RegActiv Probiotics: Immune, Heart and Liver Wellness through Antioxidant Support

By Miles Sarill
Supplements Buyer and M.S. Candidate - Experimental Medicine

In the last thirty years, the market for probiotics has evolved and grown greatly. No longer is the sole capsule of Lactobacillus acidophilus the only option; rather, the aisles are populated with a multitude of products each touting “more than 10 bacterial strains” with anywhere between 5 and 150 billion cells per capsule. This boom in the probiotic market is partially fueled by both consumer interest as well as novel research into the microbiome.

It is increasingly understood that our microbiome, our individual collection of bacterial strains, plays a tremendous role in our health at many levels. Although probiotic supplements are often marketed toward balancing good digestive health, novel research indicates a role for a strong gut flora in maintaining healthy immune, skin, lung, and brain health. There are thousands of scientific articles on the effects of probiotic supplementation; although many of these publications center on animal studies, there are an increasing number of human clinical trials.

Staying Hygge this [Holiday] Season

This blog post is an update of an earlier one we wrote last January. As we approach the winter solstice, it's the perfect time to start thinking about how to stay hygge all winter long!

In Denmark, the winter nights are long and cold and very dark (sounds pretty similar to Boston!). Those savvy Danes combat this seasonal dreariness with the art of hygge (pronounced 'hooga') a word that roughly translates to "coziness". This means things like lighting lots of candles, cooking meals and playing games with friends and family, wrapping up in warm blankets and reading good books by the fireplace.

Through the holiday season and beyond, incorporating hygge into your daily life can help keep that warm, festive spirit alive throughout the winter. Here are some ideas to help you bring the art of hygge into your home!

Chicory (Cichorium intybus Asteraceae): A Root for the Season

By Steph Zabel
Herbalist, Ethnobotanist and Educator

Fall is the traditional time to harvest roots — it is the season when the cold-sensitive, above ground parts of the plants die back, and the energy returns underground. In many plants the root is an important storage organ, keeping hold of carbohydrates and nutrients during the dormant season. For this reason, we harvest many roots in the fall, when they are at their peak.

We are most familiar with the vegetable roots and tubers that grace our winter dishes (carrots, beets, parsnips, potatoes, etc…) However, one of the roots I am most enamored with is the humble and often-overlooked chicory. I’m sure you’ve seen this wild and weedy plant growing around our city environs. It is a very hardy creature and can grow in almost any soil. You’ll often see it along roadsides and sidewalks. It is most noticeable in late summer/early fall when its sweet blue flower is in full bloom.

MariBerry (Mulled Elderberry) Syrup!

As the colder season sets in here in the north east, we tend to spend more time indoors: cooking, creating, gathering with friends, and nourishing ourselves with nutrient-rich foods and supportive, warming beverages. This year at Cambridge Naturals we've put together our own herbal mulling spice mix that we hope will add a little magic to your potlucks, holiday gatherings, and colder days.   

With taste and immunity in mind, we thoughtfully blended a handful of organic ingredients from our bulk herb section that can be used to make traditional beverages like mulled wine and cider. We also like to blend the mix with black tea or chaga mushroom adding milk and honey for a spicy, warming chai. 

St. John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum): An Herb for Body & Spirit

By Steph Zabel
Herbalist, Ethnobotanist and Educator

St. John's Wort is a plant of ancient use, one that has been a protector and healer of people for centuries. Folklore dictates that the herb wards off evil influences and protects against harmful, unseen forces.

While we may not use it in quite the same way as it once was, St. John’s Wort continues to offer physical, emotional and spiritual protection for modern humans living in a world with its own unique challenges and negative influences.

In recent times St. John’s Wort has been popularized for its ability to lift the spirits and to alleviate mild depression and seasonal affective disorder. In my experience it is indeed very useful when one feels melancholic, especially in the deep winter months. It seems fitting that such bright yellow flowers would be uplifting in darker days, especially Hypericum flowers which bloom right at the peak of summer, when the days are longest. If you sometimes suffer from seasonal melancholy or from “the blues”, you might consider bringing this joyful, light-filled herb into your life.  

New Tonic Blends from Oregon's Wild Harvest!

"Everything is interrelated. Healthy food is our medicine. Growing herbs on a holistic farm is just another quest in our path to provide customers with only the healthiest plant material available on the planet." - Randy Buresh, Co-Founder, Oregon's Wild Harvest

The power of herbal remedies and food as medicine is a synergistic relationship between all of our senses coming in contact with a plant or blend of plants. The experience begins with our nose, scent triggers a response in our body that yes, this is good, show me more.

As we begin to taste, we wake up our cells to the medicine as it enters our blood stream. Finally we begin to feel the nuances and effects of the herbs or food we have just consumed. This can happen in a matter of seconds and linger long after we've sipped our tea or eaten our breakfast. 

Six Autumn Essentials to Get You Through 'til Winter Break

The holiday break is just around the corner, folks! Alex put together this list of six must-haves for getting through the fast-paced autumn season in style:

Simply Curated: These small sized travel candles are beautiful and smell great. I love the idea of being able to bring them with me on my travels! Simply Curated uses 100% pure soy wax that is sourced from the US only, as well as domestically sourced wood wicks. They are always hand poured and phthalate free and oh so pretty!

Klean Kanteen: recently introduced these slimmer mouthed insulated bottles. Perfect for the winter, they will keep your coffee or tea hot literally for hours. Or for that hardcore New Englander, it will keep the ice in your cold brew from melting. Either way, you will be cutting down on those wasteful to go cups and sipping on something delicious!

Soul Sunday: This beautifully branded aromatherapy roll-on are made from coconut oil and 100% pure essential oils. perfect for decompressing on the go, you can apply this oil to your temples and wrists and breathe in!

Perfect Fuel: These little bites of energy will satisfy your chocolate craving while providing a quick boost! This Boston based company makes bite sized chocolate with ginseng, espresso or chia. All delicious and help get you through your day or work out!

Pure Life GABA-Max: Stressed? Me too. That’s okay… with a little bit of GABA, one may feel chill within no time. The main ingredient of this formula is compound known as Phenyl-GABA, a derivative of the well established endogenous inhibitory neurotransmitter in our brains, GABA. When taken orally, Phenyl-GABA crosses the blood-brain barrier and may support feelings of relaxation. While many like this product, please do consult your physician when trying any new supplement!

Herbalogic Fixed Focus: Herbalogic focuses on Chinese herbal blends and use three methods of extraction, water, glycerin and alcohol, to provide you with an extra potent and unique product. Their Fixed Focus blend helps support mental clarity and concentration without making you feel wired or jittery.

Milk Thistle: Food for the Liver

By Steph Zabel
Herbalist, Ethnobotanist and Educator

This year I grew glorious Milk Thistle for the first time in my garden. With its sharp, prickly leaves it is not usually the first choice for gardeners, but for an herbalist, it is an exciting plant to grow. All summer long I observed as it spread out its milky-splotched leaves and unfurled its purple-flowers.

And now I have been rewarded with a harvest of fresh milk thistle seeds — the most prized and potent part of the plant. (Well, my favorite part, at least!)

Jenn's TOP FIVE Back to School Essentials

At the store, we are well-tuned to the cycles of the school calendar - several of our staff members also moonlight as part-time or full-time students. Jenn is completing her undergraduate program in Industrial Design at Mass Art, and put together this entertaining list of student "must-haves" for the fall season. Whether you are a student or just know one, this these items will help you make it through till holiday break in good health!

Lemon Balm: The Gateway Herb / Melissa officinalis

By Steph Zabel
Herbalist, Ethnobotanist and Educator

Lemon Balm is a delightful and cheerful little plant. With uplifting, lemon-scented leaves and tiny sweet white flowers, it is a pleasant addition to any garden or kitchen apothecary. I have never found anyone who does not enjoy lemon balm tea, so I call it a “gateway herb.” Even the most wary newcomers to herbs fall in love with its scent and taste, and then become open to trying many more new and unusual herbs…!

Both bees and humans find this plant irresistibly attractive. In fact its Latin name Melissa refers to “bees” — these insects will flock to it whenever it is in bloom.

Lemon balm is originally from southern Europe but is now widely cultivated around the world. Like many mint family plants it is a very prolific grower. If you have limited garden space, you may want to place it in a container so that it does not take over the whole garden. (However, I don’t think that that would be such a terrible thing if it did happen...)