Take your herbs in a more effective way and to get better results, by avoiding these common mistakes! Would you like to book a health consultation for yourself or a loved one? Send me a message through the contact form on my website: www.herbalhelp.net Or click on my calendar to book a free 20-minute call to find out if you would like to book health consultations and how this would work. I am a professional, clinical Herbalist registered with the American Herbalists Guild and...
Jul 07, 2024•37 min•Ep. 58
Yes, herbs can support us in aging more gracefully! Happy, healthy aging means avoiding the typical diseases that make us miserable or lead to early death. What we need are effective medicinal plants that can help us stay fit and juicy, balance our stress hormones, immune system, blood sugar, and cholesterol, control inflammation, prevent cancer, and improve bone and skin health! Adaptogens tick many of these boxes, for example, Medicinal Mushrooms like Cordyceps and Reishi, He Shou Wu (Fo-Ti), ...
Dec 16, 2023•33 min•Ep. 56
Let's raise awareness for hormonal fluctuations in the lives of women that make us cyclical beings, but let's not normalize period pain and PMS, because for those we have effective and safe herbal remedies! Let's talk about Vitex (Agnus Castus), Shatavari, and Dong Quai as hormonal regulators, but also liver herbs to reduce the effects of toxic estrogen metabolites like milk thistle seeds and supplements like DIM and sulforaphane, and also really important, our gut microbiome/estrobolome, which ...
Nov 06, 2023•37 min•Ep. 56
My guest Robin Rose is sharing her wisdom with us today and you can pre-order her book A Green Witch’s Pocket Book of Wisdom and receive the beautiful bonus booklet Herbal Recipes for Deepening Meditation, Dreams, and Intuition. Pre-order here ! A Green Witch’s Pocket Book of Wisdom- Big Little Life Tips is filled with golden nuggets of green witch magic and silver strands of spiritual wisdom. It offers inspiring guidance to help you live authentically and vibrantly and provides practices that w...
Oct 03, 2023•43 min•Ep. 55
I enjoy making my own skin moisturizer out of tropical butters like shea butter, cacao and cupua ç u butter, melting those, and adding luxurious plant oils like Argan, Jojoba, and Seabuckthornfruit Oil for a creamy consistency. I don't have to add any preservatives or emulsifiers because I don't add water to those creams. Instead, I spray my face with Rose Water or Witch Hazel Hydrolate before applying the face balm for added moisture and a toning, pore-refining effect. Lavender and Cistus grow ...
Sep 16, 2023•36 min•Ep. 54
Meet Kava, the herb of relaxation and good vibes! In this episode, we're diving deep into the enchanting world of Kava, the Pacific's best-kept secret for finding calm amidst the chaos. Join me as we uncover the magic behind this ancient herbal drink and its incredible benefits. We'll share stories from across the Pacific, where Kava has been cherished for generations as a pathway to tranquility and social bonding. Discover how this unique herb has found its way into modern cultures, offering an...
Jul 25, 2023•32 min•Ep. 53
The herbs I take every day vary with time and the seasons but these are some of the herbs that I'm currently taking every day: medicinal Mushrooms like Cordyceps, Reishi and Lion's Mane, Dong Quai and He Shou Wu, two pretty amazing herbs from Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guggul, Aloe gel, Ashwagandha and Nutmeg (widely used in Ayurveda), and now in summer for its refreshing properties: Hibiscus cold-infusions with green Stevia leaf! Not to forget my digestive herbs, Fennel, Anise, Flaxseed, and...
Jun 30, 2023•37 min•Ep. 52
Herbs can help resolve the underlying issue of a health condition and work towards a sustainable, long-term improvement of health. But they can also control symptoms for short-term relief in effective ways and with way fewer side effects than pharmaceuticals. Using herbs to manage symptoms can help to stop the downward spiral of health problems, but it should ideally be combined with herbs that address the actual root cause of the problem for a long-term cure. For example, a person with high blo...
May 30, 2023•42 min•Ep. 51
Triphala is a very ancient herbal formulation from Ayurveda. It consists of three fruits: Amla (or Amalaki), Haritaki, and Bibhitaki. According to Ayurveda and modern scientific studies, it has benefits for digestion, constipation, and rejuvenation due to its high antioxidant properties, it's good for healthy glowing skin (and you also use it externally as a face mask), supports gentle liver detox, good eyesight, colds and flu, sinus infections, allergies immune deficiencies, and blood sugar bal...
May 16, 2023•30 min•Ep. 50
Gotu Kola or Centella Asiatica is a superior nerve tonic from Ayurveda. When I had my own health challenge with Hashimoto's, Hypothyroidism, and brain fog I took Gotu Kola for over a year and after two weeks of taking it, I couldn't believe the amazing results. Gotu Kola's effect on the nervous system is pretty outstanding. It doesn't really fit into the category of calming nervines or sedatives like Lemonbalm, Lavender, Hops, Valerian, and Poppy Seed. Its effect is more long-term and it complet...
May 02, 2023•31 min•Ep. 49
Today I'm sharing some insights and practical tips for herbalists who are thinking to get started with helping people through health consultations. This episode is an interesting glimpse into the work of a clinical herbalist, a behind-the-scenes of my daily work. This is also of interest to anyone considering consulting with me or an herbalist in general. How does it work? What to expect? What is the purpose of the initial consultation and the follow-up after one month? What are some of the prac...
Apr 18, 2023•37 min•Ep. 48
Medicinal Mushrooms can be a powerful part of an herbal health protocol. Let's look at some case studies of my clients, to illustrate how mushrooms fit into a health plan and can help to address the underlying cause of immune system imbalance, allergies, skin conditions like asthma and eczema, memory loss, brain function, anxiety, insomnia, cancer prevention, and fatigue. Here is the link to the in-depth class about medicinal mushrooms! Would you like to work with me one-on-one and book your Onl...
Mar 07, 2023•43 min•Ep. 47
We all know Cacao as the wonderful plant that chocolate is made of, but its benefits go way beyond that! Cacao has medicinal properties, is high in antioxidants and can energize you gently and lift your mood! I will share my experience of living for several years on a Cacao farm in Brazil, and the process of harvesting, fermenting, drying and roasting the cacao beans. You will also learn the best way to make a tea of cacao, which is not by using the nibs or beans, but by using the husk! The bean...
Feb 09, 2023•34 min•Ep. 46
I took a combination of Rosehips, Garlic, and Ginger for the immune-boosting benefits for over two months, and in this episode, I share with you what I learned and the results on my health. I took Rosehips in different ways, a few that I harvested myself, but mainly the dried rosehips or powdered rosehips that I bought by the pound. I soaked them, had them for breakfast and in smoothies, and made really strong deep red tea. The powder does contain also the seeds which are high in galactolipids, ...
Jan 12, 2023•37 min•Ep. 45
Our nervous system, digestion and immune function are three areas to pay attention to during the holidays. Adaptogenic herbs help us to deal with stress, calming nervines keep everyone chill during family gatherings, and it's a good idea to take some carminative herbs to help us digest all that nice yummy food to minimize the damage and regret. Don't leave your herbs at home in case you go traveling, this is a time when you probably need them the most! Would you like to work with me one-on-one a...
Dec 23, 2022•32 min•Ep. 44
Let's formulate an herbal winter tea blend! Or actually, no matter what the season is currently, let's learn about some basic herbal formulation principles which take climate and season into account. This is what's in my favorite decoction at the moment and how I make it: First I boil a few slices of Ginger with Dandelion root and a teaspoon full of my so-called Chai base (freshly ground up Cinnamon, Cardamom, Clove and long Pepper/Pippali), and I simmer this for 30 minutes. Then I add my aromat...
Dec 09, 2022•38 min•Ep. 43
Elderberry, Garlic, Turmeric, Echinacea, Astragalus, and Ginger are some of the many herbs available to us, to make sure we have healthy and strong immunity in the colder season. But.... what to do if Elderberries are sold out again at the herb store? No worries at all, in this episode we'll dive deep into what is so special (but not unique) about Elderberries, these deep red plant pigments called anthocyanins, a type of flavonoid. Luckily we don't find them exclusively in Elderberries but also ...
Nov 23, 2022•31 min•Ep. 42
"I have tried everything." This is a phrase I sometimes hear from my clients. Looking at what they actually tried so far, which herbs and dosages, I must say, no, the herbs are definitely not to blame for the lack of results. High expectations on one herb (the miracle herb! it must exist! ...no it doesn't...), as opposed to a complete health protocol that might include several herbs and supplements to get somebody better, and also the lack of knowledge about dose, how quickly or slowly a certain...
Oct 30, 2022•44 min•Ep. 41
Visiting Scotland and marveling at the juicy blackberries, rosehips, hawthorn, and elderberries led me to ponder about the history of Western Herbalism and our relationship to the plants that grow around us. Why do we use the pants we use? What is our role in preserving and passing on the knowledge? How did our perception of health and healing change through history? And, where are we now? I visited the amazing Scottish Wild Food Festival organized by a team around Rox Madeira who I found throug...
Sep 26, 2022•38 min•Ep. 40
Adaptogens and tonic herbs in general are my favorite category of medicinal herbs, and I use them a lot for myself and clients in my health practice. They are safe and non-toxic and help us deal with stress, improve the immune system, regulate hormones, and improve our thinking, mood, anxiety, and fatigue. Absolute all-rounders to help us deal with modern life's challenges! Let's learn about the difference between central nervous system stimulants like coffee, and adaptogens. In a nutshell, coff...
Sep 03, 2022•37 min•Ep. 39
We had a few heat waves this summer, so I had plenty of opportunities to try out herbs and foods to stay cool! I made cold infusions instead of hot teas with cooling and moistening herbs like Hibiscus and Rose, and switched my regular body massage oil to cooling coconut oil. Ayurveda gives us lots of insights into the energetic qualities of herbs, and this includes how foods and herbs affect our body temperature. I will review a list of dietary recommendations for Pitta, because as we know Pitta...
Aug 18, 2022•27 min•Ep. 38
Most deaths worldwide are caused by heart disease. Over a long period of time, cholesterol silently accumulates in blood arteries, sometimes going unnoticed or not receiving adequate attention. We should all consider prevention because of this. The underlying causes include aspects of lifestyle and food, but fortunately, there are numerous herbal therapies that are readily available and have been scientifically proven to promote cardiovascular health. For instance, the traditional heart herbs of...
Aug 06, 2022•41 min•Ep. 37
Chances are you have asked yourself if you have food intolerances, they are so common today as a result of our modern diet and lifestyle. Symptoms range from gas and bloating to headaches and fatigue. Elimination diets can be helpful initially, but they don't treat the underlying cause, and there is the risk of developing other intolerances or even auto-immune diseases. So what can we do about this? The solution lies in a thoughtful multi-step herbal protocol, that includes repairing your digest...
Jul 22, 2022•32 min•Ep. 36
Our liver does a lot of heavy work for us every day, let's make sure it stays healthy! Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is on the rise, but luckily, in its early stages, it is reversible. Understanding the mechanism makes it obvious that weight control and insulin resistance play a big role. We will discuss some herbs that help us to keep our blood glucose levels stable, like bitter melon and fenugreek. You will also learn how nervines and adaptogens can have a beneficial effect. But of course,...
Jun 30, 2022•34 min•Ep. 35
Fatigue, weight gain, hair loss, brain fog and constipation might be signs that the thyroid is not working optimally. But no worries, of course, there are safe and completely natural methods, including herbs, available to us that can help with Hypothyroidism and other thyroid problems. Did you know that in most cases an under-functioning thyroid is caused by an inflammatory auto-immune disease called Hashimoto's? Yes, and that gives us a clue to the root causes of it. We have to look at digestio...
Jun 14, 2022•44 min•Ep. 34
Let me take you beyond the usual Chamomile and Lemon Balm! As a mom, herbalist and midwife, I will share some of our favorite family herbs for each phase of childhood including real-life tips on how to actually get these herbs into your kids. I asked my children to share their favorite herbs with you! Are glycerites a necessary replacement for tinctures? Can kids swallow capsules? My favorite Chinese Herb for kids, Astragalus, which is so easy to incorporate into food, because it actually tastes...
May 25, 2022•52 min•Ep. 33
Mushrooms are in their very own category of natural remedies, widely used in Traditional Chinese Medicine. They all look and taste very different and are used in specific ways. Some are delicious to cook with, and others are so hard that you need a saw to cut them! We will talk about the different ways to use them, and why they are so beneficial for our health. They can boost our immunity, help us deal with stress and fatigue, improve allergies, prevent cancer growth, and rejuvenate our brains, ...
May 10, 2022•42 min•Ep. 32
Let's discuss some herbs that can help with fatigue, exhaustion and even complete burn-out. Exhausted mom syndrome anyone? Being tired in itself might not be a dangerous health concern, but we also shouldn't ignore it until the point of no return. Fatigue can be seriously depressing and keep us from living our full potential. To understand the mechanism of fatigue we can get great insights from Ayurveda and Chinese medicine, both have a much more holistic view of health than our modern western a...
Apr 20, 2022•40 min•Ep. 31
Ashwagandha is an amazing herb for stress, anxiety, insomnia, energy and stamina from Ayurveda, but its popularity in the west also leads to many misconceptions. There are ideal and less ideal ways to take it, wrong assumptions about dosage and a lot of confusion about possible side effects. Let's shed some light on this outstanding herb for the benefit of our health! Ayurveda is part of my extensive, in-depth training in Herbal Medicine and Ashwagandha is an herb I almost can't imagine practici...
Apr 11, 2022•53 min•Ep. 30
Runny nose, itchy eyes and pharmaceutical antihistaminics make you drowsy? No worries, we have holistic remedies that work even better and strategies to address the root issue! Let's dig into some of the ayurvedic theories to explain hay fever and draw from the wisdom of global herbalism to get effective short and long-term relief. Some of the herbs covered are Nettle, Astragalus, Elecampane, Schisandra, Turmeric, Chrysanthemum, Elderflower, Cubeb Berry, Pippali and Guduchi, which we can choose ...
Apr 04, 2022•44 min•Ep. 29
