Citrus peels, like lemon, orange, mandarin, grapefruit, are packed with volatile oils, antioxidants, and natural compounds that have been used for centuries in both folk medicine and everyday home care. They each offer slightly different constituents and flavours but you can use them somewhat interchangeably in the recipes below.

Knowing the uses of citrus peels is the kind of thing that used to be common knowledge in most kitchens, but somewhere along the way we outsourced this knowledge. So here’s what you can actually do with them, for tea, natural cleaning products and more.

Citrus-infused vinegar for cleaning

This is one of the most useful things you can make, and it costs almost nothing.

Loosely pack your fresh citrus peels into a clean jar and cover them with white vinegar. Seal it and leave it somewhere out of direct sunlight for two to four weeks. When you come back, strain out the peels and you have a pleasantly scented, genuinely effective all-purpose cleaner.

Dilute it roughly 1:1 with water in a spray bottle and use it on benchtops, sinks, and glass.

A note: always patch test first, and vinegar isn’t recommended on natural stone benchtops as it can dull the surface over time.

Citrus sugar or salt

Zest a lemon or orange directly into a jar of sugar or salt and give it a stir. Leave it for a few days and the oils will infuse through. If using fresh zest, leave sugar/ salt mix to dry before storing.

Use citrus sugar in baking or on porridge; citrus salt is beautiful on fish, roasted vegetables, or the rim of a good drink.

Citrus-infused honey

Tuck some fresh peel into a jar of raw honey and leave it for a week or two. The result is a gentle, warming honey that works beautifully stirred into tea, especially useful through winter when you want something soothing for a sore throat or a scratchy chest.

Citrus peel tea

Dried citrus peel makes a mild, pleasant tea that supports digestion and can uplevel the flavour of your herbal blends. Add a small handful of dried peel to a cup, pour over boiling water, cover and steep for five to ten minutes. A slice of fresh ginger and a spoonful of honey make it even better. You can also dry whole orange or lemon slices for tea, or use them fresh.

This is lovely to sip after a heavy meal, or as a warming drink on a cool afternoon.

Citrus fire cider

If you already make fire cider, the classic folk remedy of apple cider vinegar infused with horseradish, garlic, ginger, and chilli, citrus peel is a natural addition. I tend to just cut whole slices of lemon, flesh and rind and pop the whole thing into my fire cider brews.

A simple citrus room freshener

Simmer citrus peels on the stove or fire with a cinnamon stick, a few cloves, and some water. Within minutes your home will smell like you’ve been baking all day. Top up the water as needed and let it go for an hour or two. Simple, non-toxic, and a hundred times better than a plug-in air freshener.

Fire Starter

If you dry citrus peels, they make great fire starters.

There’s heaps of other home cleaning uses for citrus and their peel, but this is a great list to get you started!

A few things worth knowing

Citrus is generally very well tolerated in small amounts, but a couple of things to keep in mind:

• Citrus peel, especially in larger amounts, can interact with some medications, most notably certain statins and blood pressure medications. If you’re on regular medication, have a chat with your GP before adding citrus preparations regularly.
• Some people find citrus aggravates reflux. If that’s you, the teas may not be your thing, but the cleaning products and home fresheners still absolutely are.

The peels you’ve been throwing away for years are more useful than you think. That’s one of the things I love about folk medicine, so much of it starts in the kitchen, with what you’ve already got.

Want to learn more about turning everyday kitchen ingredients and garden plants into remedies your whole family can use? That’s exactly what we do inside the Home Herbalist Club – come and have a look.

The post What to do with citrus peels {before you throw them away} appeared first on Everyday Empowered.

Originally, marshmallow root was a key ingredient. Some date the modern confection marshmallows back to the french, and others refer to an earlier Egyptian concoction of marshmallow root and honey. Either, way, this is a delicious whole food.

(If you’re vegan, Heidi’s got a vegan recipe for wild mallow fruits in From the Wild)

Here’s my 3 fav flavours. Once you’ve tried them, feel free to experiment with others (and report back if you find any new awesome combos!)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup herbal tea (use 2 tablespoons herb to steep)
• ½ cup gelatine
• ½ cup honey (or maple syrup. Perhaps use 3/4 cup maple syrup which has a gentler flavour).

My fav herbal tea flavours for herbal marshmallows are:

1. Cinnamon cardamon
2. Blue butterfly pea
3. Rose, tulsi and hibiscus
4. I don’t usually make marshmallow root tea because it’s not a strong flavour, but that’s the traditional herb used and it’s great to make at some stage)

To make:

1. Make your herbal tea: steep 2 tablespoons herbs in just over 1 cup boiling water for 1 hour, covered with lid, then strain.
2. Add 1 cup herbal tea to saucepan and gently sprinkle gelatine all over the surface of the liquid. Let it ‘bloom’ (sit undisturbed) for 5 minutes.
3. Line a baking tray, or tin with baking paper and put aside
4. Put saucepan on stove on gentle heat. Warm up to liquify it, stirring occasionally to get rid of any lumps of gelatine. Add in the honey until it’s dissolved. Don’t let it come to a boil
5. Take saucepan* off heat, then beat with electric beaters for 10-15 minutes until it’s super fluffy and rising up (see how it’s rising above beaters below). If this doesn’t happen, then just whip for 15 minutes and stop. If you have a stand mixer, lucky you! You can set it up then leave it blend for 10 minutes.
6. Quickly scoop mixture onto the tray. Let set in the fridge for 30 minutes. Cut into squares and enjoy!!

*If you don’t have a saucepan with tall sides, transfer mix to a mixing bowl. The taller sides help it not splash too much.

The post Herbal Marshmallow recipe appeared first on Everyday Empowered.

But when you go looking for guidance, it’s easy to end up down a rabbit hole of YouTube videos, blog posts, and half-finished books, with no clear sense of where to actually start or what to learn first.

That’s exactly why I built the Home Herbalist Club!  At the heart of it, is the introductory herbal medicine course: a warm, practical, step-by-step foundation for anyone who wants to start using herbs confidently at home.

Let’s take a look at what’s inside.

First things first: who is this course actually for?

The introductory course inside the Home Herbalist Club is built for complete beginners, people who are curious about herbal medicine but aren’t sure where to start, what’s safe, or how to make anything that actually does what it’s supposed to.

You don’t need any prior knowledge or special equipment. You just need curiosity, a willingness to explore, and maybe a spare jar or two.

If you’ve dabbled before and already know your way around a few herbs, you can absolutely still benefit from the introductory course, especially the remedy-making section which goes deep, before moving into the intermediate content that’s also part of the Club.

The four pillars of the introductory course

The introductory course is structured around four clear areas. Think of them as the four things every confident home herbalist needs: to learn, to make, to grow, and to do. Simple, practical, and beautifully designed to build on each other.

🌿 Learn: get a real foundation in herbal medicine

Before you dive into making remedies, you need to understand what herbs are actually doing in the body.

You’ll get a clear, jargon-free introduction to herbal medicine that covers:

• What herbs actually do and how they support the body’s natural processes
• What a herbal monograph is and how to use one (this is genuinely life-changing once you know how to read them!)
• Vitalist herbalism, the holistic, whole-person approach that underpins everything Cat and Heidi teach

That last one is worth pausing on. Vitalist herbalism isn’t just about matching a herb to a symptom. It’s about understanding you: your constitution, your patterns, your body’s unique signals, and using herbs in a way that supports your whole health, not just a single complaint. It’s the kind of depth that takes herbalism from “I Googled this recipe” to “I actually understand what I’m doing.”

🫙 Make: build your dream home apothecary

Okay, this is the section that people absolutely lose their minds over, and for good reason.

The introductory course includes 34 herbal remedy techniques, complete with video demonstrations so you can actually see how it’s done, not just read about it. We’re talking a full, hands-on education in herbal medicine making for beginners, covering:

• Teas and infusions (the foundations of everything)
• Tinctures, including how to make them, what ratios to use, and how to know they’re actually working
• Herbal syrups (hello, elderberry season!)
• Infused oils, the base for so many beautiful remedies
• Salves and balms for skin and first aid
• Non-toxic bodycare products you can actually feel good putting on yourself and your kids
• And more!

By the time you work through this section, you won’t just have a shelf full of homemade herbal remedies. You’ll have a home apothecary you’re genuinely proud of and, more importantly, one you know how to use.

This is real, practical herbal medicine making. Not a Pinterest project. Remedies that work, that you made yourself, with your own hands. There’s nothing quite like that feeling.

🌱 Grow (and wildcraft): connect with the plants themselves

One of the most beautiful things about learning herbalism is the relationship you build with plants, and that starts in the garden (or even in a pot on your windowsill).

The introductory course includes practical, beginner-friendly guidance on:

• Growing medicinal herbs at home, including the five easiest herbs to start with, perfect if you’re new to gardening or working with a small space
• How to harvest, dry, and store herbs properly so you get the best medicine from them
• Wildcrafting and foraging, including how to safely identify and harvest herbs from the wild.

This section is about more than just having a supply of herbs. It’s about building a real, living relationship with the plants and the world around you. It’s the part of herbalism that gets deeply into your bones, and once you have it, you never look at a “weed” the same way again.

💚 Do: use herbs for real, everyday health needs

All the knowledge in the world means nothing if you don’t know how to apply it when it actually matters. When your kid wakes up with a sore throat, or you’re fighting off a cold before a big week at work.

The DO section of the introductory course is where everything comes together. You’ll get clear, practical guidance on supporting your family’s health naturally with herbs for:

• Colds and flu, the bread and butter of home herbalism and the thing most people want to tackle first
• Herbal first aid, including what to keep on hand, what to make in advance, and how to use it
• UTIs, one of the most common reasons people turn to herbs and one where they can make a real difference

For each of these areas, you’ll know exactly which remedies to reach for, how to make them, and how to use them safely. No more 11pm Googling spirals. Just quiet confidence.

What else comes with the Club?

The introductory course is the heart of it, but the Home Herbalist Club wraps it in a whole lot of extra goodness:

And the intermediate course, which is being built throughout 2026, so you’ll grow right alongside the Club.

A growing Herb Library with searchable profiles, recipes, and masterclasses right when you need them

Fresh monthly content, including a new Herb of the Month deep dive, seasonal recipes, and homesteading templates every month to keep you in your herbal groove

Kids’ Corner with hands-on herbal projects and enchanting herbal bedtime stories to bring your little ones along on the journey

Real mentoring and support with monthly live Teatime sessions with Cat and Heidi, plus weekly Q&A replies in the private members’ area. You’re never left guessing alone.

A note on the price (because it’s kind of wild)

The Home Herbalist Club, including the full introductory herbal medicine course, herb library, kids’ corner, monthly content AND mentoring, is just $33 AUD per month, with no lock-in period and a 10-day happiness guarantee.

For context: a single herbal medicine workshop in Australia typically costs anywhere from $80 to $200. This is a complete learning pathway with ongoing support, for the cost of a few takeaway coffees a month.

One of my core values is accessibility. I genuinely believe herbal medicine is the people’s medicine and I want it to be available to everyone who wants it. The price reflects that.

When can you join?

The Home Herbalist Club opens to new members every few months. The next intake is around June/July 2026.

If you want to be the first to know when doors open (and make sure you don’t miss out), get yourself on the waitlist. It takes about 30 seconds and you’ll be the first to hear.

👉 Join the waitlist for the Home Herbalist Club here

Is this the right beginner herbal medicine course for you?

If you want to learn herbal medicine at home in a way that’s practical, warm, deeply supportive, and genuinely built for real life with a real family, yes. Absolutely yes.

The introductory course inside the Home Herbalist Club will give you a strong, hands-on foundation in herbal medicine making, growing, and using herbs for everyday health. You’ll finish it with a home apothecary full of remedies you’ve made yourself, a real understanding of how herbs work, and the confidence to reach for a plant before you reach for a pill.

That’s a pretty beautiful thing.

See you inside. 🌿

Cat Green is a community herbalist and founder of Everyday Empowered, based in Australia. She’s spent almost a decade teaching hundreds of women to use herbs confidently at home. The Home Herbalist Club is her signature program, a one-stop-shop for anyone who wants to learn herbal medicine as a home herbalist or family herbalist, without the overwhelm.

The post What’s inside the Home Herbalist Club’s introductory herbal medicine course? appeared first on Everyday Empowered.

Yep, we’ve all been there!

Maybe you’ve always felt drawn to natural living. Maybe you’re a homesteader who wants to be more self-sufficient. Or maybe you’re just quietly over the “pop a pill and call it a day” approach to health and you’re ready for something that actually connects with how you want to live.

If any of that sounds familiar, welcome! You are absolutely in the right place.

Learning herbal medicine at home is more achievable than you think

Here’s something I want you to know right off the bat: you don’t need a clinical degree to use herbs confidently and safely at home.

What you do need is a solid foundation. A real understanding of what herbs do, how to make your own remedies, and how to apply that knowledge to your family’s everyday health. That’s the whole idea behind home herbalism, and it’s a tradition that’s been passed down through generations for thousands of years.

The problem? Most of us come to herbalism through bits and pieces: a recipe here, a blog post there, maybe a workshop or two. And while all of that is wonderful, it can leave you feeling like you’re still winging it rather than really knowing what you’re doing.

That’s exactly why I created the Home Herbalist Club!

What is the Home Herbalist Club?

The Home Herbalist Club is one of Australia’s only beginner-friendly, introductory herbal medicine courses designed specifically for home herbalists and family herbalists. It’s for people who want to bring the wisdom of plants into their everyday life in a practical, grounded, and genuinely useful way.

It’s a monthly membership (insanely great value btw!) led by Cat Green, a community herbalist with almost a decade of experience, alongside Heidi Merika, a clinical herbalist with 20+ years under her belt and the author of Wildcraft and From the Wild.

Together, we’ve built a complete home herbalist pathway that takes you from complete beginner all the way through to intermediate, at whatever pace works for your life.

What will you actually learn?

This is where it gets exciting. The Club’s introductory herbal medicine course covers everything you need to get started with confidence:

🌿 Herbal Medicine Foundations You’ll get a clear, jargon-free intro to herbal medicine: what herbs actually do in the body, what a herbal monograph is, and why a holistic, vitalist approach to herbalism is a total game-changer for your family’s health.

🫙 How to Make Your Own Remedies This is the hands-on, practical stuff and there’s a LOT of it. You’ll learn 34 herbal remedy techniques including teas, tinctures, syrups, infused oils, salves, and non-toxic bodycare products, with video demonstrations walking you through each one. Hello, home apothecary goals!

🌱 Growing, Foraging & Wildcrafting Learn how to grow medicinal herbs at home (including the 5 easiest ones to start with), how to harvest and dry them, and how to safely forage wild plants. If you’re into wildcrafting herbs in Australia, this section is going to be your favourite.

💚 Using Herbs for Everyday Health This is where everything comes together. You’ll get clear, practical guidance on supporting your family through things like colds and flu, herbal first aid, UTIs, and healthy skin. No more Googling at midnight!

Is this course right for you?

The Home Herbalist Club was built for two kinds of people:

The curious beginner. You’ve always been interested in natural remedies for the home but never really known where to start. You want to learn, but you don’t want to feel overwhelmed or like you need a science degree to follow along.

The confident dabbler. You’ve made the odd tincture or herbal tea, but you want more structure, more depth, and the confidence to actually know what you’re doing rather than just hoping for the best.

Both of those people will thrive here. The course is completely self-paced, so you go as fast or slow as feels right for you and your family.

What makes this different from other online herbal courses?

There are a few things that genuinely set the Home Herbalist Club apart:

It’s built for real life. We know you’re busy. Our whole jam is about weaving herbal practices seamlessly into your daily routines, not adding another overwhelming thing to your to-do list.

It’s affordable. At $33 AUD/month with no lock-in period, it’s genuinely one of the most accessible herbal medicine courses in Australia. Herbal medicine is the people’s medicine, and accessibility is a core value  around here.

You get real support. We believe in mentoring and I love cheering you on as your personal herbal wingwoman. There’s weekly chat support in the private community group and monthly live sessions. You’re not just watching videos alone; you’re part of a community.

There’s a Kids’ Corner. Because so many of us get into herbalism for our families, the Club includes fun, hands-on herbal activities for children, plus herbal bedtime stories that teach kids to love plants too. Honestly adorable.

It includes a full herb library. A searchable, growing library of herb profiles, recipes, and masterclasses so you can quickly find what you need when you need it most.

The Vitalist approach: herbalism that goes deeper

One thing that really sets this course apart is its grounding in vitalist herbalism, a holistic approach that looks at you as a whole person, not just a set of symptoms to be treated.

You’ll learn about herbal energetics, herbal tastes, and lifestyle medicine, giving you the tools to understand why a herb works, not just which herb to use. This is the kind of knowledge that stays with you for life and that you can pass on to your kids.

FAQs: learning herbal medicine in Australia

Do I need any prior experience? Nope! The introductory course is designed for complete beginners. If you’ve already dabbled with herbal medicine, you can jump straight into the intermediate content.

How much time do I need each week? The beauty of the Club is that it’s self-paced. Some weeks you’ll charge through content. Others you’ll barely manage a cup of tea. Both are totally fine.

Is this an accredited herbal medicine course? The Home Herbalist Club is not a clinical or accredited qualification. It’s designed for home and family use, not for practicing as a herbalist professionally. If you want to become a clinical herbalist, you’d look at naturopathic training. But if you want to use herbs confidently at home, this is exactly what you need.

When can I join? The Club opens every few months and the next intake is around June/July 2026. You can join the waitlist to be the first to know.

Ready to confidently use herbs in daily life?

If you’ve been waiting for a sign to finally start your herbal journey, this is it. 🌿

The Home Herbalist Club is one of the most warm, practical, and genuinely affordable ways to learn herbal medicine at home in Australia. Whether you’re a total beginner or a seasoned dabbler, there’s a place for you here.

Join the waitlist for the Home Herbalist Club →

Cat Green is a community herbalist and founder of Everyday Empowered. She’s been helping Australian families bring the power of plants into their homes for almost a decade. The Home Herbalist Club is her heart project, a one-stop-shop for anyone who wants to learn herbal medicine in a warm, supported, and beautifully practical way.

The post So you want to learn herbal medicine at home (in Australia)? Here’s where to start appeared first on Everyday Empowered.

But it’s such an apt metaphor for herbalism because herbal medicine really does have lots of layers and when you’re just starting out as a beginner herablist, this metaphor can help us really understand what is herbal medicine all about.

Using herbs in daily life

So for our beginner herbal medicine guide, starting with the top layer, we’re often looking at using herbs for everyday health issues, or perhaps how to use herbs we have in our gardens.

Just remember, in herbalism, we’re an inclusive bunch and we’re not just talking about ‘culinary herbs’. Herbs for us, mean pretty much any part of a plant, and also a few non-plants too: leaves, flowers, roots, tree barks, berries, seeds, rhizomes, and fungi.

We can use support heart health using garlic in our cooking, make basil pesto from the garden, or elderberry syrup with our elder tree or turn calendula into a healing oil. These are all great ways to use herbal medicine for beginners, AND you’ll in fact, keep using herbs like this all the way through your plant journey.

Then we reach a stage, when we ask, ‘I’m using herbs, but what really is herbal medicine!?’ And we’re drawn into the next layer.

Herbal medicine is bringing the body into balance

Where we discover that herbal medicine is the art and science of using herbs to bring the body back into a state of balance and wholeness.

And here, we learn that herbal medicine has its own rich history and traditions, spanning thousands of years, and has been found in every culture around the world. We realise that neanderthals were found with herb remnants in their teeth 50,000 years ago.  Certainly we know that many animals self-medicate on herbs, so it’s likely that herbs and humans have always belonged together.

With this historical use in mind, it makes sense then, that herbal medicine has its own ways of thinking and seeing the world.

Herbal medicine is relationship and looking for the root cause

Herbal medicine is earth-based healing built on a deep web of relationships and is bound up in how we go about our daily lives. It’s our ancestral knowledge and wisdom that is our birthright.

For me, herbalism is a way of seeing and understanding the world, our bodies and ourselves. A word that’s built on relationship and interconnections. This is why I call herbalism a gateway. It’s a gateway to a different understanding of ourselves and how we belong in this beautiful wild world.

As we dive deeper into this world, we realise there are some key differences between herbal medicine and conventional medicine.

Namely that, herbalism isn’t simply about using herbs to replace pharmaceuticals. We’re not merely try to use herbs as bandaids to cover up or get rid of symptoms. We’re asking the deeper questions: why is this symptom here? What is it telling us about the state of our mind-body-heart?

In modern wellness culture language, we’re asking: what’s the root cause of this symptom?

Neither is herbalism about curing disease, or even diagnosing it. That’s something doctors do and we’re not doctors. We’ve got our own herbal traditions developed over thousands of years and carefully handed down from generation to generation.

Herbal medicine is about caring for people, not labels

In herbalism, we’re caring for people, not diseases. And nowhere is this more than in home herbalism, where we’re learning to care for ourselves and our families naturally. An easy way to example here is headaches.

10 people with headaches might have 10 different root causes and might need different lifestyle strategies and herbs. Someone might have a dehydration headache, so they simply need to drink more water. A woman might have a hormonal headaches, whereas someone else’s headache comes from work stress and yet someone else from staring at screens too long.

Herbs and lifestyle can help with all these examples, but in order to choose the right herbs and strategies, we need to focus on the person, not the label, and figure out what’s going on in their unique circumstances. (Learn step-by-step how to do that in the Home Herbalist Club, an affordable online membership, so you can learn all this with our mentoring and full Introductory and Intermediate herbal medicine courses inside!)

Herbal medicine is living your best life

And then we reach a deep core of herbal medicine… at least in the way I practice and teach it, from a holistic herbalism or vitalist tradition.

At it’s core, herbal medicine is really about helping you have the best life you possibly can, within your health history, soul journey and physical circumstances. It’s about you getting to know yourself (and your family deeply or whoever you care for) and learning how to care for yourselves.

Let’s see that in a practical example: you might notice that your physical symptoms flare up when you fight with your partner or due to financial stress. So to help your autoimmune condition, learning to set relationship boundaries or becoming more financially literate might actually be a key part of how you care for yourself.. alongside herbs to nourish your immune system and manage stress.

THIS is what I LOVE about herbal medicine. It’s about LIFE and learning to live more skillfully. (Yes, I really needed the capitals there, I just looooooooooove herbal medicine!)

And your version of herbal medicine might look different to someone else.

You might love gardening and want to grow all your herbs. Someone else might have the brownest thumb ever, so buy their herbs and remedies from people. Someone might be an avid crafter, and so find they love the medicine-making side whereas someone else just wants to nerd up on all the chemical constituents.

This depth and breadth makes herbalism really accessible to everyone, and you can absolutely tailor your herbal journey to your life and your own interests. Your herbal journey doesn’t have to look like anyone elses. To use my most famous catchphrase: find what works for you!

Hope this article really helps you answer the question: “what is herbal medicine!?”, with all its beautiful layers.

The post What Is Herbal Medicine? A Beginner’s Guide appeared first on Everyday Empowered.

Raspberry is a nutritive herb and gentle tonic astringent with an affinity for the pelvic region and mucous membranes. This tonic astringent action is raspberry’s ‘headline act’ so to speak and this action is responsible for a lot of raspberry’s medicinal uses.

Rubus Idaeus is the most common medicinal variety in Western Herbalism, and in Australia, there are many native species we can use, such as: Rubus rosifolius, Rubus moluccanus, Rubus probus.

We mostly use the raspberry leaf in herbal medicine, but you can use the root as well, and of course the fruit are a delicious, highly nutritious food that is a great source of the prized anthocyanins antioxidants and a rich source of fibre at 7 or 8g/100g.

Raspberry leaf for birth and post-partum

Wild Raspberry is already well-known as a herb to support a healthy birth. Many women drink raspberry leaf tea in the last month of pregnancy to prepare the uterus for birth. But you don’t have to stop there.

Drinking it post-birth also helps the uterus return to its original size.

As a nutritive herb, wild raspberry is also a bioavailable source of nutrients for the new mama, or anyone else. Best prepared as a nourishing infusion or infused vinegar for its nutritive qualities.

Raspberry leaf for diarrhea and digestive system

Many people don’t realise raspberry leaf or root can also stop diarrhea.

Now, the regular caution here is that diarrhea is actually an intelligent response of the body helping you get rid of pathogens! Even if it feels awful, that sounds pretty smart huh!?

So we don’t necessarily want to stop infectious diarrhea at the first blast. If diarrhea goes on for more than 48-72 hours, or you’ve got chronic loose stools, raspberry leaf or root’s astringent action helps to tighten and tone the digestive mucosa and its anti-inflammatory properties help calm irritation.

Like a true goldilocks situation, you want to use just enough, not drying out the bowels so much the diarrhea turns to constipation (and remember, if chronic loose stools is a thing for you, don’t just use raspberry leaf, ask why, and address root cause).

Raspberry leaf could also be helpful in digestive formulas for leaky gut, gastroenteritis, irritable bowel (with damp relaxation pattern) and hemorrhoids.

Other uses for Raspberry Leaf

Raspberry’s leaf’s goodness doesn’t stop there. You could work with raspberry leaf in the urinary system, as a mouthwash for bleeding gums or mouth ulcers, as a toning face wash for acne and oily skin, hemorrhoids, and sore throats from post-nasal drip.

How to identify raspberry leaf?

There are quite a few varieties of raspberry leaf you can work with medicinally in Australia, mentioned above. Whilst all will be somewhat interchangeable, you might find some varieties are more astringent, so always taste and experiment with the variety you’ve got.

For full ID points and information, join the Home Herbalist Club.

How to harvest raspberry leaf?

Raspberries are covered in little thorns, so make sure to wear gloves and protected clothes, especially if harvested from a patch of raspberries.

ALWAYS remember to harvest ethically and sustainably, which includes: not taking more than you need, not harvesting at all if there’s only a few plants — remember, the plants aren’t just free medicine or here for us, raspberries provide food and habitat for other creatures and are of benefit to their ecosystem as well.

Having said that, sometimes raspberries get very weedy and it’s helpful to harvest them so they don’t dominate an area.

Typically the leaves are harvested before the plant flowers.

If using, you can harvest the root in the autumn, when it goes dormant (depending on species and location). Remove sections of lateral root (not the entire taproot), take no more than 20, 30% from any plant. And remember the root is more astringent than the leaf, so will have a stronger effect on the body. This can lead to too much tone or dryness in the body, so take care to not consume more than you need. The leaf is a gentler remedy and is more commonly worked with.

Raspberry Leaf Safety

R. Idaeus and native Australian Rubus species are all regarded as low-risk herbs with no significant toxicity at normal therapeutic doses.

Contraindications

• Constipation or dry/deficient bowel conditions, astringent herbs will aggravate dryness
• Iron-deficiency anaemia, tannins can chelate iron and inhibit absorption; avoid taking with iron-rich meals or supplements
• Medications where tannin binding may reduce absorption, general precaution; space doses apart
• Known allergy to Rosaceae family plants (rose, strawberry, raspberry, apple)

Pregnancy

• Fruit: Considered safe as food throughout pregnancy
• Leaf tea: Traditionally used to prepare the uterus in late pregnancy (after 36 weeks); this use is widely followed but is based on traditional evidence primarily from Rubus idaeus, use with the guidance of a qualified midwife or herbalist
• Root bark: Best avoided in pregnancy due to stronger astringent and potentially uterine-stimulating action in large doses
• First trimester: Exercise caution with leaf tea in therapeutic doses; small culinary amounts likely fine

For detailed info on Wild Raspberry leaf medicinal benefits and uses, including lots of images and how to ID and harvest it yourself, join the Home Herbalist Club. The Home Herbalist Club is your all-in-one, heart-led home for learning herbal medicine. A place to grow your skills, confidence, and connection to nature while caring for yourself and your family naturally.

The post Wild Raspberry leaf: medicinal uses and benefits appeared first on Everyday Empowered.

Having a small, thoughtfully chosen collection of herbs on hand can be the difference between feeling panicked and overwhelmed, or calm and prepared when sickness strikes.

Herbs I’d never be without come cold and flu season:

1. Elderberry
2. Echinacea
3. Ginger
4. Garlic
5. Sage
6. Thyme
7. Licorice

(you don’t necessarily need them all, but make sure you’ve got herbs to support the immune system and herbs to help with symptoms of a cold and flu. Get my Confident Care Method in a soon-to-be-released new Herbal Cold and Flu Care course!! Join the newsletter to get first access and a discount!!

Let’s get into why:

Elderberry:

Over the past few years, elderberry has been a posterchild for cold and flu season… and honestly, for good reason! Clinically proven to effectively reduce severity and duration of flus, and with a long history of being the ‘people’s medicine chest’.

You’ve got to have it in the house though, as it’s most effective within the first 24 hours of illness. The syrup is beloved by kids, and pairs well with ginger and cinnamon in a decoction (tea).

Get recipe in this free Ebook

Echinacea

If Elderberry’s the posterchild of the 2010, then echinacea was the poster child of the 90s. It might surprise  you to know that echinacea wasn’t traditionally used to stimulate the immune system for cold and flus, but rather was a blood cleansing herb, specifically used for snake bite. Nevertheless, tingly echinacea root tincture is still a popular and effective antiviral herb you can turn to in your home!

Ginger

Spicy fresh ginger is a must-have for winter wellness because it supports circulation, helps warm the body from the inside out, and is especially helpful when you’re feeling chilled, congested, or run down. A simple ginger tea can be surprisingly powerful when you need something to help with fevers, nausea, body aches, gastro, coughs, and more.

Use ginger, and garlic, in this fire cider recipe

Garlic

You know how you get garlic breath? That’s not actually cause you ate garlic. It’s because your body eliminate the sulfur compounds through the lungs. AND that’s why garlic is so effective for respiratory viruses, because it gets the germ-killing antimicrobial action exactly where it needs to be. It’s pungency also helps warm the body, get the blood moving and stimulate the immune system.

It’s great eaten as raw garlic, paired with toast, or a spoon of honey to help buffer the stomach, as it’s too hot and irritating for some. We’re incredibly lucky something so powerful is  easily available at the grocery store.

Sage

Sage is one of my all-time favourite sore throat herbs with a long track record of use and it’s got a special affinity for the head and throat area! Sage’s astringent qualities help to reduce swelling and its antimicrobial action helps to kill pathogens (infection-causing microbes). Great to have on hand, or growing merrily in your garden come winter.

Learn more about best herbs for sore throats

Thyme

Gahhhh, I feel like again I have to say I wanna be BFFs with thyme.. but I can’t really say this about ALL these herbs (or can I!?).

Thyme is a powerhouse when it comes to respiratory support, especially for the lungs. Thyme can be taken as a tea, syrup, tincture, vinegar, herbal steam for coughs, congestion and sore throats. Also great for the digestive system if you suffer from digestive issues that can accompany cold and flus, or even gastro.  

You might notice a trend with these spices, but they’re all warming, which is helpful during the cold time of year (hahaha it does make me laugh, writing about ‘cold’ in the subtropics. But I tell you, as soon as it drops below 20, my jumper comes out haha).

It’s traditionally used to support circulation and digestion, making it particularly helpful when you’re feeling cold, sluggish, or depleted. Added to teas, broths, or herbal blends, cinnamon helps create that deeply nourishing, warming effect your body craves in winter.

Licorice

Licorice is soothing, moistening, and deeply supportive to dry and irritated tissues. Pairs really well with thyme for coughs, and goes well in teas for sore throats and everything else.

Honourable mentions

I didn’t want to give you a list of 13 winter essentials… but honestly, I’d also never be without cinnamon, lemons, honey and eucalyptus essential oil. Simple staples to have on hand.

What’s your plan this winter? Do you have the herbs you need on hand? If remedies need time to sit (like vinegars, or tinctures), have you started them off?

Hope this list helps you get started stocking your winter medicine chest. Any questions, come join my mailing list and ask away! I love answering our community’s questions.

Get small batches of herbs at Mudbrick Herb Cottage or Wildwood Organics, or a health food store local to you.

The post Best herbs for winter wellness: 7 must-haves for cold and flu season appeared first on Everyday Empowered.

What we herbs we plant in our gardens are kind of personal after all. It depends what our needs are and our overall climate or specific microclimate.

At the same time, I also remember when starting out, how useful it is to have something to guide you, so… without further ado

These are must 10 must-have herbs I’d never be without in my garden!

1. Comfrey

Listen, I’m utterly biased cause comfrey is one of my all time fav herb pals, but I couldn’t imagine a life without comfrey and I reckon you’ll love having her in your garden too! I’ve seen her heal ligaments and bones, help people avoid surgery, help with arthritis and all manner of bumps, bruises, sprains and muscular and connective tissue issues. Yes I could actually write a love poem to comfrey… plant her, then come learn with me and we’ll make remedies and wax lyrical together.

2. Yarrow

Yarrow is a primo first aid herb. As a styptic, she’ll help stop bleeding, fight infection and heal all manner of wounds, cuts and scrapes. She grows so easily, often grow wild and weedy in temperate climates and growing abundantly in my garden her. Not just for first aid, you can work with yarrow for menstruation issues, fevers, digestive problems and more! Very versatile.

3. Calendula

Homegrown calendula is just so vibrant and better quality than much of what you can buy commercially. Not only that but it’s an easy herb to grow, a prolific flower-er, especially if you pick flowers regularly, and a joy to work with. So this is my ride-or-die herb to grow myself (although I didn’t grow much this year and I’m kicking myself!).

4. Plantain

For some of you, this helpful plant will be an abundant weed around you, so you mightn’t need to grow it at all. It isn’t for me, so I plant it and it’s one I encourage everyone to grow if it’s not a natural weed at your place. This is because it’s a great first aid plant (there’s a bit of a theme so far isn’t there!)! Its astringent qualities help draw splinters out, or infection and pus out of wounds when made into a simple poultice. That’s mostly why I recommend growing it. Plantago lanceolata is actually a bit tricky to dry, so don’t beat yourself up if it doesn’t dry well for you, but keep trying till you get the hang of it!

5. Aloe vera

This beautifully low-maintenance and drought-tolerant herb is a must in my subtropical garden, although perhaps will be a little finicky in colder environments. It just grows itself, is always there waiting and its soothing gel is a multi-purpose healer, perfect sunburns, skin irritation and to cleanse, tone and moisten skin for home spa days.   

6. Tulsi

Tulsi, aka holy basil is a subtropical adaptogen and one of the few adaptogens where you use the aerial (leaves, flowers) parts, which I like because then you don’t have to kill the plant in order to harvest the medicine. Like all the others on this list, it grows abundantly and it also supports other creatures like the bees. Tulsi has amazing benefits for the immune, nervous, respiratory and endocrine systems and is a great ally for burned-out, stressed-out modern life.

7. Parsley (or basil)

Parsley’s always got a place in my garden because it’s an iron and mineral-rich leafy green (and we all know we’re supposed to get more of those in our diets!)

It’s a great antioxidant which combats oxidative stress and it’s utterly delicious and easily included in foods like parsley + wild weed pesto!

You could always sub out parsley and use basil if you’re not a parsley fan (wish my local possum wasn’t!).

8. Thyme

This humble little herb packs an antibacterial punch and I would not be without it in my garden or home apothecary. Thyme offers benefits to the digestive system, urinary system and is supportive for almost all kinds of coughs and lung issues, from the flu to pneumonia (in formula with other  herbs). One of my favourite ways to work with it (aside from making eggs taste amazing), is as a herbal steam to help with nasal and sinus congestion or coughs!

9. Hibiscus

What hawthorn is to temperate-climate folks, hibiscus is for the subtropics: namely one of our best cardiovascular herbs that I reckon every home would benefit from. It’s well known for helping to gently lower blood pressure and cholesterol, support healthy circulation, and cool inflammation in the body. Rich in vitamin C, it also strengthens the immune system and promotes glowing skin. Can be made into a delicious jam, which can get non-herb folks on board!

10. Elder

Elder’s superstar status has made it hard to get a hold of at various times over the past few years. So if elderflower or elderberry are a regular part of your home herbal remedies, then it’s definitely worth having an elder tree in your garden! Just know it suckers and can spread quite easily (becoming weedy in some climates), so plant it somewhere it can grow or its roots are naturally contained.

Some honourable mentions

It’s hard to stick to just 10 plants, and depending where you live, mightn’t always be relevant for you, so some others I’d always love to plant would be: nasturtiums, lemon balm, catnip, sage, garden mint, chamomile, California poppy, skullcap, motherwort, ashwaganda, violets, rosemary, lavender (eeek, better stop, but  I’d love to hear from you! Is your must-have garden herb not on this list? I’d love to know what’s your go-to in your garden. Jump on my mailing list so we can be pen pals!)

Learn to how to grow, harvest and make your own herbal remedies in the Home Herbalist Club!

The Home Herbalist Club is your all-in-one, heart-led home for learning  herbal medicine, a place to grow your skills, confidence, and connection to nature while caring for your family naturally. More details coming soon.

The post 10 must-have herbs to plant in your garden appeared first on Everyday Empowered.

Like the three horsemen of the apocalypse; air, heat and light are the enemies of your herbal shelf-life.

They, along with the original freshness and quality of your ingredients, will determine whether your herbs and remedies have a shorter or longer shelf-life.

So whilst the following is a general guide, always think about where it’s stored and how your herbs/ remedies are used. Ie. If your herbal salve’s sitting in a temperature-stable dark cupboard, it’s very different to in your hot car in summer!

What’s the shelf-life for dried herbs?

Dry herbs: 1 – 2 years,

Roots tend to last longer than aerial parts (leaves and flowers)

Powdered herbs: 2 – 6 months. Whole herbs last a lot longer than powdered herbs

Syrups: 2-4 months (or less),with lesser honey/ sugar ratio the shorter the shelf life

What’s the shelf-life for infused oils or herbal salves?

Infused oils

Infused oil: 6months – 2 years, depends how fresh oil is when started

Herbal salves: 1 -2 years, depending on oil and storage

Cream or lotion:  week to months, depending on preservative

What’s the shelf-life for tincture and other Extracts?

Here’s the shelf-life for herbal remedies from shortest to longest

Teas, infusions and decoctions: 24-48 hours (store in fridge if want it to last longer)

Herbal vinegars:  1 year

Oxymel: 1 year

Glycetracts/ glycerites:  1 year

Infused honey: 1+ year

Electuaries: 1 year

Hydrosols: 1 -2 years

Herbal capsules: 6 months – 1 year

Elixirs: 2 years

Tinctures:  2 – 5/10 years, depending on storage and usage.

How to tell if your herbs have gone bad?

I always recommend being a remedy-detective. By that I mean, know what your herbs and remedies look and smell like when you’ve made them. Lock that knowledge in your knowledge box, so that over time, your nose and eyes will be your ultimately shelf life detectors.

If something smells off, is fuzzy or has visible signs of mould growing on it, then absolutely discard. With some remedies, you’ll have the beginnings of mould growth before it’s really visible as well, not to make your paranoid, but even if it looks okay-ish, if you can’t remember when you made it…. might be time to ditch it.

Herbal storage tips for longer shelf-life

I cover this in more depth in my Mastering Herbal Teas course, that’s a great resource to check out, but in general, top tips are:

• Store in cool, dark, dry places
• Use airtight glass jars
• Label with date made

Ready to learn more about herbal medicine-making this year? Join my last online course for the year, Make your summer apothecary: 3 week medicine-making course. Starts October 21

PS – Getting your senses involved in home herbalism is an absolute gamechanger and can make you a way better herbalist. We cover this extensively, in such a fun, hands-on way in my Embodied Herbalism: Herbal Tastes course.

The post How long do herbs and herbal remedies last? Your complete shelf-life guide appeared first on Everyday Empowered.

Heat-related illnesses happen on a continuum, from heat stress to heat exhaustion to heatstroke.

Whilst colloquially we might call heat stress ‘heatstroke’ or ‘sunstroke’, they’re two totally different beasts and it pays to be able to tell the difference!

Heat stress and heat exhaustion primarily are issues of dehydration but in heatstroke, the body’s temperature regulating mechanism malfunctions and we can no longer cool ourselves down.

Heatstroke is a medical emergency and you need to call 000 right away. Let’s learn to recognise the signs of heatstroke and what to do while we’re waiting for the ambulance.

This article’s about heatstroke, but if you want to learn herbal remedies and DIY recipes for heat stress and heat exhaustion, you’ll love my upcoming course: Make your summer apothecary: 3 week medicine-making course, starting October 21

What is heatstroke?

Heatstroke occurs when the body overheats and our inbuilt cooling system fails. Normally, sweating and evaporation help regulate body temperature, but in heatstroke, the body temperature rises to 40°C (104°F) or higher and can no longer cool down effectively.

Without quick treatment, heatstroke can lead to serious organ damage and even be fatal.

A recent report showed 1000+ people died of heatstroke between 2016 and 2019, with other reports showing there’s heaps more hospitalisations from heat-induced complications, or exacerbations in other medical conditions.

Even though most of us don’t really give it a second thought, heatstroke from heatwaves is the biggest killer from natural disasters in Australia

Heatstroke symptoms

Recognising the signs of heatstroke early is key to preventing serious complications. Common symptoms include:

• Very high body temperature where skin feels hot and flushed (VS heat exhaustion when people feel hot but still have a normal body temperature)
• Little or no sweating despite the heat (vs heat exhaustion where people are still sweating)
• Confusion, agitation, or dizziness
• Severe headache or nausea (headache can also by symptoms of heat exhaustion but nausea is usually associated with heatstroke)
• Collapse, seizures, loss of consciousness

If you or someone else shows these signs, it’s time to act immediately.

(In case it’s helpful, in the Make your summer apothecary course, you’ll get a table with a side-by-side comparison of symptoms for heat stress, heat exhaustion and heatstroke)

Who’s at risk of heatstroke?

Anyone can suffer from heatstroke, but certain groups are more vulnerable:

• Young children and babies because they heat up more quickly than adults
• Pregnant women
• Older adults who have reduced ability to regulate temperature
• People with chronic conditions, particularly heart or breathing problems. If you take regular medications, check with your doctor or pharmacist about extra heat precaution.”
• Athletes and outdoor workers in hot or humid conditions

Heatstroke first aid: what to do

If you suspect someone has heatstroke, treat it as an emergency. Here’s what to do:

1. Call 000 emergency services right away
2. Move the person to a cooler location, in shady area or indoors with air conditioning or fan if possible
3. Hydrate slowly, electrolyte/ rehydrating drinks are best if you have them, or water. Don’t give fluids if the person is unconscious or confused
4. Cool the body quickly. Apply cold wet cloths, ice packs (armpits, neck, groin), or immerse in a bath or shower if possible.
5. Stay with them until medical help arrives

How to prevent heatstroke

You probably already know how to prevent heatstroke because it’s summertime commonsense in Australia (whether we follow it or not is another matter, health advice is kinda like that, easy to know hard to follow (but that’s a tangent for another day 😉)

Here are my heatstroke prevention tips:

• Stay hydrated, drink water and on especially hot days (or if you know you’ll be out in the sun), drink herbal electrolyte drinks to replace electrolytes. Coconut water can be a good natural electrolyte drink in some circumstances, but if really sweating or already starting to feel heat stress you’ll need to add some extra salt for adequate mineral replacement.
• Wear light, breathable clothing, and a wide-brimmed hat outdoors.
• Avoid peak heat hours, usually 11am to 3pm.
• Take regular breaks in the shade if working or exercising outside.
• Check in on vulnerable people
• Have a household and heatwave plan, make sure everyone in your household knows what to do during heatwaves, including how to store heat-sensitive medication if relevant, where and how to access cool locations, and a plan to check vulnerable family, friends and neighbours

Like many issues in home herbalism, if we catch symptoms when they’re small, they don’t have a chance to progress to more serious illnesses. This is true here too. If we can catch heat stress in its early stages it’s unlikely to progress to heatstroke

Learn how to use herbs for heatstroke and make your own herbal remedies and DIY electrolyte drinks join my upcoming course: Make your summer apothecary: 3 week medicine-making course

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