How To Be An Herbal Chef w. Oscar Sierra L.Ac., Dipl. CH

Last Updated:

Key Information

Oscar Sierra is an herbalist and acupuncturist

He practices traditional Chinese medicine and functional medicine in Atlanta, Georgia and Ashland, Oregon.

Herbs are individual and contextual

Not every herb or mushroom works for every person in the same way2. Herbs should be used in the bigger context of overall health and wellness.

Herbs can complement other lifestyle factors

Herbs can help with focus, memory, mood, and other aspects of cognitive function, but only when other parts of lifestyle are in check, such as diet, sleep, stress, and mold exposure.

Herbs vs drugs are different

Herbs are not just natural versions of drugs. They have different mechanisms, effects, and interactions. For example, ephedra the drug is different from ephedra the whole plant.

Affiliate Disclosure: Holistic Nootropics may earn affiliate commissions if you purchase through the links on this page. Here's how it works.

In this episode, I discuss herbalism with Oscar Sierra, an herbalist practicing traditional Chinese medicine and functional medicine in Atlanta, Georgia.

I had a blast discussing herbs and herbal practices with Oscar who emphasizes the importance of using herbs in the bigger context of overall health and wellness.

Herbs are also individual.

Not every herb or mushroom works for every person in the same way.

In fact, these compounds are highly individual.

Check out the show notes for full references to everything we discussed and enjoy the episode!

Biohack Your Brainpower

Stay ahead with our newsletter: cutting-edge biohacking tips and the latest in nootropics, all in one place.

About Oscar Sierra

Oscar hails from the martial arts where finding, feeling, and understanding Qi, Yin, Yang, and pressure points to humanely neutralize opponents easily transferred to TCM and helping restore balance as he pivoted to the medical arts.

Oscar earned a Nutrition Science BS & minored in Anthropology with a focus on Traditional Medicine at UGA.

After 3000+hrs of hands-on apprenticeship training and national board exams, Oscar earned Board Certification in both Herbal Medicine & Acupuncture in 2009.

In addition to the valuable seminar, conference, and workshop continuing Ed. in ancient TCM–an invaluable addition to Oscar’s toolbelt–Oscar also continued studies in the more biomedical & systems engineering fields of Functional Med. & wholistic oncology.

The amalgamative zenith of these is the ETMS where the ancient wisdom of Traditional Med. (Chinese, Ayurvedic, American Eclectic, Southern Folk) informs modern functional analytics to produce Patient-Centered care.

You can usually find him custom compounding formulas for his Pt’s at his full-time private practice in ATL, Sierra Botanica & Collaborative Medicine and he also recently joined the clinician team at the Mederi Center–Donnie Yance’s clinic in Ashland, OR.

Show Notes

Got into TCM through martial arts

Failure of mainstream medicine to address nutrition

Example of Herbs vs Drugs: Ephedra the drug vs Ephedra the whole plant

Common people using herbs pharmacologically is not ideal

Herbs are very individual

Plants have their own flavors

How to figure out what herb is right for you?

Ashwagandha and Rhodiola don’t typically go together

Licorice is in many formulas because it helps bond other herbs

Herbs compliment only when other parts of lifestyle are in check: Diet, mold, etc

Focus drug alternatives: Gotu Kola, Centella, Bacopa Monnieri .. combine w. Something moistening: Licorice, milky oats, linden

Bacopa as a tea good for someone with water retention, eye puffiness, overweight

Centella + Bacopa tea is really good for focus

Black Spruce essential oil good for adrenals

Liver detox herbs: Milk Thistle, Green Tea, turmeric

Herbal medicine is Pleiotropic

Passionflower good for brain and focus

Mushrooms: Get with whole fruiting body, mycelium,

Most people UNDER-DOSE mushrooms

Maitake Mushrooms great for blood sugar

Important Links

American Herbalist Guild

Sierra Collaborative – Oscar’s Practice in Ga

https://medericenter.org/our-care-team/oscar-sierra.html

Biohack Your Brainpower

Stay ahead with our newsletter: cutting-edge biohacking tips and the latest in nootropics, all in one place.
Photo of author

Author

Erik Abramowitz is a certified Nutritional Therapy Practitioner (NTP), Naturopathic Doctoral student, health coach, and father. He is the primary content creator for HolisticNootropics.com and the host of the Holistic Nootropics Podcast.

Leave a Comment