The earth offers a lot of things that make us and the entire planet healthier – we only have to know which things are genuinely good for us. Ric Scalzo joins Corinna Bellizzi to share how he masterfully combines his knowledge with herbal medicine, regenerative farming, and ancient traditions to bring healing to people and the world as a whole. Ric explains why he believes the future of medicine begins with a microbiome of the soil and ourselves, as well as how to grow high-quality crops through regenerative practices while keeping the soil healthy. Ric also shares the many lessons he has learned from founding Gaia Herbs to starting his newest venture Kokora Life.

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About Guest:

Ric Scalzo began his exploration of herbal and naturopathic medicine in 1980, delving into fields such as Naturopathic Herbal Medicine, Eclectic Herbal Medicine, Ayurvedic Medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and various diagnostic methods. He earned a master’s degree in Herbal Medicine from the School of Herbal Medicine and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Naturopathic Medicine from Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine. After several years of medical practice, Ric founded Gaia Herbs in 1987 and grew Gaia to the most respected and successful herbal company in the country. After selling Gaia in 2019, Ric established the Institute of Botanical Research in Arizona and established CR Medicinal Farms, a regenerative organic farm in Costa Rica. These became the stepping stones for his new adventure called Kokora, a herbal products company focused on regenerative organic cultivation with a mission to "create the finest herbal remedies that promote health and vitality for all”. Celebrated for his pioneering work in Herbal Medicine and his dedication to preserving herbal integrity for over four decades, Ric continues to innovate in the field and plays a key role in integrating regenerative agriculture with herbal medicine.

Guest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kokoralife

Guest Website: https://kokoralife.com

Guest Social:

https://www.instagram.com/kokoralife/

https://www.tiktok.com/@kokora.life

https://www.facebook.com/kokoraliferegenerated

https://www.youtube.com/@KokoraLife

Show Notes: Raw audio

00:03:08 - Ric’s Origin Story

00:06:44 - Merging Traditional Wisdom With Modern Science

00:10:25 - Making Herbal Products Palatable

00:14:50 - Nutrition Density In The Soil

00:21:03 - Differences Between Regenerative And Organic

00:28:09 - Weeds: The First Succession Of Life

00:30:58 - How The Regenerative Movement Grows

00:39:50 - Growing Your Own Ingredients

00:45:10 - Ric’s Five Core Principles

00:51:27 - Plants As Teachers

00:50:25 - The Story Behind Kokora’s Name

01:09:19 - Episode Wrap-up And Closing Words

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