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Morgan County Herbal Therapy, Wichita, KS (2025)

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

11/01/2025

Would you like more posts on flower essences, herbs, recipes.... what would you like?

11/01/2025

Flower Essences for Grief
I’ve done a previous post about flower essences if you are unfamiliar with them. It might help if you have questions about the information that follows.

Flower Essences 101 – Simple Thrift and Herbs

Flower essences are a wonderful therapeutic for emotional challenges. Rescue Remedy, a blend of 5 flower essences, is great as an all-purpose flower essence: the Tylenol of flower essences, maybe! Rescue Remedy contains the flower essences of Star of Bethlehem, Clematis, Cherry Plum, Rock Rose, and Impatiens.

Out of those five, I typically think of only 2 for grief:

Star of Bethlehem: indicated for shock or trauma, where the numbness is unhealthy or not allowing you to function

Rock Rose: for panic – the sheer turning-around-and-wanting-to-run-but-where, wide-eyed fear. It can help to restore courage and control in those moments.

There are others, though, that I think are great for grief.

Honeysuckle: to help let go of the past. For those that want to return to the ‘good old days’ because ‘nothing will ever be the same.’ Can gently bring people into the present and help them stay grounded there.

Holly: brings calm and acceptance, the ability to forgive and make peace with relationships.

Sweet Chestnut: for the ‘dark night of the soul’ when anguish makes you feel cut off from others and God. Helps you to surrender when you have hit rock bottom and are in utter despair; helps you to reach out for love and assistance from others.

Walnut: Supports transitions and strengthens the path from past experiences to present expectations.

Willow: Allows for forgiveness and flexibility in the emotional state to decrease bitterness and resentment. Helps one to flow with the changes of life versus fighting the current.

There are as many flower essences as there are flowers, but I am limiting my blog posts (so far) to the 38 that were developed by Dr. Bach. Flower essences are used four times a day four drops at a time – but you really can’t do too many.

I hope that your season of grief is short, and brings you wisdom, peace, and gratitude for what remains.

10/25/2025

Herbs for Grief
It’s that time of year. I think we all have that one (or two) times of year when anniversaries of the traumatic kind occur. It’s hitting a little early this year, probably due to the reminder of a loss of a friend and having to put one of our dogs to sleep today. My times are pretty much all of November, and late March-early April.

A couple words on grief before we get into the herbs: Grief is so personal and individual and an unpredictable road. I personally don’t think there is an inappropriate way to grieve as long as it is not harmful to you or others. If your grief has you to the point you are thinking of harming yourself or ending your life by su***de, please reach out to someone. 988 is the 24/7/365 crisis line for those considering su***de. They have counselors that can call, text, or chat with you. Please stay.

Herbs will not substitute for counselors of the friend, clergy, or professional type – but they may ease your heartache. I personally feel these are best as hot tea – the ritual of tea making, the warmth of the cup in your hand, and the avoidance of alcohol in a time of vulnerability – are all important.

Hawthorne (Cratageus monogyna): You can use flower, leaf, or berry – or all of them. Hawthorne is known as a heart trophorestorative – both the physical heart and the emotional one. It opens and supports the heart. For my nursey friends – it increases cardiac output by decreasing peripheral vascular resistance. As such, if you are using any type of cardiac medications, you should OK this with your physician. It is usually used long term (greater than 3 months). It is a gentle, but powerful herb.

Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis): Herbalist Charles Garcia suggests that white wine infused with lemon balm is a great way to treat the trauma and shock that come with grief. Lemon balm is a great nervine, helping to calm and steady the nervous system. Not for long term use by pregnant mamas.

Rose (Rosa canina): Rose has a gentle nature to soothe and calm the digestive and nervous system. The scent alone helps to reduce irritability and promote rest. Rose has no medication interactions or warnings against use that I am aware of.

Linden (Tilia cordata): This herb works well for pain and tension conditions – it works as a relaxant and minor sedative. This is another herb with no interactions with medications or cautions against use. It is helpful with ‘type A’ people that cannot relax and hold tension and stress in their cardiovascular system.

Holy Basil/Tulsi (Ocimum sanctum): Can be used for the shock of grief and for that depressive feeling of cold. Tulsi is a warming herb that helps with fatigue and mental exhaustion. It is also an adaptogen, so it works to optimize neurotransmission and normalize hormones affected by chronic stress.

Mimosa (Albizzia julibrissin): Known in Chinese medicine as ‘the happiness tree’, we use the bark and flowers of this tree. It is more challenging to find as it is not one of the more common herbs. This herb has been shown to help balance dopamine and serotonin, reducing anxiety and depression. It’s calming without being sedative.

These herbs are not really stimulating, but more uplifting and calming. They can be used as simples (alone) or combined. I hope you find them helpful, and that your season of grief (but not of remembrance) passes quickly.

10/11/2025

Ashwagandha (withania somnifera)
Again, no picture this week. I did actually grow this a few years ago (NE Colorado), but didn’t take photos.

Ashwagandha is a relative of tomatoes and tomatillos and looks a lot like a tomatillo plant. If I remember correctly, the fruits even have the little paper-like coverings like them. The thing to take away from this is if you are allergic to the nightshade family (tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, eggplant), ashwagandha might be problematic for you.

I see Withania somnifera placed in all kinds of products – supplements, drinks, gummies – and yet if you ask someone how it works or what it does, they can’t always articulate that well. I’m not sure I can either.

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. It should not be used while pregnant but can be helpful with chronic inflammation, immunosuppression due to chemotherapy, and cognitive deficits related to aging.

I have found it helpful and it is part of an energy adaptogen blend I make, but only for short amounts of time. Herbs are great, but for the most part, are not really meant to be taken long term.

If you are struggling with energy (and don’t we all want more), herbs like ashwagandha can be helpful in the short term, but for long term resolution, you need to look at lifestyle. Are you getting enough sleep? What is your diet like? How are you dealing with your stress?

While ashwagandha won’t give you wings like Red Bull, it also won’t raise your heartrate into scary levels. Just like Saint John’s wort, ashwagandha is great in certain conditions for a limited time. Just don’t believe it will do everything the marketer is trying to sell you on.

10/05/2025

Saint John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum)
For the next few posts, I thought I would review herbs that manufacturers seem to want to add to everything. The first time I really noticed this was with St. John’s wort. ‘It’s treats depression’ would be the implied claim. Smart manufacturers don’t claim that any herb or supplement treats something, unless they have data backed up and filed with the FDA. Anyhow….

St. John’s wort is a great herb, but just like any other herb (I’m looking at you, ma*****na) it is not a panacea for every symptom or disease on earth.

I don’t have a photo of St. John’s wort because I don’t grow it, but I do have a photo of the dried herb being tinctured by percolation:

Yeah – I know it looks like blood. That’s one of the reasons the plant is named after Saint John. I was really surprised by how red it was, especially since I was using dry herb to do this perc.

‘Nerves’ are what I immediately think of with this herb: it is indicated for all types of nerve pain like shingles, trigeminal neuralgia, and chronic pain. It also is good for nervous conditions like anxiety, depression, night terrors, and anorexia. However, I don’t use a lot of Hypericum due to the multiple contraindications it has.

You should not use it in pregnancy due to its emmenagogue effect. It should not be used with most medications due to it being metabolized using the same chemical pathway as many many pharmaceuticals. And it will most likely interact with medications like SSRIs, narcotics, triptans, HIV meds, blood thinners, anticonvulsants, and antirejection drugs.

In my opinion (and just like a particular body part, everyone has one), Saint John’s wort just has too many interactions to just throw into a formula. There are other herbs that don’t have those same issues that work just as well (like lemon balm, elder, mimosa (Albizzia julibrissin, and even chamomile).

I don’t know what started the whole ‘St. John’s wort in everything’ trend – an abundant harvest? A poorly researched study? A carload of it that was about to hit expiration dates? I don’t know. I do know there are better options out there. Just talk to your friendly neighborhood herbalist!

09/27/2025

Turmeric (Curcuma longa)
No photo today - I don't grow my own! Let's talk about turmeric. I've known what it is for a long time - a pungent yellow spice that my mom put in pickle relish and it wasn't really summer until I smelled it.

Turmeric is used in lots of foods - pickles, curry, eggs, lots of Indian dishes, golden milk - and as an herbal remedy. You can take quite a bit of it, although it does have some oxalates in it, so maybe not so much if you have gallbladder issues or kidney stones. Turmeric is also not well researched for pregnant women, so it should be avoided while pregnant. Most 'authorities' (like the World Health Organization) advise 500-2000 mg/day, but when researching this, I saw for some acute illnesses up to 10,000 mg were suggested. I think I would turn yellow if I took that much!

I started taking turmeric when I was having knee pain. I had been told I had 'arthritis' in my knee, but that it wasn't near bad enough for anything to do done surgically. I was wearing a brace on it, because it wanted to give out randomly, and it just ached all the time. Finally, I slapped myself upside the head and thought - what is a good herbal anti-inflammatory? Well, turmeric is not a good one, it is a GREAT one! It did take about 3 weeks for it to start really making a difference, but once it did, I have rarely had any knee pain.

Turmeric is a root like ginger that grows in hot climates like India. There it is eaten as a food source. It is such an amazing herb - anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, antioxidant, anti-tumor, lowers blood pressure and cholesterol, lowers blood sugar, protects your liver and heart, stimulates digestion, and helps get rid of gas. There has even 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. What's not to love about this herb??

It's not for everyone. I would hesitate to take it if I was on blood thinners (it can affect clotting times), was trying to get pregnant or was pregnant (it can cause uterine irritability and is considered anti-fertility - but I wouldn't use it for birth control. I don't think India has a concern about its population being too low!), or had gallbladder issues (it can stimulate the gallbladder, too). Some folks get bad heartburn after eating it.

My favorite way to take it is in capsule form with breakfast. I'm upright, so less chance of gastric distress, and I take it with some black pepper already mixed in (a constituent in pepper makes the curcuminoids in turmeric more bioavailable) and with some fat (the creamer in your coffee counts!). If I wanted to take it at night as an extra dose, I would fix golden milk. Golden milk is basically heated milk with some turmeric, honey, and sweet spices. Like kombucha, it's an acquired taste.

If the change in the weather with the start of fall has your joints achy, or you are just feeling kind of 'blah', turmeric might be the answer for you. Start with about 1500 mg/day for a month, then drop back to what works for you. Any brand will do - I prefer mine with black pepper or piperine already added - and my favorite is the full-spectrum one from Swansons. But the ones from Safeway will work just as well.

09/21/2025

It’s been a rough couple weeks
I’m not going to get into all the politics – heaven knows it’s contentious enough already. Suffice it to say that I think for everyone, it’s been a rough couple weeks.

To recommend herbs to anyone without knowing circumstances and history would be ill-advised, but I do feel comfortable recommending flower essences.

Just so I am not repeating myself unnecessarily, please refer to this post: Flower Essences 101 – Simple Thrift and Herbs

I think dosing with Five Flower (also called Rescue Remedy) would be helpful for the next few weeks until the sharpness of any emotional pain wears off. Rescue Remedy contains a blend of 5 flower essences:

Star of Bethlehem: indicated for trauma
Rock Rose: for panic attacks or similar feelings
Cherry Plum: remedy for frustration
Impatiens: for impatience and irritability
Clematis: (one of my personal favorites) for staying grounded and in the present.
Flower essences are typically used as 4 drops four times a day, but can be used more if needed acutely. Rescue Remedy by Bach Flower Essences are available in dropper form, as a spray, pastilles (pill form), or fizzies. This can also be used on pets and is safe for children and elders.

Please take care of yourselves, friends. Being emotionally overwrought rarely leads to optimal outcomes – usually it leads to impetuous words and actions that end up hurting not only the person targeted but ourselves as well.

Do whatever you need to do to keep yourself calm and centered – a bath (with herbs, of course!), even a footbath can be relaxing, a walk in the woods, get your hands or feet in the dirt, watch what you eat (ice cream as a last resort, but do what you have to do!). I’m hoping this season of whatever this is passes soon.

09/10/2025

Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra)

This one has kind of outgrown its bed and I need to harvest the root (when I have time – HA!) Licorice is an amazing plant, and one that most herbalists don’t want to do without. It also is one of those herbs that is poorly understood, and has developed a reputation for raising blood pressure.

I did not expect it to do well here in the plains of Colorado, but it surprised me. It makes me wonder if I could grow other Chinese herbs….hmm. Licorice is a great balancer for formulas as it is sweet and moistening. The moistening component makes it great for soothing mucous membranes (sore throat, dry hacking coughs, gastric ulcers – all parts of the donut!). Its sweetness makes not-so-great teas taste much better.

There has been a lot of research done on licorice. Various studies have shown that licorice is effective in treating polycystic o***y syndrome, chronic fatigue, mononucleosis, various liver ailments, hyperglycemia, and tooth decay. For a shallow dive into the specifics, refer to the licorice section in ‘Herbal Medicine from the Heart of the Earth’ by Dr. Sharol Tilgner (one of my favorite herbal references).

Licorice is not advised for people with hypertension or chronic liver disease. Many of the toxic effects of licorice are attributed to glycyrrhizic acid in it. You can buy deglycyrrhizinated licorice to address this, but even better is just to limit its use. I would suggest not using it for more than 6 weeks at a time to prevent side effects. Licorice can also potentiate drugs like steroids and cardiac glycosides, so caution and follow up with a licensed medical provider is encouraged.

There are very few herbs that I think warrant long-term usage, even my beloved turmeric. Just as eating beans every day for 2-3 meals for months on end would cause you some nutritional deficits – you probably shouldn’t take herbs long term (months or years) without evaluation by both herbal and medical providers.

One other service announcement – licorice the plant does not taste like licorice candy. Just sweet, no anise flavor.

08/30/2025

Zucchini Recipes – Part II
I did a post last summer with recipes for different varieties of zucchini bread – scroll down the page for that one (it might be on page 2 of the posts). To me, zucchini itself doesn’t really have much flavor – it just picks up the flavor of other ingredients in the recipe.

Zucchini has been the one crop that has done really well this year. Tomatoes, cucumbers, melons have been pretty poor – my watermelons set lovely fruit and I was so excited to see that – then the vines all died. I don’t know about the winter squash because, well the weeds are over my head…

There are some pumpkins and winter squash in the mess, though…

There are about the size of volleyballs.

So, what to do with all the zucchini? You can fry it with onions for a nice side dish or make one of the ones below. Zucchini can also be sliced or shredded and frozen for use later this winter. Just thaw and use like normal (if it’s shredded, I usually drain it and use the juice in the recipe to replace water if I can).

Zucchini Pizza

4 cups shredded unpeeled zucchini

1/2 tsp. salt

2 eggs

1/2 cup grated parmesan chee

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 lb. ground beef

1/2 cup chopped onion

15 oz tomato sauce

green peppers, onions, mushrooms, other pizza toppings

Place zucchini in colander; sprinkle with salt. let stand for 10 minutes;, then squeeze out moisture.

Combine the zucchini with eggs, parmesan, and half the mozzarella and cheddar. Press into a greased 13×9 in pan and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large pan, brown beef and onion until meat is no longer pink, breaking up well. Add tomato sauce and spoon over the zucchini mixture. Add the rest of the toppings and cheese. Bake until heated through, about 20 minutes longer. This freezes really well if you have leftovers,

Zucchini ‘Crab Cakes’

2 1/2 cups grated zucchini

1 egg

2 tblsp melted butter

1 cup seasoned breadcrumbs

1/4 cup minced onion

1 tsp Old Bay seasoning (this is not optional!)

1/4 cup flour

1/2 cup oil for frying

Mix all except flour and oil together until well blended. form into patties and dredge in flour. Fry in hot oil over medium high heat until nicely browned. Serve with cocktail sauce or tartar sauce.

I hope all your gardens are doing better than mine. The mornings are starting to get a little cooler, so you know fall is on the way. Not quite time for pumpkin spice, but it’s getting close.

08/23/2025

Elder (Sambucus spp.)

Was checking the garden today and noticed that I had quite a few elderberries ripe.

The berries are not ripe until they are fully black or dark purple. Unripe berries will make your stomach very unhappy. There are two parts of elder that we use as herbalists: The berries and the flowers. The leaves and twigs are considered poisonous – not necessarily as in ‘kill you dead’ poisonous, but ‘you may wish you were dead’ poisonous. Either way – just don’t use them.

Elder is an expectorant, diuretic, diaphoretic, and nervine – in other words, great for colds and flu. The flowers are considered more gentle than the berries, but both are safe for children. Elder is one of the few herbal anti-virals, and has even been studied by the World Health Organization and found by them to be effective against upper respiratory viruses.

I don’t use the flowers as much as the berries, but elderflower can make a really nice tea or cordial. I do sometimes see it sold as a beverage as well – usually in with the tonic waters or syrups.

It’s almost that time – to start making elderberry syrup for cold and flu season. The syrup works great as a preventative and tastes good (that always helps with compliance!) I make mine with cane sugar so that even littles can take it. You can make it with honey, but then it can’t be used by anyone under the age of 2. I like to add other herbs to mine as well, like lemon balm (another anti-viral, especially indicated for herpes viruses), reishi mushroom (to boost the immune system), and ginger (adds flavor, is warming, and helps move it around the body).

What are your favorite cold and flu preventatives? How are they working for you? Maybe this year, you should try elder if you haven’t before.

08/17/2025

Cinnamon (Cinnamomum spp.)

Everyone has a pint jar of cinnamon, right? I mean, I’m not weird or anything…. well, moving on…

Many herbs and spices that we use in everyday cooking have medicinal uses as well. Supposedly, many were used to cover the smell or taste of foods that had gone ‘off’ in the days before refrigeration. Maybe true, maybe not… I actually was not alive at that time (hard to believe). While other herbs like the ones I’ve shown are amazing and a lot of the photos are from my garden, they are not always widely available. Items like cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger (yes you can use the powdered form too), thyme, rosemary, etc can be picked up at your local dollar store – although, homegrown is certainly better. I don’t want you to think that all herbal therapy has to be expensive or hard to obtain. You may just need to use more or in a different way.

Anyhow, back to cinnamon. I do use it occasionally in herbal tincture blends, but it is a small amount. Cinnamon is hot and dry – maybe not as much as cayenne (another fabulous herb), but still. I prefer to eat my cinnamon. And while it feels like 127* here (not really), for some reason I’m hungry for cinnamon rolls and chili.

So, why develop a liking for cinnamon? Cinnamon warms you up and strengthens the digestive system. It is a great hemostatic for any bleeding. As it tends to dry things up, so it’s also useful for diarrhea. Cinnamon can help with nausea and vomiting and is a really good adjunct to other herbs during cold and flu season.

That being said, large amounts of cinnamon over an extended period can do just the opposite and cause gastric irritation and even hallucinations (I’ve never seen this, but several sources list this as a potential). As it can be an emmenagogue, it is contraindicated in pregnancy. So – food amounts of it are better.

In appropriate amounts, cinnamon can decrease insulin resistance and lower blood sugars. It also works as an antibacterial, antifungal (really helpful for oral candida), and boosts vitality. In my opinion, as it is a ‘sweet’ spice, adding cinnamon can let you decrease the amount of sugar you are using as well.

Now, where did I put my recipe for cinnamon rolls? And wow! Thanks for all the comments!

Morgan County Herbal Therapy

11/11/2025

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