As our Summer Series of podcasts moves into January 2026, we continue with providing our listeners with the second of Dr. Lise Alschuler’s cognition and mood webinars from 2016, Healthy Minds. In this podcast recording, Dr. Alschuler discusses the use of several phytomedicines that can successfully be utilised to support declining cognition, with a particular focus upon cerebral circulatory stimulants, nootropics, neuroprotectives, anti-inflammatories and antioxidants. Dr. Alschuler provides relevant research and clinical wisdom on Lion’s Mane (Hericium erinaceus), Ginkgo, (Ginkgo biloba), Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), Bacopa (Bacopa monnieri), Korean Ginseng (Panax Ginseng), Schisandra (Schisandra chinensis), and Gotu Kola (Centella asiatica).

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In 2016, OptimalRx had the privilege of hosting Dr. Lise Alschuler for two remarkable webinars on the topic of cognition and mood, the first being Botanical Management of Anxiety. In this podcast recording, we have highlighted the herbal medicine component of this first webinar where Dr. Alschuler shares with us her favourite phytomedicines for anxiety, namely Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba), Valerian (Valeriana officinalis), Withania (Withania somnifera), Magnolia (Magnolia officinalis), Turmeric (Curcuma longa), Black Cohosh (Actaea racemosa), Passion Flower (Passiflora incarnata), Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora), St. John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum), and Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla), and as always, shares her years of clinical experience in the management of anxiety.

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In this episode of Tech Talk with OptimalRx, Kristin and Julianne discuss the clinical use of different Panax species (American Ginseng, Korean Ginseng, and Tienchi Ginseng) as well as two other important plant adaptogens that are often part of the Ginseng discussion, Siberian Ginseng and Withania. Kristin and Julianne outline the differences in clinical presentations that call for the use of each plant and explain the subtle differences between each patient type and disease/condition picture. This is a valuable listen for all practitioners wanting to explore these powerful adaptogens further in their clinical practice.

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In Part 2 of our Herbal Lymphatics podcast, Kristin and Julianne delve into the unique cell type, structure and function of the lymphatic system, and how herbal medicines can be utilised to support lymphatic integrity and activity. Kristin generously provides patient case examples where the addition of herbal lymphatics made a tremendous difference to treatment outcomes, with cases ranging from reproductive, skin, and metabolic health conditions. This podcast highlights the importance of herbal lymphatics and how their addition to individual treatment plans can make a world of difference in health outcomes.

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In Part 1 of our Herbal Lymphatics podcast, Julianne interviews Kristin regarding the importance and unique role of herbal lymphatics and lymphagogues. Kristin outlines the significance of this broad and varied group of phytomedicines in maintaining health, particularly in chronic illnesses, and helps the practitioner to understand how to differentiate between these herbal medicines in order to select the most efficacious herb for their individual patient. Kristin provides clear examples of different herbal lymphatics as well as touches on the term glymphatics and how herbal medicines can be utilised to optimise this particular system.

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Kristin and Julianne speak with Janella Purcell, a pioneer in Australia’s Health and Wellness industry with over 25 years of clinical experience as a Naturopath, Herbalist and Nutritionist. Janella rose to prominence as a whole-food TV chef on shows like Good Chef Bad Chef, The Biggest Loser, and What’s Good For You, and has since become a sought-after public speaker, retreat facilitator, and healer in private practice. Janella is also the award-winning author of five best-selling books, widely used in Natural Health Colleges and wellness communities. In this podcast, Janella shares her knowledge of the Traditional Chinese Medicine concept, the Five Elements (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water). She discusses each element and their corresponding season, taste and attributes, and provides examples of herbal medicines that may be supportive for each element and season. Janella’s podcast beautifully rounds out our Traditional Herbalism podcast series which have provided insights into this month’s (July 2025) webinar series, “Traditional Herbal Medicine Series – Roots and Remedies: Essentials of Traditional Herbal Prescribing”.

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Kristin and Julianne speak with Rebecca Holly, a Naturopath, Astrologer, and Green Witch practicing Folk Herbalism in an earth-centred and heart-led way. In this podcast, Rebecca explores some of the language and concepts in Astrological energetics, differentiates Western and Vedic Astrology, and discusses herbal medicine prescribing using Astrology, particularly focusing on the properties of solar herbs and their capacity to act as antidepressants. Rebecca generously shares patient case examples which incorporate Astrological energetic concepts and offers her wisdom to practitioners who would like to incorporate Astrology into their clinical practices. Through this podcast, Rebecca provides our practitioners with an insight into her upcoming webinar “Astrology - The Missing Energetic Map of Western Herbalism” as part of our July 2025 webinar series, “Traditional Herbal Medicine Series – Roots and Remedies: Essentials of Traditional Herbal Prescribing”.

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