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8.01.2020

5 Herbs to Support Your Mind-Body-Spirit During Quarantine

Hi everyone!
In this video, I highlight 5 herbs that can support your wellness throughout this time. I highlight ginger as an antimicrobial, thyme as a respiratory tonic, lemon balm to ease the nervous system, hibiscus for its vitamin C content, and ashwagandha as a stress-relieving adaptogen.


This post is intended for educational purposes only. Consult with your healthcare provider for guidance specific to your health needs.

In health,
Dr. Naika

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Dr. Naika, the writer of this blog, has a Doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine and a Masters of Science in Acupuncture as of June 2017. Please do not take the information presented on this blog, as medical advice, without consulting your certified health care practitioner. Knowledge is power and your health is your wealth!

5.13.2020

Kitchen Medicine: Culinary Herbs to Support Your Health

-K  I  T  C  H  E  N    M  E  D  I  C  I  N  E-
While prepping for my webinar last week, I remember standing in my kitchen looking at my cupboard and feeling such genuine awe and gratitude that so much healing energy was available just in that one space.
As I stood in my kitchen taking a visual inventory, I was flooded with inspiration and memories of dozens of recipes and formulas of tonics and elixirs that we can make with our own two hands to support our health and vitality. 
🌿Make a respiratory inhalation steam with parsley, thyme, and sage..
🌿Make an immune tonic with ginger, lemon, honey, and cayenne pepper…
🌿Make a fire cider with garlic, onion, cloves, ginger, and vinegar…
🌿Make a skin exfoliant with olive oil and brown sugar…
🌿Make a mental clarity tonic with rosemary and mint…
🌿Make a warming digestive tincture with cinnamon, star anise, and ginger…
🌿Make a calming tea with chamomile and lavender…
🌿Make a throat gargle with warm water, oregano, and salt…
I mean I could just keep going and going, truly.
There is THAT much abundance.

To think—it’s possible to create systems & structures in your day to day life, in your own home, that can support your health and well-being. Sounds about right! Whether in your kitchen, your garden, your bathroom, understand that you have tremendous power to incorporate the healing power of nature in your life every single day.

The herbs in this pic just barely scratch the surface of kitchen medicine. While taking this picture, I just kept thinking about how many other plants could be included on here, and how they would vary by culture, geography, cuisine, etc. which is really cool and beautiful.

Moral of the story: have fun exploring and creating with the healing tools that are in your own home!

In health,
Dr. Naika

Schedule your virtual wellness session with me here:
https://squ.re/2MBOEzR
Order medicinal herb blends here:
https://drnaika.square.site/

Connect with me!
___

Dr. Naika, the writer of this blog, has a Doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine and a Masters of Science in Acupuncture as of June 2017. Please do not take the information presented on this blog, as medical advice, without consulting your certified health care practitioner. Knowledge is power and your health is your wealth!

5.07.2020

Dr. Naika x The Wing: Holistic Tools for Self-Resilience During a Collective Crisis (Online Webinar)

Friends! Join me and The Wing in conversation about how to incorporate holistic wellness tools to support you in processing and adjusting to your new day to day routine during this huge collective transition. You may be feeling stuck, anxious, exhausted, and low, without a clear sense of how to cultivate the self-resilience you need to make it through this.


•••
In this webinar, I’ll be walking you through tools and practices that will support your healing from the levels of mind, body, and spirit. You will leave this webinar with concrete tools centered around mindfulness, nutrition, lifestyle, and herbal medicine, to support you and your loved ones during this time, and beyond.
•••
The first third of this webinar will be lecture-style, then we’ll transition to a mix of presentation and demo, then we’ll wrap up with a live Q&A. The link to join this webinar is HERE.
•••
I’m so looking forward to holding space for you and equipping you with tools that will nurture and hold you. See you Friday!

In health,
Dr. Naika

Schedule your virtual wellness session with me here:

https://squ.re/2MBOEzR
Order medicinal herb blends here:
https://drnaika.square.site/





Connect with me!
___

Dr. Naika, the writer of this blog, has a Doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine and a Masters of Science in Acupuncture as of June 2017. Please do not take the information presented on this blog, as medical advice, without consulting your certified health care practitioner. Knowledge is power and your health is your wealth!

5.05.2020

How to Make Riz au Lait | Haitian Rice Pudding ft. Medicinal Healing Herbs from Haiti

Yesterday, we celebrated my grandma’s 91st birthday via a (slightly hilarious) family zoom call. Then my mom and I made my grandma’s rice pudding recipe, the way she was originally taught it as a little girl in Haiti in the 1930’s. Super cozy and delicious. Filling and satisfying. Feel-good and nostalgic. This used to be my favorite treat on snow days or stay-at-home days, so very fitting.

Ingredients
  • 6 cups of water
  • 1.5 cup of white jasmine rice
  • 3 cinnamon sticks
  • 3 star anise
  • Slice of ginger
  • 8 pimpernel leaves (optional)
  • Rind of 1 small lime
  • ½ teaspoon of salt
  • 2 cups of whole milk
  • 1 can of evaporated milk
  • 1 can of condensed milk
  • 1 tablespoon of butter
  • 2 teaspoon of grated nutmeg
  • 2 tablespoon of vanilla essence
  • 2 tablespoon of almond essence
  • ½ cup of sugar (optional)
  • Makes 8-10 servings

Directions: 
1.In a medium saucepan, add salt lime rind, slice of ginger, 3 sticks of cinnamon, 3 star anise, and 8 pimpernel leaves to water and bring it to a boil (approximately 10 minutes).
2.Next, rinse the rice and add it to the boiling water.
3.Cook over medium-high heat, until water is absorbed.
4.Reduce heat to medium and add 2 cups of milk.
5.After 10 minutes has passed, add 1 can of evaporated milk.
6.After 10 minutes, add 1 can of condensed milk.
7.Add 2 tablespoons of butter.
8.Add grated nutmeg.
9.Add 2 tablespoons of vanilla extract.
10.Add 2 tablespoons of almond extract.
11.Mix everything well and Bring heat down to a simmer for 10 minutes.


Add additional sugar to taste *if needed*.
Serve cold or warm.

•Lime (sitwon) for vitamin C and cleansing the system
Ginger (jenjanm) for immune health and decreasing inflammation
•Nutmeg (miskad) to soothe digestive pains and to support oral health
•Pimpernel (pimpernel) for cleansing the liver
Star anise (anis) for respiratory health and to alleviate GI cramps
Cinnamon (kannèl) to manage blood sugar

In health,
Dr. Naika

Schedule your virtual wellness session with me here:

https://squ.re/2MBOEzR
Order medicinal herb blends here:
https://drnaika.square.site/



Connect with me!
___

Dr. Naika, the writer of this blog, has a Doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine and a Masters of Science in Acupuncture as of June 2017. Please do not take the information presented on this blog, as medical advice, without consulting your certified health care practitioner. Knowledge is power and your health is your wealth!

3.26.2020

Herbs to Support Your Mind + Body During COVID-19 and Beyond

🌿An offering from the plants for the times🌿

We’re experiencing a collective trauma & a grand shift in our daily routines, our internal worlds & our collective consciousness. More than ever, the plants can support us as we re-adjust to physical, mental, emotional, & spiritual shifts. While social distancing &rigorous hygiene remain at the top of the priority list for keeping the collective protected, the plants are here for us to cultivate an intentional & personal healing relationship with. So make your remedies. Video-chat your loved ones. Wash your hands. Stay safe. Be well. And breathe.
🌿Astragalus: a traditional “yang” root tonic that improves endurance, amplifies resilience, increases our energy & supports a healthy stress response. Astragalus stimulates immune cells, increases the activity of antioxidant enzymes, &improves heart function.
🌿Lemon Balm: a nervine tonic that alleviates an anxious or depressed mood, improves cognitive function & supports a restorative night’s sleep. Lemon balm relieves restlessness, allowing for a more grounded response to stress, sadness & shock. Lemon balm is also anti-viral!
🌿St.John’s Wort: Most known for relieving a depressed mood in folks with mild to moderate depression, St. John’s wort is also a rockstar nervine tonic & anti-viral all in one. Interestingly enough, St. John’s wort is a vulnerary, meaning that it is able to heal wounds. Definitely check for drug/herb interactions as St. John’s wort effects key enzymatic pathways.
🌿Ginger: Antimicrobial. Anti-inflammatory. Antimicrobial. Circulatory tonic. Digestive tonic. Immune booster. A master herb. Here’s a great ginger shot recipe to get familiar with: juiced ginger root, lemon juice, turmeric + an optional dollop of honey.
🌿Skullcap: the gentle, yet powerful nervine that relieves nervous tension, restores our sense of balance & revives our mental state. This herb helps with muscular tension, spasms & anxiety. Skullcap is your friend when you’ve just had enough & all systems are exhausted. This is the herb that promotes rest in the name of renewal.
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In health,
Dr. Naika





Connect with me!
___

Dr. Naika, the writer of this blog, has a Doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine and a Masters of Science in Acupuncture as of June 2017. Please do not take the information presented on this blog, as medical advice, without consulting your certified health care practitioner. Knowledge is power and your health is your wealth!