Ready for a superfood twist on traditional spiced drinks this winter? Try a cup of mulled acai berry tea! Cinnamon, citrus, allspice, ginger, clove, and anise: Can you almost feel the warmth of these herbs and spices? They heat us from within throughout the season of cold and dark. Spiced wine is a family favorite at our winter celebrations, and mulled cider is another seasonal treat.

If I told you there’s a pantry staple that can soothe sore muscles and calm irritated skin, would you guess it’s vinegar? It’s true! From minor aches to dry or itchy skin, I turn to herbal vinegar baths. On its own, a cup or two of vinegar in the tub will leave skin soft and rejuvenated with a healthful glow. But herb-infused vinegars take this concept a step further, using plant constituents to boost the already impressive benefits of a vinegar bath.

Research compiled by Oregon State University has shown that roughly half of the adult population in the United States doesn’t get enough of the vitamins and minerals that leafy greens supply: 52% don’t get the recommended intake of magnesium, 44% don’t get enough calcium, and 43% don’t get enough vitamin C. Although many of us know that we need two to three cups of leafy greens a day to supply our exquisitely complex bodies with the vitamins and minerals needed to carry out cellular processes and repairs, many of us have trouble eating adequate amounts of those greens.

A huge part of healthy living is about adopting lots of small, daily habits that add up to lifelong wellness. For over 25 years of clinical herbal practice, I have sought out and recommended simple hacks for making good lifestyle choices easier. Infused waters offer a simple way to fit nutrition and wellness support into something we already do every day. We all drink water, after all, so why not add the flavor and benefits of fruits and herbs?

Herbal foot soaks are one of my favorite herbal treatment modalities! In my house, we do foot soaks in the evening about once a week, and this habit has become a real treat for my family. It is truly amazing to watch how we all get a little calmer and nicer as we sit there chatting with our feet tucked into little buckets full of herbal tea. My son and I like to play cards—rummy is our card game of choice—and do foot soaks before going to bed and we find it to be a perfect winding-down evening ritual. (Parenting pro tip: herbal foot soaks are a great way to get the kids slopping around in herbs when they are young!) I am known for creating herbal foot soak experiences for family gatherings, birthday parties, holiday celebrations, and whenever we find ourselves just hanging out with friends. Eat, drink, foot soak, and be merry is the motto around here…

My husband got a job as a short-order breakfast cook when he was in high school. It was in that restaurant that he learned how to make ghee. I didn’t know this about him until one day, as I was making some herbal ghee, he said, “Oh yeah, ghee makes everything taste better!” He then proceeded to tell me the story of why he was such a master at throwing together a great breakfast. He dished out thousands of meals in that restaurant job, and all the egg dishes were cooked in ghee.

 As we move into spring and summer, along come the parties and feasts—and thus your chance to surprise and delight your family and friends with the herbal deliciousness and digestive effectiveness of your homemade cordials. There is nothing that signifies a celebration quite like topping off a meal with a round of your own handcrafted herbal liquor.

My son and I have been studying permaculture, and one of permaculture’s primary principles is called “stacking function,” a concept whereby you’re getting many yields from one element. As a busy mom, simplicity and stacking function have become guiding principles in my own life—"fill two needs with one deed” is my motto, and this also applies to my herbal medicine endeavors. There are many ways to prepare herbs, but few herbal preparations stack function in the way that herbal vinegars do!

Herbal sprinkles are a quick and easy DIY project that will help you fit more healthful herbs into your meals. Instead of having your spices tucked away in the cabinet, keep a few versatile blends on your table, and you’ll find that eating herbs at every meal is easy—when they are right in front of you, you can’t help but use them! Pretty soon, you’ll wonder how you ever got by without such a pleasing array of spices at your fingertips to liven up breakfast, lunch, and dinner.