Page 64 - Panama City Living Magazine

HERBS AND THEIR BENEFITS
What was it about Traditional Chinese Medicine
that attracted you? Do you think it’s better than
other natural approaches to health?
Initially, I wasn’t drawn to TCM at all, even though I had a deep appreciation for it. Because of my design background in livable and walkable communities, I was hyper-focused on only using plant medicine that came from the Gulf Coast Plains region. East West School of Planetary Herbology opened me up to the idea that studying these ancient systems—Chinese herbalism and Ayurveda—would help form a deeper understanding of how the energetics of herbs from around the world work. Both of these systems are built on thousands of years of empirical evidence. Once you understand how the system works and you understand the energy and actions of herbs, you can begin to make substitutions and create different formulas from a broad range of plant material from all over the world, including locally. This is what forms a strong distinction between someone who is beginning their herbal study and someone who is well-versed in many herbs and herbal traditions. I always tell my clients and customers that herbs are just another tool in their toolbox for cultivating health and wellness. There are many complementary healing modalities that are valid and useful, especially in conjunction with other treatments. Sometimes I see people who are so disheartened by their allopathic care that they careen right into natural remedies and eschew all Western medicine. A trained herbalist can work with other practitioners including Western doctors and they are trained to know about herb and drug interactions.
What are the most common questions or misconceptions that people have about herbs?
The biggest misconception about herbs is that there is one herb that can replace their medication. Naturally, people start a conversation by asking, “What can I take for my XYZ?” Most people believe there is a one-to-one substitution and they want to take that one herb, preferably in a pill, and be all better. This just isn’t true in most cases. This is the craze that CBD is going through right now. People think this one constituent is going to cure everything. I’m grateful that CBD has become a gateway for people to try other herbs and it does help many people, but there are hundreds of plants that are very effective for healing. A good herbalist is going to ask a lot of questions about the person and their concerns and make individually tailored suggestions that may include herbs, other alternative therapies, and lifestyle and dietary changes.
Tell us more about Traditional Chinese Medicine.
I think TCM and herbalism in particular is still sometimes viewed as very woo-woo, unorthodox, and a folk form of medicine. Most of the world still uses some form of herbal medicine in their primary care. More people are turning to natural remedies in the industrial world as allopathic medicine sometimes falls short. This is actually a really exciting time to be working with herbs because more research is being done in the fields of ethnobotany and pharmacognosy. In ancient cultures, they learned through trial and error and observation. They may not have had the scientific reason or the modern language to describe why certain herbs did certain things, they just knew that they did. This knowledge was passed down over thousands of years. We are living in an age now where we are discovering the exact active constituents of plants that give them healing properties. This knowledge has always been there; it’s just being given a name and validation.
What is the most-asked-for natural remedy or the most common symptom that your customer might have or is looking to treat?
I have to start by saying that herbalists don’t treat, diagnose, or cure. We work with people holistically to bring about better health and wellness. One of the most common natural remedies that people ask for that I make is elderberry syrup. People are always seeking relief for a flu or cold or looking to not get sick in the first place. Our syrup is handmade using organic elderberries and local honey. I also add other herbs to help ease common symptoms. The elderberry is one example of a powerhouse herb that is readily available and it’s been shown to shorten the duration of a flu or cold. One of the most common things that people ask for help with is detoxing. I don’t recommend that people detox in general and I don’t like to use that word. It implies that we’re toxic. The body is designed to naturally purge or get rid of unwanted toxins. I think wanting to detox comes with our fear of death. It’s like eating bad food your whole life, then wanting to take a pill or potion to undo a lifetime of bad food choices. Life is a journey to be traversed and good health and longevity are a cumulative effort of better choices all along the journey. Good sleep, exercise, and good food are the best medicine of all. When someone asks me about detoxing, I try to find out what it is they want to get rid of in their life. If appropriate, I may suggest herbs to help support one of the organs like the liver to function better.
64 • March—April 2020 • www.PanamaCityLiving.com