Morgan County Herbal Therapy

01/03/2026

What Can I Do For My Anxiety - Pt 3

We'll continue with herbs this week. I think a dozen is a nice round number, so here is another six. For parts 1 and 2 of this series, here are links:

What Can I DO For My Anxiety? Pt 1 – Simple Thrift and Herbs

What Can I Do For My Anxiety Pt 2 – Simple Thrift and Herbs

Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis): Lemon balm is a warm, slightly dry herb that is an amazing nervine. Drinking a cup of tea just takes everything down a notch or two. According to Charles Garcia, https://www.instagram.com/curandero50/, lemon balm in white wine is great for emotional trauma. Celestial Seasonings also makes a tea with the major ingredient being lemon balm called Tension Tamer. The picture for Melissa off. is one of anxiety and depression – palpitations, unable to get grounded or turn off that excited hamster in your brain. It also helps with hyperthyroidism. It doesn't hurt that it has a really pleasant lemony taste. A combination of Melissa and valerian is amazing for helping with sleep.

Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca): This is another mint, like lemon balm, that works well for anxiety that comes with palpitations and restlessness. Motherwort has more cardiac effects than lemon balm (it can be used for a-fib and is more blood thinning than lemon balm), but works well in combination with lemon balm.

Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera): Ashwagandha is an adaptogen. Very (very) simply, adaptogens help you adapt. They help you keep proper balance, conserve energy, and cope with stress (physical and emotional). In some ways, ashwagandha’s properties are oxymoronic – it helps with energy and sleep, it elevates mood while calming it, and it tones (tightens) while lowering blood pressure. Ashwagandha can help balance cortisol and decrease stress hormones at night, making it ideal for helping with sleep.

Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra): Licorice can be a great addition to any other above herbs for short-term use. Licorice helps to support the adrenal glands and allow for appropriate production of cortisol. While I would not use it alone for anxiety, it could be a really nice adjunct to herbs that are not very palatable, like skullcap or kava kava.

Turmeric (Curcuma longa): I tend to think of turmeric more for depression than anxiety, but if your anxiety has symptoms of lack of energy and feeling dull-minded, it may be for you. There has been a study (I can’t remember where, but I know Aviva Romm has quoted it often) that 1000 mg of turmeric a day is as effective as Prozac. It is one of the best herbal anti-inflammatories and newer studies show it can increase dopamine and serotonin levels in the brain, as well as protect neurons from oxidative stress.

Mimosa (Albizzia julibrissin): Also called silk tree or sensitive plant, this is considered almost invasive in Texas. I think this is my favorite because of memories I have of walking through a grove of mimosa trees in bloom. It is a beautiful plant, and just the quietness of the grove was amazing. I have found the tincture of this plant can give an instant lift to my mood, not surprising as its constituents have shown effects on serotonin and promote dopaminergic activity.

There are other herbs as well - these are just the ones I am most familiar with. Please feel free to contact me if I can be of assistance in helping you formulate something to help with your anxiety. Also please reach out to a local counselor - counseling truly is the long-term solution.

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12/28/2025

What Can I Do For My Anxiety Pt 2
HERBS

I thought I could get this covered in a couple posts, but I think it will be longer. You can review part I here:

What Can I DO For My Anxiety? Pt 1 – Simple Thrift and Herbs

There are many many herbs to use for anxiety, and it may take a bit to find your favorite. These are in no particular order, just as I thought of them. I would suggest using most of them as a tea for a couple reasons: In my experience, alcohol does not improve things long-term. Yes, it’s not like you’re drinking ounces of tincture, but energetically it just feels bad with anxiety or (especially) depression. If an herb is best used as a tincture, I will note that under the herb. So – let’s get started!

Saint John’s Wort (Hypericum perfoliatum): For a while a few years ago, you found this in product form EVERYWHERE. Hypericum is used for depression, fear, insomnia, anxiety, and feelings of worthlessness. To really feel an effect, it needs to be taken for 4-6 weeks. It’s a great herb if you are not on any pharmaceuticals. Hypericum is detoxified using a lot of the same enzyme systems as HIV meds, anti-rejection drugs, MAO inhibitors, SSRIs, seizure meds, blood thinners, pain medication, and anti-depressants (and that’s not an exhaustive list). I don’t tend to add SJW to my formulations except for short-term use as a nervine (specific for nerve pain caused by the herpes virus). It just interacts with too much and there are other herbs out there, like…

Chamomile (Matricaria recutita): Very mild herb that is even safe for children. Works well for nervous tension and nightmares – these folks are hot, irritable, cranky, and really don’t want to be comforted. Nothing you can do will help them, they are sure of it! Chamomile can be sedating to some people – something to watch for.

Milky Oats (Avena sativa): This is one that I prefer to use in tincture form, but tea also works. Oat is considered a trophorestorative for the nervous system. It is a gentle soothing remedy for anxiety that presents as exhaustion, inability to concentrate, physical weakness (especially in the limbs), and a headache.

Kava kava (Piper methysticum): This herb is for short term use only. It helps with anxiety, stress, and muscle tension by reducing hyperexcitability of neurons by effecting the sodium and calcium channels. It can be quite sedating, but in my experience, people get very relaxed and VERY chatty. I would advise using kava for a known stressful time (like the holidays!), but using it very short term. Long term use of kava can lead to liver issues. Usually, they resolve after stopping the herb, but again – why risk it when there are other options?

Linden (Tilia cordata): Another gentle herb. This one is great for relaxing nervous tension, especially if this creeps up on you later in the day. If one of your symptoms is palpitations with your anxiety, this herb and motherwort will be your friend. Linden decreases adrenal enlargement. It contains quercetin, which has beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system.

Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora): The is good for anxiety that comes with a dull headache and inability to pay attention that is worse with noise, bright lights, and odors – That ‘just too much stimulation’ feeling. Tea is more sedative than the tincture – so a cup of this at bedtime is a really nice way to settle in. It does tend to be bitter, but would be nice with some lemon balm added, and maybe some honey.

Oh my. So many amazing herbs for anxiety, that I will have to add more next week. This may turn into having more parts than I thought!

ETA: If you are pregnant or taking medications, please clear these with your provider.

12/20/2025

My Favorite Herb Books

More posts on treating anxiety are coming, I promise. They just require a little more research on my part and a little more attention to detail than what I have in me at the moment.

So…. I know it’s probably a little late for ordering for Christmas presents, but if you get a few bucks for a present, you might like these also.

Herbal Medicine from the Heart of the Earth by Dr. Sharol Tilgner. This is my favorite and most used book. It is appropriate for those just starting out in their herbal journey and seasoned professionals alike. The book is divided into several parts: suggestions on what to use for a particular condition, a materia medica (list of herbs with uses, cautions, and detailed descriptions), formulations (recipes for herbal products), and instructions of how to make herbal preparations.

The Energetics of Western Herbs by Peter Holmes. These were some of the most used texts when I was in herb school. They are written more from a Chinese medicine viewpoint, but include botanical drawings, attributions/characteristics of plants, uses, and a bit of history. Tilgner’s book above is somewhat limited in the number of herbs – this set has a lot more. It is more of a comprehensive materia medica with fewer sections on general use.

WHO Monographs on Selected Medicinal Plants by the World Health Organization. This is volume 4 of – I don’t know – maybe 9 or 10 by now, although the latest volumes are only available online, not print. While the US doesn’t tend to put a lot of money into studying herbs, other countries and the World Health Organization does. These volumes are arranged like a materia medica (lists of plants) with drawings of chemical structure, lists of various constituents by chemical names, and studies listing all the particulars: number of participants, actual hypotheses that were being tested, and outcomes. These books are not for everyone, but if you are studying herbalism from a more structured evidence-based viewpoint, you may really like them. I think they are great because they allow me to ‘argue’ with people that think herbalism is not a valid medical option.

Herbal Formularies for Health Professionals by Dr. Jill Stansbury. This is volume 4 of a five-volume set. Very well written at a more professional level than just ‘throw the herb in some vodka and hope for the best.’ She does use some herbs that are VERY low dose (and the dose makes the poison). I would not recommend these for a beginning herbalist. The formulations she uses are well thought out and balanced but can be edgy with using herbs that I would not consider safe for anyone but a professional herbalist with good insurance to use.

Herbal Materia Medica by Michael Moore. Not really a book, more of a pamphlet. This is the primary source I use for making tinctures. Michael Moore combed through many old sources and texts to find the best ratios for individual herbs. This does not really contain much about the herbs themselves, other than what ratio of herb to alcohol and the percentage of alcohol to use. In my opinion, it’s a must have if you are planning on making your own tinctures.

Invasive Plant Medicine by Timothy Scott. Last but certainly not least, is this book. I like to take it with me out in the pasture (as you can tell!). We have so many plants that we think are useless – Russian olive, bindweed, thistle and are considered ‘noxious’ weeds. They are not. They absolutely can be invasive, but some have amazing uses. I really wish Tim Scott would do another volume with additional invasives. This book is also arranged by plant with botanical drawings and maps of common areas of growth but also has historical uses and quotes from explorers and native American herbalists.

Hopefully these titles can give you some reading options when the seed catalogs get overwhelming! Merry Christmas!

(There are photos of all of these on my blog at simplethriftandherbs.com)

12/13/2025

What Can I DO For My Anxiety? Pt 1

When I asked what you guys would like me to write about, I heard ‘ADHD’ and ‘anxiety’ from my FB friends. I think the 2 are very much related – some of the same symptoms, and anxiety seems to be a key piece of ADHD. Since I know a little more about anxiety, I thought we could start there. It’s not a small subject and seems to be appearing more and more in patient charts that I see – especially for younger people.

The definition I found of anxiety seems about right: excessive worry, fear, or dread that interferes with daily living. It can manifest in physical symptoms like increased heart rate, chest pain, shortness of breath, restlessness, insomnia, fatigue, and difficulty concentrating (this is not an exhaustive list). If you are having some of these symptoms for the first time – please PLEASE first get all physical causes eliminated. Get checked out by your doctor.

If other illnesses have been ruled out, I highly suggest counseling for long-term or persistent anxiety. I will give other suggestions, including herbs and flower essences in part 2, but counseling should teach you to deal with the root cause of your anxiety, whatever it is. My suggested therapeutics are more for acute anxiety than chronic.

In my opinion, some anxiety is normal. Feeling nervous walking down a dark street in the not-so-safe area of town? Normal. Watching where you step when you are in rattlesnake territory? Normal. Not leaving your house because you are terrified of being mugged or bitten by a snake? Probably not normal.

So, if you have the ‘not normal, interfering with daily life, I need to do something about this’ type, what are some things you can do while you are waiting to see a counselor or physician?

Mindfulness, meditation, prayer. Acknowledging there is a problem is the first step to solving it, and naming something gives you some amount of power over it. Praying is always good – again, giving it over to a higher power. If you are not a religious person, meditation or mindfulness practices are easy to google. Set a short time limit of 5-10 minutes (which I know seems like eternity when you are stressing) and focus on your breathing. I like the practice of naming 1 thing you can taste, 2 things you can smell, 3 things you can hear, 4 things you can feel, and 5 things you can see to help break the panicking mindset. Another is to look up at all the corners of the ceiling and focus on each one for several seconds. I’ve been told this helps the primitive areas of the brain realize that there is no danger sneaking up on you.

Cut back on stimulants. If you are doing coc*ine or me*h, stop if possible. It’s very unhealthy. Legal stimulants can exacerbate anxiety as well – caffeine, taurine, guarana, other things found in energy drinks. Mar***ana can also contribute to anxiety. It’s a bit of conundrum – what you started using mar***ana for becomes the symptom of both withdrawal and excess. While mari***na is not considered a stimulant, it can provoke anxiety.

Look at your diet. There is a huge link between our gut microbiota and health and our mental health. If you have a known food allergy/sensitivity/intolerance, it can be contributing to your anxiety. It’s kind of a chicken or egg thing: Does the food intolerance cause the anxiety (due to social situations or concern about being dosed) or does the anxiety exacerbate food allergy symptoms (nausea, itching, brain fog, restlessness, increased heart rate, dizziness, etc)? Inflammation in the gut can affect production of serotonin (the hormone that helps to regulate mood, sleep, cognitive functions, and contentment) and nothing will irritate your gut more than eating what you know you should avoid.

Slow down if you can. I think we sometimes feel we are judged on how busy we are and how much we accomplish. Getting things done on time and correctly puts a big weight on us mentally. See if taking some things off your plate lessens the amount of anxiety you feel.

And now – to totally just add something to your plate (!) – think about doing a food and symptom diary. Most people I know do not correlate what they eat to how they feel unless they are eating something new or in unusually large amounts. It doesn’t take much to have a reaction to a food your body does not like, and sometimes it will not show up immediately as your body can react to allergens by releasing endorphins as well. We humans are quite complicated, you know.

I’ll be back next week with herbs and flower essences for anxiety. In the meantime, breathe, pray, eat good food, and try not to be so hard on yourself. Love you, my friends!

12/06/2025

Fighting the Gunk
Gunk. Maybe it’s the flu, maybe it’s COVID, maybe it’s RSV, maybe it’s some other ‘viral upper respiratory infection.’ It’s making its seasonal rounds again, even in my household. The man caught it first, and I am trying to fight it off. So – how do you do that?

If you can, avoid it. The man didn’t really have a choice – I think he got exposed from a co-worker that he was in close proximity to for about 8 hours in a truck cab. Sometimes you just can’t avoid it, but cleaning your workspaces and frequently touched items daily with some kind of cleaner (lysol, cavi-wipes, whatever you have) will help. Viruses can live on hard surfaces for up to a week. I have a coworker that before every meeting wipes down the table, chair arms, keyboard, mouse, etc. I need to be more like her. Doing this at work and at home (counters, light switches, door handles, toilet handles, your CELLPHONE!!!) will cut down your exposure immensely.

Wash your hands. Frequently. Don’t touch your face or run your eyes. You have all those holes in your face that the virus can just waltz into like it’s auditioning for ‘Dancing with the Stars.’ Don’t make it easy for them.

Watch your diet. Lots of good protein and healthy fat will help boost your immune system – think soups and stews. They taste really great this time of year and are a great way to get more onions and garlic into your system (more on that in a minute). Limit your sugar intake. Consuming sugar (in any form – the original study was done with orange juice) can limit production of certain cells integral to immune function for up to five hours. Sugar also contributes to inflammation (more work for the body) and decreases white blood cells’ ability to engulf pathogens. Skip that sugary latte if you’re starting to feel funky.

Up your supplements for a few days. Vitamin D is key to help keep things out of your body. I’ve written before how it helps with cellular junctions – you want things tight where no germs can slip in (quit touching your face!). Vitamin K2 helps the body absorb Vitamin D better, so if you are shopping, look for a supplement that has both. Vitamin C – one of those vitamins that you can’t really overdo. Like magnesium, if you take too much you may not leave the bathroom, but it is unlikely you will have more significant issues.

Rest. I promise that the dirty dishes, reports, laundry, staff meetings, etc. will still be there when you feel better. Your body needs rest to repair and recover from the gunk.

Hydrate. Fevers and breathing issues will drain your body of moisture. Water and tea are great ways without sugar to make sure you don’t dry out. A humidifier is also great this time of year, whether you are sick or not. Eat ‘moist’ foods – soups, stews, smoothies (although watch the sugar). One of the man’s symptoms is a headache. Staying well hydrated can prevent this.

Alliums are another way to hit back at viruses. Alliums are vegetables like onions and garlic. There was a WHO study that showed ‘aqueous extract of Allium sativa’ (onion juice) was effective in killing quite a few bacteria and viruses. So maybe the old wives’ tale of putting a cut onion next to your bed when you are sick is not as crazy as it sounds. Adding onions and garlic to your soup right at the end (so the heat sensitive constituents aren’t destroyed) is a great way to get some ‘onion juice’ into your system. Somehow, an onion juice smoothie just doesn’t sound as good.

If you have a lot of congestion, doing a steam with thyme may help loosen up a lot of gunk and also allows inhalation of vapors that are antimicrobial. Pour boiling water into a bowl, add a tablespoon or so of thyme (the herb), then sit with your head over the bowl. Cover your head with a towel to trap more of the steam. Do this carefully so you don’t burn yourself. Try to breathe in the steam for about 10 minutes. You may need to let the bowl cool for a bit first.

Drinking pineapple juice will help loosen up mucus and thin it out. The bromelain in pineapple works to break up the protein strands in mucus so you can get rid of it easier.

In a pinch, a cup of hot water with a teaspoon of poultry seasoning will help. Poultry seasoning usually contains sage, thyme, and rosemary – all of which are antimicrobial herbs.

I have mixed feelings about treating fevers. There is so much that depends on the individual, but I will throw this out there: I try to not treat fevers on myself. In fact, if I start feeling chills, I take as hot of a shower as I can stand, wrap up, and climb into bed with extra covers. Fevers are our body’s way of trying to kill off bacteria and viruses – I try to help my body out instead of fighting it by using tylenol/ibuprofen/aspirin. That is what is right FOR ME, AT THIS MOMENT IN TIME. Do your own due diligence (I hope you check everything out that I say against other sources!) before deciding to do the same.

Avoiding the gunk (prevention) is key, but if you get it, I hope the suggestions above help.

HAPPY HEALTHY HOLIDAYS!

11/29/2025

Magnesium

Anxiety, insomnia, irritability, nervousness, restlessness, weakness, muscle cramps, hyperactivity, migraines… Sound familiar? These are symptoms of magnesium deficiency. Magnesium deficiency is easy to overlook because there really isn’t a specific syndrome attached to it. It’s estimated that about 80% of the population is magnesium deficient.

The amount of magnesium stored in the body is the least of the major minerals – we store about 35 grams in a 150 lb. person. It’s also something that get easily depleted by stress.

So what is magnesium? It is a mineral, like calcium and potassium. Magnesium is used by the body in over 300 enzyme reactions, like synthesis of proteins, RNA, and DNA. It helps with ATP formation, supports nerve transmission and relaxation of muscle tissue, and helps maintain healthy blood sugar levels.

So how do we lose it all? It’s excreted thru the kidneys and bowel. Alcohol, caffeine, and stress can accelerate magnesium loss. The body uses magnesium to buffer and help control the effects of stress hormones when they are released into the bloodstream. More stress = fewer magnesium reserves.

You can get it thru dark leafy greens, fermented soy, oats, nuts, meats, and sea vegetables. Or you can supplement. That’s what I choose.

There are quite a few absorbable forms: citrate, glycinate, malate, ionic, oxide, gluconate, and ascorbate. You can find what works best for you. If you are prescribed magnesium, it is almost always oxide. The oxide form and ascorbate will cause more loose stools than other forms – with the exception of liquid Mag Citrate (dynamite in a bottle).

I use the CALM powder shown above. It is magnesium citrate in an ionic form and is easily titrated. The titration part is what I find most helpful. The instructions read 2 tsp per day. If you are starting magnesium supplementation – don’t do that. You won’t leave the bathroom and will leave me many mean messages on your phone while you’re stuck there. Start with maybe 1/2 tsp. in a cup of warm water, I prefer to take it at bedtime, as it really does help with relaxation. It’s not a sedative but does help muscles to settle down and for me, it helps my mind to settle as well.

Magnesium is also one of those things that you can’t really get too much of – your body will get rid of it (that’s why there is a laxative called Milk of Magnesia)!

Magnesium supplementation is something pretty easy and relatively cheap to add to your wellness routine. I can say that for me, turmeric and magnesium have made the biggest impact on my quality of life. Try it for yourself – it might be a game-changer for you, too.

11/24/2025

Rest

What is the longest time you have gone without sleep? I think for me it was maybe 2 1/2 to 3 days. I was much younger (and not very bright!). Most people can tell you that going without sleep for very long can lead to problems like cognitive impairment, physical symptoms, and mood changes. Lack of sleep, especially when driving, can be deadly. There is a reason that most (not all) truck drivers have a mandated consecutive ten hours off a day to allow for sleep.

Sleep hygiene is a whole thing that I might discuss later, but what I want to talk about is REST, not sleep. So what is the difference between rest and sleep? According to AI, there are 4 differences: consciousness, activity, purpose, and duration. Obviously with rest, you remain conscious, you can do light activities, and it generally does not last as long as sleep. Its purpose is more for relaxation and recovery as opposed to long term restoration.

I think (hope) that most all of us sleep, but how many of us rest? The busy-ness of life, the push for efficiency and productivity, and our own expectations of what is required of us get in the way of rest. (Warning: short sermon now), The Bible talks about not working on the Sabbath (once a week) and devoting the day to rest. While I understand and agree with this – I have an extraordinarily difficult time actually doing this! I mean, I got things to do!

Rest can take many forms:

Emotional (boundaries are good things, not bad. Sometimes you have to let people know that while they may use the ‘door’ to enter your life, they can’t just break in a window!)
Physical (again, not sleep but rest – so things like sound baths, yoga, stretching)
Sensory (staying off screens or away from things that are too stimulating to your senses)
Social (we all get ‘peopled’ out)
Mental (because math is hard, and so are some other things we have to think about. Meditation, reading, or journaling are good ways to ‘rest’ your mind).
So – help a girl out. How do you manage to rest? Are there certain things built into your schedule or routine that force you to slow down and take time for yourself? What do you think – are rest and self-care the same thing? I sleep (sort of) fine, but rest is another whole animal. Being in nature helps – but even then, I want to pick plants or pull weeds, not just be.

What are your thoughts?

11/15/2025

Attitude is Everything

I’m not really sure why I am writing on this subject, other than I feel like I need to. It’s a bit more personal than my usual posts and probably will sound like a sermon.

I truly believe that our thoughts (when we dwell and encourage them) become our words, and “death and life are in the power of the tongue”. Our words frequently become our actions. Before I got cancer, I used to say, “I’ll die from cancer if I don’t get hit by a bus first,” when talking about my own mortality. Did my thoughtless words become a negative prophecy on my own life? I don’t know – but it didn’t help. My attitude was too casual, too glib.

Being told you have stage IV cancer has a way of making you sit up and notice. What have I done with my life: Have I done anything important in the time I have been given so far? What will I be remembered for? Where will I go eternally? What can I do to stay here longer? I’m not afraid to die, but I don’t want to go just yet. What am I supposed to learn from this? Is it even about me or is it someone else’s lesson to learn? Sigh. Anyhow – back to attitude. On the days that I was angry, I noticed that my pain was worse, I didn’t want to get out of bed. On the days I could find something -anything to be grateful for, I had a little more energy. Again, thoughts become words become actions. So thinking, then saying, “I can do this, I can beat this,’ became the actions of ‘I must move, I must eat’ and now here we are, 2 and a half years later and I am cancer free. Let me be clear: my attitude didn’t heal me – that was Jesus, chemo, radiation, surgery, and amazing healthcare staff. But having the right attitude made things better in every way.

When we grumble and complain, does it really change anything? Yes, it feels great to vent sometimes, but all it really does is reinforce our attitude of entitlement. On the other hand, gratitude has been shown to improve mental health by increasing positive emotions, encouraging social connections, and even helping protect you from the effects of stress.

When you are struggling, how do you make yourself be grateful? There is ALWAYS something to be thankful for. When I started looking (OK, OK – googling) into how to become more grateful, I came across this article from Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/going-beyond-intelligence/202301/10-ways-to-feel-grateful-every-day?msockid=380f9b386aff618605928e816b07608a

The benefits of gratitude: more energy, better sleep, better physical health, enthusiasm, optimism, empathy, popularity (LOL!), higher levels of success, resilience, mindfulness, contentment, and happiness. Cause you know we all need to be more popular!!

Attitude truly is everything. Please know that I am so grateful to all of you who read my little posts and have responded.

“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy – meditate on these things.”

11/11/2025

Herbs for Children

(Obviously, not a photo of children, but I call my kids my chicklets, so…) In honor of my first grandbaby’s first birthday, I decided to do a post on herbs for children.

Standard Disclaimer: You are the parent and are responsible for verifying what I say with other sources, be that your doctor, witchdoctor, mother, or Rosemary Gladstar. The herbs listed below are ones that I would not hesitate to give to my own kids, or my grandchild if her parents OK’d it.

Chamomile (Matricaria recutita): Great for generalized fussiness. Chamomile works on the nerves and the digestive system to help calm and soothe. It also works for anxiety in children, although it can make them a little drowsy. Chamomile infused in oil can be used for muscle pain in littles as well.

Catnip (Nepeta cataria): Another one that is great for digestion and nerves. Catnip tends to be a bit more sedative, so a bed time tea. It also does not taste fabulous, so maybe combine it with another herb that has more ‘taste’ to it, like elderberries, lemon balm, or peppermint. Rubbing a little of the tea on gums helps with teething.

Elder (Sambucus canadensis): Both the berries and the flowers are child safe. The berries are one of the few proven herbal antivirals and taste delicious. The flowers have a delicate taste, and work to lower fevers. Great herb for cold and flu season.

Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis): Yum. Lemon balm is one of the best tasting teas in my opinion. It also is anti-viral, especially for herpetic viruses like cold sores and chicken pox. It helps to soothe the nerves in both a physical and emotional sense. Lemon balm is one of my favorite nervines.

Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) and Marshmallow (Althaea officinalis): I”m putting these two together because their actions are very similar. Both make a very mucilaginous tea which is great for soothing sore throats and settling a cough. I use marshmallow in my cough syrup for that reason. Licorice is sweeter, but (to me) doesn’t have much more of a taste than sweet, so while you can use it in other teas like catnip, it just makes for a slightly icky-tasting sweet tea. One of marshmallows original uses was for wounds. A tea used as a wash is really nice for those scrapes and abrasions of childhood.

Nettles (Urtica dioica): These can be eaten if well-cooked (the little hairs on the plant are very irritating) or used as a tea. Nettle is great for allergies in the spring or fall, but it is very drying to the system. Combine it with moistening herbs like licorice or marshmallow. Nettles are also very mineral rich and a very healthy green. They can be added to soup to help disguise them if needed. The calcium that nettles provide can help with growing pains and formation of dense bone tissue.

Peppermint (Mentha piperita): Really tasty herb for kiddos. It is a relaxant, so not for use with kids with reflux issues – otherwise it is great for an upset tummy.

Oats (Avena sativa): Oat is considered very restorative for the nervous system. Oats (either in cereal or tea form) are very moisturizing and help soothe irritation. If you think about how we use them topically (oatmeal baths for kids with chicken pox) – we can also use them internally for emotional irritation as well. Oats help with long-term stress and irritation as well as nervous exhaustion.

Now – important part – dosages. There are several ways to figure dosages, including by weight. The simplest ones are the ones below:

Young’s Rule: Add 12 to your child’s age, and divide the child’s age by this total. For example, a four-year-old: 4+12=16, 4/16=0.25. The child’s dose would be 1/4 of the adult dose.

You can also use this table when the adult dosage is one cup:

Age (years) Dosage