I’m always looking for new and convenient ways to add herbs to my diet. As you may have learned from my blog on how to make herbal salt blends, I believe it is the small daily habits that truly add up to the biggest changes in our overall health and wellness. This is one of the reasons I started making herbal ice cubes. This simple preparation is easy, fast, and offers some wonderful benefits for our hard-working bodies and minds. Simply adding a few herbal ice cubes to my water allows me to harness the power of herbs without tacking on any extra time or effort. These “instant iced tea cubes” turn a plain glass of water into flavorful tea in seconds and offer the opportunity to incrementally add extra vitamins, minerals, and functional herbs to your daily routine. 

When you are planning an event, especially one as large as a wedding, there are many things to consider: budget, theme, comfort and, hopefully, sustainability. When it comes to party favors, I’m a big fan of gifting homemade things that are clean, green, and most importantly, useful!

Here at Mountain Rose Herbs, we want to minimize our carbon footprint both as a company and as a collective community of individuals. One way we do this is through our Alternative Commute Program. For years, we have been encouraging our team members to stay healthy and reduce carbon emissions by not traveling to work in single-occupancy vehicles. This year, to further incentivize and increase participation, we improved the payout structure of the program.

I love to live fully within the seasons. I take in all the nuances of the seasonal elements, ebbing and flowing with the twists and turns of the weather and the expansion and contraction of daylight. This mindfulness practice allows me to connect with the “now” and fully appreciate all that the Earth shares with us through her wondrous cycles. 

I am a four-season sandal wearer. I love allowing my feet to breathe and the feeling of being unconfined. During rain, shine, and sometimes light snow, my feet are ready to be bare at a moment’s notice. If an impromptu forest bathing opportunity or grounding session calls my name, I don’t have to worry about laces, ties, or the other constricting elements of standard shoes. My feet are free!

It is mighty cliché to start a health and wellness blog with a Hippocrates quote, but I am willing to sacrifice originality for truth. The old adage “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food” is still worthy of repeating some 2,400 years after it was first uttered and despite centuries of medical and health advances, it is still relevant today. In this modern age, especially in America, many of us are living with nutritional deficiencies and are at a higher risk of experiencing food-related illnesses.

In the fast-paced world we often find ourselves in, it can be hard to get in the right headspace to study or concentrate on what I call “sit-down tasks.” When I’m experiencing circular thoughts or find myself reading the same paragraph several times over, I know I need to reset my mind and body. I’ve learned that for me, stepping away from my desk, diffusing an invigorating essential oil blend, and stretching my body improves my mood and brings freshly oxygenated blood for more energy.

If you’ve ever checked the ingredients list on your favorite chai blend, you may have found yourself dizzied by the long list of herbs and spices involved. While such an assortment might take some work to assemble, this variety also makes chai spice recipes a delicious way to enjoy a whole host of beneficial botanicals in a single cup. And one of our favorite additions, from both a flavor and wellness perspective, is sweet and adaptogenic astragulus root.