What if your child could learn math by making herbal remedies, explore history through the plants people used centuries ago, and build vocabulary by discovering the meaning behind a plant’s name?

In this episode of the Grace Rooted Wellness Podcast, I’m joined by Camila Johnson, a homeschool mom, educator with a master’s degree in education, founder of the Eden Institute, and creator of Eden’s Table, a K–12 herbalism curriculum.

We talk about why learning about herbs can be so much more than memorizing plant names or studying the parts of a flower. When children explore the plants around them, they can discover how science, math, history, geography, and vocabulary connect to real life.

We explore:

Making school subjects come alive: How one herb, like lavender, can lead to lessons in Latin, history, geography, climate, science, and more.

• Learning that sticks: Why stories, smells, tastes, hands-on activities, and simple rhymes can help children remember what they learn.
• Teaching what you don’t know: How parents can explore herbalism with their children without needing to be experts first.
• A biblical foundation for herbalism: How Camila brings plant science, stewardship, and faith together in a curriculum designed for Christian families.
• A growing foundation in herbal medicine: How children can progress from exploring plants with their senses to learning more advanced herbal concepts as they get older.

You don’t have to know everything to teach your children something valuable. Sometimes, the best way to learn is to pull up a chair, open a book, and discover something together.

Explore Camila’s work:

• Website (Use code MISSY10 for 10% off anything!): https://edeninstitute.health/homeschool?utm_source=podcast_grace_rooted_wellness&utm_medium=show_notes&utm_content=website
• Free week of the curriculum: https://edeninstitute.health/freebies?utm_source=podcast_grace_rooted_wellness&utm_medium=show_notes&utm_content=freebies
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edenstablehomeschoolcurriculum/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EdensTableHomeschoolCurriculum
• Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/TheEdenInstituteBoards

What if the exhaustion, brain fog, feeling cold, weight changes, constipation, or hair loss you've been experiencing aren't random symptoms—but your body's way of trying to get your attention?

In this episode, we're taking a closer look at the thyroid, especially hypothyroidism, and why supporting thyroid health is about much more than looking at one lab value or simply taking a thyroid hormone.

We'll break down the relationship between the brain, thyroid, liver, gut, stress hormones, blood sugar, and sex hormones using a simple “thermostat and heater” analogy. We'll also talk about why TSH doesn't always tell the whole story, the importance of T4-to-T3 conversion, and some of the nutritional and lifestyle foundations that support healthy thyroid function.

We'll explore Hashimoto's and the gut-thyroid connection, discuss herbs and nutrients commonly used to support thyroid health, and talk about why working with a practitioner is especially important if you're taking thyroid medication or have an autoimmune condition.

And we'll take a different kind of look at the thyroid, too.

The thyroid sits at the base of your throat—right where your voice lives. We'll explore the question of whether there might be something in your life that you're struggling to say, ask for, or express, while keeping that conversation grounded in the physical realities of thyroid health.

In this episode, we'll talk about:

• What the thyroid actually does and why it affects so many systems
• The “thermostat and heater” analogy for understanding thyroid function
• Common signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism
• TSH, T4, T3, free T3, free T4, and reverse T3
• Why T4-to-T3 conversion matters
• The roles of the liver and gut in thyroid hormone conversion
• Stress, blood sugar, inflammation, nutrient deficiencies, and toxin exposure
• The connection between thyroid and sex hormones
• The cell danger response and energy conservation
• Hashimoto's and the gut-thyroid connection
• Herbs traditionally used to support thyroid function
• Key nutrients including selenium, iodine, zinc, iron, tyrosine, vitamin D, and B vitamins
• Lifestyle foundations for supporting healthy thyroid function
• The connection between the thyroid, the throat, and self-expression
• Why “normal” labs don't necessarily mean you feel normal

A reminder

This episode is for education and does not replace individualized medical care. If you take thyroid medication or have Hashimoto's or another thyroid condition, work with your healthcare provider before making changes to medication, herbs, or supplements.

The bigger message

Your thyroid isn't a single dial with a single fix. It's part of a conversation between your brain, thyroid, liver, gut, stress hormones, sex hormones, nutrients, and environment.

And sometimes your symptoms are your body's way of asking you to listen.

If you're ready to look beyond the symptom and explore what your body may be trying to tell you, learn more about working with a Christian Clinical Herbalist at gracerootedherbalist.com.

If this episode helped connect some dots for you, share it with someone who needs to hear it.

What do comic books, wild plants, and the Great Depression have in common?

More than you might think.

In this episode, I sit down with herbalist, forager, educator, and author Mark "Merriwether" Vorderbruggen known to many as the "modern caveman." We begin by talking about edible and medicinal plants, but the conversation quickly becomes something much deeper.

Mark shares how growing up with parents who lived through the Great Depression shaped his understanding of resilience and why he believes reconnecting with nature is one of the most important things we can do for our health and well-being.

He also opens up about one of the hardest seasons of his life—losing a business partner, financial uncertainty, and wondering whether he could continue the work he feels called to do.

Through it all, one simple phrase keeps him moving forward:

Hulk Smash.

It's funny, but it's also a surprisingly powerful reminder that sometimes the only way through hardship is to keep putting one foot in front of the other.

In this episode, we discuss:

• How the Great Depression influenced a generation's relationship with wild food
• Why Mark believes modern people suffer from being disconnected from nature
• What it really takes to make a living teaching foraging
• The emotional toll of losing a business and starting over
• Why "Hulk Smash" has become Mark's personal philosophy during difficult seasons
• The importance of friends, community, and having a "third place"
• How climate and land access are changing the future of foraging
• Practical advice for anyone who wants to begin learning the plants growing around them

Whether you're interested in herbalism, foraging, self-reliance, or simply need encouragement to keep going through a difficult season, I think you'll find something valuable in this conversation.

Resources Mentioned

• Foraging by Mark Merriwether Vorderbruggen
• Foraging Texas
• Village Healer Initiative

If this episode encouraged you, I'd love for you to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who could use a reminder that hope, purpose, and sometimes even medicine can still be found growing right outside the door.