Wild Bergamot ( Monarda fistulosa ), as well as other bee balm plant species, offers us so many benefits! The gifts of bee balm include promoting digestion, helping you recover from colds and the flu, fighting fungal and yeast infections… That’s just naming a little of what bee balm can do. (Really, bee balm can be some of our most potent herbal medicine against infections and stagnant conditions.) One of my favorite ways to enjoy wild bergamot bee balm is as a tea, so I’ll be sharing my bee bal...
Aug 23, 2023•21 min•Season 9Ep. 10
Slippery, slimy, gooey… these probably aren’t words you associate with medicine, but sometimes they’re exactly what you need. And they perfectly describe marshmallow root’s benefits! In fact, marshmallow ( Althaea officinalis ) is one of our most healing and soothing medicinal herbs! In this episode, I’m showing you exactly how to make a marshmallow root tea recipe for the best marshmallow root benefits. Making this tea is so easy, you don’t even have to heat up water! So… when might you turn to...
Aug 16, 2023•20 min•Season 9Ep. 9
In this episode, you’ll find out how to avoid unwanted chamomile tea side effects. I also show you how to be sure your chamomile is high quality so you can get the most benefits from your tea. PLUS I’m sharing three chamomile tea recipes with you. Chamomile, or Matricaria chamomilla , is like having an entire apothecary at your fingertips! I reach for chamomile tea to soothe an upset tummy, to relieve stress and tension, and even to promote sleep. And, of course, chamomile tea is a lovely way to...
Aug 09, 2023•18 min•Season 9Ep. 8
In this episode I’m sharing my top 6 chamomile plant benefits PLUS I’m sharing a completely underrated remedy: a chamomile oil recipe. Chamomile, or Matricaria chamomilla , is one of our most powerful medicinal herbs, yet it’s gentle enough for most people to use. Chamomile seemingly does a thousand and one different things, from soothing the nervous system, relieving muscle tension, and addressing cold and flu symptoms, to promoting digestion and modulating inflammation. That’s a lot of amazing...
Aug 02, 2023•26 min•Season 9Ep. 7
It was truly a delight to connect with Jesus Garcia. And it was so interesting to learn about Mexican oregano (Lippia graveolens) , a plant I wasn’t familiar with before this episode. I think you’ll love hearing Jesus share memories of how his grandmother turned to Mexican oregano for food and medicine. There’s no doubt that plants can be deeply nourishing and healing to our bodies. But I love how Jesus embodies the awareness that plant medicine can go far beyond the physical to encompass connec...
Jul 26, 2023•34 min•Season 9Ep. 6
If you are or you know a woman of a certain age, you know how un-fun certain menopause symptoms can be. (Hot flashes, anyone?) Wouldn’t an herb that shines for menopause support, easing symptoms such as vaginal dryness and hot flashes be a wonderful ally? Well, that’s exactly the sort of benefits you can enjoy by making cooling, soothing, nutrient-rich and delicious red clover tea ( Trifolium pratense ) an everyday part of your lifestyle. And red clover tea benefits don’t stop there! (Be sure to...
Jul 19, 2023•21 min•Season 9Ep. 5
This episode about the herbal medicine of pine trees was so much fun to record and I know you’re going to love listening! Kat Mackinnon is hilarious and quirky, while sharing an impressive amount of information about the medicinal gifts of pine. Just to name a few, pine can: ► Free the breath, whether there’s tightness or stuckness in your lungs from a cold or flu or from that “weight on your chest” that sometimes accompanies depression or grief ► Relieve indigestion, sour stomach, slow digestio...
Jul 12, 2023•59 min•Season 9Ep. 4
Willow tree bark is a fantastic herb for natural pain relief! Backaches, muscular soreness, headaches, arthritis…these are just some of the complaints willow can help you with. But, as with any herb, you need to know how to work with it safely and effectively. Join me in this episode to find out how you can work with willow tree bark when inflammatory and musculoskeletal pain is bringing you (or a loved one) down. I’m sharing a recipe for willow bark tea so you can easily have your own willow ba...
Jul 05, 2023•22 min•Season 9Ep. 3
Herbal medicine from the beautiful and fragrant linden tree ( Tilia cordata ) is a powerful way to soothe your nervous system, heal your gut, and support your heart. That’s a lot, but linden has even more to offer. Join me in this episode for a deep dive into linden tree medicine. I also share my favorite recipe so you can enjoy the medicinal benefits of delicious linden tea. My handsome French husband and I drink this tea all summer long and I know you’re going to love it! After listening in, y...
Jun 28, 2023•17 min•Season 9Ep. 2
A compact, easy-to-travel-with herbal first aid kit is a wonderful way to be prepared for everyday health concerns when you’re away from home. With that in mind, my question for guests in Season 9 of the podcast is, “What would you include in your herbal first aid kit?” I’m getting the ball rolling by giving you a peek into my travel kit. I hope it will serve as a useful springboard for creating your own. After listening in, you’ll know: ► Principles to rely on when creating an herbal first aid ...
Jun 21, 2023•23 min•Season 9Ep. 1
Arrowleaf balsamroot ( Balsamorhiza sagittata ) is a stunning flower, a nutritious food, and a potent herbal medicine that grows all over western North America. Here’s just a smattering of arrowleaf balsamroot’s medicinal gifts to tempt you… Arrowleaf balsamroot: ► Relieves the misery of sinus or lung congestion from a cold or flu ► Soothes cold, sore muscles ► Disinfects wounds ► and more… Between its cheerful blooms, its hillside-stabilizing and medicinal roots, and its pleasantly resinous-tas...
Jun 14, 2023•17 min•Season 8Ep. 13
Cancer. The very word can strike fear in the heart—and unfortunately, it touches many of us at some point in our lives, whether directly or indirectly through family and friends. But cancer… and herbs? What role can herbs possibly play in a big, scary, potentially deadly disease like that? If you’re faced with a cancer diagnosis, what can you do to take control of your journey and feel empowered? Just as important, what steps can you take to help prevent cancer in the first place? These are just...
Jun 07, 2023•57 min•Season 8Ep. 12
I’m excited to have our first Chinese medicine practitioner, Toby Daly, on the show. That he chose to talk about dan shen—one of my favorite herbs to grow in a garden and perhaps one of the herbs that I have been growing the longest—just added to my delight! If you don’t already know dan shen (Salvia miltiorrhiza) , I’m confident you’ll love it, too, by the end of this episode. To give you a sneak peek, dan shen can help to: ► Cool and calm irritability ► Ease chronic pain ► Support the heart an...
May 31, 2023•51 min•Season 8Ep. 11
If you've been following my herbal offerings for even a short time, you know that I'm not about focusing on fear. While some alternative health practitioners rally around toxins and pollutants, I'd rather focus on joy and the things that I do have control over. But unfortunately, environmental contaminants do exist, and we can't simply ignore them away. That's why I'm especially grateful to Sarah Sorci for coming on the show. She has taken it on to research important contamination issues for gar...
May 24, 2023•56 min•Season 8Ep. 10
At first blush, today’s episode with earth skills expert, Lynx Vilden, might not seem to be “about” herbs. But au contraire! At the heart of herbalism is connection with Earth and the entire web of life that dwells on her. And my guest today, Lynx Vilden, lives and breathes that interconnectivity. Like anything, living off the land while relying on primitive skills has its ups and downs. And Lynx has a knack for describing it in a way that’s completely unromanticized yet captures your imaginatio...
May 17, 2023•56 min•Season 8Ep. 9
It was such a pleasure to sit down with herbalist and teacher, Nicole Telkes, to discuss juniper ( Juniperus spp.)! In some bioregions, this plant is hated as a pest in the landscape and a source of misery to seasonal-allergy sufferers. But juniper is full of medicinal gifts! For instance, juniper: ► Supports the kidneys and urinary tract ► Warms cold, cramping muscles and can soothe the pain of osteoarthritis ► Can help to clear fungal infections ► and more Juniper also gives us aromatic, beaut...
May 10, 2023•1 hr 8 min•Season 8Ep. 8
Oak trees ( Quercus spp.) probably aren’t the first plants that come to your mind when you think of herbal medicine. But as today’s guest, Greg Monzel, shares, oak trees are more than bountiful with their gifts! “Plant x for problem y ” is how many people start out thinking about herbal medicine… and oak is not without this type of benefit. To give one example, oak is a powerful astringent that’s helpful as a wound wash and as an ingredient in tooth powder that can help to tighten up your gums. ...
May 03, 2023•54 min•Season 8Ep. 7
Hawthorn ( Crataegus spp.) is one of my favorite plants. I love hawthorn so much that I turn to it almost every single day of my life. So I was very excited when today’s guest, Tatiana Eaves, chose hawthorn as a topic for our conversation. There are so many gifts of hawthorn! Hawthorn is often revered for how it strengthens the physical heart… but this is just one of the medicinal gifts Tatiana mentions. Hawthorn has so many benefits beyond your physical heart. Herbalists often turn to hawthorn ...
Apr 26, 2023•35 min•Season 8Ep. 6
It’s not every day that you’ll hear someone express love for a “pernicious” weed. But by the end of this episode, I think you’ll understand exactly why Sunny Savage loves spiny amaranth ( Amaranthus spinosus ) and why I seriously can’t wait for amaranth to start popping up in my own garden this spring. Really, what’s not to love about a plant that: ► Takes care of itself (your only work is to harvest and cook) ► Is deeply nutritious…to quote Sunny, “ticking lots of boxes on my nutritional needs”...
Apr 19, 2023•56 min•Season 8Ep. 5
As you’ll see in this episode with astrologer and herbalist Maeg Keane, there’s much more to blackberry than an astringent herb to help bind up loose stools or diarrhea! For instance… What if blackberry could teach you about setting boundaries and letting go of what’s not serving you? These are just two of the astrology-inspired perspectives that Maeg explores in our conversation. But even on a more physical plane, what’s not to love about a plant that: ► Gives you a delicious dose of antioxidan...
Apr 12, 2023•39 min•Season 8Ep. 4
You have a double treat in store with this episode. First, have you ever wondered what it takes to grow herbs commercially on a large scale? I kept hearing about Oshala Farm from my students, so last year, I placed an order to check them out. I was so impressed with the herbs I received and knew immediately that I wanted to interview Elise Higley, the farm’s cofounder! From finding the right location to the hard work of growing, harvesting, processing the harvest, fulfilling orders, stewarding t...
Apr 05, 2023•51 min•Season 8Ep. 3
Calendula ( Calendula officinalis ) is one of my most-adored herbs! So I was thrilled when today’s guest, Alex Crofoot, chose calendula as a focus for this interview. And I loved hearing both new and familiar ways of working with this favorite (and very versatile!) plant. Calendula is an herbal friend that: ► Is powerfully healing to the skin, yet is gentle enough to soothe a baby’s diaper rash or to bring some relief to red and irritated eyes. Calendula belongs in every herbal first aid kit! ► ...
Mar 29, 2023•37 min•Season 8Ep. 2
We often grow in important ways because of mistakes. But while experience can be a powerful teacher, it can also be a painful one. The cool thing is that hearing other people’s mistakes can help our own growth and learning…minus the regrets. With that in mind, a theme for Season 8 of the podcast is looking back at herbal mistakes, a bit like alerting other drivers to a hazard on the road ahead. I’m getting the ball rolling by sharing my three most important mistakes with herbs. I’m also sharing ...
Mar 22, 2023•18 min•Season 8Ep. 1
What to treat to sit down with herbalist and author, Nancy Phillips, to discuss dandelion ( Taraxacum officinale )! Who couldn’t use an herbal friend that: ► Supports our hardworking livers (which may beautify our complexions, too!) ► Is rich in inulin to feed the beneficial bacteria in our guts ► Is bursting with nutrients AND enhances digestion ► Benefits pollinators But, as if all that wasn’t enough, dandelions usher in joy with their sunny blossoms and whimsical seedheads. These unique plant...
Mar 15, 2023•38 min•Season 7Ep. 11
It was an honor and a deep pleasure to have this informative conversation about the medicine of calamus root (rhizome) and leaves with Karyn Sanders. Herbalism is about so much more than “this herb for that condition” and Karyn personifies that truth. Her deep connection with this lovely and versatile plant shines throughout as she shares the many ways of working with calamus medicinally, such as: ► Lending its grounding qualities to facilitate trauma work, soothe nervous energy, smooth the edge...
Mar 08, 2023•38 min•Season 7Ep. 10
While many swoon over its amber balsamic scent, the cottonwood tree ( Populus spp. ) is more than just a pretty smell. For thousands of years, cottonwood has been used as medicine and to make a variety of tools. I honestly can’t imagine my life without this powerful tree and cottonwood bud oil (also called Balm of Gilead oil), which I use in practically all of my herbal salves, creams, and body butters. With this episode you’ll also receive FREE access to a downloadable recipe card you can refer...
Mar 01, 2023•27 min•Season 7Ep. 9
My dear friend, herbalist jim mcdonald, returns to the show to share all about calamus root benefits. Among its other gifts, calamus root is known as an herb that can help you clear away mental cobwebs and enhance your focus. jim is a gifted storyteller and I know you’ll enjoy hearing how an early experience with calamus root set the stage for how he approaches learning about herbs to this day. By the end of this episode, you’ll know: ► The many gifts and medicinal benefits of calamus root. ► Do...
Feb 22, 2023•1 hr•Season 7Ep. 8
It’s always exciting to hear about a little known herb with powerful medicinal action, especially when it also happens to grow abundantly. And that’s what you have to look forward to in this conversation about ground ivy (Glechoma hederacea) with Val Alcorn! You’ll also receive Val’s recipe for an Upper Respiratory Tincture which contains ground ivy. This is a formula she describes as ideal for “heavy, stagnant congestion and/or pain in the upper respiratory system.” By the end of this episode, ...
Feb 15, 2023•46 min•Season 7Ep. 7
You have a real treat in store with today’s episode, all about the many gifts of stinging nettle ( Urtica dioica ). My guest, renowned herbalist David Winston, shares multiple stories about the rich herbal medicine of nettle leaf, nettle root, and nettle seed, gleaned from his decades of clinical practice. David shares so many pearls of wisdom about stinging nettle, herbs, and herbalism during our conversation that I think you’ll agree I made the right choice in letting the interview meander lon...
Feb 08, 2023•1 hr 26 min•Season 7Ep. 6
In this episode, we look to the medicines that bees make with plants. Propolis is a medicinal resin made by bees which can be sustainably harvested to use as medicine. Benjamin Pixie is an herbalist, mead maker and bee keeper who has lots to share about plants, the wisdom of bees, and making medicines from the gifts of the hive. Benjamin also shares a recipe and important tips for making your own propolis tincture, including the best alcohol to use and tips for finding propolis. By the end of th...
Feb 01, 2023•47 min•Season 7Ep. 5
