The Reality of Herbal Therapy

Skin Signals: What Your Skin Is Trying to Tell You

Join host Jim Applegate and guest Lynn on the Reality of Herbal Therapy podcast as they explore what skin changes really mean and practical, plant‑based approaches to support skin health. This episode explains how the skin—our largest organ—reflects internal imbalances and why issues like dryness, itchiness, acne, redness, puffiness, and chronic spots are often messages from the lymphatics, liver, digestion, and circulation.

Jim and Lynn walk through common skin warning signs and their likely internal causes: dry, flaky skin from dehydration, poor lymph flow, or essential fatty‑acid and mineral deficiencies; jawline and back acne linked to liver congestion and sluggish bowels; red, inflamed rashes from excess acidity; puffiness and edema from poor circulation and stagnant lymph; and chronic eczema or liver spots tied to long‑standing blood impurities and elimination problems.

The episode covers practical herbal and lifestyle strategies, including Blood Wash and liver‑support formulas (Liv Clean, Klean Lax/Kolonic Kaps), mindful hydration (lemon water, baking soda or a pinch of unrefined salt), dietary shifts toward healthy fats like coconut oil, reducing processed foods and sugary drinks, and ensuring bowel and lymphatic outflow when doing cleanses. They also recommend movement (walking, rebounding), gentle massage, diluted vinegar skin rinse to rebalance pH, better sleep for repair, and checking external contributors such as hard/chlorinated water and laundry detergents.

Lynn shares personal experience using Blood Wash and Liv Clean together to prevent toxins from stagnating in the blood and manifesting on the skin, and the hosts emphasize that skin signs are warnings to address underlying pathways rather than to simply cover up symptoms. Expect practical tips, herbal product mentions, and easy home practices you can try between seasons to support clearer, healthier skin.

Spring Reset: Wake Up Your Body with Herbal Spring-Cleaning

Join host Jim Applegate on the Reality of Herbal Therapy podcast as he walks listeners through the seasonal shift into spring and how to prepare your body naturally. This episode explores how the body’s rhythms change as days lengthen—less sleep, increased liver and lymph activity, shifting digestion—and why paying attention to those signals makes the transition smoother and healthier.

Jim discusses practical dietary guidance—eat fruits and vegetables in season (strawberries for warmer weather; apples for cold), favor lighter soups and fresh leafy greens as spring arrives, and prioritize local seasonal foods that match your body’s needs. He also explains why eating what’s growing near you often supports local immune adaptation.

Allergy season and local pollen (like juniper in Albuquerque) are covered in detail: how pollen can dehydrate you and increase mucus production, and simple hydration strategies—drink more water, add a pinch of baking soda or a squeeze of lemon, or use herbal teas—to improve absorption and reduce allergy strain.

Movement and lifestyle tips include getting outside for short walks to wake the body, stimulate liver function, and pump the lymphatics after a more sedentary winter. Jim explains how changing light affects sleep needs and why a gentle shift in habits helps your circadian rhythm adjust.

The episode outlines several cleansing options for a spring “body cleaning”: a simple 15-day full-body capsule cleanse (easy first step), a deeper liver flush (requires planning and a day or two of rest), and a lymphatic cleanse (often paired with citrus rehydration). Jim also mentions a heavy-metal protocol (Detoxalation, 10 capsules in the evening for ~10–12 days) for those seeking a targeted detox. He emphasizes choosing one appropriate cleanse and allowing time to rest during the process.

Jim recommends supportive herbal formulas to accompany the seasonal shift and cleanses: Fection to clear lymphatics, Monia for lung support, Bladney for kidneys and bladder, and Blood Wash to keep circulation moving—especially useful alongside a lymphatic cleanse. He shares practical reminders: increase hydration, favor seasonal produce, move your body, and consider a gentle cleanse to feel lighter and ready for spring.

Whether you’re coping with allergies, changing your sleep pattern, or considering a cleanse, this episode offers actionable steps and herbal tools to help your body wake up with the season and prepare for longer, healthier days ahead.

Tag your herbs

Tagging herbs is one of the reasons we use formulas. In this episode we discuss what tagging is and how you can use it to your advantage.

I talked about Herbal MSM

The formulas that can be tagged are:

• Fection
• Throb Eaz
• Tissue Mend

The formulas that will take the tagged formula where you want it:

• Arth Rite
• Bladney
• Tonic F
• Hrt

There are several other formulas that will tag but these are the ones I talked about.

Balance your pH

In this episode we visit with Scott James from HELTH about how to balance your pH. Scott explains what is needed to balance your pH and why you would want to balance your pH.

How Deep is your Well?

How Deep is Your Well?

Sophia called to let me know that people are calling and saying that the formulas are not working. I was quite perplexed by the statement and then I had an epiphany and this podcast is what I came up with.

 

Did you ever hear Dr James talk about the well in papa James' back field? This analogy might explain why the formulas are not working like you expect them to.

Why Mix Formulas?

I have been asked if it is okay to mix formulas. Here is my answer and a few examples of what formulas work well together.

Sage and what it can do for you.

With cold and flu season going around I thought I would share with you a simple remedy for a sore throat. Sage Tea.

 

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To make sage tea:

1 Tablespoon sage leaf (dry or fresh is fine)

1 cup Boiling water

Honey and Lemon to taste

Put sage tea in cup add boiling water and let steep for 3-5 minutes.

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I also spoke about Fection, Hay Asz and Monia in the podcast.

 

The Benefits of Sodium Bicarbonate (Baking Soda)

In this episode we talk about 6 reasons you would want to add baking soda to your water.

Dr James suggested adding 1 teaspoon of baking soda to 1 gallon of water and to drink one quart of the mixture for every 40 pounds of body weight.

The benefits we talked about are:

1. Balances your body pH
2. Promotes health by killing mold, fungus, and yeast
3. Gets rid of uric acid in the kidneys and bladder to soothe a urinary tract infection
4. Helps with digestion to balance the stomach acid 
5. Helps remove acid in the muscles to prevent post-workout pain
6. Reduces inflammation in the joints 

Bladney and why use it.

Bladney is one of our most popular formulas. It is used to help nourish and heal the urinary system. In this episode we talk about why Bladney is effective and what it does for your body.

Get Your Lymphs Moving

This summer we drover over 4000 miles in two weeks. It caused some problems in our bodies from all that sitting and being in the car. In this episode Lynn and I talk about what we did to overcome the effect all that driving had on us.

 

Formulas we talked about in this episode:

• Blood Wash