Season 3
Perspectives on the past, present and future of herbalism
Join us for an enlightening discussion with seasoned herbalists Simon Mills and Sebastian Pole as they delve into the evolving landscape of herbal medicine and its integration into modern healthcare. This episode tackles the critical question: why isn’t herbalism more mainstream, despite its proven benefits and growing demand?
Adaptogens: The great rejuvenators with David Winston
In this episode, Sebastian welcomes renowned herbalist and educator David Winston, whose five decades of experience span herbal traditions from North America to Asia. David, a founder of the American Herbalist Guild and author of Adaptogens: Herbs for Strength, Stamina, and Stress Relief, offers a deep dive into the fascinating world of adaptogens. He traces their origins back to Soviet research in the mid-20th century when scientists were searching for substances to enhance resilience against stress. Unlike many herbal remedies rooted in traditional practices, adaptogens emerged from a modern scientific framework.
Herbal Approaches to Heart Health with Vilma Matuleviciute
Join us as we cross the Irish Sea to delve into the heart of herbal practice with Vilma Matuleviciute, a seasoned herbalist and naturopath based in Ireland. With over two decades of experience, Vilma shares her insights on the multifaceted approach to heart health, combining the physiological with the emotional.
Herbs for colds and fevers: The diaphoretics — with Dr. Amparo Aracil
Discover the use of herbs like echinacea, thyme, and lemon balm in both acute and chronic scenarios, and learn how mushrooms like reishi and cordyceps support respiratory health and overall vitality. Dr. Aracil’s insights into the synergistic nature of herbs provide a comprehensive guide for enhancing your health naturally. Find out more about diaphoretics.
Bitter herbs for a sweeter life: Insights from Guido Mase
In this episode, discover the fascinating mechanisms behind how bitters work in the body, from stimulating digestive secretions to modulating hormonal responses. Learn about the evolutionary role of bitter taste receptors and their presence not just in the mouth, but throughout the gastrointestinal tract and even within the heart and lungs. Guido explains how bitters can help with common digestive issues like gas, bloating, and heartburn, as well as more serious conditions such as type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Find out more about bitter herbs.
Herbs for the problems of mood and stress: Nervines — with Julian Barker
In this episode, Julian challenges the conventional categories of nervines and nootropics, offering a nuanced view of how herbs can support emotional and cognitive health. He explores the concept of somatopsychic effects, where treating physical symptoms can alleviate emotional distress, and vice versa. Julian also discusses the importance of understanding an individual’s terrain — the unique neuroendocrine and emotional landscape shaped from prenatal stages through to adulthood.
Herbs for the lungs and respiratory system — with Rumana Zahn
Have you ever stopped to appreciate the simple act of breathing? Each inhale brings life-giving oxygen into our bodies, but what happens when this effortless process becomes a struggle? In this episode, Ramana Zahn reminds us that healing is a holistic journey that requires us to look at the body as an interconnected system.
Herbs for the kidney and urinary system — with Dr. Sally Moorcroft
Revealing the secrets of botanical medicine in treating urinary and kidney health, Dr. Sally Moorcroft discusses the vital link between the gut microbiome and urinary function. Hear real-life success stories of patients finding relief from chronic conditions through herbal interventions.
Herbs for cleansing: Alteratives — with Graeme Tobyn
In this lively discussion, Sebastian and Graeme dissect the controversial and often misunderstood category of alteratives. They explore the historical context and evolution of this herbal action, questioning its relevance and application in modern herbal practice. Graeme challenges the retreat from robust treatments like stimulant laxatives and advocates for a reinvigoration of traditional, potent herbal therapies.
Herbs for women’s health — with Ginny Kemp
Ginny Kemp and Simon Mills discuss the nuances of supporting women through the different phases of their lives, from the onset of menstruation, through the challenges of perimenopause, to the empowerment of post-menopausal vitality. This episode is a treasure trove of herbal knowledge, spotlighting adaptogens, hormone modulators, and the importance of sleep and stress management in women’s health.
Harnessing hepatics: Marion Mackonochie’s on herbs for liver health
In this episode, Sebastian Pole is joined by Marion Mackonochie, a seasoned herbalist, senior advisor at Pukka, and editor of the Journal of Herbal Medicine. In this liver-focused episode of Herbcast, Marion and Sebastian navigate the complexities of hepatics – the category of herbs that support the liver, our body’s metabolic maestro. They discuss signs of liver imbalance, the power of bitters, and the wide-reaching impact of hepatics on conditions ranging from skin ailments to hormonal imbalances.
Season 2
Wild foraging — with Robin Harford
Robin Harford established his wild food foraging school in 2008, and his foraging courses are listed at the top of BBC Countryfile’s ‘Best foraging courses in the UK’.
In this Herbcast episode, Robin Harford talks to Simon Mills about best practices gathering guidance, the relationship of plants and people in different cultures and his personal transformation through foraging and gathering plants for mental health and addiction recovery. Find out more about foraging herbs and mushrooms throughout the year.
Combating adulterants — with Mark Blumenthal
In addition to his advocacy and educational efforts, Mark Blumenthal has been championing quality control and standardisation in the herbal industry.
In this Herbcast podcast, Mark chats with Simon about the beginnings of HerbalGram and the American Botanical Council (ABC), the role of the ABC in setting quality standards in the herbal industry and the impact of the US dietary supplement legislation
Men’s health — with Phil Deakin
Phil’s route to herbal practice has encompassed work as a doctor in hospitals, primary care and unscheduled care settings. Although he now identifies as a herbalist, his experiences in conventional healthcare have equipped him to reference a number of perspectives when supporting people with their health and wellbeing as a herbal practitioner.
In this episode, Phil chats with Simon about why he transitioned from a GP to a herbalist and how herbalism is the best environment to tackle men’s health issues.
The role of food in treating skin conditions — with Herbalist Alex Laird
Alex has built impressive research around the powerful impact of herbalism in dermatology. Whilst supporting community and cultural sensitivities at Whipps Cross, Alex has shown that a personalised approach can really make a difference even with the most complex of skin conditions.
In her chat with Simon, we learn about several lightbulb moments that have taken Alex on a journey of discovery and why she is so passionate about the role of nutrition when it comes to improving our health.
Herbal approaches to caring for cancer — with herbal oncologist Chanchal Cabrera
Chanchal offers a glimpse into some of the strategies she adopts when treating patients in clinic, using herb-based and horticulture therapies in conjunction with conventional treatments. Drawing from decades of clinical experience helping patients recover from cancer, Chanchal offers insight into her processes and what she recommends to other practitioners in her mentor role.
Treating depression and anxiety — with Ayurvedic practitioner and herbalist Todd Caldecott
With mental health issues on the rise, Todd highlights some of the contributing factors to this such as the disconnection from people and communities, the impact of trauma and the pace of life itself. He shares his thoughts on treating anxiety and depression whilst being guided by Ayurvedic principles and practices to better understand what is happening to us.
First do no harm: A sustainable approach to herbalism — with medicinal plant expert Josef Brinkmann
In this episode, Josef paints a challenging picture of how the climate crisis is impacting herbal medicine. From insights on quality and sustainability to farming challenges, this discussion highlights why ecological and socially responsible herbs are so important.
A herbalist’s approach to treating inflammation — with Christine Herbert
After 20 years working in pathology and haematology, Christine’s enlightenment into the world of herbal medicine has led her on a journey to discovering the importance of diet in our health. She shares her wisdom on how various can herbs work with the body to reduce the inflammation that triggers chronic illnesses. Her positive outlook inspires hope for everybody that almost every health ailment can be improved.
Insight Herbalism: A pathway for integrating trauma and restoring our core vitality — with herbalist and educator Nathaniel Hughes
Since his initial training in chemistry and medical pharmacology, Nathaniel Hughes has pursued the question; how much can we learn from plants directly? He has spent over 20 years exploring the spiritual, somatic, relational, trauma-informed and process-oriented aspects of healing.
This episode delivers an introduction to the concept of intuitive herbalism where Nathaniel encourages us to think outside of conceptual medical frameworks to focus on relational and experiential perspectives.
Season 1
Sebastian and Simon reflect on series 1 (and introduce series 2!)
Sebastian and Simon reflect on Season 1 of Herbcast and discuss their enjoyment of speaking to thought leaders across the herbal medicine community. They introduce the solutions-focused Series 2 which aims to focus on some of the most important conditions affecting the modern world today that herbalists are treating in clinic. From digestion and inflammation to sleep, anxiety and trauma, the series will focus on the fundamentals of health as well as highlight sustainability issues faced by the industry.
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The strategic approach of Chinese Medicine — with Charles Buck
Charles is a Fellow of the British Acupuncture Council where he served a 3-year term as Chairman. He regularly presents keynote sessions to conferences across the world and has published extensively.
From strategically defeating the battles of war to fighting on the battlefield of health, Charlie eloquently explains some of the theories within Chinese medicine so that we may begin to understand its rational and unique strategic approach.
Read Charlie’s article Sweet ‘n’ Sour: The importance of taste and food energetics in Traditional Chinese medicine
Supporting American herbalists — with Bevin Clare
Bevin discusses her focus shift from herbalism to the herbalists, ensuring they are supported and their skills valued. She speaks about how her early study of infectious diseases highlighted the need to treat the human experience and why not being permitted to diagnose or treat diseases in America is so liberating. Simon and Bevin reminisce on their shared time at MUIH and celebrate the unique aspects, such as bio-regionalism and cultural nuances, that make herbalism so fascinating.
How do herbalists work in clinic — with Euan MacLennan
Practising in one of the only GP practices in the country that offers herbal medicine as a service, Euan shares his insight into the benefits of an integrated health approach. A firm believer in giving people freedom of choice when it comes to individual healthcare options, Euan shares his thoughts on why a lack of funding in preventative health alongside impersonal treatment and public demand could be the driver towards more integration with state healthcare in the future.
Herbal Pharmacognosy and Pharmacopoeial standards — with Roy Upton
In this episode Roy shines a light on the serious issue of how we access our plants for herbal medicine. He explains how the work of the AHP focuses on protecting traditional herbal knowledge and ensures the safety of its use by practitioners, raising the bar for herbalists and helping to reduce fear for consumers.
The journey into phytotherapy — with Professor Kerry Bone
This rich and in-depth conversation showcases the importance of phytotherapy within herbalism, a science-based medical practice which relies on an empirical appreciation of medicinal herbs, linking back to traditional knowledge and practice. A pioneer, who has dedicated his career to the research and development of herbs, it’s widely believed by those in the industry that no one can eclipse Kerry in his herbal expertise.
The journey of becoming a herbalist — with Ayurvedic herbal practitioner Jo Webber
Jo’s passion for Ayurveda practices and teaching shines through as she discusses her Ayurvedic journey. As a yoga teacher battling personal health issues, she became enlightened following a profound pulse-reading experience that lead her down the herbalism path. With a post-graduate Certificate in Education, she feels strongly about making diet, lifestyle, and herbal advice more readily available, so people of all ages can make informed and empowered choices for themselves. Now Jo shares her passion via teachings to make learning Ayurvedic practice simple, accessible, and powerful.
The journey of becoming a herbalist with Western herbal practitioner Helen Kearney
Reminiscing on the moments in her life that connected and drew her to herbalism, Helen discusses the beginnings of Betonica and how it aimed to make the study of herbalism more accessible. She lifts the lid to explain what’s involved in the rigorous training of Herbalism, how the learning can awaken the senses, and why servicing the community plays an integral part.
The journey of becoming a herbalist with Chinese herbal practitioner Dr. Andrew Flower
In this episode, Andrew introduces us to the world of Chinese medicine, his learning and passion for teaching it, and the techniques he uses to do so alongside its strengths and weaknesses. He touches on the joy of its diagnostic and prescribing process as well as how to overcome the barriers of acceptance as a credible treatment in conventional systems.
Where do all the herbs come from? — with Ann Armbrecht
In this episode, Ann discusses how the Sustainable Herbs Program wants to inspire a movement that supports high-quality herbal products, sustainable and ethical sourcing, and greater overall transparency in how herbs reach end-users.
Introductory episode #2 — Meet Sebastian
Simon Mills (our Herbcast host) interviews Sebastian Pole (our other Herbcast host!) as a welcome and introduction to the inspiration behind Herbal Reality.
Introductory episode #1 — Meet Simon
Simon Mills is fascinated by the insights distilled from the millions of intelligent people who over many centuries needed plants to survive. Mostly he wants to learn and share the old skills, to experience healing plants as characters that can help us fend off ill health. His passion for offering people tools to look after themselves and their families has led to working with the founders of the College of Medicine on pioneering national self-care and social prescribing projects.
How do herbalists work in clinic with Dr. Edward Thomson
“Integrated medicine encourages patient empowerment and responsibility, engendering the motivation and will within patients and the knowledge to help them get better themselves.”
Dr. Edward Thomson is a General Practitioner with expertise in Integrated Medicine. He believes in approaching all types of medicine, healing, and treatment with compassion and an open mindset, placing the patient and their symptoms firmly in the centre.
Herbcast — The trailer
Welcome along to Herbcast!
Do you know your Echinacea from your Eleutherococcus? Or your lavender from your lemonbalm? Whether you’re a budding herbalist or a botanical beginner, Herbcast is here to inform and inspire you to explore the integration of herbs in our every day lives.
Meet Sebastian, your host and founder of Herbal Reality, for a taste of what to expect from Herbcast; the podcast from Herbal reality, delving into the plant-powered world of herbalism.