The Medicinal Spice You Probably Underuse: Cardamom for Digestion, Mood, and More with Missy Rohs

Herbs for Wildfire Smoke: Supporting the Lungs, Heart, and Nervous System

When wildfire smoke fills the air, supporting the lungs is only part of the picture. Here, I share the three-part strategy I use when formulating an herbal tea for smoky days. ► Support the lungs. Learn why I turn to plantain, a soothing demulcent herb, to help calm irritated respiratory tissues and why recent clinical research supports its traditional use. ► Support the heart. Wildfire smoke has been linked to increased risks of cardiovascular problems through inflammation and oxidative stress. I explain why herbs like hawthorn and linden are part of my approach. ► Support the nervous system. The smoke isn't the only challenge. The worry and fear that accompany wildfire season deserve care too, which is why calming herbs are an important part of the blend. I also share the herbal tea I formulated with hawthorn, hibiscus, plantain, linden, and holy basil to support all three systems together. You can get the recipe here [https://herbswithrosalee.aweb.page/smoke-season-tea-recipe]. Important note: No herbal tea is protective against hazardous air quality. During severe smoke events, reducing your exposure and using clean indoor air remain the most effective ways to protect your health.

Kava for Anxiety, Tension, and Winding Down Without the Fog - with Rachelle Robinett

Kava has been praised, feared, celebrated, and misunderstood. So what's the real story behind this remarkable plant? Kava (Piper methysticum) has a reputation that's hard to ignore. Some people swear by it for easing tension and helping them unwind, while others know it only through headlines about safety concerns and controversy. In this episode, herbalist and author Rachelle Robinett joins me to separate fact from fiction and explore why this traditional Pacific Island herb has remained such a beloved ally for thousands of years. Together, we dive into kava's remarkable ability to relax the body while keeping the mind surprisingly clear, unpack where the concerns about liver toxicity actually came from, and explore thoughtful questions about responsible herbalism, sustainability, and what it really means to work with sacred plants. Along the way, Rachelle reveals how herbalism can become so much more than "an herb for a symptom"—it can fundamentally change how we relate to the natural world. Rachelle also shares her recipe for Kava “Old-Fashioned” Mocktail, a sophisticated herbal drink that’s perfect for winding down at the end of the day. You can download your beautifully illustrated recipe card here [https://herbswithrosalee.aweb.page/kava-old-fashioned-mocktail-recipe]. By the end of this episode, you’ll know: ► Why kava has earned a permanent place in Rachelle's travel bag, evening routine, and herbal toolkit ► The controversy behind kava use—and the real story behind claims of toxicity and rarity ► Why traditional preparation methods for kava matter more than most people realize ► What makes kava such a great herbal ally for people reducing or avoiding alcohol ► One remarkable botanical fact that has shaped kava’s relationship with humans for thousands of years ► and so much more… For those of you who don’t know her, Rachelle Robinett, RH (AHG), is a writer, herbalist, and lifelong naturalist devoted to the art and science of real health. Founder of multidisciplinary wellness companies, she combines traditional medicine, modern insight, and behavior change to help people live more naturally. Her work encourages a return—to self, to nature, and to independent thinking—often challenging the life we’ve been taught to want. Called “a philosophical voice at the vanguard of natural living,” she is based in New York and Costa Rica and is the author of Naturally: the Herbalist’s Guide to Health and Transformation. This conversation with Rachelle is an invitation to look beyond headlines and assumptions, and instead meet kava—and herbalism itself—with greater curiosity, discernment, and wonder. ---- Get full show notes, transcript, and more information at: herbswithrosaleepodcast.com [https://www.herbalremediesadvice.org/podcast235.html] Would you prefer watching this episode? If so, click here [https://youtu.be/u1_QqBIZ5kA] for the video. You can find Rachelle at RachelleRobinett.com [https://www.rachellerobinett.com/]. For more behind-the-scenes of this podcast, follow @rosaleedelaforet [https://www.instagram.com/rosaleedelaforet/] on Instagram! Working successfully with herbs requires three essential skills. Get introduced to them by taking my free herbal jumpstart course when you sign up for my newsletter [https://rmcsample.aweb.page/p/9a1dfc11-c62f-4f32-93db-e0209220a6ad]. If you enjoy the Herbs with Rosalee podcast, we could use your support! Please consider leaving a 5-star rating and review and sharing the show with someone who needs to hear it! On the podcast, we explore the many ways plants heal, as food, as medicine, and through nature connection. Each week, I focus on a single seasonal plant and share trusted herbal knowledge so that you can get the best results when using herbs for your health. Learn more about Herbs with Rosalee at herbswithrosalee.com [http://herbswithrosalee.com/]. ---- Rosalee is an herbalist and author of the bestselling book Alchemy of Herbs: Transform Everyday Ingredients Into Foods & Remedies That Heal [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/140195006X/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=metvalher-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=140195006X&linkId=015132911186b966727b15dabec8da5d] and co-author of the bestselling book Wild Remedies: How to Forage Healing Foods and Craft Your Own Herbal Medicine [https://amzn.to/3a2G3R4]. She's a registered herbalist with the American Herbalists Guild and teaches many popular online courses. Read about how Rosalee went from having a terminal illness to being a bestselling author in her full story here [https://www.herbalremediesadvice.org/rosalee-de-la-foret.html].

Orange Peel for Digestion, Lung Health, and a Rosehip Citrus Jam with Heather Luna

Could the secret to better digestion be hiding in your compost bin? In this episode, clinical herbalist Heather Luna makes the case for an herb that most of us literally throw away. She reveals why orange peel (Citrus x sinensis) has become one of her favorite everyday herbs—and why it deserves a place in your kitchen instead of your compost. During our conversation, Heather explores many of the overlooked medicinal gifts of orange peel, from supporting digestion and nutrient absorption to nourishing the lungs, cardiovascular system, and microbiome. Along the way, she shares why she believes herbs belong alongside our food, not separated from it, and how simple daily practices can create the biggest changes in our health. Want an easy (and delicious!) way to start using orange peel every day? Download the beautifully illustrated recipe card for Heather's Rosehip Citrus Jam here [https://herbswithrosalee.aweb.page/rosehip-citrus-jam-recipe], and discover why this simple preparation has become a favorite in her clinic. By the end of this episode, you’ll know: ► The surprising reason Heather puts orange peel into almost every digestive tea she makes ► How orange peel behaves differently from many other bitter herbs—and why that matters ► What's hiding inside the bitter white pith that most food recipes tell you to avoid ► Seven delicious ways to use orange peel as food and medicine (and one clever way to use up any leftovers!) ► Why slowing down to brew a daily cup of tea may be one of the most powerful herbal practices of all ► and so much more… For those of you who don’t know her, Heather Luna is a clinical herbalist and nutritionist, practicing in vitalist therapeutics. She is director of the Acorn School of Herbal Medicine where she hosts an online community learning platform for foundational, advanced, and clinical herbalism programs. She has been an instructor of Western herbalism since 2006 and has facilitated a free clinic since 2017. Heather's work emphasizes a vitalist approach to the application of herbs, nutrition, and holistic lifestyle. She is a mother, gardener, and a forever student of nature. Heather carries a lineage in the vitalist tradition with a mission to pass it on. This episode is a beautiful reminder that herbalism doesn't have to be complicated. Sometimes the most profound medicine begins with slowing down, paying attention, and making good use of what we've already been given. ---- Get full show notes, transcript, and more information at: herbswithrosaleepodcast.com [https://www.herbalremediesadvice.org/podcast234.html] Would you prefer watching this episode? If so, click here [https://youtu.be/0YW1k8bTYC4] for the video. You can find Heather at AcornHerbSchool.com [https://www.acornherbschool.com/]. For more behind-the-scenes of this podcast, follow @rosaleedelaforet [https://www.instagram.com/rosaleedelaforet/] on Instagram! Working successfully with herbs requires three essential skills. Get introduced to them by taking my free herbal jumpstart course when you sign up for my newsletter [https://rmcsample.aweb.page/p/9a1dfc11-c62f-4f32-93db-e0209220a6ad]. If you enjoy the Herbs with Rosalee podcast, we could use your support! Please consider leaving a 5-star rating and review and sharing the show with someone who needs to hear it! On the podcast, we explore the many ways plants heal, as food, as medicine, and through nature connection. Each week, I focus on a single seasonal plant and share trusted herbal knowledge so that you can get the best results when using herbs for your health. Learn more about Herbs with Rosalee at herbswithrosalee.com [http://herbswithrosalee.com/]. ---- Rosalee is an herbalist and author of the bestselling book Alchemy of Herbs: Transform Everyday Ingredients Into Foods & Remedies That Heal [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/140195006X/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=metvalher-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=140195006X&linkId=015132911186b966727b15dabec8da5d] and co-author of the bestselling book Wild Remedies: How to Forage Healing Foods and Craft Your Own Herbal Medicine [https://amzn.to/3a2G3R4]. She's a registered herbalist with the American Herbalists Guild and teaches many popular online courses. Read about how Rosalee went from having a terminal illness to being a bestselling author in her full story here [https://www.herbalremediesadvice.org/rosalee-de-la-foret.html].

Pleurisy Root: Healing Land, Monarchs & Lungs with Linda Shanahan

What if one medicinal herb could change the way you think about healing—not just in the body, but across entire ecosystems? Pleurisy root (Asclepias tuberosa), also called butterfly weed, is often thought of as a lung herb. But as this conversation with herbalist, farmer, and nurse Linda Shanahan reveals, this brilliant orange wildflower has a much bigger story to tell—one that stretches from monarch butterflies to microbiomes. In this episode, Linda shares the remarkable story of transforming a chemically treated sod farm into a thriving wildlife sanctuary where native plants, pollinators, birds, and beneficial insects returned together. Along the way, we explore pleurisy root's medicinal uses, why it's such an important plant for monarch butterflies, and how thinking like an herbalist invites us to see connections everywhere, from restoring habitats to supporting the microbiome within our own bodies. This episode’s “recipe” card is something a little different: a guide to creating your own Monarch Medicinal Mini Garden. You can learn how to create a beautiful habitat that nourishes monarch butterflies while incorporating native medicinal plants into your landscape—find your copy here [https://herbswithrosalee.aweb.page/monarch-medicinal-mini-garden-recipe]. By the end of this episode, you’ll know: ► The surprising scent of pleurisy root that strongly hints at who it’s meant to help ► How pleurisy root can support specific respiratory conditions in ways that conventional Western medicine simply can’t ► Special considerations for using pleurisy root medicinally ► Practical tips for successfully growing milkweed from seed ► Why planting milkweed alone isn’t enough—and what monarch butterflies really need to thrive ► and so much more… For those of you who don’t know her, Linda Shanahan is an herbalist, registered nurse, and community health educator who co-owns an organic herb farm and farm-to-bottle apothecary in Doylestown, Pennsylvania with her husband, Eric. Together, they cultivate and craft herbal extracts rooted in ecological integrity and bioregional connection. Linda’s journey began over 25 years ago apprenticing with herbalists Howie Brounstein and Steven Yeager in Eugene, Oregon, where she first discovered the profound spiritual nourishment found in wildcrafting and the intimate dialogue between people, plants and place. This conversation with Linda is a beautiful reminder that every medicinal herb exists not in isolation, but within a web of relationships. I hope it inspires you to deepen your own connections—with the plants growing around you and the ecosystems that sustain us all. ---- Get full show notes, transcript, and more information at: herbswithrosaleepodcast.com [https://www.herbalremediesadvice.org/podcast233.html] Would you prefer watching this episode? If so, click here [https://youtu.be/ZS39Y0nudu4] for the video. You can find Linda at BluestemBotanicals.com [https://bluestembotanicals.com/]. For more behind-the-scenes of this podcast, follow @rosaleedelaforet [https://www.instagram.com/rosaleedelaforet/] on Instagram! Working successfully with herbs requires three essential skills. Get introduced to them by taking my free herbal jumpstart course when you sign up for my newsletter [https://rmcsample.aweb.page/p/9a1dfc11-c62f-4f32-93db-e0209220a6ad]. If you enjoy the Herbs with Rosalee podcast, we could use your support! Please consider leaving a 5-star rating and review and sharing the show with someone who needs to hear it! On the podcast, we explore the many ways plants heal, as food, as medicine, and through nature connection. Each week, I focus on a single seasonal plant and share trusted herbal knowledge so that you can get the best results when using herbs for your health. Learn more about Herbs with Rosalee at herbswithrosalee.com [http://herbswithrosalee.com/]. ---- Rosalee is an herbalist and author of the bestselling book Alchemy of Herbs: Transform Everyday Ingredients Into Foods & Remedies That Heal [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/140195006X/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=metvalher-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=140195006X&linkId=015132911186b966727b15dabec8da5d] and co-author of the bestselling book Wild Remedies: How to Forage Healing Foods and Craft Your Own Herbal Medicine [https://amzn.to/3a2G3R4]. She's a registered herbalist with the American Herbalists Guild and teaches many popular online courses. Read about how Rosalee went from having a terminal illness to being a bestselling author in her full story here [https://www.herbalremediesadvice.org/rosalee-de-la-foret.html].

The Medicinal Spice You Probably Underuse: Cardamom for Digestion, Mood, and More with Missy Rohs

Most of us think of cardamom as a baking spice—but what if it's actually one of the most delightful herbal medicines in your apothecary? Many of us know cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum) as the spice that makes chai, pastries, and coffee taste extraordinary. But as Missy Rohs shares in this episode, cardamom is so much more than a delicious ingredient. Together, we explore its gifts as a digestive remedy, aromatic medicine, antimicrobial herb, and even what Unani Tibb medicine calls an exhilarant—an herb that gently lifts the spirit and helps us become more open to joy. As Missy beautifully puts it, cardamom "lets the sunshine in." Along the way, we swap favorite ways to work with cardamom—from coffee and bitters to savory dishes, tinctures, and even medicinal-strength infusions. We also take a delightful detour into saffron (because it’s hard to stay focused on just one of the many amazing herbs out there!), another treasured spice that pairs beautifully with cardamom and offers its own dose of wonder. Be sure to download your beautifully illustrated recipe card for Missy’s Delightful Persian Love Cake—a stunning celebration of cardamom, saffron, rose, and pistachios that’s sure to become a favorite. You’ll find your copy here [https://herbswithrosalee.aweb.page/delightful-persian-love-cake-recipe]. By the end of this episode, you’ll know: ► Five herbal preparations for working with cardamom—and why using it in culinary preparations can be just as medicinal! ► A simple trick for getting even more aroma and flavor from your cardamom ► An unexpected savory pairing with cardamom that might just inspire your next meal ► Tips for growing and harvesting your own saffron (hint: there’s a reason it’s so expensive to buy at the store!) ► and so much more… For those of you who don’t know her, Missy Rohs has run the Arctos School of Herbal Studies in Portland, Oregon for two decades. Her classes focus on sustainability, accessibility, and land connection, with special attention to community care. In Missy's plant medicine practice, pragmatism is queen. Common weeds, native plants, kitchen remedies, and ephemeral fungi are all part of her repertoire. Cardamom may already live in your spice cabinet—but after this conversation with Missy, you may find yourself reaching for it much more often! ---- Get full show notes, transcript, and more information at: herbswithrosaleepodcast.com [https://www.herbalremediesadvice.org/podcast232.html] Would you prefer watching this episode? If so, click here [https://youtu.be/GjHeErL_qKE] for the video. You can find Missy at ArctosSchool.org [https://arctosschool.org/]. For more behind-the-scenes of this podcast, follow @rosaleedelaforet [https://www.instagram.com/rosaleedelaforet/] on Instagram! Working successfully with herbs requires three essential skills. Get introduced to them by taking my free herbal jumpstart course when you sign up for my newsletter [https://rmcsample.aweb.page/p/9a1dfc11-c62f-4f32-93db-e0209220a6ad]. If you enjoy the Herbs with Rosalee podcast, we could use your support! Please consider leaving a 5-star rating and review and sharing the show with someone who needs to hear it! On the podcast, we explore the many ways plants heal, as food, as medicine, and through nature connection. Each week, I focus on a single seasonal plant and share trusted herbal knowledge so that you can get the best results when using herbs for your health. Learn more about Herbs with Rosalee at herbswithrosalee.com [http://herbswithrosalee.com/]. ---- Rosalee is an herbalist and author of the bestselling book Alchemy of Herbs: Transform Everyday Ingredients Into Foods & Remedies That Heal [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/140195006X/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=metvalher-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=140195006X&linkId=015132911186b966727b15dabec8da5d] and co-author of the bestselling book Wild Remedies: How to Forage Healing Foods and Craft Your Own Herbal Medicine [https://amzn.to/3a2G3R4]. She's a registered herbalist with the American Herbalists Guild and teaches many popular online courses. Read about how Rosalee went from having a terminal illness to being a bestselling author in her full story here [https://www.herbalremediesadvice.org/rosalee-de-la-foret.html].