The Healers Invited Me, and I’m Humbled

Later this week, I have a meeting with a unique and respected African healer, Dr. Sekagya Yahaya Hills. I wanted to meet with Dr. Sekagya because I identify with him. He’s a doctor of modern medicine, too – a dental surgeon. But he believes nature knows best; he practices traditional healing methods as well. As [...]

I’m Going to Africa

I’m here at Terminal D of the Miami International Airport, waiting to get on my flight that will take me back to Africa. People are hustling past me as I sit in a long row of padded blue vinyl seats and write to you. Everyone around me is chatting away on their phone… but I [...]

I Almost Fell Over Backwards…

“This is a cananga flower…” Westi picked one off of the small tree behind his shop.

“That looks like ilang-ilang (ylang-ylang).”

“Yes. It is from the same tree family. Smell… it’s very fragrant.”

I took some of the yellowish green petals from Westi. “That’s beautiful.”

“The ilang-ilang tree is very tall. Cananga is small, so I can have one here by the shop. Lelir will use the flower to make Jamu.”

Jamu is the name for the ancient group of natural cures and medicines they use in Bali.

The Balinese don’t like pharmaceuticals, and don’t really trust Western-type medicine. So they…

Bedroom Bull

This weekend I’ll be traveling to Jamaica to visit my friend and traditional healer Ivelyn Harris.

She wants to show me some new formulas she’s working on. One of them is for eczema, and the other is for male potency.

In Jamaica, people use potency drinks a lot. All over Jamaica there are these little closet-sized stores. On busy city streets and way out in the country there are these little booths. They usually sell beer – Red Stripe, mostly – some trinkets, a little bit of fruit, and these potency drinks.

My New Daily Tonic

“Can you introduce yourself? Tell us who you are?”

The camera was rolling and I quickly set it down on the counter in front of her.

“Can you stop for one moment please? I’m sorry!” She looked straight into the camera and doubled over from shy, anxious laughter.

“Does the camera make you nervous?” I pushed the little red ‘stop’ button.

“Yes!” She covered her smiling face with the Jamu class schedule in her left hand. Now we both busted out laughing.

It’s no wonder she was nervous. She had just met me not ten minutes ago, and here I was putting her on film.

The Herb of Immortality

You probably know sage as a cooking spice. But it’s too good just to keep in your kitchen and break out only for your Thanksgiving turkey.

Your ancient ancestors prized sage. They thought people who drank sage tea never got old.

They called sage the “herb of immortality.”

In ancient Rome, if you wanted to pick sage you had to have a ceremony. The ancient Aztecs also revered it, and used the leaves to make face paint that marked rank in their society.

Native Herb Holds Magical Healing Properties

My guide hacked a narrow path for me through the underbrush. It was the second day of our journey, deep into the jungles of the Amazon.

I was on my way to speak to a curandero, a native healer, about a plant the locals believe has magical healing properties. They use this herb in many rituals.

When we finally arrived at the small village, the curandero prepared a bath infused with the herb. It smelled a little like garlic, and he said it would protect me from witchcraft…

Jungle Herb I Found in Jamaica

I have the greatest job in the world. I get to travel around to different countries to find native systems of healing and traditional healing herbs.

I’ve gone to Africa, Ecuador, Brazil – and I’ve been to Jamaica a half dozen times. It’s one of my favorite places, because it’s a treasure trove of herbs. Nearly every Jamaican family has a tradition of using them for healing since they were kids.

We’re publishing a book from a well-known herbalist there, Ivelyn Harris. I’ve visited Ivy at her mountain retreat. And she came to visit me here at my office last month. In her book, Ivy describes 42 herbs used in Jamaica…

Stop Your Brain From Shrinking

Did you know our brains shrink as we age?

Over the course of your life, your brain will lose five to 10 percent of its weight. It starts around your 20th birthday.

There are two things I want to tell you about today that can help prevent this very unfortunate consequence of aging.

One is an herb, and the other is a nutrient.

The herb I’m going to tell you about can actually help you to grow new brain cells.

“I Get Noticed Everywhere I Go”

Deep in the jungles of West Africa, there are places where obesity is completely unknown.

The natives don’t get fat.

A professor doing population studies discovered this curious fact. After watching this group and comparing them to others, he found something unique about their diet:

The locals use a paste derived from the seed of a “bush mango” to thicken their soups.

This professor, an expert in nutritional biochemistry at the university in nearby Cameroon, created an extract of this seed and ran his own tests.

After 10 weeks, the people taking this extract dropped an average of 28 pounds and shed 6 inches around their waist…

Not Just Grandma’s Pumpkin Pie Spice

Traditional Eastern herbalists often suggest one multi-purpose herb for several different problems. But Western medicine seems stuck on “one problem, one solution.” Chances are, if you visit a clinic with six different complaints, you’ll wind up taking six different pills.

That’s never struck me as the best way to approach overall health. Like traditional herbalists, I prefer supplements that support multiple health goals.

One of my favorites is a common spice you probably have in your kitchen right now.

Newly Discovered Rare African Herb

My team and I have discovered a truly new weight-loss system.

One of the first people at our clinic to use my new system was Penny McLean in our Customer Service Department.

“I had put on a few extra pounds that I could not take off,” says Penny. “I was just too busy and preoccupied with work and personal obligations to watch carefully over what I ate.”

But during this time, she also took one capsule of my breakthrough weight-loss formula 20 minutes before each meal with a big glass of water.

The result?…

Jamaican Jungle Herbs

I just got back from my third trip to Jamaica this year, and I have some terrific news for you!

Back in March I told you about my first trip when I met Ivy Harris, a native Maroon healer. She introduced me to herbs that I had never heard of before: All Man’s Strength, Prone Bark, Black Wist, and Bachelor’s Buttons. The names describe what they do – give men potency and virility.