Herbs & How to Use Them – Dara Dietz Blog

Garlic, red hot peppers, ginger root and green onion on a wooden cutting board

Supertonic

October 7, 2026October 8, 2026 Dara Dietz

Fresh garlic, onion, horseradish, ginger and hot peppers in raw apple cider vinegar

Supertonic is a fiery, fresh-vegetable tonic for the first sign of a cold, flu, sore throat or sinus trouble. It is made the same way as an herbal extract, except the herbs are fresh vegetables and the liquid is raw apple cider vinegar instead of alcohol.

What Goes In It

Fresh garlic. A strong natural antibiotic, antiviral and antifungal. Unlike drug antibiotics, it does not wipe out the friendly bacteria the body needs.
Fresh onion. Garlic’s close cousin, with a similar but milder action. The two work as a team.
Fresh horseradish. Opens the sinus passages and moves circulation through the head and chest, where colds and flu so often take hold.
Fresh and dried cayenne, fresh ginger root. Drive circulation and carry the other herbs throughout the whole body.
Parsley leaf. A diuretic that also makes Supertonic taste great as a salad dressing.
Raw apple cider vinegar. Draws out the strength of the fresh vegetables and preserves the finished tonic.

Making It

Everything is fresh, so you can find it at the grocery store. If you don’t see fresh horseradish, ask your produce person to order it in. Supertonic sets just like an herbal extract made in alcohol.

The formula: 4 parts garlic to 1 part each of onion, ginger root, horseradish and parsley, with fresh and dried cayenne to taste.

A “part” can be any size, from an ounce to a pound. I make a pound per part, which gives me 7 to 10 gallons.

Peel the garlic, onion, ginger and horseradish. Wear gloves for the hot peppers, and work in a well-aired room. The horseradish and peppers will make your eyes run.
Blend everything with raw apple cider vinegar and mix it well in a large pot.
Fill clear glass jars about two-thirds full with the mix and top them up with more vinegar. When it settles you want about a 70/30 split. Vinegar eats metal, so use a plastic lid or put wax paper under a metal one.
Set it as you would an extract: shake it every day for about two weeks.
Strain through a cloth and squeeze out every drop. Fresh vegetables squeeze off very well. Bottle in amber glass and store in a cool, dark place.

How to Take It

1–4 squirts in a shot glass. First-timers may want to mix it half and half with water. Whether you dilute it or take it straight, gargle with it for a minute, then swallow.

A word to the wise: Supertonic is hot. Start small, keep it diluted until you know how you handle it, and take it with a little food if your stomach is tender.

This information is for education only. It is not meant to diagnose, treat or replace care from a qualified health professional.

Herbal Healing, Herbs & How to Use Them, Infection, Colds & Flu

A Pure Essential Oil Air Freshener You Can Make Yourself

October 5, 2026 Dara Dietz

Herbal Air is one of those things members fall in love with. It is nothing but pure essential oils in a spray bottle: no water, no alcohol, no fillers. Fresh Eucalyptus leads, brightened with four citrus oils, and a few spritzes freshen a whole room.

We have made it for years, but five pure essential oils make it expensive to produce, and we have decided to stop making it. It is simple to put together at home, though, so here is the recipe for anyone who wants to make it for themselves.

What Goes Into It

A good batch of Herbal Air contains these five pure essential oils:

Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus), 12 parts. The heart of the blend. Its clean, penetrating scent has long been used to clear the air and open the breathing passages.
Grapefruit, 4 parts. Bright and uplifting.
Lime, 3 parts. Fresh and sharp.
Lemon, 1 part. Clean and cheerful; a classic for freshening the home.
Sweet Orange, 1 part. Warm and sweet, rounding out the blend.

“Parts” can be any measure you like, as long as you use the same one for every oil. A handy batch is 12 teaspoons of Eucalyptus, 4 of Grapefruit, 3 of Lime, and 1 each of Lemon and Sweet Orange. That makes about 3½ ounces, just right for a 4-ounce spray bottle.

Putting It Together

Pour the oils into a glass spray bottle; amber or cobalt glass protects them from light. Pure oils can break down plastic, so glass is best. Cap it and give it a gentle shake, and that is all there is to it. Keep it tightly capped in a cool, dark place. Citrus oils fade with time, so mix a batch you will use within a year.

How I Use It

Spray a few times into the air, toward the middle of the room. Because it is pure oil, a little goes a long way.
In a sickroom during colds and flu, it clears the air and helps open a stuffed-up head.
At bedtime, give your pillow a light spritz. Members tell us they sleep amazingly well.
I like to spray it on the towels hanging in my bathroom. It keeps the whole room smelling comfortably fresh.

Use It with Care

These are pure oils, so treat them with respect. Spray into the air, never onto skin or toward the eyes. Keep it off polished wood, painted surfaces and plastics, since pure oils can mark them; a light spritz on cotton pillowcases and towels is fine. Keep it away from cats, who are especially sensitive to eucalyptus and citrus oils. And keep it out of reach of children and away from open flame.

This is shared for educational purposes, from my own study and experience. It is not medical advice.

Herbal Healing, Herbs & How to Use Them, Organs & Glands, Women's & Men's Health

A Bitter Tea Worth Making: Support for the Prostate and Urinary Tract

October 5, 2026October 5, 2026 Dara Dietz

Some formulas earn their place by how well they work, not by how pleasant they are. This is one of them. Dr. Christopher put it together in response to a patient in real distress, to help with kidney stones, infection and sediment in the prostate gland. It brings together seven herbs for the whole urinary tract: kidneys, bladder and prostate.

It is also one of the most bitter teas you will ever drink, and one of the most expensive to make. That is exactly why you won’t find it on many shelves, and why I want you to know how to make it yourself.

What a Good Formula Contains

A good formula for the prostate and urinary tract might contain these seven herbs, all powdered:

Goldenseal Root, 3 parts. The backbone of the formula. A powerful, very bitter herb, long used to support the mucous membranes and the body against infection.
Gravel Root, 1 part. Its name tells you its traditional use: helping the body clear gravel and stones from the urinary tract.
Marshmallow Root, 1 part. Soothing mucilage that coats and protects irritated tissue and eases the passage of whatever needs to leave.
Parsley Root, 1 part. Gets the fluids moving and flushes the kidneys.
Juniper Berries, 1 part. A traditional urinary antiseptic that wakes up sluggish kidneys.
Lobelia, 1 part. Relaxes spasm and tension so the passages can open.
Cayenne, 1 part. Drives circulation and carries the other herbs where they are needed.

“Parts” can be any measure you like, as long as you use the same one for every herb. A handy batch is 3 tablespoons of Goldenseal and 1 tablespoon each of the other six, a little over half a cup in all.

Putting It Together

Stir the powders together until they are evenly blended, and keep them in a tightly closed glass jar. For a cup of tea, stir 1 teaspoon of the powder into a cup of hot water, let it steep a few minutes, and drink it, powder and all. If the bitterness is more than you can face, fill #00 capsules with the powder instead.

How to Take It

For daily support, take 2 capsules in the morning and 2 at night. When the need is urgent, drink half a cup of the tea frequently throughout the day.

Why It’s Worth Making Yourself

Goldenseal is one of the most expensive herbs there is, and this formula uses a lot of it. Most people only need it now and then, so a large batch sits for years before it is used up. It makes far more sense to mix a small batch yourself when you need it. Don’t let the cost or the bitterness talk you out of it. This is a valuable formula, and it does help.

Keep the Whole System Supported

For ongoing prostate care, see Keeping the Prostate Clear. To feed and flush the kidneys, see Food for the Kidneys: A Daily Formula and Tea. And drink plenty of pure water; whatever these herbs loosen has to have a way out.

This is shared for educational purposes, from my own study and experience. It is not medical advice.

Brain, Nerves & Sleep, Herbal Healing, Herbs & How to Use Them

A Few Drops for Spasms, Cramps and Shock

October 4, 2026 Dara Dietz

This is Dr. Christopher’s antispasmodic tincture, and it is one of the most powerful formulas in the herb kingdom, used just a few drops at a time. It has long been used in cases of convulsions, lockjaw, delirium, tremors, fainting, cramps and every kind of spasm.

It has also been an effective aid for kidney stones. It helps relax the smooth muscle wall around the stone so the stone can pass more freely. And it has been used effectively after the body has been through a major physical trauma, such as a car accident, to calm the whole system down.

What a Good Antispasmodic Formula Contains

A good antispasmodic formula might contain these six herbs:

Lobelia Seed, 1 part. The heart of the formula and the strongest relaxant in the herb kingdom; as an antispasmodic it is regarded as second to none.
Skullcap, 1 part. One of the most trusted nervine herbs, calming nervous tension and spasm in the nerves themselves.
Skunk Cabbage, 1 part. A strong antispasmodic and nervine, long used for cramps, spasms and nervous excitement.
Gum Myrrh, 1 part. A strong cleansing and antiseptic resin that also helps carry and preserve the formula.
Black Cohosh, 1 part. A nervine and antispasmodic that feeds and calms the nervous system and eases muscle tension.
Cayenne, ½ part. Drives the formula quickly through the circulation to where it’s needed.

“Parts” can be any measure you like, as long as you use the same one for every herb. By weight, that’s an ounce each of the first five and half an ounce of Cayenne.

Putting It Together

Put the dry herbs in a glass jar and pour in 80-proof vodka. Once the herbs have settled, you want about 60% herb sediment on the bottom and 40% liquid on top. Shake the jar every day. The traditional timing follows the moon, from the new moon to the full moon, about two weeks. I prefer to let my extracts sit a full three months, which makes them good and strong. Then strain and bottle the liquid.

How Much and How Often

One to several drops as needed, on the tongue or in a little water. A small bottle goes a long way.

For more on Lobelia, the backbone of this formula, see Lobelia, and for spasms in the muscles themselves, Mullein and Lobelia: Letting Locked Muscles Go.

This is shared for educational purposes, from my own study and experience. It is not medical advice.

Brain, Nerves & Sleep, Herbal Healing, Herbs & How to Use Them

Clean Energy Without Caffeine

October 4, 2026 Dara Dietz

I don’t care for caffeine, and I wanted something for steady energy that works more like ginseng: mental clarity and physical stamina without the jitters or the crash of a stimulant. This blend is the answer I came to. It pairs two classic adaptogen roots with a warming digestive mover and a calming aromatic, so the lift stays smooth and grounded rather than wired.

What a Good Energy Blend Contains

A good caffeine-free energy blend might contain these four herbs:

Rhodiola Rosea Root, 3 parts. A high-altitude adaptogen long used to ease mental fatigue and support energy, focus and mood under stress. It’s the “drive” herb here, clearing brain fog and sharpening clarity.
Eleuthero Root, 3 parts. Also called Siberian Ginseng. It builds steady, stress-adapted stamina, helping the body handle physical and mental strain without crashing afterward.
Lemongrass, 2 parts. A bright, aromatic herb with a gentle calming, mood-lifting quality. It’s the “cooler,” keeping the lift smooth and clear rather than jittery.
Ginger Root, 1 part. The warming digestive mover. It supports circulation and helps the body tolerate and absorb the two adaptogen roots, which can otherwise sit heavy on the stomach.

“Parts” can be any measure you like, as long as you use the same one for every herb. By weight, that’s 3 ounces each of Rhodiola and Eleuthero, 2 of Lemongrass and 1 of Ginger.

Putting It Together

How Much and How Often

Start with about 30 drops (roughly 1 mL) once in the morning, 20 to 30 minutes before food. This is a morning-only formula; both Rhodiola and Eleuthero are energizing and are best taken early in the day.

For a gentler daily tonic, see Two Ginsengs for Steady Energy, and for more on energy, Power & Energy for a Happy Life.

This is shared for educational purposes, from my own study and experience. It is not medical advice.

Brain, Nerves & Sleep, Herbal Healing, Herbs & How to Use Them

Two Ginsengs for Steady Energy

October 4, 2026 Dara Dietz

Some energy comes with a bill attached: a quick lift now that the body pays for later. This simple two-root tonic works the other way. It builds stamina and supports focus steadily, without adding stress to the endocrine system, especially the adrenals. That’s why it’s meant to be taken consistently over time, not just reached for in a pinch.

I take it myself every day, along with my brain formula and a cup of ginger tea, for brain fog, and it works wonderfully for me. That said, there’s rarely just one right answer for something like brain fog; what works beautifully for one body may not be the best fit for another. If this combination isn’t the one that clicks for you, the caffeine-free energy blend in Clean Energy Without Caffeine was built with brain fog in mind too.

What a Good Ginseng Tonic Contains

Just two roots, in equal parts:

Siberian Ginseng (Eleuthero), 1 part. An adaptogen that helps the body adjust to physical and mental stress and supports steady stamina, without the jolt of caffeine.
American Ginseng, 1 part. A gentler, cooling ginseng, valued for restoring energy and supporting mental clarity without overstimulating the system.

“Parts” can be any measure you like, as long as you use the same one for both. By weight, that’s simply equal ounces of each.

Putting It Together

How Much and How Often

1 to 2 droppersful (35 to 70 drops), three times a day. Like most tonic herbs, it works best taken steadily; plan on a bottle or two to really feel the difference.

This same pair of roots also goes into my formula for tired adrenals and my blend for men’s vitality. For the brain formula I take with it, see Circulation Is Everything for a Clear Mind.

This is shared for educational purposes, from my own study and experience. It is not medical advice.

Herbal Healing, Herbs & How to Use Them, Organs & Glands

An Herbal Eyewash for Tired, Irritated Eyes

October 4, 2026 Dara Dietz

A friend once dropped by on an afternoon when I was deep in edits for my autobiography, nursing a burning case of pink eye she had caught from her daughter, who had just started school. We went up to my room, where I keep my own bottle of this eyewash, and flushed her eye right there. The discomfort was gone almost immediately, and we spent the next hour working through my manuscript together. She never once put that bottle down. When I offered to send her home with a fresh one, she wouldn’t hear of it; she took the very bottle she’d been holding. I still laugh about it. You could see how much relief she felt just in how tightly she held on.

This seven-herb blend is built around eyebright, the herb it’s named for. It’s a gentle eyewash for everyday eye trouble: pink eye, styes, and the tired, watering, irritated eyes that come from allergies, screen time or a long day.

What a Good Eyewash Formula Contains

A good eyewash formula might contain these seven herbs:

Eyebright, 4 parts. The namesake and the most direct eye herb, with a long history in eyewashes. It is astringent, calms inflammation, and is rich in vitamin A, the “eye vitamin.”
Goldenseal Root, 4 parts. A cleansing tonic for the mucous membranes, long used to wash the eyes.
Rue Flower, 4 parts. An old-world herb with a centuries-old reputation for supporting eyesight and easing eye strain.
Mullein Flower, 4 parts. Soft and soothing, calming irritated tissue.
Red Raspberry Leaf, 4 parts. A gentle astringent that tones and tightens irritated tissue. It was part of the original eyebright eyewashes generations ago.
Fennel Seed, 4 parts. Fennel tea has its own long history as a wash for inflamed eyes.
African Bird Pepper, 1 part. A small amount for circulation. It gets the eye’s own tiny blood vessels flushing, and that matters more than its size suggests.

“Parts” can be any measure you like, as long as you use the same one for every herb. By weight, that’s 4 ounces each of the first six herbs and 1 ounce of the pepper.

Putting It Together

How to Flush the Eyes

Set up both eyecups at once, and have a cold, wet washcloth ready, wrung out from a bowl of ice water.
Put 1 to 3 drops of the extract in each eyecup first, then pour in room-temperature distilled water. Pouring the water on top mixes the drops in.
Always flush both eyes, even if only one is bothering you. Fit the cup over the eye, tip your head back and open the eye into the wash. If it wants to shut right away the first time, that’s normal; rest a moment, use the cold cloth if it helps, and try again. Then do the other eye.
Expect a minute or two of real sensation, more if the eye is very irritated. That is the circulation flooding into the eye and then receding, carrying waste out with it, which is exactly what you want. When it settles, the eye feels much better, with no more grittiness or soreness.

Alternate which eye you start with each time. The second eye tends to resist opening a little, simply because it noticed what happened to the first.

This is shared for educational purposes, from my own study and experience. It is not medical advice.

Herbal Healing, Herbs & How to Use Them, Skin, Wounds & First Aid

Black Walnut: Nature’s Strongest Antifungal

October 4, 2026 Dara Dietz

Fungal conditions like toenail fungus, athlete’s foot and stubborn skin fungus are hard to clear. They take hold in warm, damp places and often shrug off store-bought creams, only to flare back up months later.

Black Walnut has long been one of the strongest plant antifungals there is, and the green hull, the outer covering of the walnut, is its most potent part. Its inner bark and leaves are astringent, firming and toning irritated skin, and the whole herb has long been used as a mild laxative and to rid the bowel of parasites.

Ringworm is an easy one for me now. Wet a piece of gauze with Black Walnut extract and lay it directly over the ringworm, and it will kill it off. The salve works too, and is my choice for a very small ringworm, but for a larger one I prefer the extract, since it’s a bit stronger.

What Goes Into It

A good Black Walnut extract uses the green hull, leaves and inner bark together. The hull brings the antifungal strength; the leaves and bark bring their astringent, skin-toning action.

Putting It Together

For a salve, fully extract the herbs in extra virgin olive oil in a 150-degree oven for three hours, swap the spent herbs for fresh, and do it three times through. Strain and thicken with beeswax.

How Much and How Often

The extract, inside: ½ to 1 teaspoon in warm water, three to five times a day as needed.
On the skin: the extract on a wet gauze pad, or the salve, as often as needed.

A fungus took time to take hold, and it takes time to clear. Stay with it even after it looks better, since a fungus that looks gone can still be working its way out. On the skin, the extract will darken lighter skin for a while; it fades on its own within a week or two.

This is shared for educational purposes, from my own study and experience. It is not medical advice.

Herbal Healing, Herbs & How to Use Them, Organs & Glands

Helping the Body Clear Excess Fluid

October 4, 2026 Dara Dietz

When the kidneys are low on vitality and can’t clear fluid on their own, the body finds another way. In herbal tradition the skin is sometimes called “the third kidney,” because sweat can carry off the water and waste the kidneys would normally handle.

I learned this from my own body. When my kidneys were struggling, I’d break into a sudden, heavy sweat while sitting still, until my hair and clothes were soaked through. It sounds alarming, but it was a good sign: the body finding a second way out for fluid it needed to release. Afterward the swelling in my feet and body would go down and I’d feel much better.

A good fluid formula supports the main route, the kidneys, so the body isn’t left leaning so hard on the backup.

What a Good Fluid Formula Contains

A good formula for clearing excess fluid might contain these five herbs:

Parsley Root, 8 parts. The master diuretic herb, supporting the kidneys in clearing excess fluid.
Juniper Berries, 4 parts. Gives the kidneys a boost in their work.
Dandelion Leaf, 4 parts. Rich in potassium, added to replace the potassium the body loses along with the fluid.
Corn Silk, 2 parts. Soothing to the urinary tract.
Uva Ursi, 1 part. Supports a healthy urinary tract.

“Parts” can be any measure you like, as long as you use the same one for every herb. By weight, that’s 8 ounces of Parsley Root, 4 each of Juniper and Dandelion Leaf, 2 of Corn Silk and 1 of Uva Ursi.

Putting It Together

How Much and How Often

2 to 4 droppersful (½ to 1 teaspoon) three times a day.
For a more serious case, lay hot fomentations of Parsley Root tea directly over the swollen area as well.

The urinary tract can use the extra care. Tea, coffee, soft drinks, hard water and alcohol all irritate it, so go easy on them while you’re working on fluid balance. For more, see Edema aka Dropsy and, for lymph swelling, Understanding Lymphedema.

This is shared for educational purposes, from my own study and experience. It is not medical advice.

Digestion & Gut, Herbal Healing, Herbs & How to Use Them

A Fiber Blend That Heals While It Works

October 4, 2026 Dara Dietz

Most fiber supplements do one job: add bulk and keep things moving. A good fiber blend does that too, but it can do much more for a digestive tract that has been worn down or damaged. Built with soothing, slippery herbs alongside the fiber, it coats and calms the tissue as it moves through, healing the stomach and the intestines together.

This past year, this blend was one of the aids that helped restore my digestive tract while I was dealing with Bladder Pain Syndrome, with aloe vera juice as a good companion. There is so much healing in it, not just bulk. I wrote about that experience in Bladder Pain Syndrome (BPS).

What a Good Fiber Blend Contains

A good healing fiber blend might contain these five powders:

Psyllium Husk Powder, 6 parts, and Psyllium Seed Powder, 4 parts. The foundation. Both swell and gel in water, adding soft bulk and holding moisture as they move through, with no harsh stimulation.
Slippery Elm Powder, 3 parts. A rich, slippery bark that coats and calms irritated tissue all along the digestive tract and eases the passage of the fiber.
Marshmallow Root Powder, 1 part. Another deeply soothing herb, close to Slippery Elm in action, that calms and heals inflamed tissue.
Aloe Vera Powder, 1 part. A healing plant with a long history of digestive support.

“Parts” can be any measure you like, as long as you use the same one for every herb. By weight, that’s 6 ounces of Psyllium Husk, 4 of Psyllium Seed, 3 of Slippery Elm and 1 each of Marshmallow and Aloe.

Putting It Together

Simply mix the powders together well and keep them in a tightly closed jar.

How Much and How Often

1 rounded teaspoon, stirred into juice or water, once or more a day depending on your need. Drink it right away, before it thickens.

This is shared for educational purposes, from my own study and experience. It is not medical advice.