One of our posts on Facebook this week shares the classic Rosemary Gladstar’s Fire Cider recipe, so I was inspired to share my review of her book, Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health. Rosemary Gladstar, one of the best-known and most beloved herbalists in the natural health community, is known for her recipes, which are meant to be made in the home kitchen and adjusted to each individual’s tastes. Her book reflects her practical and fun approach to herbs. She writes that she gets “frustrated with exact proportions,” so if you are new to making herbal medicines or just want to keep it fun and playful, this is the perfect book for you! If you like to follow the recipes exactly, she writes them so you can do that too.

Rosemary Gladstar’s Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health

Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health opens with general health advice for maintaining your body and mind and living a long and happy life. For example, check out her 3 easy steps for “building energy and stamina”:

Building Energy and Stamina

1. Cut back on stimulants

Many people come to rely on caffeinated beverages to get them going in the morning, but as Rosemary points out, coffee is best used as an occasional treat when you need a boost, not as an addictive crutch. Coffee has been shown to have health benefits, but Rosemary explains that stimulants can negatively impact the adrenal glands over time. Instead of depleting your natural hormones, she suggests the next two steps to build your own reserves of energy.

2. Build energy with herbs

For daily use, she suggests tonic herbs, which are nutritive and improve body functions and the nervous system when used for a longer period of time. She recommends burdock, dandelion, fo-ti, gingko, gotu kola, licorice, goji berries, nettle, oats, and eleuthero.

3. Strengthen your nervous system

I think most of us have exhausted nervous systems. If you readers are anything like me, sometimes you overwork yourself to the point of feeling fried. If you ever get so stressed that you cry, so tired that you can’t fall asleep, or feel simultaneous exhaustion and high-strung anxiety, you could use some nervine herbs. Rosemary suggests strengthening your nervous system to develop a sense of calm, which will help you have more energy in the long run. Herbs like nettle, oats, and eleuthero will support your system.

Everyday Ailments

Next Rosemary moves into her recipes that can be made at home for everyday ailments, including headaches, constipation, rashes, and colds.

All-Natural Beauty

She dedicates a whole chapter to “radiant beauty,” which is awesome for those of us who want a more natural beauty routine. Considering that most commercial beauty products are full of chemicals like endocrine disruptors and carcinogens, making your own homemade beauty products is a great idea. She opens this chapter by explaining all of her favorite ingredients, then moves on to the recipes. The recipes include facial masks, steams, creams, astringents, bath blends, and hair care recipes.

Health Through Life Stages

A whole chapter is dedicated to children, including safety precautions and tasty ways to get kids to take herbs. Her following chapters are for women, men, and elders. The dedicated chapters make this book a great one to support a whole family through different life stages.

Recipes

Finally, Rosemary’s appendices discuss the herbs she mentions throughout the book, explaining their actions and how to use them, and also how to prepare different kinds of remedies. Her recipes use parts as measurements, which mean you can make small or large batches depending on how much you need. You’ll probably want to make big batches of recipes like her herbal syrups! They are delicious, so even your kids will want to take them, plus they’ll last months in the fridge. Make her Cold Syrup with echinacea and ginger at the beginning of winter so you’ll have it on hand when your family faces immune challenges.

I enjoyed Rosemary’s approachable book; it makes herbalism accessible and easy to understand. It’s the perfect introduction for someone who wants to learn a lot more, or just wants to dabble. Check it out and try some of her recipes!