Though the holidays are a time of joy for many, they can be trying for some. The combination of shorter days and holiday stress can contribute to winter blahs, more technically known as seasonal affective disorder. St. John’s wort is one of the most popular herbs for mild depression, and it can also be aContinue reading “St. John’s Wort for the Winter Blues”
Category Archives: Herbs
Knowing When to Use Goldenseal
Goldenseal is probably one of the best-known herbs, but its fame has contributed to overharvesting, and it is now considered to be an at risk plant. Therefore, it is important to know what conditions goldenseal works best for and when to choose another herb. For instance, one of goldenseal’s active components, berberine, is responsible forContinue reading “Knowing When to Use Goldenseal”
Strengthening Horsetail: For more than just fingernails
Horsetail is a silica rich herb used to support connective tissues in the body. It is probably most popular for strengthening hair and nails, but it can be used for other connective tissues in the body including skin, cartilage, and bones. Silica is found in trace amounts in the skeletal system and may help stabilizeContinue reading “Strengthening Horsetail: For more than just fingernails”
Echinacea for Winter Immunity
It seems like nearly everyone I know is either sick right now or just getting over a cold. This is typical for this time of year when the seasons change. One of the first herbs people think of for this season is Echinacea, and probably rightly so. Echinacea is a very well studied and isContinue reading “Echinacea for Winter Immunity”
Hawthorn Loves Your Heart
In our fast-paced culture, we often want fast acting health solutions, but these often don’t increase our vibrancy in the long haul. On the other hand, tonic herbs work slowly by nourishing particular organs and improving their function over time. When it comes to the heart, hawthorn places such a role. It has many differentContinue reading “Hawthorn Loves Your Heart”
Uses for Shepherd’s Purse
Local midwife Maria Chowdhury makes a traditional postpartum herbal bath that is very popular with new moms. This bath from Birth Song Botanicals contains organic herbs to help speed healing of tender tissues as well as shepherd’s purse to reduce bleeding. Shepherd’s purse is named for the shape of its seedpods, which resemble the bagsContinue reading “Uses for Shepherd’s Purse”
Pleurisy Root: An Ally for the Lungs
Butterfly milkweed is one of my favorite roadside wildflowers. It has another common name pleurisy root, earned from its traditional use for conditions of the lungs. Pleurisy refers to an inflammation of the lining around the lungs, as sometimes results from coughs and other disorders. Pleurisy root was traditionally used to ease this painful condition,Continue reading “Pleurisy Root: An Ally for the Lungs”
Antiviral Elderberry for Colds and Flus
Whenever I have a cold or feel like one might be coming one, I reach for elderberry. Mostly, I use a syrup made from the berries, because it is a pleasant herbal remedy that always seems to revive me a little. The berries of the elderberry plant are well known for their moderately strong antiviralContinue reading “Antiviral Elderberry for Colds and Flus”
Gentle Mullein for Soothing Coughs
When I began learning about herbs years ago before I became a naturopathic doctor, mullein was one of the first herbs I made into a medicinal tea. Since I was plagued by frequent coughs at the time, I had decided to try mullein for its well-touted lung benefits. Mullein was a very useful starter herbContinue reading “Gentle Mullein for Soothing Coughs”
Dandelion: Don’t overlook this friend in your yard
Fall is the time to start harvesting roots. Just like we will soon be digging our sweet potatoes out of the ground, it is also time to harvest the medicinal roots. As plants go dormant for the year, they store nutrients in their roots, making medicinal roots more potent in the fall. As far asContinue reading “Dandelion: Don’t overlook this friend in your yard”
Dr. Laurell Matthews, ND 