Late last year, we sadly said goodbye to American Master Herbalist, Stephen Buhner, who passed away in December.  We are so grateful for Stephen’s legacy and are paying tribute to him by sharing excerpts from some of the lectures he recorded for OptimalRx in 2015 and 2016.  In this podcast recording, Stephen discusses the use of botanical medicines as herbal antibiotics in the treatment of drug-resistant bacterial infections.  Some of the herbal antibacterials he mentions include Cryptolepis (Cryptolepis sanguinolenta), Sida (Sida acuta), Qing Hao (Artemisia annua), Burr Marigold (Bidens species), Usnea (Usnea species), Juniper (Juniperus communis), and the berberine-containing plants.  Stephen also details phytomedicines to support the spleen, like Red Root (Ceanothus americanus) and Dan Shen (Salvia miltiorrhiza), and herbal synergists, such as Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra), Ginger (Zingiber officinale) and Red Root. 

Stephen Buhner researched and wrote extensively on the topic of resistant pathogens, publishing several books including “Herbal Antibiotics”, “Herbal Antivirals” and “Healing Lyme Disease Coinfections”.  With the number of multidrug-resistant bacterial infections on the rise, this podcast will provide invaluable education for all practitioners. 

If you are a qualified practitioner and would like more information on the phytomedicines mentioned by Stephen, register/log in to the OptimalRx website to access and download free comprehensive herbal Tech Sheets: www.optimalrx.com.au

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 DISCLAIMER: All information provided via OptimalRx is for educational and informational purposes only.  The information provided is not, nor is it intended to be, a substitute for independent professional advice.  Please seek the advice of a qualified health care professional in the event something you learn here raises questions or concerns regarding your health. Thank you.

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The Summer Series continues in this brief podcast with Julianne Grant as she discusses Maitake (Grifola frondosa). This prized mushroom in Traditional Chinese Medicine, was thought to enhance Qi and fortify the spleen, enhance immunity, lower blood pressure and bring vigour to the body.  Listen and learn how Maitake profoundly modulates all aspects of immune health and much more. 

For more information about this wonderful phytomedicine, please download our comprehensive Technical Data Sheet available from our website. This document includes detailed information about Maitake and its constituents, clinical  research, clinical notes, case studies and more. 

Please note, that OptimalRx products and reference material are available to registered healthcare practitioners only. OptimalRx does not supply to the public. 

DISCLAIMER: All information provided via OptimalRx is for educational and informational purposes only.  The information provided is not, nor is it intended to be, a substitute for independent professional advice.  Please seek the advice of a qualified health care professional in the event something you learn here raises questions or concerns regarding your health. Thank you.

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Known as the “king of the mushrooms” due its vast range of healthful properties, Chaga (𝘐𝘯𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘶𝘴 𝘰𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘲𝘶𝘶𝘴) is a supreme immunomodulating, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and tonic medicinal mushroom that is primarily utilised to prevent and treat cancer, immune dysregulation, cardiometabolic conditions, gastrointestinal conditions and psoriasis. Chemical analysis of Chaga reveals that this medicinal mushroom contains over 200 different types of bioactive substances.  In this brief podcast, you'll hear Kristin talk about Chaga's research and clinical use in practice. 

For more information about this wonderful phytomedicine, please download our comprehensive Technical Data Sheet available from our website. This document includes detailed information about Chaga and its constituents, clinical  research, clinical notes, case studies and more. 

Please note, that OptimalRx products and reference material are available to registered healthcare practitioners only. OptimalRx does not supply to the public. 

DISCLAIMER: All information provided via OptimalRx is for educational and informational purposes only.  The information provided is not, nor is it intended to be, a substitute for independent professional advice.  Please seek the advice of a qualified health care professional in the event something you learn here raises questions or concerns regarding your health. Thank you.

Send us a text

www.optimalrx.com.au

Following on from OptimalRx's Inflammation Education Series,  Kristin Gilmour and Julianne Grant delve into the implications of localised gastrointestinal inflammation and its systemic consequences for health and wellbeing.  Julianne and Kristin discuss innovative herbal medicine strategies, including utilising localised phytomedicine therapy and microbiome modulation to quelch systemic inflammation from the gut out.

For more information about our Inflammation Podcasts, be sure to listen to Chronic Inflammation as a Driver of Disease with Dr. Lise Alschuler, released October 2022.


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DISCLAIMER: All information provided via OptimalRx is for educational and informational purposes only.  The information provided is not, nor is it intended to be, a substitute for independent professional advice.  Please seek the advice of a qualified health care professional in the event something you learn here raises questions or concerns regarding your health. Thank you.

Send us a text

www.optimalrx.com.au

Join Kristin and Julianne as they talk to Dr. Lise Alschuler about chronic inflammation as a driver of disease. You’ll hear Lise talk about how water and ethanol extractions of polyphenols help improve their bioavailability.  Lise touches on the synergistic effect of polyphenols from different phytomedicines and their combined synergistic relationship to help improve their efficacy.  Lise also mentions a couple of her favourite anti-inflammatory polyphenol-rich herbs and her strategies to dosing in managing inflammation.

This podcast is designed to provide practitioners with a brief insight into OptimalRx’s live webinar with Dr. Lise Alschuler: Chronic Inflammation as a Driver of Disease.  To learn more, please register to the live webinar here.  (Tuesday 11th October 2022)

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Lise Alschuler, ND is a Professor of Clinical Medicine at the University of Arizona where she is the Associate Director of the Fellowship in Integrative Medicine at the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine. Dr. Alschuler received her undergraduate degree from Brown University, Providence RI. She obtained her naturopathic medical degree from Bastyr University in Seattle WA where she also completed her residency in general naturopathic medicine.

She is board certified in naturopathic oncology and maintains a clinical practice. Dr. Alschuler is past-President of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians and a founding  board member, Past-President and current Board member of the Oncology Association of Naturopathic Physicians. Previously, she was the department head of naturopathic medicine at Midwestern Regional Medical Center and prior to that, was clinic medical director at Bastyr University. Dr. Alschuler co-hosts a podcast, Five To Thrive Live!. She is co-author of Definitive Guide to Cancer, now in its 3rd edition, and Definitive Guide to Thriving After Cancer.


DISCLAIMER: All information provided via OptimalRx is for educational and informational purposes only.  The information provided is not, nor is it intended to be, a substitute for independent professional advice.  Please seek the advice of a qualified health care professional in the event something you learn here raises questions or concerns regarding your health. Thank you.

Send us a text

www.optimalrx.com.au

Welcome to this month’s Tech Talk with OptimalRx as Julianne and Kristin talk with Phil Rasmussen about the crucial topic of Supporting Sustainability in Herbal Medicine.  Join Phil as he discusses the importance of ethical and sustainable phytomedicine making and prescribing.  Phil explores our human relationship with our environment and the interrelated effect of not just over-harvesting, but bush fires, bees, floods and much more on the availability of our herbs.  You’ll hear about the differences between wildcrafted and cultivated plants in regard to growing, harvesting and sustainability issues, as well as specific herbal medicine examples.  Phil also talks about possible substitutions for some of our favourite herbs at risk of becoming endangered and the options and resources available for practitioners.  This podcast is a must listen for herb lovers who are passionate about ensuring a sustainable future for herbal medicine. 

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Phil has practiced as a phytotherapist in Auckland for 27 years.   He is also the founder and R&D Manager of Phytomed, a manufacturer producing herbal extracts for practitioners in New Zealand and Australia, and the Kiwiherb range of herbal products.  Phil has written and presented extensively on a wide range herbal subjects for practitioner, consumer and industry audiences, is a founding director of the New Zealand industry body Natural Health Products New Zealand, an Honorary Lecturer in Pharmacy at the University of Auckland, and is currently the President of the New Zealand Association of Medical Herbalists. 

Phil has always held a keen interest in plants, and the many ways in which to make them into efficacious medicines.  He is a keen advocate for the incorporation of native and more local plants into the materia medica of practitioners in Australia and New Zealand, and for the statutory regulation of medical herbalists and naturopaths.  Before pursuing herbal medicine he undertook research on antidepressant drugs and serotonin and worked for more than 10 years as a pharmacist. 
- Phil Rasmussen  M.Pharm., M.P.S., Dip. Herb. Med.; M.N.I.M.H.(UK),  M.N.H.A.A; F.N.Z.A.M.H. 

DISCLAIMER: All information provided via OptimalRx is for educational and informational purposes only.  The information provided is not, nor is it intended to be, a substitute for independent professional advice.  Please seek the advice of a qualified health care professional in the event something you learn here raises questions or concerns regarding your health. Thank you.

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Welcome to another exciting episode of Tech Talk with OptimalRx, the final podcast in our diabetes  trilogy.   

Join Kristin and Julianne as they chat with New Zealand Phytotherapist, Phil Rasmussen.  Phil discusses the potential for phytomedicines to positively impact type 3 diabetes, a newly identified type of diabetes that manifests as insulin resistance within the brain.  As type 3 diabetes may impact neurocognition and contribute to the aetiology of Alzheimer’s disease, it is valuable to explore the role of phytomedicines in this condition and their ability to promote brain health and cognition via unique mechanisms and pathways.

Other podcasts in this series include: 
Diabetes – Understanding the Renal and Cardiovascular Connection
Phytomedicines for Type 2 Diabetes wth Carrun Squires

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Phil has practiced as a phytotherapist in Auckland for 27 years.   He is also the founder and R&D Manager of Phytomed, a manufacturer producing herbal extracts for practitioners in New Zealand and Australia, and the Kiwiherb range of herbal products.  Phil has written and presented extensively on a wide range herbal subjects for practitioner, consumer and industry audiences, is a founding director of the New Zealand industry body Natural Health Products New Zealand, an Honorary Lecturer in Pharmacy at the University of Auckland, and is currently the President of the New Zealand Association of Medical Herbalists. 

Phil has always held a keen interest in plants, and the many ways in which to make them into efficacious medicines.  He is a keen advocate for the incorporation of native and more local plants into the materia medica of practitioners in Australia and New Zealand, and for the statutory regulation of medical herbalists and naturopaths.  Before pursuing herbal medicine he undertook research on antidepressant drugs and serotonin and worked for more than 10 years as a pharmacist. 
- Phil Rasmussen  M.Pharm., M.P.S., Dip. Herb. Med.; M.N.I.M.H.(UK),  M.N.H.A.A; F.N.Z.A.M.H. 

DISCLAIMER: All information provided via OptimalRx is for educational and informational purposes only.  The information provided is not, nor is it intended to be, a substitute for independent professional advice.  Please seek the advice of a qualified health care professional in the event something you learn here raises questions or concerns regarding your health. Thank you.

Send us a text

www.optimalrx.com.au

Julianne and Kristin are joined by Naturopath, Nutritionist, and Diabetes Educator, Carrun Squires, where they discuss the very relevant topic of diabetes.  In this episode, Carrun explains the pathophysiology, early signs and symptoms of this condition, as well as her favourite phytomedicines used in clinic to treat patients.  Carrun discusses some interesting research pertaining to the positive effects of conventional diabetic medications used in conjunction with phytomedicines and also chats about the relevance of the gastrointestinal microbiota.  Learn how you can further support your patients with type 2 diabetes and get an insight into the Live Webinar about ‘Phytomedicines for Type 2 Diabetes’ Carrun is presenting on the 20th of July 2022.

With more than 15 years of clinical experience, Carrun has made it her mission to help people identify health issues that may have dysglycaemias as the underlying cause.

Carrun has pursued further post-graduate studies in the area of dietary, nutritional and herbal management of metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and their related complications.  Applying this unique combination of complementary and mainstream understandings of dysglycaemia sees Carrun providing a wholistic approach, empowering her clients to make changes that can delay or arrest the development of chronic disease.

You can find Carrun at www.carrunsquires.com and on Facebook and Instagram at @carrunsquiresnaturopath.

DISCLAIMER: All information provided via OptimalRx is for educational and informational purposes only.  The information provided is not, nor is it intended to be, a substitute for independent professional advice.  Please seek the advice of a qualified health care professional in the event something you learn here raises questions or concerns regarding your health. Thank you.

Send us a text

www.optimalrx.com.au

Join Julianne and Kristin as they explore the important connections between diabetes and both renal and cardiovascular health.  You will hear Julianne talk about the general pathophysiology that occurs in the microvasculature as a result of type 2 diabetes, the major herbal treatment aims to address this, as well as her favourite phytomedicines to support the vasculature.  Kristin then discusses the impact of type 2 diabetes on the kidneys and explains the signs, symptoms, pathogenesis timeline and pathology markers that provide an insight into our patients’ kidney health, as well as a number of nephroprotective phytomedicines that we can utilise.

Want to skip ahead?  The main topics discussed in this podcast are time-stamped below (chapter markers are also available).

• Cardiovascular connection with type 2 diabetes  (01:40)
• Herbal medicines to support the vasculature  (14:14)
• Renal connection with type 2 diabetes (25:30)
• Herbal medicines to support the kidneys  (43:56)

 
DISCLAIMER: All information provided via OptimalRx is for educational and informational purposes only.  The information provided is not, nor is it intended to be, a substitute for independent professional advice.  Please seek the advice of a qualified health care professional in the event something you learn here raises questions or concerns regarding your health. Thank you.

Send us a text

www.optimalrx.com.au

Julianne and Kristin are joined by Gordon Carruthers, a renowned Naturopath and Herbalist based in Perth, Western Australia.  Gordon has a particular interest in treating stress, anxiety and depression and indeed the whole sympathetic nervous system with the litany of conditions that flow from that area.  Experiences in recent years have drawn his interest to the cardiovascular system, the heart in particular. 

In this podcast you will hear Gordon discuss the modern day presentations of cardiovascular disease as well as the phytomedicines he uses to manage these conditions.  Gordon also discusses his interest in sclerology and iridology and how he utilises this knowledge to identify systems and organs within the body that may need support.


DISCLAIMER: All information provided via OptimalRx is for educational and informational purposes only.  The information provided is not, nor is it intended to be, a substitute for independent professional advice.  Please seek the advice of a qualified health care professional in the event something you learn here raises questions or concerns regarding your health. Thank you.

Send us a text

www.optimalrx.com.au