If you asked me what an herb was, I’d tell you that I use them to add flavor to my meals and that my favorites are cilantro, parsley, rosemary, basil, thyme, & bay leaf. I’d actually never think to use them to treat a headache or to breathe better or to soothe my skin. But I do understand that herbs are the original medicinals, and I’ve read that somewhere around ~1/3 of Americans use herbs for medicine.  My guest today is in a great position talk about all things herbs with me. Jane Stevens owns Four Elements Organic Herbals (http://www.fourelementsherbals.com/). Her herbal wellness products are grown, created and packaged from her farm in the Baraboo Hills of Wisconsin. Jane and I talk about what herbs are, the tradition of herbs as medicine, about the herbal roots of the modern pharmaceutical industry, what some common herbal remedies are, the naming convention of the first medicinal herbs, how people can use herbs for their health, some references/resources that Jane recommends that you look into to learn more, we touch a bit on why they aren’t regulated as drugs, if there are any dangers to using herbs and why you should always disclose the herbal supplements that you use to your doctor, and Jane’s recommendation for herbs that you might want to cultivate for your own personal use. Herbs have a long tradition of healing, they are the original medicinals… and should be recognized & respected for their impact on our health. In this show, Jane recommends that you check out these authors; David Hoffman (http://www.amazon.com/The-Holistic-Herbal-Health-workbooks/dp/1852301937), Rosemary Gladstar (http://www.sagemountain.com/index.php?route=simple_blog/article/view&simple_blog_article_id=14), and Matthew Wood (http://www.matthewwoodherbs.com/Mattwood.html).