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Red Raspberry Leaf: A “Miracle Herb” for Women

Posted on March 19, 2015 by beeyoutifulguestposter 3 comments

This information originally appeared in a slightly different format in our Winter 2007-2008 Catalog.

My greatest passion in life is experiencing the birth of a child with parents who love children as much as I do. As a Licensed Midwife, it has been my privilege to advise many women during pregnancy, and to be present at thousands of births. I take it upon myself to care for my clients before, during, and after the birth, physically, mentally and emotionally.

For thousands of years, midwives and Chinese herbalists have used herbs with very good results. This fact is not lost on the current medical community, as many of our allopathic medicines are derived from herbs.

As a midwife and herbalist, I use herbs constantly in my practice. I have found that certain herbs contribute significant amounts of nourishment necessary to our bodies. I believe that the female body was designed to give birth, and that with proper nutrition, it can usually do what it knows how to do, without much intervention.

I had one client who was worried about having her fifth baby. After a few prenatal visits, I was puzzled about her concern. I was thinking, “Fifth baby, what could she be worried about?” After some coaxing, she finally admitted that it was the after pains that had her concerned about her birth. Apparently the after pains were so incredibly intense after her fourth baby that she was not at all concerned about the act of actually giving birth to number 5, but was fearful instead about the pains to come later.

Now that I knew what was troubling her, I suggested that she increase her intake of Red Raspberry Leaf. She was skeptical that this would help, but was willing to give it a try. I advise all of my clients to take Red Raspberry Leaf through pregnancy, and I explained to her why.

The Woman’s Herb

Red Raspberry Leaf (Rubus idaeus) is a widely used herbal tonic that is especially beneficial during pregnancy. Brewed as a tea, taken in capsule form, or as an infusion, Red Raspberry Leaf is one of the safest and most commonly used tonic herbs for women wanting to get pregnant or for women who are already pregnant.

Taking this herb helps facilitate all the functions our bodies do for us on a daily basis. This is why Red Raspberry Leaf is considered a ‘tonic’ herb; it tones and supports the body in general. Red Raspberry Leaf tones the uterus, improves the quality of labor contractions, improves quality of sleep, decreases feelings of anxiety and nervousness, and decreases constipation.

It also contains the most easily assimilated form of calcium. Because Red Raspberry Leaf has calcium that is so readily available to our bodies, and most of us have a calcium deficiency, many people notice a change in how they feel right away. Since osteoporosis is related to a lack of calcium, daily use of Red Raspberry Leaf is highly recommended for all women.

Beeyoutiful’s encapsulated organic Red Raspberry Leaf is easily absorbed by the body. All the necessary trace minerals and vitamins your body needs to easily assimilate the calcium are already right there, occurring naturally in the herb itself. Almost every trace mineral that our bodies use is available in Red Raspberry Leaf. This means no one in a lab had to figure out how to formulate something that might work as well as the real thing!

How to Use Red Raspberry Leaf

You can drink 1-6 cups of mild-tasting Red Raspberry Leaf tea per day, hot or iced. Or, you can take one to four capsules per day. Use more in the second half of the day if you tend to have trouble sleeping, since Red Raspberry Leaf encourages a deeper, more restful sleep.

It is almost impossible to overdose on Red Raspberry Leaf, but if you take very large amounts, you may experience either very loose stool or constipation. Either is a sure sign that you have more than reached your body’s threshold for calcium levels. Just back down on your dose by one or two cups of tea or one or two capsules, and your bathroom habits should return to what is familiar to you.

Tea recipe: Pour 1 cup boiling water over 2 teaspoons of dried Red Raspberry Leaf and steep for ten minutes. Steeping longer than ten minutes will only make the tea bitter, not stronger. For stronger tea, use more in the tea bag or tea ball. Sweeten with stevia, honey, or a bit of rapadura.

I like to add Nettles, Alfalfa or Spearmint to my Red Raspberry Leaf tea. This combination makes for a very toning tea. Nettles has every trace mineral our bodies need and helps build up red blood cells as well. Alfalfa helps blood to clot well and prevents unnecessary blood loss. Spearmint is soothing to the stomach and adds a bit of flavor to these herbs for a little more punch to your tea.

Not up for making a tea blend yourself? Try a prepared version of Pregnancy Tea. Or if you’re just not a tea drinker, try Beeyoutiful’s encapsulated organic Red Raspberry Leaf. Try one to six capsules per day, based on comfort and bowel tolerance.

Pregnancy and Red Raspberry Leaf

In addition to many vitamins and minerals, Red Raspberry Leaf also contains an alkaloid called fragrine which lends tone and strength to the uterus. There are several schools of thought on the subject with conflicting information about the use of this herb during pregnancy. (Talk with your care provider about what’s right for your body and pregnancy!)

Many clinicians advise drinking one cup of Red Raspberry Leaf tea per day in the first trimester and 2 cups in the second trimester, then switching to an infusion (a stronger tea) for the third trimester to ensure a strong uterus and prevent miscarriage.

Other clinicians suggest that frequent use (3-4 cups per day of tea, or 1-2 capsules) just during the third trimester is beneficial to the uterine and pelvic muscles.

And finally, some clinicians advise not using Red Raspberry Leaf in the first trimester, particularly if you have a history of miscarriage. Some midwives in the U.K. claim an increase in early miscarriage rates associated with women who have used Red Raspberry Leaf, and it’s been noted that the herb may cause minor spotting in the beginning of a pregnancy.

What Red Raspberry Leaf does not do is start labor or promote contractions. It is not an emmenagogue (something that promotes a miscarriage) or an oxytocic herb (an herb or chemical that promotes uterine contractions). It does strengthen the pelvic and uterine muscles, allowing you to feel healthier throughout your pregnancy, and allowing labor and the muscles involved with birthing to be more relaxed and efficient.

Contact your midwife, herbalist, or physician for personalized input about your use of Red Raspberry Leaf. Do the homework yourself to feel good about your decision to use or not use this herb, and when to use it during pregnancy. This advice is good for any decision you might be facing about your pregnancy options or your own health and welfare in general!

Worries Put To Rest

Well, my anxious client faithfully took the Red Raspberry Leaf in the higher amounts we discussed for her. Her birth experience went so smoothly that I almost missed it! She felt just fine at her 24 hour check up, too, but said that the next day would be the real test to see if the herb had helped. I told her to call me if she experienced any after pains like she had in the past, and then scheduled a routine five-day postpartum check up.

I never received any phone calls from her, and wondered if she was going to tough it out rather than call. That was in my mind as I rang the door bell on the day of my visit, hoping to hear good news, yet fearing I wouldn’t. My face split into a huge grin as my client all but tap-danced to the door to let me in! She couldn’t stop telling me how great the first few days after the birth had been, and how they’d been nothing like her last postpartum experience.

My client was so excited that she wanted me to promise that I would tell every pregnant woman of this “miracle herb” that made all the difference for her. So, this is me keeping my promise and telling all of you this “big secret” to feeling good during and after your births! Red Raspberry Leaf truly is a miracle herb!

Written by Jenny West, LM, CPM, HBCE, TBMP, CST, CH; a midwife/herbalist who has been in practice for 18 years and delivered over 7000 babies.

Three Crucial Companions for Heart Health

Posted on February 18, 2015 by Beeyoutiful Mary One comment

3 Crucial Companions for Heart Health from Beeyoutiful.com

My husband’s family history of heart disease used to scare me. Honestly, with my background as a nurse, I felt that aside from some basic dietary precautions there was very little we could do to ensure he did not journey down the same path that his grandparents were walking. I frankly worried that I would eventually be the one in the recliner by the hospital bed, hoping to hear that he didn’t need bypass surgery.

Thankfully, the more I studied and learned, the more delighted I was to realize that we could walk a different path and that heart disease might not be our story’s end.

In the past few decades, fat-soluble vitamins have increasingly taken their place and been recognized as major actors in heart health. Traditional lifestyles and diets were examined and concluded to be rich in fat-soluble vitamins from nutrient-dense whole foods, whereas conventional modern diets tend to be poor in fat-soluble vitamins and heavy in processed foods. Incidentally, cultures that have abandoned their traditional diets are documented to have a much higher rate of heart disease than their ancestors.

When Beeyoutiful began a few years ago to offer products like Cod Liver Oil, Butter Oil, and Katalyst, I thought it was a great thing to make Vitamin K available, since it does so much with the blood and its ability to clot. But there’s so much more to that vitamin that I had yet to discover!

Vitamin K: Just For Clotting?

I really did not understand Vitamin K at all, specifically K2 (the form present in Katalyst and Butter Oil). The modern American diet is very low in K2 because we typically consume very little in the way of grassfed dairy (made from milk from cows that graze on pasture rather than eating grain) or eggs from truly free-range chickens, two primary sources of K2.

What I have learned about Vitamin K2 recently has caused me to prioritize these traditional foods in my family’s diet, and to decide to never leave off supplementing fat-soluble vitamins when I cannot get them from food sources.

There is a gentle dance in our bodies that involves many nutrients. Most need another nutrient to help them do their jobs properly. The complexity of these interactions is fascinating, and it explains how easily we can get out of balance when an important companion nutrient is deficient.

When Calcium Acts Alone

We are all well aware of the vital role that calcium plays in our bodies. It’s known for nourishing our bones and teeth, supporting heart health, helping nerves communicate, causing muscles to contract, and even supporting healthy blood clotting factors. In order for calcium to move around the body, it depends on other nutrients, and without them it simply takes the path of least resistance.

The ugly fact about calcium without its companion nutrients is that the path of least resistance leads straight to the soft tissues such as arteries and muscles. Those aren’t exactly the places where we’d like for our minerals to lodge, and these calcium deposits can cause plaque buildup in the blood vessels and pain in the joints and muscles.

The Vital Companions: Vitamins D and K

One of calcium’s companions is Vitamin D3, helping to increase absorption of calcium through the intestines, directly helping bone health. But unfortunately Vitamin D can only get calcium as far as the blood stream; it cannot get it into the bones. Actually, if you stopped the process here, it’s possible that taking Vitamin D alone could lead to even more calcium buildup in the blood vessels.

While D cannot move the calcium into the bones and out of the blood vessels, its other companion can! Vitamin K2 is a little-known supplement that functions as a cofactor that’s necessary to activate the two proteins that are responsible for moving calcium around the body. Without these two proteins (known as Osteocalcin and MGP), calcium simply remains in the blood vessels, creating buildup and contributing to a lack of calcium in the bones.

By simply adding K2 to your diet, you are benefitting both your heart and circulatory system, and your skeletal system. All three of these nutrients– calcium, D3 and K2– play vital roles in blood clotting as well, so you’re not only helping to ensure that blood vessels stay open and free, you are also helping to ensure the balance of clotting stays correct.

A Little Note About Vitamin A

While Vitamin A does not play a direct role in this cascade, what we do know is that A, D and K work synergistically together to regulate each other and protect the body. We highly suggest when supplementing with fat-soluble vitamins that you take Cod Liver Oil along with a Butter Oil to get a balance of all three.

Getting Adequate A, D, & K

The most superior way to take in fat-soluble vitamins is through grassfed butters, whole grassfed and raw dairy, cod liver oil, and fish. When these are not optimal in the diet, we highly recommend Cod Liver Oil and Butter Oil as a secondary option, or the pairing of Dynamic Duo and Katalyst as a budget-friendly backup plan.

It amazes me that the body is built to work with such intricate balance that when fed the correct nutrients it actually has the power to strengthen itself against future disease. Don’t shy away from the butter and enjoy those delicious farm-fresh eggs! Have another helping and call it a tasty contribution to your heart health.

For more reading on this topic, I highly recommend the following resources:

The Skinny on Fats
On the Trail of the Elusive X-Factor: A Sixty-Two-Year-Old Mystery Finally Solved
Diet & Heart Disease: It’s NOT What You Might Think by Stephen Byrnes, PhD, RNCP
Vitamin K2 and the Calcium Paradox: How a Little Known Vitamin Could Save Your Life by Kate Rheaume-Bleu

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Health

Metal Urgency — effects, avoidance, and treatment for heavy metals – Winter 2008-2009 Catalog

Posted on May 7, 2009 by stevetallent

By Doty Murphy, M.D.

Part 2 of a 2-part series

In the first article in this series (see Beeyoutiful’s Fall 2008 Catalog- Facing a Heavy Situation), I explained some of the insidious problems related to heavy metal contamination. To a disturbing degree, these problems affect many aspects of life, health, and well-being. People affected by metal toxicity frequently have no idea as to the root cause-and their physicians often investigate, diagnose, and prescribe in ignorance.

Toxic Effects

One area significantly affected by heavy metals is the immune system-that part of the human organism that resists, blunts, and hopefully overcomes the ever-present attacks of microbes, chemicals, and toxins. When heavy metals enter the immune system, the inevitable result is damage, interference, and-in the case of prolonged or excessive exposure-malfunction or destruction of individual components of that system.

A person’s immune response normally identifies invaders and/or potentially hazardous substances which enter the body. But if a heavy metal has damaged the immunities’ intricate abilities, the immune system does not and cannot respond normally. In some cases, an immune “under-response” may result, allowing invaders or toxins to wreak havoc. Damage, however, can also cause an over-reaction in which case an individual’s body actually attacks itself. The cause may remain hidden as medical personnel focus only on these outward effects of the auto-immune processes.

Since the mid-twentieth century, the United States has experienced a veritable explosion of several perplexing conditions, including “chronic fatigue syndrome” and “fibromyalgia.” Indeed for several decades, most allopathic physicians (primarily MD’s and DO’s of recent graduation) scoffed at the reality of both conditions. Fortunately,
medical leaders, researchers, and clinicians now acknowledge that these diseases do exist, yet they have not approached them from the standpoint of cause and effect.

One possible cause of these health issues lies with the interplay between damage from heavy metals (and other toxic materials) and the increasing prevalence of cryptic infections. Organisms including Chlamydia pneumonia (a respiratory germ-not the sexually-transmitted organism), Mycoplasma pneumonia, and the causative agents for Lyme disease all thrive in circumstances where the immune response has been inhibited or compromised-potentially due to heavy metals.

Since my graduation in 1967 until my semi-retirement in 2002, I have cared for individuals with clinical diagnoses including rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, multiple sclerosis, ulcerative colitis, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and lupus. In many of them, the underlying cause involved mercury-related immune dysfunction. In addition, evidence sometimes suggested or confirmed a chronic, cryptic infection. While not everyone with such diagnoses was documented to have either problem, I found that neither had the possibilities been routinely considered or investigated.

Avoid, Avoid, Avoid

Considering the substantial danger to us humans from heavy metals, a reasonable question involves: What should you be doing to protect yourself and your family?

Recognize that few physicians know much about metal toxicity- including diagnosis and a logical approach to the problem in general. Consequently, you must take primary responsibility to inform yourself and then take steps to protect and strengthen your immune system.

For heavy metals, the primary protection starts with avoidance. YOU SHOULD AVOID ALL EXPOSURE TO HEAVY METALS. This is so incredibly important that if you remember nothing else from this article, please remember that statement: AVOID ALL HEAVY METALS. Become aware of and stay away from industrial dumps and dangerous workplaces. Wisdom would suggest that you seek a job other than working in a battery factory, for instance. Or don’t take up a hobby in which you use lead solder.

Since contaminated water sources can cause problems, drink only safe water and drink adequate amounts. (To determine the right amount for you, apply this formula: For a healthy adult who does not sweat excessively, take your body weight in pounds and divide it by 2- that will give you the ounces of water that you should drink each day.)

Become aware of possible toxic exposure of our food chain. Prodigious amounts of heavy metals are dumped in the ocean. Large fish (tuna, swordfish, etc.) reside at the end of the oceanic food chain, and they have been found consistently to have more mercury than smaller fish like mackerel, sardines, and cod. So eat small.

Refuse the placement of heavy metals (nickel, tin, and especially mercury-the latter often referred to as “amalgam”) in your mouth. If you already have such materials in dental fillings or crowns, you should consider having them removed and replaced. You might have to get away from heavy metals before you can stay away from them.

Toxicity Treatment Options

Avoiding heavy metals from now on only helps with future exposure. But what can you do about past contact and the present health difficulties it is causing? The answer involves a two-pronged approach:

1. Maximize your immune system’s effectiveness and your health in general;

2. Maintain a healthy suspicion regarding the possible involvement of heavy metals in any condition which defies easy diagnosis or management.

The first is up to you. For #2, you may be able to find a qualified health practitioner to help.

What can be involved in improving your immune system? Besides water, as I mentioned earlier, pursue a good diet. The old “balanced diet” and “food pyramids” never were adequate for optimal health. These traditions allowed too much room for options such as highly processed foods. A wise nutritionist once opined, “Eat only food that will rot-try to eat it before it does.” In addition, emphasize veggies and fruits, but do not neglect protein or fats.

Moderation and variety remain excellent watchwords for eating. Eat foods grown in mineral-rich soils (ideal locations include the San Joaquin and Imperial Valleys in California-yes, California carrots from those valleys really are better than those grown in the Rio Grande basin or in Florida). You can enhance the mineral content (and thereby the taste) of your homegrown foods by using soft-rock phosphate (50 pounds per 1000 square feet of garden) and lime (preferably after you’ve done soil testing). Organic fertilizers generally are best (beware, though, that some chicken litter contains contaminants such as arsenic).

Diet supplementation remains a necessity for most families and should include a multi-vitamin & mineral (MVM) daily. Beeyoutiful’s natural SuperMom, SuperDad, and SuperKids are ideal. From other sources, be careful to read the list of ingredients. Some vitamins actually contain small amounts of nickel and tin-two heavy metals that do not need to be part of your supplementation program.

In addition to a good MVM, several products warrant special mention related to heavy metal removal:

— Vitamin C. Th is wonder vitamin wears many hats, but functions wonderfully in our bodies as a low-key but eff- ective heavy metal chelator. It has particular affinity for each toxic metal and a special ability to bind to it. Once a metal is bound, the body can transport and excrete it, allowing for repair of any damage and/or restoration of function. For adults interested in optimal health, take 2000 to 3000 mg per day. If this amount causes diarrhea, decrease to 1000 mg per day and increase slowly (buffered vitamin C may be more readily tolerated).

— Alpha-lipoic Acid. Since toxins may be either water or fat soluble, this amazing product can handle either kind. It really is “good for what ails you.” Try taking 500 mg once or twice daily, and if indicated, this can be increased to 1000 mg once or twice a day.

— Trace Minerals, Magnesium, and Calcium. The proper functioning of many chemical reactions in the body depends on minerals. Adequate trace mineral supplementation needs to be augmented by daily magnesium and calcium. Since the latter two compete for absorption in the same areas of the gut, it is my recommendation that they be taken at different times of the day-e.g., calcium at breakfast and supper, magnesium at lunch and bedtime.*

— Chlorella and Spirulina. Studies have shown both to have a chelating effect on heavy metals while offering other benefits of increased energy and immune enhancement. Again, Beeyoutiful is an excellent source of these fantastic one-cell creatures. And did I mention the best time to start your metal de-toxing? That would be now!

* Editor’s note: For normal supplementation, many experts recommend calcium and magnesium taken together in a 2:1 ratio. Taking calcium and magnesium separately is usually reserved for correcting an imbalance or meeting some other specifi c need.

Beeyoutiful Products Mentioned In This Article:

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Phyll’er Up! Taking the Gag Factor Out of Green Supplements- Summer 2008 Catalog

Posted on January 6, 2009 by stevetallent Leave a comment

By Amy Leiter

I would guess my family isn’t the only one that recognizes the importance of eating greens. How many families-and women in particular-have spent much of their lives choking down a glass of green grit every morning that tastes like it was just scooped out of the ocean? You know what I’m talking about-that green stuff made from barley. Or, as my father calls it, barf-ley. The health benefits may be great, but it even used to embarrass me when my 3-year-old sister had to count “1-2-3” to get Mommy to chug it each morning.

So I say, “Why not have a green supplement with all the same benefits-if not some even better-in a drink that’s palatable?” Well, Beeyoutiful’s chlorophyll is just that. But exactly what is so marvelous about chlorophyll?

Cheers for the Red, White, and Green

Chlorophyll is every green plant’s blood. What’s so amazing is that it is remarkably similar to our own blood. The difference is actually only one metallic molecule. The central element in chlorophyll is magnesium while the core element in our blood is iron. And this differing component, magnesium, is one our bodies can easily convert to iron.

Chlorophyll such as Beeyoutiful’s is usually extracted from alfalfa, which has more vitamins and minerals than most any other plant. Alfalfa’s chlorophyll level is also one of the highest. Not only are you getting the chlorophyll but also a lot of calcium and trace minerals necessary for good health.

Chlorophyll helps a variety of conditions such as anemia, low energy, hypoglycemia, digestive disorders, and cleansing the body of toxins (especially the liver). It deodorizes the body naturally by stopping the growth of harmful bacteria, boosting the immune system, and promoting overall wellbeing. As if that isn’t enough, chlorophyll is rich in calcium, which makes it great for menstruating women, since we lose so much calcium through menstruation. The high calcium levels also make it good for joint and bone problems, and especially hip joint conditions.

Green and Bear It

Taking chlorophyll can be fun, not something you have to endure. You can mix a few drops with water to make a natural fruit and veggie wash. It’s so gentle at cleansing the system that it is good for people and children of all ages and is considered safe during pregnancy.

In my midwifery practice, I recommend chlorophyll for pregnant moms who are really tired and have low iron level. Sometimes if the hemoglobin is particularly low, I have them combine chlorophyll with Yellow Dock and a tea of Red Raspberry and Nettle to really give them a boost (in some cases, Yellow Dock causes diarrhea, so if that appens, I stick with just the chlorophyll). Chlorophyll is high in vitamin K, which helps build healthy blood that clots well.

A benefit of using natural things like herbs and chlorophyll is that our bodies can so readily assimilate the nutrients they need. Traditional iron pills, by contrast, are horrible for not absorbing and cause all kinds of problems. But when you’re taking whole herbs-the way God created them-your body can assimilate what it needs and excrete the excess.

The pleasant mint flavor of Beeyoutiful’s chlorophyll makes it easy to take straight or in a glass of water. I’ve never known anyone to mind the taste. It’s great to have on hand during labor to sip on to help boost energy. If a woman hemorrhages after delivery, chlorophyll is usually the first thing I give her to rebuild red blood cells and her overall blood volume. You can’t overdose on it, and when someone has bled a lot, chlorophyll is like giving your body a transfusion since it’s so similar to our own blood.

Good for Baby, Too

In addition to being good for rebuilding blood loss, chlorophyll is also great for lactating mothers. Not only should it help with the milk production, it is also believed to increase the iron levels in breast milk. I recently saw a mom for a six week post-natal checkup, and she mentioned that, since she went back on chlorophyll, she had noticed her baby wasn’t so fussy. A lot of you who have had colicky babies would give it a try for that reason alone!

I put one mother on chlorophyll while pregnant with her sixth baby because her iron level was low. It brought her count up to a much better level and also boosted her energy. She stopped taking it after her son was born, but it wasn’t long before she came to me saying how exhausted she was. I checked her hemoglobin again, and sure enough, it was low. I told her to go back on the chlorophyll and just stay on it. To her surprise, she conceived again when her baby was only eight months old and could hardly believe she was pregnant this time around because she has felt so good. She didn’t experience the usual nausea, nor was she as wiped out. Now I hear her singing the praises of chlorophyll to other tired, anemic, pregnant women.

One thing that was pointed out to me recently is that another popular chlorophyll supplement-which I used before discovering Beeyoutiful’s-contains the chemical preservative, paraben. Beeyoutiful’s all-natural chlorophyll, as you might guess, doesn’t have it.

Although for obvious reasons, I tend to focus on the benefits of chlorophyll for pregnant women, its healthfulness is good for everyone. I believe chlorophyll should be in all refrigerators. It has no known side effects or toxicity levels, delivers many great nutrients, and offers a pleasing taste and more health benefits than that glass of barf-ley.

Amy Leiter is a professional midwife who provides home birthing services as a donation-based ministry. An herbalist, she actively incorporates the latest research in natural prenatal products into her practice. Amy lives with her parents and six brothers and sisters in Tennessee. She welcomes email at dsleiter1@juno.com.

Beeyoutiful Products listed in this Article:

Liquid Chlorophyll