| The food you eat is only as nutritive as the soil it’s grown in……and the same goes for your herbs. If you’ve seen me in practice you know I’m a stickler on where you get your herbs from. Gaia Herbs and Mountain Rose Herbs are two of my favorites. So when I had a chance to interview Ric Scalzo, former owner and founder of Gaia Herbs, I jumped at it! Ric is a legend, even though he’s quite humble, he’s a big deal the Naturopathic medicine space. I’ll admit, I had a total fan girl moment at the start of our interview—but once I settled in, I was blown away. Ric is going to incredible lengths to cultivate the highest-quality soil, ensuring his herbs are some of the most potent on the market. His new adventure is a Costa Rican based farm that’s producing herbal powders under the brand name Kokora. Perhaps you’re like me, you’ve heard of regenerative farming but never really knew what that truly meant for sure. In our podcast, Ric educates me on what it takes to regeneratively farm herbs and wow there’s a lot involved! From cover crops used in-between growing turmeric and ashwaganda to organic herbal and mushroom growing farms in the Chinese countryside I learned a ton in this podcast! He definitely opened my eyes to a non-toxic side I haven’t heard about Chinese grown herbs. As “big pharma” is buying up a lot of the supplement and herbal companies it’s wise to get to know your brands and who’s behind them. Like I always say – question everything – and you better believe Ric got a lot of questions out of me in this podcast. In naturopathic medicine school I was taught that herbs had personalities and old school herbalists often chose remedies where the person and herbs had similar characteristics. Having an “honorary naturopathic doctor” degree Ric is well aware of this and it’s evident in the name of his business Kokora – a variation on the Japanese word Kokoro, which means a deep connection between the mind, heart and spirit. Asian medicine principles label foods as well as herbs with energies to impact your body. For example – citrus fruits support liver energy while rice and oats nourish your heart energy. Tumeric nourishes heart qi by improving circulation and reducing inflammation while ashwagandha calms the heart by it’s impact on the nervous system. But like food grown in nutrient poor soil, herbs will not be as effective. I believe this a reason so many people give up on herbs or do not see benefit from using herbs. Plus it’s likely why conventional medicine abandoned their use and moved on to synthetic sources as soil became more depleted over time. As I’ve been practicing in Wisconsin for a few months now, and do not have the ability to prescribe as I do in Washington, I’m rekindling my relationship and love for the power of herbs. If you’re like me and have been working to bring your nutrition and medicine back to nature, this podcast interview will not disappoint. Bonus if you’re a gardener and want to dive into regenerative gardening – Ric drops a lot of gems in this episode. Ric gifted me his 7 Mushroom Mocha blend and – WOW 😮 is it powerful for getting my brain going in the morning. While it does come with a little monk fruit as a sweetener, I have to admit I added a little maple syrup from my neighbor’s stash just to sweeten it up to my liking. Either way the brain boost I received speaks to the power of the herbs. I do see a trip to see Ric in Costa Rica coming soon in my future! To help educate on the power of using regenerative farming to grow herbs……Ric and his team are offering chances to win a trip to visit his farm by purchasing one of his herbal powders at the many stores he’s selling in (just head to his website to find a store near you – click HERE. In my podcast with Ric…🔍You’ll Learn: 🌿 Why your herbs and food are only as nutritious as the soil they’re grown in 🌾 How regenerative farming keeps nutrients in the soil for potent herbal remedies 🦠 Why farm-fermented microorganisms are essential for plant growth 🌱 The difference between organic and regenerative farming 🍃 How excess weed growth signals poor nitrogen in your garden 🌍 Why barren soil biomes can be damaged in just a few days 💡 Key Takeaways:The vibration of sound in language—how Ka in Kokora ties into Japanese philosophy.The importance of showing up for nature’s healing power without interfering.A behind-the-scenes look at organic herb farming in China and why soil quality matters.The energetics of herbal medicine and how plant potency is directly tied to soil health.🌟 Resources from the Show: 🔗 Kokora – Ric Scalzo’s latest venture 🔗 Rodale Institute – Regenerative Farming Research 🔗 Ric Scalzo’s Research Facility at Sonoran University Don’t miss this really informative podcast to bring home the power of herbs when grown in highly nutritive soil! Here’s to a farm to herb formula in your future, Dr. J PS: Don’t miss one of my best interviews EVER by clicking the link below |
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