Tollden Farms

There is really one healing force in existence and that is Nature herself. Herbs address the physical, mental and spiritual aspects and contribute to the promotion of health and the prevention of disease.

Herbs have much to contribute to the development and maintenance of health. Using healing plants provided by nature we can prevent and cure a host of health concerns.

Herbs can be used freely and safely as part of one's lifestyle without thinking of them as 'medicines'. For specific health needs, their best use would be preventative -- to prevent problems appearing. There are specific herbs that strengthen and tone specific organs and systems. By using herbs it may well be possible to overcome any weakness.

One main advantage to herbs is that they contain materials from the entire plant. Traditional prescriptions generally extract and concentrate one active chemical from a plant, which is a waste of valuable nutrients. Plants can contain sugars, minerals, proteins, and a host of other chemicals that interact with the active chemical in a variety of ways--they may concentrate or intensify its effect, they may make it easier to digest or absorb, or they may lessen its harsh or toxic side effects. Herbs are most effective in their natural state, when it contains all of these chemicals, rather than after they been processed. That is because they are natural and unprocessed, herbal remedies like pau d’Arco and valerian root have been able to achieve cures where traditional medicines have failed.

In fact, due to whole-food make up and safety, herbs are often considered more of a nutritional supplement than a medication--the Food and Drug Administration labels them as "nutraceuticals." Many holistic veterinarians see nutraceuticals as an extension of an animal's natural diet, adding to the nutrition animals should be getting from their environment but aren't getting from their processed pet food. Nutraceutical refers to foods thought to have a beneficial effect on health. It can also refer to individual chemicals which are present in common foods, many such nutraceuticals are phytonutrients. "Phytonutrient" (from the Greek phyton for "plant") simply means a "nutrient from a plant."