Category Archives: Health

September 11, 2019 · 6:44 am

Making Herbal Preparations 101 Mini-Course from Herbal Academy

Enroll now in the Making Herbal Preparations 101 Mini Course

Every time I treat myself to an herbal course at Herbal Academy I find myself rubbing my hands in glee. My latest experience, Making Herbal Preparations 101 Mini-Course, was no exception. I signed up during the free enrollment period in July. This course is scheduled to be re-released next year, so don’t despair if the link above takes you to another page.

I have to admit that herbalism in Mexico is challenging. I can’t just order herbs willy nilly from organic herb stores and have it delivered to my doorstop to brew, decoct or tincture in endless delight. Oh, no. That would be too easy. Instead, I have to painstakingly gather information and positively identify plants, flowers, and trees that I didn’t learn about growing up in the Eastern United States.

So, this drawn-out process in my adopted land has undermined some of my herbal concoction confidence. This is where I appreciated the Herbal Academy’s most recent course.

The course was divided into seven lessons. Each lesson had informative readings, printouts and easy to follow videos making this an excellent course for beginners.

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LESSON 1: EVERYDAY HERBAL PREPARATIONS

This lesson differentiated the different types of herbal preparations. There are water-based, sweet-based, oil-based and alcohol-based preparations. The type of solvent you use depends on the application and plant property needed to treat whatever it is you are going to treat with herbs.

LESSON 2: EVERYDAY HERBS

Lesson two stressed the importance of treating herbs as medicine. This means knowing how to prepare the herbs, potential side effects, and the duration an herb can be safely administered. You should also know the health issues and life stage of the person taking the herb and any possible herb-drug interactions. Of course, you should also be cognizant of plants that could become toxic with extended use or those that resemble beneficial herbs.

I was delighted to learn that Western herbalism has a similar categorization process to the Mexican culture which sometimes confounds me. Energetics in herbs is based on temperature (cool or hot), moisture (wet or dry) and tension (relaxed or constricted) which in many ways is identical to the indigenous belief system found where I live. So a person with a dry cough would be given a moistening herb to aid the body in achieving balance.

LESSON 3: WATER-BASED HERBAL PREPARATIONS

Water-based herbal preparation is one that combines herbs and water. It could be tea, a wash, an enema, an infusion or a decoction. A cup of chamomile tea prescribed as a sleep aid is an example of a water-based herbal preparation.

LESSON 4: SWEET-BASED HERBAL PREPARATIONS

Using honey as a base for creating an herbal preparation was the topic of lesson four. After all, a spoonful of sugar (in this case organic honey) helps the medicine go down.

LESSON 5: ALCOHOL-BASED HERBAL PREPARATIONS

Lesson 5 demonstrated the use of alcohol such as vodka, brandy, and gin to create herbal rubs, washes, and tinctures.

LESSON 6: OIL-BASED HERBAL PREPARATIONS

Oils can be used to create herbal infusions meant to be used externally or in cooking. Doesn’t rosemary-infused virgin olive oil sound simply delicious?

LESSON 7: EVERYDAY RECIPES

Lesson 7 provided basic preparation instructions for each of the methods presented in the course plus some delightful recipes including how to make a chickweed poultice, violet honey lemonade, fire cider and more. What a fabulous way to end the class.

Having gone through Herbal Academy’s Making Herbal Preparations 101 Mini-Course, I’ve gathered enough confidence to start decocting my own herbal medicine cabinet from locally harvested herbs.

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Tagged as beginners herb course, herbal academy, herbal preperations, herbal remedy basics, how to make herbal remedies, making herbal lpreparations 101 mini-course

September 6, 2019 · 7:17 am

Let’s Talk About Health A Minute

Every so often I feature a course or bundle or book that just amazes me. I tend to get so excited about it that sometimes I forget to mention WHY I’m sharing it with you. Therefore, I’m going to take a few minutes of your time and do that now.

One of my main reasons for writing this blog is to chronicle our struggle to create a life lived to the fullest in central Mexico so that others can learn from our mistakes and successes. One of the components of a life well-lived, whether in rural Mexico or any other place, is wellness. To that end, a good number of the featured posts have to do with healthy living.

Because I sat next to my mother-in-law as she lay dying in a hospital here in Mexico, I became an affiliate of Travel MedEvac Insurance. No one should have to lie alone in a hospital, far from friends and family. I want others to know that there is an alternative available.

Because I found myself in a foreign eco-system without even basic plant knowledge, I became an affiliate of the Herbal Academy. I learned so much about how to study plants and herbs and their properties, both beneficial and harmful. Knowing about our local environment is a skill that should not be lost. Our lives depend on it.

Because I couldn’t see which was greatly impairing the quality of my life, I became an affiliate of EyeBuyDirect. Inexpensive eyewear sent even to La Yacata in central Mexico, talk about a game-changer! Plus, for every pair of eyeglasses I buy, I can donate one to someone else in Mexico.

Because I am committed to learning (and love to read) but find it hard not only to make ends meet but to find books in English on themes I love, I became an affiliate of the Ultimate Bundles. The value that is packed in each bundle, no matter what the topic, is outstanding. Everyone, no matter what their budget, should have access to knowledge.

For example, with this latest bundle, the Ultimate Healthy Living bundle, I received 47 eBooks, 33 eCourses, audios, and workshops, 11 printable packs, and workbooks, and 2 summits worth $3236.39 for just $37. I have months of goodies to keep me occupied. And, of course, this subject of healthy living, just like June’s bundle on Herbs and Essential Oils, is near and dear to my heart.
So there you have it! The reason I share these featured posts with you! I have found them to be quality products that can be used to help anyone live their life to the fullest. I hope that you find some of them useful as well.

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Tagged as healthy life affiliates, healthy living, healthy living bundle, herbal academy, how to live healthier, living healthy, ultimate bundles

September 4, 2019 · 7:10 am

Ultimate Healthy Living Bundle 2019

It’s that time of year again! Ultimate Bundles has released a new healthy living bundle and let me tell you, it’s chocked full of useful information. I bought my copy a few weeks ago and have been steadily working my way through the materials a little each week and haven’t even made a dent. There are 47 eBooks, 33 eCourses, audios, and workshops, 11 printable packs and workbooks, and 2 summits., worth $3236.39.

Take a look at the topics:

Allergy-Friendly
Alternative Health
Brain & Mental Health
Chronic Illness
Diet/Detox
Exercise
Garden & Home
Healthy Kids
Hormones
Lifestyle
Nutrition
Recipes
Sleep

As I mentioned that I haven’t gone through everything just yet, but here are some of my favorites so far.

e-Courses

Seven Secrets to a Healthy Mind was an extremely informational e-course about how to improve your overall wellbeing. Perimenopause and Menopause e-course was exactly what I needed personally to rethink this new phase of my life.

Books and Workbooks

The Wellness Framework is an excellent self-assessment tool to find out where you are and create an action plan to improve the five wellness pillars: nutritian, sleep, movement, mental wellness and support. Ktichen Spices for Whole Body Health makes it so easy to add a few herbs to your diet to improve your overall health. How to Create Your Own Action Plan for Recovery helps you design a plan that best suits your chronic health condition.

The Ultimate Healthy Living Bundle is incredible value on its own, but if you purchase it this week, you will ALSO be offered the Herbs and Essential Oils with my book Exploring Traditional Herbal Remedies in Mexico included for only $35 extra! That is $15 off the bundle’s current price AND less than my book alone sells for on Amazon.
This Ultimate Healthy Living Bundle with the Herbs and Essential Oils addition is only available from September 4 to September 9, so don’t wait too long to get yours. Plus, if you order, you can take advantage of these healthy bonus offers!