As a mom of three, I've cared for my littles through everything from bug bites to broken bones. When they're sick or hurt, they immediately come to me with the expectation that I've got something in my home first aid kit + natural remedy stash to help them . . . and usually I do. There have been times, though, when something [...] Continue Reading
Search Results for: plantain
8 Lemon Balm Benefits + Easy Recipes for Tea, Tincture & More
Do you ever need a little pick-me-up to lift your soul after a draining week, or something to support deep sleep, or maybe something to soothe a child’s upset tummy? Lemon balm can help with all of that! Although I included it as an ingredient in my sleep dust recipe, I didn’t really explain why I love this herb that [...] Continue Reading
16 Ways To Make Herbal Remedies: Tinctures, Decoctions, Infusions & More
If you've ever practiced herbalism - and if you've brewed a cup of tea you have - you know that it has therapeutic properties that go beyond phytochemistry. There's a relaxing pleasure in preparing them . . . in breathing in their aromatic compounds and savoring their bright, beautiful hues as you brew them, roll them into "candies," or prepare [...] Continue Reading
Top 16 Herb Books for Your Home Apothecary
Sometimes I get funny looks when I mention valerian root tincture or kava tea, like they couldn’t possibly have valid benefits. It’s easy to forget that many common medicines are derived from plants and fungi. For example, did you know that more than 40% of pharmaceuticals that are on the market today - including penicillin - [...] Continue Reading
How To Make Comfrey Salve & Why To Avoid Comfrey Tea
Sometimes called knitbone or All Heal, comfrey (Symphytum officinale L.) has been used for centuries to support wound and bone healing, and at one time was recommended as a tea to soothe digestive issues. Most often found in moist grasslands, this perennial herb is rich in a bioactive compound called allantoin that plays a role in [...] Continue Reading
Arnica For Bumps, Bruises, and Muscle Aches
While many herbs have a whole list of uses, like dandelion for detox, digestion and hormone balance, arnica is really good in one area: bumps and bruises! Arnica montana - sometimes called wolf's bane or leopard's bane - is a yellow mountain daisy that is believed to help dilate capillaries and stimulate the flow of white blood cells, and has been [...] Continue Reading
14 Soothing Home Remedies for Sunburn
' Natural sunscreen? Check! Long-sleeved swim shirts, hats, and a shady place to sip on fruit-infused water? Check, check and check! Whether it's a trip to the beach or just time in our backyard, I'm very conscious about finding the "sweet spot" when it comes to time in the sun. That's because while too much sun exposure is [...] Continue Reading
Resistant Starch 101: How To Nurture A Healthy Gut
"Table for one trillion, please." It may seem like a funny way to request a spot at your favorite healthy restaurant, but it's actually pretty accurate. In this New York Times article, Michael Pollan describes the one trillion, er, one-hundred trillion, microbes that sit down to dine with us at each meal. More than just creepy freeloaders, these [...] Continue Reading
