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I was reading an article last week about PSA being an ineffective marker for testing for prostate cancer. This morning I was thinking about chronic pain affecting simple daily habits and fibromyalgia. And at the breakfast table I blurted out, Medical testing is the new Snake Oil.
Read MoreWhen you take a class at the CommonWealth School of Herbal Medicine, like as not, you’ll sit on the floor. Oh, don’t worry, we have a table and even a “comfy chair” if you’re feeling squishy. But in general, we much prefer to have a seat on a cushion on the floor. Why? Like most…
Read MoreOne of the biggest challenges for families who are eliminating grains and dairy and/or limiting carbohydrate intake is what to put in children’s lunchboxes. Making this problem even more difficult is that most schools have nut-free policies, so one obvious staple is immediately out. (I definitely think schools should be a safe place for all…
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Katja’s recent article on the [mis]conception of “cure” in our culture reminded me of a related thought, one that comes to mind whenever I see another “Cancer Cure Found!?” headline. And since everything’s more concise in couplets: when fleshly red turns tumor-black, of this you may be sure: though whitecoat’s works may push it back,…
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I can’t believe this wasn’t the very first thing we posted. How did we miss it? Nettle and Friends is our very favorite tea – it’s the first thing I think of in nearly every situation. It’s high-mineral, high-vitamin, and full of anti-oxidants. It’s good for your kidneys, your liver, your blood, your lymph, even…
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We all have stress. I have very few friends who aren’t working two jobs, or working while raising kids, or scraping by month to month, or even [not-so-]simply trying to figure out where their lives are taking them. And that’s all before we get to the nightly news’ quotidian catastrophe, or the pundits’ panic, or…
Read MoreA fellow called me the other day to talk about vitiglio, asking whether I could do something about it. I began to explain that vitiglio is an auto-immune condition, and so the majority of my protocol for working with him would be similar to those for other autoimmune conditions, and that we may also add…
Read MoreYou’ve heard of Sage (Salvia off.) used as a throat gargle, an antiseptic mouthwash, you know it’s good for headaches. You’ve used it to help weaning mothers dry off their milk supply, and women in menopause ease the transition. An aid to digestion before, during, or after a meal, not to mention a tasty addition…
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Almost every herbalist I know has a “root beer” tea variation. Here’s mine (numbers are “parts”): 2 sarsaparilla 2 sassafras 2 ashwagandha 2 eleuthero 2 ginger 1 licorice 1/2 kava This is a great-tasting, grounding blend that really roots you in your body and gets you ready to use it. Sarsaparilla and sassafras support healthy…
Read MoreAn update to this post has, at long last, been written! You’ll find it here. Comments on this post will no longer be attended. Varicose veins run in my family. I had one near my knee already when I was in college, and over the years, especially while I was pregnant, I developed quite a…
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