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Travel Wellness

A Visit with The Herbalist

One of the most important aspects of enjoying travel is staying well while doing it. There is nothing worse than being in paradise and feeling rotten. The crowds of airports, the recycled air of airplanes, the change of climate and diet can sometimes, however, make staying well a challenge.

BV went to The Herbalist in Seattle, Washington, to talk about easy additions to your luggage that can help keep you healthy or make you feel better quickly when you are not. In business more than 20 years, The Herbalist has both a charming retail location (www.theherbaliststore) in Seattle’s Ravenna neighborhood and a thriving mail order trade (www.theherbalist.com/mailorder). Owner and master herbalist Tierney Salter spoke with BV about the types of problems one encounters while traveling and how to cope with them on the road.

Tierney names digestive upsets as the most common complaint of travelers. She suggests packing charcoal (available in capsule form at most pharmacies). It helps regulate your system, absorbs acids, and can even handle toxins your body is not used to if you suspect food poisoning. To deal with uncomfortable gas or bloating, pack a cooling digestive tonic.

Herbalist’s Insider Tip: Upset tummy and no medicine? Head to the bar for sparkling water with bitters to get some relief.

To deal with the exposure to lots of germs, Tierney recommends a pre- and post-flight dose of a general immune support. If you find yourself sick on the road without such a resource, ginger capsules or candied ginger may help with upset stomach and nausea. Also: garlic is a general antibiotic, lavender (lavender water spray), and lemon and honey with hot water may help you feel better.

Other items to take along for first aid include arnica cream for falls, sore shoulders from carrying luggage, and swollen feet; an all-purpose ointment or salve; and something to deal with the sting of insects, sunburns, and rashes. If you are heading somewhere tropical, don’t forget the insect repellant.

What you put into your body has a big impact on wellness too. Tierney suggests avoiding caffeine on the plane (green tea is a great substitute). Skip the soda too. If the kids can’t contemplate life without it, choose ginger ale, which, as Mom said, is good for you.

One handy way to be prepared is to take a ready-made kit. The Herbalist offers an Herbal-Aid Kit (theherbalist.com/herbal_aid_kit) that includes much of what Tierney recommends. You can also follow the recommendations here to assemble your own, customizing for your family or your destination. Have a teething grandchild? Consider chamomile or teething tablets. Is someone struggle with allergies? Add a remedy to help with that.

Herbs can make for very handy travel companions.

Contact information:

Address:
The Herbalist
2106 NE 65th Street
Seattle, WA 98115

Store hours:
Monday-Saturday
10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Sunday
10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Mail Order: The Herbalist

Toll Free Telephone: 1.800.NW.HERBS (694.3727)
Local Telephone: 206.523.2600
Fax: 206.522.3253
Email: theherbalist@theherbalist.com

Herbalist Tierney Salter has a degree in Clinical Herbology from the College of Natural Medicine in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Her philosophy centers on the idea that creating a quality herbal product requires high quality in the ingredients themselves. She believes it is essential for herbs to be collected from areas that are free of pollutants and pesticides, to be harvested at the proper time, and to either be shipped fresh after collection or dried with care. Tierney also believes in using as many local and regional herbs in her formulas as possible and has established relationships with several Northwest herb wildcrafters including Ryan Drum of Waldren Island in the San Juans.

Tierney began crafting and selling her custom herbal formulas in 1982 and opened her retail The Herbalist store in fall of 1984. Today, he thriving retail operation has been joined by a national mail order operation, allowing customers from all over to enjoy products from The Herbalist.

* Any theories and formulas presented here are opinions expressed by The Herbalist, are provided for information purposes only and, as such, are not intended to be used to diagnose, prescribe, or administer in any manner to any physical ailments.

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