Herbalism Articles: Traditional Practice, Primary Research
I'm Ivy Ham, a certified clinical herbalist. Every article in this library combines traditional practice from Western herbalism, Ayurveda, and Traditional Chinese Medicine with primary research you can check for yourself.
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Where to Buy Oysters: Sourcing, Harvest Tags, Cadmium & Spoilage
A dozen raw oysters costs a third as much bought live as it does at a restaurant. This guide covers where to buy them, how to read the tag, spoilage signs, storage, and how to tell wood-smoked from flavored.
Where to Buy Raw Milk in Charlotte, NC: Local Retailer List
A verified list of Charlotte metro retailers, farmers markets, and herdshare pickups carrying raw pet milk, with addresses, links, and a plain explanation of North Carolina raw milk law.
Lactating Steers and Hormones in Beef: What a 20,000-Head Study Found
New research found thousands of steers producing milk at slaughter. Here is what hormone growth implants are, why grass fed labels do not rule them out, and how to source beef from farms that never use them.
7 Grass-Finished Regenerative Beef Farms With a Published No-mRNA Vaccine Policy (2026)
Where to buy grass-finished regenerative beef direct from the farm, what vaccine technologies are licensed for US cattle and swine, and a five-step process for checking a farm's claims.
Bugs in Your Food: Insect Ingredients Hiding on Store Shelves (2026 Guide)
Insect ingredients are in more foods than most people realize, and several new ones arrived in the last two years. This guide lists every label name to watch for, the parasites and allergens found in farmed insects, and the FDA's legal limits for bug fragments in everyday foods.
Sourdough Bread on the Ray Peat Diet: What He Said
Peat never put sourdough on his recommended list, but in interviews he called a long-soaked loaf "very safe compared to the standard bread." Here is what he wrote, what he said, and how to pick a loaf that fits.
The Worst Cooking Oils for Your Health (and the Most Stable Oils to Use Instead)
Not all cooking oils are created equal. This guide ranks the best low-PUFA, heat-stable fats for cooking and explains why many seed oils oxidize and inflame. Plus: safe, non-diet ways to use up seed oils you already own,without eating or applying them to your body.
Is Red Meat Healthy? Here’s What “The Science” Says
Explore the differences between grass-fed and conventional red meat, and examine the research that challenges the common view of red meat as unhealthy. This article highlights the nutritional benefits of pasture-raised beef and addresses the flaws in studies that group it with processed meat.
Raw Milk Benefits vs Pasteurized Milk: Nutrition Facts, Risks, and What the Numbers Show
Is raw milk good for you? A clinical herbalist compares raw milk benefits, nutrition facts, and health risks against pasteurized milk using outbreak records, individual death case files, and the cohort studies on childhood asthma and allergy.
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Adaptogenic Herbs for Stress
Only seven botanicals truly meet the scientific criteria for adaptogens. Monographs on all seven, drawing on Ayurveda, TCM, and Western herbalism.
Ray Peat Approved Foods List
The complete guide to bioenergetic eating: fruits, dairy, proteins, fats, grey area foods, and a detailed FAQ.
Best Water Filters for Fluoride, Aluminum & PFAS
A 2026 comparison of reverse osmosis and gravity filters from someone who has used them all firsthand.
Clean Mineral Sunscreen Brands + DIY Zinc Sun Balm
The cleanest mineral sunscreens on the market, plus the non-nano zinc sun balm I make at home instead.
Natural Tick Repellent That Works
Plant-based repellents that hold up in studies, a DIY recipe, and the case against DEET and permethrin.
The Clean Coffee Buying Guide
Every brand that passes strict criteria: third-party tested, organic, mold-free, with a Swiss Water decaf option.