My Thoughts About MyHerbalist
Ever felt brushed off by your doctor when you asked them about natural remedies?
This was always my experience. They’d be more than happy to prescribe another pill, but whenever I brought up alternatives, my doctor would dismiss them in a hurry.
And to be honest that probably had nothing to do with any ill will on their part, but with the fact that doctors are not trained in plant medicine, nutrition or lifestyle.
So, they don’t really know what to tell you about it.
And that’s such a shame because natural remedies and supplements can be a worthwhile addition to any conventional treatment. They can help in many ways, not least of which by bringing your body back to a balanced state where healing can occur.
For me personally they were a game changer.
Most of my adult life, I’ve struggled with GERD. That’s chronic heartburn for those of you unfamiliar with the term.
The meds you must take for it, called proton pump inhibitors, come with a host of nasty side effects like nausea, kidney damage and an increased risk of developing gut infections because they affect the microbiome.
And the worst part is that whenever you try to wean yourself off them, the heartburn often comes back much worse than before. It’s so bad that a lot of people can’t take it and get stuck on pump inhibitors.
I was one of those people.
One morning after another bout of acid taste in my mouth and chest pain, I decided I’d had just about enough. So, instead of getting the next generation of PPIs I decided to do something I’d never tried before. I went online and looked for an herbalist.
After a bit of research, I came across a website called MyHerbalist.
What caught my eye immediately was their straight-forward promise about natural care.
Once I clicked on “Pick Your Herbalist” I was immediately taken to another page that had a few herbalists and naturopathic doctors listed by specialty.
As a retiree, I need to be careful with spending. Some of these herbalists had pretty steep consultation prices for my pocket, so I looked at the most affordable ones. There were two – Amber Robinson and Kristine Clay that cost just under $100.
After reading their profiles and seeing that Kristine was a doula and that the reviews were more about helping women give birth than what I was dealing with, I decided to go with Amber.
I liked the fact that she was certified by the American Herbalist’s Guild and that she lived on a farm in the middle of Nature, making remedies for her family and community for many years.
Because I had some time on my hands, I wanted to schedule my consultation with Amber the same day. But there were no more spots available, so I took the very next spot 2 days later.
The process is very intuitive. You pick a day and then you get the available times for your chosen herbalist. For me it shows in my time zone and pretty sure it’s set like that for everyone.
After you click next, you just fill in your personal details and then your consultation is all set up. The payment was upfront at reservation, but I didn’t mind.
I immediately got an e-mail message confirming the purchase. It contained a link that I’d have to click to connect via video call with Amber once my appointment slot came along.
That night I went to sleep feeling excited about talking to an herbalist after having been an amateur forager and maker of teas for a few years myself, inspired by the book I had previously bought, “The Book of Lost Remedies”.
The next day, getting in touch with Amber was very easy. Once I clicked the link I received in my e-mail I saw her pop up on my laptop screen.
She could tell I was nervous and was super nice about it! After a couple of minutes of exchanging pleasantries and me asking her about how she got into herbalism and people she’d helped with her remedies, we got into the meat of our session.
Amber wanted to know everything about my condition – when it first started, my symptoms back then and if I could link it to any emotional distress or lifestyle changes.
She asked me about my medical history and if I could show her some tests. I had done a bunch of them done over the years and had them ready.
I felt listened to for the first time in years. Amber was calm and methodical about pinpointing things that may trigger my heartburn and the best way to go about fixing it.
She asked me a lot of questions about my diet, sleep, stress levels, my relationship with my family and other people in my life…we delved a bit into my depressive tendencies and really the time just flew by. As the picture got clearer for her and for me as well, Amber walked me through the main aspects of a holistic protocol for me.
Now I didn’t know exactly what this was as first, but as she explained it it’s as if the fog lifted. While a doctor will not focus much on other aspects of your life except the medication, you’re taking the protocol Amber made for me covered everything that felt relevant.
It was extremely thorough in regard to what I eat, sleep patterns, gut health, emotional balance and even my support system. It centered around remedies of course, but the fact that it touched on a lot of other areas too gave me hope.
By the time our consultation was over, we’d already gone to 1hour and 10 minutes. Amber did not mind at all, because she told me that she is in this to help people.
As our consultation came to an end, she gave me her complete protocol…which is a natural treatment plan if you will and told me to check in with her via e-mail to tell her if my condition improved, which I appreciated.
Amber recommended a simple daily routine that’s really helped calm my heartburn. Each morning, I start with a warm cup of marshmallow root tea to soothe my throat and stomach.
Before meals, I take a licorice lozenge, which helps coat my digestive tract and keeps that burning feeling away. After eating, I drink a gentle chamomile and fennel tea to ease bloating and help my food settle.
Amber also suggested I eat smaller meals, take my time chewing, and focus on warm, easy-to-digest foods like soups, steamed veggies, and oatmeal. I’ve cut back on coffee, spicy foods, and chocolate, which also made a big difference.
Now, I make sure to stay upright after eating and take a short walk in the evening to relax my stomach and reduce tension. It’s a simple routine — but it’s made me feel more comfortable and in control of my digestion every day.
While this protocol didn’t work immediately like a PPI and took some willpower to change my habits, it did work!
Although I had heard about some of these remedies before, it wasn’t until I spoke to Amber that I felt convinced to take them – perhaps I felt some accountability towards her.
After about a week I would no longer get that insanely annoying acid reflux reach all the way to my mouth giving me bad breath and wrecking my teeth.
By the end of the first two weeks, it was better than I could remember it, and a month later I could not even feel it much at all, even when I went back to some “forbidden foods”.
Amber’s suggestions worked so well that I felt compelled to share my experience with others. And I knew that a place like this, with people interested in natural remedies, was probably best.
In case you want to find out more about Amber, you can find her at MyHerbalist. I’ll leave a link here in case you too need to find your own herbalist and a natural plan that can help.
Click here to find your herbalist.
