Allergy season has begun. We wondered if spring would ever come, and now that it has, I’m trying to be grateful while sneezing and blowing my nose. Also known as hay fever, or rhinitis, spring allergies can range from annoying to debilitating, and for me it varies from year to year. Fortunately, herbal remedies can…
Tom Wolfe, RH(AHG) and owner of Smile Herb Shop talks in this video about herbs and Tom Tips on allergy relief. Visit our blog here to find all our blogs and articles on allergies!
Mushrooms might not be the first thing you think of when it comes to herbal allergy control, but over the years they have become a staple of my regimen that I’ve come to depend on and enjoy. Some mushrooms, like Reishi, are natural anti-inflammatories that help control allergy symptoms during flare-ups. But mushrooms’ real gift…
It’s tree pollen season. Maple, Oak, and Elm are the big offenders here in Maryland, and I am allergic to them all. I didn’t have allergies growing up in coastal Maine, but when I came down here to live I learned all about the wide variety of symptoms that can be caused by seasonal allergies.…
Neti and Nasya, Solutions for the NoseSpring is coming, and with it, for many, come spring allergies. There are a whole host of helpful herbs to ease seasonal allergies, but today we want to talk about two options from the world of Ayurveda to soothe and protect the nose. Tom Wolfe, co-owner of Smile Herb…
You hear a lot about Nettle this time of year, don’t you? As an herbalist, my relationship with Urtica dioica, the Stinging Nettle, always deepens at this time of year. I depend on Nettle for allergy relief, its energizing mineral content, and its gentle spring cleansing properties. This year, I began to feel allergy symptoms…
The first herbs to come up in the springtime are bursting with cleansing chlorophyll and lymph-moving moisture. They flush out metabolic wastes that have accumulated over the long winter and bring life, moisture, and movement to the winter-worn system. Taking advantage of these seasonal green allies can result in a glowing complexion, luxurious hair, elevated…
Fall is a glorious time of year, but the sudden chill in the air, the leaf mold piling up, the wind and cold rain that herald this season of transition can be very hard on the respiratory system. Colds, flus, allergies, and lung irritation can come upon us quickly and intensely, and who wants to…
Shatavari is one of my favorite adaptogens. Shatavari’s name translates to “she who possesses one hundred husbands,” which gives you an idea of its rejuvenating effect on the female reproductive system. Although it has a special affinity for women, shatavari has significant health benefits for everyone– men, women, and children alike. These days, we all…
The word “Ginseng” tends to be synonymous with vitality and energy, and for good reason! Its botanical name, Panax, has the same root as the word “panacea”, healer of all ills. It has been considered “king of herbs” in Native American and Chinese medicine traditions for thousands of years. Like many adaptogens, ginseng helps with more…
Reishi’s Chinese name translates as “Spirit Plant”, or “Herb of Spiritual Potency”. It is a remarkable, adaptogenic mushroom that has been used in Chinese medicine for thousands of years. Like all adaptogens, Reishi has a normalizing effect on our overall physiology, and it can help restore us to health from a truly incredible range of…
Itchy, watery eyes, runny nose, sore throat, headache, coughing, sneezing: seasonal allergies can be a misery. For those who are particularly sensitive, allergy symptoms can include digestive upset and fatigue as well as the cold-like symptoms we easily recognize. It’s been another wet summer in Maryland, which means that all the plants are growing like…
With Fall and the new school year upon us, it’s smart to be prepared for the upcoming challenges to our immune systems. Here are just a few things that can weaken our immunity: Some of these stressors can’t be avoided, but fortunately there’s a lot that can be done to avoid a cold or flu…
Herbs can be subtle medicine, gently but inexorably changing the body on a cellular level. Some herbs and herbal formulas are fast-acting for acute conditions, and their effects can be felt right away. But the long-term, systemic changes brought about by herbal medicine are also powerful, and depending on the herb they can happen so…
The Wood Element in Spring: Herbs for the Liver and Gallbladder In the Traditional Chinese system of medicine (TCM) there are 5 elements, each of which is associated with a season. The element associated with spring is wood element: the upward rising energy of new growth, new beginnings, and renewal. The wood element governs growing…
Raw honey is unprocessed honey straight from the beehive, and it is a nutritional wonder. Real raw honey is never heated, never strained, never pasteurized, and never processed in any way. Make sure you read your honey labels carefully to make sure you’re getting the good stuff! Here are just a few of the many…
Stinging Nettles Can one herb really… The answer is yes! And the herb in question is none other than Stinging Nettle, or Urtica dioica. This herb is often seen as a pesky weed, but we know better. Many people turn to Nettles to help them survive allergy season intact. In addition to helping the body regulate its…
One of the first medicinal herbs many people encounter is German Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla syn. or Matricaria recutita). It is a ubiquitous tea herb with a history of use going back thousands of years, found on shelves of supermarkets and referenced in both Peter Rabbit and pop music. For such a well-known herb, however, in…
To gain confidence as an herbalist, Jim McDonald suggests picking just one or two herbs and focus on them completely– Grow them, eat them, read about them, make medicine with them, etc. If you really got to know, say, Peppermint and Chamomile, you could work with an enormous variety of health problems with those two…
Fall is here! Each season has its own unique energetic signature that influences our bodies, minds, and spirits. Fall is a significant transitional period for both our inner and outer worlds; we transition from the warm, social, vibrant energy of the summertime and into the introspective, and nostalgic energy of the colder months ahead. In…
