The Empirical Herbalist

The Empirical Herbalist Master Herbalist working for 20 + years with people of all ages and plants from all around the globe In the checkout I picked up a magazine that I often read.

I wish I could say that I was bitten by a radioactive dandelion or had a massive dose of chlorophyll and BAM I was on my way to being part of the “Herbvengers” but truth is NOT stranger than fiction. I had my lightbulb moment about a career change way back in the year 2000 doing something incredibly mundane. I was driving to a job that while it was fun and easy, it was just me going through the mo

tions and didn’t spark any passion in my life. While stuck in traffic, I was staring at these giant mounds of upturned soil, and remembered all the fun I had as a kid playing in my great grandmother’s garden when it struck me that I should be working in the dirt. An odd thought, since I lived with my hubby in a one bedroom apartment located in the heart of the the city, but it definitely struck a nostalgic chord. Later that day for lunch, I stopped into a health food store to grab a meal. The first thing I saw when I opened it was a full page spread about an herbalist school, I felt the bulb get brighter. By the end of the day, I had a plan and I just needed to convince people I knew what I was doing. By the end of the week I was enrolled and as the cliche says- The rest is history. Over the next few decades, I’ve worked at an herb farm, taught classes on almost every herbal subject, and opened up a clinical business. Oh and yeah, there has been so much time spent in the dirt growing around 33% of the organic and biodynamic herbs I use to make products. I never knew that I would find my life’s passion on that day but every bit of me is so grateful that I did. I bring over 20 years of study and experience into every case but what I also work with a tenacity and I’m not afraid to try new approaches and get creative with herbal formulations. I often combine herbs from around the globe that belong to different modalities to get a formula or plan that most matches your situation not just the Western mindset of this issue gets treated with this herb. Both your health condition and the herbs that will help are multi layered. The benefit of working with an herbalist is the expert knowledge of the plants being used and how they work best in a treatment. Ruth (she/her) is happily married with 2 teenage children. Her passions include all things plants, great food and drink. She’s an avid reader and loves the challenge of a good board game. Her ideal day involves some time outside, several cups of tea, at least an hour reading and spending time with her family and friends, not in any particular order. Oh, Pina Coladas and getting caught in the rain sounds pretty groovy too. My motto- “ A Better Life Through Herbs” extends to all aspects of life so working with me extends to all of them too. Whether you are looking to improve your culinary choices to be healthier and more tasty, you need some help with a flu bug or you are looking for help managing your chronic condition, there are herbs for it all. Communities Served

Clients of all ages- from birth through all stages of life

LGBTQ+


Specialties

Detoxes and Cleanses
Inflammation
Infertility
Unusual and rare cases
Sleep issues
Lactation Herbs
Utilizing Cell Salts
Hormonal issues such as Menopause, fertility, balancing hormones whether it’s Estrogen, Progesterone or Testosterone
Restoring Gut Health



History working with
Parasite Cleanses
Auto Immune Issues
Rebuilding the immune response
Cancer and Pre Cancerous conditions
Anxiety and Depression
ADHD
Typical health and wellness issues such as colds, flus, stress, insomnia, etc

Can't wait to be part of this event! Hope to see some of you there!
07/22/2025

Can't wait to be part of this event! Hope to see some of you there!

Cumberland Gap, TN is the place to be on August 9th! Come celebrate Appalachian arts, crafts, and culture!

Arts in the Gap just finsihed an impressive and overflowing season of incredible classes! So blessed to be able to teach...
07/21/2025

Arts in the Gap just finsihed an impressive and overflowing season of incredible classes! So blessed to be able to teach up in the Gap and be part of their offerings- Please follow them to learn all sorts of arts for very affordable prices!

Our events have concluded for the summer! Thank you all so much for your support of our program! Thanks to all our incredible instructors, interns, and workshop participants! We hope to have more events for you all soon!

Thank you to Tri State Outdoors Fest and everyone who came out to support the event and us vendors! We had a great time!
07/19/2025

Thank you to Tri State Outdoors Fest and everyone who came out to support the event and us vendors! We had a great time!

This is going to be such a fun event! Hope to see some of you there!
07/18/2025

This is going to be such a fun event! Hope to see some of you there!

Today's Herbal Cup of Goodness is taken from a TikTok Trend- Tomato Lemonade- yes seriously!!! 😋😍1 pound of tomatoes- I ...
07/16/2025

Today's Herbal Cup of Goodness is taken from a TikTok Trend- Tomato Lemonade- yes seriously!!! 😋😍

1 pound of tomatoes- I used my garden peach variety but use what you have
4 Lemons
Sugar or sweetener to taste
3 bottles of favorite fizzy water- I used Aldi brand San Pellagrio

Cut the tomatoes and lemons up into 1- 2 inch chunks- leave peel on
Throw in a 1/2 gallon jar or pitcher
Muddle them with a muddler or a wooden spoon- add sweetener
Let sit for 10 minutes or so to marry flavors
Add in the fizzy water and serve over ice
It's super refreshing and sweet tart- feel free to add in vanilla, fresh herbs like thyme, mint, basil or rosemary YUM

Health benefits of tomatoes-
Tomatos are a source with abundant Vitamin C and fruits that are high in Vitamin C. Vitamin c prevents the histamine reaction and helps with people's allergies.

High blood pressure. Preliminary evidence suggests that a specific tomato extract (Lyc-O-Mato) might modestly lower blood pressure in people with mild, untreated high blood pressure.
Cataracts. Eating more than 3 servings of tomatoes each week may help to prevent cataracts.
Asthma. Early research suggests that taking a specific tomato extract (Lyc-O-Mato) seems to reduce symptoms in people who get asthma attacks after or during exercise.
Arthritis.
Common cold.
Chills.
Digestive disorders.
Tomatoes are anti fungal- you can eat them in healthy doses or apply them externally to athlete’s foot etc.
They are reknown to be cancer preventative- Preventing bladder cancer.
Preventing breast cancer.
Cervical cancer.
colorectal cancer.
Stomach cancer.
Lung cancer.
Ovarian cancer.
Pancreatic cancer
Prostrate
They lower the risk of all cardio vascular disease and are high in GABA making them a great food for all mental and mood disorders. Get those tomatoes in!

Yesterday was a wonky day but I did drink about 1/2 gallon of this lovely fresh tulsi infusion - inspired by Shelby's su...
07/15/2025

Yesterday was a wonky day but I did drink about 1/2 gallon of this lovely fresh tulsi infusion - inspired by Shelby's suggestion on last week's post-THANK YOU

An infusion is typically an herbal "tea" that steeps a longer time than an average tea to get a stronger tasting and working drink.

For this one I harvested about 3/4 cup of fresh tulsi aka Holy Basil and let it wilt for 6 hours. I then poured boiling water over it and let it steep for 12 hours when I strained it and popped it in the fridge and served over ice during the day and evening.

Tulsi is a powerful plant ally.
She's so full of antioxidants and helps with all the following-
Lower blood sugar.
Improving LDL cholesterol
Improving blood pressure.
Decreasing inflammation.
High cholesterol.
Arthritis.
Fibromyalgia.
Neurocognitive and mood conditions
Support your body’s ability to respond effectively to:
Stress.
Anxiety.
Fatigue.
Immunity and infections

She's known as the destroyer of demons and she seems appropriate right now on many levels.

It's back up on the website! Grab yours while supplies last. Link to order in the comments-
07/15/2025

It's back up on the website! Grab yours while supplies last. Link to order in the comments-

07/14/2025

I’m at the hospital with Mom this morning- she’s having tests run. Will be at work after lunch today. Thank you

So excited to be part of this - Next Saturday!
07/12/2025

So excited to be part of this -
Next Saturday!

Cucumber  Mint WaterOh we are high in cuke season here and we’re eating them for every meal but sometimes a tall glass o...
07/11/2025

Cucumber Mint Water

Oh we are high in cuke season here and we’re eating them for every meal but sometimes a tall glass of cucumber water just hits different.

Cucumbers, like their cousins in the melon family are full of anti oxidants- vitamon c, beta carotene, manganese and molybdenum. They help our bodies reaction to oxidative stress which can contribute or lead to all sorts of diseases like eye degeneration, Alzheimers, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

Cukes are a great source of potassium which helps with muscle function and health. They are high in Vitamin B- 5 which helps the skin. They are a great vegetarian source of Vitamin K which supports bone and tissue health AND helps our blood clot. Cucumbers are also known to help lower blood pressure.

Adding mint to the water helps with taste and actually adds to the cooling properties. Mint is known to improve circualtion whih in turn lowers pain- think muscle strain or headaches. She helps with all things digestion related and increases brain function.

And Cucumber Mint water is so easy to make- wash and cut up a cuke, add some mint- fresh or dry and pour water over it- you can muddle it if you want or just leave it in the fridge to steep. I add more water as I drink and use the same ingredients all day.

What are you sipping on? We're guzzling Mellow Bouquet Lemonade to help us through this humidity! It's fresh and floral ...
07/10/2025

What are you sipping on?

We're guzzling Mellow Bouquet Lemonade to help us through this humidity! It's fresh and floral and has lots of herbs to help with irritabilty so it's a perfect herbal drink for our weather.

Address

Powell, TN

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 4pm
Tuesday 9am - 4pm
Wednesday 9am - 4pm
Thursday 9am - 4pm
Friday 9am - 12pm

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