Herbalism, the art of balance the organism through the therapeutic properties of plants, It is both ancient and universal.

The growing awareness of the harmful effects of exposure to synthetic chemicals in food, cosmetics and cleaning products makes this traditional approach to self -care is attractive to the modern desire of a more natural lifestyle.

Do you want to connect more deeply with the natural world of your own backyard?

Are you interested in changing synthetic and aggressive cleaning products with others with simpler and more natural ingredients?

Ready to get rid of your lead -loaded makeup base and try a healthier approach to makeup?

Keep reading to know 10 ways to start in the herbalist.

Note: The following article has educational purposes. Never replace professional medical advice for random blog posts you have found on Pinterest. This article may contain affiliate links.

Start here.

We are often tempted to buy all the bright things associated with a new hobby, but I recommend that you start your herbal trip knowing your local vegetation.

Even knowing how to identify 5 or 10 plants and their uses provides invaluable knowledge to anyone interested in the study of herbalism.

It is almost certain that useful plants grow freely in the landscape that surrounds it.

Look for Google your zone + forage classes and it is very likely that someone near you will be teaching one.

Take a walk through nature at least once a week.

Be sure to be prepared. Personally, even with all the technology I have, I prefer to leave it behind and take a good notebook and an old -fashioned pen.

The camera is also useful.

Every time you go, I propose to find five floors that you do not know. But do not touch them or strike them.

Photograph them, write down where you found them and identify them later.

Verify, verify, verify.

Many plants and mushrooms seem almost identical to others, but have very different effects, some of them mortally poisonous.

Make sure you know what you are working with.

In case of doubt, check it two and three times with several sources.

National and state natural parks usually offer reliable resources to identify local plants.

If you are not sure, ask!

Beware of 2 P.

Pesticides and pollution. Although the most accessible plants usually grow near the edges of the roads, these are not good places to collect them. The runner -up and air pollution of the road pollute the plants.

Care also with commercial pesticides for gardening, which decrease the quality of medicinal plants or use them completely.

Look for remote collection places with good environmental conditions.

Cultivize it.

Nothing teaches you more about a plant than growing it yourself.

It is also the best way to know what is on the floor, control pests naturally and be sure that you have what you think you have.

Although many plants with high medicinal value are vacant plants or considered weeds by traditional gardeners, if they grow wild in your area, they are probably very easy to grow on purpose. So, although your doubtful green thumb tends to wither everything it touches, you will probably have more luck with them than with a more delicate garden plant.

Baby steps.

Instead of reforming your life completely (which, like any other vital purpose, tends to failure), focus on one area every time.

Once you are aware of the chemical substances that surround you, you start eliminating them naturally.

When deciding where to start, think about the points where you are more exposed to chemical substances in your daily routine and change them first.

For example, a housewife could start with cleaning chemicals. Simple recipes that use basic ingredients such as vinegar, essential oils, water and baking soda, make a big difference when reducing the toxicity of your home.

It is not necessary to graduate in chemistry to change the Tide pills for a more natural detergent or change the spray bath cleaner for a little vinegar and lemon juice.

When you dominate an area, go to the next. Manufacture your own bath products before you realize.

Make the purchase in the forest.

Once the identification of some edible plants dominates, try to find food in their walks through nature and cook at least one meal a week with collected foods, even if it is only a garnish.

Be careful before putting anything in your body to make sure you know what it is and that it is not contaminated. Wild onions are a good start. Its characteristic smell makes it difficult to confuse them with something else.

Learn to dry, cure and store herbs.

Many useful herbs are only seasonal a few weeks a year. Learning to store them and cure them is crucial to have them when you need them.

Start with the herbs that supern you of the kitchen. Especially if you buy them in the supermarket.

Because personally, never in my life I have needed all the basil of the bunch.

If it is dangerous, don’t do it.

Natural It does not mean sure. Both cyanide and lead are found in nature.

But you don’t want either of them in your cup of tea.

The same goes for herbs with toxic or dangerous side effects. Exist lots of them.

Similarly, the idea of ​​a purest experience makes trying to treat your own ailment is tempting. Don’t do it.

I do not say that you should not advocate less invasive treatment alternatives with your doctor or question you thoroughly before making medical decisions.

But, for the love of God, when it comes to your health, talk to an expert.

Protect it

Learning to use herbs, roots, flowers, resins and oils in a practical way forces to recognize the inherent value of nature.

Make donations to environmental causes, adopt an active position in your community when myopic policies threaten natural habitats and advocate in your own home by a cleaner, ecological and sustainable lifestyle.

Hug the trees and they will return your hug.