I am VERY excited to be sharing this interview with my good friend Madeline, founder of Blossom Apotheke, with you sistas today.
WHY? Because she has a refreshing and in my opinion, very needed, take on nutrition. Some of her philosophies will make you do a double take, causing you to question why our culture is so into mainstream health fads, rather than listening to our spirits and the wisdom of the ancients. (For example, did you know, butter can actually be GOOD for you? Awesome.)
While some would consider Madeline a nutritionist, she calls herself a modern day medicine woman, and I would agree. Madeline is all about reconnecting with our primal self, through both our dietary choices, and our lifestyle. She values the wisdom that comes from our ancestors, and manages to incorporate it in her day to day life with ease.
I must say, Madeline is also a truly divine woman. Although we only met through mutual friends in the last year or so, already she has been with me through one of the hardest periods of my life. While I was sulking and feeling sorry for myself, she had the courage and light heartedness to support me, and nurture me while I came back to myself, and to the truth of the world. And for that, I will be forever grateful.
Enjoy this interview below friends, and let me know what your favourite point is in the comments below!
If you'd like to know more, Madeline is going to be hosting a phone call with myself and the Flower Children, on the Full Moon in November! She'll be giving us a workshop on Traditional Foods for the Female Body.
If you're into the knowledge she shares below, and would like to go deeper, be sure to sign up for Flower Child before October 4th, and come with a list of questions when we meet! We'll go a lot more in depth on the call.
Lots of love, and happy reading!
xo Beth
What are traditional foods?
Traditional foods are the foods that have nourished our ancestors for centuries if not millennia. They are the foods that our great great great grandparents would have eaten before the birth our our industrialized food system. Traditional foods are wild foraged plants and herbs, pasture raised or wild animals , grass fed dairy, fermented foods and drinks such as sauerkraut or kombucha and organic vegetables. Traditional food wisdom trumps modern diet hype and dogma and quite often goes again the convention ‘food pyramid’ nutritional advice.
Some of these foods we’re told not to eat by conventional nutritionists were actually considered sacred by our ancestors because the nutrients would help boost fertility, nourish women in pregnancy and their developing children.
What are your 3 favourite ways to self-care?
1. Dry brushing everyday with essential oils to exfoliate skin, increase lymphatic flow and circulation. When you dry brush your body it improves the complexion of your skin because the lymph is more efficiently moving wastes out.
2. Bathing in natural hot springs and jumping in cold wild water as often as I can. I always feel the most alive and energized after a cold water dip.
3. Drinking adaptogenic tea everyday to provide immune system support and decrease stress levels. My favourite herbs to have daily in a tea are Chaga, Reishi and Holy Basil.
What are 3 things any woman can add to her diet and see improved results in her health and energy?
Shatavari: Shatavari is a sacred Ayurvedic herb that has been used for millennia . It translates in sanskrit as ‘She who has 100 husbands’! It’s pretty much THE herb for women in all stages of their lives. Taking shatavari balances the hormones, promotes healthy skin, boosts libido and much much more.
Healthy Fats: Fats are important fuel for our body and having the right ones in the right ratios can make all the difference for your health. Eat an abundant amount of coconut oil, organic butter or ghee, fish oil, olive oil and hemp oil. And avoid canola oil and or vegetable oil.
Herbal Nettle Infusion: Nettles are high in Vitamin K1, iron, calcium, magnesium and silica which are all really important nutrients for women’s health. To make a nettle infusion pour 500 ml of boiling water over ½ cup dried nettles in a 500 ml mason jar. Seal with a lid and let it sit for 4 hours or overnight. Strain and enjoy hot or cold.
What inspired you to start Blossom Apotheke?
Apotheke means apothecary in German. I grew up spending my summers at the home of my german grandparents.
Though my grandmother had passed before I was born she left a beautiful garden and orchard that I used to gather herbs and berries from when I was a young girl and make potions and medicines.
Blossom Apotheke is a platform for my life’s passions of nutrition, herbology and medicine making. I offer nutrition and herbal consults, classes on traditional foods and medicine making and am developing a wildcrafted herbal skincare line.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I see myself living in a cottage on a piece of land with food forests and herbal gardens. Raising a beautiful family with a beautiful man. Living connected with the cycles of nature. Continuing to deepen my path as a herbalist and medicine women. Making botanical perfumes, elixirs and medicines through Blossom Apotheke. And educating about returning to the sacred in it’s many forms.
What was your favourite piece of information from the interview? Share in the comments below!
