Guayusa is a very interesting herbal tea from the Amazon.  When I first started drinking it, I wanted to share it with everyone.  It seems to have so many advantages over coffee or tea, that it is the ideal hot morning caffeine-containing beverage of choice for practically anyone.

It is a bush in the holly family; a cousin of Yerba mate (also known by the scientific Latin binomial Ilex paraguenensis).  It actually contains more caffeine than tea.  Additionally, it contains an alkaloid theobromine which is notably found in Cacao theobroma, better known as Cacao or Chocolate.  Even more intriguing, it contains an amino acid L-theanine which is found in Green Tea, and has been associated with a relaxed state of focused concentration.

Some traditional native shamen say that Guayusa can cause lucid dreaming.  Lucid dreaming is the state where a person is dreaming but they are aware that they are experiencing a dream, and can direct the result.  For this reason it is sometimes called the Watchman’s plant.

Another direct health benefit of Guayusa is that it contains no tannins, and is less acidic than coffee or tea.  This pH balance is very important for promoting an alkaline state in the human body, which is of the utmost importance in influencing our health and state of being.

It does, however, contain antioxidants which can protect the body from dangerous free radicals. It has also been studied for help with blood sugar balance and fighting diabetes.

One interesting misconception about the plant has been that it is an emetic (meaning that it will make you vomit.)  This was clarified in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology which stated that rituals practiced by natives in which Guayusa is consumed in large amounts and then vomited, were a ritual behavior and not due to the presence of any emetic compounds in Guayusa.

This writer does not endorse nor condemn self-induced emesis.  Needless to say, it has little to do with how you may enjoy the tea!

Hey, thanks for checking out my new blog! This has been in the works for a long time.  I’d like to see this space become a resource for information, debate and perhaps inspiration.

What is ‘botanical nutrition’? Essentially, the words mean… nutrition from plants.  You would have to have been under a rock in order to be unaware of the growing body of evidence that EATING MORE PLANTS (and a greater diversity of plants, specifically SUPER FOODS) may be one of the greatest things you can do for your own health.

One of the concepts I have been tossing around with respect to Botanical Nutrition is the idea of ‘diet without dogma’.  This means simply that you can EAT MORE PLANTS (and a greater diversity of plants, specifically super foods) and not necessarily have them be to the exclusion of anything else. You don’t have to go macrobiotic (though I think this is an amazing dietary approach) or raw food vegan (or 30, 40, 50 or 70%) if YOU DON’T CHOOSE TO.  I think this can be an empowering idea to consider, and empowerment to my mind is about 80% of healing.

The body is a natural healer.  We’ve heard it said many times, and it is true.  Drugs don’t heal, even plants don’t heal without the cooperation of the body. And the mind is part of the body, making it all the more necessary to consider a completely holistic approach that addresses mind, body and spirit.

I would encourage you, always, to eat foods that are good for you. Push yourself to find new ways to make it happen. Don’t be SAD (standard American diet) be joyous by exploring more and more the wonderful healing foods nature has provided us with.  This realization in and of itself is a spiritual connection, and a first step to tapping into our body’s innate healing abilities.

As much as ‘natural remedies’ (using herbs, nutrients and other supplements to treat specific conditions) can be very effective; it is also equally (perhaps even moreso) important to consider our every day diet.  YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT. Remember that one?

This morning as I sit down to a breakfast of Oatmeal supplemented with Hemp hearts,Red Maca, and coconut milk –  I’m so grateful for a natural world so full of  healing potential.  Don’t waste your life eating junk food, join us here in this quest for Botanical Nutrition.  How much longer do you want to keep getting sick, and how soon do you want to start feeling energy and vitality?  Stay tuned, kids, the best is yet to come.  Thank you!