Herbal Remedies Lessons from a Wise Woman

Are you interested in learning about herbal remedies? If so, you’ve come to the right place. I have been using herbs and natural for health and healing since I was a child under the direction of my Yiayia, which means Grandmother in Greek.

Later in life, the things I learned led me to the American College of Healthcare Sciences where I earned my Diploma in Herbal Studies. It was a two year program and I learned a lot about healing plants, the body, and how these plants impact the body.

But before that, Yiayia taught me some lessons just by spending time with her. My mother called her Doctor Yiayia because whenever she said a rash or a sickness was “nothing to worry about” she was pretty much right. Her wisdom put our minds at ease.

Whenever I had a fever, she would squeeze some lemon juice into a bowl with ice and water. I later learned that lemon can help lower fevers by inducing sweating. Back then I thought maybe she put it in the water because it smelled nice.

Bee stings and mosquito bites always got dabbed with apple cider vinegar - one of the best herbal treatments I now understand to help because of the alkaline nature of the vinegar.

But one moment really sticks out. I had a foot infection when I was in kindergarten, and I couldn’t walk. I watched as the doctor fumbled, trying to “diagnose” me. Once he did, he said there was nothing he could do and that it would pass on its own. I believe the infection was viral.

When we got home, my Yiayia said, okay, let’s just make a foot bath with baking soda. It really can’t hurt, right? Not only did it not hurt but right after the bath I was walking. I now know that baking soda can reduce inflammation.

Amazing. I would say that this moment is what eventually led me to get training as an herbalist.

Herbal Remedies - Continuing the Tradition

I learned a lot that day, at five years old, about doctors and how the system works. I figured out that

• Sometimes, simple herbal remedies and natural remedies get the job done.
• Doctors don’t always have the answers.
• It is a good idea to check with the doctor anyway.

I won’t say that I distrust doctors. Quite the opposite. I go to the doctor and get checkups. I go to the emergency room when I cut my finger and need help for the bleeding to stop. When I have an infection I know I may need antibiotics. I suggest you go to your doctor regularly as well because my advice will never, ever take the place of a doctor’s advice.

But what I do know is that we are truly the only ones responsible for our own health.

It is up to us to feed our body the right way, get plenty of exercise, and learn to manage our health through the help of these wonderful herbal remedies.

Through this site, I am taking you guys along for the ride. Much of the joy with herbal medicine is passing down information from person to person, through the generations. Not only do I want to share what I have learned, but I want to learn from you, too.