The Healing Crone Apothecary & Wellness Center

06/09/2026

Good Morning everyone! I am busy blending and packaging to restock for the Vermont Renaissance Faire. Make sure to mark your calendars and come see me!

06/02/2026

Hey everyone. It's been super busy for me gearing up for market season. Come and see me this weekend at New England's Odd and Unusual Show at the Expo in Essex!
https://facebook.com/events/s/new-englands-odd-and-unusual-s/888543936902350/

04/21/2026

Berberine

With all of the media hype surrounding these new weight loss drugs involving GLP-1 I thought I would do a post regarding the use of berberine for weight loss and other conditions and how it basically works. I will do separate posts for the herbs berberine is derived from. Because this is such a dense topic and there are a lot of medically technical terms, I will try to be as brief and concise as I can without being too technical. And I also strongly suggest doing your own research on any supplement you are considering taking as every ‘body’ is different and only you and your medical professionals can decide what is right for you.

What It Is
Berberine is a compound found in the Berberbis family of plants. Some plants in this genus include Barberry, Oregon Grape and Goldenseal. In traditional medicine, berberine has been used to manage blood sugar levels, cholesterol and weight. It’s also used in Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine practices. Yes, there are studies regarding berberine, but they have not been large enough or enough of them for the medical community to feel comfortable saying whether or not it’s comparable to Ozempic or Metformin. All studies that have been conducted on berberine in regards to weight loss also included lifestyle changes like caloric restrictions, better dietary choices and exercise. But the results are that those who took berberine in addition to these changes mostly lost more weight.

Dosage
The suggested dose for an adult is 250-500 mg 2-3 times daily and it’s common to take 500 mg 3 times per day 30 minutes before meals.

Uses
• Blood sugar management-improves insulin sensitivity and reduces glucose production in the liver
• Cholesterol-lowers LDL (bad cholesterol) and triglycerides (directly linked to heart disease) while boosting HDL (good cholesterol) and may lower the risk of heart disease over time
• Weight loss-activates an enzyme inside cells that play a key role in metabolism (look up AMPK and SIRT1 proteins) and inhibits fat cell growth
• May enhance liver health and potentially treat non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, but other studies show it may hinder metabolism of certain drugs causing them to be less effective or induce side effects of the drugs
• Kidney health-it affects the bacteria in your gut and can stop the production of harmful gut substances that can make kidney disease worse.
• Inhibits growth of certain cancers including colorectal, lung, ovarian, prostate liver and cervical cancers

Warnings/Contraindications
Berberine is generally considered safe with most possible side effects being mild and digestive such as nausea, diarrhea and constipation. However, pregnant or nursing women should not take it as it can cause uterine contractions or miscarriage and increases the risk of brain damage in a fetus. Berberine may also slow blood clotting, so stop usage 2-3 weeks before any surgery. Since berberine lowers blood sugar, you should not take it when taking prescribed diabetic medication. Also, you should talk to your doctor if taking any meds that may be affected by changes in liver metabolism before taking berberine.

04/01/2026

I'm so sorry everyone that I didn't get any posts done for the last week. Dealing with stuff at home. But I'm back today, and we are looking at Butterbur. 😁

Butterbur/Arctic Sweet Coltsfoot – Petasites frigidus

As we start into spring, I thought I would feature this herb as it is great for allergies. Interesting fun fact, this herb got it’s name because the leaves used to be used to wrap butter for keeping and preservation back when people would make their own butter. Butterbur is mucilaginous, antispasmodic, a vasodilator and anti-inflammatory. This herb is part of the Aster/Daisy family. Even though this herb is also called Arctic Sweet Coltsfoot, it is not to be confused with the plant commonly known as Coltsfoot. They are not the same, so make sure you are verifying the Latin name for plants before using them.

Form
The parts of the plant that are used are the roots, stems and mature leaves.

Dosage
• Adults – 50-75 mg extract twice daily not to exceed 6 months of continuous use without medical supervision
• Children – not really recommended for use in children, but dosage would be based on weight for children over 7 years of age

Uses
• Allergies – leaves for hay fever, as effective as some OTC medications
• Inflammation/Muscle Strain – root poultice for muscle sprain or strain
• Asthma – reduces bronchial tract spams and inflammation
• Chronic Cough from emphysema or bronchitis
• Migraines – reduces inflammation and vasoconstriction that causes some migraines, best as preventative rather than immediate relief

Warnings/Contraindications
When harvesting the leaves, make sure you only take mature leaves. The younger leaves can contain small amounts of alkaloids that are toxic to the liver. Avoid use if you have liver problems. Do not give to children under 7 due to still developing liver system. Some possible mild side effects are GI symptoms such as gas and nausea. Do not use if pregnant or breastfeeding. A rare but serious side effects is liver toxicity and the main symptoms are jaundice (yellow skin/eyes), dark urine and severe abdominal pain. Medications that are contraindicated are Tylenol, statins, blood thinners, immunosuppressive drugs and liver-processed medications like CYP3A4 substrates. Herbs you don’t want to mix with Butterbur are Comfrey, Kava, Chaprral, Skullcap and Pennyroyal as they can significantly increase liver toxicity risk.

03/11/2026

Holy Basil/Tulsi Basil – Ocimum tenuiflorum/Ocimum sanctum

Holy Basil, also known as Tulsi Basil, is not to be confused with Sweet Basil you use for cooking as they taste nothing alike. Holy Basil is also not the same variety as Thai Holy Basil or Thai Basil. The differing varieties of basil also have differing healing properties as well. So it’s important to make sure of the variety of basil you are planning to use. Always check the Latin name of any plant to ensure you are using the right one as many plants also have look-alikes that either don’t do anything at best or can be poisonous at worst. In addition to medicinal properties, Holy Basil is also chock full of antioxidants and vitamins A and C.

Form
Holy Basil can be used both internally and externally and the leaves are the part that’s used. This herb is mostly taken as a tea or capsule supplement, but can also be eaten in raw form or used as a seasoning having a slightly bitter, spicy flavor.

Dosage
• Supplement dosage for preventative reasons is 300-600 mg extract daily usually divided into 2-3 doses
• Supplement dosage for treatment is 600-1800 mg two to three times daily
• Tea dosage is 2 tsp for 8 oz boiling water, steep 5-10 minutes up to three times daily

Uses
• External use for skin rashes, infections and ringworm due to antibiotic and antifungal properties
• Stomach- relief from peptic ulcers, nausea, vomiting
• Pain reliever – migraines, sinus headaches, kidney pain
• Removes uric acid, helps dissolve kidney stones, diuretic
• Type 2 Diabetes
• Relieves lung congestion and helps heal damage to the lungs
• Lowers LDL cholesterol and raises HDL cholesterol
• Immune System support

Warnings/Contraindications
Holy Basil is generally considered safe, but as all things check with your doctor especially if you are pregnant, trying to get pregnant or are breast feeding as the effects on a growing fetus or infant are unknown. Most adverse reactions are mild and can include nausea, stomach upset, and drowsiness. It can also rarely cause dangerously low blood pressure or severe bleeding. Holy Basil can also lower blood sugar, so people with diabetes should also consult a doctor and those with hypoglycemia should not take it without doctor supervision. It can also interfere with blood clotting, so those with a clotting disorder shouldn’t use it and use should be stopped at 2 weeks before any surgery.
Most contraindications are for pharmaceuticals to avoid over medicating for certain conditions:
• Diabetes meds (insulin, metformin)
• Blood thinners like warfarin and aspirin
• Blood pressure meds like beta-blockers and ACE inhibitors
• Sedatives
• Immunosuppressive drugs (may interfere as Holy Basil can boost the immune system)

03/08/2026

Happy Sunday! Very excited to be a vendor at the Witch Market event Memorial Day weekend in Barre!

The Witch Market

03/05/2026

Ashwagandha – Withania Somnifera

This lovely herb has seen a surge in popularity in recent years, so I thought it would be a good herb to start my herb info series. This herb is a member of the nightshade family and is native to India, north Africa and the middle east. It is sometimes called Indian Ginseng or Winter Cherry. Ashwagandha is what is known as an adaptogen. This means it works through endocrine system to modulate the effects of stress and increase resistance to physiological imbalances and disease by strengthening immune system, reducing inflammation, balancing hormones and acting as an anti-anxiety and anti-depressant.

Form:
The roots and leaves are the parts of the plant that are used. It can be found as a powder or capsule as well as cut/sifted root and leaf. Powdered form can be added to any food or drink and the cut/sifted form can be used to make a tea or tincture.

Dosage:
Note – it may take two weeks or longer to notice the benefits and long term use has not been studied, but many people do well with taking it long term.
• Standard dosage ranges from 300-600 mg of root extract daily usually divided between two doses. Clinical studies show safety up to 1250 mg daily.
• Root powder dosage is typically ¼ tsp per day.
• Leaf tea dosage is 1 tsp for 6-8 oz water steeped 3-5 min, 1-2 cups of tea per day

Uses:
• Assist in cancer treatment – Reduces tumors and is useful in treating breast, lung, stomach, ovarian and colon cancer cells. Can also help with side effects from conventional cancer drugs by stimulating the production of white blood cells that fight infections.
• Combats stress, anxiety and depression
• Reduces cortisol levels
• HPA Axis Dysregulation – HPA-D “Adrenal Fatigue”
• Memory and brain cell degeneration protection
• May boost endurance and decrease muscle pain in athletes
• Helps improve sexual function
• Balances blood glucose levels

Warnings/Contraindications

This herb has an extensive history of use and is generally believed to be safe. I take it myself and have for months and had no side effects, but that’s not to say that someone else won’t. But there are some things to consider when looking at the whole person. We do not know how ashwagandha affects a developing fetus, so as with all things when pregnant or planning to be you should ask your Dr. Since this herb stimulates the immune system it can worsen symptoms of autoimmune disorders. It also balances blood glucose levels so diabetics should also talk to a Dr. before using it. And as we don’t really know of any interactions, it is advisable to stop taking ashwagandha two weeks before any surgery.

Possible minimal side effects can include stomach upset, diarrhea, drowsiness, mild headache or skin rash. Some more concerning but also rarer side effects can include decreased apetite, dizziness, irregular heartbeat, liver problems, allergic reactions or breathing difficulties. And of course, if you have problems with any plants from the nightshade family (tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, peppers, goji berries, etc), you probably should not take this herb.

Most of the contraindications for this herb are to avoid over-medicating for certain conditions and are as follows:
• Diabetes medication (insulin, metformin) – may dangerously lower blood sugar levels
• Blood pressure meds – can cause excessive drop in blood pressure and cause dizziness
• Sedatives and sleep meds – may increase drowsiness and impair mental alertness
• Anti-seizure meds – may interfere with seizure control and medication effectiveness
• Thyroid hormone replacement – can alter thyroid hormone levels and treatment balance
• Valerian root – sedative, Kava Kava – higher risk of liver toxicity, Ginseng – may cause overstimulation

03/04/2026

I'm excited! I have started the Herbal Info Series and will be posting the first one tomorrow. Today I'm giving you the basic info for why I'm doing this as well as background basic dosing info that can be applied to any herb dosage recommendations.

Legally required disclaimer: I am not a doctor and therefore cannot prescribe anything. This is for informational purposes only. Do with it what you will. 😁

In this series I will be going in depth on one herb at a time. When I first started digging into holistic approaches to health, one of my biggest frustrations was finding reliable dosage information as it seemed to be nonexistent. What I have found for dosing for adults is based on a 150 lb person. What you should keep in mind is how your body reacts to medications as well as your age (people over 70 don’t need as much as their metabolism is slower) and your weight. You may need to adjust your dose based on these factors. And it’s kind of a guessing game in this regard whether it’s you or your doctor leading. I always start with a half dose of any new herb to check for any allergic response I may not know about. Once I’ve determined no allergy, I go to the recommended dose and adjust from there.

Another frustration for me is that a lot of information seemed to be worded to warn people away from using herbs. The problem with that is they make it seem like pharmaceuticals are the only medicine you should trust. They downplay the side-effects of conventional drugs like a footnote, but play up the possible side effects of herbs as the most important. And yes, herbs can have side effects as well. The difference is with most (not all) herbs the possible side effects are much more minimal than pharmaceuticals. And there are some contraindications (a harmful interaction between medications or between meds and certain conditions) between certain herbs and other herbs or pharmaceuticals. So my goal with this series is to give you the information, all of it, in one place. I use several books as well as the internet to collate this information so you don’t have to. I am also available by DM or email if you have any questions. If there are any herbs you would like to see sooner rather than later please let me know. 😁

02/28/2026

Happy Saturday! Just thought I would let everyone know I am working on a couple things. First, come back to visit periodically as I am working on my schedule of events for this year and am pretty excited about it. Second, I will be launching a series of herb info posts. One of the most frustrating things for new herbal remedies users is trying to find detailed dosage information as well as how herbs interact with other herbs as well as pharmaceuticals. So each post will include this information. I'm hoping to put out at least 2-3 each week. As always you can send me a message with questions regarding herb specifics, products or general herbal information. Blessed Be. 😁

02/02/2026

Join us this weekend at the Winter Renaissance Festival in Eesex Junction!