All of us at Fantastic Foragers wish everyone a Happy, Healthy, and Prosperous New Year!

My father was the master of "Dad jokes".  He used to tell them all the time, and even though we may have groaned when he told them, they often contained some degree of wisdom or insight.  One of his favorites at this time of year was, "I opened the window and in flew Enza." Influenza, get it?  The reality is that we are now in the heart of cold and flu season in northern Ohio. Ugh!

Have you ever thought about the expression, "I caught a cold or I caught the flu"? While the viruses that result in cold or flu symptoms are always around us, we seem to "catch" them more readily in the winter. When you "catch" something, you grab hold of it and hang on to it. The same is true with a virus.

 The FDA recently declared that products promoted as decongestants that exclusively contained Phenylephrine and were designated for oral use in pill or liquid form were ineffective for their declared use.

What does this mean for you, the consumer? If you have used and relied on these products in the past to help with nasal congestion, they will no longer be available. CVS and other drugstore chains have begun to pull these products off of the shelf. Now it up to you and/or your doctor to find an alternative treatment for your congestion.

Fortunately, Fantastic Foragers has a solution for you: Expel.

Expel is an herbal blend (all-natural, all-plant) that you can use to resolve your nasal congestion issues.  When made as a tisane (herbal "tea"), and used as directed, Expel will relieve your nasal congestion in as little as 15 minutes, and also loosen up thick mucus that may cause coughing.

Expel is available on our website by following this link , or at an event where our products are displayed and/or demonstrated.

Forward any questions you might have to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Inflammation is how our body responds to something out of the ordinary…inflammation can be a fever that fights infection, it can be how our body tries to heal damage, or it can be how our body tells us to "Slow down!" Inflammation is not all bad, but it can become a problem if it gets out of control, and it can make our lives miserable. Excessive or chronic inflammation can be like a burning sensation within us, which can sometimes make us hurt all over or make us feel like our joints are on fire.

Inflammation can impact our bodies in ways other than just joint pain. Inflammation can occur in our body's internal systems, resulting in damage or disease. Inflammation can help heal, but excessive inflammation can cause damage.

If you are experiencing excessive inflammation, you probably just want to put out that fire and stop the pain. While the traditional advice of "diet and exercise", is good advice to stay healthy and help prevent inflammation, there are just some times when that does not work, and we end up suffering.

The good news is that there are herbs that have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and adaptogenic properties that can aid in the management of inflammatory pain. Some of these are; Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera), Cat's claw (Uncaria tomentosa), Cinnamon (Cinnamomum cassia), Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus), Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica), White willow (Salix alba), and others.

Have you ever noticed how certain foods, supplements, chemicals, or nutrients get big press every so often? Glutathione is one of the new favorites. All of a sudden you see all kinds of press on how this is the solution to all your health problems.

Researchers are kind of like a room full of cats chasing a laser pointer. They will all scurry after wherever the red dot goes. Whoever publishes the most research first, wins. While research is all good and cool, it is not the answer to your good health. While glutathione is good stuff, it is only one compound out of thousands that your body needs.

Balance in all things and knowing your body is the key. Put enough good stuff in your body and it will figure out how to use what it needs. If you are doing it right, your body will chug along without you having to even think about it.

Put enough bad stuff in your body and it will scream STOP! You will feel awful and you will be looking for ways to fix it. Be careful, however, because sometimes what seems like a quick fix makes an imbalance even worse.

My suggestion is to pay attention to what is being said, but don’t get obsessed with just one chemical.

That being said, I do have some formulations underway that contain plant materials that support glutathione production.

For example, one new product recently developed is a black-seed elixir that is just chock-full of immune boosters and antioxidants. AND it tastes good.

Spring is on the way (even though it is still being assaulted by old man winter), and it is time to start to think about what to look for when you are out and about.

I was at an event recently, and found some Prunella vulgaris FLOWERING in a sheltered area. It gave me real hope for the revival of foraging season. I get excited when I see these, because they are also called Heal-All, which is definitely a valid name for these little “Heroes Underfoot” , which by the way is the title of a presentation I am giving in Richfield OH on April 23rd.

I absolutely love talking about the wonders of our little plant friends. I also enjoy cooking the little suckers up
into some amazing formulations to enhance your personal well-being.

Soooo, if you are interested in having me speak to your group about the wonders of medicinal herbs, send me an email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and let me know. I charge a whopping $0.00 dollars to do so! Unless of course you are in some far-flung location where I might need help in covering travel expenses.

Also, if you are interested in learning more about what I do with the cooked-up little suckers (see above), visit the “Products” page on the website https://fantasticforagers.com. I am not selling from the website yet, but hope to do so soon, so stay tuned. And, if you are in the area, come to one of the events that gets posted on the “Calendar” page. Forays begin soon!

See you around, and God bless you!

Sometimes I make discoveries. Not always on purpose…sometimes it is just a matter of running down a particular path until I run head first into something new.

Sometimes the discovery is found at the end of an intentional exploration…I am searching for a solution to a problem (usually an herbal solution to a healthcare problem), and I discover something new.

Sometimes the discovery is found accidentally while I am exploring something totally unrelated to the discovery, but I am able to make a connection between what I find and what interests me.

One such recent discovery is Vitamin C. You might think to yourself, "I have known about Vitamin C for almost my whole life, what's left to discover? Well, let me take you on the kind of twisted journey that my mind often takes…

I love cooking. I sometimes enjoy the process itself if I am unhurried. The act of learning about the best ingredients to use for taste, texture, or color. The act of cutting and preparing the ingredients to make sure the size is uniform, the format of the ingredients is correct (e.g. fresh, dried, pickled, smoked, etc.), and the combination of ingredients is synergistic (each ingredient enhances the other ingredients). Sometime, if pressed, the process is not as enjoyable as the result, but the end result makes the process worth the journey.  A meal well-prepared and well-presented is a joy to the senses; sight, smell, and taste. YUM!