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Written by Julie Howell 9/25/26 I wanted to share some photos from the renewed energy event we organized. First, a big thank you to Antonia from Zenful Sparks for partnering with us at Howells Homemade and offering her services to a wonderful group of lovely ladies! Our original date of 9/12 had to be postponed due to unforeseen weather conditions. We managed to gather on 9/18 instead, and the weather was ideal for meditation in the middle of the lake. I can't even begin to d

Written by Julie Howell 8/15/2026 Photo credit of : ar. inspiredpencil.com Let's be real, my blogs have been what some would call dry. My focus as an integrative therapy consultant and herbalist is to provide information and products that are backed by science. I do hope that they have been informative. You do not have to be "granola" or "crunchy" to use integrative therapy or herbal products. Integrative means to incorporate different medical modalities or natural products

Written by Julie Howell 7/30/2026 Chronic stress plays a role in the development of diseases such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension, mental health issues, anxiety, depression, and reduced quality of life. (Fincham, G. et al., 2023) These illnesses can significantly reduce a person's well-being. Quality of life (QOL) is a multifaceted and multidimensional concept that includes an individual's overall health, comfort, and ability to engage in and enjoy life and incorpora

Written by Julie Howell 11/17/2024 and edited 6/26/2026 Photo credit of https://www.online-sciences.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Rheumatoid-Arthritis.webp Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) can be debilitating, and it affects up to 1% of the population, typically affecting women more than men, and the risk increases with age (Vanmeter et al. 2022). Other risk factors noted are family history, excess weight, and smoking. The Mayo Clinic (2024) advises that in rheumatoid arthritis, yo

Written by Julie Howell 8/15/2023 photo credit of meden inmed What exactly is balneotherapy? Good question! Balneotherapy is a category of hydrotherapy; however, balneotherapy is a little different, as it includes bathing in warm mineral water and can include mud, sand, and/or UV lights. The waters used for balneotherapy vary in temperature (typically 30–40 C/ 86-104 F), mineral, and chemical composition. Then what are the benefits of balneothera

Image credit of https://esoftskills.com/the-healing-power-of-art-therapy-in-mental-health/ Written by Julie Howell 6/21/2023 Spiritual potential is the inner resources we all have to deal with stress. Seaward explains that we have spiritual potential and notes the inner resources as humor, compassion, patience, tolerance, imagination, and creativity (Seaward, 2020, pp. 222). The theory of using art for therapy was explored by Freud and Jung as a means for them to stu

Photo from: https://www.aestheticsoftheroyalliverbuilding.co.uk/hbot/ Written by Julie Howell 8/2026 Many disease processes have chronic pain and inflammation as symptoms. With the rise of medication addiction, nonpharmacological means and adjunct therapy for symptom management are necessary. This paper aims to examine the effectiveness of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in treating chronic pain and inflammation. The reviewed literature used HBOT to treat many different disease pro

Image provided by Wix.com Today's one of those days where a good cup of your favorite tea on the couch, listening to the thunder, and watching the rain fall is absolute perfection! My personal favorites are teas like breathe easy, throat coat, or nighty night. These have the heavy flavor of licorice root, which I absolutely adore for its natural sweetness and its affinity for the mucous membranes to soothe. I also enjoy experimenting with making my own loose-leaf tea. Have y

Here is another research paper that I wrote during my masters degree. This paper examines the California poppy and some of its notable benefits. Photo provided by wix.com California poppy Eschscholzia californica and its Sedative, Analgesic, and Anxiolytic Effects Written by Julie Howell 12/11/2023 This paper aims to see if the California poppy Eschscholzia californica is or is not effective in use for anxiety, pain, or sedation, as stated in the monograph found in Peters

Written by: Julie Howell 12/5/2024 Abstract The purpose of this paper was to identify the causes of emotional eating and food addiction and to help find modalities to heal our relationship with food, our minds, and our bodies. Using an EBSCO host search engine, the research on food addiction and emotional eating, at first glance, shows many related articles; however, upon closer inspection, it all circles back to obesity, cardiovascular concerns, and diabetes issues. This pap

I wanted to share some information regarding the benefits of different herbs and integrative therapies. I am sharing a research paper that I did on licorice root. I hope you enjoy! Glycyrrhiza glabra is an effective treatment for inflammation and wound healing. By Julie Howell 08/14/2023 Abstract Inflammation is a prominent symptom associated with many disease processes and can cause further complications in the body's organs if left untreated. Many standard medications for

In today's fast-paced world, maintaining optimal well-being can feel like a daunting task. With so much information available, it can be...