My education is in IT. I studied programming, earned a Bachelor’s in Computer Science, and even completed a Master’s in the management side of it all. My days are filled with problem-solving, data, and digital tools. It’s a world of structure and logic…
But somehow… I keep circling back to herbal medicine. It’s not something I planned or even fully understand. Over the years, I’ve found myself drawn to books about plants, healing, and the ways our ancestors once cared for their bodies, without apps, without labs. Just nature.
The one I recently tried to read (again!) is David Hoffmann’s Medical Herbalism: The Science and Practice of Herbal Medicine. It’s full of chemistry. The kind of chemistry my brain stubbornly refuses to absorb… to understand. I read about alkaloids and glycosides and metabolic pathways, and despite my years of studying algorithms and systems, this part of science doesn’t seem to stick. I try. I underline. I re-read. And still, it feels just beyond my reach.
And yet—I keep coming back. Not because I want to become a certified herbalist. But because I want to understand. I want to know which plants soothe a nervous stomach and why!?
So I keep coming back and reading. Even when it’s hard. Even when I don’t remember the chemistry. Because something in those pages still speaks to me… At least I have a lovely note books to take my notes 🙂
Has anyone studied chemistry/medicine?
Ilze
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a day in the life of a latvian mom 
You are definitely onto something, Ilze. I feel like we rely way too much on pharmeceuticals any more when most of what we need is found in nature. And no, I never studied chemistry. As far as science goes, I barely made it through biology, lol.
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Thank you! That really means a lot. 🌿 I agree — nature has so much to offer, and I’m only just scratching the surface. And I love that we don’t need to be experts in science to feel the truth of it in our own bodies and lives. And honestly, you’re living proof that we don’t need to be science experts to connect with something deeply meaningful. You’re an author — you understand stories, emotion, and the heart of things. That’s what draws me to herbal medicine too — not the chemistry charts, but the human side. The stories plants hold, and the comfort they offer. 🌿📚
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It seems that your brain is so used to logic and structure that you can’t absorb anything outside of that structure.
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You might be right — my brain definitely likes logic and tidy systems. But plants seem to speak another language entirely… and I’m still learning to listen. 🌱
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I can relate to your being drawn to herbal medicine. I am not sciencey at all and never graduated college, but I do love learning about herbal medicine.
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I’m so glad you shared that! It’s comforting to know I’m not alone in this. There’s something so deeply human about being drawn to plants, even without a science degree. Just curiosity and care. 💚
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I love this post, Ilze. I do like the herbal world! Have you seen this book? It is terrific about flowers.
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Thank you, Neal! I’m so happy you enjoyed the post. I haven’t seen that book- it looks amazing! I’m always adding to my (very long!) reading list. 📚🌸
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Also, you shared the image, but is there a post, where you mention it?
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Here’s one …
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Thank you for sharing!
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I’ve never studied herbal medicine but I do use some things that work for me. Peppermint and ginger teas help settle a queasy stomach. Lavender can calm skin irritations (itching – like mosquito and other bug bites and minor rashes, and minor pain – like skinned knees) and doesn’t hurt going on. I haven’t tried it yet, but next time I get a sore throat I may try a lavender tea sweetened with raw Manuka honey (a therapeutic anti bacterial honey and a little pricey). I use Turmeric for the arthritis pain in my knees both the powder and the oil, they both do different things, I use a doTERRA dual capsule because their oils are therapeutic grade and pure. I’ve been told also that fresh ground black pepper helps boost the turmeric effect. Even vitamins and minerals do things to help us, like Zinc, I’m told is helpful to kill viruses, companies make lozenges to suck on so it coats your throat as it goes down. I take a 30mg tablet of zinc every day because they say it helps to boost your immune system against viruses and it works better with vitamin D so get that sunshine!!! It’s a deep dive :P.
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Wow, thank you so much for sharing all of that! You’ve clearly done your research and found what really works for you — that’s incredibly inspiring. I’ve used peppermint too, but now I’m very curious about lavender tea and turmeric oil. Definitely a deep dive… but so worth it. 🙏🌿
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I understand the appeal. Many years ago I had a client who was a homeopath. She noticed I was likely to lose a blood-filled thumbnail. “I can save that for you”. She said. She did – with arnica
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That’s such a fascinating story — thank you for sharing it! I’ve used arnica after giving birth and topically for bruises, but never imagined it saving a thumbnail! But I think I know why 🙂 Arnica is wonderful! Nature never stops surprising me. 🌼
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God gave us everything we need. We only have to figure out how to use it.
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Yes, I feel the same way. It’s comforting to think that nature already offers us so much — we just need to slow down and remember how to work with it again. 🌿
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Never stop learning! 🤗🙏
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Thank you, Ashley 🤗 That’s exactly the spirit I want to carry forward — just keep learning, one small step at a time.
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I respect that. Homeopathic medicine has helped me a lot in my life. You would probably find it interesting.
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I totally respect that — I know homeopathy has helped many people, and also my kids. It’s definitely an interesting field! Personally, now I’m more focused on herbal medicine, which works quite differently. 🌿😊
Homeopathy is based on the idea that “like cures like,” using highly diluted substances that trigger the body’s healing response. The remedies are often so diluted that there may be little or no measurable substance left — it’s more about the energetic imprint.
Herbal medicine, on the other hand, uses the physical properties of plants — their compounds, nutrients, and active constituents — to support or shift the body’s natural functions. It’s more biochemical than energetic, and often involves using whole plants or extracts in measurable doses.
Both have their own philosophy and history, but herbalism feels more practical for me right now 🌿
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So far the herbal remedy I’m trying isn’t making a difference. Dang.
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I’ve had that happen too—trying tinctures, teas, salves—and wondering if it’s me or the plants. But maybe it’s all part of learning: noticing what doesn’t work is just as important as finding what does. Hang in there—your match might still be growing out there somewhere. 🌿💚
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