September 16, 2026

Happy Weekly Wednesday's Herbal! I'm so glad you're here!

I used to be addicted to energy drinks..... I know. I know. Not the best thing for an herbalist of nearly 20 years to admit, right? But this was a long, long time ago, around the time I started learning to use medicinal plants for my health. For about 10 years from age 32 to 42, I loved these gross drinks.

UGH.... I can't even fathom putting one of those into my body these days after 20 years!

The list of side effects is terribly long because they contain high amounts of caffeine, lots of sugar most times, and additional stimulants both synthetic and natural.

They can spike heart and blood pressure and lead to arrhythmias. Energy drinks can also affect your sleep as well as your mental health! But they don't stop there....energy drinks affect your blood sugar balance and have many long-term risks, including weight gain, insulin resistance, and a greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes!

It never ceases to amaze me what the FDA deems "safe," while poo-poohing our God-created medicinal and healthy herbs!

So, here is our reader question this week, and if you're a person who is trying to stop the habit of drinking energy drinks, this just might help you, too.

🎉 YAY!!!!!

For Krista, this is wonderful news! Replacing a synthetically made energy drink full of nasty and dangerous chemicals is a great plan. Way to go!

Here are my thoughts on the formulation:

1) First, coffee is full of alkaloids, some of them dangerous in great amounts. So that's the little bit of bad news---but it's not terrible if you're drinking it in moderation. The GOOD news is that coffee is full of antioxidants, too! And, it's way more natural than some of the chemicals you'll find in an energy drink.

2) Dandelion root is a "chef's kiss" perfect addition. It's full of compounds that support the health of your liver, helping it function better. This will also help with energy levels to an extent, especially over time. It also contains inulin, a special prebiotic that feeds the "good" microbes in your gut, which is also important for overall health and energy.

3) Yay, too on the cinnamon! Be sure to use Cinnamomum zeylanicum or C. verum (Latin names) because true cinnamon is stronger with the blood sugar balance support, and it contains fewer of the potentially dangerous coumarins that cassia (a more commonly found cinnamon substitute) has. **If the label doesn't verify the Latin name as Ceylon Cinnamon or one of the names above, give it a hard pass.

4) And, I really love the addition of Korean red ginseng too. It helps support your immune system, supports brain function, helps support reproductive organs, healthy blood circulation, and it acts like an adaptogen that helps the body cope with stress by lowering some stress hormones. This then, helps reduce physical fatigue, and many people claim to have more energy just from taking this one herb.

Honestly?

This is a great formula to help you wean off the energy drinks, which it looks like it's doing!

One suggestion I have is to try to continue to reduce the amount of caffeine you're taking, slowly, over time. Too much caffeine can have the opposite affect and increase fatigue during your day. It's really best if we can stop taking caffeine, or at least reduce it greatly. That's because it can also negatively affect the heart over time, since it's a stimulant.

With that said, I do love a great cup of coffee myself....

But perhaps switching it out eventually with black tea (Camellia sinensis), green tea (Camellia sinensis), or yerba mate' (a favorite herbal energy plant of mine) might be something you'd want to consider. Although these all contain varying levels of caffeine, the compounds in these herbs don't have as many of the negative effects as coffee.

Overall, I think you've created a real winner. It's a good way to start reducing the caffeine and your need for stimulants to give you energy.

And don't forget lifestyle changes!

Healthy diet, hydration (water or herbal tea), great sleep, and movement....these all compound positively for your energy levels over time, too.

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We're opening enrollment for a new student cohort of our family herbalism programs, Ditch the Drugstore and the Family Herbalist Certification soon! And great news....

If you're watching the Little Farm Summit or the Resilient Living Summit this week (where I'm speaking on your protocol for all phases of cold and flu), there's a special coupon code to save $100 off. It's good til the end of this week.

Shhh....It was my little surprise for the summit talks, as a little early bird helper!

These two summits, although running at the same time this week, are both VERY different. And they both have incredibly valuable information with excellent speakers.

Here are the links so you can see the line-up for both:

My friend, Audrey from Audrey's Little Farm, is hosting the Little Farm Summit.

And my friends, Amber and Laurie from My Homestead Life and Commonsense Home respectively, are hosting the Resilient Living Summit.

Trust me, there are speakers in both you won't want to miss, and it's not too late to save a seat.

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🌼 Pumpkin Scrub, Men's Tincture Formula, and a Live Q&A!

1) 🌼 I'm going LIVE on YouTube TODAY at 10:00 a.m. Pacific time to answer all of your questions about anything herbal or aromatic!

It's easy to join....just show up! Here's the link to my channel (and I'd sure love if you'd subscribe!): Heidi Villegas YouTube Channel​

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2) More on Men's Health: Last week, I shared my newest article on Enlarged Prostate Gland (BPH) and some tips.

And this week, I updated my formulation and recipe for my:

​Manly Man Tincture! ​

It's not just tasty--although it really is. I explain why the herbs I chose in this formulation are wonderful for the man in your life (or you, if you're a man). Also, it's helpful for women, too, and may even help a bit with hair loss that comes with menopause.

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3) It's PUMPKIN Season!

I'll be sharing more pumpkin things as we near October, but I had to share this formulation with you today because I was talking about exfoliation with a friend, and this beautiful scrub came up.

It's easy.

It smells amazing.

It works!

You'll love it! Well, at least if you love soft, smooth, bright skin that smells a bit spicy and delicious!

​Pumpkin Sugar Scrub Formula to Make at Home​

I hope you have a beautiful and blessed week.

I almost forgot!

Consider signing up (free to subscribe) to my Substack account called "Keep Your Lamp Lit...Always" (KYLLA) where I'm now sharing my faith-based encouragement and inspiration and a lot more.

If you want to shine your light brighter....then KYLLA is for you! If you're ready for a little more joy in your life....it's the place to be! If your mind could use a little upgrade in how you approach life, and you want to learn to renew your mind as we're told to do in the Word, then that's what KYLLA is about.

I'd love to see you there! We're almost at 1,000 subscribers now, and surprisingly, most of these are coming from the Substack platform, which means people must be liking what I'm sharing there.

Hugs, Health, and Herbs,

Heidi

​P.S. Have you pre-ordered my book yet? It releases on November 17, which means that's the date it will be in your mailbox, ready for you to enjoy.

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