E27 How to become a herbalist
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I'm happy to say the most frequent question I get off the back of my podcast is how do I study as a herbalist? This podcast, and final episode, aims to answer that question for anyone in the UK and gives some online options too.
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E26 Elecampane
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Belle Benfield shares with us her deep rooted connection with Elecampane. She became a herbalist after years of studying on an apprenticeship with Karen and Fi from Sensory Solutions and now works side by side with them. Elecampane is a root which is harvested in Autumn. I have grown this herb and candied it in the past for coughs but Belle raised other uses with me. Such as, it's amazing ability to kill MRSA! She also spoke about its associations with Helen of Troy and... Amparo's website: Sensory Solutions' website: Belle's seed pilgrimmage:
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E25 Marshmallow
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Amparo is a Spanish born Scotland based herbalist. She learnt Herbal Medicine in the UK and is currently training to become a doctor. She brings a fresh look at Marshmallow using her wonderfully in-depth and colourful knowledge of phytochemistry. Marshmallow gave it's name to the sweet. It's wonderfully softening and soothing properties most commonly used for digestion. Amaro explains how she likes to prepare and use it. It's a herb I have a lot of but don't use much. I'd like to apologise for the late publishing of this podcast. I had to take my sweet time on the sound levels in...
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E24 Shepherd's purse
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Sarah Smith is an old friend of mine. She qualified from Lincoln University just a couple years after me. Since then she's gone on to qualify in massage, and as a doula. I have to say, Sarah gives the best deep tissue massage I've ever had! She loves women's health as much as me and we talked about Shepherd's purse as it is a traditional herb to stop excessive menstruation. But from there we go down all kinds of conversational rabbit holes involving clinical trials and ending with pornography. Tune in to hear the madness! Sarah's website:
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E23 Rose
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Vivienne is passionate about Rose. I'm sure drinking rose brandy whilst recording helped a little with that too. She's created an amazing online course in which she teaches herbal medicine which is linked to below. In this episode we talk about the medicinal value of Roses. We talk mostly about the wonderful uplifting properties it has for emotions.
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E22 Peppermint
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In this episode I talk about the common Peppermint with Erika Galentin. We discuss how Peppermint is not just cooling but also potentially irritating and heating to the body. How information about herbal medicine can be pretty unreliable online. Why it's important to use essential oils safely and how different herbalism is in the UK vs. the USA where she's based. Erika is a wonderfully inspiring herbalist who has successfully transitioned from one form of herbal medicine to another. She is the course development director for the wonderful Herbal Academy.
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E21 Cowslip and Primrose
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In this episode I talk about 2 herbs! Cowslip and Primrose, with Fiona Heckles. She is part of a herbal company called Sensory Solutions which is made up of Karen Lawton and Belle. Karen has already been on the podcast and Belle is going to be on later this year. So I'll have collected all 3! Like pokemon.. They run an incredible course and it was a pleasure to speak to Fiona about these two herbs. They are so closely related but one is endangered in some areas where the other is not. Links:
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E20 Catnip
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In this episode I talk to Alice Bettany about Catnip (Nepeta cataria) a herb which is often associated with children as it is so gentle. But gentle doesn't mean it isn't effective! We're so used to hitting things with a sledge hammer now a days we've lost respect for the gentle things in life. We also talked about she sheds and the comfort of a big bosom.. as you do. Links:
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E19 Sweet Violet
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In this episode we talk about a lesser well-know herb, Sweet Violet, with Kate Scott. Kate has a rich history of female herbalists in her family dating as far back as the 16th century. It was especially nice to speak about herbs which grow readily in the UK but have become forgotten, native adaptogens and more. You'll find her website and other things we spoke about listed below:
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E18 Rosemary
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Deanne Greenwood is a herbalist from Cornwall with a colourful background. She talks to us about reviving Rosemary in this episode. Rosemary is known by everyone because it is so commonly used for cooking. But did you know it's also anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and energising? It stimulates the circulation and helps keep you warm in the winter months. Deanne takes me through why it's one of her favourite herbs and how she likes to prepare her very own tincture of it.
info_outlineToday we look at Sage, a common herb from cooking but also valuable in medicine. Brittany Nickerson tells us about it's uses for the throat and much more.
Disclaimer: The information given in this podcast is not intended to be used as medical advice. Please seek help from a medical professional before using anything mentioned.