Herb Remedies Tips

organic herb farm can be rewarding financially, physically and emotionally. Even a small organic herb farm can produce a good crop. You can use the herbs yourself, or sell at market for the benefit of a farmer. You’ll want to plan, of course. You will need to learn a few things before starting a farm with organic herbs.

NEWS Organic Herb Farm Plans

Plans organic herb farm first determine how big a space you allocate for growing organic herbs. Herbs do not need as much space as many vegetables require. You can reap a good harvest in a small space.

You’ll want to plan too much, what types of plants you will plant. There are three broad categories.

1. Culinary – herbs valued for their taste
2. Medicinal – plants appreciated for healing power
3. Perfumed – herbs valued for their fragrance

Organic Herb Farm plans often use all three, but some limit the farm to one type. Some farms grow organic herbs one perfume. Think if there are organic herbs you consider “must-haves” and if there are other, you really do not want to grow.

Once you have decided on the area and type of organic herbs you grow, you should test your soil. Is it limestone, clay, silt or sand? The type of soil you have played a role in your plans organic herb farm. Test it, or have tested so you know. Determine if the soil is well drained. Is sunny, shady, or mixed sun and shade? The pieces will park your organic herb be exposed to wind?

NEWS Organic Herb Farm Layout

Your plans for organic herb farm will need to include a layout. Use graph paper or a computer program with a graph. On your graph paper to mark the northern and southern. Then draw the basic shape of your farm planned. Use a key. For example, 1 square on the graph is equal to 1 square meter. Making buildings, walls, ponds, streams, trees or other obstacles. Indicate the height of trees, as this will affect the sunlight. Indicate areas that are wet or particularly dry.

Use your putting into operation to select the seeds or seedlings of grass healthy. You can buy seed in bulk organic herbs, sometimes at wholesale prices. Consider your soil and climate in the selection of plants or seeds. Most nurseries or farm equipment suppliers can give you guidance in these areas.

May you wish to organize plants according to color, if the soil, sun, shade, and wind conditions allow. Or you may group organic herbs that provide benefits to another on the farm. Here are three examples of good bands.

1. Germander, lavender, rosemary, sage, thyme and
2. Coriander, lemon balm, lemon verbena, oregano, parsley, thyme and
3. Basil, mint, oregano, thyme and

Organic herb plants are among the most beneficial, you can push. The plants attract insects to your farm organic herbs. Relying on the help of bees, birds and butterflies to improve pollination and increase the harvest.

Your organic herb farm plans should take advantage of the fact that those who grow organic herbs create a beautiful landscape, a multitude of animals.

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It is very easy to set up your own herb garden. With all the benefits you will realize from growing your own herbs, there is no excuse not to get started today. Here you will find a step by step instructional to help get you started. Following this guide will get you on the path to being a better gardener today.

(1)    Choose indoors or outdoors. For those just getting started with herb gardening, it is recommended to start with an indoor garden. This will give you more control over the environment your plants are in.

(2)    Using the right location. The best place for an indoor garden is in a windowsill that faces either south or west. Make sure the windowsill you choose gets approximately seven hours of light a day.

(3)    Picking out the right pot. The best pot to plant your herb garden in is a clay pot. The porous nature of the material will allow the soil to get more oxygen. Your plant needs oxygen in order to survive and aerated soil helps your plant to breathe.

(4)    Mixing your soil. Herbs thrive in a soil, which is low in nutrients. Since potting soil is very rich in nutrients, you will want to mix it with an equal amount of sand. For every five-inch pot add about a tablespoon of lime to sweeten the soil.

(5)    Use pebbles as a base. Before putting your soil in the pot, put down a layer of pebbles. This helps drain excess water away from the soil before it damages the roots. Pebbles also help your herb garden to be able to get more oxygen.

(6)    Putting soil in the pot. When you put your soil mixture in the pot, do not pack it in tightly. You want the soil to be loose so the herb can create a good root structure. Tightly packed soil also makes it more difficult for the plant to breathe.

(7)    Planting your seed. The perfect depth for most seeds is about a half inch deep. A good measure for this is the nail on your index finger. Push the seed into the dirt until you do not see your nail. Loosely cover the seed with excess soil, but do not pat it down.

(8)    Put your plant in the window. While waiting for the seed to germinate, make sure the soil is getting sunlight and is properly watered. The soil should remain moist to the touch, not wet. If you notice pools of water, your seed may be drowning. Excess water should then be drained immediately.

(9)    Give your plant some air. When planting indoors, you need to give your plant some artificial wind. Herbs do not like a lot of wind, so use an oscillating fan on the lowest setting. Give your plant about an hour of “wind” a day.

(10)   Be patient. The problem most people have with growing herbs is they want to give them more attention than they actually need. You should notice a sprout in a week. The plant will grow to maturity in about six weeks. If there is a problem do not be discouraged, simply start over.

You will see growing an herb garden is much easier than you thought. Once you get a handle on growing herbs, you will be able to move on to more difficult projects. Remember to have fun as you learn the art of gardening and enjoy the herbs you grow.

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Sometimes you just get tired of using the same old recipe that tastes the same time after time. But we are all so busy we are looking for easy ways to spice up are repertoire. One way that many cooks forget is to use blends of herbs to add subtle flavor distinctions. The French have been doing this forever.

The French never use just one herb in there dishes but rather a blend of herbs that they call a “bouquets garni”. Don’t be put off by that fancy name, it simply means a bouquet of herbs. The blend of herbs adds subtle but distinct flavors to every dish you prepare. The trick is to get the right blend for so no one herb dominates the dish. You want the flavors to be delicate.

With just a few herb bouquets you can change the taste of a recipe instantly. Now, old recipes have added spark and will get you plenty of “This is Greats”. Your aim here is to create a complex flavor that is balanced making each guest want to instantly take another bite. Of course there is different garni for each recipe. You want to achieve the right herbs and spices that compliment each other. You want to use the right relationship between quantities of each herb you are using.

For meat based casseroles, stews, stocks and soup, the old tried and true garni of parsley, thyme and bay leaf still apply. But go one step further and add a twist of citrus (lime, lemon, or orange) for a little zip. The formula for this garni is 3 sprigs of parsley, 1 sprig of thyme and 1 bay leaf. Get a piece of cooking string and tie the bundle together. Viola, just add the bundle to your dish and remove it before serving. Please use fresh herbs, they’re so much better. If you have to use dried, sprinkle the herbs into a patch of cheesecloth and tie the cloth together with the string. .Fine Herbes and Herbes de Provence are to other bouquets that the French use in their cooking.

You can buy these at the grocery store or a gourmet shop but why not make your own. Finely chop fresh oregano, thyme, marjoram, savory, and marjoram for Herbes de Provence. Add one tablespoon of each to your dish. This combination can also be used in salads, meat dishes and vegetables.

The English version of Herbes de Provence is sage, rosemary, marjoram, Italian parsley chives, tarragon and thyme. Mix them all together and use on lamb, pork or in stuffing.

For Fine Herbes, mix together chopped parsley, tarragon, chives and chervil. Experiment with the quantities. Be adventurous! Keep careful notes when you are experimenting so that you can duplicate the successes and toss the disasters. Remember that creating beautiful tasty dishes is a more of a craft that an art.

You will need to identify the flavor and strength of each herb so that you can group them into either mild or robust. Examples of mild herbs are basil, bay leaf, chervil dill, and marjoram. These herbs combine well with most other herbs and their flavors become milder during the cooking process. With mild herbs you can use larger amounts and with more variation. They can also be used in salads and other dishes where the leaves are not cooked or briefly cooked.

Your robust herbs stand up to cooking. Often, they are used for braised or roasted meat or domestic fowl, soups, stews and even grilled foods. You will have work on the recipe since sometime the herbs alter subtly during the cooking process. They will either become more muted or in some cases intensify. They can always be combined with the mild herbs. Robust herbs include sorrel, rosemary, garlic, oregano, sage, tarragon and thyme.

Another cool easy to use fresh herbs is to flavor oil or vinegar with a blend of either mild or robust herbs. You will need pretty glass jars (preferable dark) and a tight seal. Simply put your combination of herbs in the jar, add the oil or vinegar, seal and let it sit for several weeks. Oils should be stored in the refrigerator. The herbs will add a subtle flavor to the liquid and will be delicious in a variety of ways.

You can make really healthy tinctures with fresh herbs. But I would urge you to master the cooking with herbs before you branch out to other areas. By know exactly how each herb flavors each dish you will instinctually know what to use in tinctures.

Again be adventurous, mix and match, keep trying new things and keep notes so your successes can be repeated. After you have mastered cooking with herbs, who knows? Maybe you will start an herb garden so you will always have fresh delicious herbs on hand.

Here’s to Good Cooking!

Copyright © 2006 Mary Hanna All Rights Reserved.

This article may be distributed freely on your website and in your ezines, as long as this entire article, copyright notice, links and the resource box are unchanged.

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Sometimes you just get tired of using the same old recipe that tastes the same time after time. But we are all so busy we are looking for easy ways to spice up are repertoire. One way that many cooks forget is to use blends of herbs to add subtle flavor distinctions. The French have been doing this forever.

The French never use just one herb in there dishes but rather a blend of herbs that they call a “bouquets garni”. Don’t be put off by that fancy name, it simply means a bouquet of herbs. The blend of herbs adds subtle but distinct flavors to every dish you prepare. The trick is to get the right blend for so no one herb dominates the dish. You want the flavors to be delicate.

With just a few herb bouquets you can change the taste of a recipe instantly. Now, old recipes have added spark and will get you plenty of “This is Greats”. Your aim here is to create a complex flavor that is balanced making each guest want to instantly take another bite. Of course there is different garni for each recipe. You want to achieve the right herbs and spices that compliment each other. You want to use the right relationship between quantities of each herb you are using.

For meat based casseroles, stews, stocks and soup, the old tried and true garni of parsley, thyme and bay leaf still apply. But go one step further and add a twist of citrus (lime, lemon, or orange) for a little zip. The formula for this garni is 3 sprigs of parsley, 1 sprig of thyme and 1 bay leaf. Get a piece of cooking string and tie the bundle together. Viola, just add the bundle to your dish and remove it before serving. Please use fresh herbs, they’re so much better. If you have to use dried, sprinkle the herbs into a patch of cheesecloth and tie the cloth together with the string. .Fine Herbes and Herbes de Provence are to other bouquets that the French use in their cooking.

You can buy these at the grocery store or a gourmet shop but why not make your own. Finely chop fresh oregano, thyme, marjoram, savory, and marjoram for Herbes de Provence. Add one tablespoon of each to your dish. This combination can also be used in salads, meat dishes and vegetables.

The English version of Herbes de Provence is sage, rosemary, marjoram, Italian parsley chives, tarragon and thyme. Mix them all together and use on lamb, pork or in stuffing.

For Fine Herbes, mix together chopped parsley, tarragon, chives and chervil. Experiment with the quantities. Be adventurous! Keep careful notes when you are experimenting so that you can duplicate the successes and toss the disasters. Remember that creating beautiful tasty dishes is a more of a craft that an art.

You will need to identify the flavor and strength of each herb so that you can group them into either mild or robust. Examples of mild herbs are basil, bay leaf, chervil dill, and marjoram. These herbs combine well with most other herbs and their flavors become milder during the cooking process. With mild herbs you can use larger amounts and with more variation. They can also be used in salads and other dishes where the leaves are not cooked or briefly cooked.

Your robust herbs stand up to cooking. Often, they are used for braised or roasted meat or domestic fowl, soups, stews and even grilled foods. You will have work on the recipe since sometime the herbs alter subtly during the cooking process. They will either become more muted or in some cases intensify. They can always be combined with the mild herbs. Robust herbs include sorrel, rosemary, garlic, oregano, sage, tarragon and thyme.

Another cool easy to use fresh herbs is to flavor oil or vinegar with a blend of either mild or robust herbs. You will need pretty glass jars (preferable dark) and a tight seal. Simply put your combination of herbs in the jar, add the oil or vinegar, seal and let it sit for several weeks. Oils should be stored in the refrigerator. The herbs will add a subtle flavor to the liquid and will be delicious in a variety of ways.

You can make really healthy tinctures with fresh herbs. But I would urge you to master the cooking with herbs before you branch out to other areas. By know exactly how each herb flavors each dish you will instinctually know what to use in tinctures.

Again be adventurous, mix and match, keep trying new things and keep notes so your successes can be repeated. After you have mastered cooking with herbs, who knows? Maybe you will start an herb garden so you will always have fresh delicious herbs on hand.

Here’s to Good Cooking!

Copyright © 2006 Mary Hanna All Rights Reserved.

This article may be distributed freely on your website and in your ezines, as long as this entire article, copyright notice, links and the resource box are unchanged.

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Growing an organic herb garden is a delightful project. The fragrant plants not only look and smell good; they are also good for flavoring foods.

Indoor organic herb gardens have the advantage of being year-round, giving a continuous supply of fresh herbs. An indoor organic herb garden can be as small as a few pots on a window sill or as large as a greenhouse filled with containers of aromatic organic herbs.

Herb Choices

There are many ways to decide which herbs to include in your organic herb garden. Here are some ideas.

1. Italian Herb Garden: Plant rosemary, oregano, basil, fennel, and chives. Terra cotta containers will make your indoor organic herb garden look authentically old world.

2. French Herb Garden: Begin with lemon basil, marjoram, and parsley, and add other herbs you like to use in French cooking.

3. Fragrant Herb Garden: Choose angelica, bergamot, catmint, chamomile, thyme, lavender, lemon balm, mint, and sage. This organic herb garden is a natural air freshener.

4. Tea Herb Garden: If you enjoy herbal teas, your organic herb garden might focus on appropriate herbs for your tea: catnip, chamomile, lavender, lemon grass, mint, and peppermint.

You may not want to theme your indoor organic herb garden, but simply grow a few herbs that appeal to you.

Containers

Many herbs are well-suited to container gardening, but you will want to choose containers according to the herbs you intend to grow.

1. Those tiny herb peat pots sold in discount stores give the wrong idea. Your indoor organic herb garden will not last long with such small thinking.

2. Begin with containers a bit larger than those in which the live nursery plants were purchased. This will give your plants room to start growing.

3. Once your herbs are stabilized and growing well, transplant them into larger containers.

4. Basil, mint, oregano, and sage are examples of herbs that can be grown in pots of about 8 to 10 inches.

5. If you want a large crop of herbs that is constantly being replenished in your organic herb garden, use 3 to 5 gallon containers. This will assure you of having plenty of rosemary, basil, etc. when you want it.

Container Soil

Indoor organic herb gardens call for building organic soil. Your soil should have a pH of about 7, since herbs prefer a more alkaline soil. If yours is too acid, add some calcified seaweed. Be sure you use only organic fertilizers to build your soil.

Indoor Lighting

An indoor organic herb garden will need lighting, especially if your room is not sunny. Lighting is especially important for year-round indoor gardens.

Different plants have different light requirements, some preferring bright sun and others preferring shade. Most herbs prefer full sun, but there are exceptions, so learn what each of your herbs needs.

Incandescent lights, even though called “grow lights”, are a poor choice for your indoor organic herb garden. Fluorescent lights are better, and have the advantage of being inexpensive, easily available, and easy to set up. The best choice for lighting your indoor organic herb garden is high intensity discharge lighting, often called HID lights. These are even more affordable and efficient.

Useful and Beautiful

An indoor organic herb garden can be both useful and beautiful. Herbs are generally eager to please, and require little maintenance. Simply give them the right food, water, and sunlight, and they will reward you abundantly.

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Possibly that trip to the corner coffee house has more benefits than just the immediate wakeup call.  I bet you never thought of coffee as an herbal medicine, but there is more to coffee bean than meets the eye.

Although coffee has recently come under fire, there are many benefits to ingesting this herbal medicine in moderation.  Terry Graham, Chairman of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada,  is a coffee researcher and says, “Coffee is a complex beverage with hundreds, if not thousands, of bioactive ingredients, a cup of coffee is 2% caffeine, 98% other stuff.”  People seem to forget that the coffee bean is an herb.  Indeed, the coffee pmedicinal herbs the Rubiaceae family, which is a source of several different Chinese medicinal herbs, including:   gardenia fruit, oldenlandia, morinda, rubia, and uncaria. The effects of this herbal medicine were well known by 1908 when the Indian Materia Medica was published.  Towards the end of the 19th century, coffee did make its way to China, where it can now be found in every major city. Furthermore, China is already exporting coffee and is poised to become a major presence in the coffee-growing industry.

At the proper dosages, the coffee bean has the ability to improve health in several ways.  Drinking coffee can increase cardiovascular health and lower the risk of colon cancer, gallstones, cirrhosis, and Parkinson’s disease (Dharmananda 2003).   A typical dosage for this type of herbal medicine is in the range of 6-18 grams per day, which translates to about 1-3 cups of coffee, depending on how many grams of ground beans are used.  Roasting the coffee beans does not detract from the beneficial effects of this herb

The primary active substances in the coffee bean are chlorogenic and caffeic acids.  These substances have been shown to have anti-depressant and anti-anxiety effects.  No wonder those local Starbucks have become our favorite pit stops.   Furthermore, these compounds are important components of vegetables, fruits, and many culinary herbs and are thought to help reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases and cancer.  Another potential beneficial effect of these herbal medicine substances is to regulate blood sugar levels by reducing the absorption of glucose (thus reducing blood glucose levels).  Coffee also contains antioxidant phenols that can reduce the risk of cancer.

There have been case studies done to examine the effect of long-term coffee drinking on type 2 diabetes mellitus, and it has been found that, “… long-term coffee consumption is associated with a statistically significantly lower risk for type 2 diabetes,” (Salazar-Martinez E et al. 2004).  This study by Salazar-Martinez et al. took into consideration age, body mass index, as well as other risk factors to ensure accurate results.  Type 2 diabetes mellitus is associated more with behavioral and lifestyle choices than necessarily with genetics and can be brought on by obesity, smoking, and physical inactivity.

Coffee, like any other potent herbal medicine, is not necessarily for everyone, as some people may be more sensitive to the effects of caffeine or another of the ingredients present in coffee, such as potassium, niacin, magnesium, and tocopherols .  However, coffee has proven to be safe for the majority of people when consumed in reasonable amounts.  So start your day guilt-free with a freshly brewed cup of herbal chlorogenics, drink up and enjoy.

References:

Ann Intern Med.  2004; 140: 1-8.

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The authors, Velma J. Keith and Monteen Gordon, have done a great job of providing concise and extensive information on 71 herbs, 38 vitamins and minerals, and 175 of the most common ailments for women, children and families.

The herb section includes for each herb: classification, a brief description and an extensive list of the most common uses. Pages on vitamins and minerals cover the positive effects and explain in detail why each substance is needed and what can happen if the body becomes deficient. Also stated is toxicity, enemies, natural food sources and all of the herbs included in the book which contain the nutrient being discussed.

Over 150 conditions and ailments are addressed with treatment options for herbs, herbal combinations, diet changes and/or exercise. Several pages are devoted to helping the reader to understand the need and the methods for cleansing. Also included are a few specialized chapters focusing on women, infants and children and last, but definitely not least, is a chapter with herbal preparations and recipes. The authors give directions on how to make infusions, decoctions, compresses (fomentation), extracts, tinctures, oils, ointments, bolus, capsules, poultices, baths, syrups, plasters, packs and salves.

Finally, this book is very well formatted and organized. It was very easy to read and has a very comprehensive Table of Contents and Index which makes it very easy to find your desired treatment or herbal fix in seconds.

I am very pleased with my recent acquisition. I would recommend The How To Herb Book (Mayfield Publications ISBN 0-9617825-0-1) to all herbal enthusiasts. A great anchor book for the beginning herbal patron and a much needed addition to complete the serious herbalist’s library.

http://www.bulkherbstore.com/The-How-To-Herb-Book

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Herb gardening has been around for centuries and the joys of an herbal garden is well know to many gardeners. Even beginner gardeners can have a high quality of success by starting with the basics and working their way up to a more complicated herbal garden. You can plant a container herb garden or an indoor herb garden. There are three categories of herbs that can be grown in you herbal gardens, culinary herbs, ornamental herbs, or medicinal herbs.

Culinary herb gardening’s purpose is to add spice and flavor to your cooking. Culinary herbs are the herbs that use fresh or dried leaves in cooking. Some of the classic culinary herbs are parsley, oregano, rosemary and basil. You may even want to plant some sage and thyme. There is a difference between herbs and spices. Spices are seeds, roots, fruits, flowers, and bark while, as mentioned above, culinary herbs are fresh or dried leaves.

When considering your culinary herb garden your most important decision is the location. You will need a sunny spot with at least six hours of sun. The more sun the herb garden gets the more flavor will develop in the herbs. Try to place your culinary herb garden as close to the kitchen door as possible. This will ensure that the herbs will be used daily.

A simple and delicious way to use basil is to slice some juicy ripe tomatoes and fresh mozzarella. Overlap them on a plate, sprinkle on some extra virgin olive oil and chopped basil. It is also good with a squeeze of fresh lemon. Anyone that has grown a culinary herb garden and used the fresh herbs will tell you that the fresh herbs are superior over the dried herbs.

Ornamental herb gardening can make your gardens not only practical but beautiful too. By “ornamental” we mean that the primary current usage is purely decorative. Some of these ornamental herbs have a long history of medicinal or culinary usage. Pots of ornamental herbs add color and texture to balconies or patios. They are perfect for lining your flower beds.

A good example of an ornamental herb is Dittany of Crete, a favorite oregano herb of many herb gardeners. It will form a low mound and produce leaves with fine silvery hairs. You would never want to use this in cooking, it is strictly for show.

Rue is another good choice for garden borders. Its unusual blue green color offers contrast to bright showy blooms. The rue leaves can be used as a garnish but because of its bitter flavor does not work in cooking.

Ornamental herbs are just what they say, ornaments for your gardens. Ornamental herb gardening will add texture and interest to your flower beds.

Now we come to medicinal herbs. Before the 1900’s medicinal herbs were used widely in the United States. Somewhere in the 1960’s herbs used as medicine dwindled. Now, many doctors are prescribing medicinal herbs as well as mainstream medicine.

There are three ways that the medicinal herbs work on the body. Medicinal herbs have been known to strengthen an organ so that it can heal itself. Some medicinal herbs purge the body of toxins and illness, while others build up the immune system which will help in retarding illness.

There are many ways to use medicinal herbs. A few are infusions, herb vinegars, ointments, teas and tinctures. For example, to make a healing herbal tea, boil water and pour over the fresh herbs in a cup. Let it steep for 5 minutes but no longer then 10 for it will get bitter.

The medicinal herb stevia can be used as a natural sweetener and is easy to grow in an herbal garden. It also decrease tooth decay and gum disease if used as a mouth wash.

Before starting any course of medicinal herbs, be sure to notify your Doctor to see if they will interact with any medicines you are currently taking.

These are some of the basics of the three herb groups. Plan your herb garden, pick a bright sunny place and plant your herbs. Remember you can plant an herb garden in the ground, as a container garden or an indoor herb garden.

Happy Gardening!

Copyright © Mary Hanna, All Rights Reserved.

This article may be distributed freely on your website and in your ezines, as long as this entire article, copyright notice, links and the resource box are unchanged.

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The Mammastatin Serum Assay may help identify both women with breast cancer and those at risk to develop breast cancer. We currently are evaluating estrogen and androgen levels in serum from 74 women who developed postmenopausal breast cancer and 148 matched controls. (1998) Correlation between carotenoid concentrations in serum and in normal breast tissues of women with benign breast tumor or breast cancer. There was no association between reported total serum cholesterol levels and breast cancer risk in either pre-menopausal or post-menopausal women. In conclusion, the present results suggest that activin A is expressed at both tissue and serum in postmenopausal women with breast cancer. There did not appear to be an increased risk of breast cancer with different serum levels of PCBs among women who carried m4 genotypes.

Molecular forms of prostate-specific antigen in the serum of women with benign and malignant breast diseases. Prostate-specific antigen in serum of women with breast cancer. Individual serum TCDD is significantly related with breast cancer incidence among women in the SWHS cohort. Body mass index, serum sex hormones, and breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women. Sources of elevated serum androgens in postmenopausal women who develop breast cancer. No significant difference in serum levels was found between the women with breast cancer and the control group. Over the intervening two decades, 240 women in the study who had serum samples later developed breast cancer. Relation of serum levels of testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate to risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women. Department of Defense on a study of the predictive value for breastcancer of serum organochlorine levels among occupationally exposed women.

(2004) SELDI-TOF serum profiling for prognostic and diagnostic classification of breast cancer. In a study published by Wolff et al in 1993,7 breast cancer was strongly associated with the concentration of DDE in serum. No differences in serum levels of total DDT or HCB were found between oestrogen receptor positive and oestrogen receptor negative patients with breast cancer. Samples were analysed in duplicate in batches that included breast cancer and control samples, together with pooled serum quality control samples. Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane serum levels and breast cancer risk: a case-control study from Mexico. Univariate analyses showed that cases and controls had no significant association between serum cholesterol level and BMI and breast cancer. CONCLUSION: Serum c-erbB-2 levels are elevated in approximately one fourth of patients with locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer. Elevated soluble c-erbB-2 antigen levels in the serum and effusions of a proportion of breast cancer patients

Leitzel et al. Immunoprecipitation and Western blotting were used to characterize further the c-erbB-2 immunoreactivity in the serum of four breast cancer patients. Table 4Risk of breast cancer in relation to serum concentrations of organochlorines in quartiles by estrogen receptor status. Table 5Overall breast cancer survival in relation to serum concentrations of organochlorines by estrogen receptor status. Table 1 shows the measured lipid adjusted serum organochlorine concentration among these breast cancer cases.

We measured fat-soluble antioxidant nutrients, carotenoids, retinoids and tocopherols in serum and endogenous carotenoid levels in normal breast adipose tissue. Correlations between carotenoid concentrations in serum and in breast adipose tissue were determined by combining the data of the two groups. However, serum cryptoxanthin showed no correlation with breast adipose tissue cryptoxanthin levels. The relationship of the values of the breast tissue to the serum variables was examined by using Spearman correlation coefficients. HPLC chromatograms of the major carotenoids in human serum (A) and human breast adipose tissue (B) obtained from a benign breast tumor patient. Before extraction, serum was digested with lipase and cholesterol esterase, and breast adipose tissue was saponified. The neu-oncogene product in serum and tissue of patients with breast carcinoma

Kath et al. There was quality control data for the serum measurements but not for breast or gluteal adipose tissue. We detected ratios close to 1:1 for many of the comparisons among lipid-corrected serum, breast adipose, and gluteal adipose tissue. Comparison of organochlorine pesticide and polychlorinated biphenyl residues in human breast adipose tissue and serum. Most studies of bioaccumulation of pollutant chemicals are carried out by using serum or urine and studies using breast adipose tissue are few. Concentrations of the major serum carotenoids except cryptoxanthin showed significant correlations with breast adipose tissue carotenoid levels.

PUERARIAN BREAST SERUM

This excellent Breast Serum formulated from natural unique herb, which contains Pueraria Mirifica Extract. Traditionally known for its high Phytoestrogens, Breast Serum promotes and supports fuller and firmer breast. All Skin Type.

Ingredients: Pueraria Mirifica and other herb extracts.-All Skin Type

Direction: Use once in the morning and in the night. Apply onto breast area and massage for 3-5 minutes until it is fully absoubed.

Precaution: Not recommended for pregnant women, feeding mothers or women diagnosed with medical conditions of the breast.

http://www.phuketherb.com/women_health.html

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Planning an herb garden can be fun and rewarding. Herbs have been in use for centuries for culinary, medicinal and aromatic reasons. For generations tribal leaders and healers passed down the herbal secrets. Many modern medicines have an herb base. Modern herbalist mix medicinal herb for their clients. Many herbalists also mix aromatic herbs for beauty purposes. But, of course, the culinary herb is still the most widely used. You can become a kitchen gardener by growing an herb garden right in your kitchen on a sunny windowsill.

For the discussion of herbal gardening today we will plant the herbs found in the Elizabethan Era and so often mentioned in William Shakespeare’s works. The plants selected will be culinary herbs, medicinal herbs and aromatic herbs, all to experience the aromas and flavors of that time.

Herbal gardening is wonderful since the herbs can be grown in a variety of ways. Plant a container garden for you deck or patio for great colors, different textures and super aromas. Planning an herb garden in the ground will allow you to cultivate a traditional kitchen herb garden outside. Or if you have limited space, become an inside kitchen gardener and plant your herbs on a windowsill or in a window box.

When planning your herb garden remember that the herbs need well drained soil, they hate wet feet. Test your soil for the herb garden and make sure it is alkaline. All Herbs need at least six hours of sunlight.

When Elizabethans planted aromatic herbs, culinary herbs and medicinal herbs they used either a symmetrical rectangular or square patterns. The Elizabethans were very formal and felt their herb gardens should be too. Their herbal gardens had walkways, as strolling through the garden was a popular pastime. They had no TV’S! If you are planting your herbal garden near a patio, think about adding a strolling path for yourself. The paths will add character to you herbal garden.

In planning an herb garden be sure to take in to consideration the growing habits of each herb. Plant the taller busier herbs in the back of the garden, the small, compact ones in the front. Most herbs are perennials meaning they will grow back each year. Any of the herbs that need to be planted annually should go in a spot in the herb garden that is easy to get to. Give each herb plenty of room to grow. The herbs need air circulation to prevent mold. This stage of planning an herb garden is essential since once the plants become mature they do not like to be moved.

When you plant an herb garden, you can either start from seeds or get small plants from your garden center. The garden center plants will give a better chance of achieving success in the herb garden. When using seeds, plan ahead because the seeds may need to grow for several months before they are ready to plant into the herb garden. Especially if you are a beginner, I would recommend using the small plants from the garden center.

Go to a reputable garden center to purchase you herbs. Inspect your herbs closely to make sure they are healthy. One infected plant can ruin your whole herbal garden. When using the small herbs from the garden center you will be able to harvest your herbs much sooner. When you take the herbs out to be planted in the herbal garden, gently remove the plant from the pot and loosen the soil around the roots. Place the herb in the spot you have chosen or the container that you have prepared. Cover all of the roots with soil and gently tamp down. Give your new herbs plenty of water checking the moisture each day. Never let the soil dry out but don’t make your herbs roots too wet. If you are planting a container garden remember that the dirt in a container will dry out more quickly then the ground. You might find that the herbs will droop for a couple of days. Don’t fret that is shock but they will recover.

Once you have learned the herbs growth patterns you can start pinching off to get a bushier herb. When you first start out, keep a journal for your herb garden to keep track of each herbs strengths and weaknesses. After you get to know your herb garden you will be able to tell when the plants need attention.

Over the centuries herbs have evolved into very hardy plants. Once you herbal garden is established it will need very little care. To hold moisture for the herb longer, mulch around the plants. This is a good garden tip whether you plant the herbs in container gardens or in the ground.

Herbs are natural insect repellents but if you have to treat for pests be sure you use a non toxic treatment since you will be eating your harvest. Marigolds are a natural repellent so you may want to plant of few of these flowers. Planting companion plants is how most Shakespearian gardens were done.

Harvest can begin as soon as you have several leaves on the herb. It is best to cut your herbs before they begin to flower for the best flavor. This is when the most oils are stored in the leaves. Wait until any morning dew has dissipated before cutting but harvest before the full sun is out. You can cut your herbs right before you wish to use them. If the stems are tender these too can be used in your recipes.

If you have an abundant harvest you can freeze or dry the herbs. Dry them by hanging them upside down, in a bunch tied together, in a warm and dark place. You can microwave them by placing them between two paper towels and microwaving for 2 minutes. Put them in an air tight container, they will last up to 1 year.

Freezing the bounty of your herb garden will let them last a little longer, a year to year and a half. Chop up the herbs and place on a sheet of wax paper. Freeze for at least 2 hours. Another method is to put the herbs in ice cube trays with water. Freeze until firm, pop them out and put them in to zip lock bags. When ever you need the herbs for soups, stews or sauces, just throw in an herb ice cube.

Now, here is the list of Shakespearian Herbs to plant in your Elizabethan herb garden including culinary herbs, aromatic herbs and medicinal herbs. It will truly make you a kitchen gardener.

Bay, box, Broom, Calendula, Chamomile, Chives, Heartsease, Hyssop, Lavender, Lemon Balm, Parsley, Peppermint, Rosemary, Rue, Salad Burnet, Summer Savory, Bachelors Buttons and Thyme. For more information on each herb, email me or search on the internet.

Happy Gardening!

Copyright © Mary Hanna, All Rights Reserved.

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About the Author
Mary Hanna is an aspiring herbalist who lives in Central Florida. This allows her to grow gardens inside and outside year round. She has published other articles on Cruising, Gardening and Cooking. Visit her websites at http://www.GardeningHerb.com http://www.CruiseTravelDirectory.com and http://www.ContainerGardeningSecrets.com

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