DIY Alchemy | Sala Studio, Auckland, NZ

It’s become a running joke that you can’t as much as murmur an aliment in my home without me pushing pills and potions into you. My inner alchemist is always on hand, whether you want her help or not.

Eve Period Pal

I’ve been reluctant to talk about this, should I be mistaken as anti-vax and chased out of town with a pitchfork, however here goes. After each of my three covid vaccinations, I started having trouble with my periods. My once regular cycle started coming fortnightly and was heavy, long and incredibly painful. I was having as little as 6-day breaks between bleeds, which left me feeling exhausted and fragile. I took the eve test complete (which was amazing - highly recommend it.) It comes with a whole pdf of results and recommendations, one of which was a period pal. I’ve been taking it for around three months and have already felt the benefits. I still have some issues to work through, but it’s such a relief to feel like I’m on the road to recovery. If you’re having cycle trouble, I cannot recommend eve enough.

Be Pure Iron Restore

Potentially related to the above issue, I have been feeling exhausted all year. Brain fog, insomnia and anxiety; 2022 will go down in my emotional history as the year I was pushed to the edges of my inner resources. I know from my medical history that I run low on iron in general, but a lot of supplements can make me constipated and bloated. The Be Pure iron restore, in my honest opinion, is the best on the market.

Other Nature Focus Elemental

Joshua and I have been slowly weaning ourselves off our four a day coffee habit using this Focus Elementals supplement. Arguably one of the best mushroom medicines on the NZ market right now, ethically sourced, grown sustainably, and rigorously tested, this stuff is super potent. It’s sold as a monthly subscription service too meaning the refilled model is also kind on Mother, Earth.

EverBlue Epsom Salts

Your body doesn’t make magnesium on its own, yet it plays a crucial role in muscle and nerve function and energy production. I require so much from my body physically, I’m always finding ways to get magnesium into me. These Ever Blue Epsom salts are only $3.50 from the supermarket and are made from naturally derived Magnesium Sulfate to help detoxify and relieve aches and pains. I take them after a particularly intense workout or the day before my period.

Two Islands Pea Protein Powder

I’ve always struggled with regulating my appetite. I’m either so focused I forget to eat at all or I’m filling time with the fridge door open all day. I find starting the day with a scoop of protein powder in my breakfast actually really helps me regulate my meals, starting the day on a full tank.

Sattva Soul Organic Ashwagandha

Taking a full mind-body approach, inspired by the ancient wisdom of Ayurvedic healing, Ashwagandha is an adaptogenic herb that offers support with stress and fatigue. Pop a couple before bed to aid a deep night of healing sleep.

C - pure High Dose Liposomal Vitamin

C-pure is a New Zealand-made 100% Natural Liposomal Vitamin C. I take it religiously and joke it’s the reason I’m the last person on earth not to have had covid yet (are we ready to joke about covid? Too soon?) I take this at the same time as my Be Pure Iron Restore as vitamin C aids the absorption of iron in the body.

Lemon water

Ok. Confession time. I’m 35 years old and I still do not like the taste of water. I add lemon to my water not only to make it bearable to my taste buds but because citric acid can boost gastric acid secretion, a digestive fluid produced in the stomach that enables your body to break down and digest food. An additional side benefit, the zingy flavour helps switch on all my senses first thing in the morning.

Shungite

Shungite is a rare Russian crystal that consists of nearly all the minerals on the periodic table. It is thought to shield electromagnetic field (EMF) emissions. Although a lot more research needs to be done, you can read about a 2003 study on mice and emf here. I remember laughing the first time I saw someone using crystals beside their Wifi router in Ibiza back in 2012. It seemed so ‘out there.’ Roll on ten years, and I can’t help but think, well, why the hell not? (ps we’ll be selling sustainably sourced Shungite in the new Sala store, launching Dec 1st).

Seleno Cacao

How could I almost miss the most potent plant medicine, Seleno ceremonial cacao. If you have the opportunity to sit with Tamsin in ceremony, please do yourself a favour and make it happen, (she runs seasonal ones at the studio). Seleno cacao is sustainably sourced directly from Peruvian farmers and is high in iron and magnesium. It’s a ritual you won’t regret.

Well, I could go on forever, but I’ll leave it here for now. I hope you enjoyed this brief tour of my inner cauldron of health.