“I’m scared/I’m trusting

I’m contained/I’m in motion

we’re shook/we’re normal

we’re here/we’re gone

and time goes on”

- Adrienne Marie Brown

Dear friends,

How’s it going? Are you hanging in there? There’s a lot happening in the world right now: politics, pandemics, climate change, etc. Strong feelings are swirling through the collective, most of which aren’t easy to manage. I’ve noticed that many of us are feeling overwhelmed, afraid, and worried.

Personally, I’m hoping that this particularly chaotic moment in time encourages more and more people to realize that we’re really only as safe, secure, and healthy as our most vulnerable. We truly are all in this together, so we may as well learn to take care of one another.

Because I’m an herbalist (and a human alive in the year 2020), I’ve been closely following the news about COVID-19. There’s a lot I could say about it, but one thing that I actually appreciate about the virus is that people are talking about preventative health. I don’t love that it’s causing anxiety, panic, and illness, but my hope is that we can each find ways to proactively channel our fear into holistic preventative health practices –– practices that are as grounding as they are supportive to the immune system. And practices that will serve us for years to come, coronavirus or not.

I’m also hoping that we can all remember to be mindful of the members of our community who depend on the rest of us staying healthy to stay healthy themselves. Many autoimmune and immune-compromised conditions are invisible, so if you have the privilege of health, take good care! Practicing preventative health supports community resiliency and helps protect the most vulnerable among us. Please wash your hands, cover your cough, stay home, etc., but know that there’s a lot more you can do as well (read on for details)!

Speaking of preventative health, I wanted to let you know that this is the last week to sign up for a Winter Wellness Session. Winter Wellness Sessions are sliding scale herbal consultations with a focus on preventative seasonal health. No matter which pricing tier you select ($55-$95), it includes:

• An in-depth one-on-one consultation with me (one hour);

• 1-2 custom herbal formulas;

• A detailed personal protocol including nutritional recommendations, recipes, lifestyle suggestions, and more;

• And a 25% discount code for my online shop.

These sessions are an affordable and empowering way for you to learn what simple and effective preventative health looks and feels like. My intention is that it will serve you and your family far into the future. Sign up ends Friday! (But should you miss the deadline, I’m always available for regular Wellness Consultations.)

As always, thank you for reading! And please read on for practical tips for staying healthy this season, as well as my immune-boosting bone broth recipe.

Echinacea and soup spoons,

Clare

Holistic Preventative Health (Best) Practices

I’m not a doctor nor an infectious disease expert, and I can’t speak to COVID-19 specifically, but I’d like to share with you what I’ve been doing to feel strong and resilient in my body. When it comes to preventative health, I try to avoid working allopathically and retroactively. In contrast, my goal is to support the overall health of the body before illness even occurs.

Besides washing our hands, staying home when we’re sick, etc., some of the most important things we can all do are the three S’s:

• managing our STRESS;

• supporting our SLEEP;

• and reducing our SUGAR intake.

Stress:

Our immunity is greatly affected by the level of stress we experience. When we go into a stress response and the sympathetic nervous system is engaged (known as the fight/flight/freeze/appease response), the release of cortisol temporarily suppresses immune function.  As a result, chronic stress greatly reduces our capacity to fight pathogens, and to convalesce efficiently when we do get sick. Chronic stress is also inflammatory to the tissues of the body, which can make illnesses more severe.

Many of us experience stress as a result of our job, our commute, relationships, the news, our familial responsibilities, structural factors, etc. These are called exogenous stressors. But our body can also go into a stress state in response to endogenous (internal) stressors: infections, injuries, pain, nutritional deficiencies, inflammation, dehydration, hyper/hypoglycemia, environmental toxins, etc.

We might be perfectly content in our lifestyle, but something we’re eating or an old injury pattern may actually be triggering a stress response. Unfortunately, the different kinds of stress we experience, endogenous vs. exogenous, compound each other, exacerbating our experience of stress, and making it more difficult to manage overall.

I know that for many of us, the most common stressors are out of our hands, but there are ways we can support our nervous system to more gracefully respond to them. One of my favorite ways to support a healthy stress response is to use herbal adaptogens. Adaptogens are a class of herbs that acts specifically on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis to shift the way our body transitions between a stress state and a relaxed one. Generally speaking, when used consistently over a period of time, they reduce stress hormones in the body. Another remarkable thing about adaptogens is that they also modulate the immune system, so when used over time, they support innate immunity.**

My Like a Mountain tea contains two of my favorite adaptogens (Holy Basil and Ashwaganda), as does Smoky’s Blend and my Modern Earthling tincture. I also sell a Stress Management Bundle. Or sign up for a Wellness Consultation and we’ll create a custom stress management protocol that’s right for you, incorporating herbs, nutritional recommendations, lifestyle suggestions, and more.

**Please note: you may want to talk to your doctor before using herbs if you’re pregnant, nursing, on medication, or have a health condition (and all herbs have the potential for adverse reactions– stop use and consult a health professional if something gets worse). The information provided in this email is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for a face-to-face consultation with a doctor. And if you’re sick, be sure to get the support you need!

Sleep:

Our immune system is most active while we sleep: fighting off pathogens we encountered during the day, resolving inflammation, clearing the body of unstable cells, and more. I wish mainstream public health officials emphasized sleep just as much as they do hand-washing because not only is it free, it’s something we all do but could do more of.

In addition to immunity, sleep has an abundance of benefits­­ –– it truly is the foundation of good health. This cheeky quote from a book I recently read sums it up well:

Scientists have discovered a revolutionary new treatment that makes you live longer. It enhances your memory and makes you more creative. It makes you look more attractive. It keeps you slim and lowers food cravings. It protects you from cancer and dementia. It wards off colds and flu. It lowers your risk of heart attack and stroke, not to mention diabetes. You’ll even feel happier, less depressed, and less anxious… Of course this is not describing some cure-all wonder drug, but rather the proven benefits of a full night of sleep. (From Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker).

I recommend creating space for a nightly nine-hour sleep opportunity window. That doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll sleep the whole time, but you’re giving your body ample time to rest and reset. I know this can be hard for a lot of people, but across the board, there truly is no better preventative health practice than sleep.

If you’d like herbal support for sleep, check out Drifting, my tried and true sleep tincture. I also sell a Sleep Bundle. If you chronically have trouble sleeping, consider signing up for a Wellness Consultation. There are many nutritional, herbal, and lifestyle changes we can work with to help you get the sleep you need.

Sugar:

Nothing annoys me more than when I see people touting the benefits of hand washing and vaccines, but continuing to consume processed, sugary foods and beverages. Here’s the deal: following the consumption of processed sugar, our immune system is temporarily diminished by up to 40% for anywhere from a half hour to 5 hours. This alone greatly increases our vulnerability to common illnesses.

I don’t like to demonize any particular food (everything in moderation!). However. I find it difficult to see any benefit to eating highly processed, high-sugar foods (besides maybe as an occasional treat). In addition to the ways it affects our immune system, sugar is inflammatory. It messes with our metabolism and blood sugar. It compromises liver and cardiovascular health, and much more.

I know sugar is a sticky situation for lots of folks. But when it comes to preventative health and immunity, it’s important to go this extra step with our diet. My general recommendation is to avoid sugar when you’re coming down with something, when you’re around sick people, or when you’re sick yourself. Sorry y’all, no ice cream.

If you gotta get your sweet treats in, at least try to make them as minimally processed as you can, and always pair sugar with fiber, protein, and fats to slow it’s absorption into the bloodstream (think dark chocolate dipped in nut butter).

If you’re wondering how to better incorporate these suggestions into your life in a way that feels empowering and manageable, consider signing up for a Wellness Consultation. You don’t have to do this alone!

Plant Medicine to Support Immunity

Below are a few of the daily herbal practices that I’ve been doing to support my immune system. Please keep in mind that these are the practices that work for my body and my health. There is no one size fits all in health, particularly if you have any underlying health conditions. It’s always good to talk to a doctor before taking herbs or making any major health changes, especially if you’re on medication. If you have any questions, please reach out! Or schedule your Winter Wellness Session and we’ll create a set of daily practices unique to you.

• I’ve replaced coffee with a therapeutic dose of medicinal tea. I originally formulated the tea to be deeply nourishing and balancing to the nervous system and adrenals, but because I’ve incorporated a few adaptogens into the blend, it’s also fortifying to the immune system.

• I take a blend of medicinal mushroom powder each morning, as well as vitamin D and zinc/vitamin C. There’s a lot I could say about mushrooms (see the bone broth recipe below), but generally, most medicinal mushrooms contain immune-boosting polysaccharides and other constituents that support immunity in a variety of ways. This practice is enhancing my innate immune system to be better prepared to fight off illness should I encounter it.

• I’m working with an acute tincture formula to address the lingering cough I’ve had since the holidays. I’m no longer sick, but the cold and damp weather here in Portland is preventing me from fully kicking my cold and damp cough. When we come into contact with pathogens, our mucus membranes are one of our first lines of defense. We want them to be healthy and in balance.

• I’m working with flower essences to help me with boundaries, trusting my body, and feeling my own strength rather than fear in the face of an overwhelming news cycle.

• And finally, when I travel or when I’m around people who aren’t feeling great, I take any number of acute immune-boosting herbs, drink plenty of water, and make sure I’m getting enough sleep.
  

Holistic preventative health practices are one of the ways I engage in self-care. They’re also how I’ve learned to trust in myself, the wisdom of my body, and the intelligence of the natural world.

They’re an investment in my health, and the health of those around me. These practices are simple, they’re effective, they’re sustainable, and they’re easy.

Now more than ever, I invite you to become curious about how holistic preventative health will benefit you.

Wishing you easy health and abundant wellness as the season unfolds.

Please Note: Statements made in this email have not been evaluated by the FDA. Products offered by this company are not intended to diagnose, cure, treat or prevent any illness or condition. Seek expert advice before using herbs if you have a diagnosed medical condition, are on medication, during pregnancy, nursing, or while trying to conceive. The information provided by this email, website and company is for educational purposes only, is not a substitute for a face-to-face consultation with your physician, and should not be construed as individual medical advice.