Podcasts about herbmentor

Maria Christodoulou had been living in New York City for years when she decided it was finally time to move to Greece and dive more fully into the wisdom and whimsy of ancient Greek herbal medicine. This journey took her to Athens where she currently offers educational tours and classes steeped in ancestral herbal medicine and mythology.In this episode of HerbMentor Radio, Maria weaves personal stories, science, and history together to offer us a beautiful peek into traditional and contemporary Greek herbalism practices.In our conversation, Maria shares...The medicinal uses of Greek arugula, calendula, and dwarf nettleThe mythological and medicinal lore of bay laurelWhat surprised her the most about plant uses in Ancient Greece and so much more!You can learn more about Maria Christodoulou and check out her Greek Herbal Medicine Tours right here: https://www.thegreekherbalist.com/PS...Are you ready to take your herbal learning to the next level?Sounds like it's time to check out HerbMentor!HerbMentor offers a wide variety of rich herbal content — including an in-depth course on food as medicine — that gives you the opportunity to choose your own herbal adventure, take your time, and connect with other herbal learners and experts whenever you login.You can join HerbMentor for just $1 to see if it's part of your own herbal path. :)PPS...Get a special offer on HerbMentor at https://HerbMentorRadio.comBuild your herbal first aid kid with your Herbal Preparation Cards: https://Herbal.Cards

Anna Rósa Grasalæknir had been following the refugee crisis in Iraq for quite some time when she started to wonder, "Would the refugee women in these camps like to take herbal classes?" This question kickstarted a journey that took her from her native Iceland to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq where she taught classes on making ointments with local herbs. The classes were a hit, and she was able to partner with a local woman, Eman, to teach hundreds of women in the camps.These classes have now become the organization Helping Herbs, in which Anna Rósa draws on her thirty years of experience to teach women how to make herbal products.In our conversation with Anna Rósa, she shares...How she founded Helping HerbsImportant lessons she's learned along the wayHow anyone can make a difference in their own communityHer favorite herbs to work with and so much more!You can learn more about Anna Rósa Grasalæknir and check out Helping Herbs here: https://helpingherbs.orgPlus, if you're interested in supporting Helping Herbs and also want to learn more about herbs yourself, you can take Anna Rósa's class "The Healing Power of Icelandic Herbs." All of the proceeds of this course support Helping Herbs, and by taking the course you'll learn all about powerful Icelandic herbs that may also grow near you — like yarrow and willow! Click to check out "The Healing Power of Icelandic Herbs." PS...Are you ready to take your herbal learning to the next level?Sounds like it's time to check out HerbMentor!HerbMentor offers a wide variety of rich herbal content — including an in-depth course on food as medicine — that gives you the opportunity to choose your own herbal adventure, take your time, and connect with other herbal learners and experts whenever you login.Get a special offer on HerbMentor at: https://HerbMentorRadio.comBuild your herbal first aid kid with your Herbal Preparation Cards: https://Herbal.Cards

Happy New Year! To welcome you into 2024, we decided to do things a little differently this month: we're chatting just the two of us. You can consider this episode your herbal guide to the whole year.Together we go season by season and share our favorite herbs and remedies to work with — and don't worry, we only go on a few epic tangents along the way. In this episode we share…Why Tara is in love with hawthorn (wedding announcement will come shortly)How to easily make garlic honeyHow Oregon grape root saved Tara from having to postpone recent travel plans and so much more!And the best news? All of the recipes we mention in this episode can be found for free on our blog. Some of our favorites include this hawthorn cordial, calendula oil, and dandelion coffee.Throughout our herbal guide, we also encourage you to resist the urgency urge to immediately go go go at the start of 2024 and give yourself permission to move with ease and slowness — the plants will be here all year long to support you. PS... Are you ready to take your herbal learning to the next level?Sounds like it's time to check out HerbMentor!HerbMentor offers a wide variety of rich herbal content — including an in-depth course on food as medicine — that gives you the opportunity to choose your own herbal adventure, take your time, and connect with other herbal learners and experts whenever you login.You can join HerbMentor for just $1 to see if it's part of your own herbal path. :)PPS...Get a special offer on HerbMentor at HerbMentorRadio.com.Build your herbal first aid kid with your Herbal Preparation Cards right here.

Over the past few years, the term "trauma informed" has become a bit of a buzzword. But what does it actually mean to be trauma informed? And how can a trauma informed framework help us become better herbalists? In our latest episode of HerbMentor Radio, we're joined by trauma informed herbalist Dr. Elizabeth Guthrie, who helps us answer these (and many more) questions.Elizabeth is a wellness practitioner with a PhD in Natural Medicine with a specialization in Naturopathic Psychology and a Master's of Public Health in Functional Nutrition. They are the best-selling author of The Trauma Informed Herbalist and hold multiple other certifications from conventional and traditional schools.In our conversation with Elizabeth, they share...What it means to be trauma informed Their go-to herbs for supporting the trauma journeyEmbodiment practices that can support the trauma journeyHow their past work as a 911 operator informs their current work and so much more!You can learn more about Dr. Elizabeth Guthrie and check out their book The Trauma Informed Herbalist here.PS...Are you ready to take your herbal learning to the next level?Sounds like it's time to check out HerbMentor!HerbMentor offers a wide variety of rich herbal content — including an in-depth course on food as medicine — that gives you the opportunity to choose your own herbal adventure, take your time, and connect with other herbal learners and experts whenever you login.You can join HerbMentor for just $1 to see if it's part of your own herbal path. :)PPS...Get a special offer on HerbMentor right here.Build your herbal first aid kid with our free Herbal Preparation Cards.

When Nathan Wright hopped on our HerbMentor Radio call, he readily admitted that he wasn't really in the podcast recording mood. And it totally made sense — after all, he had just returned from an epic adventure in the Michigan wilderness and was still adjusting to being back in the swing of everyday life.And little did we know when we got on this call that we were in for one of the most fascinating stories ever told on HerbMentor Radio: the story of Nathan's search for the tree that gifted him a 30 pound chaga mushroom decades ago.Along the twists and turns of Nathan's tale, we learned...The true meaning of reciprocity with the plantsThe benefits of chagaWhat exactly is ethical wildcrafting and how to do itWhat it means to be a caretaker of the land and so much more!Nathan Wright is a citizen of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians and member of his tribe's Crane Clan. Nathan is an herbalist and mycologist who combines both Anishinabek and conventional herbal knowledge into his herbal products business, Herbal Lodge. You can learn more about Nathan and his work at herballodge.com, and for a limited time you'll get a 10% discount on Herbal Lodge when you use the code lherbs10 at checkout. PS...Are you ready to take your herbal learning to the next level?HerbMentor offers a wide variety of rich herbal content — including an in-depth course on food as medicine — that gives you the opportunity to choose your own herbal adventure, take your time, and connect with other herbal learners and experts whenever you login.You can join HerbMentor for just $1 to see if it's part of your own herbal path. PPS...Get a special offer on HerbMentor at http://HerbMentorRadio.comBuild your herbal first aid kid with your Herbal Preparation Cards: http://Herbal.Cards

*** Don't miss our free webinar with Sajah on September 21 & 22.Thinking Beyond The Symptom dispels the many myths of modern herbalism and gives you a simple & powerful framework for finding the right remedy... holistically. Register here. ***Chances are you've probably read your horoscope — and I bet sometimes that horoscope was uncannily spot on and sometimes it totally missed the mark. This is how most people encounter astrology and where most people's curiosity about this ancient art stops. But astrology is so much more than just a horoscope: this complex system can teach us a whole lot about ourselves, each other, and, get this, herbs!Sajah Popham is the author of Evolutionary Herbalism: Science, Spirituality, and Medicine from the Heart of Nature. With his wife Whitney, he co- founded the School of Evolutionary Herbalism and Natura Sophia Spagyrics, which is an herbal extracts company. Sajah trains herbalists in a holistic system of plant medicine that encompasses clinical Western herbalism, medical astrology, Ayurveda, and spagyric alchemy.In our conversation, Sajah shares...What exactly is medical astrology and how it can enrich your herbal practiceWhat astrology can teach us about nettlesHow astrology can help us address insomniaWhy spagyric alchemy is his favorite way to make herbal extractsThe secret to making stronger herbal remedies and so much more...Learn more about Sajah Popham and grab a copy of his book on evolutionaryherbalism.com.And check out his spagyric herbal extracts on https://naturasophiaspagyrics.com/.PS...Are you ready to take your herbal learning to the next level?Sounds like it's time to check out HerbMentor!HerbMentor offers a wide variety of rich herbal content — including an in-depth course on food as medicine — that gives you the opportunity to choose your own herbal adventure, take your time, and connect with other herbal learners and experts whenever you login.You can join HerbMentor for just $1 to see if it's part of your own herbal path. :)PS...Build your herbal first aid kid with your Herbal Preparation Cards!

Elise and Jeff Higley's herb farm was born out of a simple need: they wanted high quality herbs for the teas they loved to drink everyday. So, combining Elises's passion for herbalism and Jeff's passion for farming, they started to grow herbs in their own backyard. But they didn't stop there! In spite of the many odds stacked against U.S. herb farmers (which Elise and Jeff detail in this episode, by the way), they managed to start Oshala Farm and scale it to over 80 crops per year.So whether you're already growing lots of herbs or are itching to start an herb garden, you'll want to tune in and hear all Elise and Jeff's herbal wisdom.In our conversation with Jeff and Elise they share....The key to successfully growing herbs at homePractical steps for starting your own herb farmWhy there are so few herb farms in the U.S.How to run a profitable herbal business and so much more!Learn more about Elise and Jeff Higley and check out Oshala Farm's beautiful herbs at oshalafarm.com.PS...Are you ready to take your herbal learning to the next level?Sounds like it's time to check out HerbMentor!HerbMentor offers a wide variety of rich herbal content — including an in-depth course on food as medicine — that gives you the opportunity to choose your own herbal adventure, take your time, and connect with other herbal learners and experts whenever you login.You can join HerbMentor for just $1 to see if it's part of your own herbal path. :)Get a special offer on HerbMentor at http://HerbMentorRadio.comPPS...Build your herbal first aid kid with your Herbal Preparation Cards: http://Herbal.Cards

Whether you're an adventurous wildcrafter or an herbalist who always sticks to the trail, knowing key survival skills is an essential part of your herbal toolkit. Jason Knight is the co-founder of Alderleaf Wilderness College, one of the leading outdoor schools in the United States offering training in wilderness survival to a broad range of clients, including the US Forest Service, REI, the Seattle Mountaineers, and the cast of the award-winning film, Captain Fantastic. In our latest episode of HerbMentor Radio, we chat with Jason, who has been teaching wilderness survival skills since 1997.I've been friends with Jason for over 25 years and have been meaning to interview him on the podcast to talk about survival skills for herbalists — and when I saw that he'd written a new book, The Essential Skills of Wilderness Survival: A Guide to Shelter, Water, Fire, Food, Navigation, and Survival Kits, I knew it was time to finally have him on HerbMentor Radio.In this long awaited conversation, Jason shares...The 4 essentials of wilderness survival, including how to build a shelter, find water, make fire, and get foodHow to make a survival kit3 keys to easy navigationCommon mistakes most people make in emergenciesAnd so much more...Learn more about Jason Knight and grab a copy of his book on WildernessCollege.com.PS...Get a special offer on HerbMentor at http://HerbMentorRadio.comBuild your herbal first aid kid with our free Herbal Preparation Cards.

It's not everyday you meet a seasoned herbalist with over 35 years of clinical experience. And it's even rarer to meet one who is an expert in holistic oncology. Drawing on her decades of experience supporting people with cancer, medical herbalist Chanchal Cabrera has distilled her learnings into an accessible book for both everyday people and practitioners, Holistic Cancer Care: An Herbal Approach to Preventing Cancer, Helping Patients Thrive during Treatment, and Minimizing the Risk of Recurrence. In this conversation, we delve into the realms of prevention and cancer support during treatment, gaining invaluable insights along the way. While chatting with Chanchal we learned…What exactly “holistic cancer care” meansHow to approach herb drug interactionsKey lifestyle recommendations for cancer prevention and during treatmentHerbs that can help address stress during treatmentChanchal's #1 herb for cancer prevention & more!Whether you've been diagnosed with cancer, are seeking preventative info, or are a caretaker, I hope this interview with Chanchal can offer some support on your journey.You can learn more about Chanchal Cabrera's work and find her book, Holistic Cancer Care, on chanchalcabrera.comPS… Looking for more herbal resources? Check out HerbMentor.HerbMentor offers a wide variety of rich herbal content — including an in-depth course on food as medicine — that gives you the opportunity to choose your own herbal adventure, take your time, and connect with other herbal learners and experts whenever you login.You can join HerbMentor for just $1 to see if it's part of your own herbal path. PPS...Get a special offer on HerbMentor right here.Build your herbal first aid kid with your Herbal Preparation Cards

Nadine Joseph used to work as a chronically stressed neuroscience researcher. Faced with intense burnout, she turned to herbs and fell in love with adaptogens. After experiencing the transformative effects of calming adaptogens, she felt determined to share these powerful herbs with more people. Nadine founded Peak & Valley, an herbal products business that sells ethically sourced adaptogen blends for skin, brain, and stress support. In this episode Nadine shares her journey from making adaptogen blends in her kitchen to now nationally distributing Peak & Valley products with major companies like CVS and The Vitamin Shoppe.In addition to sharing the highs and lows (or the peaks and valleys, if you will) of her adventure as an herbal entrepreneur, Nadine shares…What she wishes she'd known as a new herbal business ownerWhy no one sources herbs like she does — and how her methods could transform the herbal supply chain for the betterHer top tips for managing stress as a busy herbal business ownerSo much more!Learn more about Nadine and Peak & Valley at Peakandvalley.co and follow her on Instagram at @peakandvalleycoPS… Nadine has a very special gift for HerbMentor Radio listeners. Follow this link to claim your gift.PPS...Get a very special listener offer on HerbMentor right here.You can also see all the podcasts on our blog right here.

Shereel Washington graduated from the California School of Herbal Studies Community Herbalist Program in Clinical Herbalism, and she has completed over 1200 hours of herbal craft making training. She is an instructor in Scarlet Sage's Community Herbalist Program & in the Land of Verse Apprentice Herbal Certification Program, as well as in herbal classes and intensives at the Northern California Women's Herbal Symposium in Mendocino. Shereel also teaches dance and qi gong at the Deep Root Center for Spiritual Studies MOVE: Spirit & Rhythm Dance Program in Oakland, CA.Early in this episode Shereel invites us to unpack the term "Western Herbalism" and to honor the immense influence that Black, Indigenous, and People Color have had on herbalism on this continent. She then goes on to share her research and experience with Black North American Herbalism while diving into traditional herbalism recipes and stories. Shereel also shares with HerbMentor Radio listeners...Traditional uses and stories of asafoetidaWhy molasses is a powerful medicineThe key difference between cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation And so much more!You can learn more from Shereel on Instagram @ixaltednaturalbodyPS...Are you ready to take your herbal learning to the next level?HerbMentor offers a wide variety of rich herbal content — including an in-depth course on food as medicine — that gives you the opportunity to choose your own herbal adventure, take your time, and connect with other herbal learners and experts whenever you login.You can join HerbMentor for just $1 to see if it's part of your own herbal path. We have a special offer right here for HerbMentor Radio listeners.PPS...Would you like to start building your herbal first aid kid? Download our free recipe cards here.

Nada Beydoun is a registered herbalist with a BSc. in Microbiology and Immunology and Masters in Applied Human Nutrition. Her interests include SWANA region herbal medicines, and she has a community work background in refugee settlement and empowerment. And Fatima Matar is a passionate gardener supporting the work of growing and bringing awareness to milkweed and Monarchs since 2019. Outside of driving around with a backseat filled with milkweed plants, you can find her doing photography as a freelance photographer. And Nada and Fatima just so happen to be cousins! Several years ago, after learning about the dire situation of declining monarch populations and milkweed habitat loss, these two plant enthusiasts embarked on a journey to start stewarding milkweed for monarch butterflies. Monarch butterflies rely on milkweed to lay their eggs and feed their larvae. By growing milkweed, we can support endangered monarch butterflies and other vital pollinators.Together, in this episode of HerbMentor Radio, Nada and Fatima dive into the gifts of the wondrously aromatic milkweed, why they grow milkweeds for monarchs, and the ecological and cultural importance of monarch butterflies.Nada and Fatima also share...Why it's important to grow native milkweedWhy milkweed is so misunderstood (is it a noxious weed or no?!)How to grow milkweed and so much more!You can learn more from Nada and Fatima — and check out more of Fatima's beautiful milkweed and monarch photography — on Instagram at @beybotany and @naturewithfatimam.Please note: pleurisy root (Asclepias tuberosa), which is a species of milkweed, is contraindicated during pregnancy, and this plant does increase the risk of cardiac glycoside toxicity if taken with drugs or herbs that contain those constituents.PS...Get a special offer on HerbMentor right here.Build your herbal first aid kid with your Herbal Preparation Cards!

Christa Sinadinos is the author of The Essential Guide to Western Botanical Medicine, and is the founder and director of the Northwest School for Botanical Studies in Fieldbrook, California, where she has trained hundreds of students. She has more than 25 years of experience as a clinician, teacher, gardener, and medicine maker.In this episode, we have one of those aha moments with Christa. We were chatting about herbal garnishes like parsley, and Christa said...When we think about any of the herbs that people use to decorate the plate, they often are good for digestion.Then we started to rack our brains thinking about all of the the herbal garnishes we've ever seen: mint, lemon, parsley — all herbs that promote healthy digestion! These herbal garnishes have been passed down for generations as a simple kitchen herbalism remedy for digestive health, but we never thought about garnishes this way until chatting with Christa.In addition to totally blowing our minds about garnishes, Christa shares how to work with angelica, the surprising health benefits of parsley, her #1 herbal condiment for immunity, and how she wrote our favorite herb book.Get a special offer on HerbMentor at HerbMentorRadio.comBuild your herbal first aid kid with your Herbal Preparation Cards at Herbal.CardsALSO... while supplies last, readers will receive $20 off Christa's book The Essential Guide to Western Botanical Medicine with the promo code LHSave$20.

Rosemary Gladstar is literally a star figure in the field of modern herbalism, internationally renowned for technical knowledge and stewardship in the global herbalist community. She has been learning, teaching, and writing about herbs for over 40 years and is the author of 11 books. Rosemary is the founding president of United Plant Savers and founder and past director of the International Herb Symposium.Susan Leopold is an ethnobotanist and passionate defender of biodiversity. Over the past 20 years, Susan has worked extensively with Indigenous peoples in Peru and Costa Rica. She is the Executive Director of United Plant Savers and Director of the Sacred Seeds Project. She is a proud member of the Patawomeck Indian Tribe of Virginia and the author of the children's book Isabella's Peppermint Flower, teaching about Virginia's botanical history. Together Rosemary and Susan shared with us all about the International Herb Symposium, a gathering right outside of Boston where herbalists just like you come together in honor of the plants and in the spirit of respect and reciprocity to share and learn from one another. By coming together in this way, the Symposium strives to create local and global communities dedicated to healing and caretaking the Earth and all beings.Oh and by the way, did we mention that the Symposium is super fun?! The event's tagline is "Come for the plants, stay for the party." And Rosemary and Susan certainly brought the party to HerbMentor Radio. In this episode they shared...How to build your herbal communityHow to be in reciprocity with the plantsWhat every beginner herbalist needs to know about herbalismAnd so much more!Learn more and register for this year's International Herb Symposium (June 9th–11th) here: https://www.internationalherbsymposium.com/registration/PS...If you listen to the episode, you might even get a promo code to save big on your Symposium ticket ;)PPS...Get a special offer on HerbMentor at http://HerbMentorRadio.comBuild your herbal first aid kid with your Herbal Preparation Cards: http://Herbal.Cards

So, usually we interview a special guest on the pod, but today to bring in the new year we're chatting just the two of us all about herbs for wintertime.Winter really asks us to slow down, rest, and dream about our year to come.But many of us don't have the time and space to actually slow down right now. Whether we're recovering from the festivities of the holiday season, working, or caring for our families, modern life sure makes it hard to slow down.Luckily, we can still draw on herbal remedies and rituals to nourish and soothe our nervous systems so that we can feel fueled enough to dream and plan for the year ahead.In this episode Tara shares her 3 key herbal strategies for stress relief like...Drinking her favorite nourishing herbal tea blend (see below)Working with blue vervain tinctureAnd herbal body oiling (listen to find out exactly what body oiling is!)Plus, we offer you a simple framework for planning out your herbal year so you can prepare for all of the beautiful seasons to come. Get a special offer on HerbMentor at HerbMentorRadio.comBuild your herbal first aid kid with your Herbal Preparation Cards: http://Herbal.CardsTara's nourishing herbal tea blend...Ingredients:1 big handful Oatstraw (dried)1 small handful Hawthorn berries (fresh or dried)1 pinch Cardamom (powdered)1 pinch Cinnamon (powdered)Directions:1. Add all of your herbal ingredients and two quarts of water to a pot.2. Cover the pot and heat it enough so that the water reaches a steady simmer.3. Simmer your herbs for about 15 minutes. 4. Remove herbs from the heat and let cool for about 15 minutes. Now strain your tea and enjoy!

Dr. Keren Dolan is a Doctor of Clinical Nutrition, Registered Herbalist with the American Herbalists Guild, and Holistic Aromatherapist. Emphasizing integrative Functional Nutrition, her goal as a clinician is promoting wellness and resilience through advanced nutritional strategies and targeted botanical interventions. So, we didn't exactly make this conversation easy for Dr. Dolan — knowing that she had such an extensive background in clinical nutrition, herbalism, and aromatherapy, we couldn't help but ask her some pretty big questions... How can we weave nutrition and herbalism together? What does "nourishment" actually mean? And what is aromatherapy?Dr. Dolan graciously answered all of our questions and more, and we sure learned a lot along the way, including...How to weave deep nourishment into our everyday livesHow the scientific concept of hormesis can help us find the sweet spot for herbal dosagesHow probiotics work... and lots more!Get a special offer on HerbMentor at HerbMentorRadio.comBuild your herbal first aid kid with your Herbal Preparation Cards: www.Herbal.Cards

Corinna Wood teaches earth-based herbalism in the Wise Woman Herbal Tradition and focuses on inner-growth and transformation. She was co-founder of Red Moon Herbs and her Southeast Wise Woman Herbal Conference ran for 15 years. Grab a cup of tea and your favorite blanket — it's time to get cozy and learn all about herbs for fall! Corinna draws on her years of experience as an herbalist and educator to share how we can nourish our bodies this season and beyond with herbal roots.In this episode you'll learn how to make healing remedies with prolific roots like comfrey and burdock, how to work with poke root safely, why broth is the key to autumn self-care, and so much more.Visit Corinna on this special page she set up for our listeners Get a special offer on HerbMentor at HerbMentorRadio.comBuild your herbal first aid kid with our free Herbal Preparation Cards at Herbal.cards

Mimi Prunella Hernandez has dedicated her life's work to serving as an advocate for both traditional and herbal pathways while building cultural bridges of understanding. As an herbalist she draws upon the influence of her Granny Healers and her background in biochemistry to weave together an herbal practice that's rooted in folk traditions and modern science.In our conversation, Mimi shows us how to think beyond capsules and tinctures and easily bring herbs into our kitchens. The phrase “food is medicine” gets casually tossed around a lot these days, but Mimi really lives by this principle. She weaves herbs into her everyday life: making vinegars, honey, wine, tea, and even frosting with the herbs that grow all around her. Mimi offers us a few of her favorite tips for bringing herbs into the kitchen that we at LearningHerbs are definitely going to start adding to our daily routine — including “Mimi's Mystery House Tea.”In addition to kitchen herbalism, Mimi also shares…How to work with sunflowers and prickly pear cactus as herbal remediesHow to weave together traditional folk herbalism and modern scienceThe importance of native plants for people, pollinators, and plantsPlus, Mimi tells us all about her current project, a National Geographic herb book on 99 plants from around the world. You can learn more from Mimi at herbalnightschool.comGet a special offer on HerbMentor at HerbMentorRadio.comBuild your herbal first aid kid with your Herbal Preparation Cards: https://Herbal.Cards

When you enter MXED GREENS apothecary, one of the first things you'll notice is the deep care that herbalists Tasha and Devon Greenwood have put it into every detail of this herb shop... From the cozy self care station to the herbal zine library to the handmade signs outlining their sliding scale model, MXED GREENS is a space that centers the deeply rooted wellness of its community. In this episode of HerbMentor Radio, Tasha and Devon draw on their experience as new business owners and practicing clinical herbalists to share...Their #1 piece of advice for new herbal business owners The importance of healthcare settings that celebrate queer and trans experiencesWhy the gap between herbal and allopathic medicine might be smaller than you thinkWe even go on a little herb nerd tangent to chat about one of Tasha's favorite seaweeds, Irish Moss, which has a rich history as a food, immune tonic, and skincare ingredient.You can find Tasha and Devon Greenwood at mxedgreens.comGet a special offer on HerbMentor at HerbMentorRadio.comBuild your herbal first aid kid with your Herbal Preparation Cards: http://Herbal.Cards

When you first start studying herbs it can feel like you need to find the best herb school, the best herb books, and the best way to study herbs in order to become a "real herbalist"...But after studying and teaching herbalism for the last few decades, jim mcdonald (a Michigan herbalist who blends traditional folk influences and mixes it up with a bit of 19th century eclectic and physiomedical vitalism) can definitively say that there's no one “right way” to learn about herbs. Rather than racing to find the right answer to every herbal question as quickly as possible, learning about herbs is actually about choosing your own herbal adventure and cultivating a growth mindset.And jim certainly fits into the “choose your own adventure” mentality we have here on HerbMentor Radio: this is our third interview with jim, and each time we've gotten to go on some of the most amazing herbal tangents and dive deep into exciting herbal questions.In this episode we ask questions from HerbMentor members and learn more about...jim's healing journey and the herbs that have supported him after a recent health crisisThe difference between calendula and plantainHow to use Solomon's sealAnd more!You can find jim at herbcraft.org.Get a special offer on HerbMentor at HerbMentorRadio.comBuild your herbal first aid kid with your Herbal Preparation Cards: http://Herbal.Cards

Juliet Blankespoor shares 5 easy-to-grow herbs for container gardening with medicinal benefits that range from immune support to gentle skin care to first aid essentials — with just these 5 herbs you'll be well on your way to having a full blown home apothecary. With her B.A. in Botany and her new book The Healing Garden, it could be easy to assume that Juliet must have always had a green thumb... but Juliet reveals that she didn't start gardening until her 20s, and her first garden was a total flop!Listen as Juliet guides us through how she went from a “flop garden” to stewarding several thriving herb gardens. Plus, Juliet shares the key to having a green thumb — it's a lot simpler than you might think.You can find Juliet and get your copy of The Healing Garden at https://chestnutherbs.com/Get a special offer on HerbMentor at https://HerbMentorRadio.comBuild your herbal first aid kid with your Herbal Preparation Cards: https://Herbal.Cards

So many of you have asked me questions about setting up a membership site so you could serve your audience in a bigger and deeper way. Well, I thought I better bring in someone who knows membership sites in and out, and directly ask him your burning questions, all about membership sites. I like to call Stu McLaren the Membership Man. He is, hands down, the go-to source for all things membership.      In 2008, Stu knew something had to give. He was burning the candle at both ends providing one-on-one services to clients. While his business would be seen as successful by most because the money was there, he was trading time for dollars and this was not the answer to where he saw his future. Especially one with kids in it, like he and his wife were hoping for.    Long story short, Stu decided he needed a new business model to take what he was already doing and share it in a more leveraged way -- a model that included recurring revenue. Upon the suggestion from a friend and business mentor, he started a membership site. Not only did he create a membership site for himself, but he saw a need for a tool for implementing a membership site, so he set out and created one. Throughout his time working with the 70,000 clients who flocked to use WishList Member, the membership software platform Stu created, he learned a lot about what worked and what didn’t when it came to creating a membership site and he joined me on my podcast today to share all of that wisdom. Here’s a snapshot of what we covered in our chat where I asked him the 10 most burning questions that you, my listener, asked: We covered… The difference between a membership site and a course What kind of content you need to have inside your course How to manage the content creation process Pricing your membership site Launch strategies and options for membership sites Having your course as a prerequisite for you membership site Launching with webinars Incentivizing members to join Bottom line, almost any business can benefit from having some type of membership site. And it doesn’t have to be a lot of work to invite members in, or to create content every month. The beauty of a membership site is that you get to leverage your knowledge with the content you provide and the recurring revenue that a membership will bring to your business.   Here are some of the highlights from this episode: [8:23] Question #1…  the main difference between a membership site and a course [22:04] The Four Primary Pieces of Content you need for your membership site every month [26:40] You Don’t Have to Do It Alone - What Inspired John Gallagher, founder of HerbMentor to facilitate a tribe of experts. The content does not have to fall on your shoulders. [28:39] How to decide what content to release and when to your new members (and how to simplify) [31:49] Pricing your membership site and the important distinctions between offering membership first or your course first [37:09] What you MUST know about pricing your membership site [40:22] Open or closed launching, and how Jennifer Allwood scaled her membership site from 700 members in three years to 1,200 new members in 5 DAYS [47:12] The secret to the ONE and only ad that made Stu buy (and how you can apply it to your membership site) [51:37] How Nicholas Wilton recruited 180 members from a single webinar before he had even created his membership site [57:48] Paint Store Owners, Fitness Experts, Dog Trainers, and other surprising examples of membership site founders [1:00] The misconceptions you don’t need to buy into Stu brought so many great insights ton how to make a membership site work for you. This was truly one of my favorite episodes of the podcast. And there’s so much more where that came from! If you’re wondering whether a membership site can work for you, or wanting to know how to grow your existing site, I highly encourage you to join Stu’s free workshop by visiting amyporterfield.com/stu. Join us both and listen to the episode now! This episode is brought to you by Tribe. Join the free TRIBE Workshop today and learn how to Turn What You Already Know, Love, And Do Into A Successful Membership Business. Subscribe & Review in iTunes Are you subscribed to my podcast? If you’re not, I want to encourage you to do that today. I don’t want you to miss an episode. I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the mix and if you’re not subscribed there’s a good chance you’ll miss out on those. Click here to subscribe in iTunes! Now if you’re feeling extra loving, I’d be really grateful if you left me a review over on iTunes, too. Those reviews help other people find my podcast and they’re also fun for me to go in an read. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let me know what your favorite part of the podcast is. Thank you!

Rosalee de la Foret joins the Vidal Speaks podcast for the second part of the conversation about how and which spices and herbs to incorporate into your daily meal, to transform your food into medicine.   Nature's medicine is again proving that these so-called “incurable diseases” can be treated and healing can be achieved. Toxins damage our cellular function and if we actively detox, we can enjoy the health that our bodies naturally promote.   If you want to know more about Rosalee before listening to this amazing talk, here are some details about her journey. For over a decade her calling has been helping people to radically change their health using herbs and other natural remedies. Through this, she has helped hundreds of clients reclaim their health and has taught thousands of herbal students in online courses and intensive retreats. She is the Education Director for LearningHerbs, one of the most innovative herbal companies of our time, and is a professional member of the American Herbalist Guild RH (AHG).   But her story begins long before she had become a successful herbalist. She admits she's been a natural health nerd her entire life. As a teenager, she would prowl the natural health foods store and look up remedies in the Natural Prescription for Health book by Phyllis Balch.   But while she had long been interested in natural remedies she didn't really take them seriously until they saved her life. When she was 23 she suddenly became very sick. She spent an entire month in bed, tormented with musculoskeletal pain, an itchy body rash that came and went, and a fever that spiked at night and went away during the day. She was finally hospitalized after becoming severely dehydrated and after two weeks was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease called Still's. The doctors didn't have good news. They gave her steroids and said it would be a slow and painful decline to an early death.   For about three days she just cried and cried and wondered, “why me?” But then, she did what she had always done and started researching alternative solutions to autoimmunity diseases to see what she could find.   Over time she began to see that there were lots of small signs leading up to her autoimmunity disease and her “healthy” soy vegetarian diet wasn't serving her. She realized she needed a total health makeover to purge a lot of health fads from her life. She also assembled a team of people to help her, from acupuncturists to herbalists to naturopaths to massage therapists.   After six months of intensive work, she became symptom-free from this “terminal” and “incurable” disease and she has continued to live symptom-free for over a decade.   Her experience with autoimmunity further inspired her to delve into the natural health world. She knew she wanted to help people like her: people who wanted to find the root cause of their health problems so they could live a healthy and vibrant life.   She thought about being a naturopath but she didn't want to focus on supplements or any type of one-size-fits-all medicine (similar to western medicine). She thought about becoming an acupuncturist but she knew that in China the major form of medicine was the plants. So, she decided to study the art of herbalism.   She has over 10 years of training as an herbalist, from ethnobotany and wildcrafting to clinical herbalism. She's graduated from the four-year clinical program at the East West School of Herbology and has been mentored by some of the most outstanding herbalists of our time, including Michael Tierra, Paul Bergner, and Karta Purkh Singh Khalsa.   Besides her interest in herbalism, she also spent four years of intensive training as a Structural Medicine Specialist with the Institute of Structural Medicine. Through that process, she became a licensed massage therapist and practiced for five years before turning her full attention to herbs.   She has helped people use herbs to get better health since 2006. She now works with people all over the world through long-distance consultations via the telephone and Skype.   She also is very dedicated to herbal education. She is the Education Director for LearningHerbs.com, which is one of the most innovative herbal companies that exist today. She regularly provides how-to articles, herbal recipes, videos, and herbal presentations for their website HerbMentor.com. She is the author of three online courses produced by LearningHerbs, including the Taste of Herbs, Herbal Cold Care, and Apothecary.   She has a mentorship program where she mentors dedicated herbal students to help them accelerate their herbal path so they can create their own thriving clinical practice.   If you love learning about herbs, living a healthy life, and being connected to nature you'll surely enjoy this episode. Transform your life — learn about what nature offers to us!   Outline of This Great Episode [3:06] Vidal will stop weekly shows. [10:15] Holy basil or tulsi, how to grow it and use it. [14:36] Peppermint is a very stimulating plant but relaxes muscles. [17:38] Nettle is a great source of protein. [21:42] Rose to support heart health. [23:55] Lemon balm added to water is soothing to digestion and to the nervous system. [25:56] Lemon balm to reduce the impact of radiation in our bodies. [27:54] Astragalus strengthens the immune system. [32:55] Dandelion uses. [37:24] Chamomile is the ultimate soothing herb. [40:58] Cacao's health benefits makes it the greatest natural medicine of all times. [44:22] Turmeric modulates inflammation and supports liver health. [52:58] Start simple when experimenting with herbs.   Mentioned In This Episode Visit Deborah Vidal and subscribe to this podcast! Vidal thanks you for using her banner for your shopping. Leave your review of Vidal Speaks podcast Vidal Speaks Facebook Page Patreon Vidal Speaks! Vidal recommends the best distilled and hydrogen water Mountain Rose Herbs East-West School of Oriental Medicine   Connect with Today's Guest The Alchemy of Herbs: Transform Everyday Ingredients into Foods and Remedies That Heal, by Rosalee de la Foret Visit Rosalee's website.

Vidal welcomes Rosalee de la Foret to the Vidal Speaks podcast. Rosalee is sharing how to use food, spices, and herbs to help you in your healing journey. Nature's medicine is again proving that these so-called “incurable diseases” can be treated and healing can be achieved. Toxins damage our cellular function and if we actively detox, we can enjoy the health that our bodies naturally promote.   If you want to know more about Rosalee before listening to this amazing talk, here are some details about her journey. For over a decade her calling has been helping people to radically change their health using herbs and other natural remedies. Through this, she has helped hundreds of clients reclaim their health and has taught thousands of herbal students in online courses and intensive retreats. She is the Education Director for LearningHerbs, one of the most innovative herbal companies of our time, and is a professional member of the American Herbalist Guild RH (AHG).   But her story begins long before she had become a successful herbalist. She admits she's been a natural health nerd her entire life. As a teenager, she would prowl the natural health foods store and look up remedies in the Natural Prescription for Health book by Phyllis Balch.   But while she had long been interested in natural remedies she didn't really take them seriously until they saved her life. When she was 23 she suddenly became very sick. She spent an entire month in bed, tormented with musculoskeletal pain, an itchy body rash that came and went, and a fever that spiked at night and went away during the day. She was finally hospitalized after becoming severely dehydrated and after two weeks was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease called Still's. The doctors didn't have good news. They gave her steroids and said it would be a slow and painful decline to an early death.   For about three days she just cried and cried and wondered, “why me?” But then, she did what she had always done and started researching alternative solutions to autoimmunity diseases to see what she could find.   Over time she began to see that there were lots of small signs leading up to her autoimmunity disease and her “healthy” soy vegetarian diet wasn't serving her. She realized she needed a total health makeover to purge a lot of health fads from her life. She also assembled a team of people to help her, from acupuncturists to herbalists to naturopaths to massage therapists.   After six months of intensive work, she became symptom-free from this “terminal” and “incurable” disease and she has continued to live symptom-free for over a decade.   Her experience with autoimmunity further inspired her to delve into the natural health world. She knew she wanted to help people like her: people who wanted to find the root cause of their health problems so they could live a healthy and vibrant life.   She thought about being a naturopath but she didn't want to focus on supplements or any type of one-size-fits-all medicine (similar to western medicine). She thought about becoming an acupuncturist but she knew that in China the major form of medicine was the plants. So, she decided to study the art of herbalism.   She has over 10 years of training as an herbalist, from ethnobotany and wildcrafting to clinical herbalism. She's graduated from the four-year clinical program at the East West School of Herbology and has been mentored by some of the most outstanding herbalists of our time, including Michael Tierra, Paul Bergner, and Karta Purkh Singh Khalsa.   Besides her interest in herbalism, she also spent four years of intensive training as a Structural Medicine Specialist with the Institute of Structural Medicine. Through that process, she became a licensed massage therapist and practiced for five years before turning her full attention to herbs.   She has helped people use herbs to get better health since 2006. She now works with people all over the world through long-distance consultations via the telephone and Skype.   She also is very dedicated to herbal education. She is the Education Director for LearningHerbs.com, which is one of the most innovative herbal companies that exists today. She regularly provides how-to articles, herbal recipes, videos and herbal presentations for their website HerbMentor.com. She is the author of three online courses produced by LearningHerbs, including the Taste of Herbs, Herbal Cold Care, and Apothecary.   She has a mentorship program where she mentors dedicated herbal students to help them accelerate their herbal path so they can create their own thriving clinical practice.   If you love learning about herbs, living a healthy life, and being connected to nature you'll surely enjoy this episode. Transform your life — learn about what nature offers to us!   Outline of This Great Episode [10:50] Rosalee's personal story [21:35] Rosalee's book about how to use food as medicine. [25:14] Controlling inflammation with rosemary. [26:11] Chinese herbalism. [27:20] What is the medicine in herbs? [29:02] Include a little of lots of herbs and spices. [30:11] How much herbs do you need to take to see results? [34:49] Make sure your herbs smell strong when you crush them. [36:44] How long can you store your herbs? [39:13] Sources of organic herbs. [40:56] It is so easy to grow herbs! [42:56] How to tell which herbs are best for you. [44:34] Hot and cold, damp and dry. [48:12] Combining herbs for best results. [49:50] Difference between an herb and a spice. [51:04] Black pepper increases the richness of food. [53:22] Cinnamon for insulin resistance. [56:41] Ginger to treat coldness in the body.   Mentioned In This Episode Visit Deborah Vidal and subscribe to this podcast! Vidal thanks you for using her banner for your shopping. Leave your review of Vidal Speaks podcast Vidal Speaks Facebook Page Vidal recommends the best distilled and hydrogen water Mountain Rose Herbs   Connect with Today's Guest The Alchemy of Herbs: Transform Everyday Ingredients into Foods and Remedies That Heal, by Rosalee de la Foret

Learn how John Gallagher, co-founder of LearningHerbs.com and Herbmentor.com, grew a massive email list, attracted thousands of people to his membership site and successfully sold thousands of products online over the past 13 years, providing education on herbs and herbal remedies. In this episode, your hosts, Suzi Dafnis and Michelle Falzon chat to John about his “low frills” process for staying connected to his content and his audience that has seen his business grow from strength to strength for more than a decade.

J.T. is a Seattle based herbalist and mom. She’s an old friend of mine who started the same herbal apprenticeship that I did in 1998, before my son Rowan was born. Since she started learning about local plants and how to use them, J.T. has come up with creative ways of gathering herbs and using them to nourish her family. Like myself, J.T. is a family and community centered herbalist. Not only does she keep her family healthy and help them when they are sick, she also shares her knowledge of herbalism with others in her community. This has led to her teaching classes at local herb shops. I join J.T. in this interview live at the Northwest Herbal Fair. J.T. had just finished teaching a class on tincture making. This fair was very special, since LearningHerbs sponsored it, J.T. was teaching, and our mentor Eaglesong was even teaching there and was honored at the event as a local herbal elder. We all had come a long way since our journeys began together in nearly 13 years ago. There is often talk on the HerbMentor forum on “what herbal school have you gone too?” or lots of detailed discussions on some pretty complicated stuff. Though we need to have these discussions, I wonder sometimes if it’s intimidating to folks who just want to being natural medicines to their lives in a simple and fun way. It’s always challenging on HerbMentor to strike a balance between simplicity and those who want advanced knowledge. J.T. is the archetype of the family herbalist who kept it simple. I wanted you to see the natural progression of starting out to helping others, which can often lead to opportunities to teach others. There is power in simplicity, and I hope you all get something out of this “home herbalist profile” if you will. She also shares some of her secrets in urban wildcrafting and other cool tips. She’s figured out quite a bit as someone who has ever stopped harvesting herbs and making remedies. It’s a change from our usual interviews, but y’all know I like to change it up every so often. Seriously, if you have ever felt overwhelmed at the prospect of learning about herbs, please listen to this interview. If you live in Seattle, you might catch a class with J.T. at Dandelion Botanical. She also has trained and works with EarthWalk Northwest with Karen Sherwood.

Bevin Clare, M.S., LDN, CNS, RH(AHG), is a clinical herbalist and nutritionist with a deep love of plants. Bevin holds a M.S. in Infectious Disease from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, with her thesis research conducted at the NIA (National Institute on Aging) at the National Institutes of Health, and a B.S. in ethnobotany from Lesley University. Bevin has studied herbal medicine around the world and blends her knowledge of traditional uses of plants with modern science and contemporary healthcare strategies. She is the Clinical Division Chair of the Masters of Science in Herbal Medicine Program at Tai Sophia Institute in Laurel, MD, a 2.5 year clinical training program in Herbal Medicine. She also serves on the faculty of the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy, is on the board of directors of United Plant Savers, is co-director of the Herbal Clinic for All, and lectures nationally. Bevin is a professional member of the American Herbalist Guild, where she serves as vice-president. In this episode of HerbMentor Radio, Bevin answers over a dozen HerbMentor member submitted questions. Topics include her favorite herbs, tinctures, herbs for recovering from surgery, herbs for the aging, adrenal herbs and MUCH more. Visit Bevin at http://www.bevinclare.com

I am truly honored to share with you a mentor that…well, let’s put it this way. There would be no HerbMentor.com without her. Also, I doubt I would be an acupuncturist as well if I had never met EagleSong. EagleSong is not only an extraordinary herbalist and gardener, but also one of the most grounded teachers and mentors you’ll ever meet. She has an eloquent way of sharing her views of health, herbs, sustainable living, gardening, and so much more. EagleSong was the first to teach me how to step back and look at the bigger picture when it comes to health. She has a way of “bringing it all together” and making sense of what can be an overwhelming course of study. Sure I had lots of influential mentors, but when it comes to herbs and health, EagleSong’s guidance became a foundation for me. It is the bedrock that LearningHerbs.com is built on. It is my hope and dream that YOU continue this lineage and one day teach others in your communities about herbs and health. In this Interview, some of what we cover includes… * What gardening and plants can teach us about health * The importance of community herbalism * A VERY unique look at Black Cottonwood EagleSong, CCH is a Community Centered Herbalist who started RavenCroft Garden in the Seattle area in 1991. Though she has been a practicing herbalist for over 30 years, she has also been the chief gardener at the world famous HerbFarm Restaurant as well as the environmental horticulturalist for Willows Lodge, ranked the #12 hotel in the U.S. Visit http://ravencroftgarden.com

Maria Atwood, CNHP is a Certified Natural Health Professional, and has produced a DVD called Cook Your Way to Wellness. Her focus is on fermented foods and nourishment, in the tradition of our ancestors, the Weston Price Foundation and Sally Fallon. Sally Fallon is author of the celebrated book Nourishing Traditions, who said Maria’s dvd is "A great companion to Nourishing Traditions! Perfect for beginners new to Nourishing Traditions principles." In this interview, Maria and I talk about the origins of this traditional style of nutrition, why it’s so good for us, as well as some ideas on how to bring it into your life. We discuss kefir, beet kvass, bone broth, fermented vegetables such as sauerkraut, how to eat well on a budget, and where to begin. We also answer questions gathered from HerbMentor.com members, which includes weight loss in relation to this style of eating. You can check out Maria’s DVD and lots more at http://TraditionalCook.com

RIcho Cech is a village herbalist, conservationist, and expert on making herbal extracts. For many years he was a developer at HerbPharm. He and his wife Mayche are owners of Horizon Herbs, an organic medicinal herb seed company based in Williams, Oregon. Their mission is to sow seeds worldwide for the benefit of people plants and the planet. Richo is author of the books Making Plant Medicine and Growing At-Risk Medicinal Herbs. His Horizon Herbs catalog is well known not only for its variety of hard to find extracts and seeds, but also as a treasure trove of information. In this interview we discuss not only the basics of herb gardening, but also answer some excellent questions from HerbMentor.com members. Of course, Richo infuses his amazing insights on working with herbs. Also, Richo and I talk a bit about comfrey. And as you might expect, another knowledgeable and wise herbalist with yet another varying opinion. :)

Amanda McQuade Crawford is author of herbal books, including Herbal Remedies for Women and The Herbal Menopause Book. Amanda has been a member of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists since 1986, is a founding member of the American Herbalist Guild, and the founder of the National College of Phytotherapy in New Mexico. She serves on numerous professional advisory boards and scientific review panels. Natural Menopause: Herbs, Nutrition & Other Natural Therapies will be released Autumn, 2009. Her most recent adventure has been as the host of “What A Relief,” a TV series dedicated to holistic health for Veria.com, available on DISH and FIOS Verizon. Simply search under her name on your favorite online bookstore to find Amanda’s books. In this episode of HerbMentor Radio, Amanda discusses her recent projects and answers many questions from HerbMentor members.

Dina Falconi is a practicing herbalist with a strong focus on food activism and nutritional healing. She is the author of Earthly Bodies & Heavenly Hair, owner of Falcon Formulations, a natural body care product business, co-creator of Earthly Extracts, a line of medicinal tinctures, and a founding member of the Northeast Herbal Association. She offers workshops and consultations throughout the Northeast. Dina is Chapter Leader of the Hudson Valley Weston A. Price Foundation, on the steering committee of Slow Food- Hudson Valley Convivium, and organizes the Family Farm Festival, a sustainable agriculture festival in High Falls, NY, held the Sunday after Labor Day. In this episode, we mainly discuss questions from many HerbMentor.com members.

Linda Runyon is an expert in wild foods and has been teaching since the 1970’s. Though she has a life long love of nature, she really learned her stuff when she spent 13 years with her family homesteading in rural New York State, without indoor plumbing, electricity or running water. Linda has turned her amazing life story into many publications, namely her wild foods field guide called The Essential Wild Food Survival Guide (formerly From Crabgrass Muffins to Pine Needle Tea) and a brand new DVD called Linda Runyon’s Master Class on Wild Food Survival. She is also creator of Wild Cards, the deck of edible plant playing cards many LearningHerbs.com folks have come to love. For Linda’s return to HerbMentor Radio, we spend nearly 90 minutes on a virtual herb walk. We cover lamb’s quarter, and how to make flour. Also, dandelions (and dandelion french fries!), red clover, cattail and milk weed. We even take a trip to the Southwest to visit prickly pear cactus and tumbleweed. Linda also reveals the secret to processing and eating thistle! Of course, there’s many more wild food nuggets to chew on as well. Visit Linda at http://OfTheField.com

Tom Elpel is one of our “herbal author heros” at HerbMentor.com. Besides penning Botany in a Day and Shanleya’s Quest for us herbal folks, here are a few other things Tom has done… * Founder of Hollowtop Outdoor Primitive School and the Green University. * Author of Participating in Nature, Roadmap to Reality, Living Homes, and Direct Pointing to Real Wealth. * Producer of four wilderness survival skills videos. * Founder of Granny’s Store in Silver Star, MT with his wife Renee. * Founder of 3 Rivers Park. In this episode, John and Tom mostly discuss Botany in a Day, along with some other fun topics. Learn how easy it is to remember the plants of your bioregion. He’s got loads of websites, and you can access them all at http://Hollowtop.com

In the early 1970’s, disgruntled with straight medicine and an educational system where soldiers with big guns were posted on campus, Cascade Anderson Geller channeled her political activism into healing and started three food cooperatives across the U.S. Taking advantage of her love of the outdoors and her Appalachian family heritage of wildcrafting herbs and foods, she decided to pursue becoming an herbalist as a way to gather up her passions into one basket. In 1979, she was a founding member of the Everett House Healing Center in Portland, Oregon, where she saw clients and taught classes. She served on the faculty of the National College of Naturopathic Medicine, Bastyr College, Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine and the California School of Herbal Studies and taught at many other institutions and conferences. She was trained by a host of people who walk their talk, including the late Ella Birzneck, Norma Myers and Juliette di Bairacli Levy, as well as many others living in remote regions across the Earth. This interview covers Cascade’s origins as an herbalist and answers HerbMentor member questions.

Demetria Clark has written one of the best books on using herbs with kids we’ve seen: Herbal Healing for Children: A Parent’s Guide to Treatments for Common Childhood Illnesses. Demetria is a North American herbalist specializing in herbals for pregnancy, birth, postpartum, nursing and children. She is a traditional family herbalist. She has worked with families for over 20 years as an herbalist, aromatherapist, midwife, doula and traditional medicine maker. She works extensively in the US and Europe, blending the two traditions. Demetria lectures extensively on herbal care for sexuality, pregnancy and woman’s health. Demetria believes in families having options to self empower and have health and wellness options. She is the Founder and Director of Heart of Herbs Herbal school and the doula training program, Birth Arts International. In this interview, Demetria discusses her top 10 choices her an herbal apothecary for kids, tells her story, and answers HerbMentor member questions. Here is a link to “What are those herbs in the pregnancy tea blend?” she mentions in the interview: http://www.birtharts.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/pregnanctea.pdf Visit Demetria at: http://www.heartofherbs.com http://www.birtharts.com/

Roy Upton, RH, DAy has been working and practicing professionally as an herbalist since 1981. Trained in ayurvedic, Chinese, and western herbal medicine traditions Roy is the founder, executive director, and editor of the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia, is a co-founder, past president, and vice-president of the American Herbalists Guild (AHG), and serves on the Committee of Revision for the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) and botanical expert advisory committees of AOAC International, the American Botanical Council, and NSF International. Roy is also visiting faculty for the Master of Science in Herbal Medicine program at Tai Sophia, Laurel, MD and the Complementary and Alternative Medicine Program at the University of Southern California, School of Pharmacy, Los Angeles, CA. In addition Roy is the staff herbalist for the California-based herbal supplements company, Planetary Herbals, is a member of the Standards Committee of the American Herbal Products Association, and is an internationally recognized lecturer and author of numerous popular and peer-reviewed scientific publications. Over the years, many HerbMentor members have asked questions about regulations regarding herbs, information and products. We collected member questions, and this interview is based on those questions. You can visit Roy at the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia: http://www.herbal-ahp.org

Caroline Gagnon started teaching and practicing herbalism in 1995, and is co-founder and director of the FloraMedicina School of Herbal Studies in Montreal, Quebec. She also helped create the professional wing of the Guilde des Herboristes (Herbalist Guild) in Montreal. In this episode, Caroline and I explore plant energetics in a way we’ve never discussed on HerbMentor Radio. We can all learn to communicate with herbs in ways that can not be taught in books. It sounds esoteric, but it’s actually quite simple and practical. Caroline explains energetics in a much broader sense, which is really helpful should one want to go on and learn an energetics system, such as Chinese or Ayurvedic medicine. Get ready for a paradigm shift. Caroline also answers HerbMentor member questions. Visit Caroline Gagnon at http://FloraMedicina.com

The microphone is turned as John Gallagher, host of HerbMentor Radio, is interviewed by Rosalee de la Forêt in 2012. HerbMentor members asked for it, and John was happy to sit down and reveal the string of random events that lead to the creation HerbMentor.com. How did spraying weeds with herbicide begin John on his herbal journey? Why is a dandelion in the LearningHerbs logo? How is Bruce Springsteen responsible for how John creates and markets products? How and why did he start LearningHerbs? What is in LearningHerbs’ future? It’s all here in this fun filled, action packed, chocolate covered, death defying act of thrilling audio goodness…

Margi Flint practices herbalism in the seacoast town of Marblehead, Massachusetts, and over the last 30 years has become their village herbalist. She is an adjunct professor at North Shore Community College, The Tufts University School of Medicine, Bastyr University, Pacific Rim College, and the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy. Margi is author of the text book, The Practicing Herbalist: Meeting with Clients, Reading the Body. She also lectures internationally and is a professional member of the American Herbalists Guild. In this interview, Margi discusses her work as a practicing herbalist, how she mentors, facial diagnostics as well as other methods she uses, and answers many questions submitted by HerbMentor members on health issues and being a practicing herbalist. You can visit Margi Flint at http://EarthSongHerbals.com

Gail Faith Edwards is an herbal educator with more than 30 years experience as a community herbalist. She runs Blessed Maine Herb Farm, where she runs many herbal programs, a correspondence course, tours, and hand crafts beautiful herbal goods. Gail is author of Traversing the Wild Terrain of Menopause; Herbal Allies for Midlife Women and Men. Gail’s Opening Our Wild Hearts to the Healing Herbs is one of our absolute favorites. Her forthcoming book Through the Wild Heart of Mary; Teachings of the 20 Mysteries of the Rosary and the Herbs and Foods Associated with Them comes out mid-November, 2009. In this engaging interview, we discuss Gail’s unique way of learning about herbs, what important lessons the plants taught her, details on a few key herbs, and she answers HerbMentor member questions.

Karta Purkh Singh Khalsa, Yogaraj (Ayurveda), DN-C, RH, LMT, NCTMB, CC, NAMAPM, has over 40 years of experience in holistic medicine, and is one of the foremost natural healing experts in North America. He is the president of the American Herbalists Guild, and is a respected teacher, writer and lecturer. As the author of over 3,000 published health articles, K.P. has written or edited 30 books and on a variety of health topics including major works on massage, Ayurveda, Chinese medicine and physiology. His latest book, The Way of Ayurvedic Herbs, co-authored with Michael Tierra, brings to life Ayurveda in an understandable and practical way. K.P. is also a frequent contributor to mainstream and professional publications in the natural healing field, including The Herb Quarterly. K.P. is a professor at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy, and a founding faculty in the Ayurvedic Sciences program at Bastyr University. For 30 years Khalsa served as Senior Research Scientist and Chief Medical Formulator for Yogi Tea. In this interview, K.P. answers HerbMentor member questions, including advice for beginners, K.P.’s personal daily herbal routine, supplements, and how to address chronic health conditions with herbs. This episode is jam packed with incredible information. Please do not miss it. Visit K.P. Khalsa at his website: http://www.kpkhalsa.com/

Dr. Patrick Jones is a veterinarian with a passion for herbs. He grew up close to the land, and his interest in herbs eventually led to him treating animals with herbal remedies. He has a private practice, and is also does formulation, support and training for Silver Lining Herbs. Patrick's wife LoriAnn is also an herbalist, and together they have raised 15 children. Patrick practices veterinary medicine in Twin Falls, ID. Patrick is also a long time HerbMentor member and a regular presence in the forum. In this episode of HerbMentor Radio, Dr. Jones answers many questions that HerbMentor members posted about herbs for dogs and cats. We cover basic herbal nutrition, delivery methods, common pet issues, what not to give your pets, and the truth about catnip.

Chanchal Cabrera, MSc, FNIMH, (RH)AHG is a medical herbalist whose clinical specialty is helping people manage cancer and chronic disease. Chanchal has held the faculty chair in Botanical Medicine at the Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine in New Westminster since 2004. She serves on the board of advisors of Dominion Herbal College in Burnaby, on the editorial board of Medical Herbalism clinical newsletter and she publishes widely in professional journals and lectures internationally on medical herbalism, nutrition and health. Chanchal is the author of the book Fibromyalgia – A Journey Toward Healing. published by Contemporary Books. Chanchal is a certified Master Gardener and a certified Horticulture Therapist. Chanchal has been a member of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists in the UK since 1987, where in 2009 she was honored with a Fellowship for service to the profession for over 25 years. She lives on Vancouver Island in BC where she and her husband farm 7 acres. This interview mostly focuses on HerbMentor member submitted questions, which focus on using herbs for chronic illness. Chanchal reviewed the questions before the interview and answered them in a way that could help as many people as possible as to how to approach their health conditions with natural medicine.

David Winston RH (AHG), is an herbalist and ethnobotanist with over 40 years of training in Cherokee, Chinese and Western herbal traditions. He has had a clinical practice for over 30 years and is an herbal consultant to physicians throughout North America. David founded an herbal manufacturing company called Herbalist & Alchemist as well as David Winston’s Center for Herbal Studies. David is author of many books including Adaptogens: Herbs for Strength, Stamina and Stress Relief. He is also a founding member of the American Herbalists Guild and a founding advisory board member of United Plant Savers. In this episode of HerbMentor Radio, David explores adaptogens and their importance in this day and age. Adaptogens help the body adapt to stress and increase health. David also answers questions on adaptogens submitted by HerbMentor members.