Fiona McIntyre Medical Herbalist

11/02/2025

07/02/2025

https://www.facebook.com/100064413620633/posts/1217515320405577/

Before 1921, a diabetes diagnosis was often a death sentence. With no effective treatment, patients had to follow strict diets and rely on herbal remedies like Goat’s Rue, an ancient plant that would later inspire modern medicine.

Everything changed when Frederick Banting and Charles Best discovered insulin at the University of Toronto. Their breakthrough turned diabetes from a fatal disease into a manageable condition, offering hope to millions.

Decades later, in 1957, scientist Jean Sterne developed metformin, a diabetes drug derived from compounds in Goat’s Rue. Though initially overlooked, it gained popularity in the 1990s and is now a key treatment for type 2 diabetes.

03/02/2025

Applications for volunteer roles at our Power of Plants festival are now open!

We are looking for a troop of fantastic and enthusiastic volunteers to join us at our festival, and in return, you get to come for FREE!

You can apply here: https://buff.ly/42Bh72d 💚🌼🌿

07/01/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/15PpjzxMQ5/

30/11/2024

This week's herb card: hawthorn.

:-)
Henriette

Feel free to share!

***********
Various discussion forums:

- A herbal medicine discord server: https://discord.gg/X5ejw4EmxD

- An email discussion list (the herblist) sign up today: http://lists.henriettesherbal.com/listinfo.cgi/herb-henriettesherbal.com

***********

Henriette's herbal: http://www.henriettes-herb.com/

The book "Practical herb cards" (with cardboard cards # 1-52 bound into a book with more photos and text and a cardboard box):
http://www.henriettes-herb.com/articles/herbcards.html
The set "Practical herb cards 2" (with cardboard cards #53-104 and a do-it-yourself cardboard box):
http://www.henriettes-herb.com/articles/herbcards2.html

Two exquisite practical herb books:
http://www.henriettes-herb.com/articles/pract-herbs.html
http://www.henriettes-herb.com/articles/pract-herbs2.html

********************************************************************
A cool herbal medicine distance course, very affordable, join today:
https://www.henriettes-herb.com/course.html
********************************************************************

17/10/2024

✨ MONTHLY HERBAL SERIES ✨

October: A circulatory herb.
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

The days are getting colder again and so are our fingers and toes. Yarrow is a circulatory tonic that can be used to strengthen, open and flex blood vessels.

It has a dual action on the blood as it can encourage blood flow where it is lacking, but also stem excessive blood flow.

Visit our online Herbal Resource page (link in bio) for a catalogue of our Monthly Herbal Series. 💚 🌿 🌼

Note: When taking herbs, we recommend seeking the advice of a qualified medical herbalist.

05/06/2024

✨ MONTHLY HERBAL SERIES ✨

May: A concentration herb.
Ginkgo (Biloba- Ginkgo)

Exam season has arrived, and with it the desire for concentration and enhancing cognitive performance. Ginkgo leaves are a tonic for the mind, increasing blood flow to the brain to improve memory and concentration.

Research has also found ginkgo to be protective to the brain and the adverse effects of age such as poor memory and hearing loss.

Visit our online Herbal Resource page for a catalogue of our Monthly Herbal Series https://buff.ly/3TLMn8F 💚 🌿 🌼

Note: When taking herbs, we recommend seeking the advice of a qualified medical herbalist.

23/06/2022

I’ll be at Starthnairns Woodland Gala on Saturday, with a table of common medicinal plants to talk about and a herb foraging walk at 12

04/05/2022

Wonderful dandelions.

Here are some interesting facts about the dandelion flower:

The dandelion is the only flower that represents the 3 celestial bodies of the sun, moon and stars. ☀️ 🌙 ⭐️. The yellow flower resembles the sun, the puff ball resembles the moon and the dispersing seeds resemble the stars.

The dandelion flower opens to greet the morning and closes in the evening to go to sleep. 😴

Every part of the dandelion is useful: root, leaves, flower. It can be used for food, medicine and dye for coloring.

Up until the 1800s people would pull grass out of their lawns to make room for dandelions and other useful “weeds” like chickweed, malva, and chamomile.

The name dandelion is taken from the French word “dent de lion” meaning lion’s tooth, referring to the coarsely-toothed leaves. 🦁

Dandelions have one of the longest flowering seasons of any plant.

Dandelion seeds are often transported away by a gust of wind and they travel like tiny parachutes. Seeds are often carried as many as 5 miles from their origin!

Animals such as birds, insects and butterflies consume nectar or seed of dandelion.🐦 🐛 🐜 🦋 🐝.

Dandelion flowers do not need to be pollinated to form seed.

Dandelion can be used in the production of wine and root beer. Root of dandelion can be used as a substitute for coffee. 🍷 🍺

Dandelions have sunk their roots deep into history. They were well known to ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans, and have been used in Chinese traditional medicine for over a thousand years.

Dandelion is used in folk medicine to treat infections and liver disorders. Tea made of dandelion act as diuretic.

If you mow dandelions, they’ll grow shorter stalks to spite you.

Dandelions are, quite possibly, the most successful plants that exist, masters of survival worldwide. 💪

A not so fun fact: Every year countries spend millions on lawn pesticides to have uniform lawns of non-native grasses, and we use 30% of the country’s water supply to keep them green.

Bee Happy Gardens 🐝

07/12/2021

I will be at Susrainable Strathnairn Christmas Fayre on Saturday

23/11/2021

A very interesting article.