Herbal Body Care Workshop

When: Sunday, November 15th/12:45 to 4:00pm

Where: San Geronimo Valley Community Center

In this hands-on workshop, we'll explore the benefits of a wide variety of natural ingredients and then put than knowledge to work by creating our own natural body care products. We'll cover the healing properties of natural butters and oils, clays and antioxidants, as well as a few stellar herbs and essential oils. Handouts will also be included with lots of recipes and ideas for creating your own home body care products. Bring home one of each of the following:

• Aromatic Whipped Body Butters
• Herbal Facial Masks & Cleansing Grains
• Exfoliating/Moisturizing Body Sugar Scrubs

Also learn how to make herbal-infused oils for a multitude of uses -- from healing skin balms for cuts and bruises to aromatic bath and massage oils.

A follow-up workshop can be scheduled at the end of class for folks who are interested in making holiday gifts for family and friends where we can all take advantage of a group order for wholesale prices on ingredients!

Cost
$65 includes instruction and all materials. Pre-registration required. To register, please visit http://northrosebotanicals.com/events.html.

Location
San Geronimo Valley Community Center is located at 6350 Sir Francis Drake Blvd. in San Geronimo, California (approximately 7 miles west of Fairfax). View the map (courtesy of google maps)

For more information, contact Cheryl Fromholzer at nrbotanicals@gmail.com or 415-298-0793

Strategies for Keeping Healthy This Winter

Here are some helpful strategies for staying healthy during cold and flu season.

1. Get plenty of rest. Winter is a time to slow down activities, to rest and relax, to look within. It is a time of introspection. Get plenty of rest, at least 8 hours of sleep a night.

2. Eat plenty of foods in the color of the rainbow - red, green, yellow, orange and purple. That means lots of fruits and vegetables that are high in antioxidants, bioflavonoids, carotenoids and other health-promoting compounds that enhance the immune system.

3. Cut down on sugar. Refined sugar is inflammatory and suppresses immune function, making you more susceptible to illness, including chronic diseases.

4. Get plenty of exercise. Daily exercise promotes positive mood and also enhances immune function. Find something you enjoy doing. If you have a hard time getting motivated, it can sometimes be helpful to find a buddy to share these activities with.

5. Supplement with a good multi-vitamin, vitamin C and vitamin D. OK, I know vitamin D is everywhere in the media this past year, but the research is overwhelmingly positive. Vitamin D has profound effects on the immune system. Check out Dr. Cannell's site for a plethora of research in this area. http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/
Dr. Cannell recommends adults supplement with at least 5,000 iu in the winter months. You can also get a vitamin D self-test kit through this website to measure your serum levels. It is recommended you test your serum levels before supplementing and then again in 3 months to see where you are.

6. Take elderberry syrup. See my previous blog posting on elderberries (http://marinherbalist.blogspot.com/2008/09/many-virtues-of-elder.html). Science has demonstrated that elderberries help protect the cell walls against viral attack. Elderberry syrup can be taken as a preventive prior to getting ill, and also has been shown to decrease the severity and length of influenza should you get sick. I make a very tasty, alcohol-free Elderberry Syrup which you can purchase on my website at http://northrosebotanicals.com/. It's a local favorite in my community... who knew medicine could taste so good!

7. And finally, do what you love and love what you do. Laugh - Love - Give Thanks. Life is what you make it!

Many blessings to you and your loved ones!

Herbal Gift Making Workshop

Want to learn to make great herbal holiday gifts (for yourself and others)?

I'm gearing up to teach an herbal gift making workshop and would love to hear from the community on what you'd like to learn to make? I've created a poll which can be found to the right of this posting, just below the Subscribe section. Please select any items that interest you and feel free to leave a comment on this post. Class will be held in early November in the San Geronimo Valley.

United Plant Savers - Stewards of Healing Herbs

United Plant Savers is an organization I have been involved with more many years. Their mission statement is to protect native medicinal plants of the United States and Canada and their native habitat while ensuring an abundant renewable supply of medicinal plants for generations to come.

With the growing interest in plant medicine and herbalism, it is so important now more than ever to think about the origins of the herbs you purchase. Is your chamomile being picked by immigrant workers who work very long hours in deplorable conditions and paid a wage that isn't enough to put food on their tables? Chamomile that is ecologically grown and harvested by people who are paid a living wage and have a reverence for the herb and our planet is GOOD medicine.

I would like to share this wonderful You Tube video I recently stumbled upon about United Plant Savers. Many of my mentors and herbal teachers speak with such eloquence and passion. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did.



To find out more about United Plant Savers, please visit their website as http://www.unitedplantsavers.org/

Many Green Blessings!

Ohlone Center for Herbal Studies

Have an interest in learning about western herbalism? Want to know how to prepare plant medicine? Interested in learning about the native plants that grow around you? The Ohlone Center for Herbal Studies begins a series of new classes this month in Berkeley and San Francisco. (I'll be co-teaching the Herbal Foundations class this year.) Check them out at Ohlone Center for Herbal Studies

Qigong & Herbal Wisdom for Women's Breast Health

Two Workshops Offered:

September 19th or October 24th from 1:00 to 4:00 in Kentfield, CA

Designed especially for women, this course will focus on breast health, detoxification, and the cultivation of energy for the promotion of radiant well being. In this two-part participatory workshop you’ll experience the benefits of Qigong and create your own customized herbal oils for breast health.

Denise Aubin will lead Qigong breath healing exercises to balance female hormones and release blocked energy, especially in the breasts and uterus, while at the same time increasing flexibility, strength, power and grace. Pressure points, massage techniques, sound vibration and meditation are part of this women's health and empowerment program, along with beautiful, flowing movements that open up the body's energy channels. Qigong offers women a pathway to experiencing and realizing radiant health, inner peace, outer beauty and a positive outlook on life.

Cheryl Fromholzer (yours truly) will lead the 2nd part of this workshop. Enhancing proper flow of lymph fluid through self message with herbal oils has a profound effect on breast health, both as a preventative measure and for treating fibrocystic conditions as well as tumors and cysts. In the second part of our workshop, we will learn about the healing properties of several different herbs and essential oils and then put that information to use by making our own customized herbal oils for routine self-message, to assist in self love and for healing.

Denise Aubin is a certified Medical Qigong practitioner with a degree from the International Institute of Medical Qigong and the Henan University in China. She has been a teacher and healer for over thirty years and finds great joy in helping others to become more of who they truly are.

Cost - Only $45!

• Includes all instruction and a 2 oz. bottle of your own, personally customized herbal oil.
• Pre-registration required. Class size limited to 10 women.
• To register, please go to http://www.northrosebotanicals.com/events.html
  

Location

• A private home in Kentfield, CA near the College of Marin.
• Directions provided upon registration.

For more information, contact Denise Aubin at denise@danceofqigong.com or 415-460-5138

Herbal Skin Care Workshop - August 1st, Kentfield CA

Back by popular demand!

Explore the materials and techniques used in making spa-quality products for a fraction of what they cost in stores. We will have an opportunity to sample and discuss the use of herbs, hydrosols, vegetable and essential oils and other natural ingredients appropriate for various skin types including normal, oily, combination, sensitive, dry and mature skin.

In this hands-on workshop, you'll experience an aromatic herbal facial steam and take home aromatic herbal spa products you’ve made which are tailored to your particular skin type including a facial mask, skin toner, and a rejuvenating facial serum. Handouts will also be included with lots of recipes and ideas for creating your own home skin and spa treatments including massage oils, salt and sugar scrubs, bath tisanes and salts… and more.

When
August 1st, 10:00 to 1:00 in Kentfield, CA

Cost
$45 paid prior to July 20th. $55 thereafter. Pre-registration required. Visit our website for easy on-line paying. http://northrosebotanicals.com/events.html

Location
A private home in Kentfield, CA near the College of Marin. Directions provided upon registration.
For more information, feel free to email me or call 415-488-1529.

Herbal Skin Care Workshop - May 21st at Ohlone Center in Berkeley

Explore the materials and techniques used in making spa-quality products for a fraction of what they cost in stores. We will have an opportunity to sample and discuss the use of herbs, hydrosols, vegetable and essential oils and other natural ingredients appropriate for various skin types including normal, oily, sensitive, dry and mature skin.

In this hands-on workshop, you’ll take home aromatic herbal spa products you’ve made which are tailored to your particular skin type including an aromatic herbal facial steam, facial mask, skin tonic, and a rejuvenating facial serum.

Handouts will also be included with lots of recipes and ideas for creating your own home skin and spa treatments including massage oils, salt and sugar scrubs, bath tisanes and salts… and much more.This class has a material fee of $25 paid to the instructor at the beginning of class.

This class will be taught at the Ohlone Center for Herbal Studies in Berkeley by Cheryl Fromholzer, a Western Clinical Herbalist and body care specialist who is about to launch her own skin care line through her company, North Rose Botanicals.

When: Thursday, May 21st from 7:00 to 10:00pm

Ohlone Center is located at: 1654 University Avenue in Berkeley, CA

Cost: $45 + $25 materials fee

Pre-Registration is Required. To register, call the Ohlone Center at 510-540-8010 or contact Cheryl at nrbotanicals@gmail.com or 415-488-1529 for more information.

Native Plant Walks are Back!

Image: Pedicularis densiflora (Indian Warrior) at Willis Evans Canyon

Please join me for the first native plant walk of the season on Sunday - April 5th at 11am -- Samuel P. Taylor State Park.

Discover the native plants of West Marin from an herbal perspective. I'll be talking about ethnobotanical (historical) as well as contemporary medicinal uses of our native plant life, with some folk lore and myths thrown in for extra fun!

We'll meet at the front entrance near the ranger's booth at 11am. Bring a lunch and water and be prepared for the weather (hat, sweater). I'll reschedule if it's raining. Optional: notepad and pen, camera, field lens.

The walk will cover less than a mile at a very slow and easy pace (no hills and we stop a lot to talk about the plants). Well behaved dogs on a leash and children are welcome.

Suggested donation of $10 will help out a wonderful organization, United Plant Savers, dedicated to restoring native populations of endangered medicinal plants. Check them out at: http://www.unitedplantsavers.org/

Spring Cleaning

A Multidimensional Approach using Herbs and Qigong
Crystal Chalice, 1930 SFD Blvd., Fairfax
March 24th 7-9pm — Free!

During this workshop we will review how working with herbs and Qigong can greatly enhance any cleansing program, which is beneficial after a long winter of heavy foods, reduced physical activity and the lingering effects of illness. Dietary suggestions will be offered as will other cleansing modalities but are not the focus of this workshop. In this workshop, we will:

Explore working with herbs for health and wellness.

Learn simple Qigong exercises to obtain powerful tools for self-healing, promote detoxification, strengthen your immune system and cultivate energy for the promotion of health and well being.

Sample fresh-picked wild greens, lymphatic tonics and detoxifying teas.

Take home recipes for herbal teas, wild green salads and juices, as well as salt glows and herbal steams.

Cheryl Fromholzer is a Western Clinical Herbalist with a thriving practice in West Marin and a founding member of the Marin Holistic Care Centers at the Common Well in Fairfax. You can find her wandering the nearby hillsides talking to trees and munching on wild spring greens. Cheryl can be contacted at nrbotanicals@gmail.com or 415-488-1529.

Denise Aubin is a certified Medical Qigong practitioner with a degree from the International Institute of Medical Qigong and the Henan University in China. She has been a teacher and healer for over thirty years and finds great joy in helping others to become more of who they truly are. Denise can be contact at denise@nutriharmony.info or 415-460-5138.

What is Herbal Medicine?

Herbal Medicine can be defined as the use of medicinal plants in the treatment and prevention of disease, as well as in the maintenance of health. It has persisted as the world’s primary form of medicine since the beginning of time, with a written history more than 5000 years old. 75% of the world’s population still relies on traditional healing practices. Herbal medicine offers a highly effective, affordable healing modality that is in balance with our natural resources.


What is Western Herbalism?
The foundation of Western Herbalism comes from both a long-standing tradition of folk medicine (historical information that has been passed down through the ages) as well as scientific studies. Western Herbalists tend to focus on plants that grow in their region; however, our body of knowledge is woven from many cultures and traditions, most notably Native American, European, Chinese (TCM) and Indian (Ayurvedic). Medicinal herbs are used in the context of a Western understanding of health and disease. Plants are ingested as teas or tinctures (alcohol extracts). Herbs are also used in baths and steams, or topically in the form of a salve, oil or liniment. Herbalism can effectively address the whole person: physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

How is Herbal Medicine Different from Conventional Medicine?Herbalists seek to address the root of imbalance in an individual, not just the symptoms. My goal is to stimulate your innate healing power through the use of herbs, diet and lifestyle. The primary focus of conventional physicians is to use strong pharmaceuticals to treat symptoms. This approach does not usually uncover the root cause of the disease, and many patients under conventional care suffer from side effects that can be as bad as the condition being treated.

Let’s use acid reflux as an example. A conventional doctor would prescribe a medication that suppresses or neutralizes the hydrochloric acid your stomach makes. This puts a band-aid on the problem (acid reflux) and now you must continue to take medication to suppress symptoms. An herbalist would look at addressing the root cause(s) for your acid reflex and offer herbs to support healing of your digestive tract and dietary and lifestyle changes designed to address the reason for your symptoms. The philosophical difference between herbalists and conventional physicians has profound significance.

On a physical level, plant medicine provides overall support to the body such as building up immunity and how it handles stress as well as focusing on specific issues. Herbalism looks at the whole person to support any weaknesses in the body (known as deficiencies) so that the body overall may be stronger. Emotional and spiritual needs can also be addresses through plant spirit medicine and flower essences.

Most herbalists (myself included) will talk to you about nutrition with an emphasis on a whole foods diet. You can expect to be treated as a whole person, to be listened to, and to have your questioned answered.

What Conditions Can Be Treated with Herbal Medicine?
People seek the services of a western herbalist for help with a disorder or as a way to strengthen their constitution and improve their overall wellbeing. Western Herbalism offers support for many acute and chronic conditions, including, but not limited to:
• allergies & hayfever
• asthma and other respiratory problems
• blood sugar imbalances
• cancer support
• colds & flus
• decreased immune function
• digestive problems such as GERD/acid reflux, IBS, gas & bloating, indigestion
• emotional balance
• frequent illnesses
• high blood pressure and cholesterol
• insomnia
• migraines & headaches
• reproductive health
• stress & anxiety
• sinusitis
• thyroid disorders

North Rose Botanicals
Holistic Wellness Consultations & Herbal Medicine

About Cheryl Fromholzer

My training as a western herbalist has been long and varied, and includes plant knowledge passed down through my family, an apprenticeship with a Hispanic Curandero (folk healer), studies with various master herbalists in the San Francisco Bay Area, as well as completion of a three-year clinical program in western herbalism (Ohlone Center for Herbal Studies). My education encompasses the study of traditional and science-based plant medicine, basic plant chemistry, anatomy, physiology and nutrition. I enjoy teaching others about herbs through workshops and local herb walks and can usually be found hiking with my dogs and picking wild weeds.

Herbal Consultations – What You Can Expect?The initial consultation is a 1-1/2 hour session with several components. After obtaining a detailed description of the reason(s) for your visit, I obtain an extensive intake of your health history, covering all the areas that can influence your current state of health, such as diet, exercise, social and emotional life. During our session, we will collaborate on a wellness plan (including dietary and lifestyle suggestions) that is balanced and realistic. At the end of our session, I create an herbal formula, designed specifically for you, to address your unique physical constitution, physiological needs, and emotional and spiritual well-being. At this time, we will also schedule a follow-up session (typically 1-2 weeks later), to ensure the herbal formula and wellness plan are moving you towards your healing goals. After the follow-up session, you will typically see me every month to six weeks to check in about your healing progress and to continue to tailor your wellness plan and receive a new herbal formula.

Herbal medicine tones the body’s ability to respond to stress and illness. The goal of healthy living is not to be reliant on herbs forever. Acute problems, such as colds and flus, can be addressed in one visit. Chronic problems generally take a few months to address while long-standing issues can take a year or more.

Disclosure Statement: Herbalism is not licensed by the State of California. Cheryl Fromholzer is not a medical doctor and therefore cannot make a diagnosis, nor will she make recommendations regarding drugs or controlled substances prescribed by a licensed practitioner. Her services are complementary in nature.

My Herbal Apothecary
I carry over 130 full-spectrum herbal extracts in my pharmacy, all handcrafted by me using organic or ethically-wildharvested herbs. Alcohol-based extracts are made using biodynamically-grown organic grapes. Grape alcohol is hypo-allergenic, which is especially important for individuals who have grain allergies or sensitivities. I believe in the vitality of fresh plants – whenever possible I use fresh, locally-grown plants over dried. I support local farmers and purchase my herbs through Sonoma County Herb Exchange whenever possible.

I also carry a wide range of freshly-dried organic herbs for teas.

Herbal extracts and teas are available to the public. Inquire for details.

Fees:
Consultations:
• Initial Consultation (~1.5 hour session): Sliding Scale - $60 to $120
• Follow-up Sessions (~30 minutes): Sliding Scale - $30 to $50
Housecalls possible.
Herbal Extracts: $10 per ounce (client price). $12 per ounce to the general public.

Dried Herbal Teas: Varies depending on the herb. Between $3 and $8 per ounce.

Making An AppointmentI can be reached at 415-488-1529 or nrbotanicals@gmail.com. I’m happy to talk to you to answer any questions you may have about the services I offer and how I can help you.

Making choices about your healthcare is a very personal decision. There is no one right way to work with any illness. Allow yourself the time to gather as much information as you need to make your decisions and listen to your body and heart. Enjoy the love in your life, laugh whenever you can, and be very gentle and kind to yourself.