By Yaya Patterson, Root Woman & Smile Herbalist The smoking of plants has a strong history in the healing arts traditions across the globe. Smoking has been used ceremonially in nearly all earth-based religions. Popular smoke options such as tobacco and marijuana were once deemed sacred, and were thus employed with specific intentions. There…
by Susan Wolfe Recently some interesting findings were released linking gingivitis to the development of Alzheimer’s disease. Pretty scary, since about a third of us have gingivitis to some degree or another. The long-term effects of inflammation of the gums is also known to stress the cardiovascular system, so those are two strong reasons to…
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!
“Collectively, these diseases where the immune system attacks itself affect more than 24 million people in the United States. An additional eight million people have auto-antibodies, blood molecules that indicate a person’s chance of developing autoimmune disease. Autoimmune diseases are affecting more people for reasons unknown. Likewise, the causes of these diseases remain a mystery”.…
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…
Of the hundreds of species of hibiscus in the world, almost all of them originate in hot, tropical climates. In hot-weather cultures the world over, hibiscus is used to cool the body, relieve stress, and mitigate the effects of excessive heat. Today we will share three summer recipes to bring the cooling beauty of hibiscus…
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…
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…
Ugh. There’s a certain kind of misery to a headcold, and how much worse to have one when the weather is warming, and the sunshine is tempting us to come outside and play. Spring colds, however, are all too common, as are spring allergies, and the sinus infections that can follow. So what can we…
Intelligent Spring Cleansing To Heal The Five Major Organs Of The BodyA Sensible and Gentle Six-Week CleanseBasically from my 30 years of herbalism I have found that there are six stages to the cleansing process. Each of these stages takes one week to perform and spring is the perfect time according to Ayurveda to do…
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…