January 10, 2025 • 24 mins
What if you could harness the healing power of nature while ensuring the safety and quality of your herbal remedies? Join me, Demetria Clark, as we unravel the essential wisdom of herbal safety and quality in practice. We start our journey with well-known herbs like chamomile, peppermint, and lavender, discussing their safe usage and the importance of accurate identification through Latin names. For those pregnant, nursing, or caring for children, understanding dosages and potential toxicity is crucial. We'll explore why opting for organic and sustainably sourced herbs ensures a chemical-free experience, emphasizing the mantra of quality over quantity.
In this episode, we also highlight the individuality of herbal experiences—what works for one may not work for all. I'll share insights on integrating herbs into daily life, whether in cooking or skincare, and how education in herbalism can foster a deeper connection with nature. If you're pondering an herbal business, understanding product sources and labeling is vital. Together, we'll inspire informed and cautious use of herbal remedies, providing foundational knowledge to safely incorporate herbalism into everyday life. Tune in for a conversation that blends safety, personal health, and the enduring wisdom of nature.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hi, this is Demetria Clark, the director of Heart of
Herbs Herbal School, and todayyou're listening to the Heart of
Herbs Herbal School podcastToday.
Now, this episode may be alittle bit shorter than some of
the normal ones I guess it justkind of depends on how we go
with it but today I am going totalk about something that's
(00:21):
really close to my heart, andit's something that I based the
premise of a lot of my work on,and one of the reasons why I
base so much of my work on thisis because I work and have
worked exclusively at times withindividuals who are pregnant,
(00:42):
nursing, trying to get pregnantor working with children.
Although those are not the onlyclients that I've had
throughout my career, I do seemto attract a lot of people who
are pregnant or have smallchildren, and so the issue
that's really close to my heartis herbal safety, and I think
(01:17):
now you know we are at a pointwhere we're seeing a lot of AI
generated books on herbalism andthey're oh, these are so great
and they're literally people arepoisoning themselves because
these are not written oroverlooked or overseen by
someone who actually knows whatthey're talking about.
We have an idea in our culturethat herbalism is just something
(01:38):
that's really easy to beself-taught.
It is not easy to self-teachyourself.
Herbalism Can it be doneAbsolutely.
But you have to start with goodresources, and so in herbal
safety, a lot of resources comeinto play.
So when we embark upon ourjourney into herbalism, it's
(02:02):
essential to carry with us thewisdom of safety.
Nature provides us with a richtapestry of healing plants, each
with its unique properties andpotential.
Now, you have to remember,these plants have developed over
a millennia to not get eaten byus and other predators, and we
(02:24):
are plant predators.
So some of the most beautifulflowers in the world are totally
toxic.
So understanding herbal safetyis really important, and it's
crucial for anyone interested inherbal medicine.
So what you're going to want todo is to start off with familiar
(02:46):
herbs first.
So what are familiar herbs?
Well, those are herbs that youknow you can find in your
grocery store.
Those are herbs that you've hadexperience with.
They're herbs that you can findwherever you are.
They're herbs that you can findwherever you are, pretty much
(03:10):
all over the world, and I haveseen this myself personally.
You can find chamomile,peppermint and lavender herb and
herbal products.
The reasons why is becausegenerally, overall, these are
very safe.
They're generally regarded assafe and you'll sometimes see
that written as G-R-A-S, andthat's what that means in an
herbal description or herbalproduct.
(03:32):
These are excellent choicesbecause they have a long history
of being safe.
They're gentle and versatileand they're suitable for various
applications, such as teas,compresses, tinctures and even
in cooking.
A lot of your cooking herbs aregenerally regarded as safe and
(03:55):
they're generally safe, and whenthey become unsafe, it's when
we're taking them in dosagesthat they're not supposed to be
taken in and we're taking themin amounts or in ways they're
not supposed to be taken.
So something like nutmeg canpotentially have issues if you
use tons and tons of it.
The amount that you would usein a food or in herbal
(04:17):
application can generally beconsidered safe, but if you're
using you know tablespoons ofthis herb, or you're snorting
this herb or you're eating thisherb at those quantities and
higher, you could potentiallyhave issues.
That's why we have to befamiliar with these herbs.
That's why we have to learnabout these herbs and not just
(04:41):
go by something we find on theinternet and I know you're
finding me on the internet.
How rich of me, right?
We also need to understand thatthere are Latin or scientific
names.
Those are something that youneed to know.
So a lot of people will be likewell, what do I need to know
those for?
(05:01):
I'm not an herbalist, or a lotof herbalists will be like well,
what do I need to know thosefor?
I'm not an herbalist, or a lotof herbalists will be like well,
I don't need to put the Latinname on my product.
Well, first of all, you do.
That's something that ismandated by the FDA in their
food product.
It's not really okay, mandatedby the FDA.
It was an improper way to sayit, but it's how you properly
(05:24):
label herbal products.
So don't buy herbal productswhere the herbalist cannot be
bothered to put the Latin orscientific name on it.
That is part of proper labeling.
So you have to be safe whenyou're purchasing products too.
I remember being on a food eventand someone was there selling
(05:44):
beverage teas and they lookedbeautiful and they looked really
exciting, but half of them, youknow they didn't have any of
the Latin names.
Well, you know, I think one ofthe herbs was like blue
something and I'm like seriouslyLike I don't remember what it
was.
It was like blue star flower orsomething I'm like like I don't
(06:04):
remember what it was, it waslike blue star flower or
something.
I'm like, okay, that could belots of different herbs, lots of
different flowers are shapedthat way, and so that's not an
appropriate way to labelsomething.
So you're going to want to makesure that, from the beginning,
start with herbs that you'recomfortable with and that you've
heard about your whole life,because those are a great
(06:26):
gateway to get in there and tolearn.
The next thing that I reallywant you to think about and to
consider is quality overquantity.
The quality of herbs canseriously impact their
effectiveness and safety, soalways opt for organic,
sustainably sourced herbs.
This assures that your remediesare free from pesticides and
(06:48):
other toxic chemicals, allowingyou to harness their whole
healing possibility.
Look, herbalists and herbalstudents have a huge problem
with buying way too much ofsomething, and then they'll be
like um, this was so expensiveand I'm like why did you buy two
pounds?
Oh well, I thought maybe that'swhat I need.
(07:11):
You're making tincture and thenyou want some for tea.
Like that's a lot of herb.
Like two pounds of nettle driedis a massive amount of nettle.
You can reorder it again in afew months if you need to.
So you don't.
I don't suggest bulk buyingherbs unless you run like an
apothecary or something.
I don't see why students are orindividuals are purchasing
(07:37):
massive amounts of herbs.
Of course that's going to causeyour price tag to go up
significantly, even if they'relike oh, if I buy five pounds of
red clover it'll save me, youknow whatever amount per pound
or per ounce, but that's like agarbage bag size.
So it's like that's a lot.
(07:58):
I'm not really sure we needthat much.
Do you need that much in yourpersonal herbal inventory?
And maybe look at things likethat, because you will allow
yourself to buy higher qualityif you buy it in the quantities
you will actually use.
Now, if you are an individualwho goes out to eat or you know,
(08:22):
purchases coffees you knowexpensive coffees or goes out
shopping like once a week atdifferent stores just for fun, I
don't want to hear youcomplaining about not being able
to afford your herbs, becausethose are choices and we have to
remember that's quality overquantity.
So it's like how much do weneed, how much do we need to
(08:43):
consume, and that we all have totake responsibility for our
choices.
Obviously, if you don't haveany money at all.
This is a very hard thing, andsometimes you will have to go
with a lesser quality to be ableto get what you need.
But the reality is, is thistaking a step back and saying,
okay, this is how I'm going tobudget this, this is how I'm
(09:04):
going to budget this, this ishow I'm going to work with this,
and maybe I don't need 50 herbs, maybe I can start with five,
and that's a great way to lookat it and that's a great way to
really give yourself someability to experiment.
Now you can also buy herbs withfriends and do like a co-op and
break it up.
Buy herbs with friends and dolike a co-op and break it up.
(09:28):
There's lots of things that youcan do.
Mountain Rose Herbs has a lotof bulk herbs and they have you
know they have different waysthat you can purchase them and
you know so.
Their shipping is like real, sothis isn't like ordering off of
.
You know that store online thateverybody orders everything
from.
So when you're working with areal herbal company and real
(09:50):
herbalist, they're not going toget you stuff there in 12 hours.
So you have to be realistic too.
But I think sometimes knowingthe quality is much more
important than the convenience.
Now I will say one of the thingsthat I appreciate about places
like Mountain Rose Herbs is thatthey tell you where it comes
(10:11):
from.
So when it comes to me andquality, I do not purchase herbs
from countries that I do notbuy other things from.
I don't care If that's the onlyplace I can get the herb from,
I'm not buying it.
So I don't care if that's theonly place I can get the herb
from, I'm not buying it.
So I don't purchase herbs thatfrom countries that do not share
similar values on protectingthe land.
(10:32):
So like, look, if they'vegotten in trouble for putting
melamine in infant formula or introuble for not keeping
surfaces clean and drugmanufacturing, and if it's just
a place that's always having aproblem, problem, problem lead
and herbs that that has happenedrecently, I will not purchase
from them because obviouslythere's a quality control
(10:53):
problem from the source to theexport.
So someplace in there someserious stuff's happening.
So if I'm not picking it myself, I'm not, I'm not ordering from
those places.
And I understand that a companymay have like a source problem
and address it and that'swonderful.
(11:14):
But I don't believe that thatplaces where the government owns
a part of every business or themilitary owns a part of every
business, that it's in my bestinterest to necessarily have a
one-on-one trustful relationshipwith them.
I want to be able to talk tosomeone if there's a problem,
(11:35):
and so that's why I always lookat the source too.
Where does it come from?
What is that area's practices?
What does organic mean to them?
Because it's different all overthe world.
When we lived in Europe I meanthe way that things are cows
needed this much sunshine forthe butter and they were spent
(11:57):
this much out, so it wasdefinitely like a completely
different kind of environment.
So you know the French frieseven at the fast food place, all
the potatoes had to come fromthat country.
I mean, the sourcing was muchdifferent than here, and it's
different in Canada and it'sdifferent in Mexico.
So just learn a little bitabout that when you're thinking
(12:20):
about your quality over quantity.
And then, of course, we alreadymentioned this know your herbs,
so know what you're takingLatin names.
Understand what it is, sounderstand its benefits, side
effects and any reasons youshouldn't use it.
Use books and trustworthy onlineresources or talk to
(12:43):
experienced herbalists to gatherthis information.
Knowledge helps you make smartchoices about your life.
Look, I have books.
Lots of herbalists have booksout there those go through a
process of like more than oneperson before the information
gets out there right.
A lot of these AI generatedresources, a lot of these books
(13:03):
that are out there that arebeing written by AI or people's
blogs or postings on socialmedia those aren't necessarily
good research and people youknow.
I remember once some guy waslike I was giving away our book
and some guy was like, well, hasit been double blind studied?
And I was like, yeah, a lot ofthis stuff has, so there's
(13:28):
resources out there if you wantto find it.
I understand herbal research isnot as prevalent as drug
research, but the reality is, ifsomething's being used for 300
years, if there's a significantproblem, we're probably going to
know about it by now.
Another thing is to listen toyour body.
(13:48):
Our bodies are incrediblecommunicators, so pay attention
to how you feel when using anherb.
If you notice an adversereaction like oh my gosh, every
time I take this, I don't feelgood or I get diarrhea.
Gosh, every time I take this, Idon't feel good, or I get
diarrhea, or I get flutters inmy chest or I get flushed, or I
get this or I get that.
Stop using it.
(14:09):
This isn't a healing crisis.
This isn't.
You know, and lots of thingsdon't work for people for
different reasons.
Some people can't, you know,digest certain kinds of grains
and if that herb is from thatgrain family, maybe it's not
going to work from them.
You know, like it's reallypractical stuff here, right?
If something isn't working, askyourself why.
(14:31):
If it isn't making you feelgood, ask yourself why.
Maybe there's a reason for that.
A lot of people will say, oh,it's a healing crisis and you
need to get a lot worse, to geta lot better, or you need to
purge your body's toxic.
First of all, bodies are nottoxic.
We may have toxic stuff andhave been putting toxic stuff
(14:52):
into them, but the best way toclean out your body is by taking
care of it, of it.
So the reality is is that, youknow, I really don't like it
when people are like oh, I, youknow, I got a really bad rash
taking this, you know infusedoil or something.
And then people are like, oh,it's just a healing crisis,
(15:12):
you're fine, keep putting it onyour body.
No, that's your body sayingthis isn't working for me now
for one reason or another.
So each person's body isdifferent and what works for one
may not work for another.
So people also get reallyoffended if they suggest
something to another person thatworks really well for them, and
they almost get mad at theother person if it doesn't work
(15:34):
for them.
So some people can usesomething for a headache and
their headache's gone and youknow, like a tincture of
rosemary, and it works reallywell for them and other people
it does nothing for them andthey need a different kind of
herb, but that has nothing to dowith the person that suggested
it to you.
So don't take it personally.
If you, you, you know you makea suggestion or you're working
(15:57):
with someone and you're oryou're researching something and
you're like it works for, likeall these 50 other people, why
doesn't it work for me?
Well, it could be quality, itcould be how it's formulated.
It could also be that it's justnot the right fit for your body
, and so really having somerespect and listening to your
body is really important.
We believe in one one shot,real quick fixes, and the
(16:28):
reality is is those don't?
Those don't really exist.
The way that those exist arethrough surgery right, we are
incredible surgical mechanics,but drugs, herbs, foods all
interact differently, so we needto make sure that we understand
the herb and respect a person'sresponse to offer them a safe
(16:52):
and effective herbal experience,and so you do that for yourself
too.
Another great way to work withherbs safely is to incorporate
them into your daily life, soherbs can seamlessly be
integrated into your dailyroutine, and the best way to do
this is cooking.
If you're not sure aboutcooking with herbs, then go buy
(17:16):
some spice blends to start.
I give gifts out to people whoare.
You know they'll eat somethingat my house and I love cooking,
like food from all over theworld, and I use all kinds of
herbs and spices.
You know, I sometimes joke thatI would have loved to have been
like a chef, and being a chefand being an herbalist in some
(17:39):
ways are very similar with theway that you find things that
work synergistically together tocreate a different kind of
experience, and so I will sendpeople like herb spice kits,
like you know, mediterraneanblend and this blend and this
(18:00):
blend.
And Northern, you know,moroccan, you know this, you
know.
So people can have theexperience of really learning
about herbs and cooking.
And then there's also thehealth benefits of those herbs
and they become part of yourfood, part of your nutrition.
It's super easy for people andthen you have success, you feel
(18:23):
good.
So you're like okay, maybe I'mgoing to try making some teas,
maybe I'm going to try to makesome homemade skincare, and it's
really an easy way, when westart incorporating herbs into
our daily life, to take the nextsteps.
It kind of opens people up todifferent ideas of what
herbalism is, because herbalismisn't just one thing.
(18:44):
I have heard that herbalism iseverything from witchcraft to
bunk science, to the thing thatsaved and gave me back my life,
to the way I control my hormonesor my depression or whatever.
(19:05):
Herbs are different to everyone.
So incorporating them into yourlife in a way that works for
you not only holisticallysupports your body and your
health, but it deepens yourconnection with nature, because
maybe you'll notice more herbswhen you're out and about or
plant some more in your gardenor, you know, you'll just have a
(19:27):
little bit more fun with herbsand look at and use herbs in a
different way.
The next is to learn.
So if you want to use herbssafely and you want to use them
more in a bigger scale capacityor run an herbal business, get
some education and I'm not justsaying this because I run an
(19:49):
herbal school.
I mean there's a lot of.
I mean, if you know anythingabout herbs and you hop on some
of these different places wherepeople are selling stuff, even
big box store places, there's alot of stuff that's really not
safe out there and often that'sbecause the person was just like
, well, I'm going to throw thistogether and sell it and they
(20:09):
don't know what it does andthat's dangerous.
And in a lot of professions ifwe're doing stuff like that, it
would be problematic.
Herbalism is kind of a worldthat's self-policing.
So if nobody's saying anythingto anyone and if everyone's
ignoring this problem, then itactually gives herbalism and
(20:34):
herbalist a bad name, becausethat's what people see first.
People see those kinds ofproducts first and or go to you
know different places wherepeople are selling things that
aren't properly labeled, thatdon't have usage instructions,
that are leaving out ingredients, and so we talk to our students
all the time about label, label, label, label correctly, label
(20:57):
properly, have a batch number.
You know all the stuff thatthey suggest that you do have a
chain of.
You know where it started andhow it ended up, and I think
that that's really importantbecause you are living in a
world where you can't go backnecessarily and find the person
who made something and askquestions when you need to.
(21:19):
You know, a few hundred yearsago you would be buying from
someone who was nearby.
You weren't necessarily goingto be buying from someone who
gives you this beautiful storywho's actually not even in the
same country as you and itdoesn't look like that.
Based on what they're sayingand how they're selling their
items, you actually think likeyou're buying from someone local
(21:42):
and you're not.
So definitely, definitely,learn.
So as a consumer.
Learn what we were talkingabout and if you want to be a
practitioner, enroll yourself insome kind of education program.
Start reading, start listeningto webinars from respected
herbalists, start going to thissource of where this information
(22:07):
is from.
Look at different you knowstudies and databases and learn
how to read a study.
I mean, that's really important.
Maybe that's a good podcasttopic.
So just spend some timelearning and educating yourself
and learning what is an actualway that you want to work with
herbalism.
(22:27):
Again, you know, start withcooking, start with making teas,
start with skincare products.
You know things that you canuse easily and safely and then
learn what's safe for differentconditions and different stages
in life.
But overall, the thing that youneed to do is to purchase
safely, to source safely and touse safely, and those are the
(22:51):
best things that will help youuse herbalism in a way that's
safe and effective for yourselfand for your family.
Thank you so much for listening.
I hope you have a wonderful dayand I am definitely running my
cogs in my little brain thinkingabout other great things to
(23:11):
talk to you guys about, becausejust the topic of safety has
given me so many ideas.
So, thank you, I love you.
Have a wonderful day.
Hi, this is Demetria Clark, the director of Heart of
Herbs Herbal School, and todayyou're listening to the Heart of
Herbs Herbal School podcastToday.
Now, this episode may be alittle bit shorter than some of
the normal ones I guess it justkind of depends on how we go
with it but today I am going totalk about something that's
(00:21):
really close to my heart, andit's something that I based the
premise of a lot of my work on,and one of the reasons why I
base so much of my work on thisis because I work and have
worked exclusively at times withindividuals who are pregnant,
(00:42):
nursing, trying to get pregnantor working with children.
Although those are not the onlyclients that I've had
throughout my career, I do seemto attract a lot of people who
are pregnant or have smallchildren, and so the issue
that's really close to my heartis herbal safety, and I think
(01:17):
now you know we are at a pointwhere we're seeing a lot of AI
generated books on herbalism andthey're oh, these are so great
and they're literally people arepoisoning themselves because
these are not written oroverlooked or overseen by
someone who actually knows whatthey're talking about.
We have an idea in our culturethat herbalism is just something
(01:38):
that's really easy to beself-taught.
It is not easy to self-teachyourself.
Herbalism Can it be doneAbsolutely.
But you have to start with goodresources, and so in herbal
safety, a lot of resources comeinto play.
So when we embark upon ourjourney into herbalism, it's
(02:02):
essential to carry with us thewisdom of safety.
Nature provides us with a richtapestry of healing plants, each
with its unique properties andpotential.
Now, you have to remember,these plants have developed over
a millennia to not get eaten byus and other predators, and we
(02:24):
are plant predators.
So some of the most beautifulflowers in the world are totally
toxic.
So understanding herbal safetyis really important, and it's
crucial for anyone interested inherbal medicine.
So what you're going to want todo is to start off with familiar
(02:46):
herbs first.
So what are familiar herbs?
Well, those are herbs that youknow you can find in your
grocery store.
Those are herbs that you've hadexperience with.
They're herbs that you can findwherever you are.
They're herbs that you can findwherever you are, pretty much
(03:10):
all over the world, and I haveseen this myself personally.
You can find chamomile,peppermint and lavender herb and
herbal products.
The reasons why is becausegenerally, overall, these are
very safe.
They're generally regarded assafe and you'll sometimes see
that written as G-R-A-S, andthat's what that means in an
herbal description or herbalproduct.
(03:32):
These are excellent choicesbecause they have a long history
of being safe.
They're gentle and versatileand they're suitable for various
applications, such as teas,compresses, tinctures and even
in cooking.
A lot of your cooking herbs aregenerally regarded as safe and
(03:55):
they're generally safe, and whenthey become unsafe, it's when
we're taking them in dosagesthat they're not supposed to be
taken in and we're taking themin amounts or in ways they're
not supposed to be taken.
So something like nutmeg canpotentially have issues if you
use tons and tons of it.
The amount that you would usein a food or in herbal
(04:17):
application can generally beconsidered safe, but if you're
using you know tablespoons ofthis herb, or you're snorting
this herb or you're eating thisherb at those quantities and
higher, you could potentiallyhave issues.
That's why we have to befamiliar with these herbs.
That's why we have to learnabout these herbs and not just
(04:41):
go by something we find on theinternet and I know you're
finding me on the internet.
How rich of me, right?
We also need to understand thatthere are Latin or scientific
names.
Those are something that youneed to know.
So a lot of people will be likewell, what do I need to know
those for?
(05:01):
I'm not an herbalist, or a lotof herbalists will be like well,
what do I need to know thosefor?
I'm not an herbalist, or a lotof herbalists will be like well,
I don't need to put the Latinname on my product.
Well, first of all, you do.
That's something that ismandated by the FDA in their
food product.
It's not really okay, mandatedby the FDA.
It was an improper way to sayit, but it's how you properly
(05:24):
label herbal products.
So don't buy herbal productswhere the herbalist cannot be
bothered to put the Latin orscientific name on it.
That is part of proper labeling.
So you have to be safe whenyou're purchasing products too.
I remember being on a food eventand someone was there selling
(05:44):
beverage teas and they lookedbeautiful and they looked really
exciting, but half of them, youknow they didn't have any of
the Latin names.
Well, you know, I think one ofthe herbs was like blue
something and I'm like seriouslyLike I don't remember what it
was.
It was like blue star flower orsomething I'm like like I don't
(06:04):
remember what it was, it waslike blue star flower or
something.
I'm like, okay, that could belots of different herbs, lots of
different flowers are shapedthat way, and so that's not an
appropriate way to labelsomething.
So you're going to want to makesure that, from the beginning,
start with herbs that you'recomfortable with and that you've
heard about your whole life,because those are a great
(06:26):
gateway to get in there and tolearn.
The next thing that I reallywant you to think about and to
consider is quality overquantity.
The quality of herbs canseriously impact their
effectiveness and safety, soalways opt for organic,
sustainably sourced herbs.
This assures that your remediesare free from pesticides and
(06:48):
other toxic chemicals, allowingyou to harness their whole
healing possibility.
Look, herbalists and herbalstudents have a huge problem
with buying way too much ofsomething, and then they'll be
like um, this was so expensiveand I'm like why did you buy two
pounds?
Oh well, I thought maybe that'swhat I need.
(07:11):
You're making tincture and thenyou want some for tea.
Like that's a lot of herb.
Like two pounds of nettle driedis a massive amount of nettle.
You can reorder it again in afew months if you need to.
So you don't.
I don't suggest bulk buyingherbs unless you run like an
apothecary or something.
I don't see why students are orindividuals are purchasing
(07:37):
massive amounts of herbs.
Of course that's going to causeyour price tag to go up
significantly, even if they'relike oh, if I buy five pounds of
red clover it'll save me, youknow whatever amount per pound
or per ounce, but that's like agarbage bag size.
So it's like that's a lot.
(07:58):
I'm not really sure we needthat much.
Do you need that much in yourpersonal herbal inventory?
And maybe look at things likethat, because you will allow
yourself to buy higher qualityif you buy it in the quantities
you will actually use.
Now, if you are an individualwho goes out to eat or you know,
(08:22):
purchases coffees you knowexpensive coffees or goes out
shopping like once a week atdifferent stores just for fun, I
don't want to hear youcomplaining about not being able
to afford your herbs, becausethose are choices and we have to
remember that's quality overquantity.
So it's like how much do weneed, how much do we need to
(08:43):
consume, and that we all have totake responsibility for our
choices.
Obviously, if you don't haveany money at all.
This is a very hard thing, andsometimes you will have to go
with a lesser quality to be ableto get what you need.
But the reality is, is thistaking a step back and saying,
okay, this is how I'm going tobudget this, this is how I'm
(09:04):
going to budget this, this ishow I'm going to work with this,
and maybe I don't need 50 herbs, maybe I can start with five,
and that's a great way to lookat it and that's a great way to
really give yourself someability to experiment.
Now you can also buy herbs withfriends and do like a co-op and
break it up.
Buy herbs with friends and dolike a co-op and break it up.
(09:28):
There's lots of things that youcan do.
Mountain Rose Herbs has a lotof bulk herbs and they have you
know they have different waysthat you can purchase them and
you know so.
Their shipping is like real, sothis isn't like ordering off of
.
You know that store online thateverybody orders everything
from.
So when you're working with areal herbal company and real
(09:50):
herbalist, they're not going toget you stuff there in 12 hours.
So you have to be realistic too.
But I think sometimes knowingthe quality is much more
important than the convenience.
Now I will say one of the thingsthat I appreciate about places
like Mountain Rose Herbs is thatthey tell you where it comes
(10:11):
from.
So when it comes to me andquality, I do not purchase herbs
from countries that I do notbuy other things from.
I don't care If that's the onlyplace I can get the herb from,
I'm not buying it.
So I don't care if that's theonly place I can get the herb
from, I'm not buying it.
So I don't purchase herbs thatfrom countries that do not share
similar values on protectingthe land.
(10:32):
So like, look, if they'vegotten in trouble for putting
melamine in infant formula or introuble for not keeping
surfaces clean and drugmanufacturing, and if it's just
a place that's always having aproblem, problem, problem lead
and herbs that that has happenedrecently, I will not purchase
from them because obviouslythere's a quality control
(10:53):
problem from the source to theexport.
So someplace in there someserious stuff's happening.
So if I'm not picking it myself, I'm not, I'm not ordering from
those places.
And I understand that a companymay have like a source problem
and address it and that'swonderful.
(11:14):
But I don't believe that thatplaces where the government owns
a part of every business or themilitary owns a part of every
business, that it's in my bestinterest to necessarily have a
one-on-one trustful relationshipwith them.
I want to be able to talk tosomeone if there's a problem,
(11:35):
and so that's why I always lookat the source too.
Where does it come from?
What is that area's practices?
What does organic mean to them?
Because it's different all overthe world.
When we lived in Europe I meanthe way that things are cows
needed this much sunshine forthe butter and they were spent
(11:57):
this much out, so it wasdefinitely like a completely
different kind of environment.
So you know the French frieseven at the fast food place, all
the potatoes had to come fromthat country.
I mean, the sourcing was muchdifferent than here, and it's
different in Canada and it'sdifferent in Mexico.
So just learn a little bitabout that when you're thinking
(12:20):
about your quality over quantity.
And then, of course, we alreadymentioned this know your herbs,
so know what you're takingLatin names.
Understand what it is, sounderstand its benefits, side
effects and any reasons youshouldn't use it.
Use books and trustworthy onlineresources or talk to
(12:43):
experienced herbalists to gatherthis information.
Knowledge helps you make smartchoices about your life.
Look, I have books.
Lots of herbalists have booksout there those go through a
process of like more than oneperson before the information
gets out there right.
A lot of these AI generatedresources, a lot of these books
(13:03):
that are out there that arebeing written by AI or people's
blogs or postings on socialmedia those aren't necessarily
good research and people youknow.
I remember once some guy waslike I was giving away our book
and some guy was like, well, hasit been double blind studied?
And I was like, yeah, a lot ofthis stuff has, so there's
(13:28):
resources out there if you wantto find it.
I understand herbal research isnot as prevalent as drug
research, but the reality is, ifsomething's being used for 300
years, if there's a significantproblem, we're probably going to
know about it by now.
Another thing is to listen toyour body.
(13:48):
Our bodies are incrediblecommunicators, so pay attention
to how you feel when using anherb.
If you notice an adversereaction like oh my gosh, every
time I take this, I don't feelgood or I get diarrhea.
Gosh, every time I take this, Idon't feel good, or I get
diarrhea, or I get flutters inmy chest or I get flushed, or I
get this or I get that.
Stop using it.
(14:09):
This isn't a healing crisis.
This isn't.
You know, and lots of thingsdon't work for people for
different reasons.
Some people can't, you know,digest certain kinds of grains
and if that herb is from thatgrain family, maybe it's not
going to work from them.
You know, like it's reallypractical stuff here, right?
If something isn't working, askyourself why.
(14:31):
If it isn't making you feelgood, ask yourself why.
Maybe there's a reason for that.
A lot of people will say, oh,it's a healing crisis and you
need to get a lot worse, to geta lot better, or you need to
purge your body's toxic.
First of all, bodies are nottoxic.
We may have toxic stuff andhave been putting toxic stuff
(14:52):
into them, but the best way toclean out your body is by taking
care of it, of it.
So the reality is is that, youknow, I really don't like it
when people are like oh, I, youknow, I got a really bad rash
taking this, you know infusedoil or something.
And then people are like, oh,it's just a healing crisis,
(15:12):
you're fine, keep putting it onyour body.
No, that's your body sayingthis isn't working for me now
for one reason or another.
So each person's body isdifferent and what works for one
may not work for another.
So people also get reallyoffended if they suggest
something to another person thatworks really well for them, and
they almost get mad at theother person if it doesn't work
(15:34):
for them.
So some people can usesomething for a headache and
their headache's gone and youknow, like a tincture of
rosemary, and it works reallywell for them and other people
it does nothing for them andthey need a different kind of
herb, but that has nothing to dowith the person that suggested
it to you.
So don't take it personally.
If you, you, you know you makea suggestion or you're working
(15:57):
with someone and you're oryou're researching something and
you're like it works for, likeall these 50 other people, why
doesn't it work for me?
Well, it could be quality, itcould be how it's formulated.
It could also be that it's justnot the right fit for your body
, and so really having somerespect and listening to your
body is really important.
We believe in one one shot,real quick fixes, and the
(16:28):
reality is is those don't?
Those don't really exist.
The way that those exist arethrough surgery right, we are
incredible surgical mechanics,but drugs, herbs, foods all
interact differently, so we needto make sure that we understand
the herb and respect a person'sresponse to offer them a safe
(16:52):
and effective herbal experience,and so you do that for yourself
too.
Another great way to work withherbs safely is to incorporate
them into your daily life, soherbs can seamlessly be
integrated into your dailyroutine, and the best way to do
this is cooking.
If you're not sure aboutcooking with herbs, then go buy
(17:16):
some spice blends to start.
I give gifts out to people whoare.
You know they'll eat somethingat my house and I love cooking,
like food from all over theworld, and I use all kinds of
herbs and spices.
You know, I sometimes joke thatI would have loved to have been
like a chef, and being a chefand being an herbalist in some
(17:39):
ways are very similar with theway that you find things that
work synergistically together tocreate a different kind of
experience, and so I will sendpeople like herb spice kits,
like you know, mediterraneanblend and this blend and this
(18:00):
blend.
And Northern, you know,moroccan, you know this, you
know.
So people can have theexperience of really learning
about herbs and cooking.
And then there's also thehealth benefits of those herbs
and they become part of yourfood, part of your nutrition.
It's super easy for people andthen you have success, you feel
(18:23):
good.
So you're like okay, maybe I'mgoing to try making some teas,
maybe I'm going to try to makesome homemade skincare, and it's
really an easy way, when westart incorporating herbs into
our daily life, to take the nextsteps.
It kind of opens people up todifferent ideas of what
herbalism is, because herbalismisn't just one thing.
(18:44):
I have heard that herbalism iseverything from witchcraft to
bunk science, to the thing thatsaved and gave me back my life,
to the way I control my hormonesor my depression or whatever.
(19:05):
Herbs are different to everyone.
So incorporating them into yourlife in a way that works for
you not only holisticallysupports your body and your
health, but it deepens yourconnection with nature, because
maybe you'll notice more herbswhen you're out and about or
plant some more in your gardenor, you know, you'll just have a
(19:27):
little bit more fun with herbsand look at and use herbs in a
different way.
The next is to learn.
So if you want to use herbssafely and you want to use them
more in a bigger scale capacityor run an herbal business, get
some education and I'm not justsaying this because I run an
(19:49):
herbal school.
I mean there's a lot of.
I mean, if you know anythingabout herbs and you hop on some
of these different places wherepeople are selling stuff, even
big box store places, there's alot of stuff that's really not
safe out there and often that'sbecause the person was just like
, well, I'm going to throw thistogether and sell it and they
(20:09):
don't know what it does andthat's dangerous.
And in a lot of professions ifwe're doing stuff like that, it
would be problematic.
Herbalism is kind of a worldthat's self-policing.
So if nobody's saying anythingto anyone and if everyone's
ignoring this problem, then itactually gives herbalism and
(20:34):
herbalist a bad name, becausethat's what people see first.
People see those kinds ofproducts first and or go to you
know different places wherepeople are selling things that
aren't properly labeled, thatdon't have usage instructions,
that are leaving out ingredients, and so we talk to our students
all the time about label, label, label, label correctly, label
(20:57):
properly, have a batch number.
You know all the stuff thatthey suggest that you do have a
chain of.
You know where it started andhow it ended up, and I think
that that's really importantbecause you are living in a
world where you can't go backnecessarily and find the person
who made something and askquestions when you need to.
(21:19):
You know, a few hundred yearsago you would be buying from
someone who was nearby.
You weren't necessarily goingto be buying from someone who
gives you this beautiful storywho's actually not even in the
same country as you and itdoesn't look like that.
Based on what they're sayingand how they're selling their
items, you actually think likeyou're buying from someone local
(21:42):
and you're not.
So definitely, definitely,learn.
So as a consumer.
Learn what we were talkingabout and if you want to be a
practitioner, enroll yourself insome kind of education program.
Start reading, start listeningto webinars from respected
herbalists, start going to thissource of where this information
(22:07):
is from.
Look at different you knowstudies and databases and learn
how to read a study.
I mean, that's really important.
Maybe that's a good podcasttopic.
So just spend some timelearning and educating yourself
and learning what is an actualway that you want to work with
herbalism.
(22:27):
Again, you know, start withcooking, start with making teas,
start with skincare products.
You know things that you canuse easily and safely and then
learn what's safe for differentconditions and different stages
in life.
But overall, the thing that youneed to do is to purchase
safely, to source safely and touse safely, and those are the
(22:51):
best things that will help youuse herbalism in a way that's
safe and effective for yourselfand for your family.
Thank you so much for listening.
I hope you have a wonderful dayand I am definitely running my
cogs in my little brain thinkingabout other great things to
(23:11):
talk to you guys about, becausejust the topic of safety has
given me so many ideas.
So, thank you, I love you.
Have a wonderful day.
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