How To Nip Holiday Stress In The Bud
The holiday season is a double-edged sword—festive and heartwarming on the one hand, a mad dash of colossal proportions on the other. We tell ourselves that all the work is worth the effort, but when we’re left exhausted and crabby, holiday spirit is about the furthest thing from our minds (and hearts). How do we…
Tips For Staying Healthy This Cold And Flu Season
As cold weather arrives, cold and flu virus infections begin to increase in number. Have you thought about what you will do to support your body during cold and flu season? Will you get a flu shot? Will you incorporate herbs into your daily health regimen? Cold and flu viruses are infections spread by…
How To Stock A Vegan Pantry
Just over a year ago, after watching a few documentaries, my partner approached me and suggested we embrace a plant-based lifestyle. The more we weighed the health benefits, ethical implications, and environmental impacts of choosing to eat only plants, the more we were convinced that a vegan diet was a sustainable option for us. The…
Two Personal Inhaler Essential Oil Blends To Help You Through Stressful Times
I think it’s safe to assume that everyone, at some point, feels the weight of stress in his or her life. Whether it’s kids, school, work, or some other demand, stress is an expected part of life. Stress is rarely something that can be avoided, and thankfully, it isn’t always a bad thing. Stress can…
3 Nervine Herbs to Help Soothe Stress
This article is excerpted from the Herbal Self-Care for Stress Management Course at the Herbal Academy. It is no secret that modern day life is rife with stress. While many of us have become experts at adapting to and performing under stressful conditions, the truth is that chronic stress takes its toll on all aspects…
Introducing Our Newest Short Course: Herbal Self-Care For Stress Management
Are you stressed? According to a 2014 study by the American Institute of Stress, 77% of Americans regularly experience physical symptoms of stress with 73% of those experiencing psychological symptoms as well (American Institute of Stress, n.d.). As you probably already know, everyday things like marriage, kids, work, finances, and sleep deprivation, when not properly…
Essential Oil Terms To Know: How To Use “Dilution,” “Dispersion,” and “Dose” Correctly
If you have read much about the use of essential oils or essential oil safety, you have undoubtedly encountered discussions regarding “diluting” essential oils for topical use by mixing a certain amount of essential oil in a carrier oil. This is only one of the important “d-“ words regarding essential oil usage and safety, the…
Maitake 101: A Valuable Mushroom (+ Maitake Barley Risotto Recipe!)
Early October in New England means many things: cool and sunny days, peak fall color, crisp apples, and icy cold cider come to mind, for starters. More obscure but no less exciting (for some of us)—it’s maitake time. Maitake what? Maitake mushrooms, also called hen-of-the-woods, or Grifola frondosa. If we’ve gotten enough precipitation in late…
Introducing the Herbal Starter Kit
Are you eager to get some hands-on experience with herbs but are not quite sure where to begin? Have you devoured all the herbal books within your reach and want to put that knowledge into practice? Are you ready to invest some hard-earned money but want to make sure you get the most useful staples…
7 Things You May Not Know About Passionflower
Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata L.) has a rich history of use here in the West. Not only has it been used by Native American tribes, early European settlers, and African American slaves, but its uses have varied over time, especially as the Eclectic physicians of the 19th and 20th centuries began to use it more and…
