"There is this incredible philosophy around healing and wholeness and working with plants yet most people only experience it through products on a shelf."

Ann Ambrecht is a writer and anthropologist (PhD, Harvard 1995) whose work explores the relationships between humans and the earth, most recently through her work with plants, herbal medicine, and the botanical industry. She is the director of the Sustainable Herbs Program, a program of the American Botanical Council, which she began in 2016 to help bridge the gaps between the values of herbal medicine and the reality of sourcing and producing herbs on a global scale. She is the co-producer of the documentary Numen: the Nature of Plants, and author of the award-winning ethnographic memoir, Thin Places: A Pilgrimage Home, based on her research in Nepal. She is a student of herbal medicine and was a 2017 Fulbright-Nehru Scholar documenting the supply chain of medicinal plants in India. Her book, The Business of Botanicals: Exploring the Healing Promise of Plant Medicines in a Global Industry was published in February 2021.

In this episode, Ann discusses how the Sustainable Herbs Program wants to inspire a movement that supports high-quality herbal products, sustainable and ethical sourcing, and greater overall transparency in how herbs reach end-users.

Ann talks on:

• An introduction to herbalism - being exposed to the aliveness of the world and experiencing plants as living entities.
• Telling the story of herbalism to reach different audiences.
• What is currently happening in the herb industry – the negatives and positives. 
• What the industry can do to help bring about positive change. 
• What individuals can do to help – being conscious of brands and their values.
• Value of certifications and raising the bar for continued improvement in best practice.
• Building and supporting healthy communities - looking beyond the price of the botanical.
• Value chains and herb quality.
• Sustainable Herbs Program in the future.

Discover more from the Sustainable Herbs Program on the website at http://www.sustainableherbsprogram.com/

Find out more about Herbal Reality on Instagram @herbal.reality or visit www.herbalreality.com 

Herbcast is produced by Decibelle Creative: @decibelle_creative / www.decibellecreative.com 

"Integrated medicine encourages patient empowerment and responsibility, engendering the motivation and will within patients and the knowledge to help them get better themselves."

Dr. Edward Thomson is a General Practitioner with expertise in Integrated Medicine. He believes in approaching all types of medicine, healing, and treatment with compassion and an open mindset, placing the patient and their symptoms firmly in the center. He graduated from Leicester Medical School (MB ChB) in 2007 and completed his GP training in 2012. He is a Member of the Royal College of General Practitioners (MRCGP). He originally graduated from St Andrews University with an Arts Degree (MA) in 1990 and then studied Homeopathy at the College of Homeopathy (LCH) from 1990 -1993. He studied Herbal Medicine completing the East West Course in Herbal Medicine (EWCH) in 1994. He also completed the Ayurvedic Medicine Studies Program at the Ayurvedic Institute in Albuquerque USA in 1994. He’s studied Chinese Herbal Medicine with the Renshu College of Chinese Medicine (Dip CHM) qualifying in 2000, as well as Acupuncture at The Southwest College of Oriental Medicine (Dip. Ac.) qualifying in 1998.

Edward talks on:

• The snowball effect of curiosity led him on a path to studying different forms of medicine.
• The NHS terrain and limitations in offering an integrated approach.
• Opportunities where herbalism could help serve society 
• Safety and side-effects of herbal and conventional medicines.
• Avoiding over medicalisation with a balanced approach.
• The fundamental difference between Western and herbal medicine - strengths and limitations.
• The principles and complexities of vitalism.
• How therapeutic healing works in clinic. 
• His hopes for the future of integrated medicine.

Find out more about Herbal Reality on Instagram @herbal.reality or visit www.herbalreality.com 

Herbcast is produced by Decibelle Creative: @decibelle_creative / www.decibellecreative.com 

"I discovered there was another language for describing our health and another way to feel empowered to look after it."

Simon Mills (our Herbcast host) interviews Sebastian Pole (our other Herbcast host!) as a welcome and introduction to the inspiration behind Herbal Reality.

Sebastian is a registered member of the Ayurvedic Professionals Association, Register of Chinese Herbal Medicine, and a Fellow of the Unified Register of Herbal Practitioners. He qualified as a herbalist, using the principles of Ayurveda (the ancient art of living wisely) and, the Herbal tradition to help transform health. He co-founded Pukka Herbs in 2001; he's an author; a qualified Yoga therapist, fluent in Hindi and lives in a forest garden farm growing over 100 species of medicinal plants and trees

In this episode, Simon talks to Sebastian about starting Herbal Reality to support his mission of bringing the incredible power of plants into people's lives. 

Sebastian talks on:

• His inspiration and love of nature and people. 
• Discovering Ayurveda and herbalism - an awakening to the wonder of nature.
• Historical continuum – anthropological and ethnobotanical links between herbal traditions around the world.
• The organic herb movement and organic farming.
• Starting Pukka, its value-chain, and the drive for quality.
• The Fair Wild Movement – sustainable and equitable herbalism.
• The Herbal Alliance, addressing the future of herbalism and the climate crisis.

Find out more about Herbal Reality on Instagram @herbal.reality or visit www.herbalreality.com 

Herbcast is produced by Decibelle Creative: @decibelle_creative / www.decibellecreative.com 

"Herbs nudge the body to better physiological activity"

Simon is the Self Care Lead at the College of Medicine and Herbal Strategist at Pukka Herbs. He has been a herbal practitioner in Exeter for 45 years. He has led the leading professional and trade organisations for herbal medicine in the UK and served on Government and House of Lords Committees. He has authored standard textbooks used by herbal practitioners worldwide, including with Professor Kerry Bone from Australia. He co-founded the University of Exeter's pioneering Centre for Complementary Health Studies in 1987 (building complementary research and postgraduate teaching programme from scratch), then at Peninsula the first integrated health course at a UK medical school, and the first Masters degree in herbal medicine in the USA, at the Maryland University of Integrative Health.

He is fascinated by the insights distilled from the millions of intelligent people who over many centuries needed plants to survive. Mostly he wants to learn and share the old skills, to experience healing plants as characters that can help us fend off ill health. His passion for offering people tools to look after themselves and their families has led to working with the founders of the College of Medicine on pioneering national self-care and social prescribing projects.

Simon talks on:

• Shaping a neglected profession into a real health care option.
• His fundamental love of physiology and pharmacology – how herbs can contribute to the needs of today.
• The loss of human autonomy – returning health ownership and empowerment with self-care.
• A crucial turning point in the awareness and need for herbalism in our society today.
• Fundamental day-to-day health skills – food, sleep, and a connection to nature.
• The language of health - recognising symptoms as signposts, not threats.
• The role of the herbal practitioner today and connecting with communities.
• An intuitive goat called Emily
• Complex systems, the microbiome, and the wisdom of herbalism.
• Making herbalism accessible to all.

Find out more about Herbal Reality on Instagram @herbal.reality or visit www.herbalreality.com 

These funds will allow us to produce our next season of the Herbcast and commission our 2026 publications. We are asking for a contribution of £3 or whatever you feel able to offer, to sustain our website and content creation in the years ahead.

Donate: https://www.herbalreality.com/donate/

Herbcast is produced by Decibelle Creative: @decibelle_creative / www.decibellecreative.com 

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Welcome along to Herbcast!

Do you know your Echinacea from your Eleutherococcus? Or your lavender from your lemonbalm?

Whether you’re a budding herbalist or a botanical beginner, Herbcast is here to inform and inspire you to explore the integration of herbs in our every day lives.

Meet Sebastian, your host and founder of Herbal Reality, for a taste of what to expect from Herbcast; the podcast from Herbal reality, delving into the plant-powered world of herbalism.