Vitalist Roots

23/08/2022

The nervous system weaves the connection from our brain, mind, emotions, and intentions with our physical body.

Check out my new blog post with The Holistic Time Coach for plant-based tools that soothe the nervous system!!

The nervous system weaves the connection from our brain, mind, emotions, and intentions with our physical body. It helps us communicate with the world around us through movement, touch, taste, smell, and perception and regulates our internal environment through breath, circulation, digestion, and

22/01/2022

Winter tea to warm and uplift ❄️

Winter, as we know, is cold. We usually move less, can feel a little stagnant, and shorter days have a dampening effect on the mind, mood, and emotions.

Try this tea blend to uplift the body and mind, stimulate and warm the circulation, and support the immune system. Great for Wintertime!

Fireside Tea recipe

+ 1 tsp lemon balm
+ 1 tsp elderflower
+ 1/2 tsp astragalus
+ 1/2 tsp cassia cinnamon
+ 1/4 tsp ginger root (fresh or dried)
+ 1/4 tsp licorice
+ 1/4 tsp lemon peel (fresh or dried)

Pour recently boiled water over herbs and allow to steep for 15-20 min. Strain and enjoy wrapped up in a warm blanket or next to a cozy fire.

Check out my last post to read more on Winter’s teachings!

20/01/2022

I don't know about y'all, but the holidays had me beat. It was nice to have the time, but DAMN its been hard to get back to it.

I've been reminding myself of a conversation my clients and I have often about moving with the seasons. A practice all of nature takes part in.

Remembering to move with the seasons can be a tool for shutting out the noise and tuning into what our bodies need from us in this moment.

Sometimes this practice aligns with the actual seasons of the year, and sometimes we go through our own bodily seasons.

I find this practice especially helpful during Wintertime to remind us that it's OK to just be.

❄️ Winter is a season that encourages us to turn inward - days are shorter, darkness reigns, and cold temps keep us inside. If we look to what the Earth is doing outdoors, we see animals and insects hibernating, trees and plants become dormant.

❄️ The world around us has an overall sense of stillness and restfulness, as nature copes with a lesser abundance of resources and harsher weather.

On the other hand, the human world is demanding year round. We live in a HIGH-stress environment, with higher expectations.

When Winter draws us in towards rest and stillness… we feel anxiety, guilt, and shame - I'm not doing enough, not working hard enough, not meeting expectations enough, not BEING enough. *insert scream*

We all know the feelings.

But, when we tune back into our natural rhythms and see ourselves reflected in Winter, we realize we don't have to feel guilty.

While we often can't turn away from our responsibilities, Winter reminds us to acknowledge our innate need for rest and stillness. To recognize it's OK to be less energetic or not feel like the biggest go getter there ever was. Show up as you can, and to not be too hard on ourselves.

Moving with Winter helps us be more realistic with our capacity, so we can take care of our sh*t, engage in what's meaningful, try not to over extend ourselves to what's not, and savor our energy when possible.

Winter is a great time to focus on tuning in to your body, nourishing mineral-rich foods, looking inward, reflection, low impact movement, & other relaxing rituals.

09/12/2021

Mimosa blossom (Albizia julibrissin) throwback from summertime for your timeline☀️

This tree is native to China! So we’ve learned much of what we know of this plant from Traditional Chinese Medicine.

The bark and flowers are sweet and aromatic, with acridity in the bark. In times of distress, Mimosa relaxes the nervous system while also elevating mood.

We often think of aromatic plants and aromatic elements as being airy, upward moving, elevating emotions upward physically and energetically. For that reason it helps to lift sadness and bring on a sense of happiness - on brand for its other name, the Tree of Happiness.

At the same time it’s relaxing, soothing nervous system overactivity. This gives it the unique quality of being both calming, sedating, AND uplifting to the mood, mind, and emotions. Think of moments of anxiety, overstimulation, and tension, accompanied with stagnant, depressed mood and thoughts.

It also has an affinity for the heart, which is often characteristics of our pink or red herbs *fun fact*

I can remember the first time I tried Mimosa in Minnesota in one of yummy blends! So good.

When we first moved to the Eastern Shore, I was pleasantly surprised to see these trees growing allllll over. They’re so pretty 😍 but they are considered invasive. Native to China, Mimosa was introduced to this part of the world in the 1700s.

01/12/2021

With the weather getting ever colder and the days getting shorter, we’re starting to see lots of sniffles, sticky mucus, coughs, sneezes, etc.

So I wanted to share here a few easy, at-home recipes that I’ve been sharing ‘tons with friends, family, and clients.

Swipe to check out the recipe for an immune-supporting Garlic-Honey Lemonade! A traditional remedy, with variations shared by many of my herbal teachers.

I might be biased but this stuff is so fricken good and extra tasty when you’re not feeling well and dehydrated. Sometimes I still crave it when I’m happy and well 😅

Let’s take a look at the goodies inside this Garlic-Honey Lemonade...

🌿 Garlic is antimicrobial, helpful for bacterial and viral infections of all kinds, especially in the respiratory tract. It is warming, aromatic, and drying, especially helpful when mucus is thick, sticky, and stuck. Garlic also contains some vitamins and minerals essential for immune health, like zinc, B-vitamins, vitamin A, and C!

🌿 Lemon is sour, stimulating saliva and helping us absorb nutrients. It’s rich in vitamin C and flavonoids, antioxidants that can protect immune cells from free radical damage. It’s also antimicrobial and a traditional remedy for colds and flu.

🌿 Honey is warming, antimicrobial, and, most importantly, moistening to help balance the drying effect of the other herbs and dehydrating impact of being sick.

Tip: if you tend to be a really dry person in general, add 1-3 tsp of marshmallow root powder to your finished tea - it’s extra mucilaginous and moistening to help combat the drying actions of garlic.

Suggested use: drink up to 3 cups per day.

Optional extras… a little bit of sea salt gives added hydration and minerals, and ginger will give added immune support and flavor with more of a carminative action to soothe the stomach if it is uneasy. You could even add a squeeze of fresh orange for more vitamin C, antioxidants, and a different flavor!

Also pictured are a few herbs, like thyme, oregano, rosemary, and mint, that we used for a different remedy...stay tuned to learn when and how to use kitchen herbs in herbal facial steams!

I offer Urgent Wellness Recommendations for quick, at-home and easy-to-find remedies (like this yummy Garlic-Honey Lemonade) for anyone experiencing acute wellness concerns. Learn more on my website, https://www.vitalistroots.com/consultation-descriptions

21/11/2021

Hey y'all, long time no chat.

Welcome to Vitalist Roots - Herbal Health & Wellness, with me, Andie, your local clinical herbalist 🌿

Over the past 5 years, I've been studying herbal medicine. Plants have brought me to so many places, literally and figuratively.

Herbalism weaves the art and science of using plants and plant extracts to support the healthy structure and function of the body, mind, and spirit.

Vitalist Roots is my small business, my creation. It is the physical manifestation of all herbal, health, nature-based, and interpersonal experiences, education, thoughts, dreams, and inspirations I've gathered over the years (and continue to learn 😉).

As an herbalist, I offer virtual one-on-one consultations. Together we work through your health experiences, and I help connect you with the right herbs through custom herbal formulations, food, and lifestyle guidance.

Please check out my new website to learn more, www.vitalistroots.com! And say hello in the comments. I'm looking forward to reconnecting with friends old and new.

Posting & being vulnerable on social media has really made me uneasy over the past few years, so thank you to everyone keeping an open mind and supporting me as I take the leap 💖

23/09/2019

After my second weekend in Minnesota for a series learning with Matthew Wood, I was lucky to travel to Pennsylvania to spend time with family. In Minnesota, we talked a lot about Goldenrod and my mind had been curiously dancing around the plant ever since. During my long drive to Pennsylvania, I found myself surrounded by Goldenrod as it lined the highway and filled roadside trenches the further we rose in elevation. ⁣⁣
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Once I pulled onto the all too familiar backroads to my family’s house, I was shocked to see FIELDS of Goldenrod almost everywhere I turned. Goldenrod is an abundant plant during this time of year (some call it a w**d), but I had never seen it quite like this— laid out in blankets of yellow and green covering the land. ⁣⁣
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It’s crazy to me that these plants grow right under our noses and we can go so long without knowing them. I grew up coming to this rural place my whole life, and never knew. But once you know a plant, how it looks, what it likes, where it grows, it starts to find you everywhere, even in places you thought you’d already looked 🌿😊 ⁣⁣
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I processed this Goldenrod harvest into a fresh plant tincture and I can’t wait to try it!⁣
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**ds

22/09/2019

A beautiful Magnolia flower that was bigger than my head!! I wish I could somehow capture how sweet it smelled. I took this picture in Ohio in early June, and when I look at it I feel like I can still smell it. This was one of those encounters with a plant where I just wanted to dive right in and stay there forever.⁣
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This species of Magnolia tree has the biggest single leaf and flower of any native North American plant 🌸⁣
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