As our population ages, losing one's mental faculties can take first place on the list of concerns. Alzheimer's disease and other forms of senile dementia affect some 25 percent of all people over 80. Research, though, is revealing natural approaches in treating and preventing mental decline. Not only aging grabs our attention. Many of us deal with mood disorders, including depression and anxiety.

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Herbalism, also known as botanical medicine, is a healing system based on the use of plants that are eaten or applied to the skin. Over all of ancient history, herbal medicine has been used worldwide by many diverse cultures to treat illness and to assist bodily functions. Herbal remedies in the form of teas, extracts, tinctures, capsules and tablets may be recommended by healthcare practitioners of many different disciplines as a practical way to address a wide variety of health conditions. 

Airfare, hotel accommodations and rental cars are probably the main things on your mind when you prepare for a trip, but nailing down the nitty-gritty of your vacation is only the beginning of the trip planning process. If you look forward to a smooth, stress-free trip (and who doesn't?), planning to stay healthy is just as important. Don't leave home without your herbal travel emergency kit!

Do you ever find yourself in the kitchen without a clue about why you came in there? No, not you. Whatever it was, it must have been important, for here you are. Maybe if you go back out into the living room, you’ll magically remember why you traipsed to the kitchen. Or, just maybe, some herbal medicine can jog that aging memory. 

Headache. Nonstop sneezing. Stuffy nose. Fatigue. If you're an airborne allergy sufferer, these symptoms are your constant companions for several months every year.  For those with year-round allergies, each day brings a cycle of misery, often broken only temporarily by powerful drugs—antihistamines and decongestants—often with side effects more uncomfortable than the original symptoms. Airborne allergies usually affect the respiratory system. Some airborne allergies, like the one we call hay fever, are seasonal.

Originally from San Diego, Melinda's first career was in the hospitality industry, working in exciting restaurants on the West Coast. A lifelong home cook, she turned to nutrition studies when chronic health issues left her with more questions than answers. 

Dr. Vileka Fisher is a licensed Naturopathic Physician, midwife, and an adjunct faculty member at Portland Community College. They graduated from NUNM in 2021 with a Doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine and a Certificate in Natural Childbirth. They achieved the state requirements for board certification in natural childbirth/Naturopathic midwifery by completing a rigorous two-year internship in Naturopathic midwifery at a busy primary care and birth center facility located in Portland, Oregon. In addition to her doctorate, Dr. Fisher has a Master of Science in nutrition from NUNM and a Bachelor of Science in Health Science from Corban University. 

Courtney is a functional nutritional therapy practitioner and yoga instructor. She earned her master’s degree in applied behavioral science/counseling in 2002 from Bastyr University with the intention of becoming a licensed marriage and family therapist, but instead started a family of her own and stayed home for several years until her youngest started kindergarten. In 2013 she continued her studies at the Nutritional Therapy Association and works in a family functional medicine clinic in Portland, Oregon. In 2017, Courtney rounded out her education by becoming a registered yoga teacher, and currently specializes in teaching yoga to seniors.

Kira Freed, MEd, MScN, is an adjunct faculty member at Portland Community College, teaching in the Functional Nutrition program. She also has several roles at her alma mater, National University of Natural Medicine, as the Teaching Kitchen Coordinator, a Professional Teaching Assistant for the Nutrition program, and as a Food as Medicine Everyday educator.