April Sales, Classes & The Benefits of Honey
April Special Sales Days 

Save 15% on our new line of Vitanica products for the entire month!  Formulated by Dr. Tori Hudson, a Naturopathic Physician, Author, Educator and Researcher specializing in women's health for over 25 years.  Choose from Yeast Arrest Suppositories, Candida Stat, Fem Ecology, Cran Stat Extra, Bacteria Arrest, Butterbur Extra, Thyro Fem, Lysine Extra, Crampbark Extra, Pregnancy Prep, Uplift, Veino Blend, Skin Assist, and Adrenal Assist ~

are 8% off for the entire year! ~ Seniors save 10% every Tuesday ~ Receive a five cent credit for each bottle, jar or bag that you bring in to reuse ~ Join our Bulk Herb Club and save 10% on all bulk purchases, all the time!

Friday April 6th ~ Full Moon Glass Sale

Full Moons are a powerful time to make herbal treats like massage blends, elixirs and aromatherapy mists.  Browse our resource library for 100s of recipe ideas, and save 15% on decorative glassware and 10% on amber bottles!

Arts Alive! Saturday April 7th
Join us from 6 to 9pm for our Arts Alive! party.   We're featuring gorgeous, vibrant mystical paintings by local artist Tani Johnson, Celtic harp music performed by Howdy Emerson, Ethiopian Berebere spiced cheese spread with pretzels (made with our house Berebere blend), fresh organic apples, herbal tea, and a red wine apple citrus tonic to boost your immune system and help with the transition into spring. 

AND, we've heard that The Easter Bunny is dropping off a basket of prize eggs for our shoppers this weekend!  Choose an egg from the basket with any purchase all day Saturday and Sunday, and win discounts, rainbow glasses, Fairy Dust and other prizes.  Thanks Easter Bunny!

Sunday April 8th ~ Easter
Happy Easter!  Stop by and choose a prize egg with any purchase from the basket left by the Easter Bunny!  Every egg's a winner ~

Thursday April 12 ~ Faerie Sale
Save 10% today on all things Faerie!  Books, oracle cards, fairy lights made with real leaves, Fairy Dust, fairy stones, and our delicious Faerie's Delight herbal tea.

Monday April 16th ~ National Stress Awareness Day
April 16 was designated as Stress Awareness Day because it is the day after taxes are due!  Save 10% today all your favorite stress remedies, including herbal tea blends and tinctures for stress, relaxing aromatherapy blends, and calming bath salts.

Thursday April 19th ~ National Garlic Day
Save 15% on any of our products that include healing, wonderful Garlic!

Saturday & Sunday, April 21 and 22 ~ New Moon & Earth Day       
On April 22 in 1970, 20 million Americans participated in Earth Day, the first nationwide environmental demonstration.  Celebrate your love for Mother Earth today - do something outside, start a backyard garden, shop differently and think before you toss.  Check out the Earth Day website to learn more about this special day.  Save 10% on all your bulk purchases this weekend if you bring your own containers, and as always, receive an additional five cent credit for each container that you bring.

Friday April 27th ~ National Arbor Day                      
Save 15% on all Tree Medicine today!  All herbal products made from trees are on sale, including bulk herbs, essential oils, resins and tinctures.  We hope you plant a tree today, or give extra love to the ones you caretake.  Here's a link to the  National Arbor Day Foundation's Guide to Celebrating Arbor Day - blessings on the trees.     

classes Classes & Learning Opportunities

 

Drop us a note if there's a particular subject you'd like to learn more about, or if you'd like to teach a class at Humboldt Herbals.  Please pre-register for classes by calling us at 442-3541.  

 

Food Heals with Marcia Stroud, MA, Biochemist, Herbalist & Nutritionist

Wednesday, April 11th from 6:30 - 8:00pm ($25)

 

Thinking about changing the way you eat?

Good health depends on good nutrition - learn how you can eat your way to better health!

 

In this class, we'll discuss five key principles of healthy nutrition.

*           How to determine your nutritional type

*           Which saturated fats are healthy

*           How the glycemic index relates to overall well-being

*           How enzymes, pH, and raw foods relate to overall health

*           When raw veggies may not be the best choice and which organic foods  are not the healthiest

 

And, because what you don't put into your system is just as important as what you do, we'll examine ways to reduce your intake of toxins. This course also includes a look at some natural allies to support specific areas such as energy and sleep. And, finally, we'll discuss external body and skin health and their relationship to overall well-being.

 

***This class will also be offered again on Wednesday May 2nd


"Plants and the Twilight Realms" with highly acclaimed visiting herbalist Sean Donahue
Saturday, April 14, 10am - 5pm ($75 - $100, sliding scale)

This workshop will be at 219 "D" Street (next door to Humboldt Herbals).  Please call Humboldt Herbals to register or for more information.

Something flashes just at the edge of your vision and disappears into the woods.
Faint music drifts through the air on a night when the air is thick with the scent of Apple blossoms.

Many cultures have stories of other worlds - faerie realms separated from our own world by a thin veil. Of people disappearing into worlds of wonder and peril - and those who come back to tell the tale coming back transformed. And in many of those stories and traditions, plants guard the entrance to those worlds.

In this workshop, you will meet plants traditionally associated with the border between this world and the realms of magic, and look at the ways the folklore about these plants relates to their medicine and their ecology. You will spend time with Hawthorn, Datura, Black Cohosh, Ghost Pipe, and Wood Betony, coming to know each plant in a new way.

Please wear comfortable clothes.  Bring a notebook, pen, water, and food to keep you comfortable during the day.  We'll have folding chairs, but if that's not comfortable for you, you're welcome to bring your own chair or seat cushions. Many dining options are available in Old Town for lunch during our break.
 

Sean Donahue is an herbalist, poet and activist committed to healing and transformation through connection with the living Earth.  As an herbalist, Sean works primarily with the wild plants of the swamps and forests and fields. He views the plants as teachers, helping the body, mind, and spirit learn to correct imbalances that stand in the way of health. As a teacher, poet, and ritualist, Sean works to connect people with their own wild nature and with the life of the world around them.  As an activist and journalist he has documented the human and environmental impacts of U.S. policies in Latin America, organized against nuclear power and nuclear weapons, trained hundreds of activists in techniques of nonviolent resistance, helped military families tell the stories of how the war in Iraq impacted their lives, and advocated for the rights of medical Marijuana patients. He believes that personal, community, and cultural healing are all deeply intertwined with the healing of our planet.

 

NOTE:  We had the opportunity to participate in a workshop with Sean at the 2011 Traditions In Western Herbalism Conference ~ it was absolutely a highlight of the entire conference. His gentle, inspired poetic presentation style and deep connection with the plants will be an experience you'll long remember.  Don't miss out on this one!


"Energetic Cleansing & Meditation Workshop" with Candice Brunlinger 
Sunday, April 29, 5:30 - 7:30 pm ($20)

 

Treat yourself to this hands-on energetic workshop to cleanse your body and spirit. We will discuss how herbs, flower essences, aromatherapy and gem stones can be incorporated into meditation and your daily life to aid in cleansing and balancing your energetic fields.

 

We will participate and experience exercises including a basic chakra cleanse, a meditative cleanse with a plant, and Qi Gong. We will make a smudge kit in class with an aromatic smelling salt or inhaler to take home and aid us in our meditation practice. Hand-outs with recipes included. You're welcome to bring a meditation pillow, bench or anything to make you comfortable.

 

Candice studied herbal and energetic medicine through the Northwest School of Botanical Studies. She is currently an herbalist at Humboldt Herbals and in the initial stages of starting her own clinical herbal practice. Candice also studies Tai Chi Chuan and Qi Gong with Margy Emerson and practices energetic work in her free time.

 

 

Coming in May. . . .

 

 

Food Heals with Marcia Stroud, MA, Biochemist, Herbalist & Nutritionist

Wednesday, May 2nd from 6:30 - 8:00pm ($25)

  

Please see class description above.  

 

 

Qi Gong Movement Meditation with Candice Brunlinger

2nd Sundays of Every Month ~ Starting May 13th, 5:30-6:30pm ($10/class) 

 

Humboldt Herbals will be hosting regular Qi Gong classes the 2nd Sunday of every month starting in May. This meditative practiced has been used throughout Asia for thousands of years as a form of gentle exercise to maintain, balance and enhance overall health and well-being. Qi Gong incorporates slow movement with breath and visualization to move stagnant energy/chi and cleanse the mind, body and spirit. Studies show Qi Gong practice helps increase circulation, builds or enhances chi levels throughout the body, balances the nervous system, increases focus and other cognitive functions, stimulates the immune system and can help manage chronic pain, all of which help improve overall health and well being. No previous experience required. Wear comfortable clothing and shoes. Handouts included!

 

 

"Herbal Infusions from the Garden" with Candice Brunlinger

Thursday, May 10th, 6:30 - 8:30pm, ($25-$30 sliding scale)

 

It's the time of year to be harvesting your herbs and flowers from your garden and make delicious infusions you can store and use throughout the year. Join us at Humboldt Herbals to discuss and learn various ways of infusing your herbs. We will learn how to make herbal oils, vinegars, honey, tinctures, glycerites, and cordials. We will have the opportunity to strain an herbal glycerite and honey infusion as well as prepare a vinegar infusion with samples to go home. Handouts and recipes included.

10% off all bulk oils, glycerine and glassware for students after class. Bring your own containers, if desired. Pre-registration required, as class size is limited.

 

 

"Make your own Plant Press Workshop" with Candice Brunlinger

Sunday, May 27th, 6:00 - 7:30pm ($40-$45 sliding scale)

 

Have you ever wanted to have or make your own plant press so you can dry and preserve your own flowers? Join us for this fun and hands on workshop at Humboldt Herbals to make your own plant press. We will discuss and demonstrate various ways and styles of plant pressing. After designing our plant press we will have the opportunity to decorate it with an herbal collage using magazine pictures as well as real pressed and dried flowers. All supplies will be included; however, you can bring your own pictures or dried flowers for decorating your plant press, if desired. Pre-registration required as class size is limited.

 

honey

Medicinal Benefits of Honey

 

For thousands of years, raw unfiltered honey has been recognized as one of the most natural home remedies to treat a wide range of ailments and complaints. Its powerful healing abilities are primarily due to these three properties ~ honey is antimicrobial, antioxidant, and hygroscopic.

 

1. Honey is Hygroscopic

Honey has a hygroscopic nature, which means that it naturally absorbs moisture from the air. It's often called a natural "humectant" due to this ability to attract and retain moisture. In treating open wounds, this helps prevent scarring by keeping the skin moist, it encourages the growth of new tissues, and it allows for easy removal of any dressing by preventing it from becoming stuck to the skin. Honey's hygroscopic properties also make it an excellent skin and hair treatment as it helps keep skin hydrated, fresh and prevents drying, and leaves hair glossy and healthy.

 

2. Honey is Antibacterial

Researchers began to document the healing properties of honey in the early part of the 20th century. This ceased with the development of antibiotics but recently the development of resistance to antibiotics has led to a resurgence of interest into the healing properties of honey. The effective antimicrobial agent in honey prohibits the growth of certain bacteria, and contains an enzyme that produces hydrogen peroxide which is believed to be the main reason for its antimicrobial activity. Cuts, abrasions and burns/scalds can be covered in honey to prevent bacteria from entering the wound and promote healing. Honey can also help treat minor acne by attacking the bacteria that cause the outbreaks while moisturizing the skin to aid rejuvenation. Types of honey differ greatly in their antimicrobial potency, varying as much as a hundred fold. Honey derived from the Manuka bush, found in abundance in New Zealand, claims the highest potency of such antimicrobial properties.

 

3. Honey is a Source of Antioxidants

Honey contains natural antioxidant properties that can destroy biologically destructive chemical agents which have been linked to many diseases, including cancer. Studies also found that dark-color honeys seem to possess more antioxidants than light-color varieties. Not only could honey's antioxidants help to eliminate free radicals in the body, they are also part of the nutrient supply for growth of new tissue.

 

Try experimenting with honey at home for these common ailments and complaints. Remember, for medicinal benefits the honey needs to be raw, unfiltered, dark in color and preferably from your local bees.

 

First Aid Wound Care: Before the advent of antibiotics, it was not unusual for an experienced medical professional to slather honey on a wound to prevent infection and hasten healing. In the mid-1940's, antibiotics became available for the treatment of infections and honey was displaced from use. Today, this millennia old household natural remedy is being reinstated. Many published reports described the healing properties of honey in rapidly clearing infection from wounds with no adverse effects to slow the healing process, and suggested that honey has an antimicrobial action against a certain spectrum of bacteria and fungi and may actively promote healing.

 

So how does honey work as an antibiotic? It does for wounds in several ways. When applied, honey releases slowly hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), an antibacterial, antimicrobial, and antiseptic compound produced from an enzyme, disinfecting the wound, killing the germs and healing the broken skin. Scientific evidence showed that most strains of harmful bacteria cannot survive in the presence of oxygen or hydrogen peroxide. Honey's viscosity provides a protective barrier and forms a moist environment for the wound. It creates a healing layer between wound and dressing with no sticking and no tissue damage, reducing the chance of scarring because the skin cells grow without forming a scab. Honey supplies nutrients necessary for healthy tissue regeneration and stimulates the growth of new blood capillaries. The antibacterial properties also provide a barrier to cross-infection of wounds. Honey's high glucose content has an osmosis effect on wounds. Studies show that it draws lymph out to the cells while absorbing moisture, and provides an anti-inflammatory action which reduces swelling and pain. Glucose also combines chemically with collagen, a tissue protein, so that it often heals without leaving scars.

 

So, the next time you have a burn or an owie, slather it with honey, apply a loose bandage, and prepare to be amazed.

 

Arthritis: Raw unfiltered honey is also gaining popularity in treating arthritis pain due to its natural anti-inflammatory properties and healing power. When used consistently, it can reduce joint inflammation and provide a natural form of pain relief.

 

To prepare, mix 2 tablespoons raw unfiltered honey and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon powder into 1 cup of warm green tea. Consume this honey cinnamon drink daily in the morning and evening.

 

The combination of honey and cider vinegar is also an extremely well known home remedy for arthritis, with people all over the world passionately testifying about its ability to help them find relief from joint pains. This healing tonic contains minerals such as potassium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, natural silicon, pectin, and tartaric acids that are effective in fighting body toxins, inhibiting bacteria and helping the body to maintain its vital acid-alkaline balance. To prepare this health tonic, mix two teaspoons of vinegar and two teaspoons of raw honey in a glass of warm water, and drink three times a day. It may take several weeks to see the effects. Dr. D.C. Jarvis in his book "Arthritis and Folk Medicine" (Galahad Books,1997) also offered this same folk medicine prescription for arthritis pain. He believes that treatment of arthritis, and many other health problems, must begin in the stomach. Jarvis found that when an apple cider vinegar cocktail is taken daily, calcium deposits are released back into solution in the bloodstream to be re-circulated to the bones, creating arthritis pain relief and preventing osteoporosis.

 

Sore Throats: One of the better known health benefits of honey is its ability to help treat sore throats. Thanks to its antimicrobial properties, honey not only soothes throats but can also kill certain bacteria that causes the infection. Professional singers commonly use honey to soothe their throats before performances. At the first sign of a sore throat, take a spoonful of honey to soothe the inflammation or gargle with a mixture of two tablespoons of honey, four tablespoons of lemon juice and a pinch of salt.

 

Immune System Tonic: Honey can be a powerful immune system booster. Its antioxidant and anti-bacterial properties can help improve digestive system functioning, which helps you stay healthy and fights disease. To boost your immune response, start each day (before breakfast) with a spoonful of honey mixed with the juice from half a lemon and a cup of warm water.

 

Sleeplessness: Try the famous Milk and Honey Remedy to help you sleep at night. Blend a teaspoon of honey with a glass of warm milk to calm the soul and induce sleep. Or, add 1 or 2 teaspoons of honey to a cup of chamomile tea and sip.

 

Yeast Infections: Take half a cup of honey into the bathroom. Sit on the toilet and apply honey liberally over the affected area. Let it stay for five to ten minutes and then bathe to clean up. Do this twice a day, morning and just before going to bed at night.

 

Athlete's foot: Rub raw unfiltered honey on the infected areas before bedtime and leave it to dry overnight. Cover the treated foot with an old sock to prevent getting your sheets all sticky. In the morning, wash with water and dry thoroughly. Also, propolis, a natural anti-bacterial bee product, is known to be effective in treating skin fungus.

 

Hangovers: When you get a hangover from drinking too much alcohol, combat its effects with a honey remedy. Honey is gentle on the stomach and contains a mix of natural sugars, including fructose, which is known to speed up the oxidation of alcohol by the liver, acting as a 'sobering' agent. Try blending a tablespoon of honey with 3 ounces of orange juice and 2 ounces of natural yogurt until smooth.

 

Increased Energy: A great natural source of carbohydrates which provide strength and energy to our bodies, honey is known for its effectiveness in instantly boosting the performance, endurance and reduce muscle fatigue of athletes. Its natural sugars play an important role in preventing fatigue during exercise. The glucose in honey is absorbed by the body quickly and gives an immediate energy boost, while the fructose is absorbed more slowly providing sustained energy. It is known that honey has also been found to keep levels of blood sugar fairly constant compared to other types of sugar. The next time before you go for a workout, take a spoon of honey to enable you to go for the extra mile. If you are feeling low and lethargic in the morning, spread honey on hot whole grain toast or replace the sugar in your tea or coffee with honey for a refreshing surge of energy.   

 

And please, remember to thank the honey bees for all their hard work! 

 

Humboldt Herbals
300 2nd Street
Eureka, California 95501