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…
Arjuna is an herb used in Ayurvedic medicine that specifically cares for and strengthens the heart. Its botanical name is Terminalia arjuna, and it is a beautiful, green-leafed tree that grows in parts of India and Bangladesh. The bark of the tree is harvested and used for its rejuvenating, strengthening effects on the cardiovascular system.
With spring cleansing on my mind, I found myself thinking of how much I value myrrh as an incense for purifying the air. It has a unique ability to cleanse a space and inspire new beginnings. Its powerful antiseptic qualities are comforting and extend to the emotional realm. The effects are the same when this…
Ginger, Zingiber officinale, is a root with a characteristically spicy flavor used in cooking all over the world. Gingerol, one of the identified essential oils in the fresh root has many soothing and anti-inflammatory properties that make it a very useful substance. According to Ayurvedic medicine, which has used ginger root for centuries, the fresh…
by Betsy Miller, M.S., CNS, LDN Spicebush, Lindera benzoin, is a small deciduous tree that typically grows in the understory of forests. The tree is native to eastern North America, and ranges along the Appalachian mountains from Florida to as far North as Ontario and as far west as Kentucky and Texas. The leaves and…
History The documented medical use of Milk Thistle dates from the first century A.D., when Pliny the Elder advocated mixing its juice with honey to treat liver issues. Its presence in traditional medicine is near-ubiquitous across multiple continents. From China, where the seeds are called “Shui Fei Ji,” to sixteenth-century England, where it was recommended…
Hawthorn, or Crataegus laevigata, is a shrub that can be found growing all over the United States and in temperate portions of Europe and Asia. Hawthorn is easy to grow and cultivate if you have a free spot in your lawn or community garden. Hawthorn berries, leaves and flowers are all used medicinally. Hawthorn is…