September 23, 2026

It's officially fall! Fall is one of my most favorite seasons, and I just love the balance that's finally back between day and night. Besides, it's time for my homemade Pumpkin Spice Creamer so I can enjoy my own version of the famous PSL (Pumpkin Spice Latte) right at home. And, it's actually healthy!

Here's this week's reader question and answer:

This is SUCH a great question, because dandelion is a very special plant. ALL the plant parts are edible and medicinally useful in their own way, but there are things you need to understand about medicine making to enjoy the benefits of medicinal plants.

So, the first thing I would ask is: What plant part (leaves, roots, or flowers) is the tincture made from? This is going to determine its best use.

Secondly, not all the plant's chemical constituents will extract well in alcohol, which is the base for an herbal tincture. Minerals and vitamins, found in high amounts in all the plant parts, generally don't extract well in alcohol, but they do in water and vinegar.

But if the tincture is from the root, and it's a 100 to 150 proof alcohol that's used, then it will benefit the liver. It just won't have the typical diuretic properties, nor the nutritional value.

Learn everything about foraging, harvesting, preparing, medicinal uses of the parts, and the plant constituents of dandelion, as well as how to use this amazing plant:

​Identifying and Foraging Dandelion: Survival Food and Medicine​

**There are lookalikes for dandelion, so it's good to know the indicators of true dandelion, and you'll find this in the article too. By the way! Fall is the perfect time to harvest the roots. You can also purchase high quality leaf and root from places like Oshala Farm, Starwest Botanicals, and Mountain Rose Herbs.

By the way, dandelion root is GREAT for supporting the liver. It contains inulin, among many other wonderful plant chemicals (see the article above). Supporting your liver also supports the health of your lovely skin!

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Ask the Herbal Answer Lady is Back!

Maybe you're wondering about Tami's reference to "Ask the Herbal Answer Lady?" That's me! Occasionally, I'll set up a live series on YouTube so that everyone who wants to join me live to talk about medicinal herbs and get their questions answered can come and visit!

THIS MORNING, at 10:00 a.m. Pacific time/1:00 Eastern Time, I'll be live on YouTube! Just join my channel, and come along! It's a fun time we'll have together talking about a wonderful subject: medicinal plants, how they help you and your family, and anything else you'd like to discuss!

​Ask the Herbal Answer Lady​

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Becoming a Real Deal Herbalist

​You're invited to a free herbal training, where I'll be sharing practical mindset shifts you'll need to become an effective herbalist, five amazing plants with multiple uses (and they're easy to find), plus how to save money and be more health self-reliant!

You'll also get two free guides. One helps you build an apothecary, while the other is a deep dive into the plants we'll discuss with remedies.

If you're ready to join me live (no AI, please 😊 ) to learn about becoming a real herbalist in real life with a real person, I'd love to have you join in! And, there will be a nice surprise for attendees too, on top of the guides.

It's filling up fast, and there are limited seats due to our software. Be sure to save your seat even if the times aren't the best for you, as that's the only way you'll get the replay.

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If you're missing our Encouragement and Inspiration faith-based section, you can now find it over on my Substack account called Keep Your Lamp Lit...Always (KYLLA), where I share scriptural mindset articles and notes so you can find more joy in your day-to-day!

Hugs, Health, and Herbs,

Heidi

P.S. Be sure to forward this to a friend, and have them learn the power of herbal medicine and a more natural life right along with you! They can get their choice of FREE resources here, too.

"Then God said, 'Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you;" ---Genesis 1:29