Mullein is a great plant to demonstrate the doctrine of signatures. Its physical characteristics and growth patterns are all clues to its many uses. To start with, mullein has large, soft, fuzzy leaves which according to tradition are a signature for lung tissue. And so it shouldn't be surprising that mullein has a long history of helping relieve chronic lung conditions, especially when the lung tissue is dry and irritated. Mullein leaves are soft, slightly mucilaginous, and salty, which…
You may recall the story of Peter Rabbit. He snuck into Mr. McGregor’s garden where he ate too much and narrowly escaped after getting caught. When he got home, his mother gave him one of Nature’s most dependable remedies—chamomile tea.Chamomile is probably the most popular herb tea in the world and it is estimated that over a million cups are consumed worldwide every day. An aromatic and slightly bitter herb, the flowers of German chamomile (Matricaria recutita) and its close relative Roman…
Silicon, the 14th element of the periodic table and the second most element on the planet, is surprisingly important for both computing and human health. Perhaps you’ve heard of Silicon Valley, the home of the computer industry? It’s called that because this important semiconductor is used to manufacture the chips that are the brains of the computers and phones we use every day. Silicon is important for healthy hair, skin, nails, joints, bones, and nerves. And while there is no US RDA for…
Lobelia is a 1-2 foot-high annual plant with beautiful flowers which is native to North America. If, as many herbalists suggest, each plant has its own personality, then lobelia is surely one of the greatest tricksters of the herbal world. Matthew Wood goes so far as to call it "the wildest and craziest article in the herbal material medica." Lobelia’s unpredictable nature is even more evident in its checkered history than in its spectacular beauty. Named after the botanist. Matthias de Lobel…
Some people think they're regular just because they have a bowel movement regularly every two or three days. I once met a man who had an elimination once every eight days. Let me assure you, that's not healthy.From the time I was first introduced to herbal medicine until now, I've heard over and over again about the importance of regular elimination to health. Natural healers have long asserted that if waste material sits too long in the body, it poisons the system and destroys health. I know that…
Mankind is in constant the constant search for exotic remedies, often neglecting some of the simple cures that grow practically in our own back yards. Red clover is one of those remedies. It's a gentle, but powerful alterative that can be used for skin problems like acne, respiratory and lymphatic congestion, and even cancer.A member of the pea family and closely related to alfalfa, red clover can often be spotted in lawns, pastures, and on roadsides. I saw it growing everywhere on my recent…
Have you been feeling a little stressed lately? If so, try imagining an escape to a tropical beach where you can lay back and relax sipping a pina colada while soaking up some sunshine. And while you might not be able to escape to the islands right now, you can make yourself a relaxing kava kava pina colada. I’ve been making one and drinking some every night this past week and it has really helped me relax, sleep better and feel calmer. Kava kava is native to the South Pacific islands and its…
When I first started using natural remedies, I thought that the main difference between modern medicine and natural medicine was the remedies that were used. A popular slogan in those days was “I use herbs instead.” We were choosing to use herbs in place of drugs to treat diseases. During this early period, when I was just starting out, I would look up a disease in an herb book and see what herbs people had used for it. I was relying on something one of my early herb teachers, Edward Milo Millet,…