Healthy Product News
May 2008
Articles
Bhringaraj Revitalizes Hair and Turns Back the Clock
Report by Julia Woodford
In this installment of what has become a series on Ayurvedic herbs, we turn to a plant called Bhringaraj that grows wild in India and the southwestern US. In Sanskrit, the word Bhringaraj means “ruler of the hair”, a testament to its unusual ability to prevent or even reverse greying of the hair, and to aid regrowth of hair where baldness is occurring. In fact, in Ayurvedic medicine baldness is thought to be a result of excess Pitta in the head; in other words, excessive mental stimulation and worry causes the head to heat up which in turn literally burns the roots of the hair so it starts falling out. By calming and cooling the Pitta fire, the mind becomes relaxed and hair can begin to regrow.
According to the book Ayurvedic Medicine by Sebastian Pole, Lic OHM, Ayur HC, this herb is revered in India as a classic rejuvenative herb indicated for any problems associated with the head, including loose or falling teeth, hearing loss, dizziness, and memory impairment. And a further benefit of its ability to cool pitta fire is the alleviation of insomnia caused by an overstimulated mind.
Bhringaraj is also said to clear toxins from the liver, restore bile flow, and protect liver cells from further contamination. As a bitter herb, it rivals dandelion in its ability to nourish the yin essence of the kidney and liver, clear toxic heat from the blood, and has even been used to treat advanced cases of liver cirrhosis and hepatitis. As a kidney yin tonic, this herb can also be used to alleviate symptoms of kidney yin deficiency such as tinnitus (ringing in the ear).
Bhringaraj can be taken internally as an infusion (strong tea), or in powder form combined with ghee. Externally, it can be made into a hair oil and massaged into the scalp to stimulate hair growth and reduce grey hairs; in fact, India’s most popular hair oils have Bhringaraj as their core ingredient. It is also great for the complexion, so a mask made with the ground herb works to tighten the pores and remove blemishes and redness.
Toronto consumers can now find raw Bhringaraj powder for sale at the Big Carrot in 200 gram bags, priced at $9.89. Imported from India, this product is certified organic by Ecocert, and distributed in Canada by Advantage Health Matters (www.advantagehealthmatters.com, (905) 946-1011, info@advantagehealthmatters.com).
For more information, contact Ayurvedic consultant Francis Ashwagandha, MH, at the Big Carrot Dispensary in Toronto (416) 466-8432, who can also explain the best methods for taking Bhringaraja, depending on your constitution. Or consult one of the Ayurvedic practitioners on page 96 of Vitality's May print issue.
Stonemill Bakehouse Launches Two Nutrient-dense, Sprouted Grain Breads
Research has shown that using sprouted grains increases the absorbable nutritional elements such as biotin, folic acid and vitamins B1 (thiamin), B2, B3, B5 (pantothenic acid) and C (in some cases by as much as 300%). On the heels of the best-selling Stonemill Bakehouse Sprouted Grain – 3 Grain Bread, Ontario’s own innovative artisan bread baker is adding variety to healthy choice with the introduction of two new sprouted grain breads: Sprouted Grains, Psyllium-12 Grain Rye Bread and Sprouted Grain, Prebiotic-Flax Bagels. Both breads only contain ingredients you can pronounce – in other words all natural, with no chemical additives or preservatives.
The sprouting technique used by Stonemill incorporates live sprouted whole grain kernels into the bread dough. After sprouting, the grain begins to convert into a plant. This process (malting) creates enzymatic activity, which helps the body to assimilate the nutrients and transforms the starches (flour) of the grains into easily digested maltose and other simple sugars.
“I’m very excited about the new Stonemill Bakehouse Sprouted Grain breads because they offer a unique combination of taste, quality and healthful variety. Sprouted grain has been linked with numerous health benefits such as lowering the incidence of digestive diseases, coronary heart disease, diabetes and even obesity,” says Dr. Joey Shulman, registered nutritionist.
Sprouted Grains – Psyllium-12 Grain Rye Bread contains psyllium husk fibre, one of nature’s highest sources of soluble dietary fibres that reduces total cholesterol and LDL (bad cholesterol) and promotes regularity.
Bagels need not be on the “forbidden foods” list if they’re Stonemill’s new Sprouted Grains, Prebiotic-Flax Bagels. The bagels contain inulin (made from chicory root), a dietary insoluble fibre that reaches the intestines undigested while supporting the growth of lactic acid bacteria or “friendly bacteria” in the intestinal tract. This provides the recipe for good digestive health.
“Ongoing consultation with Canada’s leading health experts enables us to develop new and nutritious products, full of vitamins, minerals and most importantly – great taste,” says Gottfried Boehringer, president, Stonemill Bakehouse. “I am especially proud of our sprouted grain breads, each possessing unique dietary benefits - the perfect nutritional foundation for everyone, everyday.”
Stonemill’s popular Sprouted Grains – 3 Grain Bread, the first of their Sprouted Grain Breads, was clinically tested by Toronto’s Glycemic Index (GI) Laboratories in 2006. The bread was rated with a GI of 55, which supports its classification as a low GI food. Rich in fibre, minerals and vitamins, this bread offers the consumer a healthy low GI bread choice that fulfills the body’s need for satiation, with less and for longer, which eliminates the desire to overeat or indulge.
In addition, Stonemill is launching a Raisin and Muesli Bread, the first whole grain bread of its kind on the market. Made with organic whole grain wheat, whole and ground flax, rolled oats and cracked soy and sweetened with honey and raisins, parents can feel good about what they are serving their children for breakfast. “Using good nutrition as a powerful safety net is the best health insurance a parent can buy and providing children with a delicious, whole grain breakfast is an excellent way to start the day,” adds Dr. Joey.
Stonemill Bakehouse is a family bakery with 50 years of experience crafting healthy, great tasting, artisan bread. They are the whole grain experts. As artisan bakers, they bake their bread fresh every day, using authentic and traditional bread recipes and techniques. As a result, their bakery has evolved into Canada’s leading healthy bread specialist, with 15 different types of whole grain breads made from only all natural and organic ingredients. Available at health food stores across Ontario and Quebec.
For more information on Stonemill Bakehouse Breads and health and education visit www.stonemillbakehouse.com
Shoppers Drug Mart® Expands bio-life™ line of Environmentally-Friendly Cleaners
With the arrival of spring, Shoppers Drug Mart is expanding its exclusive bio-life™ line of environmentally-friendly household-cleaning products to meet increasing demand from their customers. The bio-life line features innovative, bio-degradable products and is the first major national brand to offer the cleaning power of 3X Cold Water Laundry Detergent. Other new additions to the bio-life range include: bio-life Glass Cleaner and bio-life Fabric Softener Sheets.
“Canadian consumers are making greener product choices for their homes and families,” says Beth Stiller, Director of Product Management, Corporate Brands, Shoppers Drug Mart. “We’ve expanded the bio-life line to provide them with a wider range of effective, green cleaning alternatives that are both effective and affordable.”
It is not uncommon for the air inside the home to be more toxic than outside. In the war against germs, many people use toxic cleaning products – most of which are petroleum-based – posing potential hazards for our health and the environment. Shoppers’ bio-life line offers products that will clean effectively without the toxic side effects. All bio-life products are made with plant-derived ingredients and are biodegradable, non-toxic and phosphate-free. Delicately scented, bio-life products are infused with essential oils that give them a pleasant, fresh fragrance – from Waterlily Glass Cleaner to Lemon Mandarin-scented 3X Cold Water Laundry Detergent and Fabric Softener Sheets.
Bio-life is tough on cleaning but easy on the environment in important ways – No harsh chemicals: bio-life products are petroleum free and contain no phosphates or ammonia; Biodegradable: bio-life products have been certified as ‘readily biodegradable’ based on international OECD standard for biodegradability.
Bio-life products are competitively priced and available exclusively at Shoppers Drug Mart stores across Canada.
Bhringaraj Revitalizes Hair and Turns Back the ClockReport by Julia Woodford
In this installment of what has become a series on Ayurvedic herbs, we turn to a plant called Bhringaraj that grows wild in India and the southwestern US. In Sanskrit, the word Bhringaraj means “ruler of the hair”, a testament to its unusual ability to prevent or even reverse greying of the hair, and to aid regrowth of hair where baldness is occurring. In fact, in Ayurvedic medicine baldness is thought to be a result of excess Pitta in the head; in other words, excessive mental stimulation and worry causes the head to heat up which in turn literally burns the roots of the hair so it starts falling out. By calming and cooling the Pitta fire, the mind becomes relaxed and hair can begin to regrow.
According to the book Ayurvedic Medicine by Sebastian Pole, Lic OHM, Ayur HC, this herb is revered in India as a classic rejuvenative herb indicated for any problems associated with the head, including loose or falling teeth, hearing loss, dizziness, and memory impairment. And a further benefit of its ability to cool pitta fire is the alleviation of insomnia caused by an overstimulated mind.
Bhringaraj is also said to clear toxins from the liver, restore bile flow, and protect liver cells from further contamination. As a bitter herb, it rivals dandelion in its ability to nourish the yin essence of the kidney and liver, clear toxic heat from the blood, and has even been used to treat advanced cases of liver cirrhosis and hepatitis. As a kidney yin tonic, this herb can also be used to alleviate symptoms of kidney yin deficiency such as tinnitus (ringing in the ear).
Bhringaraj can be taken internally as an infusion (strong tea), or in powder form combined with ghee. Externally, it can be made into a hair oil and massaged into the scalp to stimulate hair growth and reduce grey hairs; in fact, India’s most popular hair oils have Bhringaraj as their core ingredient. It is also great for the complexion, so a mask made with the ground herb works to tighten the pores and remove blemishes and redness.
Toronto consumers can now find raw Bhringaraj powder for sale at the Big Carrot in 200 gram bags, priced at $9.89. Imported from India, this product is certified organic by Ecocert, and distributed in Canada by Advantage Health Matters (www.advantagehealthmatters.com, (905) 946-1011, info@advantagehealthmatters.com).
For more information, contact Ayurvedic consultant Francis Ashwagandha, MH, at the Big Carrot Dispensary in Toronto (416) 466-8432, who can also explain the best methods for taking Bhringaraja, depending on your constitution. Or consult one of the Ayurvedic practitioners on page 96 of Vitality's May print issue.
Stonemill Bakehouse Launches Two Nutrient-dense, Sprouted Grain BreadsResearch has shown that using sprouted grains increases the absorbable nutritional elements such as biotin, folic acid and vitamins B1 (thiamin), B2, B3, B5 (pantothenic acid) and C (in some cases by as much as 300%). On the heels of the best-selling Stonemill Bakehouse Sprouted Grain – 3 Grain Bread, Ontario’s own innovative artisan bread baker is adding variety to healthy choice with the introduction of two new sprouted grain breads: Sprouted Grains, Psyllium-12 Grain Rye Bread and Sprouted Grain, Prebiotic-Flax Bagels. Both breads only contain ingredients you can pronounce – in other words all natural, with no chemical additives or preservatives.
The sprouting technique used by Stonemill incorporates live sprouted whole grain kernels into the bread dough. After sprouting, the grain begins to convert into a plant. This process (malting) creates enzymatic activity, which helps the body to assimilate the nutrients and transforms the starches (flour) of the grains into easily digested maltose and other simple sugars.
“I’m very excited about the new Stonemill Bakehouse Sprouted Grain breads because they offer a unique combination of taste, quality and healthful variety. Sprouted grain has been linked with numerous health benefits such as lowering the incidence of digestive diseases, coronary heart disease, diabetes and even obesity,” says Dr. Joey Shulman, registered nutritionist.
Sprouted Grains – Psyllium-12 Grain Rye Bread contains psyllium husk fibre, one of nature’s highest sources of soluble dietary fibres that reduces total cholesterol and LDL (bad cholesterol) and promotes regularity.
Bagels need not be on the “forbidden foods” list if they’re Stonemill’s new Sprouted Grains, Prebiotic-Flax Bagels. The bagels contain inulin (made from chicory root), a dietary insoluble fibre that reaches the intestines undigested while supporting the growth of lactic acid bacteria or “friendly bacteria” in the intestinal tract. This provides the recipe for good digestive health.
“Ongoing consultation with Canada’s leading health experts enables us to develop new and nutritious products, full of vitamins, minerals and most importantly – great taste,” says Gottfried Boehringer, president, Stonemill Bakehouse. “I am especially proud of our sprouted grain breads, each possessing unique dietary benefits - the perfect nutritional foundation for everyone, everyday.”
Stonemill’s popular Sprouted Grains – 3 Grain Bread, the first of their Sprouted Grain Breads, was clinically tested by Toronto’s Glycemic Index (GI) Laboratories in 2006. The bread was rated with a GI of 55, which supports its classification as a low GI food. Rich in fibre, minerals and vitamins, this bread offers the consumer a healthy low GI bread choice that fulfills the body’s need for satiation, with less and for longer, which eliminates the desire to overeat or indulge.
In addition, Stonemill is launching a Raisin and Muesli Bread, the first whole grain bread of its kind on the market. Made with organic whole grain wheat, whole and ground flax, rolled oats and cracked soy and sweetened with honey and raisins, parents can feel good about what they are serving their children for breakfast. “Using good nutrition as a powerful safety net is the best health insurance a parent can buy and providing children with a delicious, whole grain breakfast is an excellent way to start the day,” adds Dr. Joey.
Stonemill Bakehouse is a family bakery with 50 years of experience crafting healthy, great tasting, artisan bread. They are the whole grain experts. As artisan bakers, they bake their bread fresh every day, using authentic and traditional bread recipes and techniques. As a result, their bakery has evolved into Canada’s leading healthy bread specialist, with 15 different types of whole grain breads made from only all natural and organic ingredients. Available at health food stores across Ontario and Quebec.
For more information on Stonemill Bakehouse Breads and health and education visit www.stonemillbakehouse.com
Shoppers Drug Mart® Expands bio-life™ line of Environmentally-Friendly CleanersWith the arrival of spring, Shoppers Drug Mart is expanding its exclusive bio-life™ line of environmentally-friendly household-cleaning products to meet increasing demand from their customers. The bio-life line features innovative, bio-degradable products and is the first major national brand to offer the cleaning power of 3X Cold Water Laundry Detergent. Other new additions to the bio-life range include: bio-life Glass Cleaner and bio-life Fabric Softener Sheets.
“Canadian consumers are making greener product choices for their homes and families,” says Beth Stiller, Director of Product Management, Corporate Brands, Shoppers Drug Mart. “We’ve expanded the bio-life line to provide them with a wider range of effective, green cleaning alternatives that are both effective and affordable.”
It is not uncommon for the air inside the home to be more toxic than outside. In the war against germs, many people use toxic cleaning products – most of which are petroleum-based – posing potential hazards for our health and the environment. Shoppers’ bio-life line offers products that will clean effectively without the toxic side effects. All bio-life products are made with plant-derived ingredients and are biodegradable, non-toxic and phosphate-free. Delicately scented, bio-life products are infused with essential oils that give them a pleasant, fresh fragrance – from Waterlily Glass Cleaner to Lemon Mandarin-scented 3X Cold Water Laundry Detergent and Fabric Softener Sheets.
Bio-life is tough on cleaning but easy on the environment in important ways – No harsh chemicals: bio-life products are petroleum free and contain no phosphates or ammonia; Biodegradable: bio-life products have been certified as ‘readily biodegradable’ based on international OECD standard for biodegradability.
Bio-life products are competitively priced and available exclusively at Shoppers Drug Mart stores across Canada.