Vinegar Kits + Shop News

As spring approaches in the Northern Hemisphere, our bodies begin to stretch towards the growing light.  The threshold between the end of winter and the beginning of spring is a wonderful opportunity to support our bodies naturally process of shedding the drowsy energies of winter.  Cleansing and detoxifying herbs that work to tonify our body systems are great herbal allies at this time of the year.  We've combined our two medicinal vinegars, Amazon Brew and TOUGH AS NAILS Iron Vinegar, in a new Remedy Kit to help you re-balance and re-align your body and spirit to the visions of buds and blossoms calling us from our winter slumber.  You can find our new Medicinal Vinegars Remedy Kit in our S H O P.

The early promises of spring will also be carrying the Apothecary from our Northern home in Portland, Maine to our new adventure in Austin, Texas.  We told you the Apothecary has a tendency to up and move!  We'll be closing the shop for a few weeks starting mid-March as we'll be driving across the country, visiting friends and family, meeting new plants, and defrosting as we get further south.  Look for some great deals in the next few days as we try to sell a lot of our shop stock in anticipation of our move!

A New Tea for Two!

We are proud to present the latest in our pregnancy and postpartum tea series: Sweet Nectar Milk Blend. A tea to support breastfeeding, Sweet Nectar Milk Blend combines of galactagogue, nutritious, and nervine herbs.  Sweet Nectar Milk Blend encourages the production of milk by stimulating milk flow, providing the body with nutrients, and calming and relaxing mama by supporting the nervous system.

For breast feeding success, we always encourage new families to seek advice and guidance for proper breastfeeding techniques from a midwife or lactation consultant.  Learning how to breastfeed correctly will be the first and biggest benefit to successfully breastfeeding.

Sweet Nectar Milk Blend includes:

FENNEL Foeniculum vulgare: A yummy galactagogue that has long been used in postpartum blends to encourage milk flow.

FENUGREEK Trigonella foenumgraecum: Another classic galactagogue, Fenugreek is also anti-inflammatory which can be very helpful to reduce any swelling or pain.

RASPBERRY LEAF Rubus idaeus: Full of vitamins and minerals to relax, strengthen and restore the body such as vitamin E, calcium, magnesium, manganese, potassium, it also increases colostrum in the milk when used during pregnancy.

NETTLES Urtica dioica: Nettles are full of iron, vitamin E, vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin B, calcium, just to name a few of this green beauty’s constituents.  Very nutritious, indeed!

LEMON BALM Melissa officinalis: Helps mamas adapt to change, alleviates frustration, and soothes the nerves.

ALFALFA Medicago sativa: Stimulates lactation and increases the quality of breast milk while providing vitamins and minerals such as vitamin C, calcium, iron, and zinc.

CARAWAY Carum carvi: A galactagogue that also provides calcium and iron to the body.

ANISE Pimpinella anisum: Another galactagogue, Anise is also said to promote youthfulness and prevent nightmares.  Lovely!

Visit our S H O P to purchase Sweet Nectar Milk Blend and our other pregnancy and postpartum series tea blends.

Vibrational Medicine: Flower + Gem Essences

Borage

Flower and gem essences are a form of vibrational healing that recognizes the energetic foundation of all healing work and that all living things are infused with energy. Flowers and gems appear again and again through the ages as potent healing medicines, often used in religious rites to alter the states of those present, to cleanse hearts, bodies, and minds of impurities, and to protect against illness and disease. There has been a recent renaissance of the use of flower and gem essences as a healing therapy, starting in the early 20^th century with the work of Dr. Edward Bach and continuing to grow and flourish as a practice around the world.

Flower and gem essences are inherently mysterious in the way they work – a perfectly enchanted form of healing that we love at the Apothecary. There are many theories on why and how flower and gem essences work, but essentially they affect our emotional, spiritual, and mental foundations. A flower or gem essence can be taken to deal with anxiety, address feelings of inadequacy, and in conjunction with traditional herbal remedies to heal physical symptoms such as acne. Vibrational medicine by and large affects our emotional states, but have definite impact on our physical conditions.

Milkweed

Creating flower and gem essences are simple. The basic idea is that the healing essence of the flower or gem is imprinted in the water it resides in through use of sunlight, moonlight or heat. Flower and gem essences are generally taken 3-4 times per day and at small dosages of usually only 1-5 drops. A dosage cycle usually lasts about a month, but changes are usually felt within the first few uses. We'll cover creating your own flower and gem essences in later posts.

Our flower and gem essence blends have been created in the same way that all of our remedies are created – through building a relationship with the plant and gem material, being as guided by their wisdom as well as guided in our training in traditional techniques of herbalism. The process of creating our flower and gem essence blends is a bit magical and we hope that you feel as enchanted as we do when using them.

Our current flower and gem essence blends are:

Grounded & Centered: When you feel unbalanced, light-headed, and have difficulty staying focused. Helps you feel grounded, steady, and centered. Includes the essences of Hematite, Feverfew, Lavender.

Uplifted: When you feel burdened and overwhelmed by responsibility. Helps relieves anxiety around the tasks at hand while helping you to find what brings you joy in life. Includes the essences of Lavender, Chamomile, Blue Violet, Amethyst.

Courageous: When fears fill your head and you don't feel strong enough to face them. Helps you to find courage while feeling protected and nurtured at your very core. Includes the essences of Wild Mustard, Borage, Rue, Milkweed, Feverfew.

Renewed: When recovering from an illness, emotional trauma or other times of strain on your system. Helps return vitality to your whole being, freeing you from previous disruptive patterns of behaviour. Chive, Wild Mustard, Chamomile.

Find all of our essences and more in our S H O P!

Tea for Two: Herbs Through Your Pregnancy

Have a cup of tea - or two or three! During your pregnancy tea can be a wonderful ritual of mindfulness helping us remember to nourish our bodies, spirit, and mind. Herbs such as Red Raspberry leaf(Rubus idaeus), Nettles (Urtica dioica), and Oats (Avena sativa) are particularly suited for nourishing, supporting, and preparing the body for birth as well as supporting you postpartum. So why these three herbs? Glad you asked!

raspberry leaf  by author

Red Raspberry leaf(Rubus idaeus) is a wonderful herb to take during pregnancy, labor, and postpartum because of qualities as a uterine toner. Red Raspberry leaves contain fragrine which is an alkaloid that tones the muscles of the pelvic region without causing contractions by stimulating the uterus. For those concerned about miscarriage, Red Raspberry leaves are very valuable because they so effectively support the uterus. What Red Raspberry leaf does is help the uterus work more effectively – during pregnancy, labor, and postpartum. Raspberry leaves can also help to alleviate morning sickness, assist in the production of breast milk, and reduce pain during labor and after the birth.

nettle leaf photo by author

Nettle leaves (Urtica dioica) are gorgeous wild greens just dancing with all the vitamins and minerals they contain. Some of the vitamins and minerals found in Nettle leaves are vitamins B, C, E, K as well as iron, calcium, silica, magnesium, protein, and potassium. Nettles both nourish and restore the body and because of their high iron content they are especially useful for women who are anemic or have a low iron count. Not only can they be enjoyed as a tea, but fresh Nettles can be prepared much in the same way as spinach for a delicious and nutritious meal. Nettles help to reduce cramping and muscle spasms, eases pain during labor and after birth, and prevents hemorrhaging.

photo from uky.edu

Oats (Avena sativa) are modest powerhouses of nourishment. Oats help to increase energy, strength, and a sense of calmness during pregnancy, labor, and postpartum because of their unwavering support of the nervous system. Silica, selenium, manganese, potassium, iron, zinc, beta-carotene, and B vitamins are some of the nutrients found in Oats. Pregnancy, labor, and after birth can all feel very overwhelming at times, and Oats can be used to address headaches from stress and worry, heart palpitations, mental exhaustion, and cases of mild depression.

To truly benefit from these herbal pregnancy partners, I suggest drinking 2-4 cups daily of herbal tea, rotating between Raspberry Leaf, Nettles, and Oats every 2 or 3 weeks. I also encourage experimentation with combining them to find a blend that is the most delightful to your senses.

Herbs for Sassiness

The first of a series of teas for pregnancy, labor, and postpartum, Sassy Mama, was made with the postpartum in mind, whether it has been a few weeks since the birth of your bundle of baby or a few years.  Or let's be honest, a decade plus.  With the entrance of a new member of the family into your life it is important to feed body and spirit because so much change has occurred and sometimes it can seem hard to keep up with it all.  That's why we keep it sassy!

Sassiness needs to be nurtured in order to be maintained and our Sassy Mama tea blend gives your body the respect it needs, saying “That's right!  You’re awesome!”  Full of nutritive herbs, Sassy Mama helps restore vitality and lift the spirit and keep you cool under the stresses of daily life with kids.  Most importantly it just might help give you the peace you need to really appreciate the family you're creating.  Or at least give you the clarity to call up some help from your community of friends and family  (who wants to spend some quality time at your Aunties' house?).

Sassy Mama is best steeped overnight to bring out the full flavor of the following herbs:

HAWTHORN BERRIES Crataegus monogyna: Hawthorne Berries are like a love letter to the heart.  Their adaptogenic, nervine, and nutritive rich properties are very strengthening, promoting circulation and calm.

CHAMOMILE Matricaria recutita: A very attentive and cheerful herb, Chamomile helps soothe the irritation in both body and mind.  Helpful when sleep is difficult because of stressed nerves and indigestion caused by stress and maybe less-than-ideal eating habits from grabbing what we can.

ALFALFA Medicago sativa: Nutritious, delicious, Alfalfa helps the body better assimilate nutrients – which means more energy for being sassy!

ROSE Rosa damascena: Enhances positive emotions and reminds us to love who we are, what we got, and how we show up in the world.

LAVENDER Lavandula officinalis: Cooling, calming, and refreshing, Lavender improves mental clarity and accuracy.

SACRED BASIL Ocimum sanctum: An especially holy herb, as the name implies, Sacred Basil helps grow our bodies into vibrant health, helping the body adapt to stress both internal and environmental.

Find Sassy Mama in our S H O P!