Katja Swift
A while back, a person who listens to our podcast wrote me a letter asking,…
Read MoreThe skills you need to be confident and prepared to care for yourself, your family,…
Read MoreHere are some of the delicious gluten-free, dairy-free, soy/corn/other things-free treats I made for the…
Read MoreThis is an email I just wrote to our Advanced Students. I read several different…
Read MoreRed clover (Trifolium pratense) is this week’s herb of the week! Infused With Nutrients This…
Read MoreReishi (Ganoderma lucidum) is actually a mushroom and not a plant – but hey, the…
Read MoreThis week’s #herboftheweek is yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis)! A caffeine-bearing plant from South America, this…
Read MoreIn honor of Clara, the awesome editor of our new book, this week marshmallow (Althaea…
Read MoreViolet (Viola odorata) is one of the first plants up in the spring, and we’re…
Read MoreWhite pine is one of my very favorite herbal teas – it’s so delicious! “Like…
Read MoreNext week is the Boston Marathon, and we’re prepping for a class on runner’s health…
Read MoreCentaury (Centaurium erythraea) was Ryn’s very first “herb of the month” when he began studying…
Read MoreThe common plantain plants – Plantago major & P. rugelii & P. lanceolata – are…
Read MoreThis week’s featured herb is meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria)! A Boon for Braces Meadowsweet has been…
Read MoreGarden basil (Ocimum basilicum) may seem like just an ingredient in pesto, but wait! There’s…
Read MoreCalamus (Acorus calamus) is this week’s herb of the week! There is so much amazing…
Read MoreAlso known as basswood, lime flower, and tilleul, linden – Tilia spp. – is our…
Read MoreSage is the other plant in our logo – lavender for me, and sage for…
Read MoreLavender is one of the plants in our logo, and has been since I began…
Read MoreThe St. John’s Wort card in my oracle deck says: blooming at the height of…
Read MoreWinter is the Fennel time of year! Fennel is a warming herb that improves digestion…
Read MoreIf you listened to last Friday’s podcast, you know that Ryn was sick last week…
Read MoreAshwagandha is one of my very favorite herbs: it supports the adrenals and other endocrine…
Read MoreIf you’re an herbalist, there are two things you probably love: Mason Jars and Herbal…
Read MoreHawthorn is often categorized as an “exhilarant” in old herbal literature – strongly uplifting to…
Read MoreOMG, these are delicious! This all started because I saw a recipe for Paleo Pecan…
Read MoreSelf Heal, Prunella vulgaris, is one of those plants that seems able to do everything.…
Read MoreWinter’s coming here in the Northeast, and along with that comes the standard “seasons changing”…
Read MoreExcited about the prospect of going to Herb School, but not sure how to pay…
Read MoreGround Ivy, Glechoma hederacea, is a small, unassuming little plant. You might know it as…
Read MoreI didn’t really understand Angelica until I went to Iceland, but since then, I can’t…
Read Moreas herbalists, we are closely tied to the plants, and to the cycles of the…
Read MoreA lot of people think of Roses when they think of Valentine’s Day, but there…
Read MoreNettle is one of the most-loved herbs – and there’s so much to love! For…
Read MoreMullein is a fuzzy plant that starts out small, but in its second year can…
Read MoreThyme remains one of my very favorite herbs for colds, the flu, and other respiratory…
Read MoreThere’s so much to say about Ginger, so I’ll start with something unexpected: believe it…
Read MoreYarrow, Achillea millefolium, is a warrior’s plant. Named for Achilles, the mythological Greek hero of…
Read MoreI once had a client who said, “and don’t you go telling me I need…
Read MoreGoldenrod, Solidago spp., is a super important herb in our apothecary. It’s delicious and so…
Read MoreElder, Sambucus canadensis, nigra, is one of our favorite herbs. You may have heard that…
Read MorePurple loosestrife, Lythrum salicaria, is an under-appreciated herb, and it’s been villianized with the tag…
Read MoreCalendula is the herbal (and botanical) name for pot marigold: Calendula officinalis. It’s not only…
Read MoreLast year Ryn went to Coal River Valley, West Virginia as part of an Herbal…
Read MoreI recently told a friend that I’m getting braces and I thought she’d make some…
Read MoreCheck out the whole Herbal Holidays video playlist here!
Read MoreAn herbal tribute to the Spring Equinox! There are more free videos for you at…
Read MoreFor those of us who are actively experimenting and taking action to improve our health,…
Read MoreEven if you avoid gluten and dairy products, sometimes you still want a bagel and…
Read MoreThis year, we’ve been making short herbal videos to celebrate every holiday we can think…
Read MoreAs an herbalist in these times, the reality is that we deal with trauma, and…
Read MoreOk, you guys. I’ve been eating WAY too much sugar lately, and it’s time to…
Read MoreIf the first thing we think when we hear the words self-harm is something like…
Read MoreUsually, when you hear the words “harm reduction”, you’re thinking about illegal drugs or perhaps…
Read MoreAs promised in the post about moving your body in spite of body issues, here…
Read MoreI LOVE Katy Bowman. Like, a lot. Like, I wish I could buy a house…
Read MoreGinger Chamomile is my favorite after dinner or bedtime tea. Today I decided to try…
Read MoreYesterday, we were really craving oatmeal raisin cookies, but I typically avoid oats, even gluten…
Read MoreOMG. This morning I was getting some groceries, and there were apple fritters for some…
Read MoreGluten free? Dairy free? Paleo? Yup! These Raspberry Cream Cheese Danishes are exactly what you…
Read MoreWhy should you carry a first aid kit? Think about the places you go every…
Read MoreHi. My name is Katja. I’m a total Trainwreck. Hi, Katja…
Read MoreWell, the February Farm Food project is over. Our meat still comes from Chestnut Farms,…
Read MoreThe original varicose veins post is by far the most popular thing on this blog.…
Read MoreStanding desks are all the rage, and we love ours. Recently I’ve seen several Kickstarter…
Read MoreWell, it’s the middle of the month, and this project has been quite a project…
Read MoreI was just writing to a client about ways to increase coconut oil in her…
Read MoreThe first week of our Farm Food February project has been very successful, and very…
Read MoreEach year, our students do projects related to food, lifestyle, sleep, and more. All of…
Read MoreWhether you’re an herbalist or a parent (or a teacher, or anyone who works to…
Read MoreTonight, we’re teaching our Food Allergies for the Holidays class – we teach it every…
Read MoreOur dog… You know, some people love fine wines. Some people appreciate fancy truffle oil.…
Read MoreYou can tell a lot about a person from what’s in their teacup. Here’s a…
Read MoreLove muffins? Tired of eggs and bacon for breakfast? Committed to sticking to your paleo*…
Read MoreIt’s almost Thanksgiving and that means, among other things, PUMPKIN! Pie isn’t the only thing…
Read MoreI teach, a lot. Life as a teacher essentially means being on stage, most of…
Read MoreWords are pretty amazing things. We can use them to make people feel good about…
Read MoreWhen I was a kid, we had “Mr. Yuk” stickers. Mr. Yuk was a sickly…
Read MoreThis week, one of my pharmacy students stayed after class to ask for help. She…
Read MoreToday my Pharmacy students and I tried out a Thanksgiving experiment. Last week two students…
Read MoreChai is delicious. But it’s even better when your Chai will get you through your…
Read MoreThe holiday season is fast-approaching (if you’re a parent of a trick-or-treater, it’s just nearly…
Read MoreOMG, you have to make these cookies. I’m really not kidding! We just got back…
Read MoreWhen I was a kid, my mom sent us out to play. We went out…
Read MoreHerbal remedies are often much better choices for illness than over-the-counter or prescription pharmaceuticals. It’s…
Read MoreSleep is absolutely critical to good health. While we sleep, we repair damaged tissue (including…
Read MoreOur last post was on cultivating your child’s inner foodie: here is one of the…
Read MoreFood is the absolute number one most important factor in a person’s health. In my…
Read MoreWhen we become parents, we suddenly realize, kids don’t come with instruction manuals! But let’s…
Read MoreLooking for a fail-proof cup of tea? Look no further! Linden and Tulsi can turn…
Read MoreMaybe the thought of eating liver, kidney, and heart makes you say “gag me with…
Read MoreMy 9-year-old daughter Amber is gluten-free, casein-free, soy-free, and most of the time, paleo. She…
Read MoreMineral deficiency is rampant in our society – depleted soils mean that our fruits and…
Read MoreFish is a challenge for me. Where I grew up in Texas, fish choices were…
Read MoreWhen my daughter was born, she had very severe eczema. Eczema is almost always related…
Read MoreSolomon’s Seal is a favorite herb around here. We love it for any kind of…
Read MoreYour family has great traditions for the holidays, and you don’t have to miss out!…
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