Herbal Medicine & Recipes

Spring Cleansing with Herbs – Bitter Tonics Herald Ancient Rite of Spring

February 17, 2024

Cleansing tonics are an ancient rite of spring that reflects the season’s central theme of self-renewal. By definition, a tonic is an infusion of herbs...

Green Medicine for Menopause ~ Herbs to the Rescue

June 28, 2023

Whew, the summer heat is on and nobody feels it more than a menopausal woman. Trust me on that. When beads of sweat start to...

Herbs for Detox – Spring Cleansing with Plant Medicines Can Revitalize Energy

February 19, 2023

Feeling lethargic lately? Tired when you get up and exhausted by the time you get home at night? Or are you just plain low on...

The Joy of Ginger: Pungent Spice Brings Hot Medicine to Western Kitchens

February 1, 2023

When I was a kid my favorite cookies were grandma’s homemade gingersnaps which grandpa and I couldn’t resist dunking in our afternoon tea. Other than...

Sprouts: The Miracle Food You Can Grow Year-Round At Home

February 1, 2023

In the cold winter months there is a great way to access fresh, organic greens grown right in your own kitchen – sprouts! To get...

My 10 Favorite Detox Remedies – Herbs, Foods, and Strategies

April 4, 2022

The arrival of spring always brings the urge to detoxify the body as an annual ritual and fresh start. Many people take it upon themselves...

Chinese Herbs for Mouth and Lip Sores – Cankers, Cold Sores and more

February 1, 2022

Sores and skin rashes of all types cause us considerable discomfort, but none as much as those that affect the mouth and lips. These sores...

Lavender Essential Oil ~ For Relief from Depression, Pain, and Burns

December 22, 2021

Soon after I moved to British Columbia, Canada, I went for a leisurely drive to a town about an hour away, down a winding, scenic...

Change of Season Soup: Hearty Lung-Cleansing Food as Medicine

October 30, 2021

(Updated October 30, 2021) Our public health care system, which is largely influenced by its profit-driven suppliers, is based on the paradigm of treating the...

Herb of the Year: Parsley – A Nutrient Powerhouse

July 1, 2021

It may come as a surprise to learn that the ubiquitous herb we call parsley was the favorite pasture cover of the Greek gods, who...

Elecampane: A Powerful Herb for Lung Health and Cancer Prevention

June 3, 2021

Having harvested herbs in the wild for many years now, I think one of the most valuable herbs I’ve ever come across is that of...

Restore Free Breathing Naturally for Better Respiratory Health

April 28, 2021

In our modern 21st century lifestyle we have the misfortune to be exposed to many toxins on a daily basis through our environment, from overexposure...

Humble Horseradish: Pungent Root Medicine

December 4, 2020

As a traditional herbalist and food writer, I have long been interested in the healing power of food and the benefits of plant medicine. Horseradish...

Fragrant Spices Bring Heat and Medicine to Winter Dining

December 3, 2020

(Updated November 23, 2020: Endorsed by the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition) The culinary and medicinal powers of spices have been known by herbalists, healers,...

Cooking with Cannabis: Strategies and Recipes by Pat Crocker

November 16, 2020

(Updated Nov. 16, 2020) It is a different experience ingesting Cannabis than smoking it, but certainly not a new one. Legend has it that the...

Spring Detox with Wild Herbs and Weeds

May 1, 2020

There are many ways to detoxify the body, and for a herbalist the favourite strategy involves medicinal plants. From my perspective, weeds and wild herbs...

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