I'm a great believer in natural tonics to strengthen or invigorate the healing system. - Dr. Andrew Weil
The American Heritage Dictionary says that a tonic is?
...an agent, such as a medication, that restores or increases body tone, an invigorating, refreshing, or restorative agent or influence. And a tonic is for producing or stimulating physical, mental, or emotional vigor.
Tonics are usually liquid preparations that have a combination of herbs, vitamins, minerals and other ingredients. No tonic has any magical healing effect on any disease. That may seem to be a strange thing to say in an article about Natural Tonics for Health and Wellness. Let me explain.
The only thing that can heal a body is the body itself. Nature has designed a self repair system for the human body that will accomplish the seeming miraculous. Most of the time all we have to do is stay out of the way.
Sometimes a toxic agent, biological or chemical, can overwhelm the body's capacity to heal itself. Medical science can assist by removing any overload. The body itself then takes over and does the actual healing. A tonic acts to supply the body's repair mechanism with missing nutrients so that it functions at its best.
Is it possible to help the body by supplying things it needs to do its job? Of course it is. Ordinarily these nutrients come from the foods we eat. Often our foods don't contain all the nutrients they should, for whatever reason. This is why we are beginning to see the medical profession suggesting we take a good multi vitamin and mineral supplement daily. Before this, our ancestors learned through experience, the value of getting certain substances into the body. They made tonics to supply these substances. Natural tonics can fill the gaps in our nutrition. Our own bodies will then do the rest.
You can find recipes for tonics that are made with just about any thing under the sun. Usually natural tonics are made with some single herb or a combination of herbs. Some of the more common are garlic, ginseng, ginger, and green tea. Mushrooms are also used as tonics. Chinese caterpillar fungus (Cordyceps sinensis) improves athletic performance and increases energy. Species like reishi (Ganoderma lucidum), shitake (Lentinella edodes), and maitake (Grifola frondosa) are used to boost immunity.
Even plain water can be a tonic for someone who is suffering from dehydration. After all, the human body is made up of 55 to 75 percent water.
It would seem the best way to incorporate all the minerals your body needs is to have a tonic made with something like seawater, but you can't drink seawater. The salt content will kill you.
If you went to school in the 1960's you might remember watching an educational film called Hemo the Magnificent. Hemo was the cartoon god of blood and with the real-life Dr. Frank C. Baxter, they made several films for Disney. Hemo proclaims that he's the mysterious source of life, and the good doctor informs him, "You know what you are? You're just seawater!"
So like the seas that are essential to all life on earth, our blood is essentially seawater too. Science speculates that life began in the sea. Amniotic fluid is almost identical to seawater.
Rene Quinton, a French physician, performed a famous study on the effects of seawater. Quinton experiments proved seawater and blood plasma are remarkably similar in composition. As a result, Quinton said, "All living organisms are in fact a marine aquarium." He said seawater should be used to heal.
Because of the complete nutrient content of seawater, sea vegetables, growing in clean seawater, supply all of the minerals necessary for life. Sea vegetables have more minerals than any land plant. Between 7 and 38 percent of the dry weight of sea vegetables are minerals.
Any kind of high quality natural tonic made with sea vegetables should supply the body with every mineral it needs to function at its best. That just makes sense doesn't it?
Many illnesses can be traced to mineral imbalances in the body. Minerals are responsible for many functions in our bodies, such as helping to keep our body repair systems working. Adequate minerals should be ingested every day.
Unlike medicines, which can have an immediate effect on symptoms, you may not see immediate results with tonics. Allowing your body to heal itself may take some time. Use a tonic regularly for a few months. You are letting your body do what it knows how to do. Give it what it needs and trust it to heal itself.
See if you have an increased sense of well-being or more energy when taking a tonic. Even if you don't notice immediate effects, pay attention to how you respond to physical and emotional stress. See if you become less susceptible to illnesses. Give natural tonics an honest try.
A natural lifestyle and heathy habits are among the many interests of Tom Donaldson. Tom writes about his life experiences and what works for him on his PhreMind Freenotes Life BLOG at http://tmdonaldson.com
![]() |
|
![]() |
|
![]() |
|
![]() |
Many years ago I became convinced of the need to... Read More
Will common sense ever prevail? We've all seen stories on... Read More
If you read my last article about bitter orange, it... Read More
At times, due to your busy and fast life, we... Read More
Dietary Supplement Vitamin - why is it important?Dietary supplement vitamin... Read More
Coenzyme Q10 (also known as ubiquinone, but most widely referred... Read More
The science of Glycobiology, touted by the Massachusetts Institute of... Read More
I have good news for you! The answer is both... Read More
A ranch house, a zip lock bag and some ordinary... Read More
The body is just mind-bogglingly amazing. I mean, when you... Read More
BCAA stands for branched chain amino acids and is increasingly... Read More
Vitamins are the stars of the nutrition scene. Nutrition, the... Read More
Most healthy eaters are familiar with the three macronutrients that... Read More
The benefits of whey protein are so numerous and apply... Read More
Fiber supplements can be tremendously beneficial for IBS sufferers. Although... Read More
Did you know that most store bought vitamins and minerals... Read More
Vitamin C is important to all animals, including humans, because... Read More
The initial success of penicillin generated an assumption which has... Read More
As consumers, we are faced daily with choices about what... Read More
There is a lot of confusion about weight loss supplementation,... Read More
The real benefits of Vitamin E may surprise you. First... Read More
Taking good care of your body means that you are... Read More
We have all heard that it is important to eat... Read More
For people who suffer from arthritis, dependable pain relief is... Read More
Your body produces over 20 separate digestive enzymes that are... Read More
Nutrition Supplement ? nutrition.Nutrition supplement is a term familiar to... Read More
The malabsorptive nature of the gastric bypass system prohibits adequate... Read More
Many people find that after a few weeks, the gains... Read More
Vitamins are organic compounds that the human body cannot produce... Read More
A healthier diet is very much in the news these... Read More
One of the most apparent influences modern times has brought... Read More
"Anybody who tells you that disease has only one cause,... Read More
Vitamin B6 plays a facilitating role in the immune system... Read More
Vitamin B3 is one of the vitamins that make up... Read More
Whey protein is a high quality powder made from cow's... Read More
The Challenge of Free Radicals to Your BodyYour body is... Read More
A 2002 study reported, funded by the Swiss National Science... Read More
Every minute of every day the cells of our... Read More
Whey proteins drinks, especially shakes, are available in a variety... Read More
In part one of this series, titled "Take Back Your... Read More
Vitamins seem to be so good for everything. The newly... Read More
Should I Take Vitamins With My Low Carb Diet?Most low... Read More
While HA has dramatically increased in popularity and use within... Read More
Nutrients form the basis for your body, emotional and spiritual... Read More
Rhodiola rosea is available commercially as a supplement and rhodiola... Read More
We have all heard that it is important to eat... Read More
L-tyrosine is a protein that the body produces from phenylamine,... Read More
A deficiency of vitamins can lead to a variety of... Read More
The initial success of penicillin generated an assumption which has... Read More
Most people understand the concept of vitamin and mineral supplementation,... Read More
If glyconutrients are for real, why aren't they all over... Read More
Extensive research studies show that taking vitamin and mineral supplements... Read More
Tribulus terrestris is a herb that comes from a plant... Read More
Sports Supplement ? what is it?We are all aware of... Read More
According to Dr John Scurr leading Consultant Vascular Surgeon and... Read More
Nutritional vitamin fiber supplements come in a variety of types,... Read More
Liquid vitamins are the same vitamins that you find in... Read More
No Money in PreventionI have been recommending a wide variety... Read More
Taking good care of your body means that you are... Read More
Vitamin C may be the most famous vitamin. Tens of... Read More
The last year hasn't been a good one for vitamin... Read More
Weight Lifting Supplement ? what is it?The term "weight lifting... Read More
Chromium picolinate supplement combines the essential trace mineral Chromium with... Read More
Your Immune system Needs BalanceTaking an immune system supplement daily... Read More
Every day, it seems like we are living in an... Read More
I finally bought the stuff. I couldn't resist anymore. After... Read More
Nutritional Supplements |