The American Herbalists Guild - Herbal Study Hall

HERBALISM ON A FOOD STAMP BUDGET

October 22, 2020

What good is our medicine if it's not accessible? In this presentation, you'll learn to address this question as Jen introduces you to the many ways you can make effective, affordable, and delicious herbal remedies. She'll present tips for making medicines available to anyone on a budget or who receives food stamps/SNAP as well as considerations for working with unhoused populations. A variety of herbal preparations, spices, and healing foods will be covered, as Jen shares some of her favorite recipes. Her approach is essential when working with vulnerable populations to address healthcare discrepancies and to produce and distribute large amounts of low-cost herbal medicine for mutual aid efforts. Empowering people to make affordable herbal medicine using ingredients available at any grocery allows us to take our health into our own hands.

Presenter Bio:

Jen Stovall, Community Herbalist & Health Educator, combines Southern Folk Medicine and Western Herbalism with harm reduction techniques in her classes and clinical practice. She is the director and primary educator at Samara School of Community Herbalism, a co-founder of Maypop Community Herb Shop, both in New Orleans, Louisiana, and a co-founder and teacher at Terra Sylva School for Botanical Medicine in North Carolina. She believes that herbalism is a powerful tool for social justice and that health care should be accessible to all.

SANSARJANA KRAMA: THE GRADUATED DIET AND RESTORATION OF DIGESTION IN AYURVEDA

October 29, 2020

There is a time-honored saying in Ayurveda that "without proper diet, medicine is of no use," demonstrating the importance of diet, particularly in the restoration of digestive function. Regardless of the health issue encountered, addressing impaired digestive function is the focal point of treatment in Ayurveda, both at the initiation of therapy and throughout. Todd Caldecott will review the concept of digestive health in Ayurveda, the measures used to restore it, including the implementation of the graduated diet (sansarjana krama) and the use of culinary herbs. We'll review several important medicinal plants, mineral substances, and traditional Ayurveda formulas used to restore both acute and chronic problems with digestion, including long-standing food intolerances.

Presenter Bio:

Todd Caldecott, Dip. Cl.H., RH (AHG), CAP (NAMA) is a medical herbalist and practitioner of Ayurveda for more than 23 years and the director of Dogwood School of Botanical Medicine in Vancouver, BC. Todd is the author and editor of several books, including Food as Medicine. In 2014, Todd had the honor of being named the Visiting Mitchell Scholar at Bastyr University.

A CLINICAL NARRATIVE FROM THE KITCHEN

November 5, 2020

This clinical narrative involves a 50-year-old woman presenting with what she described as debilitating “nerve problems,” persistent headaches, and joint pains with a significant history of exposure to toxins and emotional trauma. My primary goals were to help support her body’s ability to detoxify and help her cultivate greater awareness around those inputs that she was having trouble processing physically, cognitively, emotionally, and spiritually. Using a functional nutrition model, I coached her through a dietary and nutritional supplement regimen to support her detoxification and elimination and mitigate the effects of oxidative stress. We used herbs to tonify her gastrointestinal tract, her musculoskeletal system, and her adrenal system and to support her detoxification. We will discuss the herbs and strategies that catalyzed her significant improvement and pain relief over the short and long term.

Presenter Bio:

Dr. Keren Dolan, RH (AHG), is a Maryland Licensed Dietitian Nutritionist (LDN), a Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS), a Fellow of the American College of Nutrition (FACN), and a Holistic Aromatherapist. Keren holds a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Virginia and a M.S. in Therapeutic Herbalism and DCN (Doctorate of Clinical Nutrition) from Maryland University of Integrative Health (MUIH). She specializes in functional nutrition with an emphasis on western clinical herbalism and holistic aromatherapy and she contributes to and draws from research in her clinical practice. Keren serves as Adjunct faculty in the Nutrition Department at MUIH. Her passions lie in teaching and empowering her clients by cultivating their self-awareness and educating them about self-care through the many dimensions of health. She lives, plants, and plays in Northern Virginia with her husband and three children.

KITCHEN MEDICINE IN THE AGE OF PANDEMICS

November 12, 2020

In the age of pandemics, herbalists are critical vectors for the accessible but often forgotten medicine found in our kitchens and our gardens. We’ll discuss the medicinal plants and foods which are already in people's cupboards and yards and which ones folks should stock up on. We’ll review how these plants heal, how they’re used, and how to incorporate them into daily life for wellness, and both acute and chronic conditions.

Presenter Bio:

Orna Izakson is a writer, gardener, herbalist, and naturopathic physician in Portland, Oregon. She practices at Celilo Natural Health Center, and spent six years as Lead Physician of the Traditional Roots Institute at National University of Natural Medicine. Her love for wild places brought her to the plants, for whom she endeavors to speak.