Herbology and Human Health

IPAK-EDU / Gaeta Institute Herbal Course

This course starts 9/2024

Day of Week TBD

Each class meeting lasts about 1 hr, and as always, videos of all presentations will be made available.

Instructors: Gaeta/Kendra/Brown/Kikel

Course Description

This course, jointly offered by the Institute for Pure and Applied Knowledge and the Gaeta Institute for Wholistic Health Education, is designed to give health professionals and the health-conscious public reliable, practical training in the use of botanical medicine to improve and maintain health. Both traditional herbal practice and modern research will inform the topics covered in the course. Classes are taught by a range of expert clinical herbalists, published authors and researchers, and herbal scientists. Students will have the opportunity to ask questions during the live classes, and receive research studies or abstracts of research relevant to that topic. The course provides a foundational understanding of herbal medicine, and specific application of phytotherapy for specific health challenges.

15-Week Curriculum

Michael will host each class and may add something on that topic.

Class Time: Wednesdays, 11am Pacific / 12pm Mountain / 1pm Central / 2pm Eastern

Week One

Topics: Course Overview. Herbalism: History, Overview of World Systems, Phytochemistry

Instructor: Michael Gaeta,Sara Woods Kender, Dale Brown

Week Two

Topics: Home Herbalism Part One: Identifying, Collecting, Growing, Drying & Storing Medicinal Plants

Instructor: Sara Woods Kender

Plant medicine is all around us, no matter where we live. This class is about basic identification skills, notes on collecting sustainably or growing your own medicine as well as drying and storing for use later. Being a part of making your own medicine is as rewarding as it is healing to your body, mind, and soul.

Week Three

Topic: Cardiovascular System

Instructor: Michael Gaeta

In this class you will learn the contributors to cardiovascular disease, the disease process, and specific botanical support to promote cardiovascular health.

Week Four

Topics: Pain & Inflammation

Instructor: Jonathan Evans

Week Five

Topics: Stress, Anxiety & Insomnia

Instructor: Jonathan Evans

Week Six

Topics: Mental Clarity; Longevity

Instructor: Dale Brown

“A mind is a terrible thing to waste, but a wonderful thing to invest in.” The iconic slogan of the United Negro College Fund. This world is destroying the minds of both children and adults. Autism, ADHD, Anxiety, Depression, Alzheimers, Parkinsons, Dementia, and many more neurological “brain conditions” are plaguing almost all westernized societies. What can we do about it? How can we lower our risk? How can we use plant medicines to help our friends and family?

Week Seven

Topics: Digestion, Intestinal Disorders, including indigestion, nausea & IBS; Appetite Suppression

Instructor: Charlotte Kikel

"All disease starts in the gut." -Hippocrates There are nine times as many messages coming from the gut to the brain than there are from the brain to the gut. So who's really in charge? Millions of people suffer from chronic acid reflux, gas, bloating, diarrhea and constipation, but they don't have to. In this webinar, we will explore what is now known as the second brain and what you can do to empower your digestive fire with healing plants.

Week Eight

Topics: Enhancing Immunity; Cold, Flu, COVID-19 & Immunity Biosimilars

Instructor: Dale Brown

The immune system is the key system that protects us from “invaders.” Whether it be viral, bacterial, parasitic, fungal, etc. as well as toxins. How can we support our bodies with herbals so when the day comes that we have to face that “horrible virus” or whatever it may be, we can weather that storm with ease and confidence.

Week Nine

Topics: Metabolic Syndrome & Diabetes

Instructor: Sara Kender Woods

Millions of people suffer from blood sugar control issues. In this class I will discuss the types of diabetes as well as how an individual can use herbs, diet, and lifestyle changes to control blood sugar and reduce dependency on pharmaceuticals for management.

Week Ten

Topics: Allergies, Asthma, COPD

Instructor: Charlotte Kikel

"Environmental allergies are the froth on the sea of food allergies." -Paul Bergner All the drug commercials on television make it look like pollen is out to get us, but it's not about the pollen, it's about you! Allergies are the story of our broken relationship with our bodies and environment, but there is hope. We can use herbs to quiet the mast cells that produce histamine, to open up the respiratory tract, to modulate mucus production and much more. This week’s class is about building your natural medicine cabinet and enjoying the outdoors again.

Week Eleven

Topic: Autoimmune Conditions

Instructor: Dale Brown

The prevalence of diagnosed, not counting the likely thousands of people who go undiagnosed, autoimmune conditions in the US was 7% in 2019. This condition favors women, but why? Can herbs and medicinal mushrooms be harnessed to help those suffering with autoimmunity? Can herbs be dangerous for those with autoimmune conditions and if so, which would be best to avoid in some cases?

Week Twelve

Topics: Home Herbalism Part Two: Tinctures, Salves & Poultices, Essential Oils, Medicinal Biosimilars in the Kitchen

Instructor: Charlotte Kikel

"Fresh herbs really belong anywhere you put them." -Alex Guarnaschelli

You've learned about a number of herbs in this course, but now what do you do with them? This webinar is where the rubber meets the road. Here we will explore the practical side of herbal medicine and how best to administer it in your kitchen. Using herbal medicine with children will receive special attention. It's time to put on our creative hats and have some fun!

Week Thirteen

Topic: Cancer

Instructor: Dale Brown

Cancer is a devastating condition. Few other conditions strike fear in the hearts of those who are diagnosed with it. I believe that plant “medicines” should always be utilized when developing a treatment strategy to help people combat cancer. Whether an individual chooses conventional treatments or natural strategies, herbs can help support our bodies' natural defenses against cancer and reduce the toxic detrimental effects of radiation or chemo.

Week Fourteen

Topic: Medicinal Mushrooms

Instructor: Sara Woods Kender and Dale Brown

Immune health is an important aspect of being in balance and medicinal mushrooms can provide that balance and support.In this discussion I will show you some common mushrooms that grow right here in the US, the habitat they grow in, how to harvest and make medicine with them.I’ll also talk about the wonderful benefits mushrooms possess for every day use as well as for acute situations. Mushrooms are food and they are medicine and an essential part of staying healthy.

Week Fifteen

Topic: Herb/Drug, Herb/Herb Interactions

Instructor: James Lyons-Weiler

Mindful of safety, the chance interaction between herbals, medicinal plants and drugs can be a concern.While not comprehensive, this lecture will outline some of the better-known risks of interactions and point to some major guideposts on herb/drug and herb/herb interactions.

Recommended Texts

Principles & Practice of Phytotherapy. Kerry Bone & Simon Mills

Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine

The Essential Guide to Herbal Safety. Kerry Bone, Simon Mills

Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine: 550 Herbs and Remedies for Common Ailments. Andrew Chevallier

Functional Herbal Therapy by Kerry Bone

The Wild Medicine Solution by Guido Mase

The Essential Book of Herbal Medicine by Simon Mills

Herbal Formularies for Health Professionals Volume 1-5 by JillStansbury

Adaptogens in Medical Herbalism by Donald Yance

Herbal Constituents by Lisa Ganora

Medical Herbalism by David Hoffman

Botany in a Day by Thomas J. Elpel

Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide by Lawrence Newcomb

The Fungal Pharmacy by Robert Rogers

Our Faculty

Dr. Michael Gaeta

Dr Michael Gaeta’s purpose is to co-create a world of vital, resilient people who choose a lifestyle of “nature first, drugs last.” To accomplish this, he treats patients with Chinese and functional medicine, and helps natural health professionals improve their patient care and practice success.

Michael holds licenses in acupuncture, dietetics-nutrition, and massage therapy. He is also an herbalist and a doctor of acupuncture and Oriental medicine. Over the last 28 years, he has trained over 18,000 practitioners. His teaching is informed by 31 years of successful clinical practice. He co-founded Acupuncture for Veterans, which provided free treatments in New York City. Michael is past president of the Acupuncture Society of New York, earning awards for State Association and State Association President of the Year. He appeared on the CBS Early Show and NBC News, and his wellness podcast attracted over 100,000 subscribers. Michael is also a pianist, which was his first career.

Dr Gaeta teaches a natural functional medicine certification program and several online CEU courses in clinical and business success. Dr Gaeta is also active in promoting health choice and informed consent. More at michaelgaeta.com.

Sara Woods Kender is a clinical herbalist with 15 years’ experience as an herbal practitioner.She owns and operates a full-service herbal apothecary in Meredith, NH called Sacred Tree Herbals in which helping people find balance in her community is an integral part of her life's work. She lives on a 40-acre parcel of land she owns with her husband, two daughters, two Rhodesian Ridgebacks and a bunch of chickens.They live on an off-grid home homestead which provides the independence and connections needed to live as natural a life as possible.

Charlotte Kikel’s rare combination of personal experience, formal education, and commitment to practicing what she teaches makes her an inspiring practitioner and educator. Charlotte is a Board Certified Holistic Nutritionist and in April 2008, she obtained a Master’s of Science from the Maryland University of Integrative Health (formerly the Tai Sophia Institute) located in Laurel, Maryland. She is currently pursuing a certification as an Electromagnetic Radiation Specialist from The Building Biology Institute. Charlotte is also the author of Eat in Peace to Live in Peace: Your Handbook for Vitality. She resides in Santa Fe, New Mexico with her husband and son where she homeschools, goes on long walks, and cooks delicious meals.

Dr. Dale has been serving his community as a chiropractor for 12 years, he is a holistic health coach/advocate and he's very passionate about healing our bodies in an innate manner. He also loves truth and exposing the deception that is sweeping our nation in the form of Pharma. Dr. Dale has utilized phytotherapy/herbalism to support the body's natural healing capability withthousands of patients and clients over the years.