Medical Herbal Consultation
Michele conducts a one to one private consultations to help you reach your healthcare goals!
Herbal Medicine was once folk medicine practiced worldwide, used by everyone to help with their healthcare needs. Today the use of herbs can be used individually as a whole or to complement modern western pharmaceuticals.
The difference between pharmaceuticals and herbal medicine is that pharmaceuticals often extract a single phytonutrient from a plant, whereas, herbal remedies use the whole plant acting synergistically. The whole is greater than the individual parts. A lab vitro study showed that Turmeric in whole was active in producing oxidative stress support through the cuminoids in comparison to signaling out one cuminoid from within the tumeric plant. Another example is the antibacterial properties tested in lemongrass including the geranial, neral, and myrcene terpenes; however, when tested individually, no activity was shown, and yet, in whole form activity in the vitro test showed positive results (Bone & Mills, 2013).
Michele's herbal medicine degree looks to support the whole body systems, bringing balance to the body, mind, and spirit, incorporating some Chinese Medicine energetics including tongue diagnosis, hot/cold and wed/dry, nails, and yes! even your poop shows the inside underlying troubled areas that all help for form your individualized goal remedies.
Reference:
Bone, K., & Mills, S. (2013). Principles and practice of phytotherapy (2nd ed.). Edinburgh, London, New York, Oxford, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Sydney, Toronta,UK, United States, Australia: Elsevier.
Medical Herbalism
Asklepios legendary History
Legend of Asklepios followed after Apollo, one of the 12 Olympian Gods in the art of healing. Apollo had Chiron, the wounded healer centaur teach Asklepios the art of herbal and other holistic medicine on Mount Pelion. Chiron gave Asklepios advice, "herbalist and physicians do not 'heal others, no one heals another." With emphasis Chiron said, "One can only heal oneself."( Chapter 26th, Green, 2000).Asklepios became a great healer, surpassing that of his father, Apollo, and was later worshipped as the God of medicine.
Retrieved from:
Green, J. (2000). The herbal medicine-maker's handbook: A home manual. Crossing Press: Berkeley, NY.
Asklepios Healing Temples
Asklepios, as written in Homer's Iliad wrote about the Rod of Asklepios, the original physicians symbol of medicine, and was honored to have moved from demigod to God status in the 5th century during Hippocrates era. In Greece, people would come to the Eastern Mediterranean and Roman areas to seek medical support in the Asclepieia temples. The temple remains today show the era's proof of practicing medicine within the ancient healing practices. People came from all over to get healed by Asklepios to seek treatments including herbs, exercise, massage, and diet. The practice included staying in the sanctuary, using the dream state to hear the remedy for treatment by Asklepios, often administrated by the priests' of the temples. All types of healing occurred from evidence of archeological data from treating headaches, injuries, and to wound care. Hippocrates believed the Asclepieia healing was a relaxing holistic physical, psychological, and emotional healthcare support. The main location in Greece was the temple of Kos where a stadium for entertainment, a shrine of Asklepios sat, a medical facility, and a gymnasium was present for the healing of those seeking care or honor (Pavli & Maltezou, 2024).
Retrieved by:
Pavli, A., & Maltezou, H. C. (2024). Asclepieia in ancient Greece: pilgrimage and healing destinations, the forerunner of medical tourism. Le infezioni in medicina, 32(1), 113–115. https://doi.org/10.53854/liim-3201-15
Western Herbalism History
Plants have been used for food, medicine, clothing, dyes, and tools for over 60,000 years. Western herbal medicine is the contemporary use of herbs for herbal remedies. Today herbs are used for food, medicine, and the promotion of health. An herbal practitioner, like Michele is someone who has studied and trained in the art of herbal medicine. Herbs are flowering plants, shrubs, trees, moss, linchen, fern, algae, seaweed, and fungus. Parts of the plants used are the flowers, fruits, leaves, twigs, bark, roots, rhizomes, seeds, and tapped (like maple syrup) or a combination. Herbs are nonwoody, low-growing plants, but herbalist use the whole plant kingdom.
Herbs can:
balance health and wellness.
Work on the whole person (body, mind, soul).
Can influence a community by supporting an illness or injury.
Herbalist seek to find the root cause behind the issue at hand.
Herbalist incorporate both the physical, energetic, and spiritual attributes in determining the root cause.
An herbalist is not a primary care or other doctor.
Plants have nutrients such as enzymes, vitamins, trace minerals, glycosides, carbohydrates, tannins, volatile oils, resins, alkaloids, and more that contribute to balancing the body for whole health.
Herbs often can interfere with prescriptions, as Michele researches the appropriate use of individualizing herbs to match the individual's need and safe use.
Michele upholds a master of science degree in the study of western herbal medicine.
Medical Herbalism does not have a licensed body, but Michele has a passion for using the learned knowledge to help you find your self healing and whole well being.
Herbalism is generally safe when used properly, but professional advice is recommended to avoid over stimulation, allergenic reactions, and other side effects.
Side effect can occur with the use of
Aspirin with Bromelain, cayenne, chamomile, and feverfew.
Corticosteroids with aloe latex, ephedra, ginseng, and licorice.
Antidepressants with Kave, St. John's wort, and valerian. In addition, chamomile, fenugreek, and horse chestnut may increase the risk of bleeding.
Ginseng can increase the risk of hypoglycemia when not used properly (Micozzi, 2015).
Retrieved from:
Micozzi, M. S. (2015). Fundamentals of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (5th ed.). St. Louis, MO:Elsevier.