First and foremost, pain is a messenger to change your behavior.
So, you start to run out the door and you slip and fall on your knee. Right away, you say ”Ouch!”
You said “ouch” but, in reality, you aren’t really experiencing the pain yet. Did you notice? It takes a few seconds for the action of hitting your knee to reach your brain. And then, woosh! All of a sudden all the pain is there. OUCH!
Read MoreIntegrating wild plants into your daily diet is the goal and one of my favorite ways to do that in the spring is with Wild Greens Pesto. Pesto is commonly made with basill and any basil pesto recipe will work but here is a recipe of mine that adapts well to many of the wild greens we are seeing this time of year.
This recipe is delicious with dandelion greens, fresh early nettles, chickweed, lambs quarters- really any good wild edible. You can adjust the recipe to add some basil or other culinary herbs like lemon balm, sweet spearmint or even some sheep sorrel leaves for their pungent lemon flavor.
Read MoreSpring is here! The ritual of Spring Cleaning is as old as time. You might have already spring cleaned the heck out of your home. But what about your body?
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, Spring is the time of the liver and gallbladder. Heat in the liver is common in Spring when we enter into the time of year that everything is rising, moving, and growing so fast. Sometimes we have a hard time keeping up with the energy and heat develops in our body. Heat symptoms in the hepatic (liver) region could manifest as headache, unexplained anger, "hot temper", skin eruptions, red inflamed eyes and muscle stiffness. Here are a few ideas on how to support the Liver during Spring.
Read MoreSo, what is brain fog? If you have to ask, you probably do not have it! Brain fog can feel like your brain is dark and full of cobwebs keeping you from being able to think clearly and grasp at thought patterns. You may have a diffucult time finding words or stringing sentences together, you may feel zoned out or irritable or like the “blood isn’t reaching my brain.”
Read MoreThis is an invitation to integrate wild plants into your daily diet. Wild, edible plants are the foods of our ancestors and they are calling. Not sure how to integrate them into your diet? Just add them to whatever you are eating!
Having scrambled eggs? Add some nettle. Mac and cheese? Nettles are great here, too…or how about adding some lambs quarters? Making your favorite wrap, taco, or sandwich? Add some chickweed and dandelion greens for added crunch and flavor.
Read MoreI am frequently asked what herbs I use daily or ones that I always have on hand. This blog will detail a few that I use frequently and find helpful in many situations. Plants are amazing; typically you can have one remedy and it will be used for a multitude of concerns. Yay for plants!
Read MoreBlue Elderberry has gained quite the reputation as an immune system stimulant and antiviral supplement. Elder sure is a plant to know this time of year, and its popularity as an antiviral is for good reason. It can reduce an inflammatory response in the sinuses and lungs and reduce the length of time you are ill by up to 50 percent. Reducing inflammation will relieve congestion which reduces symptoms, all good news!
Read MoreI remember the first time I made medicine. I was young and in my mid twenties, long before the internet was a thing. Social media, websites, and blogs were just a twinkle in Microsoft’s eye. I had just happened upon a local herbalist doing a talk at a community center. She just verbally explained the process and I was inspired. We sat in a circle and she spoke about the wise woman tradition and how simple herbal medicine making was.
The do’s and don’ts I learned over the years of taking herb classes such as this one changed the trajectory of my life with plants and even my career as a herbalist. Here are a few that I wish I had been told right from day one as a maker of plant medicines.
Read MoreTired feet? Contrast foot baths, herbal soaks and salt glows can help. Standing on cement floors, (service workers? I see you!) walking long distances, and playing sports will often lead to sore or tired feet. Poor alignment, poor fitting shoes, and even structural issues with the feet, legs, and/or hips can also cause fatigue.
Read MoreAutumn is Fire Cider Season. This classic herbal tonic is a mainstay at our house and is fun and simple to make.
Read MoreBurdock (Arctium lappa) is one of the most nourishing plants on Earth.
Read MoreI herby give you permission to surrender to an informed nervous breakdown. In reality, surrendering to a nervous breakdown may have a healing affect.
Read MoreGrowing up as the daughter of an herbalist, a cold was not something to endure but something to treat with traditional medicine.
Read MoreWe live in a culture that avoids feeling discomfort. We are offered so many ways to avoid uncomfortable feelings. Whether physical, emotional, or spiritual, our culture provides the fix to feelings, encouraging avoiding or masking pain as soon as we begin to experience it.
Read MoreThere are many herbs that can help sleeplessness. Chamomile and Valerian (the fast actors), Milky Oats, California Poppy, Skullcap, Passionflower, and Schisandra…
Read MoreOne of the top five reasons people go to their primary care physician is for pain related symptoms. Here are some tried and true self care approaches to pain that will get you moving better fast.
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