Living the herby life goes far beyond simply consuming herbs. There’s something inherent to the nature of working with herbs that catapults one into a very positive place, receptive to healing and growth.
We’ve seen this take place time and time again! It comes down to what herbalism at its core means: an openness to learn from Nature’s wisdom and to see your body as a wise and wonderful piece of Creation!
Below we’ve laid out some of our essential herby life hacks. These good habits have helped us reconnect to ourselves, our community, and the natural world. In doing so, they’ve provided us lasting energy and balanced health in a sometimes crazy stressful world! But first, let’s cover the 5 pillars of herbalism and what they mean!
The 5 Pillars of Herbalism
- EXPANSION - having an expansive mind, being open to both learning and unlearning with non-judgement
- APPRECIATION - living with a heart full of gratitude for life and all its stages
- RECONNECTION - fostering a restored connection of body - mind - spirit - planet
- PROGRESSION - trusting that small, consistent steps in the right direction and carried out over time yield massive results
- COMPASSION - showing kindness to others and considering the wellbeing of self, community, and planet with choices, large and small
The 5 Pillars Explained
Expansion / Open Mind Perspective
Living an herby life isn’t just about putting herbs into your coffee or energy bar- although we highly recommend it! It’s about seeing that cup of coffee as more than just your ordinary pick-me-up, but as an extraordinary gift from the earth.
Take a moment to think about coffee. Here’s a plant that: humans have been in relationship with for 1000s of years; is filled with complex chemicals that serve to light up your nervous system, provides drive and joy; connects us with others; and is a ritual you can count on every day even though it may come from 1000s of miles away.
That’s the herby life... shifting your perspective to see food and drink as more than mere calories but as opportunities to daily witness the magic of our fertile earth and the relationship we’ve formed with plants over time.
Every day, we can choose to consume things that shift us to a higher state of being. In the hustle and bustle of life, it’s easy to forget that everything we consume becomes a part of us, forming us from the inside out. We live in an edible and incredible world and we inhabit adaptable and amazing bodies. When you begin to see life this way, gratitude is inevitable and reasons to feel joy exponentially expand.
THE THINGS THAT YOU PUT IN YOUR BODY BECOME YOU.
Appreciation
Sounds cliche, but it’s true - having an attitude of gratitude elevates every experience from mundane to extraordinary. When appreciation proceeds all you do, it’s hard to be in a grumpy mood. Even in the darkest of times, there’s always something to be thankful for. It’s a practice, but one worth staying committed to.
Reconnection
We all crave connection, but the cool thing is that it begins inside of you. When you slow down and reconnect back to your body, you begin to see how certain foods or habits actually hurt your vitality. You remember how much we need good food and a healthy earth to foster healthy, strong bodies. We are a microcosm of the macrocosm. Herbs are here to show us that health surrounds us and comes from the ground up.
Look at some of the most useful and popular herbs - Dandelion, Milk Thistle, Turmeric, Ashwagandha - these plants grow like weeds and can be produced in abundance enough for everyone to have their fair share.
Progression
We believe that tiny manageable tweaks carried out consistently over time yield MASSIVE results... and the cool thing is that this is how adaptogens work best: when taken regularly over time (just like any good habit).
Living the herby life is about getting more out of life by doing a little. It’s easy and approachable, and it’s effective. Progress over perfection! Anyone can wildly transform their life, so long as they start small and stay consistent.
Consideration
With life moving so fast, and with so much information bombarding us from all sides at all times, it’s too easy to be reactive rather than responsive. It’s the norm to make decisions without considering how those choices affect the people, community, and planet at large. Oftentimes, we don’t have to deal with the consequences of our choices.
None of us are perfect, but we are all capable of having grace with ourselves and the process of growth and evolution. What a world we’d live in if we were able to see each other as real humans with real struggles before passing judgement- to genuinely want and hope the best for each other! Because the truth is, when you help others, you help yourself. Considering the implications of the choices we make - the food we buy, the content we consume or the comments we make - is a holy practice that brings us closer to our optimal selves.
Tips for More Vibrant Health & Lasting Energy
Listen to your body.
Do you regularly consume foods and drinks that upset your tummy? Have you noticed certain things make you jittery or sleepy? Do you eat because you’re hungry or bored? Our body is trying to talk to us all the time, but we rarely stop to listen. Take time to observe how your body responds to certain foods, drinks, people, and environments. Opening your mind to see your body has a language all its own is the bedrock of living an embodied life and expansion.
Cultivate a gratitude practice.
It’s true what they say: gratitude is the best feeling. It’s like love magnified. An easy way to get in the gratitude mindset is to begin meals with a few words of thanks for the gift of eating. Take it a step further and take 3 deep belly breaths before each meal to kick your nervous system into that juicy “Rest & Digest” state. This small addition to your day can have exponentially rewarding results - not to mention will help you digest your food better!
Grow beneficial herbs.
One of the reasons we love medicinal herbs is because they are SO EASY to grow. Start with plants from the diverse mint family - you are sure to find one that will serve you no matter who you are. If you like basil, try growing Holy Basil. If you like peppermint, experiment with adding a few sprigs of lemon balm to your water or tea. A lot of these herbs grow like weeds (inside or out!), are hard to kill, and are satisfying to watch grow. Plus, they are so hardy you don’t need to spray them with any pesticides. There’s nothing like having fresh herbs nearby to spice up your life.
Snack mindfully.
Snacking gets a bad wrap, but it can play an important role in a healthy diet. It can help us from overeating later and can help regulate our blood sugar. Snacking when we feel hunger cues tells our body we are listening and responding to its needs.
The unfortunate truth is that most popular snack foods are highly processed and packed with things like inflammatory oils and artificial flavors that aren’t serving your body. The good news is that there are so many tasty, wholesome alternatives you can prepare easily on your own, like a hard boiled egg or carrots with hummus.
We know the importance of healthy snacking, which is one of the reasons we’ve created the best tasting energy bars that are packed with wholesome ingredients and upgraded with our adaptogenic herbal formulas.
Squeeze more herbs into your daily life.
Herbs provide a special type of nourishment that many foods can’t. Our goal is to encourage others to squeeze herbs into their daily routine, aiming for at least 3 times a day. Add more mint in your iced tea, more cumin on your beef, an herb spread that includes nettle or dandelions, or adaptogens in your coffee- spice up your life! The bounty of our planet has so much to offer if we are adventurous enough to take advantage of it.
#eatsomethingherbyeveryday
Focus on whole foods.
You know what they say, “You don’t put cheap oil in a corvette.” The same goes for your body! The more you eat clean, the more you realize the junk foods you once enjoyed just don’t have the same pleasure and are even gunking up your engines.
When it comes to any dietary changes, baby steps, balance, and intuition should be the focus here. Getting protein and fat at every meal so you aren’t as inclined to snack on carbs; staying away from calorie counting and restriction but rather listening to hunger cues and eating only until your tank is full and not beyond.
Befriend a farmer, sign up for a CSA, buy in bulk to save money and connect with your community. Organic and locally sourced is always preferred, but if that’s too far of a leap - choose whole over processed and do what you can (the Dirty Dozen & Clean 15 is a great reference!). More whole foods means less stressors on your body and greater satisfaction.
Hydrate.
Fortunately for most people in the U.S. reading this, water is abundant and therefore easily taken for granted. Consider this: we can go 3 weeks without food but only 3 days without water, and yet the hyper focus in the health and wellness world tends to be on food.
Think about the water you consume regularly...
- Do you find the taste pleasant or hard to drink?
- Is it from a tap, well, or mostly bottled?
- Do you use a filter? And if so, is that filter even doing anything?
- Are you getting 1/2 body weight in fluid oz of it a day?
Most of us are not meeting this mark, and dehydration is one of the most stressful things a body can endure.
If you feel like the water you drink isn’t hydrating, try this tip:
- Add a pinch of sea salt and lemon squeeze. If you are feeling extra, add a few cardamom pods or ginger slices and let infuse overnight.
- Check out the quality of tap water in your local municipality here- it’s nuts what you will find! This will absolutely motivate you to purchase a filter if you aren’t already.
Lasting wellness isn’t achieved in heroic efforts but in the simple, steady habits we carry out each and every day. When we make incremental efforts to open ourselves to the gentle wisdom of Nature and all her gifts, we will always be rewarded!