May Special Sales Days
 
 
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!
 
 
Save 15% the entire month of May on all Baby Carrot & Mama Carrot products from Wild Carrot Herbals  

Save 40% on our current inventory of Humboldt Herbals logo wear, while supplies last ~ hoodies, organic tees, long sleeved teas ~
We need to make room for the exciting new styles and colors that will be here next month!


May Day & Beltane - Wednesday May 1st 
It's the merry merry month of May!  Celebrate with our Faeries Delight herbal tea and save 15%.  It's delicious served hot or cold, and makes a delightful moonlight infusion.

HerbDay & Arts Alive! - Saturday May 4th
It's HerbDay!  Save 10% on all our medicinal & culinary herbs and herbal reference books, and save 20% on our organic medicinal herbal seeds!  Learn about new herbs, and stock up on your favorites ~
AND, it's Arts Alive!  We're featuring the vibrant, playful art of Cammy Williams, with our special musical guests & friends Tina & Her Pony from Taos, NM.  Come enjoy their original indie Appalachian folk style and support them on their national tour for the release of their first CD!  We'll be serving Vanilla Lemon Champagne Cocktails, herbal tea, crispy lemon thins, organic apples & pears, and creamed cheese spread with our organic Herbs de Provence.

Cinco de Mayo ~ Sunday May 5th
Save 20% on our delicious organic powdered Chipotle ~ smoked jalapeno peppers, powdered, and absolutely delicious on anything that could benefit from a little sweet, smokey spice!

New Moon ~ Friday May 10th
New Moon Glassware Sale!  Save 10% on all our glassware today - decorative bottles, jars, amber & cobalt ~ stock up for summertime herbal crafting!

Mother's Day - Sunday May 12th 
For everyone who mothers and nurtures other beings, we're giving away a free sample of herbal tea of your choice with any purchase today.  Happy Mother's Day! 

Wear Purple for Peace, Thursday May 16th 
Today is Wear Purple for Peace Day:  The First Intergalactic Holiday!  Apparently this  day started as an effort to project peace from this world out to space because --guess  what-- aliens like purple too!  If we all wear purple, beings from other planets would know that we are peaceful and feel safe to visit us.  Currently the holiday is being used to promote peace globally, so whether your pacifist goals are intergalactic or earthbound, all we are saying is give purple a chance. In the spirit of the day, save 15% on Peace Tea and our Peace aromatherapy sachets, or save 20% if you're wearing purple ~

National Maritime Day - Wednesday May 22nd 
National Maritime Day is a United States holiday created to recognize the maritime industry. It is observed on May 22, the date that the American steamship Savannah set sail from Savannah, Georgia on the first ever transoceanic voyage under steam power. The holiday was created by the US Congress on May 20, 1933. We're celebrating seaweeds for the role they play in keeping our oceans clean and clear from pollutants left behind by our boats - save 15% on all seaweeds today, in bulk or in capsule, including the delicious culinary seaweeds harvest locally by Trish Gallagher and Wild DevOcean Seaweed.   Mmmmmm, seaweed. . . .

Full Moon - Saturday May 25th
Save 15% on all our essential oils today to celebrate the last Full Moon of Spring!  Hundreds to choose from ~


Memorial Day & Sun Screen Day - Monday May 27th 
Rosemary for Remembrance ~ Save 20% on organic dried rosemary, rosemary essential oil and our Memory Tea ~
PLUS, Save 10% on all our sun screens and lip balms today, including the fabulous organic Juice Beauty SPF tinted moisturizers ~ a multiple award-winner and staff favorite.


classes
May Classes & Upcoming Events

 

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.   



Registration is open for the 4th Annual Herbal Resurgence Rendezvous at the Coconino Forest in northern Arizona ~ September 19 - 22nd!  If you can only make it to one herbal conference this year, this should definitely be the one. Fun, eclectic, feral & real - we're proud and honored to be a sponsor!

Teachers this year include: 
Caroline Gagnon *  James Snow * Matthew Wood * Mimi Hernandez * Phyllis Light * Kiva Rose * Paul Bergner * Juliet Blankespoor * Kiki Geary * Ben Zappin * Sarah Lawless * Ingrid Bauer * Phyllis Hogan * Mike Masek * 7Song * Jim McDonald * Larken Bunce * Charles "Doc" Garcia * Howie Brounstein * Anne Merrill * Denise Tracy Cowan * Darcey Blue French * Sean Donahue * Julie Caldwell *Sam Coffman * Stephany Hoffelt *
 

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

Wednesday, May 8th 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.

 

~ Coming in June ~


"Herbal Springtime Detox" with Kendra Cross 

Monday, June 10th, 7 - 8:30pm at Humboldt Herbals
Sliding Scale $20-$30 (includes samples) + 10% off any purchases made during the class

Come explore foods, minerals, herbs, clays and supplements that will aid in a springtime seasonal detox. We will examine effective methods of attaining a general body system detoxification that will help you feel cleaner and lighter with more energy for the coming warmer season. Kendra will also guide some helpful yoga postures to aid in the bodies waste elimination and detoxification process. Samples are included!

Kendra Cross is an herbalist, yogini and herbal product creatress that also offers her services as a staff herbalist at Humboldt Herbals.

 

 

~ Coming in July ~

  

Mount Shasta Rejuvenation Retreat  

July 18th through July 21st 

$300 to $333 Sliding Scale (includes vegetarian lunches, dinner on Thursday & all workshop materials and medicine making supplies)

 

Join Julie Caldwell, the owner of Humboldt Herbals, on powerful Mt. Shasta ~ one of the seven sacred mountains of the world, for her annual Rejuvenation Retreat.  The focus this year is "Celebrating the Wild" and will include:

* Field trips to sacred and energy vortex sites on the mountain  

* Visits with Wild Waters 

* Moonlight discovery walks 

* Sunset celebrations and drumming

* Lively discussions, gardens, medicine wheels & labyrinths, and of course  

* Herbal medicine making with Juniper, mountain sage, and the wild flowers   

 

We'll laugh, learn, play & grow. You'll return home with a renewed sense of connection, gratitude, and deep appreciation for the unique place you hold in life's tapestry.  Please click this link to email Julie to reserve your space, or for additional information and daily itinerary for this transformative four-day retreat. 

 

oats
Balance from the Inside:
Cleansing, Nourishing and Detoxifying Your Body System to Revitalize Your Life

by Kendra Cross, Humboldt Herbals Staff Herbalista


 Springtime is my favorite season. I'll admit it that I play favorite with the seasons. How can I help it? The new life popping up everywhere inspires a girl in a way that no other season can ~ the beckoning of a new hobby, the potential of a new garden bursting with life, the possibility of a new schedule, and just a good time to reflect on what is wanted in life for these upcoming months. Spring is a time of possibility and spring is in the air! The chilly wind whispers for a hope and a shift in some old patterns in my life. And the excitement is more apparent than ever in these wonderfully fresh and crisp mornings on the North Coast, telling me that the summer sun is soon to come, encouraging me to get busy in my life because the languid days of summer are approaching and I will want more time to rest and to play by the river.

During this time, many people comment on their desire to clean out their systems from the long stagnant winter. Customers and clients come see me to ask for herbs that help increase their energy, or rebuild their adrenals after stressful times and burnout. I have others come in to tell me they are coming off of prescriptions, alcohol or other drugs and are seeking to detoxify their systems and begin a different pattern in their lives. Speaking from an herbalists perspective, many of us refer to cleansing herbs such as dandelion leaf and root, burdock root, yellow dock root, and red clover as detoxifying herbs, to name but a few. For non-herbalist, the term "detoxify" usually comes as an ally to someone who is trying to cleanse themselves of alcohol or other drugs.  For herbalists, the term detoxify is often used to illustrate the ways in which simple and cost effective herbs may spark profound change in a person simply by clearing them out. Many people come into the shop to talk about ways to support themselves in their increased energy and motivation to be healthier, get in shape or to lose weight. And this is the season of change.

Detoxifying and cleansing is one of my favorite topics in which to engage with people in the shop, as the results one can have from incorporating common herbs and minerals can make such drastic results in ones overall health, vitality and happiness. Sharing these little gems of wisdom has become a recurring conversation that I have almost daily, and for good reason. Take a look at the numerous benefits one can receive just by changing eating and grooming habits and incorporating cleansing and detoxifying herbs into your diet.

Cleansing Benefits Include:

-increased energy and vitality

-weight loss

-mental clarity

-improved immunity, illness prevention and health promotion

-enhanced digestion and colon cleansing

-emotional release

-improved communication

-improved sleep

-and many more


I want to be clear that I am not talking about spending a ton of money on a detoxing system, or going on any crazy fasting diet. I'm talking about simply changing your foods to eat more of the bounty of nature's organic fruit and vegetables raw, in smoothies, in salads or main dishes. Identifying and eating your local wild herbs and foods, and incorporating herbal teas as delicious beverages that are clearing and nourishing to your system will change your life. Incorporating gentle herbs, minerals and supplements has a profound impact and can be very simple and cost effective.

Living a stressful lifestyle, and eating lots of fast foods, sugar, caffeine and processed foods are quick and sure ways to a stagnated liver, sugar and alcohol addiction, illness, moodiness and depression, PMS and fertility concerns, skin eruptions, pain, dizziness, bad breath, weight gain and bloat, fatigue, poor memory, and often boredom. This is opposite of the energies that guide our lives to health, success, and happiness. Any and all of these symptoms are telling us that our bodies are out of balance. It is our body's cry for help, saying "I don't feel good." Not feeling good does not have to be your "normal." I encourage you to explore revitalizing your system with some simple cleansing herbs and eating fresh foods for three days, and see if you don't feel better!  (If you are on prescription medication, please check for contraindications with your herbs or talk to an herbalist to find the right method and timing for your exploration into detoxing.)

We cannot talk about cleansing the body system without discussing our liver. The liver is a nutrient and toxin filter, the organ that lies right beneath your diaphragm with most of the organ on the right side under the ribcage, but some is over on the left side. Your liver cleans toxins from your blood as your blood must at times produce toxins to breakdown proteins in your food. The liver will also clean any toxins you have ingested, absorbed, inhaled or otherwise been exposed to in your environment, but not without some cost to the health of the organ. After you have eaten food, the nutrients, vitamins and minerals from the food in your small intestine pass into your blood then into your liver before it goes into the rest of your body . The liver processes the good stuff your body can use, and the waste it cannot use is carried by bile to be expelled through the skin as sweat, and through the elimination organs. Maintaining the health of the liver is essential for overall health. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the liver is the organ of heat, and liver stagnation will result in feelings of anger, frustration and irritation. These feelings are signs that we need to increase our liquids and take our liver herbs.

The liver is magical! It, like the earthworm, can regenerate itself  from the remaining cells that still exist and grow if the liver has been damaged. Is that not amazing!? This organ is responsible for so much of our health and could use some good attention just in gratitude!

Below are some herbs, foods, minerals and activities to help detoxify our body system and help out our liver. Plus, you'll end up feeling wonderful about your healthy new habits.

Herbs, foods and spices to incorporate into your diet for general body detoxing: dandelion root and leaf, burdock root, yellow dock root, red clover, chaparral, cleavers, anise, fenugreek, turmeric, sarsaparilla, red root, ginger, peppermint, nettle, spirulina, chlorella, triphala, asafoetida, psyllium husk, anise seeds, garlic, apple cider vinegar, parsley, milk thistle, cilantro, oregano, thyme, many types of medicinal and culinary mushrooms including reishi, chaga, maitake, shiitake, cordyceps

Minerals for detoxing include: epsom salt bath and shower scrub, activated charcoal, food grade bentonite clay, food grade diatomaceous earth

Foods to include in your daily diet: Raw fruits and veggies at each meal (organic). Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, brussels sprouts, and cauliflower,  arugula, bok choy, collards, kale, mustard greens, rutabaga, turnip greens, and watercress. Enjoy small amount of lean meats. Include foods high in antioxidants such as seaweeds (dulse and kelp), citrus fruits, apple, kiwi, pear, carrot, and  celery. For added vitamin C you can enjoy rose-hips, strawberries, and citrus. Avocado, mango, banana, papaya, pineapple, and sprouts provide lots of good fats and enzymes. Brown rice is an excellent food for detoxing.

Physical methods of detoxing: dry skin brushing (exfoliation), whole body and foot soak salt baths and salt exfoliation scrubs, increased water intake, drinking water with lemon, lymph drainage massage, light exercise, sweating, taking sauna, positive thoughts and emotions, fresh air, uplifting music, clean and inspiring environments, getting out into nature


Detoxing Tips:

    Detox in the spring, summer and fall, when more fresh organic produce is available. Winter is not generally a good time for detoxing because your body is working on rebuilding rather than cleansing. Avoid red meats, saturated fats, dairy, caffeine and alcohol. Get plenty of Vitamin C.

    Take time to engage in activities that feel cleansing and purifying. Detoxing is a great time to stay home and do things like clean your cupboards, or to be in nature

    Get ample rest. Keep up with gentle exercise like yoga, but be careful of strenuous exercise because you want your body to focus on cleansing.

    You might not feel very well while on your detox diet, because the toxins are making their way out of the body. But you will feel better after!

    Drink ample water while detoxing, because water naturally flushes toxins.

    Cleansing is a natural body function and does not require expensive supplements to work. Eat a 60% fresh fruit and fresh veggie diet.

    Gradually ease back into your diet after your detox time.

    Talk to your doctor, herbalist or other qualified health professional to guide you in your fast and cleanse.


Lastly, I am sure many of you have heard of the detox headache, or detoxing crashes that can happen while cleaning out your system. I will admit, a detox headache is not fun. You can also experience some fatigue, irritability, changes in your skin and strange dreams while detoxing, but this is part of the process. Below are some tips to help you through it. Rest assured that these symptoms are usually very temporary (only a day or so) and are actually a good sign that you are cleansing. Definitely talk with an herbalist or other health professional if questions come up.

Tips for helping you feel better on a detox diet:

    Drink lots of water, fresh juices and smoothies and herbal teas

    Avoid sugar, processed foods, alcohol and caffeine

    Sweat it out with a shower, sauna, or light exercise

    Exfoliate and/or dry skin brush

    Take 1tsp per day of apple cider vinegar in 8oz water

    Include a daily dose of bentonite clay, activated charcoal, or diatomaceous earth

    Take this detox time easy on yourself and rest well


Be extra kind to yourself!  You are embarking on a literal change in your body system, and shifting into a transformation that brings new hopes, dreams, habits and patterns. Enjoy the Springtime.




Kendra Cross is an herbalist and yogini who lives on the North Coast of California. She is a Staff Herbalist at Humboldt Herbals and produces a line of herbal bath salts, creams and sparkly body bars under the name Quintessence Organics.


You can catch her next detoxing class:

Balance from the Inside:
Cleansing, Nourishing and Detoxifying Your Body System to Revitalize Your Life

Monday June 10th 7pm-8:30pm at Humboldt Herbals

$20-$30 Sliding Scale includes samples and 10% off purchases made the night of the class.

Pre-registration and prepayment  is required and can be done at Humboldt Herbals and by credit/debit card by phone at 707-442-3541

Humboldt Herbals
300 2nd Street
Eureka, California 95501