Episode 127:
Health Benefits of Mullein with jim mcdonald

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Would you prefer watching or reading this episode? If so, click here for the 'Health Benefits of Mullein' video and transcript.

Episode Summary

Today’s episode is my third interview with jim mcdonald and it’s brimming with soooo much information about the health benefits of mullein (Verbascum spp). 

When jim told me he wanted to do a really long episode on mullein, I admittedly wasn’t prepared for how long he really wanted to go. But he told me that he never feels like he gets to truly share all that he wants to share about mullein. And who am I to deny him (or you, for that matter!) that opportunity?

So grab your cup of tea, get cozy and bring your notepad and pencil because there’s a lot of mullein goodness packed into this episode! And don’t miss downloading the mullein handout jim prepared just for you; you’ll find the link in the resources section below.

Why should anyone care about this weed? Well, to get started, here are a few occasions when you might reach for mullein:

► When you have a cough… especially a specific kind of cough, listen in to get the details

► If you’re dealing with stress incontinence… jim shares which part of the mullein plant can be especially helpful

► When you need a relaxing nervine… but it doesn’t work this way for everyone, so listen in to hear who’s most likely to be helped by mullein

By the end of this episode, you’ll know:

► Several hints for working with mullein smoke (including as a possible aid to quit smoking tobacco)

► The species to grow if you want to harvest mullein flowers (and why you can pick them all without fear that you’re overharvesting)

► A toxic look-alike to be aware of before wildcrafting for mullein

► Tips for increasing the shelf life of mullein infused oil

► How mullein can amplify the effectiveness of other therapies for certain types of pain

► and so much more…

For those of you who don’t already know him, jim mcdonald is an herbalist in southeast Michigan (that cool state that looks like a mitten you can see from space) where he teaches, sees clients, wildharvests, and concocts a plethora of diverse herbal formulas.

His approach to herbalism blends European folk influences with a bit of 19th century eclectic and physiomedical vitalism, which he tries to spice up with a bit of humor and discretionary irreverence so as not to appear to be too serious about life. 

jim hosts the websites www.herbcraft.org and herbcraft.podia.com which list his offerings and convey his thoughts of plants and herbalism. (And if you’ve ever wondered, the lack of capitalization is because the dots over the "j" and the "i" just look super cool together).

I’m excited to share our conversation with you today!

What You'll Learn from This Episode

• [01:10] Introduction to jim mcdonald
• [04:20] Isn’t mullein just a “beginner’s herb”?
• [07:44] Identifying mullein and avoiding toxic lookalikes
• [14:02] Mullein nicknames
• [19:13] Mullein for coughs
• [24:40] What about smoking mullein?
• [32:13] Mullein safety
• [33:53] Mullein as a lymphatic herb
• [40:18] Hints for herbal infused oil
• [44:52] What about Greek mullein?
• [47:25] Mullein as a relaxing nervine
• [51:53] Mullein root for the bladder
• [59:14] Mullein for nerve pain
• [1:03:55] jim’s experiences with mullein for pain
• [1:12:15] Propagating mullein
• [1:13:55] Esoteric uses for mullein
• [1:17:17] Mullein candles
• [1:17:59] Mullein as a stop-smoking aid
• [1:22:20] Learning opportunities with jim
• [1:25:38] How herbs instill hope in jim
• [1:33:30] Herbal tidbit

Get Your Free Handout!

Connect with jim:

• Website | Herbcraft.org
• Online Learning | Herbcraft.podia.com
• Instagram | @herb.craft
• Facebook | @jimmcdonaldherbalist

Connect with Rosalee

• On Instagram | @rosaleedelaforet

• On Facebook | Herbs With Rosalee
• On YouTube | Herbs With Rosalee

• Website | herbswithrosalee.com


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