I have had this question many times recently. Many individuals seem to be confused on just exactly a herbalist is and what our function is.
I have had many ask me recently if I am licensed to grow and sell weed (herb). While that would be fucking amazing, no I am not. Not even close. So, now that that has been cleared up, what exactly can I do and sell? Good question! I have been formally trained by a Master Herbalist through the Centre of Excellence, a UK based holistic university. I graduated with a 97% overall and a distinction in the course. (which is the same as with honors in the US). Prior to that I did formal training through a master Herbalist here in the US and became a certified Herbalist. What this means is that I have had training in all the herbs/plants/roots/berries/ etc that I use to help assist your body to be in an optimal state. I know their active constituents, their therapeutic actions, proper dosing of each, and any contraindications (reasons they shouldn't be given) to make using them safe and effective. I have been trained in how to best prepare each herb, how to dose it, and how to forage it in the wild. I have been trained in how to do a consultation, a head to toe assessment, and how to decide which herbs to use when and for what conditions. Combined with my 15 years as an RN doing assessments daily on my patients, administering medications, and using my intuition to guide me in what was going on in their body and using that knowledge to treat them, I am very capable of determining what is going on with your body and the best way to treat it. Herbalists combine that knowledge of herbs/plants and assessment and use it to make herbal preparations that assist your body in reaching its optimal state. They watch how you respond to the herbal blends and use that knowledge to tweak them for what your body needs. Basically, they are alternative health practitioners. One of the many reasons someone comes to do a consultation with myself and other Herbalists, is they feel they are either not being treated correctly by modern medicine and therefore not getting better, or they have seen all the medical professionals they can for their illness/disease process, and they have not received any answers. Most individuals are tired of not being seen, heard, or adequately treated and are looking to alternative medicine for help and answers. Treating those who feel they have been mistreated or cast aside by modern medicine is our specialty. I help with chronic and acute health issues, mental health issues, stress, tension, exhaustion, headaches, pain, menstrual issues, and more. We work together to assist you in changing your lifestyle, diet, and using herbs to help your body heal itself and work on getting back to health. Ultimately, I help you take control of your health. While growing weed and selling it would be cool, I do grow my own herbs when possible and sell those. Probably not as cool (or lucrative) as the weed industry, but still helping people in a similar way and very fulfilling. If you have any questions or would like to schedule a consultation to discuss any issues, click here. Blessed be, Shannon
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You may be asking yourself right now, "What the hell is fire cider?" and you wouldn't be the only one in the room asking that same question, more than likely.
Fire cider is a folk preparation, usually made in the winter, and used throughout the winter as a tonic, a warming stimulant, and to kick your immune system in gear when you feel a tickle of illness trying to start. As this is a traditional folk preparation it is made with items that you can usually find in season at the time you make it, so the recipe is more of a guide and less of a "do it this way or else!" recipe. The base ingredients are apple cider vinegar, garlic, onion, ginger, horseradish, and hot peppers. You can add plenty of other herbs in as well or in place of one of the ingredients. Sometimes you may have grown more jalapenos than you could eat, or give away, toss some in here! Some traditional makers make this at the beginning of the autumn season and bury it in the ground for a month, then strain and use. Others let it sit in a dark cabinet. You do whatever vibes best with you. Fire cider is taken by the tablespoon-full usually, but you can also add it to salads as a dressing, tossed into smoothies, add to soup bases, mix with veggies as a drizzle, or toss into whatever you are cooking for dinner that night. Take it daily as a preventative during the winter months and take extra when you feel a tickle of illness coming on. Have fun with the recipe. Let me know how yours turned out, any changes you made, and how it helped you and your family, this winter. FIRE CIDER RECIPE 1 medium onion, chopped 10 cloves of garlic, crushed/chopped 2 jalapeno peppers, chopped Zest and juice of 1 lemon 1/2 cup of fresh grated ginger root 1/2 cup fresh grated horseradish root 1 tbsp turmeric powder 1/4 tsp organic cayenne powder Apple Cider Vinegar 1/4 cup raw honey or to taste. Prepare the roots, herbs, and fruits. Place them in a quart sized glass jar. Horseradish is very strong when grated and will open your sinuses! Be prepared! Pour the vinegar in until it covers all the ingredients and reaches the top of the jar. If you have a metal lid, place a piece of parchment paper over the top of the vinegar. This keeps it from reacting to the metal lid and causing you to have to toss the jar of fire cider out. Shake well. Store in a dark, cool place for one month. Shake daily. After one month, strain out the pulp and pour the vinegar solution into a new jar. At this time add the honey and stir until dissolved. Taste and add more, if desired. Blessed Be, Shannon This may be your first time thinking about visiting a herbalist or an alternative medicine practitioner and you have no idea what to expect. What does this entail? Will they be knowledgeable about your conditions or health problems you are currently experiencing? Will they be able to help? To actually help? Will you get brushed off like you have in the past by other medical practitioners?
You may have had some bad experiences with modern medicine and their practitioners. This can definitely cause some anxiety about seeing someone new. So, what exactly can you expect when setting up a wellness consultation with Shannon at The Nomad Apothecary? First, you can expect compassion, empathy, and understanding of any fears you may be experiencing, any embarrassment over whatever is currently occurring in your body, or rejection of the problem due to your race, age, gender, or sexual orientation. Shannon treats everyone holistically. This means she treats the entire person AND their problems. You will be seen and heard at your appointment. Second, you will be expected to fill out an intake form. This is a very detailed, in depth look at you, your health history, your medications, your current problem, diet, lifestyle, job, current stress issues, family history, and more. This will help Shannon get a more complete picture of what exactly is occurring and the best ways to go about helping you with those. This is typically filled out and sent back prior to the consultation so Shannon has time to look it over and get to know you and make a list of herbs and other things that can really help your current health problem(s). Third, upon arrival for your consultation, either virtually or in person, Shannon will greet you and go over your paperwork and get any details she needs about the information contained therein. Shannon practices Intuitive Healing, so she will take this time to take in and read your energy as well. If in person, she may also do a physical examination. This may include a blood pressure reading, listening to heart or lungs or bowels with a stethoscope, or even palpating (feeling) different parts of your body. This will help her in determining the full extent of the issues at hand. During this time, you may notice her jotting notes while you speak. This is her going through the relevant herbs that may help with your current problem(s). Fourth, once she has all the information she needs, she will take a few moments to narrow down the best course of action and the best combination of herbs to assist you. Once this is done, she will discuss the possible treatment plan with you. This is your time to ask questions, get better understanding, clarify information, and add your input to the treatment plan. The best treatment plan is one that you will stick to doing. Once a treatment plan is finalized, Shannon will prepare your herbal blends and preparations. These may be available immediately before you leave (if in person), or they may need to be blended and you return to pick them up. If a virtual appointment was done, these will be mailed to the address you provided during the consultation. Overall, a wellness consultation is an in depth look at you, as a person, and looks for ways to support you and your body. This is achieved through diet changes, lifestyle changes, and herbal preparations. Shannon assists with all kinds of illness and health issues. The wellness consult helps you to take control of your health. As wellness consults are such an in depth look at you and your history, 90 minute sessions are the recommended amount of time to make sure all areas can be addressed and better herbal preparations recommended. Shannon understands time constraints and monetary constraints and as such offers a tiered way to schedule consults allowing you to pick the one that works the best for your schedule. If you have any questions, please contact us [email protected] and we will gladly get back to you and answer your question to the best of our knowledge and ability. Blessed Be, Shannon |
AuthorShannon, master herbalist, shares her thoughts, educational information, and more. Archives
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