Can connecting with nature through a holistic approach to wellness change your daily routine or how you view medicine?

I’m not a medical professional or a certified herbalist (yet) but I wanted to share my tips on how I stay healthy. I wanted to find a way to feel better, keep strong, and stay healthy without filling my body with meds to calm a sickness. With the health goal of looking at the bigger picture, I choose a homeopathic approach to medicine which means I approach healthcare by looking at the body as a whole, not just focusing on 1 part that may be “sick”. I also incorpoate herbalism into my everyday life whether that’s growing plants, making tincutures, or just learning about herbal medicine. This type of healthy lifestyle is ongoing, sometimes challenging, but proven to work for me. I wanted to share 5 things I have incorporated into my life for those wanting to explore a more holistic and herbalistic way to health.

Apple Cider Vinegar – A home remedy that cures and protects, can be drank or put on a salad, and isn’t expensive, what’s better than that? When I don’t have a batch of Fire Cider in the house, i’ll make an ACV drink. For me I dilute a shot of ACV into a large glass of water, sometimes adding a few drops of honey or cayenne pepper. When it’s cold season I’ll have this drink every day and maybe every few days when it’s not flu season. ACV is great for heart health, lowering cholesterol, helping with digestion, and honestly just makes me feel better whenever I feel a little off healthwise. Pro tip: make sure you have the “Mother”.

Fire Cider – This is my FAVORITE immune booster and flu season prevention remedy. Fire Cider is ACV infused with ginger root, horseradish root, onion, garlic, pepper, lemon, orange, rosemary, turmeric, and honey. Thanks to well-known herbalist Rosemary Gladstar, this recipe is purely magical. Make sure to prep your Fire Cider in advance as it needs to sit 4-6 weeks before being strained. This year I am making a batch every 3 weeks because having Fire Cider in your home apothecary is a must.

Pasture-raised Meat – I am lucky enough to have a family farm where we raise beef and pork, outside between 3 large pastures, never living in enclosed spaces, never living knee-deep in sh*t, not injected with anything, and always well taken care of from beginning to end. Not every meat-eater is lucky enough to say the same, but you can do your best to buy the best meat, which is great for the animals and you. Put your money where your mouth is, literally. Health starts with what you put into your body and with a homeopathic approach I think about what I choose to eat.

Water Water Water – I am a coffee lover but before I drink my coffee in the AM, I make sure to have a glass of water. A quick Google search shows that 8-10 cups a day is the healthy amount, of course depending on how active you are. For me, I know I’m not drinking enough when I get the coffee jitters or my skin isn’t the best. The health benefits of water are endless, I mean we need it for survivial, but how do we incorporate it enough daily? Just like before my morning coffee, try to make it a habit to drink water during certain parts of your day. When you wake up, during breakfast, when you have lunch, sips while you’re in the car, dinnertime, and before bed.

Herbal Infusions – I am a big tea drinker but homemade infusions are a game-changer that you can really feel. It’s easy to grow your own herbs, throw them in a large pot of water, and slowly bring it up to boil (but don’t let it boil). Plants are powerful and if you want to feel the effects you want to consume them in the freshest way possible. If you think about tea that you buy in the store, by the time you take it home and make it, how much processing and time has passed since the leafs were picked? My favorite summer infusion is fresh lemon balm, sage, and mint – makes a refreshing tea you can drink hot or cold, it boosts your energy, is extremely hydrating, and you grew it yourself!

Written by Eva Gerrits