One of the easiest ways to enrich your overall health and well-being is to incorporate herbs into your daily life. But there is so much information out there, it is hard to know where to begin.

And most of us have been raised to be wary of things that grow on their own.

In the Western Hemisphere, we have come to see “health” as an ongoing battle. We are constantly trying to fix things that are broken or out of whack. Incorporating herbs into your everyday life creates a natural balance where your body is better able to respond to its surroundings with ease.

That’s why I am so excited to share with you the conversation that I had with a Master Herbalist!

My guest on this week’s episode, Heidi Benard, came to herbalism in the most pure way possible: wanting a healthier existence for her daughter than she had as a child.

Heidi has been creating organic herbal products professionally for over a decade and she started My Herbal Apothecary in 2019.

Her continued curiosity encourages her to extend her education and exploration every year. Heidi enjoys distilling this information into fun, easy-to-access plant-based products for your home medicine cabinet.

There was a fascinating study published by the World Health Organization in 2003 that addressed the reasons that American children were far more likely to suffer from allergies and asthma than others around the world. One of the factors that they uncovered was that they weren’t exposed to aromatic compounds (the oxygenated monoterpenes to get scienc-y) found common herbs used in cooking in many cultures as babies. Instead, they are raised on a bland diet devoid of things like oregano, marjoram, thyme, basil, etc. that help to create a healthy immune recognition and response. Many of the things that provide flavor to our food have medicinal benefits.

Our bodies are designed to process things in their most natural state, not the extracted and synthesized way we get most of our nutrients.

In this conversation, we discuss the simplest ways to get more goodness into our bodies.

I keep a pitcher of Nettles Tea in my refrigerator pretty much all the time. I experiment with the addition of other herbs as flavors to keep things interesting. It’s a great way to add a boost of nutrition to my day. I buy my Nettle leaf. I’m not hard-core enough to gather it on my own.

I have a local natural foods store that sells dried herbs in bulk.. But I do seek out local and online options as well. Mountain Rose Herbs is one of my favorite resources for herbs when I can’t make it to the store.

One of the incredible things that Heidi offers is seasonal Herbal Subscription boxes- jam-packed with the goodness our bodies need! (There is a coupon code below to purchase anything on her website). It’s a fantastic introduction to some tasty, healthy treats!

Because we live in a global economy where can get anything, anytime; we have forgotten that our bodies THRIVE when we nourish them in alignment with local growth cycles.

Because many herbs are easy to grow, it’s the perfect time to get started. Find out what you like. And grow your own!

If you have kids, herbs are one of the best ways to give them a more nutrient-dense diet. From letting them plant, cultivate, and harvest, to experimenting with their product; they will be excited to try their creations.

Whether you are new the herbalism or have a cupboard full of tinctures and tisanes, you will love this conversation on the simplicity of introducing herbs into your life.

Use the coupon code "In Her Eyes"
for 10% off your entire order with Heidi,
at My Herbal Apothecary