The Holistic Herbalism Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Urban Wildcrafting Ethics & Guidelines Apr 26, 2019

Show notes

It’s springtime! The plants are popping up everywhere in their colorful displays. This time of year, we always start to get more questions about wildcrafting and foraging, so we wanted to share some thoughts on the subject in this episode. Living in a city can make gathering your own plants seem more difficult, and there are indeed some special considerations to make if you’re going to harvest wild plants in a city environment. But more important than specific plant knowledge are the urban wildcrafting ethics you bring to the task – and these almost all apply no matter where you live.

We break down city foraging guidelines into three key areas: (1) know the plant, (2) know the land, and (3) know the community. With these principles in mind, you can apply them to whatever specific environment you’re working in.

It’s important for all of us, as herbalists, to be aware of our impact on the plant world. After all, if we don’t sustain and regenerate our plant populations, we’ll be out of herbs & out of luck! Whether our environnment is rural or urban, wildcrafting ethics help us stay present and attentive to what the plants and the earth need.

Mentioned in this podcast:

Wildcrafting for Beginners, Howie Brounstein
Invasive Plant Medicine, Timothy Lee Scott
Where Do Camels Belong?, Ken Thompson

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Herbs to Control Sugar Cravings Apr 21, 2019

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Is Easter really the best time to give up sugar? Well, given that there’s always another holiday around the corner, there’s never really an objectively better or worse time to try it. So why not try it now? You don’t have to do it alone – herbs can help! In this episode we’ll talk about some of our favorite herbs to control sugar cravings and help you change your relationship to sweet treats.

We always combine our herbalism with rational lifestyle interventions, so we’ll also discuss holistic strategies to cope with an oversized sweet tooth. Establishing a “sugar budget”, identifying your favorite low-sugar treats, keeping dessert close to mealtime, and finding ways to treat yourself that don’t involve food are all key here. Beneath that, there’s also value in recognizing what a sugar craving really is: a communication from the body, letting you know about an unmet need. This helps stave off guilt and shame!

Mentioned in this podcast:

How To Minimize Hyperglycemic Toxicity – this post discusses the ways in which a complex meal mitigates the glycemic impact of a carby/sugary food.
The Holistic Herbalism Podcast, episode 23: Schisandra & Peppermint – in which Katja embarked upon her 100-day schisandra experiment.
Nettle & Friends – our classic formula. For sugar control, add in tulsi, cinnamon, or even schisandra!
Everything Will Be Fine – an example of a nervine blend to help cope with the difficult emotions that often drive us to seek sugar.

Herbs discussed include: cinnamon, schisandra, tulsi, nettle, ashwagandha, licorice, calamus.

If you’d like to learn more about sugar, its effect on the body, more herbs for sugar cravings, and (almost) everything else about food and your health, check out our Fundamentals of Holistic Nutrition course! In it, we teach you the foundational principles of nutrition which apply to any diet type, while identifying particular diet adjustments that can help with common troubles. We also look at herbs as nutritive in their own right – as providers of mineral, vitamin, and phytonutrient compounds that can bolster a diet that’s otherwise lacking. Learn more and get started right here: Fundamentals of Holistic Nutrition

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Foundational Health Strategies & Evolution's Expected Inputs Apr 13, 2019

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Everyone is different, and healthcare should be individualized for each person – especially when it comes to herbalism! But, on the other hand, people are also quite alike in many ways, and it turns out that there is in fact a general approach to building health. That’s what this episode is about: foundational health strategies you can turn to in any situation.

Conventional medicine hinges upon a diagnosis. Without knowing precisely what’s wrong, you can’t proceed with a pharmaceutical solution. Herbalism is different, and especially holistic herbalism. As herbalists, we can absolutely help with specific complaints and health issues – matching the right herb to the right person at the right time. But we also can help even when “nothing’s wrong”! We can look at a situation and say: hey, your digestive system (or cardiovascular system, etc, or even the body in general) just isn’t really functioning well right now. Let’s think about a total overhaul. How can we rebuild this system so that it works well and stays healthy?

A good place to start is with what we might call the “expected inputs” a human body would naturally encounter in the course of human evolution. Our hunter-gatherer ancestors had a lot in common, even when they lived in very different environments from each other. They had to move to get their food, they slept when it was dark, and they had a very different relationship to stress than we do today. Working to align our habits and exposures to more closely resemble theirs (without falling into the trap of “paleo re-enactment”), we can provide the body what it is programmed by evolution to expect. This leads naturally to better health.

Interested in this framework for herbalism & holistic health? We elaborate on these ideas and look at them from a different angle in a FREE mini-course you can jump into right now! Check it out here: Four Keys to Holistic Herbalism

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Herbal Energetics: Tissue States Apr 08, 2019

Show notes

When choosing herbs for a health issue, herbalists like us use a system of organization called energetics. In this week’s podcast, we have an excerpt from our Energetics & Holistic Practice course about a key component of herbal energetics: tissue states. This term refers to the quality and activity present in a given organ or tissue of the body, and is based on three pairs of opposites: hot & cold, damp & dry, tense & lax.

When we have an injury or dysfunction somewhere in the body, herbalists ask: How much heat (or metabolic activity) is present in the area? How much moisture is flowing through (or stuck within) the tissue? How tight or loose is the organ, or muscle? These fundamental qualities are what help us match herbs to health problems more precisely – hot states call for cooling herbs, tense states need relaxing herbs, and so on. Learning to identify these states, and learning which herbs counterbalance which states, is an important part of your herbal education.

In these excerpts, we discuss each of the six primary tissue states, teaching you how to recognize them and how to understand what those observations mean. We also talk about the way these states can change from one into another, because in real life they’re moving targets – they change and shift as time passes. Knowing a bit about how one state is most likely to evolve into another makes you even better able to help with the right remedy at the right time.

If you’d like to get deeper into herbal energetics – going into details like individual constitutional types and herbal actions – then you should consider the complete course: Energetics & Holistic Practice

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Herbs for Psoriasis Mar 31, 2019

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Psoriasis is a chronic, autoimmune inflammatory skin problem. Problems like this are complex, because they don’t hinge on a single genetic anomaly or chemical imbalance in the body. This makes them difficult for conventional medicine to solve, but holistic healing methods are exactly what’s needed here! We can work through multiple interventions, including diet changes and herbs for psoriasis, to reduce inflammation and restore healthy skin.

In this podcast we talk first about major contributing factors to psoriasis (and inflammatory skin conditions like it, such as eczema). Then we discuss some simple supplements, diet additions, and eliminations that can make a big difference in your overall inflammatory burden. Reducing this means your skin doesn’t get so irritated! Finally we talk about herbs you can work with, topically on the skin as well as internally, to reduce inflammation, move lymph, and relieve the itching too.

Herbs discussed include kelp & other seaweeds, licorice, violet, & chickweed, along with brief mentions of cleavers, red clover, calendula, and self-heal.

If you’d like to learn how to work with herbs to take care of yourself & your family, try out our Herbal Medicine for Beginners course! It’s a quick, inexpensive way to meet 35 of the most important medicinal herbs. We share all our favorite ways to work with them, so you’ll be preparing your own home remedies in no time. Our zero-risk return policy means you can try it out with no pressure, and if you decide it’s not for you, we’ll give you a refund. Easy!

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You can find all of our online herbalism courses at online.commonwealthherbs.com!

Rooted & Ready Alterative/Adaptogen Herbal Formula for Endurance, Resilience, & Detox Mar 22, 2019

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This is one of our favorite herbal formulas for endurance situations, whether that’s physical, mental, emotional, or all three. These herbs help build up your resilience, in part by improving your ability to clear the system of wastes and irritants. (Call it “detox”, the body’s daily action to process and eliminate such things.) Herbs can help that action in lots of ways, and an alterative herbal formula like Rooted & Ready will do just that. Oh, and did we mention it tastes like root beer?

But the key to this formula is the combination of alteratives with adaptogens. Adaptogens make us better able to adapt to stress of all kinds, so they don’t cause us so much trouble. And believe it, stress causes real, physical health troubles! Because adaptogens support this function, and because stress is so pervasive and destructive, these herbs can be helpful for a surprising range of imbalances. When their influence is in the system, returning to baseline balance is a smoother transition. You don’t waste resources needlessly, and as a result you feel calmer and more focused.

This formula serves to stimulate the liver & kidneys (key organs of elimination), improves endocrine function and coordination in response to stressors, and stimulates the circulation of heat and blood to the periphery of the body. It’s fit for decoction, tincture, elixir, and perhaps a few other creative home remedy methods. It’s a good spring tonic and a solid ally when there’s work to be done. (Listen to the pod for proportions and preparation notes, including constitutional adjustments!)

Herbs discussed include: sarsaparilla, sassafras, ashwagandha, eleuthero, rhodiola, ginger, licorice, birch, alder, wintergreen, kava, calamus.

Rooted & Ready is one of a whole slew of formulas Ryn deconstructs in the last part of his course, Elements of Detoxification. This course takes a fresh look at the concepts of “toxicity” and “detoxification”, a holistic perspective that goes beyond “cleanses” and products. Learn a memorable, practical model for understanding how the body’s detox functions work, along with the roles herbs can play in supporting them. And, take a look at some key formulas like Rooted & Ready, that bring together taste, action, and energetics for maximum effect. Check it out!

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You can find all of our online herbalism courses at online.commonwealthherbs.com!

Herbs for Seasonal Allergies Mar 16, 2019

Show notes

It’s just about time for seasonal allergy … um, season … to begin here in Boston! Sniffy noses and red eyes are peeking around every corner. So let’s talk about some of our favorite herbs for seasonal allergies, and see if we can get you more comfortable outside.

We lead with a brief discussion of the allergic response and a holistic view on the process. We teach you about the useful metaphor of the Stressor Bucket, and how this guides our herb & holistic lifestyle choices to dial back hayfever and other pollen-based allergic reactions. As it turns out, it’s about more than just the daily pollen count!

Then we get right into the herbs! We highlight plants & home remedies to reduce overall inflammation, stabilize mast cells, support the kidneys, move the lymph, astringe the mucous membranes, and decongest the sinuses.

So if thy nose runneth over, listen in and meet some herbal allies who can help you keep contained!

Herbs mentioned include nettle, goldenrod, red clover, eyebright, yerba santa, marshmallow, horseradish, & chamomile.

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Health Is Your Right ... And Your Responsibility Mar 09, 2019

Show notes

This is what we say at the beginning of every episode:

We are not doctors. We are herbalists and holistic health educators. The ideas discussed in this podcast do not constitute medical advice.No state or federal authority licenses herbalists in the US; these discussions are for educational purposes only. Everyone’s body is different, so the things we’re talking about may or may not apply directly to you – but they will give you some information to think about and research further.We wish to remind you that good health is your own personal responsibility: the final decision in considering any course of therapy – whether discussed on the internet or prescribed by your physician – is always yours.

Each of the many issues raised in this statement is very important to us, including but not limited to: the legal definition of the practice of medicine, scope of practice for holistic health professionals, individual biological and situational variation, rights as necessarily intercausal with responsiblities, and others. In today’s podcast, we’re going to break it down and explain exactly why we repeat this so frequently, and why we feel it matters so much. We hope you’ll listen in!

Mentioned in this podcast:

On the Merits of Plain Speech, Katja’s article on intentional language choices as a health professional
Herbalism And The Law: The Practice of Medicine in Massachusetts, Ryn’s article on legal issues relevant to clinical herbalism
The Holistic Herbalism Podcast, episode 065: How To Not Be A Guru, for related thoughts on humility and transparency

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You can find all of our online herbalism courses at online.commonwealthherbs.com!

How To Choose The Right Herbs For Sleep Mar 01, 2019

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Just going to the internet and searching for “herbs for sleep” isn’t very effective – how do you know the right one for you? First, you need to suss out why you can’t sleep – not all insomnia is created equal! In this podcast, we break sleep problems down into a few basic categories and teach you the best herbs to choose for each one.

We discuss both herbs to take during the day, as well as for bedtime itself. We also provide specific instructions for taking bedtime herbs to make them the most effective they can be. So whether you’re struck with anxious rumination as you lay in bed, or unable to sleep because of pain and tension in the body, or if your circadian rhythm has drifted away from the sun’s path – or some mix of all three! – this podcast is for you.

Herbs discussed include: chamomile, betony, blue vervain, passionflower, skullcap, wild lettuce, California poppy, kava, ginger, crampbark, milk thistle, st john’s wort.

Mentioned in this podcast:

Herbs for Birthworkers – a great course for pregnant moms & those who work with them!
Herbal Medicine for Beginners, our book!
The Holistic Herbalism Podcast, episode 042: Sleep – Of Cravings, Comedians, & Caffeine
The Holistic Herbalism Podcast, episode 017: Three Sleep Strategies + What I Should Have Done

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You can find all of our online herbalism courses at online.commonwealthherbs.com!

Herbs for Stress-Induced Heartburn in Teens Feb 23, 2019

Show notes

I don’t know if you’re aware of this, but it’s stressful to be a teen! Sometimes, that stress shows up as heartburn. As herbalists, we can help out! Here’s a discussion of some of our favorite herbs for stress-induced heartburn in teens. Some are for directly addressing the burning pain and discomfort; others are for reducing the stress itself, because it really does trigger the reflux events. Changing your relationship to stressors makes a big difference, and herbs can help you do that. All this is part of a holistic framework including simple changes to diet, sleep habits, and alignment / movement patterns – that makes the herbs much more effective! (But don’t worry, our number one remedy will work even if you can’t convince your teen to do the whole protocol.)

Mentioned in this podcast:

Mega-Mag, our favorite magnesium supplement
Concentrace,a multimineral supplement from the same producer
Daylio, a mood/health-tracking app we’ve been playing with lately
Clue, a menstrual cycle tracker app

Herbs discussed include marshmallow, tulsi, betony, goldenrod, linden, hawthorn, and peppermint.

How many of those herbs are you familiar with? Well, almost every one has a detailed profile in our Holistic Herbalism Materia Medica course. Get to know the herbs on their own terms, as complex and unique as they are: what their qualities and actions are, how to make them into effective remedies, everything you need to know to work with them safely and effectively. This course has 89 herbs so far, and when you buy it, you get lifetime access. When we add more herbal content in the future, it’s automatically added to your course, forever. You can try it out for 14 days, with our zero-risk return policy!

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You can find all of our online herbalism courses at online.commonwealthherbs.com!

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