This “juice” is a veggie and herb packed meal and is super refreshing on a hot day. There aren’t a lot of rules here, and it’s a great way to pack in the herbs in an easy to take and delicious way. In fact, you can get up to the equivalent of 20 capsules (5g) of herbs in one cup of juice! Ingredients: ·        Vegetable or tomato juice ·        Dried spice blend, such as the “cognitive spice blend” from Spice Apothecary, which is a mix of: 2P holy basil 1P rosemary ½ P turmeric ½ P mint ½ part thyme 1/8  P ..read more

Powerful natural medicines are already in your home: Evidence and use for medicinal spices This underestimation of the power of culinary herbs and spices is a cultural trait it appears globally. Could something so medicinal could taste this good? Could something our grandmothers and grandfathers did every day without questioning could be so fundamental to health? While we love the flavors of spices, the benefits are far more than an extra bit of delight in our bowl. Spices play a significant historical and contemporary role in human health and disease which is often vastly under-estimated. A ..read more

Hops! It’s bitter, it’s beautiful, and it’s a powerful medicine and it’s even been called “wicked and pernicious” like the best of us. Known as a central ingredient in beer, the bitter hops first appeared in cultivation in the mid eighth century in Germany, and it became a controversial herb in England before being widely accepted by brewers.  Eventually it became part of the herbalist’s garden medicine.   Hops! Beautiful, powerful and “wicked and pernicious” Brewing beverages from grains dates back as far as 7000 BCE China.  Ale, made from malted barley,  preserved and se ..read more

Not only does it have magically varied leaves which look like mittens, bark which tastes like a sweet and spicy heaven and leaves which can thicken up spicy stews like nothing else, it’s also a wonderful medicinal tonic.   Native to the eastern United States, Sassafras (Sassafras albidum) is a deciduous tree that ranges from southern Ontario to central Florida and as far west as eastern portions of Oklahoma and Texas.  A distinctive feature is that it has three different leaf shapes on the same tree, including the unique mitten-shaped leaf.    Sassafras has a long history ..read more

Did you know that "Pumpkin Spice" isn't entirely misguided from a health standpoint? This time of year ‘pumpkin spice’ flavored food items are everywhere. While many are packed with sugar and barely a nod to the spices, there are loads of ways to fill your day with these tasty spice-y items. Pumpkin flesh (or any orange squash) is an ideal food for your body in the change from summer to fall, offering intense nutrients, vitamins and minerals which are perfect for the seasonal transition. The spices offer warming and support for digestion and metabolism.  For tea drinkers it’s a perfect ti ..read more

This year we braved the crowds and CBD salad croutons to try all of the things at the annual Natural Products Expo in Baltimore, MD. While I try to make it every year this was the first year I have ever taken the kids. Besides being adequate Sherpa of samples, they also were surprisingly discerning consumers and very much the target audience for a lot of the products there. I’d honestly guess we tasted and tried products from close to 500 vendors (!!!). Every year has trends and this year we saw a ton of CBD products which were totally off the wall. Everything keto and paleo (at least a dozen ..read more

The dried peel of mandarin or clementine oranges (Citrus reticulata) and of tangerines (C. tangerina) is used in Chinese medicine as a warming digestive bitter.  It regulates Qi in the body and helps move a sluggish or stagnant digestive system.  It helps resolve “Rebellious Qi”—conditions such as GERD, hiccoughs, and nausea or vomiting.  It dries dampness in the digestive system and calms flatulence.  It is also sometimes used for cold-damp coughs and as a liver tonic.  The mandarin orange peel goes by the name Chen Pi, and if used green (unripe), which is sligh ..read more

Guo Lao, “venerable national treasure” is the nickname given to licorice (Glycerrhiza uralensis or G. glabra) because of its popularity and its ability to harmonize other herbs in a formula.  The actual Chinese name for this sweet rhizome is Gan Cao.  This herb tonifies Qi, is anti-inflammatory, and has adaptogen-like qualities, helping to regulate the nervous, endocrine, and immune systems.  It clears heat and toxicity while acting as a moistening agent to tissues. For the respiratory system Gan Cao soothes sore throats, is antitussive for dry, spasmo ..read more

Do you like goji berries? Goji berries and the juice made from them have become popular the U.S., but they are actually a traditional Chinese medicinal food, known by the name Gou Qi Zi.  The botanical name, Lycium chinense, or L. barbarum, is sometimes called Chinese wolfberry.  It is a perennial shrub that grows well in fertile soil of zones 2-7, and can easily be grown in your yard like other berries.  Harvest begins mid-summer. In Chinese Medicine goji berries are used as a nutritive and blood tonic and are often used in longevity formulas.  Not only ar ..read more

Zizyphus always sounds like an adorable, oversized, fuzzy monster to me ? but it's a delicous, medicine fruit commonly consumed here in China. How common? This photo is from Walmart here in Beijing (!). The jujube fruit from the Zizyphus jujuba tree is used in traditional Chinese medicine  to nourish digestion and as a Qi and blood tonic.  The fruit, Da Zao (black fruit) or Hong Sao (red fruit), and the Seed, Suan Zao Ren, have separate properties but are often used together as food.  The fruit is anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, nutritive, and ..read more