Susan Mead must be a plant-whisperer - she seems to know all their secrets.

The Fort Collins master herbalist can tell you how hawthorn berries help the heart and how stinging nettles can get out the stress, plus everything you ever wanted to know about the super powers of the common dandelion.

And you thought they were just weeds.

Susan dishes all the dirt on plant remedies in her comprehensive guide to living a healthier life, Take Back Your Body: Using Time-Tested Health Tips and Uncommon Sense. We caught up with her for a little herbal medicine 101:

Please explain the title of your book.

Over the past several decades, many of us have abdicated responsibility for our health and our choices to physicians, pharmaceutical companies, insurance companies and the food industry. I say it's time to "take back your body" by shifting from health care - often expensive and riddled with negative side effects - to self care, which is usually effective and often free.

What are some common misconceptions about herbal remedies?

Many have the impression that it always takes weeks or months to see a difference after starting to use herbal remedies. Though that is true at times, they can also be faster and more effective than antibiotics. I used some antimicrobial herbs on an infected bee sting once, after my physician said it would take antibiotics up to 24 hours to reduce the swelling. These simple plants brought down my swelling just six hours after I started taking them.

Another misconception is that they are "dangerous" since we consistently hear warnings about potential "herb-drug interactions." That happens sometimes, but there are hundreds of thousands more drug-drug interactions each year than there are herb-drug interactions. That being said, people shouldn't self-medicate with herbs if they are on any pharmaceuticals or OTC drugs.

So what are some easy ways to integrate herbs into your life?

I'm a big believer in first using food as medicine. One good starting point is simply cooking with whole foods and adding some kitchen herbs like rosemary, basil, sage, oregano, cumin, turmeric, parsley - all of which help protect us from cancer and make those whole foods taste better. The one plant I recommend to virtually everyone is stinging nettles, in the form of a strong tea called an infusion. It is a fabulous supporter of the adrenal glands which are the first area of the body affected by stress, and stress contributes to 80 to 90 percent of all diseases.

What can herbs do that modern medicine can't?

I do believe we can combine the best of both worlds. Herbs are typically much more gentle and rarely have negative side effects - in fact, many herbs have positive side effects.

Herbal medicine supports and nurtures the body in healing itself. Modern medicine is largely disease-oriented - it works best after you get really sick. The tremendous strengths of modern medicine are excellent diagnostic tools and emergency first aid.

What has herbal medicine done for you personally?

I haven't used a pharmaceutical drug for 15 years, except when I started getting migraines as a result of insomnia for five months - which turned into a blessing when I learned about adrenal support from nettle tea, which I now highly recommend.

This was just one of the interesting lessons I've had during the 12 years I've been in premenopause. I'm convinced God uses my body to help me learn more, and in turn, help others more.

But what I call "herbal medicine" actually includes making good choices with quality nutrition and moving our bodies regularly. It's a mistake to simply look at herbs as "natural substitutes for drugs."

Shifting from health care to self care is mostly about the little choices we make every day about food, exercise and stress reduction. Thankfully, I feel like my body continues to improve and get healthier as I enter my sixth decade of life.

A tea leaf a day . . .

Here are some remedies from Susan Mead's Take Back Your Body. You can find more info or buy her book at susanemead.com.

Nettle tea

Tea made from nettle leaves is dense in essential vitamins and minerals and can often reduce or alleviate the symptoms of insomnia, hot flashes, arthritis, itchy skin, headaches, constipation and other problems. To prepare nettle tea:

* Place 1 ounce of organic dried nettles in a quart-size glass jar. Canning jars work well for this, and it will be just under half-full of the dried nettles.

* Pour just-boiled water (preferably without chlorine or fluoride) over the nettles, filling the jar all the way to the top. Cap snugly, but not too tight. Let it steep for 4 hours or overnight.

* Strain the liquid out, squeezing any excess from the plant material, and store it in your refrigerator for up to three days. Drink 1 cup to 1 quart daily, either iced or heated. Feel free to add a little honey or stevia (no sugar or artificial sweeteners) for flavor.

Ginger bath

Here's the ginger bath overnight cure for the common cold. Try this the first night you feel a cold coming on:

* Right before bed: Make fresh, strong ginger tea by grating about one tablespoon of fresh ginger into a tea ball or small teapot. Add freshly boiled water and a touch of raw honey if desired. Take this to the bathtub with you and allow it to steep while you draw a bath as hot as you can stand. Add Dead Sea salts or Epsom salts, if desired. Turn down your bed and have a warm bathrobe next to the tub. Turn off all lights if possible and light a candle.

* Submerge yourself in the bath up to your chin. Relax as you drink the ginger tea. Stay until the bath starts to cool a bit, then get out, towel off quickly, put on the warm robe and go to bed immediately. Sleep as long as you can - no alarm allowed! Take it easy the next day, and consume no sugar or alcohol.

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