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What is Low Testosterone Trying to Tell You? As we have mentioned previously, low testosterone—and the symptoms that accompany it—are often the result of driving the body too hard and for too long. There are many ways to talk about this, from burnout to chronic stress to adrenal fatigue/disorders to heat and Jing depletion, but the results are all the same: the body is worn out and is aging more quickly than it should be.  In short, the way that many of us live our lives …

How Tongkat Ali Combats Stress-Induced Low Testosterone With global testosterone levels in decline, the imperative to build our endocrine and hormonal health becomes increasingly paramount. In the midst of this, Tongkat Ali ( Eurycoma longifolia Jack) emerges as a cornerstone of an effective herbal arsenal, cherished for its pro-androgenic prowess. This revered herb does more than merely increase testosterone; it intricately interacts with our body's mechanisms to enhance testosterone …

The Difference Between Tonifying and Strengthening Herbs In Traditional (TCM) and classic Chinese medicine, Some herbs are used to tonify and some herbs are used to strengthen. To the casual ear, these two actions seems like synonyms: two words with the same definition. But while both can be used to enhance Qi (and even Jing), they are two separate words, two separate concepts, two separate actions, and the herbs that tonify are not the herbs that strengthen (and vice versa). …

Reishi, Androgens, and 5alpha-reductase Reishi ( Ganoderma lucidum) is regarded as one of the most important tonic herbs known. Throughout history as well as today. Reishi is also one of my personal favorite herbs: everything from its lore, to its beauty, to its medicinal and tonic effects, completely and utterly captivates me. There is magic in mushrooms, and there is a lot of magic in Reishi. Sometimes people are confused that at RAW Forest Foods we carry Reishi. This is …

What is Jing, Anyway? Jing—as a word and as a concept—is becoming more and more common and popular in the raw, health, and longevity communities. It is a bit of a one word catch phrase and it is becoming unscrupulously (as well as incorrectly) used to sell products. With the wide use of the word it seems that the concept of Jing is becoming more and more misunderstood, and that the true essence of Jing is either not known or is just unappreciated. In this post I hope to both set a bett …

Unlocking and Understanding the Potency of Herbal Tinctures: A Comprehensive Guide Tinctures are a foundational component of Western herbalism and herbal medicine. As we embrace these healing traditions, tinctures serve as a conduit for harnessing the therapeutic potential inherent in plants, mushrooms, fungi, and other beneficial compounds. My personal journey into herbal medicine began in the mid-1990s with the use of a feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium) tincture for migraine preventio …

At RAW Forest Foods, we are proud to be able to leverage our long standing relationships with our foragers and suppliers to ensure that our customers receive the highest quality products. Our Pine Pollen is harvested in the Yunnan Province of Southwestern China--an area roughly the same size as California (152,000 sq miles). This is a clean, natural area far away from industry and pollution. Wondering about the pollution here would be like worrying about the pollution from New York City af …

Estrogen Detoxification It took us approximately about two years to develop and launch our estrogen detoxification product, Estrogen Detox. It took so long because, as if often the case, good things take time. Why did we develop Estrogen Detox when there are already several "estrogen detoxification" products on the market, and Diindolylmethane (DIM) (an active ingredient in many of the products) is readily available at the health food store? Because none of these products actually de …

Prostate Health, Men's Health, and RAW Brassica Pollen Personally--and a little selfishly--I'm really excited about our new RAW Brassica Pollen. And I think that this is a pretty good reason to carry it at RAW Forest Foods. When we first started with our RAW Pine Pollen, we were in a similar position: we absolutely loved the product and wanted to share it with others. It was obvious to me that it was an important natural medicine and that it should be readily available. Similar …

Men, Health and Low Estrogen? A Short Analysis of the News In the past few days we've seen numerous articles populate the major media outlets ( NY Times, LA Times) questioning the different connections between low testosterone, low estrogen, and men's health. While this information is, for many, confusing, it is also completely short-sided and rather misleading. For men with low testosterone and high levels of estrogen--or anyone with estrogen dominance--these articles are sur …