Medicinal Uses of the Culinary Herbs
Full Materia Medica for over 25 Kitchen Herbs

Have you ever wondered why Sage is always included in stuffing? Or why Parsley is used to garnish meals? Or why a flavorful, spice-filled dish like curry leaves you feeling so good? It's because the culinary herbs represent a class of highly medicinal herbs that have been incorporated into traditional foodways for millenia for their healing properties and much of this ancient food wisdom persists (albeit sometimes hidden) to this day! In this course you'll learn to be intentional with the herbs you use to spice your food in order to cultivate health and healing. The "materia medica" of a plant is it's full medicinal profile and we'll go deep into over 25 familiar household spices and unlock their secrets and medicine.

Herbal Ghee
Medicinal Benefits and How to Make Your Own

Ghee is an ancient preparation from India that is said to brighten the mind and "build ojas," aka vitality. Modern research shows that it also helps repair the gut, contains healthy fats, boosts brain health, is anti-inflammatory, and supports digestion. It's a wonderful vehicle for delivering herbs deep into the body and we'll learn which herbs to infuse into ghee and how to make your own herbal ghee from the comfort of your own kitchen.

Medicinal Mushrooms
In the Kitchen, Recipes, and Medicinal Use

Medicinal mushrooms are incredibly popular right now and for good reason! They have been shown to both modulate and boost immunity, support the nervous system, prevent cancer, contain potent antioxidants, and more. Many of these mushrooms are delicious and can be easily incorporated into the diet and are accessible at most grocery stores. We'll learn about the top medicinal mushrooms and their full range of medicinal and culinary use and ways to work with them in the kitchen and beyond.

Adaptogens & Cooking with the Tonic Herbs
Incorporating Adaptogens, Immune-Boosting, and Stress-Busting Tonic Herbs into Your Cooking

Adaptogens are the antidote to stress- be it it physical, emotional, environmental, or all of the above. It's no secret that the rigors of daily modern life have taken a toll on many people's lives and the adaptogens are the class of herbs that can best remedy the effects of depletion and burn-out. They help re-build energy, stamina, and vitality while improving sleep, nourishing the nervous system, and decreasing stress and anxiety. If they sound like "wonder herbs" it's because they are! They are among the most revered tonic herbs (meaning safe for daily use) found within herbalism and include famous herbs like Ginseng and Reishi Mushroom. Many of these adaptogens are tradition food-as-medicines and we'll learn the medicinal properties, dosaging, and best preparations for getting these important and potent herbs into your daily life.

Seaweed Medicine
In the Kitchen, Recipes, and Medicinal Use

Seaweeds, also known as sea vegetables, are among the most nutrient-dense foods on earth and have a long history of use as food and medicine throughout the globe. Kelp, Wakame, Dulse, Sea Lettuce, and Nori are just a few examples of the wide array of brown, red, and green seaweeds that can be added to soups, stews, spice blends, and more. They contain the "umami" flavor, also known as "savory factor," and they enhance the over-all depth of flavor to any dish and don't taste fishy, contrary to popular belief! Rich in immune-supporting polysaccharides as well as an impressive array of trace minerals, seaweeds pack a huge nutritional punch delivered in small doses (a little goes a long way because they're so nutrient-rich) and in this course you'll learn their medicinal benefits and easy ways to incorporate their flavors into your cooking and medicine.

Nourishing Soups & Broths
Bone Broths, Deep Immune Broths, Herbal Broths, and Medicinal Soups

If there was one herbal preparation I would never want to be without, it's herbal broths and soups. These are a staple in my home and I'm so inspired to share all I've learned about them in this course so they can become a staple in your home too. They weave together all the categories of herbs and foods we cover- culinary herbs, adaptogens, seaweeds, medicinal mushrooms, and more- and can deliver a huge amount of medicine with little effort in the preparation. Once you learn to prepare your own I'm sure you'll find yourself reaching for quarts from the freezer on a weekly basis at the very least! We'll go in-depth on my favorite herbs to add, how to do it, and what they're good for.

Food as Medicine
Food and Herbal Energetics, Remineralizing, and Eating for your Constitution

One of the biggest challenges to healthy eating is understanding which foods are best for your own personal constitution. Understanding this nuance is what can elevate a food from a simple ingredient to a medicine and is why one person might get a beneficial effect from a certain herb or food and another person might not! We'll learn how the herbs and foods we study effect the body based on understanding the 5 flavors, particularly the energetics and medicinal properties of each of the different flavors, because each of the flavors exerts its own medicinal influence on the body! In this context "energetics" refers to the way foods and herbs effect the temperature and moisture scale of the body, as well supporting different body systems such as the digestive, endocrine, nervous system and more. Students will be able to apply what they've learned to decipher which foods and herbs would be best for themselves (or their clients) with confidence.

Folk Medicine-Making in the Kitchen
Oils, Vinegars, Bitters, Cordials, Oxymels, Honeys, Finishing Salts, Electuaries, Infusions, Wild Sodas, Medicinal Ferments

Stocking the home apothecary (and refrigerator, and cabinets, and pantry....) with healing foods and medicines is one of the greatest joys of home medicine-making. The self-sufficiency and ability to provide for your family and community when in need provides medicine security and a deep sense of satisfaction. This course will teach participants how to make classic herbal preparations such as tinctures and herbal oils as well as food-as-medicine crossover preparations like herbal honeys, oxymels, cordials, and more.