Green Travel Tips for Happy Vacationing
For me, travel can be a double-edged sword—relaxing and blissful yet stressful and anxiety-inducing. With that in mind, I used a recent vacation as an experiment in being green and staying sane while traveling. Planning ahead may sound obvious, but simple things are often overlooked in the face of excitement and spontaneity. Feeling unprepared can…
Turmeric for Dogs and Other Animals
Just as herbs can positively affect humans, the same is true for animals. It is thought by some that humans may have first learned to use certain herbs by watching the actions of animals. As humans seek to live more natural and self-sufficient lives, many of us also seek to use natural care for our…
The Small But Mighty Flaxseed (+ Flaxseed Smoothie Recipe!)
About 20 years ago I became very familiar with flax (Linum usitatissimum), both the seed and cold pressed oil. I had recently adopted the Yeast Connection Diet under the care of a doctor who used alternative practices in his approach to treating traditional ailments. In my case, recurring migraines were coming on all too often,…
Making Sage Honey
Sage. One of my favorite culinary herbs and one of the herbs people have easy access to no matter where they are. Salvia officinalis – even the Latin name gives us an idea of the respect this Mediterranean beauty has earned. Salvia in Latin derives from the word salvere which means, “to save.” Historically, it…
Violet Leaf Soap Recipe
While violet flowers are only around for a short time in the spring, the leaves often persist well into autumn, depending on where you live. Oil infusions of these leaves are wonderful for toning and moisturizing the skin (Cech, 2000) and can be incorporated into a gentle, soothing soap, perfect for those with sensitive skin….
Your Jack-O-Lantern Holds the Key to Greater Health!
Now that we’re into October, many of us are making the necessary trip to a farmer’s market to make that sizable and oh-so-orange purchase: a pumpkin. Soon, we will be carving out a face on that bad boy and placing it in the window as a festive way to greet trick-or-treaters on the 31st. But…
Warming Ginger Cayenne Salve For Natural Pain Relief
I have been going through surgeries on my spine since my first one, at 8 years old. It all started with scoliosis, and from there things got worse. It seemed that with every surgery, new symptoms and pain were added. Over the last 20 years I have had 7 surgeries on my spine, causing paralysis…
DIY Lavender Bath Salts
Is there a person on the planet who does not wish for a long bath at the end of a stressful day or week? Unfortunately, not much of us have enough time to do it on a regular basis. But when we do, we want to make this experience even more blissful by means of nice music,…
Planting Fruit Trees in the Fall
In some areas of the country, fall is the best season for planting fruit trees. While it seems like planting fruit trees would be a complicated endeavor, using this simple planting process will set you up for success.
Mountain Wellness: Yarrow and Arnica Uses
Those of us on the path of studying herbalism will attest that learning about the edible and wellness properties of plants has shifted our view of the natural world around us. Where once we may have identified nature by ecosystem — yard, forest, field, swamp, lake, mountain, desert — we now see the trees, plants,…
7 Tips from Nature for Keeping Healthy this Fall
Ayurveda: the science of life. Not everyone is familiar with the term, but that doesn’t discredit the physical and mental benefits that can accompany Ayurvedic practices. Ayurveda is an ancient holistic science — dating back at least 5,000 years — that focuses on finding harmony with one’s environment. It’s not hard to find the goodness…
Immune-Boosting Pumpkin Pie Smoothie Recipe
October is by far my favorite month of the year. This month is full of awesome things including cooler, boot-wearing weather, my birthday, pumpkin pie everything, and Halloween! This month is also the time of year that I really start to build my immune system to fight off all the colds and flu that everyone…
Valerian Mint Cordial: The Perfect Herbal Nightcap
No matter how hard I try to maintain a good sleep schedule, I often find myself lying awake, staring at the ceiling long after I should be asleep. My mind is either going over tomorrow’s plans, replaying today’s conversations over and over, or fixating on some other anxiety that I just can’t let go of….
The Beauty of Herbs
The plants we gather from field and forest contain hundreds if not thousands of nutrients and active constituents packed into dark roots, red and yellow petals, silvery leaves, shining seeds, luscious fruits. From walking a garden path lined with fragrant thyme, discovering yarrow on a mountain hike just when we need it, to infusing oil…
Making Herbal Vinegars
Fall is a bountiful and busy time of year. Now that I have decanted my infused oils and most of my herbal tinctures, I take to the gardens to harvest herbs and plants that will be dried for use during the winter and spring. Making herbal vinegars from flowers and culinary herbs is also something I look…
A Closer Look at Essential Oils and Safety
Last week, the FDA sent warning letters to two very well-known essential oil companies. Here we would like to take a moment to take a closer look at essential oils and safety as well as explain what these letters mean for EO users. In the two documents (Letter to Young Living and Letter to doTERRA), the FDA…
Taking Time for Self-Care
Our world is moving quickly. Many of us have very little down time and lots of pressure to constantly perform at a high level. We need to have a great career, be in the best shape, and have a fabulous marriage. Our kids need to be academic geniuses, athletically gifted, and get into Ivy League…
Lice Home Remedies Using Herbs
It is that time of year: the kiddos are in the full swing of school and bringing home all sorts of things for you to take care of. While you expect your kids to bring home homework and permission slips, the last thing anyone expects is a head full of lice! Let the panic begin!…
What do you know about the Practice of Herbalism?
Herbalism is so much more than taking herbs to address symptoms. Part of becoming an herbalist is shedding this simplistic mindset, and coming to view health through a holistic lens, in which the body, mind, and spirit are integrated. By having a clear understanding of regulations as well as her rights, studying herbal safety, and…
Rose Hips: The Floral Superfood!
What do we typically think of when we see a rose? Usually, we think of a long-stemmed flower used as part of a romantic gesture, or even the fragrant bushes that fill up our yard on a warm summer day. But believe it or not, plants of the genus rosa are not just a source…
The Health Benefits of Neem
Is the world’s number one herb a sleeper? Well, if you have never heard of the benefits of neem (Azadirachta indica) then the answer is yes. However, very few people in India will not be familiar with this herb since its use in ayurvedic healing dates back some 5000 years. Described by some as a panacea, neem…
What do you know about Weeds?
Humans have cursed, pulled, cut, fought, mowed, poisoned, and — yes — even waxed poetic about weeds for centuries. It seems there are almost as many definitions for a weed as there are actual weeds! Ralph Waldo Emerson questioned, “What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered.” Most herbalists would…
How To Save Seeds: From Harvesting to Using Them
When It Comes To Gardening, Timing Is Everything I am sure you have been in that place, being the careful gardener that you are. That is, you mindfully plant your seeds in April, May, or June for summer-long harvests of aromatic culinary greens. You water, watch, and wait until the little first leaves emerge and then…
Ten Homemade Herbal Teas for Cold and Flu Season
The changes in the leaves, drops in temperatures, and pumpkin pie-everything are signals to me that it’s time to prepare for cold and flu season. Some of my favorite natural home remedies that I like to keep on hand during the cold and flu season (like my Homemade Elderberry Syrup or Cool Vibes Vapor Rub…
St. Hildegard of Bingen
St. Hildegard of Bingen, whose feast day we celebrate with vigor every September 17, was not only a brilliant composer, artist, and visionary, she was also an herbalist. Her belief in the “greening of man,” or viriditas as she called it, led her to trust that God had given mankind herbs, spices, and foods to…
3 Go-To Herbal Smoothies
Smoothies are all the rage, and for good reason — they’re easy and delicious! Made with fresh, high quality ingredients, they’re loaded with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, qualifying them for food-as-medicine status. But beware: in the realm of smoothies, there are those that are just wolves in sheep’s clothing! Many smoothies are so loaded with…
What do you know about Herbal History?
Herbalism is a practice found in every culture around the world, and in some continents up to 80% of people still used herbalism as their primary form of health care. Herbalists today are able to draw from Native American, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ayurveda, Siddha, Middle Eastern, the Eclectics, South American, Celtic, and many other herbal…
Pear Crisp with Blackberry-Sage Sauce
It’s nearly fall here in New England and as the land starts to cool and settle after an active, busy summer, many of us are shifting ever so slightly away from light and airy summer foods like salads and raw veggies to warmer, cooked dishes like soups and fruit crisps. Every turn of the year brings opportunities to experiment with locally available…
An Ayurvedic Approach to Staying Balanced in Autumn
Fall is such an exciting time of year in New England. Unlike many parts of the world, we get to experience a transitional season, accompanied with explosions of color in Maple and Oak trees. September 23rd marks the Autumnal Equinox where the sun crosses the equator moving southward and summer releases its grip on heat…
Calendula Uses: Our 14 Favorite Recipes
There are many, many uses for calendula! Calendula is perhaps most commonly known as a first aid support for cuts and wounds. It’s also used internally as an antimicrobial to help the body resist pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Having anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, astringent, and vulnerary properties, calendula is also a good herb…
