Plants have been the basis for medical treatments through much of human history, and such traditional medicine is widely practiced today throughout the world. Upwards of 80% of the global population use herbalism as their primary health care and Herbalists have been using plant medicine to treat illness for thousands of years.

Many pharmaceuticals used today in western medicine have been modeled on, or derived from chemicals found in plants. An example is the cardiac medication Digitalin derived from the Foxglove plant.  Using plants as medicine provides significant advantages for treating many conditions. The constituents of a plant work together synenergistically often resulting in a more favorable outcome than using an isolated chemical pharmaceutical.

Practicing Herbalism is not just about taking herbs as opposed to pharmaceuticals or treating symptoms. The goal is to uncover the roots of dis-ease in the body and identify what is out of balance. The roots are the environmental stressors that overwhelm the ability of the body to maintain balance, so each individuals biochemistry, life situations, diet, exercise routine, and attitude factor into the state of health of that individual.

The goal for optimum health is to remain in homeostasis, in balance, but like a scale we can shift one way or the other depending on all the environmental factors effecting the body. Every person in the world has a current imbalance. Most are able to compensate so they do not exhibit symptoms until the body can no longer manage. At this point more systems fall out of balance and the person will become ill. Being proactive with your health can help avoid or delay chronic illness.