The Reality of Herbal Therapy

On this episode of the Reality of Herbal Therapy, Jim and Lynn dive into the simple, powerful practice of rebounding — a gentle mini‑trampoline workout Dr. James called the "most superior form of exercise." They trace the practice back to Dr. James’ introduction to the rebounder by Bruno Gerzeli in 1978, recount how athletes and even NASA used rebounding to recover muscle tone, and explain why this humble tool became ce...

Long before pharmacies and pharmaceutical marketing dominated the conversation, people turned to plants, family knowledge, and community healers. In this special episode of the Reality of Herbal Therapy podcast, host Jim Applegate (joined by Lynn and reflections on Dr. James and Veronica’s work) ties the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence to Dr. James’s “Declaration of Health” — the i...

Join host Jim Applegate and co-host Lynn for a deep, story-driven episode of Reality of Herbal Therapy that reframes digestive complaints as signals — not just food problems. Through a personal family anecdote about Dr. James sending a herbal formula to his father (who was thought to have high blood pressure but actually had colitis), the episode shows how treating the digestive root resolved wide-ranging symptoms and reshape...

In this episode of the Reality of Herbal Therapy with Jim Applegate, hosts Jim and Lynn dive into the science and stories behind the gut–brain connection — what researchers call your "second brain." They explain the enteric nervous system and the vagus nerve, and reveal that about 90% of the body’s serotonin is produced in the digestive tract. Using family anecdotes (including changes in their grandparents’ ...

On this episode of Reality of Herbal Therapy with Jim Applegate, Jim and co-host Lynn walk listeners through a practical herbal protocol called Detoxalation — an oral chelation formula developed alongside Dr. James — that has helped their family and clients clear heavy metals and chemical build-up. They explain why the product was created to support and sometimes outperform IV chelation, and how it works to open pathway...

In this episode of the Reality of Herbal Therapy, hosts Jim Applegate and Lynn Applegate dive deep into Bell’s palsy — what it is, why it happens, and practical herbal strategies to speed recovery. Using a true caller story about a woman helped by Dr. James, they explain the anatomy of the facial nerve, the role of the myelin sheath, and how inflammation and nutrient depletion can cause sudden facial paralysis.

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Join host Jim Applegate and guest Lynn on the Reality of Herbal Therapy podcast as they cut through the latest health buzzwords—longevity, biohacking, cold plunges, and GLP drugs—and return to practical, plant-centered wisdom. Through personal stories about family members who thrived (and struggled) in old age, they illustrate why quality of life matters more than mere years lived.

The episode explores Dr. James’s...

In this episode of the Reality of Herbal Therapy with Jim Applegate, Jim explores kidney stones—what they are, why they form, and how to treat and prevent them using herbal remedies and lifestyle changes. He explains the anatomy of stones (sharp mineral crystals likened to New Mexico "goat head" seeds), why weakened or undernourished kidneys allow crystals to form, and the most common dietary and behavioral contributors.

Jim ...

Join host Jim Applegate and guest Lynn on the Reality of Herbal Therapy as they uncover the easy, time-honored remedy they call “tea honey” — a simple concentrate of apple cider vinegar and honey used by their family for decades. In this episode they share the history of the recipe (a find in an old Folk Medicine book), how they make and store it, and why it became a staple in their home and food storage.

The epis...

Join host Jim Applegate on the Reality of Herbal Therapy podcast as he explores Dr. James’s five pillars of health — diet, herbs, vitamins, muscles and attitude — with an in-depth focus on why attitude is essential to wellbeing. Jim breaks down the biology of stress and mood: how chronic negative thinking and fight-or-flight responses deplete B vitamins and magnesium, shut down digestion and immunity, and undermin...

Join host Jim Applegate on the Reality of Herbal Therapy as he walks listeners through a real call from an older woman struggling with severe constipation followed by persistent nausea, bloating, and stomach inflammation. Using that case, Jim explains why he recommended a Slippery Elm drink and how topical, mucilaginous teas can soothe inflamed tissues in the mouth, throat, esophagus, and stomach in ways capsules often cannot.

Draw...

Host Jim Applegate shares a candid, first-person account of a recent illness that began as what he thought were seasonal allergies and turned out to be the flu. This solo episode explores how subtle symptom differences, delayed action, and the wrong single-focus approach allowed the infection to migrate into his lungs and knock him flat for days.

Jim walks listeners through the signs that distinguish allergies from influenza &mdash...

Join host Jim Applegate and guest Lynn on the Reality of Herbal Therapy podcast as they explore what skin changes really mean and practical, plant‑based approaches to support skin health. This episode explains how the skin—our largest organ—reflects internal imbalances and why issues like dryness, itchiness, acne, redness, puffiness, and chronic spots are often messages from the lymphatics, liver, digestion, and circula...

Join host Jim Applegate on the Reality of Herbal Therapy podcast as he walks listeners through the seasonal shift into spring and how to prepare your body naturally. This episode explores how the body’s rhythms change as days lengthen—less sleep, increased liver and lymph activity, shifting digestion—and why paying attention to those signals makes the transition smoother and healthier.

Jim discusses practical diet...

Join host Jim Applegate on the Reality of Herbal Therapy podcast as he uses a Super Bowl analogy to walk listeners through practical herbal strategies to prepare for allergy season. Drawing on personal stories from New Mexico—where juniper pollen can be brutally dominant—Jim explains why early preparation matters and how a consistent plan can prevent being overwhelmed by pollen, mucus, and respiratory distress.

The epis...

Join Jim Applegate on the Reality of Herbal Therapy as he turns a simple Facebook post—"Is it the flu or is it the inversion?"—into a deep dive on three different triggers of respiratory irritation: winter inversions and smog, the seasonal flu, and snow mold spores. Using on-location observations from Utah Valley and a tip from Lynn about snow mold, Jim compares how physical, biological, and fungal irritants all produce...

Join host Jim Applegate on the Reality of Herbal Therapy podcast for a deep dive into cayenne — one of the 20 herbs Dr. James recommends every home should have. This episode traces cayenne’s journey from Central and South America to kitchens and medicine cabinets around the world, with a special New Mexico perspective on green and red chiles, ristras, and regional varieties like Big Jim and Anaheim.

Topics covered inclu...

On this Reality of Herbal Therapy episode host Jim Applegate explores slippery elm — one of the essentials from Dr. James’s classic 20‑herb first‑aid kit. Jim explains what slippery elm is, where it grows, and why the inner bark’s mucilage makes it such a versatile, gentle remedy for the whole family.

You’ll learn the herb’s primary actions (mucilaginous coating and soothing of irritated membranes) and...

In this episode of the Reality of Herbal Therapy with Jim Applegate, Jim traces the origin stories behind the clinic’s most trusted herbal formulas, centered on the life and work of his father-in-law, Dr. James.

Listeners will hear how an 18-year-old’s near-fatal ulcer and later debilitating allergies in Oregon led Dr. James to study at Dominion Herbal College under Ella Berznik, start making house calls from an old del...