Blog
Traditional Chinese Medicine and Processing Herbs
Getting into the Flow
A common question that we
receive is asking about how our herbs are processed. I’ve written before about
what the
different extraction ratios and classifications mean (such as
standardized versus concentrated), but I have not provided an overall outline of
processing here on the blog—though I’ve done so innumerable times through
e-mail. My aim here is to better inform our customers as to how raw herbs are
processed into concentrated, potent medicines, and
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Aug 17, 2015
Relearning the Five Love Languages
No WiFi. No Bluetooth.
The more time we’re spending behind the screen, and the more our
relationships are mediated by technology, it seems that we are becoming poorer and poorer
at real—in real life—interpersonal communication and interactions. Yes, we’re always connected.
But maybe it’s time to (relearn) how to connect. Without cords. Without
WIFI. Without Bluetooth. You know, in the flesh.
This isn’t a judgment call. And it isn’t to say that one way
of connecting is greater
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Aug 11, 2015
Nature and our Mental Health
Humans: (Mental Health) Connected to a Natural Landscape
I love it when researchers confirm what we all inherently
know. When we present our ruminations—our worries and our anxieties—to our
natural eco-systems those systems take care of those problems for us.
Writing for the National Academy of Sciences,
researchers
have found that taking a 90 minute walk through a “natural environment reported
lower levels of rumination and showed reduced neural
activity in an area of the br
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Jul 01, 2015
Epitalon for Lengthening Telomeres
Telomeres, Aging, and Epitalon
We have written here a few times about the relationship between telomeres and aging, and how while some see telomeres as the
holy grail in the key to extending lifespan and quality of life, others are quick to point out a major flaw in the theory.
As a basic introduction, chromosomes (which contain the DNA in a cell) have padding at their ends, called telomeres. Without overcomplicating things, that padding allows the cell to replicate, but each time the cel
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Jun 25, 2015
Drinking in the Mystical Sleep
Embracing Our Ancestral Sleep: A Journey Back to Our Ancestral Sleep
At RAW Forest Foods, we hold a deep and profound reverence for the sanctity of sleep—and we have previously written about the critical role sleep plays in maintaining the delicate equilibrium of our physical, mental, and spiritual faculties. This is particularly pertinent to those dedicated to optimizing their physical fitness and nurturing a healthy, strong, and youthfullendocrine system.
Sleep, too often marginalized
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May 26, 2015
Product Highlight: Endocrine Strengthening Formula
Improved; Emboldened; Strengthened; Balanced
We launched our
Endocrine Strengthening Formula back in the
fall of 2010—over five years ago. Rapidly it became a customer favorite for a
balanced, yet potent formula for raising testosterone levels. First this
formula was available as a 1:2 extraction ratio, and then we quadrupled the
strength with a 2:1 extraction ratio. The formula has always contained
professional grade hydro-e
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May 17, 2015
The Aphrodisiac Qualities of Kava Kava (Piper methysticum)
Kava: Empathogen; Aphrodisiac
Kava Kava is a vital, robust evergreen shrub. It grows
thick, stout rhizomes and fleshy stems, which upon sit rounded, heart shaped
leaves and small, delicate, spiked flowers. In Latin, Kava Kava is called
Piper methysticum, translating to the intoxicating pepper. This intoxicating
pepper is native to the Pacific Islands, where the indigenous prepared and
consumed a medicinal drink made from those aforementioned thick, stout
rhizomes.
While most p
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May 14, 2015
Twelve Rivers MycoMedic Elixir
Nourishing and Tonifying the Twelve Rivers
Medicinal mushrooms, also known as medicinal fungi, are one of the most important categories of natural medicine, and allopathic medicine is just beginning to recognize their potential. Fungi share more DNA with humans than plants do, and it's no surprise that the mysterious world of mushrooms holds such wisdom and potential for wellness. Indigenous cultures have long known about and utilized the healing properties of mushrooms, and now post-industr
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Mar 28, 2015
Need for Sleep
Sleep Cannot be Substituted
Our collective relationship with sleep is rather amusing. On one hand, we have access to this free, effortless, and abundant resource that has been empirically proven to be incredibly beneficial for our health. Yet, on the other hand, we seem to have an ongoing obsession with trying to minimize or eliminate it.Sleep Is Imperative
As a society, we maintain a complex and mostly negative relationship with sleep. Products like Five Hour Energy
ra
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Feb 18, 2015
Massala Chai Recipe for Lovers
Spiced Chai with Cupid's Elixir
I love tea, especially a big mug full of spicy hot chai tea
during the dead-of-winter that is the middle of February.
The middle of
February is also a great time to create a batch of the spicy warmth goodness of
chai tea, to melt the snow and ignite the heart for Valentine’s Day—whether
it is to shared with a lover, friends, or simply by yourself with a good book or
movie. Chai tea is easy to make and can be accomplished with many of the spices
yo
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Feb 09, 2015