Real Life Herbalism. Intentional Evolution. A Self Care Space for Midlife Women.
In my last post, we talked about how inflammation affects us in midlife. In that post, I touched on ways that we can reduce that inflammation, but I wanted to take the time to look deeper into one aspect of the overall strategy. The foods we put into our bodies. Something we do every single... Continue Reading →
Inflammation. If you've spent any time reading about health and wellness, you've almost certainly come across that word. It's linked to heart disease. Diabetes. Arthritis. Alzheimer's disease. It seems to show up in almost every conversation about long-term health. It definitely sounds important—but also a little vague, and if we're being honest, a little buzzword-y.... Continue Reading →
For most of my life, I thought of boundaries mostly as something you set with difficult people. You know the type. The overbearing relative. The demanding (or lazy) coworker. The person who calls at the worst possible time and keeps you on the phone for an hour after you've made it clear that you don't... Continue Reading →
It was only a matter of time before medicinal mushrooms found their way into my herbal studies. I’ve always loved eating mushrooms, and learning to forage them has been on my bucket list for years. What I didn’t realize at the time was that mushrooms have been valued for far more than their culinary appeal.... Continue Reading →
I feel like I've been living under a rock or something, as I've only recently discovered the “golden” craze. For the uninitiated like myself, it is a beverage made using a base of fresh or dried turmeric. The practice originated in India and the traditional preparation calls for turmeric to be combined with water and... Continue Reading →
For thousands of years, humans have utilized nature's resources for the treatment of a variety of ailments. As we progressed in scientific thought and knowledge, we began to focus primarily on treatment of disease, rather than prevention of disease or maintaining wellness. Modern medicine was born. The medical and pharmaceutical industries are what we tend... Continue Reading →
For the last post in this series, I'm focusing on three herbs commonly used for their calming effects on the mind and body. Passionflower, Skullcap, and Lemon balm have all been used as natural remedies for stress, anxiety, and insomnia for centuries and have similar effects, with a few notable strengths and differences. They can... Continue Reading →
I love ginger. The spicy, sweet rhizome is highly versatile in the kitchen, lending flavor and zing to almost any dish. It’s one of those common ingredients that manages to be both delicious and incredibly useful at the same time. That strange looking root offers an impressive array of benefits. Ginger has long history of... Continue Reading →
Despite being a nurse, I am one of those people who rarely sees my doctor. I go when I have to, like for work physicals, but I really have to be hurting to seek medical care for a cold or sinus infection. I'm lucky to be in good health, and it usually only takes a few... Continue Reading →
Adaptogens refer to a group of herbs, roots, and mushrooms which have been used in Ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years to promote wellness. The term adaptogen indicates their primary usage -- they help the body adapt to psychological, physical, and environmental stress through a nonspecific resistance. In general, adaptogens are known to... Continue Reading →
Pathways and Potions 