Resources

Some of our favorite products I share through affiliate links. If you purchase an item through one of those links, I earn a small commission that helps me support my family, at no extra cost to you. The resources I share here have been beneficial for us, so hopefully they’ll make a difference in your life as well!

Resources - herbal books

HERBAL BOOKS

We purchase most of our books from Amazon, but two of the books below are only available through their publisher, Nutritional Resources

  1. Practical Herbalism, Philip Fritchey
    Practical Herbalism is one of my favorite herbal books. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to learn about herbal medicine and/or begin making their own preparations. It begins with a chapter covering the history of conventional and alternative medicine in the United States. The next couple of chapters go over how to make several different types of herbal preparations and the supplies you’ll need to do it. Following that is a chapter that contains an in-depth list of herbs categorized by the effect(s) they have on the human body. The rest of the book includes detailed chapters about 46 western medicinal herbs, including their chemical composition, historical use, herbal actions, best method of preparation, clinical indications, contraindications, and dosages.

  2. Nutritional Herbology, Mark Pedersen
    If you’ve ever wondered about the vitamin and mineral content in medicinal herbs, you can find out in this interesting book. The first section goes over the vitamins and minerals and under each one, includes a list of herbs that are rich in that particular nutrient. The middle section includes detailed descriptions of 93 western medicinal plants, including historical use, chemical composition, nutrient profile, herbal actions, clinical indications, and contraindications. The final section covers an exhaustive number of traditional herbal combinations for a wide variety of complaints.

  3. The Herbal Medicine-Maker’s Handbook, James Green
    The Herbal Medicine-Maker’s Handbook is the perfect book for someone who wants to learn how to make a wide variety of herbal preparations at home. It covers which plants extract the best with which preparation methods, so you don’t have to guess. You’ll learn how to make decoctions, water infusions (hot and cold), oil infusions (hot and cold), wine infusions, vinegar infusions, glycerin extracts, tinctures, hydrosols, fomentations, poultices, and salves.

  4. Planetary Herbology, Michael Tierra
    Planetary Herbology is the perfect introduction to Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine (two popular forms of eastern herbal medicine). It includes a phenomenal explanation of the Ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese Medicine health mindsets, a breakdown of the most common Ayurvedic and Chinese herbs, and some traditional eastern preparations.

  5. Prescription for Nutritional Healing 6th Edition, Phyllis A. Balch
    I primarily use this book for its chapter on herbs. It covers the chemical composition, clinical indications, herbal actions, and contraindications for an exhaustive number of herbs. It’s my go-to resource when I need to check for contraindications.

  6. Healing Lyme 2nd Edition, Stephen Harrod Buhner (for Borrelia, Chlamydia, and Rock Mountain Spotted Fever infections)
    Probably the most in-depth series you will ever find on Lyme Disease and coinfections. It covers the modes of transmission, disease-causing mechanisms, symptoms, lab tests, pharmaceutical treatments, and herbal treatments for each bacterial infection; why standard treatments often don’t work, and what a treatment needs to include in order to be effective. For every herb mentioned in the treatment protocols, there is a detailed description including historical use, herbal actions, clinical indications, studies, chemical composition, best preparation, dose, possible side effects, and contraindications. Whether you want to read the whole book or just get access to the herbal protocols and extended repertories, you won’t regret investing in this book.

  7. Healing Lyme Disease Coinfections, Stephen Harrod Buhner (Bartonella and Mycoplasma)
    The second installment of the Healing Lyme series. Covers Bartonella and Mycoplasma infections.

  8. Natural Treatments for Lyme Coinfections, Stephen Harrod Buhner (Anaplasma, Babesia, and Ehrlichia)
    The third installment of the Healing Lyme Series. Covers Ehrlichia/Anaplasma and Babesia infections.

  9. Herbal Antibiotics 2nd Edition, Stephen Harrod Buhner
    This book is similar in composition to the Healing Lyme series, but covers other types of bacterial infections than Lyme Disease and coinfections.

  10. Herbal Antivirals, Stephen Harrod Buhner
    This book is also similar in composition to the Healing Lyme series, but covers a wide variety of viral infections, some acute and some chronic/reactivating. It’s one of the best resources for treating chronic/reactivating Epstein Barr Virus or Cytomegalovirus infections with herbal medicine.

  11. The Male Herbal, James Green
    The Male Herbal is a unique book dedicated to men’s health concerns and herbal preparations specific to males.

  12. Herbal Healing for Women, Rosemary Gladstar
    Herbal Healing for Women is an unbeatable resource for addressing common female health concerns from an herbal perspective. 
Resources - herbal companies

HERBAL COMPANIES

Mountain Rose Herbs
Best for bulk dried herbs, and powdered herbs. They offer a huge selection of organic and wildcrafted herbs at the most competitive prices I’ve been able to find anywhere. 

Herbie’s Herbs
Best for rare, hard-to-find herbs. They offer bulk dried and powdered options for the largest selection of herbs I’ve been able to find anywhere. If you can’t find something anywhere else, Herbie’s Herbs will have it. Herbie’s Herbs does tend to cost more than Mountain Rose Herbs, plus their shipping is expensive, so I only purchase herbs there that I can’t find elsewhere. 

Hawaii Pharm
Best for alcohol-free glycerin extracts for people who can’t tolerate the alcohol in herbal tinctures (kid friendly!). Their selection is extensive, so you should be able to find what you need. They offer a vast selection of herbal tinctures at a reasonable price, too. 

If cost isn’t as big factor for you, and you’d like to support smaller herbal shops with your business, I recommend Woodland Essence, Sage Woman Herbs, and Etsy. 

A note on herbal capsules – If you prefer to take your herbal medicine in the form of capsules, I recommend Gaia Herbs, Nature’s Way, and Oregon’s Wild Harvest

Resources - face and body care

FACE & BODY CARE

We purchase most of our personal care products from Amazon. 

Face Care

Olivella Liquid Olive Oil Soap (raw, fragrance free)
Kiss My Face Olive Oil Bar Soap

Sky Organics Hemp Seed Oil (non-comedogenic, best for oily skin types)
Earth’s Daughter Aloe Vera Gel
Kate Blanc Argan Oil (non-comedogneic, best for dry skin types)
Better Shea Butter (non-comedogenic, best for dry skin types)
Cleo Cora Bakuchiol Serum (Contains Bakuchiol, a natural retinol alternative, vitamin C, and hyaluronic acid)
Badger Sunscreen

Body Care

Trader Joe’s Honey Oatmeal Bar Soap
Olivella Olive Oil Body Lotion (best for oily skin types)

Alaffia Every Day Shea Body Lotion (best for dry skin types)
Babo Botanicals Spray Sunscreen

Clean Mineral Makeup

Silk Naturals Makeup
I recommend their (check the dye-free box in the search results filters):

  • Perfecting Powder
  • Brightening Concealer
  • Velvet Matte Lipstick
  • Lip Stain
  • Powder Blush
  • Eyebrow Powder
  • Eyeshadow

The All Natural Face Makeup
I recommend their:

  • Try Every Shade of Foundation in Your Range (sample)
  • Vegan Liquid Foundation (non-comedogenic)
  • Cream Foundation Pot (non-comedogenic)
  • Try All the Concealers (sample)
  • Vegan Cream Concealer (non-comedogenic)
  • Try All the Blushes (sample)
  • Vegan Cream Blushes for Lips and Cheeks (non-comedogenic)
  • “Try Me” Lipstick Collection (sample)
  • Lipstick
  • Lip Gloss
  • Cream Shadow Pot (perfect for dry eyes)
  • Vegan Gel Eyeliner

Honest Beauty Extreme Length Mascara + Lash Primer

Hair Care

Best Low-Poo & Wavy Hair Routine Friendly:
Maui Moisture Shampoo and Conditioner (I like the Lightweight Curls + Flaxseed formula)
Aussie Instant Freeze Sculpting Hair Gel With Jojoba Oil, Sea Kelp, and Australian Aloe

Best Semi-Permanent Color Depositing Conditioner (Clean Formula): 
Overtone Daily Color Depositing Conditioner (I like the shade Golden Brown)

Best Low-Poo & Fragrance Free:
Vanicream Free & Clear Shampoo and Conditioner

Best No-Poo & Made With Miracle II Soap:
Secrets of Eden Complete Hair & Body Lotion Shampoo
 

Best No-Poo & Made With Green Tea Extract and Clay: 
Morrocco Method Shampoo 

Best No-Poo & Made With Soap Nuts:
Bright Earth Foods Shampoo, Body Wash, and Conditioner 

Best 100% Pure Henna:
Warning: Henna is permanent. If you don’t like the results, your only option is to grow out your natural hair color until it’s long enough to cut off the henna-colored portion. You cannot color over it with regular hair dye. Henna can only color your hair a shade of red or auburn. It will not color your hair blonde, brown, or black, even when mixed with other ingredients like Indigo, Amla, or Cassia. 
Ancient Sunrise Henna

Other

Jason Powersmile Toothpaste
Tom’s of Maine Mouthwash

Native Deodorant (regular & sensitive skin)

Resources - essential oils

ESSENTIAL OILS

*We do not use, support, or recommend any MLMs, including the essential oil companies Young Living and DoTerra. MLMs are predatory structures that take advantage of struggling women and I highly encourage you to avoid purchasing products from any of them. We use essential oils topically (diluted in a carrier oil) and aromatically via diffuser. Since essential oils are extremely concentrated chemicals from plants, we don’t recommend ingesting them.

Plant Therapy is my preferred essential oil brand! They’re third-party tested, GMP, sustainably sourced, have USDA-organic options, offer a safe-for-kids line, and provide quality essential oil education for their customers. Not to mention, they’re priced very affordably and offer free shipping.

Our Favorite Everyday Oils

Peppermint
Lavender
Lemon
Germ Fighter (Compare to “Thieves”)
Frankincense Serrata 
Eucalyptus 
Tea Tree
Clove

Don’t forget to explore Plant Therapy’s collection of essential oil blends! They have some really nice options. My personal favorite is their “Chill Out” blend. It’s such a calming scent, and I even dab it on my wrists and neck as a perfume. 

Resources - vitamins and minerals

VITAMINS AND MINERALS

When you take supplements on a regular basis, it’s important to have a reliable place where you can purchase them all at one time.

My priorities when searching for a company like this were pricing, selection, and free shipping. I ended up choosing iHerb! They have a huge selection of products at unbeatable prices, and free shipping on orders over $20, without a subscription fee. As a bonus, iHerb offers global shipping and currently ships to 185 different countries. 

I don’t prefer purchasing supplements on Amazon due to ethical and quality concerns, so we only do that if a product isn’t available on iHerb.  

Pure Genomics Multivitamin
Jonathan takes this fully methylated multivitamin by Pure Encapsulations that features the Hydroxy and Adenosyl forms of B12. It is synthetic, which some people prefer to avoid, but it’s the only multivitamin on the market that caters to people who can’t have Methylcobalamin or Cyanocobalamin due to genetic mutations. I purchase it through my student account with Pure Encapsulations, but you can buy it on Amazon as well, which I have linked here. 

Naturelo Multivitamins
These are whole food vitamins created with real, non-GMO, organic fruits and vegetables and fermentation. I prefer Naturelo over other whole food brands, because other brands include so much Methyl B12 that it can be difficult to process. Naturelo vitamins contain a more appropriate amount of Methyl B12, plus the optimal forms and amounts of other vitamins and minerals. 

If you’d like to try other whole food multivitamins, I have also tried Megafood, Whole Earth and Sea, Vitamin Code, and MyKind Organics at different points. They’re all fine – my main complaint is the excessive Methyl B12. 

Single Nutrients

Dr. Mercola Liposomal Vitamin C – Encapsulated liposomal vitamin C (1000 mg per serving)
Whole Earth and Sea Vegan D3 5000 or 1000 IU – Vitashine D3 from lichen
Doctor’s Best Vegan D3 2500 IU – Vitashine D3 from lichen

NutraVege Plant-Based Omega-3 Extra Strength – Vegan omega-3 (1000 mg DHA & EPA) algal oil (We take this instead of cod liver oil because I am allergic to fish)
Solgar Gentle Iron Bisglycinate – A form of iron that is gentle on the stomach, excellent for people struggling to get enough iron from their diet or multivitamin (*always consult with your healthcare provider before taking iron; when you take more than you need, iron builds up to toxic levels in the body)
Solgar Phosphatidylcholine – A liposomal form of choline, a vitamin essential for the health of the brain, nervous system, and vagus nerve 
Magnesium: Generally, Magnesium Citrate is an effective form for constipation, Magnesium Malate for reducing pain and muscle tension, Magnesium Glycinate for relaxation, and Magnesium l-Threonate for brain health 

Allergy relief resources
Vegan vs. Paleo for Autoimmune Disease. Green smoothie, parsley, green apple, and cucumber on a wood cutting board.

GUT HEALTH

(you can read more in my “Healing the Gut” blog category)

(Probiotics)
Solaray Multidophilus – Probiotics for healthy adults (12 strains, 20 billion CFU)
Visbiome – Probiotics for severe IBS & Ulcerative Colitis (8 strains, 112.5 billion CFU)
Garden of Life RAW Probiotics  – Probiotics for children 3 months and older (5 strains, 5 billion CFU)
Garden of Life Primal Defense Probiotics – Probiotics for children 3 years or older (6 strains including B. infantis and S. boulardii, 4 billion CFU)

(Digestion)
Enzymedica Digest Spectrum (Digestive enzymes, for people who may need a little extra support to digest their food properly)
Dr. Mercola Digestive Bitters (Bitters help trigger the receptors for stomach acid, pepsin, bile, and digestive enzymes, and in this way can improve digestion)
Natural Factors Betaine HCL (A vegetarian formula of Betaine HCl for people who have low stomach acid)

(GERD, acid reflux, and LPR support)
Natural Factors DGL (Licorice Root) Chewables
Jarrow Formulas Mastic Gum
Slippery Elm and Marshmallow Root (for cold infusions)
George’s Aloe Vera Juice
The Acid Watcher Diet, Jonathan Aviv, MD

(The Yeast Infection Advisor’s SIBO/Bacterial Overgrowth Protocol)
Wild Oregano Oil
Berberine Complex (for hydrogen-dominant SIBO/diarrhea) or Allimax Allicin (for methane-dominant SIBO/constipation)
Nutra BioGenesis DysbioX
Uva Ursi

Cloth menstrual bag and cup - Holistic and complementary relief for PMS and menstrual cramps

FEMALE HEALTH

(you can read more in my “Female Health” blog category)

IbuActin Maximum Strength (acute relief for menstrual cramps)
Herbs Etc. Cramp ReLeaf (prevention of and acute relief for menstrual cramps)
Vitex/Chasteberry (hormone regulation)
Life Flo Magnesium Oil (prevention of and acute relief for menstrual cramps)
OrganiCup
Cloth Menstrual Pads (set of six plus carrying bag)

The BEST Alternative and Complementary Remedies for Headaches

PAIN RELIEF

Indian Pipe (Monotropa Uniflora) – (for severe, unrelenting pain, especially headaches, and emotional pain) *Generally, you can buy this from Sage Woman Herbs or God’s Grace Designs on Etsy. Sometimes, they’re out of stock because Indian Pipe is wildcrafted and very difficult to cultivate. It is a rare herb, so I recommend only trying it if it’s specifically indicated for your condition and you’re experiencing extreme pain and nothing has helped thus far. 
Lousewort (Pedicularis) (for muscle pain, joint pain, and headaches)
Red Sage (Salvia Miltiorrhiza) (for severe, unrelenting pain, especially lymph node/gland pain)
Blue Vervain (Verbena Hastata) (maximum dose can be taken every couple of hours during a migraine)

Cureve Ice Pack (for headaches)
Shiatsu Massager (for tension headaches and neck/shoulder pain)
Lymphatic Massage (instructional video)
DenTek Mouth Guard (for TMJ disorder pain/headaches)
Heating Pad (for tension headaches and neck/shoulder pain)
Percussion Massager (for muscle knots and tension headaches)

Nervine sedative herbs for anxiety relief

SLEEP & NEUROTRANSMITTER SUPPORT

(you can read more about sleep support here)

(Jonathan’s favorites)
SAMe (mood stabilizer and COMT support)
Lithium Orotate (mood stabilizer and COMT support)
Lazarus Naturals CBD Oil (federally legal, less than 0.3% THC – check your state laws before purchase)
Earthsweet Melatonin (circadian rhythm support)

(My favorites)
Seriphos or Phosphatidylserine (cortisol-lowering)
Holy Basil (adrenaline and cortisol-lowering)
Relora (adrenaline and cortisol-lowering, GABA support)
Lavender Flower

Blue Vervain Whole Herb
Chamomile Flower
Vital Neuro (Home EEG Biofeedback/Neurofeedback system)
Pulsetto (Vagus Nerve stimulation therapy)
Craniosacral Therapy