HerbMentor Radio

Dr. James Duke: Herbs of the Bible

herbmentor — Mon, 07 May 2012 20:15:00 +0000

Dr. James Duke is an ethnobotantist with a Ph.D. in botany from UNC, served with Missouri Botanical Garden in his earlier years, and for over 3 decades in several posts with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He was chief of the Medicinal Plant Resources Laboratory and chief of the USDA’s Economic Botany Lab. One of the most frequented part of the USDA website is his ethnobotanical and phytochemical database he created before retiring.

Dr. Duke has written more than 30 books including the best selling Green Pharmacy, Dr. Duke’s Essential Herbs, Herbs of the Bible, Handbook of Edible Weeds, Duke’s Handbook of Medicinal Plants of Latin America, and Peterson’s Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs: Of Eastern and Central North America. He’s also spent years exploring the ecology and culture of the Amazon Rain Forest.

Dr. Duke is currently updating the third edition of the Peterson’s guide. He mainly care takes the Green Farmacy Garden with his wife Peggy and volunteers.

Sean Donahue: Herbs and Magic

herbmentor — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 18:44:01 +0000

Sean Donahue is a traditional herbalist and poet. Sean’s primary teachers have been the wild and feral plants growing in the forests, fields, and swamps around him. He has trusted his own health completely to the plants since they first began helping him begin to heal the asthma he struggled with since childhood. For Sean, magic, medicine, and poetry are all expressions of a deep connection to the living Earth, and personal, cultural, and ecological healing are inextricably linked. He is currently working on his first book, a guide to plants for the underworld journey. He identifies deeply with the traditions of the edge dwellers – those who live in the places where the human and wild meet, bridging the worlds.

Bevin Clare: An HerbMentor Q&A

herbmentor — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 17:37:55 +0000

Bevin Clare, M.S., LDN, CNS, RH(AHG), is a clinical herbalist and nutritionist with a deep love of plants. Bevin holds a M.S. in Infectious Disease from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, with her thesis research conducted at the NIA (National Institute on Aging) at the National Institutes of Health, and a B.S. in ethnobotany from Lesley University. She has studied herbal medicine around the world and blends her knowledge of traditional uses of plants with modern science and contemporary healthcare strategies.

Bevin is the Clinical Division Chair of the Masters of Science in Herbal Medicine Program at Tai Sophia Institute in Laurel, MD, a 2.5 year clinical training program in Herbal Medicine. She also serves on the faculty of the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy, is on the board of directors of United Plant Savers, is co-director of the Herbal Clinic for All, and lectures nationally. Bevin is a professional member of the American Herbalist Guild, where she serves as vice-president.

In this episode of HerbMentor Radio, Bevin answers over a dozen HerbMentor member submitted questions. Topics include her favorite herbs, tinctures, herbs for recovering from surgery, herbs for the aging, adrenal herbs and MUCH more.

Nome McBride: Life & Times of an Herb Farmer and Xtreme Wildcrafter

herbmentor — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 19:49:14 +0000

Nome McBride is an herbalist, farmer, wildcrafter and medicine maker from Eugene, Oregon. He grew up farming in Indiana and was making tinctures in his parent’s garage before he could drive. Nome founded Pharmacopia Herbals in 2004, whose original name was Under the Yew Botanicals.

You can find Nome’s book, the Herbal Preparations Books, along with hundreds of products Pharmacopia Herbals creates at PharmacopiaHerbals.com.

Down There: An Intimate Conversation with Susun Weed

herbmentor — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 19:56:19 +0000

This is a replay of the November 17, 2011 HerbMentor webinar with Susun and John. After the class, Susun answered as many HerbMentor member questions as she could in the time available.

Celebrating her new book, Susun covered…

Approaching sexual and reproductive health the Wise Woman Way
A simple way to cut your risk of ovarian cancer in half
The truth about PSA (Prostate-specific antigen) tests
What to do if you are diagnosed with HPV
An amazing secret about your clitoris
The best herb for staying juicy, increasing libido, and amping up performance in bed
Prostate health ideas
Lots more…

This is a conversation for men and women.

Todd Caldecott Interview: Ancient Medicine in a Modern World

herbmentor — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 18:50:26 +0000

Todd Caldecott is a Medical Herbalist and practitioner of Ayurvedic medicine, author of Ayurveda: The Divine Science of Life and Food as Medicine: The Theory and Practice of Food, and is an editor of a text on Nepalese ethnobotany called Ayurveda in Nepal. Todd teaches and practices in the Vancouver, BC area in Canada. He also works as a consultant in the natural products industry. Todd was also the Director of Clinical Herbal Studies at Wild Rose College and is a professional member of the American Herbalist Guild. Todd’s practice integrates Western Clinical Herbalism with Ayurveda and the synthesis results in an insightful look at Western herbalism from a unique perspective.

Roy Upton Interview

herbmentor — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 21:26:56 +0000

Roy Upton, RH, DAy has been working and practicing professionally as an herbalist since 1981. Trained in ayurvedic, Chinese, and western herbal medicine traditions, Roy is the founder, executive director, and editor of the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia, is a co-founder, past president, and vice-president of the American Herbalists Guild (AHG), and serves on the Committee of Revision for the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) and botanical expert advisory committees of AOAC International, the American Botanical Council, and NSF International.

Roy is also visiting faculty for the Master of Science in Herbal Medicine program at Tai Sophia, Laurel, MD and the Complementary and Alternative Medicine Program at the University of Southern California, School of Pharmacy, Los Angeles, CA. In addition Roy is the staff herbalist for the California-based herbal supplements company, Planetary Herbals, is a member of the Standards Committee of the American Herbal Products Association, and is an internationally recognized lecturer and author of numerous popular and peer-reviewed scientific publications.

Keeping it Simple: Community Herbalism & Urban Wildcrafting, with J.T.

herbmentor — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 20:00:19 +0000

J.T. is a Seattle based herbalist and mom. Since she started learning about local plants and how to use them, J.T. has come up with creative ways of gathering herbs and using them to nourish her family. She also teaches classes at Dandelion Botanical and works with Karen Sherwood at EarthWalk Northwest (where J.T. trained as an herbalist). In this interview J.T. shares some of her secrets in urban wildcrafting and other cool tips. She’s figured out quite a bit as someone who has never stopped harvesting herbs and making remedies.

Jon Young: Mentoring Kids & Nature Connection

herbmentor — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 20:44:19 +0000

Author and naturalist Jon Young takes you behind the scenes of Wildcraft! and LearningHerbs.com in a special episode called “Mentoring Kids & Nature Connection.” Jon is author of Coyotes Guide to Connecting with Nature, Animal Tracking Basics, Advanced Bird Language, Seeing Through Native Eyes, Reclaiming our Natural Connections, and the Kamana Naturalist Training Program. He is also founder of Wilderness Awareness School and creator of Art of Mentoring workshop series, which is offered by wilderness schools around the world. You can visit Jon at JonYoung.org.

Demetria Clark: Herbal Healing for Children

herbmentor — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 20:32:09 +0000

Demetria Clark has written one of the best books on using herbs with kids we’ve seen: Herbal Healing for Children: A Parent’s Guide to Treatments for Common Childhood Illnesses. Demetria is a North American herbalist specializing in herbals for pregnancy, birth, postpartum, nursing and children. She is the Founder and Director of Heart of Herbs Herbal school and the doula training program, Birth Arts International. In this interview, Demetria discusses her top 10 choices her an herbal apothecary for kids.

Paul Bergner, Your Calling and a Unique Herbal Opportunity

herbmentor — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 17:48:33 +0000

Paul Bergner and Tania Neubauer, N.D. join me at the Traditions in Western Herbalism Conference for a special live edition of HerbMentor Radio.

Paul has been practicing natural medicine since 1973, is author of 7 books, and is founder of the North American Institute of Medical Herbalism.

Dr. Neubauer is a naturopathic physician, was a medical coordinator at the Berkeley Free Clinic, has worked extensively with Natural Doctors International, and has studied with Karen Sanders, Michael Moore and Adam Seller.

A “calling,” according to Paul, is something that “when you’re doing it, the universe conspires to make you succeed.”

Paul and Tania, along with herbal 7Song (Northeast School of Botanical Medicine), are leading a delegation to the island of Ometepe in Nicaragua. This trip is open to anyone, no matter what your herbal or language background. It is an amazing opportunity for those who want herbal clinical experience.

Whether an herbal experience in Nicaragua is your calling or not, you will gain mainly amazing insights from this interview.

Wildcrafting with Skeeter: Michael Pilarski Interview

herbmentor — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 09:12:34 +0000

Michael Pilarski is a farmer, educator and author who has devoted his life to studying and teaching how people can live sustainably on this Earth. He has extensive experience in organic farming, seed collecting, wildcrafting medicinal herbs, plant propagation, horticulture, teaching, and international networking.

He founded Friends of the Trees Society in 1978 and has authored many books on forestry, agriculture, agroforestry and ethnobotany. Michael has been involved in the permaculture movement since 1981 as a writer, teacher and networker.

Herbs for Back Pain, with jim mcdonald

herbmentor — Fri, 27 May 2011 16:52:28 +0000

jim mcdonald is an herbalist based in Michigan. He teaches many classes locally, and also teaches at major conferences such as the Traditions in Western Herbalism Conference and Rootstalk. In this podcast, Jim covers nutrition and body work as well as the major catagories of how to look at and treat back injuries, such as muscle pain, spasm, inflammatory pain, and nerve pain.

Isla Burgess Interview

herbmentor — Mon, 02 May 2011 15:00:09 +0000

Isla Burgess, DipPE DipTchg DipHerbMed MNZAMH MNHAA, has been an educator for the past 40 years, currently the Director of the International College of Herbal Medicine, was the founding Director of the Waikato Center for Herbal Medicine in New Zealand and is a convener for the International Research Group for the Conservation of Medicinal Plants. She developed a practical, innovative course drawing on 25 years practice and investigation in the field of medicinal plants and their therapeutic uses. She has presented papers at conferences and seminars both nationally and internationally and is the author of Weeds Heal: A Working Herbal.

Phyllis Light: Southern Appalachian Folk Medicine

herbmentor — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 15:30:42 +0000

Phyllis Light is a fourth generation herbalist and healer. She is a professional member of the American Herbalist Guild, director of herbal studies at Clayton College, and is working on a new book The Geography of Health: Southern Appalachian Folk Medicine.

Cascade Anderson Geller Interview

herbmentor — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 19:14:36 +0000

Cascade Anderson Geller was a founding member of the Everett House Healing Center in 1979 in Portland, Oregon, and has served on the faculty of the National College of Naturopathic Medicine, Bastyr College, Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine and the California School of Herbal Studies. She has been trained by the late Ella Birzneck, Norma Myers and Juliette di Bairacli Levy. She teaches the Grounds-Well Herbs Healing Power of Plants course in Portland, Oregon where she lives with her family. This interview covers Cascade’s origins as an herbalist and answers HerbMentor member questions.

Timothy Scott interview

herbmentor — Sun, 27 Mar 2011 19:21:16 +0000

Timothy Lee Scott is an acupuncturist and herbalist with a master’s in Traditional Chinese Medicine. He studied extensively with Stephen Buhner, who wrote the forward to his book, Invasive Plant Medicine, which demonstrates the ecological benefits and healing abilities of invasive plants. Working with Buhner led him to work in the area of Lyme’s disease treatments, and Tim later formed Green Dragon Botanicals to provide remedies to the greater Lyme’s community.

In this interview we discuss invasive plants, Lyme’s disease, japanese knotweed and a few other herbs.

Charles Garcia: Curandero and Guerilla Herbalist

herbmentor — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 13:03:26 +0000

Charles Garcia is a third generation curandero and practicing herbalist. He is founder and director of the California School of Traditional Hispanic Herbalism. Charles has worked in law enforcement, special education, lectured at many schools, and was a contributing author to the book, Wilderness Emergency Care.

K.P. Khalsa: Food as Medicine

herbmentor — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 13:03:25 +0000

K.P. Khalsa believes in food as medicine. He is one of the foremost herbal experts in the field today. He is a senior editor for The Harvard University Natural Standard and a professor at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences and Bastyr University’s College of Naturopathic Medicine. His most recent book is The Way of Ayurvedic Herbs. K.P. is Senior Research Scientist for the Yogi Tea company.

Dr. Peter Gail: King of Dandelions and Wizard of Wild Weeds

herbmentor — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 01:04:37 +0000

Dr. Peter Gail has been eating and teaching wild weeds for over 50 years. He brough DandyBlend, his amazing dandelion coffee to the U.S., has written a book on dandelion uses and dandelion recipes. USA Today called him the King of Dandelions. Good Morning America, the Wizard of Weeds. Many call him Dr. Dandelion.