herbs

Incorporating herbs into your lifestyle can take many forms, from cooking with essential oils to making your own body scrubs and lips balms.

As you plan your garden for this year, consider what type of gardener you are—or want to be. Some folks love spending meditative hours in the garden, pruning and weeding and maintaining plants. Others (like me, this year) may prefer to “sow and go”—to set seeds and watch the magic happen without extensive investment of time and energy.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is quite common and involves unwanted recurring thoughts and behaviors. OCD may, for example, take the form of an obsession with germs (the “O” part), perhaps resulting in compulsive hand-washing (the “D” part). Or it may take the form of having to have things in your space organized symmetrically.

Dogs have a bit of a reputation for having stinky breath.  We get it—they tend to eat a lot of gross things.  And the whole lack-of-opposable-thumbs thing makes it difficult for them to brush and floss their own teeth.

Bitters are plants that work by activating the bitter receptors on the tongue (and elsewhere in the body). Bitter receptors, in turn, trigger the production of digestive juices and enzymes so that by the time your food hits your stomach, the digestive system is revved up and ready to go.

Our four-legged friends feel tension and nervousness just like we do. And some of the same botanical allies that work for us may help them, too.  Three of the most popular calming remedies for us bipeds are also safe for your pooch when she’s having an off day: chamomile, valerian, and passionflower. 

As someone who has been living with chronic pain for years, I’m slowly learning that nature has all the answers. We just need to ask the right questions and be willing to listen—listen to our bodies, to our minds, and to our souls. In our lifetime, we all go through physical and mental pain—not to mention heartache. And nature has everything that we need to heal, ready and waiting. 

If you’d like an easy, flavorful, nutrient dense meal, look no further than today’s Meatless Monday recipe: kuku sabzi, a Persian version of a frittata loaded with fresh herbs. And when I say loaded, I mean it—unlike a frittata, where eggs feature prominently, greens are the main attraction in a kuku sabzi.

Has Fido tried acupuncture to cure his pesky arthritis? Has hydrotherapy helped Bailey’s hip dysplasia?

Horseradish is a member of the family Brassicaceae, commonly known as the Mustard family of the genus Armoracia G. Gaertn., B. Mey. & Scherb. or armoracia P of the species Armoracia rusticana G. Gaertn., B. Mey. & Scherb. or horseradish P.