With the growing interest in adding herbalism to daily wellness practices, I wanted to create a space with free, easy-to-understand, accurate information about herbal supplements and herbal preparations. I kinda see this blog as a combination of a food column, a learning resource, and a lab notebook for my herbal formulas and experiments.

I practice herbalism in a few different ways; the best way to consume most herbs is to eat them, and I do! My daily tea practice, my skin and body care routines, my food, so many of my day-to-day habits and rituals incorporate herbalism. My family is from the Caribbean and I’m a Florida girl, so many tropical plants and recipes from the islands and the sunshine state show up in my herbalism practice.

In the kitchen, I use everything from root to leaves. From head to tail. A whole chicken gets broken down and the backbone is saved in the freezer for stock. Veggie scraps are saved and frozen for veggie broth or sauces. Citrus peels are frozen and used to make DIY cleaning products or syrups. Apples that are a few days from going bad are sliced thin and dehydrated to use in baked goods, oatmeal, yogurt, or herbal tea blends. In-season herbs get hung up to dry to preserve for herbal teas. Here, you’ll see how that concept is woven into my approach to cooking and herbalism.

You’ll see a lot of Caribbean food and Caribbean folk medicine on my blog, but you’ll also find information about other herbalism systems, like African Herbalism, African-American Herbalism, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ayurveda, Indigenous plant practices, and Eclectic herbalism. I’ll also be sharing my magazine articles, research, and other endeavors.

So again, welcome to The Herbal Diaries ! I’m so excited to share my herbal adventures with you.