Herbal Aphrodisiacs | Tea Talks Roundtable
*Disclaimer – This episode explores themes of sexual nature and may not be suitable for all audiences.*
Herbal Aphrodisiacs | Tea Talks Roundtable
In this “Tea Talks Roundtable,” Jiling discusses Herbal Aphrodisiacs with herbalists Kimberly Gallagher, Lucretia Vandyke, Marie White, and jim mcdonald.
We explore:
Defining “aphrodisiac”
“Aphrodisiac” herbal actions and examples
How we can make space for pleasure as a culture
Delicious aphrodisiac recipes
Botanical lubricants
Topical kava preparations
Some beautiful sensual poetry
Blind Herbal Taste Test with Erika Galentin
Our senses can tell us a lot about herbs. They can indicate freshness, give us clues about how they work in the body, and if you listen closely enough, how well they align with our individual bodies. Our dear friend, Erika Galentin, came for a visit to our headquarters in Eugene, Oregon to share how a practice of blind taste testing can be a powerful tool in getting to know our botanical allies, even when we think we already know them. She takes us through the process of using each sense and offers helpful prompts for us to consider along the way.
Are My Herbs Irradiated?! Learn About Irradiation in Our Food System & How to Avoid It
Irradiation of food is a topic that is increasingly showing up as a point of concern for Mountain Rose customers, so I want to take a minute to talk about this timely subject. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of food irradiation in 1963 to kill bacteria, molds, insects, etc. in wheat and flour. Today, the FDA has approved irradiation for fruits, vegetables, eggs in the shell, spices and seasonings, sprouting seeds, poultry, crustaceans and shellfish, and red meats. Food irradiation involves exposing foods to one of three different types of ionizing radiation: gamma rays from cobalt-60, x-rays, or electron beams. The FDA uses this technology to improve food safety and extend storage and shelf life. Meanwhile, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Organics Program (NOP), which oversees the nation’s organics labeling, prohibits the use of irradiation to treat organic products because the process alters the natural state of food. These two opposing views present consumers with something of a conundrum.
7 Best Herbs for Natural Hair Care
Since time immemorial, people have looked to herbs to support healthy, beautiful hair. In the modern world, however, mainstream haircare products are typically made from chemicals: including sulfates, parabens, synthetic fragrances, formaldehyde, phthalates like DEHP, and other toxic ingredients. When we use these products, we increase our exposure to potentially harmful chemicals every time we wash and/or style our hair. It behooves us to take a look at natural herbal haircare practices. As well as being chemical-free, the best haircare herbs are time-tested; they have been used by humans for thousands of years. Herbal blends, infusions, extracts, and other botanical formulations bring the power of nature to nourish and stimulate the scalp, strengthen and moisturize follicles, soften hair, restore shine and bounce, help with manageability, and more.
For many of us, the prevalence of chemicals in our hair and skin care products has become personal. Diagnosed multiple chemical sensitivities (MCS) have increased by over 300% since 2008. Symptoms can include skin rashes, burning or watery eyes, increased or irregular heartbeat, migraine headaches, dizziness, asthma symptoms, breathing issues, swollen lymph nodes, muscle or joint pain, and more. Worse, some of the chemicals regularly used in over-the-counter haircare products are known endocrine disruptors and are linked to cancers, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, metabolic issues, and problems in pregnancy. Regular use of these products exposes us bit by bit to chemicals that accumulate.
Intro to Chinese Medicine, with Toby Daly | Tea Talks with Jiling
Toby began studying East Asian medicine in 1997 with Sunim Doam, a Korean monk trained in the Saam tradition. In 2016, he completed a PhD in Classical Chinese Medicine under the guidance of 88th generation Daoist priest Jeffrey Yuen. Toby just published his first book this April, “An Introduction to Chinese Medicine: A Patient’s Guide to Acupuncture, Herbal Medicine, Nutrition, & More”. It offers a concise overview of the landscape and therapeutic potential of traditional East Asian medicine.
Jiling and Toby discuss Chinese herbal medicine, nourishing life (yang sheng 養生) East Asian medicine seasonal considerations for diet and exercise, yin-yang, and more!
Visit Toby Daly at FlourishMedicine.com and ChineseNutritionApp.com
What is a Hydrosol? + 10 of Our Favorites
Herbalists love hydrosols for their ease of use and versatility in aromatherapy, body care formulations, therapeutic applications, cosmetics, and more. They add variety and scope to our herbal practices and we appreciate the added safety they give us when working with children, elders, and pets. But what exactly are hydrosols, is one as good as another, and how do you use them? We’re excited to tell you more about these distilled botanical extracts, plus we’ve got good tips on best uses and some suggestions about which ones you might like best.
10 Ways to Use Hydrosols + Our Favorites
Hydrosols are high quality, distilled botanical extracts, not to be confused with the “floral waters” you might have seen for sale that are often just water combined with essential oils. Hydrosols are beloved by the herbal community for their ease of use and versatility in aromatherapy, herbal body care formulations, therapeutic applications, cosmetics, and household recipes. They add variety and scope to our herbal practices, and we appreciate the added safety they give us when working with children, elders, and pets. Although they are made using the same distillation process as essential oils, they are more sustainable because distillers get significantly more hydrosol per distillation. But not all hydrosols are created equally. We’re excited to tell you more about these lovely plant waters.
Bulk Ingredients That Save Money, Reduce Waste, & Promote Resiliency
I love the peace of knowing that I have both the skills and stock on hand to thrive in most of the situations life throws my way. I can confidently rely on my resourcefulness and forethought to help me whether I can’t get to the grocery store for a bit, need to pinch some pennies, or just ran out of laundry soap. The efforts that I put into this lifestyle are also in line with my sustainability goals and significantly reduce the waste generated from my household.
I wouldn’t consider myself a “prepper” by any means, but I do think of myself as an experienced bulk buyer and a sustainability-minded person. In addition to improved resiliency, bulk purchasing also saves a ton of money and resources. Let’s use dried organic basil leaf as an example. A store-bought bottle of organic basil leaf is roughly $8.00 per ounce. A four-ounce bag of basil leaf that you can use to refill into your own upcycled bottles is $7.25 at Mountain Rose Herbs. That would be about $32.00 if you bought that much at the grocery store. I don’t know about you, but I go through more than one bottle of basil leaf a year, and with that kind of cost savings, I can even afford to share it with my friends and family if I couldn’t use it all myself.
The Art of Culinary Creations
Food is art. It is an art blended from culture and experience, passion, and appetite. But only fresh and vibrant spices can truly make your culinary creations come to life. Mountain Rose Herbs has provided farm-fresh organic spices since 1987 and continues to be the supplier of choice for home cooks and professional chefs alike.
The Importance And Limitations Of Scientific Research For Herbalists
Learning to read and assess scientific research articles is an important skill for the modern herbalist. The information is literally at our fingertips, however, we do need to know how to interpret it. As herbalists, our information is scrutinized. Someone can be on seven medications with dangerous side effects, but when something goes wrong, it will be blamed on the lavender in their deodorant. If we make the wrong claims, we can risk serious repercussions.
