Rooibos for Radiant Health

Like many other herbalists, I like to drink herbal tea with or after my meals. However, it’s not always easy ...
Read More

Reishi, the Longevity Herb

I love discussing my favorite herbs as they tend to have many diverse, not to mention effective, uses. The topic ...
Read More

Touring the Kirstenbosch Gardens in South Africa

Since a young child I’ve been a traveler, and one of my favorite places to visit are gardens. There are ...
Read More

Loquat Leaf: For Much More than Just Coughs!

The shift from summer to fall is perhaps the most difficult adjustment for most folks healthwise; colds, flu and viruses ...
Read More
echinacea field

Echinacea: The Powerhouse Herb

When I was recently (and accidentally) bitten by a cat, I immediately reached for my echinacea tincture. Does that choice ...
Read More

Rosemary Tea Instead of Coffee? Yes!

Many of you may already know about the traditional dandelion and chicory “coffee” combination, but are you aware of rosemary ...
Read More

Magnolia Magic: A Spring-Blooming Tree May Be Your Medicine

Magnolia bark (Magnolia officinalis, hou po) is a bit of a magical herb because it not only comes from a ...
Read More

Welcome to Spring: Honeysuckle

I know spring is here to stay when our honeysuckle blooms. I remember in my early childhood plucking the flowers ...
Read More

Citrus Peel and Hawthorn Fruit for Food Stagnation

The other day I saw a woman with complaints of burping and belching all day long that was worse when ...
Read More

Dosing: A Key to Herbal Effectiveness

How do you know if you’re taking enough of your herbs or herbal formula? Or what if you’re taking the ...
Read More

Not Your Usual Herbal Gift Ideas

In addition to the usual herbal gifts of herbal wreaths, vinegars, soaps, candles, spices, potted plants, flowers, beauty products and ...
Read More

The Wonders of Teasel

Teasel is a beautiful herb with a tall bristly head that grows in many places around the world. I once ...
Read More

Turmeric: For Best Results, Use It Properly

Turmeric has become increasingly popular over the last decade, first for blood purification and then for joint pain. As it’s ...
Read More

Herbs that Clear Heat, Part 6 of 6

In the West we tend to think of heat as inflammation; yet, it can take many other forms as we’ve ...
Read More

Herbs that Clear Heat 5 of 6: Cucumber, Hibiscus and Watermelon

September is the time of year that “Summer Heat” often arises because it’s either extra hot this time of year ...
Read More

Herbs that Clear Heat  4 of 6: Goldenseal/Coptis and Oregon Grape/Barberry

Continuing our discussion about herbs that clear heat, the next category is a very commonly seen one: herbs that clear ...
Read More

Herbs that Clear Heat 3 of 6: Tree Peony, Chinese Figwort, and Marshmallow Root

The herbal category, Herbs that Cool the Blood, is not known in Western herbalism but is one of the five ...
Read More
Red Clover Flower

Herbs that Clear Heat 2 of 6: Echinacea and Red Clover

This blog series that began last month considers how Western herbalism treats heat as inflammation with little differentiation in herbal ...
Read More

Herbs that Clear Heat 1 of 6: Sweet Violet and Pansy

Like Western medicine, Western herbalism today considers heat as inflammation with little differentiation in herbal treatment. Yet, heat is not ...
Read More

The Salty Flavor: Seaweed

To finish up the flavors for the year, we have one left – salty. Most herbs that are salty are ...
Read More

Delicious Herbal Holiday Recipes for Kids and Adults

I often receive letters from children about my Kids Herb Book expressing their joy in making things and learning about ...
Read More

2020 – What a Year for East West!

Finally, we’re reaching the end of 2020! I can’t tell you how many people have yearned to see this year ...
Read More

Spicy Flavor and Digestive Trikatu

The spicy flavor has many understandings and an interesting function. When most people think of “spicy,” they think of spicy ...
Read More

Watermelon Medicine: Fruit, Seed and Rind

Sweet is the flavor of the Spleen time of year, including this month of August. In July, I discussed the ...
Read More

Jujube Dates to Usher in the Earth Time of Year

From July through about mid-September, we are in the “Earth time of year” with its organs, the Spleen and Stomach ...
Read More

Chamomile: Gentle Yet Powerful

Since we are in the “season” of the Heart, we’ve been covering bitter herbs. The bitter flavor cleanses the blood ...
Read More

California Poppy: Gentle Sedative and Pain Reliever

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), we are in the Heart “time of year,” early summer, meaning that the heart’s ...
Read More

The Bitter Flavor in Herbs

The flavor of an herb is different than its taste. Taste is subjective while flavor is a major indicator of ...
Read More

Symptom-Specific Herbal Protection from Viruses

We are in cold and flu season, which especially hits during the summer-to-fall and winter-to-spring months. How do you prevent ...
Read More

Colds and Flu: Common-Sense Prevention Tactics

Anyone who’s heard tales from grandparents or great-grandparents who lived during the 1918 flu pandemic will understand the world’s great ...
Read More

Staying Healthy This Winter

Whether you live in balmy, tropical Hawaii, or sub-zero, frosty Minnesota, the energy of winter is the same: storage. At ...
Read More