Hi Rachelle! I have a question about eye health. Since the eyes are an extension of the brian would similar herbs/lifestyle choices that we think of for brain health also benefit the eyes? Or are there more specific targeted things we should be considering? I’m particularly interested in glaucoma and cataract prevention and I wonder if reversal of these diseases is possible? Anything you know about glaucoma/cataracts would be greatly appreciated:) Thanks as always! 🤓
Good thinking! Though, there are definitely herbs that are more specifically beneficial for the eyes. Those tend to be about circulation (capillaries) and antioxidants. I've added your question to the queue and will dive in soon! Thanks for asking, Carolyn.
Hi Rachelle, while I'm thinking of it and have A LOT of questions always, I was wondering if in some future episodes you might be able to address this topic (I'm sorry if I've missed any past ones). I've been struggling for years to heal my gut from IBS-C, slow motility and delayed gastric emptying. I wonder if you have thoughts for people who have MMC issues, constipation and a sluggish digestive system. I will add that anxiety and depression have been players in my life as well so I'm fully aware that the mental component also is a big one in IBS-C. But any guidance, herbs or recommendations would be much appreciated! Thank you so much!
Hi Daniela! Thanks for asking this (and all of your future questions!) — let me give you some resources to explore right away and then if/when you have more questions about it I can answer those specifically. To start!
This is AWESOME!! Thank you so much! There's a lot of gut stuff here and I have the antibiotics episode tabbed to listen to next! These resources are fantastic and helpful! Thanks again so much!
P.S. I just realized I wrote "gut stuff" instead of good...lol. Ah, Freud never disappoints.
I'd love to hear your take on the best approach for tackling perimenopause. Any tips on herbs for mood stabilizing, sleep issues would be wonderful and much appreciated.
I was hoping you could possibly talk about the herbs/supplements that you believe are most versatile and/or most useful for general health?
I undertand of course that there are lots of herbs that are particularly useful for specific health issues/concerns, but I am curious about foundational supports that I could include in my routine on a regular basis. I'm thinking that 3 you might possibly recommend, would be a mushroom blend, turmeric and magnesium (???), but were there any others that you think most people would benefit from most of the time?
And further to that, beyond the "all-rounders", I was hoping I could learn from you more about herbs with multiple mechanisms of action that are good for general health. For example, I really like herbs such as lemonbalm, which I find great for me in a relaxing nervine tea blend when I'm feeling a little anxious, but also love it for my kids when they have cold symptoms for it's antiviral effects.
I want to start a cymbiotika script bundle & need to add a couple more to make the most of shipping to Hawaii. What are your faves? Are there any that you’d recommend for insomnia?
Aloha! Cymbiotika is so great. I love their supplements. The Mag L-Threonate could be great for sleep and for liver, I'd definitely do the Glutathione. They're also all so delicious!
Hello! Could you please do a deep dive or share from your archives your best tips and tricks when traveling? I’m traveling with friends to London in early May and we will only be there for 5 days. I’ve started us all on a mushroom blend tincture; daily as a sort of natures multivitamin:) thinking about getting a travel pack of AG1 packets so we have access to daily green juice. Any other suggestions or recommendations would be greatly appreciated 💚
There has been a lot of conversations sparked by the NYT article on menopause and HRT. I would love to hear how you would handle this stage of life and the nasty symptoms that come with it. What would be your top 3 approaches?
I like how pointed this question is — narrowing my return to just three big points. Firstly, I'd say that it's going to depend on how I feel. If it's a rough ride, I'm going to approach it different than if it's not (though maybe not by much?) ... My mom is a strong believer in HRT and I'm inclined to follow her lead, though definitely haven't committed either way. I would ensure my diet, lifestyle and supplement routine supports hormone balance (it all does now, but doubling liver support and using herbal blends specifically for menopause would help — you can find those in my Fullscript portal if you haven't already). Lastly, I'd look at traditional medicinal approaches for extra support. Traditional Chinese Medicine has been around a LOT longer than Western medicine. Okay one more: I'd work with the best naturopath and/or hormone specialist (and/or TCM practitioner) I had access to. Even now, I entrust myself to other professionals for anything over my head or out of my lane.
Thank you for this thoughtful response. HRT really scares me bc big pharma scares me, but if your mom and other women swear by it, it makes me think it’s the only thing that really makes a big difference.
Maybe acupuncture is my next step… before I go all in on above.
I hear you. I believe that having a great functional/holistic practitioner (or team) in your camp is key too, if possible. It's a lot for any one of us to navigate on our own, professionals included!
Hello, I recently saw slippery elm in pill form and a tincture and have only ever used it as a “sludge” from mixing the powder and water. Curious if the pill form and tincture form are equal or if one is better than the other and any differences between them. Thanks!
Hi! I don't recommend the tincture (unless it's glycerine based and not alcohol). The goodness we want from slippery elm IS that sludge, which is water soluble. Powder form, lozenge, tea, or a capsule of the powder are best! If you want the benefits in your mouth and throat, then tea and lozenge are ideal as capsules obviously skip that zone. Great Q. Thanks for asking!
I’ve been considering trying our dopa mucuna, but have read some concerning things about dependence and potentially longer term effects on the dopamine/serotonin balance. Do you cycle your intake? Also, could you talk a bit about research literacy and best practices when navigating studies? Thank you!
Hi Kat! This is one of my regulars as you may know and I'm happy to talk more about it. I've added your question to the queue and will dive into the research and best practices in more detail there but initially, so you're not waiting too long, I'll offer this: Everyone's brain chemistry is different and also changes over time. If we need support to be healthy, functional, or optimal, that's going to look different than someone using any herbs or supplements for fun. (Some people like to play with large doses of mucuna for a sort of high.) So, what we're starting with is one point. Dosage is another. I personally use a small dose (half a daily serving) and I cycle off of it about once a year (have notice no withdrawal effects). I also use supplements for serotonin support, and I also cycle off of those once or twice a year to make sure I know what ground zero feels like. (Currently about a week into stopping 5-HTP cold turkey and have noticed no difference, which is ideal.) Anyway! More soon. Thanks for asking! I love the mucuna.
Hi Rachelle, I wanted to piggyback off this question/answer. Would you mind talking more about what you mean by it being ideal that you notice no difference when not taking 5-HTP? It seems like that would imply when you do take it, it isn't doing anything? Thank you for providing a little clarity around that :)
Could you please go over support for Lymes Babesia, Bartonella and associated coinfections like EBV and fungal infections? My husband and I both have all of these and more (from tick bites) and my daughter got a tick bite in Oct. giving her (at 16) Lymes (Relapsing fever) and Bartonella. I would be most grateful for any information or resources. I have been studying herbalism for the power of herbal medicine to fight this at least eight year battle with heinous migraines and many other symptoms. I’m particularly interested in elevated Norepinephrine and D Dimer. Thank you so much for your support and information!
Hi Erin. Thanks for bringing this here. I will do my best, and share what I know on the subjects — yes. And just to set expectations, as I'm sure you're aware, these (e.g. Lyme) can be very complicated, amorphous and difficult to treat. There are professionals who specialize in treating only Lyme (again, things you know!) and I am not one. While we're waiting, could you let me know who you have worked with (types of doctors and herbalists) and what has/hasn't worked for you and the fam?
I've added this to our queue and will dive in soon!
Hi Rachelle! I have a question about eye health. Since the eyes are an extension of the brian would similar herbs/lifestyle choices that we think of for brain health also benefit the eyes? Or are there more specific targeted things we should be considering? I’m particularly interested in glaucoma and cataract prevention and I wonder if reversal of these diseases is possible? Anything you know about glaucoma/cataracts would be greatly appreciated:) Thanks as always! 🤓
Good thinking! Though, there are definitely herbs that are more specifically beneficial for the eyes. Those tend to be about circulation (capillaries) and antioxidants. I've added your question to the queue and will dive in soon! Thanks for asking, Carolyn.
Hi Rachelle, while I'm thinking of it and have A LOT of questions always, I was wondering if in some future episodes you might be able to address this topic (I'm sorry if I've missed any past ones). I've been struggling for years to heal my gut from IBS-C, slow motility and delayed gastric emptying. I wonder if you have thoughts for people who have MMC issues, constipation and a sluggish digestive system. I will add that anxiety and depression have been players in my life as well so I'm fully aware that the mental component also is a big one in IBS-C. But any guidance, herbs or recommendations would be much appreciated! Thank you so much!
- Daniela
Hi Daniela! Thanks for asking this (and all of your future questions!) — let me give you some resources to explore right away and then if/when you have more questions about it I can answer those specifically. To start!
- An ep that includes gut healing after antibiotics: https://open.substack.com/pub/ursupernatural/p/recording-june-16th-office-hours?r=ogesz&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
- An ep that includes IBD: https://open.substack.com/pub/ursupernatural/p/915-recording-personal-show-and-tell?r=ogesz&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
- All eps where I talk about the gut, digestion, and motility here: https://ursupernatural.substack.com/archive?sort=search&search=gut
- My Gut Health Class: https://www.ursupernatural.com/shop-all/p/herbalism-for-gut-health (Substack subcribers get 50% off my classes until mid-March right now. The code is ASKTHEHERBALIST) <3
- More of my free resources (past articles, recipes, etc.) related to gut health: https://www.ursupernatural.com/search?q=gut
Now if you don't find what you're looking for there, let me know and I'll dive in more deeply! Hope it helps. XOR
This is AWESOME!! Thank you so much! There's a lot of gut stuff here and I have the antibiotics episode tabbed to listen to next! These resources are fantastic and helpful! Thanks again so much!
P.S. I just realized I wrote "gut stuff" instead of good...lol. Ah, Freud never disappoints.
Ha! Gut stuff is great stuff around here.
XX
I'd love to hear your take on the best approach for tackling perimenopause. Any tips on herbs for mood stabilizing, sleep issues would be wonderful and much appreciated.
Yes! Here are a couple of resources for now but I'm adding this to the queue as I can dive into it more deeply for sure in a future ep.
1. Menopause mentioned in this ep: https://open.substack.com/pub/ursupernatural/p/91-recording-herbs-for-skin-issues?r=ogesz&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
2. HRT mention in this ep: https://open.substack.com/pub/ursupernatural/p/ask-the-herbalist-cycling-supplements?r=ogesz&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Thanks Daniela!
Thank you thank you thank you!!! I’m so grateful I stumbled on all this wealth of information you put out there!
Hi Rachelle,
I was hoping you could possibly talk about the herbs/supplements that you believe are most versatile and/or most useful for general health?
I undertand of course that there are lots of herbs that are particularly useful for specific health issues/concerns, but I am curious about foundational supports that I could include in my routine on a regular basis. I'm thinking that 3 you might possibly recommend, would be a mushroom blend, turmeric and magnesium (???), but were there any others that you think most people would benefit from most of the time?
And further to that, beyond the "all-rounders", I was hoping I could learn from you more about herbs with multiple mechanisms of action that are good for general health. For example, I really like herbs such as lemonbalm, which I find great for me in a relaxing nervine tea blend when I'm feeling a little anxious, but also love it for my kids when they have cold symptoms for it's antiviral effects.
Thanks so much,
Emma
I love this question and will be glad to dive in. Thanks for asking, Emma. Back to you soon with all the details. <3
Thank you Rachelle. No rush, I know there's lots of good questions in the queue!
🙏
I want to start a cymbiotika script bundle & need to add a couple more to make the most of shipping to Hawaii. What are your faves? Are there any that you’d recommend for insomnia?
Mahalo 🌈
Also, any recs for extra liver support?🌺
Aloha! Cymbiotika is so great. I love their supplements. The Mag L-Threonate could be great for sleep and for liver, I'd definitely do the Glutathione. They're also all so delicious!
Hello! Could you please do a deep dive or share from your archives your best tips and tricks when traveling? I’m traveling with friends to London in early May and we will only be there for 5 days. I’ve started us all on a mushroom blend tincture; daily as a sort of natures multivitamin:) thinking about getting a travel pack of AG1 packets so we have access to daily green juice. Any other suggestions or recommendations would be greatly appreciated 💚
Yessssss. One of my favorite things to talk about. I imagine this will be a whole show. Thanks for asking, Amy!
Thanks so much! Can’t wait 😊✈️🌎
Hi! What are you favorite things you've used in your practice to promote fertility (besides vitex)?
Hi! Thanks for asking! First I have to ask *you if you've taken my Herbalism for Fertility class? (https://www.ursupernatural.com/shop-all/p/class-fertility) And/or seen the Fertility supplement protocol in my Fullscript portal? (https://us.fullscript.com/protocols/rachellesupernatural-women-s-health-fertility) Lmk!
I haven't taken the course! Thanks for bringing it to my attention. I am familiar (and take) everything in the protocol already :)
There has been a lot of conversations sparked by the NYT article on menopause and HRT. I would love to hear how you would handle this stage of life and the nasty symptoms that come with it. What would be your top 3 approaches?
I like how pointed this question is — narrowing my return to just three big points. Firstly, I'd say that it's going to depend on how I feel. If it's a rough ride, I'm going to approach it different than if it's not (though maybe not by much?) ... My mom is a strong believer in HRT and I'm inclined to follow her lead, though definitely haven't committed either way. I would ensure my diet, lifestyle and supplement routine supports hormone balance (it all does now, but doubling liver support and using herbal blends specifically for menopause would help — you can find those in my Fullscript portal if you haven't already). Lastly, I'd look at traditional medicinal approaches for extra support. Traditional Chinese Medicine has been around a LOT longer than Western medicine. Okay one more: I'd work with the best naturopath and/or hormone specialist (and/or TCM practitioner) I had access to. Even now, I entrust myself to other professionals for anything over my head or out of my lane.
How does that resonate?
xR
Thank you for this thoughtful response. HRT really scares me bc big pharma scares me, but if your mom and other women swear by it, it makes me think it’s the only thing that really makes a big difference.
Maybe acupuncture is my next step… before I go all in on above.
I hear you. I believe that having a great functional/holistic practitioner (or team) in your camp is key too, if possible. It's a lot for any one of us to navigate on our own, professionals included!
Hello, I recently saw slippery elm in pill form and a tincture and have only ever used it as a “sludge” from mixing the powder and water. Curious if the pill form and tincture form are equal or if one is better than the other and any differences between them. Thanks!
Hi! I don't recommend the tincture (unless it's glycerine based and not alcohol). The goodness we want from slippery elm IS that sludge, which is water soluble. Powder form, lozenge, tea, or a capsule of the powder are best! If you want the benefits in your mouth and throat, then tea and lozenge are ideal as capsules obviously skip that zone. Great Q. Thanks for asking!
Thank you so much, and thank you for this platform!
You're so welcome! I'm glad you're enjoying it!
I’ve been considering trying our dopa mucuna, but have read some concerning things about dependence and potentially longer term effects on the dopamine/serotonin balance. Do you cycle your intake? Also, could you talk a bit about research literacy and best practices when navigating studies? Thank you!
Hi Kat! This is one of my regulars as you may know and I'm happy to talk more about it. I've added your question to the queue and will dive into the research and best practices in more detail there but initially, so you're not waiting too long, I'll offer this: Everyone's brain chemistry is different and also changes over time. If we need support to be healthy, functional, or optimal, that's going to look different than someone using any herbs or supplements for fun. (Some people like to play with large doses of mucuna for a sort of high.) So, what we're starting with is one point. Dosage is another. I personally use a small dose (half a daily serving) and I cycle off of it about once a year (have notice no withdrawal effects). I also use supplements for serotonin support, and I also cycle off of those once or twice a year to make sure I know what ground zero feels like. (Currently about a week into stopping 5-HTP cold turkey and have noticed no difference, which is ideal.) Anyway! More soon. Thanks for asking! I love the mucuna.
Hi Rachelle, I wanted to piggyback off this question/answer. Would you mind talking more about what you mean by it being ideal that you notice no difference when not taking 5-HTP? It seems like that would imply when you do take it, it isn't doing anything? Thank you for providing a little clarity around that :)
Great question. I'm going to answer this in tomorrow's show. Thanks for following up; I see your point exactly!
Thank you!
Could you please go over support for Lymes Babesia, Bartonella and associated coinfections like EBV and fungal infections? My husband and I both have all of these and more (from tick bites) and my daughter got a tick bite in Oct. giving her (at 16) Lymes (Relapsing fever) and Bartonella. I would be most grateful for any information or resources. I have been studying herbalism for the power of herbal medicine to fight this at least eight year battle with heinous migraines and many other symptoms. I’m particularly interested in elevated Norepinephrine and D Dimer. Thank you so much for your support and information!
Hi Erin. Thanks for bringing this here. I will do my best, and share what I know on the subjects — yes. And just to set expectations, as I'm sure you're aware, these (e.g. Lyme) can be very complicated, amorphous and difficult to treat. There are professionals who specialize in treating only Lyme (again, things you know!) and I am not one. While we're waiting, could you let me know who you have worked with (types of doctors and herbalists) and what has/hasn't worked for you and the fam?
I've added this to our queue and will dive in soon!