on you.
o acknowledge previously inadmissible feelings such as anger, shame, guilt, etc.
o grieve the parental support you never received.
o remember that you are not responsible for causing your parent's problems or for fixing his/her condition.
2. Develop new ways of taking care of yourself.
o recognize your own legitimate needs and begin taking care of them
o recognize the stressors in your life, and learn ways of managing them.
o replace negative thoughts with more positive statements: &quotI am a worthwhile person. This truth does not depend on my successes or failures. My life has ups and downs, but my worth does not change."
3. Develop new ways of relating to others.
o recognize old unhealthy family patterns of communicating, and practice new ways of relating to parents and other family members.
o recognize the difficulties you have with relationships, and learn new ways of relating to others.
o appreciate and enjoy stability in your relationships, recognizing that relationships don't have to be defined by crisis or dependency.
4. Explore other resources.
Educate yourself about your parent's illness.
This can help you understand what your parent is facing and what has caused problems for your family. It can also aid in relieving your feelings of guilt, resentment, embarrassment, and shame.
Consider seeing a mental health professional.
A counselor can help you understand how your parent's illness impacts your life. Also a counselor can help you learn healthier ways of relating to others and caring for your own needs.
Join a support group.
A support group that addresses your specific situation can help reduce feelings of isolation. Seeking such support can be especially helpful when family members are either uncomfortable with or refuse to acknowledge the problem.

Suggested Readings:
Diner, Sherry H. Nothing to Be Ashamed of: Growing up with Mental Illness in Your Family. New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books, 1989.
Duke, Patty. A Brilliant Madness: Living with Manic-Depressive Illness. New York: Bantam Books, 1992.
Forward, Susan. Toxic Parents. New York: Bantam Books, 1990.
Greenberg, Harvey R. Emotional Illness in Your Family: Helping Your Relative, Helping Yourself. New York: Macmillian, 1989.
Walsh, Maryellen. Schizophrenia: Straight Talk for Family and Friends. New York: Morrow, 1985.

With hyperhidrosis, your sympathetic nervous system can be over active even when you are physically at rest. A significant and overlooked cause for this over activity is eating foods that your body cannot tolerate. For example, if your body cannot tolerate dairy products, whenever you eat some, your immune system must work hard to protect your tissues from the harmful effects of whichever components of dairy don’t agree with your body. If your immune system is constantly at work to deal with such food intolerances, your sympathetic nervous system detects this as stress, and activates the mechanisms that are in place to help you during stressful situations, including the production of sweat.

• Presents – if someone gives you an unwanted gift and there is no polite way to refuse, accept gracefully and respect the other person’s feelings. But remember it is your home and if you do not like something, it will drag your spirits down every time you look at it. So dump the guilt and let it go.
  
• Fear - The “what if” thoughts are some of the hardest to deal with. I call these clutter thoughts. I recently bought a new light weight hoover. Then the thought crept into my head, what if the new one breaks down. Perhaps I will keep the old one. But I overcame my wobble and gave away the old one. A useful tip is “one in, one out” If you really feel panicky about letting go of something then store it for 6 months in the loft or shed. Put the date on it. If you haven’t used it in 6 months then give it away.

Lemon Grass prompt cancer cells to commit suicide!
Fresh lemon grass fields in Israel become Mecca for cancer patients by Allison Kaplan Sommer - April 02, 2006

A drink with as little as one gram of lemon grass contains enough citral to prompt cancer cells to commit suicide in the test tube. Israeli researchers find way to make cancer cells self-destruct - Ben Gurion University

At first, Benny Zabidov, an Israeli agriculturalist who grows greenhouses full of lush spices on a pastoral farm in Kfar Yedidya in the Sharon region, couldn't understand why so many cancer patients from around the country were showing up on his doorstep asking for fresh lemon grass. It turned out that their doctors had sent them. 'They had been told to drink eight glasses of hot water with fresh lemon grass steeped in it on the days that they went for their radiation and chemotherapy treatments ,' Zabidov told ISRAEL21c. 'And this is the place you go to in Israel for fresh lemon grass.'

It all began when researchers at Ben Gurion University of the Negev discovered last year that the lemon aroma in herbs like lemon grass kills cancer cells in vitro, while leaving healthy cells unharmed. The research team was led by Dr. Rivka Ofir and Prof. Yakov Weinstein incumbent of the Albert Katz Chair in Cell-Differentiation and Malignant Diseases, from the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at BGU.

Citral is the key component that gives the lemony aroma and taste in several herbal plants such as lemon grass (Cymbopogon citratus), Melissa (Melissa officinalis) and verbena (Verbena officinalis.)
According to Ofir, the study found that Citral causes cancer cells to 'commit suicide: using apoptosis, a mechanism called programmed cell death.' A drink with as little as one gram of lemon grass contains enough Citral to prompt the cancer cells to commit suicide in the test tube. The BGU investigators checked the influence of the Citral on cancerous cells by adding them to both cancerous cells and normal cells that were grown in a petri dish. The quantity added in the concentrate was equivalent to the amount contained in a cup of regular tea using one gram of lemon herbs in hot water. While the Citral killed the cancerous cells, the normal cells remained unharmed. The findings were published in the scientific journal *Planta Medica* , which highlights research on alternative and herbal remedies.

Shortly afterwards, the discovery was featured in the popular Israeli press. Why does it work? Nobody knows for certain, but the BGU scientists have a theory. In each cell in our body, there is a genetic program which causes programmed cell death. When something goes wrong, the cells divide with no control and become cancer cells. In normal cells, when the cell discovers that the control system is not operating correctly for example, when it recognizes that a cell contains faulty genetic material following cell division - it triggers cell death, ' explains Weinstein. 'This research may explain the medical benefit of these herbs.' The success of their research led them to the conclusion that herbs containing Citral may be consumed as a preventative measure against certain cancerous cells.

As they learned of the BGU findings in the press, many physicians in Israel began to believe that while the research certainly needs to be explored further. In the meantime it would be advisable for their patients, who were looking for any possible tool to fight their condition, to try to harness the cancer-destroying properties of Citral. That's why Zabidov's farm - the only major grower of fresh lemon grass in Israel - has become a pilgrimage destination for these patients. Luckily, they found themselves in sympathetic hands. Zabidov greets visitors with a large kettle of aromatic lemon grass tea, a plate of cookies, and a supportive attitude. 'My father died of cancer, and my wife's sister died young because of cancer,' said Zabidov. 'So I understand what they are dealing with. And I may not know anything about medicine, but I'm a good listener. And so they tell me about their expensive painful treatments and what they've been through. I would never tell them to stop being treated, but it's great that they are exploring alternatives and drinking the lemon grass tea as well.'

Zabidov knew from a young age that agriculture was his calling. At age 14, he enrolled in the Kfar Hayarok Agricultural high school. After his army service, he joined an idealistic group, which headed south, in the Arava desert region, to found a new moshav (agricultural settlement) called Tsofar. 'We were very successful; we raised fruits and vegetables, and,' he notes with a smile, 'We raised some very nice children.' On a trip to Europe in the mid-80s, he began to become interested in herbs. Israel, at the time, was nothing like the trend-conscious cuisine-oriented country it is today, and the only spices being grown commercially were basics like parsley, dill, and coriander. Wandering in the Paris market, looking at the variety of herbs and spices, Zabidov realized that there was a great export potential in this niche. He brought samples back home with him, 'which was technically illegal,' he says with a guilty smile, to see how they would grow in his desert greenhouses.

Soon, he was growing basil, oregano, tarragon, chives, sage, marjoram and melissa, and mint just to name a few. His business began to outgrow his desert facilities, and so he decided to move north, settling in the moshav of Kfar Yedidya, an hour and a half north of Tel Aviv. He is now selling 'several hundred kilos' of lemon grass per week, and has signed with a distributor to package and put it in health food stores. Zabidov has taken it upon himself to learn more about the properties of Citral, and help his customers learn more, and has invited medical experts to his farm to give lectures about how the Citral works and why.

He also felt a responsibility to know what to tell his customers about its use. 'When I realized what was happening, I picked up the phone and called Dr. Weinstein at Ben-Gurion University, because these people were asking me exactly the best way to consume the Citral. He said to put the loose grass in hot water, and drink about eight glasses each day.' Zabidov is pleased by the findings, not simply because it means business for his farm, but because it might influence his own health. Even before the news of its benefits was demonstrated, he and his family had been drinking lemon grass in hot water for years, 'just because it tastes good.'