The Herbalism Experiment

6 months or so ago, I started on this quest to heal my ailments without the aid of pharmaceutical medication. I suffered from a severe lower back problem which kept me on Naproxen and it also kept my liver enzymes out of whack. Then there’s good old P.C.O.S., poly cystolic ovarian syndrome, which has been tormenting me for decades and its symptoms worsen as I age. My most aggravating symptoms were chronic acne along the jawline, cystic acne, excessive facial hair and a receding hairline. Needless to say, these are all the things that a fly “youngish” lady does not want to have going on.

So, as we were curating products for Jeweline I decided to give 3 products a try. Fire Fighter for inflammation to replace the Naproxen, Balancing Act to help balance my hormone imbalance caused by PCOS and Nature’s Insulin to help with manage insulin intolerance also caused by PCOS. I was amazed that within a couple of weeks not only was my back feeling better, but also my knees (I have arthritis in both knees), and my joints were feeling normal, limber and lubricated. My acne was decreasing, cystic acne breakouts were no more, and those pesky sugar cravings had decreased significantly. For the first time in a long time, I could visibly see fat loss in my midsection, and I had little sprouts of hair in areas that I thought would never see hair again.

Now fast-forward a few months, I am feeling great, my hair is growing, my skin is glowing, and while the pounds are not leaping off, I have lost inches from my waistline and I don’t have an insatiable need for sugar all of the time. And then I started thinking, what would happen if I didn’t take any tinctures for a week or two and the happy herbalist experiment was born. I stopped taking all my tinctures, even the new products that were being curated for the site. Any teas, or tinctures that are orally taken I cut off and baby let me tell you, I am not doing so great. My back hurts all the time, even in my sleep. My joints are tight and swollen. I hear the creaking in my knees again. I had a serious acne breakout and a small case of cystic acne in three different places on my face. And this was well before we hit the 10-day mark. The realization that I had fully taken for granted how much these products have improved my quality of life hit me. $35 a month had gotten me away from Naproxen, back injections, knee injections and physical therapy. Seeing a dermatologist and taking antibiotics for the acne was a thing of the past and yet, I had the nerve to doubt if the herbal tinctures and extracts were truly helping me of if I was just hyping myself up.

Look, I know that in our society herbal medicine is frowned upon. We are taught to pop a pill for everything and there are instances where pharmaceutical medicines are required and have a place in our lives. However, I had issues that were not being fixed with modern medicine. Things that I loved about myself were being compromised and no solutions were being offered to me. I found herbalism and the beauty of natural medicine, skincare and wellness and it with that in mind that Jeweline was created. My mind is firmly made up that help can be found in these tinctures and the cost justifies itself. I am done with this experiment and getting back on my regimen. Hmmm... Maybe I should start with a nice cup of Mango Majesty tea on celebrate this empowering revelation and enjoy this beautiful spring day in the city.