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November 5, 2025

Happy Herbal Wednesday, Reader!

I'm in the trenches planning out some new free trainings for you coming up soon! I hope you're as excited as I am. Stay tuned! More to come on that!

​I'm back writing some new articles on the blog, now that I've turned the book manuscript into the publisher. It's going to be a few months for the publishing process now, so stay tuned.

In the meantime, it feels GREAT to write new articles again!

In the beginning of my herbalism journey....

Like most people new to herbalism, I began my herbal learning path with the “pill mentality.” I coined this term once I realized what I had been doing and how it actually debilitated my herbal expertise.

This is when we ask ourselves, “What herb or essential oil should I take or use for “X” condition?”

This is allopathic thinking. It is how doctors and medical professionals tend to think of the human or animal body, in a very reductionistic sense. It’s extremely limiting. Some herbalists think this way, unfortunately, but most of us understand as we learn more about medicinal plants, that we need to take a broader view of the human being.

I would venture to guess that 99.9% of modern populations think allopathically, with the pill mentality. And, it’s not our fault.

Big Pharma and other powerful entities have done a fabulous job of educating our traditional healing knowledge out of normal society, leaving us dependent on a medical system, that while helpful at times, also doesn’t often have our best interests (or health) at heart. This is what happens when powerful entities succumb to greed.

But I digress……

The opposite of allopathic thinking is having a holistic view of the body and our health. You may hear some herbalists refer to our “terrain.” This is a view of our being as a whole: mind, body, and spirit. When we apply a holistic viewpoint to our health, we learn to never ask an herbal question so simplistically as “what herb for what condition.”

Instead, we learn to look at the individual body, the needs of the emotions and mind, and the spirit of a person. In this manner, we make better choices for the individual.

This means we must move beyond rote formulas and uses of herbs. We must deepen our knowledge of the glorious plants God created for us! When we start learning more about plant chemistry as well as how plant constituents journey through our body to affect health, we can make better decisions for ourselves, our animals, our families, and our clients if we choose to serve others.

This article is a very beginning guide to pulling two different studies of plant chemistry together, pharmacognosy and pharmacokinetics and why this is important for the herbalist.

Pharmacognosy and Pharmacokinetics

These are some fancy words, but they're important, and also pretty easy to simplify as we begin to learn herbalism. As you grow in your knowledge, things will get more complicated, but for now, this article is a nice introduction.

These two P's are two separate ways of understanding phytochemistry (plant chemistry) and how they work on the body.

First, pharmacognosy is knowing what plant constituents are in each plant and how they're biological function. This study focuses on the physical, chemical, and biological properties of these substances, their use in medicine and drug discovery, and helps us know which herbs to use and which to avoid.

Next, pharmacokinetics is how we understand what happens to a plant component once it enters the body. In essence, it’s the story of the journey of the plant chemical from entrance to the body until the waste portions are excreted in some manner.....

For the herbalist, we need some understanding in order to choose the right plants for the right people and to dose appropriately and safely. This is a very beginning look at plant chemistry, the journey through the body, and the high points about what to know.

​READ MORE HERE to find out about some primary plant constituents that you probably already recognize, some specific examples of each type, and how these chemicals journey through the body to impact our health.

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Encouragement and Inspiration

I was talking with a friend the other day, and I realized (once again) how easy it is to drop into complaining about all the things.

Work.

Family dramas.

How busy we are.

How nobody appreciates us.

Then, like often happens, I was presented with some words. I feel they came from God at the perfect time.

I'm going to share them with you, and I hope they bless you as they have me and those I've shared with since I stumbled upon them.

I don't know who wrote them, or I'd give credit. I'm just so glad whoever wrote them put them somewhere on social media (which I'm rarely on anymore), and that they were the first and only thing to pop up when I accidentally opened that app.

Here you go:

• What a privilege it is to be tired from work you once prayed for.
• What a privilege to feel overwhelmed by growth you used to dream about.
• What a privilege to be challenged by a life you created on purpose.
• What a privilege to outgrow things you used to settle for.

"Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; For His faithfulness is everlasting." --1 Chronicles 16:34

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If you're in the Confident Herbalist Tribe, we're having our live chat on Nutmeg (Myristica fragrans) this morning! This is an herb I literally use every single day for it's medicinal benefits. I use the essential oil every single night. It's amazing. We're going to talk about it, then have our Q&A. Of course, as always, there's a replay for students.

If you're not in the Confident Herbalist Tribe yet, stay tuned! Although enrollment is not open right now, we're planning a surprise for Black Friday only for a couple of days. More to come later!

Hugs, Health, and Herbs,

Heidi
​P.S. I usually leave you with a recipe or aroma blend, but today, here are some links to some free printables you can enjoy, just below.

Also, please remember that as a subscriber, you have access to the FREE RESOURCE LIBRARY for even MORE free printables.

The password for subscribers to get in is: lovelife (Just like that. No capitals or spaces.)

Be sure to get these other FREE printables (links below) that include recipes to use too, and do forward this note along to a friend if you feel they may find value in it.

For the links below, please use the same email you're using to receive these notes!

​1) Guide to Herbal Steams (great for these fall and winter months, or if you have a bad cold or flu....or want beautiful skin ;-)

​2) Blending Essential Oils for Peace -- Perfect for creating a calm and soothing home environment or office.

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