plants as medicine

I am making my way through my mid-40s and live in a dry, intensely sunny mountain town. This has been a wakeup call to start caring more for my face. I wasn’t bad before. After a couple of awkward teenage years, I’ve generally not used unhealthy cosmetics, harsh cleansers, or even soap on my face. But at a certain point, it may be good to put in a bit more effort.  Not just for those of us of a certain age who’ve suddenly become vainer, but also to prevent cancer-promoting changes in the skin.

When I first started studying botanical medicine, I was at work and got a call from my then-boyfriend asking which plant in the yard was yarrow.  He had cut his hand and wanted to do some first aid to stop the bleeding and prevent infection. This wasn’t the first time.  Having a garden of first aid plants really comes in handy.  Beyond adding beauty to your surroundings, you have at hand easy and effective remedies for everything from cuts and abrasions to insect bites, burns and digestive distress.  H

The common misperception about fevers is that something is wrong. This couldn’t be further from the truth, for when the body decides to up the temperature it is not without good reason. Our bodies are absolutely genius when it comes to moving back towards balance and sometimes we need to kill some germs along the way—which only happens with an increase in temperature.

For thousands of years, indigenous peoples of the Peruvian portion of the Amazon Basin in South America have cultivated an amazing plant that is a powerhouse of nutrients.

Before harvesting or using punarnava, please make sure to carefully read the disclaimers below.

Punarnava, the Sanskrit word for the medicinal plant commonly known in English as spreading hogweed, literally translated means “renewer” or “rejuvenator.” Punar- means “again,” and -nava translates to “new.” Punarnava is steadily gaining attention in the expansive world of natural health medicine as a powerful medicinal herb with a wonderful laundry list of health-promoting benefits supporting longevity and youthfulness.

Herbal medicine making is a powerful practice rich with intention, connection, and healing. In our modern world, the potency of plant medicine is often overlooked. Yet when we trace its roots, we see that Mother Earth’s remedies are long honored across many traditions and cultures.

I know how annoying acne can be. In fact, it can be downright depressing. Really bad acne can make you want to stay home all day and make you feel like everyone is looking at your skin. Recently, I have been dealing with terrible breakouts, which is uncommon for me. While I've always had acne, it has recently gotten a lot worse. I have a sneaking suspicion as to why: I tried to cure it topically and it wound up backfiring in my face (literally).

Kitchen Witchin’ Part 1 shared valuable medicinal uses for kitchen herbs and spices that many folks have on hand. For part 2, let’s continue unleashing that inner witch by bringing some botanicals out of the medicine cabinet and into the kitchen!

Gout is a form of arthritis that is caused when too much uric acid crystallizes and makes deposits in the joints. Gout causes swelling, redness, tenderness, and severe pain in joints. The attacks often spring about rather suddenly and occur more often at night than in the day compared to arthritis or Rheumatoid Arthritis, which eases into aches and pains throughout the day.