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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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

               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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …