Journal

ImmuMend liquid herbal formula bottle by Adaptonic
ImmuMend and ViraVade: How Our Two Immune Formulas Work Together
One formula is for every day of the season. The other is for the days you need more. What's in ImmuMend and ViraVade, and how to use them together. Read more...
Autumn forest path with red, orange and yellow leaves
Fall Herbs for the Immune System: How to Get Ready for Cold Season
Herbalists don't wait for the first sniffle. Fall is when they start the slow, deep immune herbs. Here's what to begin now and what to keep on hand. Read more...
Digestif liquid herbal extract bottle by Adaptonic
How to Take Herbal Tinctures: Dosing, Timing and Storage
How much is a dropperful? With food or without? How long until it works? Everything you need to know to take herbal tinctures the right way. Read more...
Fresh oregano leaves beside a pile of dried oregano
What Is a Tincture? How Liquid Herbal Extracts Are Made (and How to Read Our Labels)
What's actually in the bottle? How liquid herbal extracts are made, why we use alcohol, and how to decode the strength ratio printed on every Adaptonic label. Read more...
Blacklegged (deer) tick, Ixodes scapularis
Tick Season in New England: Prevention, Tick Checks and Safe Removal
In Massachusetts, ticks aren't just a summer problem. When they're active, how to avoid them, how to do a proper tick check, and how to remove one safely. Read more...
Milk thistle (Silybum marianum) flower head
Herbs for Liver Support: Milk Thistle, Dandelion Root and Schisandra
Your liver handles hundreds of jobs a day. Here are the herbs traditionally used to support it, starting with milk thistle, and the habits that matter even more. Read more...
Yellow gentian (Gentiana lutea), the classic bitter herb, in flower
Digestive Bitters and Herbs for Digestion: An Old Tradition Worth Reviving
For most of history, meals started or ended with something bitter. Here's why bitters work, how to use them, and the other herbs that support digestion. Read more...
Fresh turmeric root and ground turmeric
Turmeric, Boswellia and Ginger: Herbs for Joints, Muscles and Recovery
Turmeric, boswellia and ginger are the classic trio for joint comfort and recovery. How each one works, why turmeric needs fat, and how to combine them. Read more...
Fan-shaped leaves of the ginkgo tree
Herbs for Focus and Memory: Bacopa, Gotu Kola, Lion's Mane, Ginkgo and Rosemary
Looking for focus without another coffee? These are the herbs traditionally used for memory and mental clarity, and how long each one takes to work. Read more...
Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata) in bloom
Herbs for Sleep and Winding Down: Valerian, Passionflower, California Poppy and More
Can't fall asleep, can't stay asleep, can't switch your brain off? Different herbs suit different kinds of restless nights. Here's how to match them. Read more...
Ripe black elderberries (Sambucus nigra)
Winter Immune Herbs: An Herbalist's Guide to the Cold Season
Herbalists approach the cold season in two layers: a steady daily foundation, and responders for the days you feel run down. Here's how to set up both. Read more...
American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) plant
American Ginseng vs. Asian Ginseng vs. Eleuthero: What's the Difference?
Three roots, all called "ginseng," with very different personalities. Here's how Asian ginseng, American ginseng and eleuthero differ, and who each one suits. Read more...
Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) fruits
Ashwagandha vs. Rhodiola: Which Adaptogen Is Right for You?
They're the two most popular adaptogens, and they're almost opposites. How ashwagandha and rhodiola differ, who each suits, and when to take them. Read more...
Fresh ginger root, a staple of the herbal medicine cabinet
The Herbal Medicine Cabinet: 10 Remedies Worth Keeping on Hand
The ten herbal extracts and topicals we'd put in every home, for upset stomachs, scratchy throats, restless nights, bug bites and the bumps of an active life. Read more...
Loose dried herbs spilling from a burlap sack beside a glass of herbal tea
How to Build an Herbal Routine That Actually Works
Most people who try herbs and "feel nothing" made one of a few fixable mistakes. Here's a simple, step-by-step way to build a routine that actually works. Read more...
Dandelions in flower in a spring lawn
Spring Herbs: Dandelion, Nettle, Burdock and the Old Tradition of the Spring Tonic
Long before juice cleanses, people greeted spring with bitter greens and tonic herbs. Here's the tradition, the plants behind it, and how to use them today. Read more...
Industrial hemp growing in a field
CBD, CBG, CBN and Delta-8 Explained (Plus Isolate vs. Full Spectrum)
Isolate or full spectrum? What's CBG, and why is CBN in a nighttime blend? A plain-English guide to hemp cannabinoids and how to read a CBD label. Read more...
Pumpkin seeds, one of the best plant sources of zinc
Zinc and Immune Health: What It Does, How Much You Need, and How to Take It
Zinc is one of the most important minerals for the immune system, and one of the easiest to come up short on. Here's what it does, how much you need,... Read more...
Reishi mushroom (Ganoderma) growing on wood
Medicinal Mushrooms: Reishi, Chaga, Lion's Mane, Cordyceps and Turkey Tail
Five mushrooms, five very different personalities. A clear guide to reishi, chaga, lion's mane, cordyceps and turkey tail, and how to choose between them. Read more...
Rhodiola rosea, an adaptogenic plant, flowering in the wild
Adaptogens: What They Are, How They Work, and How to Choose One
Ashwagandha, rhodiola, ginseng, reishi: adaptogens are everywhere. Here's what the word actually means, how these herbs differ, and how to pick the one that fits you. Read more...