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Below I outline my Top 5 Strategies for Supporting Balanced, Healthy Immune Function to reduce susceptibility to infections, complications from infections, and chronic diseases of immune dysfunction like chronic infections, allergies, autoimmune disease, and cancer.
1. Get your foundation in place We can support our immune system through the challenges of cold & flu season with adequate rest (aim for 7-9 hours of sleep nightly), a balanced diet composed of nutrient dense foods (aim for 6 servings of veggies, 2 servings of fruit and 1/2 your body weight in grams of protein daily), regular movement (30 minutes daily), and good hygiene (hand washing, covering your mouth/nose when you cough and sneeze, staying at home when you're sick). We know it's difficult to meet all of these marks every day. Make it a priority like your health depends on it and simply do your best. 2. Reduce Modifiable Immune Stressors Minimize known food allergens, excessive sugar intake, food dyes, preservatives, chemical based sweeteners, highly refined foods, pesticides/insecticides/herbicides, and other toxins known to negatively impact the body- like pthalates, parabens and chemically scented fragrances and cleaning products. The Environmental Working Group's Dirty Dozen/Clean Fifteen, Skin Deep Cosmetic Database and Guide To Health Cleaning are great resources to use to minimize these immune stressors. 3. Prioritize Joy, Play, and Time in Nature Chronic mental, emotional, and spiritual stress takes a significant toll on immune function and general well being. What brings you joy? What helps you feel lighter, more connected, more supported? What fills your cup and supports your resilience to deal with life's inevitable stressors? These are habits, relationships, and actions to prioritize. Time spent in nature also supports immune function and reduction of stress. Exposure to volatile oils produced by plants can reduce blood pressure, alter autonomic nervous system activity and boost immune function. Contact with/exposure to negative ions produced by plants, trees, and the soil in higher concentrations in natural wild areas reduce stress hormone levels, oxidative stress, blood pressure, and support healthy immune function. 4. Take Vitamin D supplements fall through spring Vitamin D promotes immune balance and strength, decreases cancer risk and improves cancer outcomes, reduces risk of severe viral infections, improves bone health and osteoporosis risk, and reduces rates of depression. Vitamin D supplementation is almost always necessary fall through spring to keep levels in optimal range. Because the sun is lower in the sky and days are shorter, we don't get the angle or duration of sun exposure to keep Vitamin D levels optimal in the darker months of the year. 5. Call on the More-Than-Human world as needed I know that taking care of ourselves and our families when we’re sick can be a challenge with all the responsibilities of life that don’t stop. While rest is the number one thing to prioritize whenever possible to support our bodies when down for the count, the addition of a tincture or tea formulation can make the difference between an awful, lingering upper respiratory infection that potentially takes deeper root requiring antibiotic or pharmaceutical management, and one that passes more quickly and painlessly without the need for more potentially harmful interventions. Plus, it is empowering and connecting to have more-than-human friends on hand that have been supporting us humans for centuries to graciously assist where they can. We here at Wild River Wellness have been busy perfecting our time-tested immune support blends, taste testing and diving into label design. We have been working with the plants and fungi in these formulas for 15+ years and are so stoked to announce that our Immune Daily Protect and Immune Rapid Defense tinctures are now available for purchase to the public! If you are a client and these blends have supported you over the years- please share the love with your loved ones at the link below! Daily Protect was formulated for daily prevention and recovery support and Rapid Defense for acute support at the first sign of, and through, infection. All of the herbs and fungi in our blends are sustainably wild-harvested or grown lovingly, sustainably, and without the use of harmful toxin-based pesticides and fertilizers that ultimately deplete soil health. We formulate using populations of plants and fungi that are healthy and not at risk of over-harvesting and habitat decline first and foremost. If an at-risk plant is included in a blend- a sustainable source is used to ensure the health of those plant communities for generations to come. We’ll also make note of it so you know to look out for this plant and be conscientious about sourcing. The only sustainably sourced, at-risk plant included in our immune blends, according to the United Plant Savers' current list is Oregon Grape root. Clients- you can purchase our custom blended tinctures through the usual channels- directly with Colleen in ChARM or with Jessica by phone at 704-504-7901 ext 1. Clients-to-be and folks who aren't current clients of ours- you can purchase these blends in our Online Apothecary here. And do remember to please seek expert medical advice from your current care provider before taking herbs/fungi/supplement blends if pregnant or nursing, if you have a chronic medical condition, or take daily prescription medication. Thank you for reading and for supporting one of our missions at Wild River Wellness: to foster good human health through respectful, safe, right relationship and re-connection with the more than human, Living World.
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 My heart physically aches for the people, creatures, plant and fungi kin experiencing unimaginable loss in the wake of Hurricane Helene. The photo here is a picture of me on a solo hike in Grandfather Mountain Preserve in Avery County North Carolina back in February. Touched by the medicine of southern Appalachia during an intimate day I spent there. Less than one week before Helene made landfall I attended the Ani and Wanei Culture Fest hosted at Hickory Nut Gap Farm in Buncombe County NC with some friends. Both counties have been devastated by the storm along with many, many others in the southeastern US. We here at Wild River Wellness have been doing what we can to learn about the best ways to support and contribute to our people and the gigantic aid effort on the ground in Western NC. The mutual aid efforts going on are truly remarkable- a gigantic expression of Gadugi- the Cherokee people’s word for the value of working together- which they shared at the fest that they learned in part from ants (see video below)- who form bridges with their bodies when waterways become obstacles that need to be crossed. Thousands of acres of land, including the ancestral Cherokee lands, have literally been altered beyond comprehension making search and rescue, evacuation, and rebuilding efforts very challenging in some areas. In response the land is being reshaped, traversed, repaired, brought into relationship again by gigantic efforts fueled by Gadugi, by love, necessity, strength, service, resilience, countless resources, and tireless ongoing efforts by the helpers and in a huge way, by the people who call this land home. The southern Appalachian mountains are one of the most bio-diverse regions in the temperate world. They are special and special, diverse, unique, beautiful, honoring, resourceful, sometimes feral (in the best ways) humans gravitate there. The plant medicines I use personally and in our practice largely come from these mountains and surrounding flatlands. From the hands of the growers, the farmers, the wild, wild land. The crew here at Wild River Wellness- Dr. Mottola, Colleen and Jessica are literally fed by, housed by, alive because of these mountains, her foothills and the regions that are fed by her waters. If you’re a local client of ours or you have a connection to this place, we know the same is probably true for you. The impact, like the hurricane, is gigantic. The acute, stop-the-bleeding stage of the healing process will begin shifting into long-range planning and rebuilding in the coming weeks. The need for support is and will continue to be great. For those farther afield, please share what is going on here in the southeastern US. Talk about it. Compassion, empathy, generosity, and ongoing support first stem from awareness of a need. We have compiled vetted lists of the helpers who you can share, support and pour resources into if you're able along with resources for those in need of support. See below for both. The list will continue to evolve and grow as needs evolve and grow. Please reach out to us directly if you have an organization, go fund me, donation campaign, or other resources that may be of help to the recovery efforts so we can update our list accordingly. With love and an aching heart touched by the medicine of this place and her people. Together We Rise. Mutual Aid Organizations Familiar with Western NC & It's Residents Beloved Asheville Venmo: @BeLoved-Asheville Paypal: BeLovedAsheville Asheville Survival Program Venmo: @AppMedSolid Cashapp: $streets1de Pansy Collective Venmo: @pansycollective Manna Food Bank National Organizations: World Central Kitchen- providing free meals & water throughout the Southeastern US Mutual Aid Disaster Relief Operation Air Drop Supply Drop Locations First check with local folks about needs & nearest local community centers/drop off locales YMCA's nearest to you Operation Air Drop Charlotte: Edge City Brewery 6209 Old Post Rd Calvary Baptist Church 2727 Mt Holly-Huntersville Rd Reproductive Care North Carolina Reproductive Care Disaster Relief Venmo: @Taylor-Broussard-2 Mental Health Therapists offering remote & in person pro bono services Animal Rescue Charlotte: Forgotten Now Family Venmo: @Forgottennowfamily Paypal/zelle: Forgottennowfamily@gmail cashapp: $forgottennow family Local Farmers Piedmont Culinary Guild WNC Farm Fundraiser Rebuild BlueBird Farm Families Relocating Tiff (Cakey Organics) & Julio (OMG Alchemy) Emergency Shelters WNC Herbalists, Wellness Educators & those providing Herbal Aid The Wander School- doc with herbal care resources and donation locations/needs One Willow Apothecary/Asia Suler Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine Income loss Food And Beverage Industry Workers: Core Gives Musicians: Musicares Finding Resources & Volunteer Opportunities (all of NC) Organizations above & NC 211  What better way to spend this heaty and skeety season than an afternoon of food preservation?! Making an edible time capsule of the glories of summer? Perfectly ripe canned summer tomatoes can transform a dish all year long and are honestly sooooo much tastier than most store bought varieties. Food preservation also helps to lighten our footprint on the earth, build local economy and reduce our exposure to industrial toxins.
Canned foods are lined in either BPA or BPA-like substances. BPA (and likely many of the new chemicals used to replace it) is an estrogen mimic, binding to estrogen receptors and thus disrupting hormone balance in the body towards a net estrogen effect with no negative feedback loop. Canning, freezing or buying shelf stable foods in glass jars is one way to reduce our exposure to these substances in preserved foods. Eating locally grown produce also reduces the carbon footprint of our consumption, grounds us in mutually supportive relationships with our beloved local farmers, supporting local economy and waste is reduced as the jars and rings can be reused year after year, though the lids should be replaced yearly. I realized years ago that the act of canning and food preservation in general, can also reconnect us with our ancestors and our past, as we call come from humans who practiced traditional methods of food preservation for survival. Growing up, my mom, uncle and grandmother canned tomatoes and made tomato sauce based dishes with it through the year. One of my favorite things to sneak wooden spoonfuls of was my mom’s tomato sauce as it simmered away on the stove-top, though she almost always heard the clank of the pot and knew what I was up to. The speckled blue canning pot we use today was my grandmothers. Canning tomatoes is one of the food preservation projects that we prioritize in our home. It takes ~1 or so active hours per batch (7 pints or quarts in each batch) and a few batches usually last us the whole year. We still have 7 quarts from last year when we made 3 batches! Thank you to my hubby Chef John @schaalfoods for keeping these traditional food projects alive and happening in our home. I’m a good helper but he is the catalyst. Thank you to @sevensistersfarmnc for these beautiful Roma tomatoes and Mother Earth for always providing. Questions about canning? Drop a line below and I’ll do my best to answer. Happy canning!  My sweet friend Ella- as in Elecampane. If you’ve ever gotten a cough support tincture from us here at Wild River Wellness, chances are pretty good that you’ve taken the root of this sweetie into your body. It helps encourage expectoration- clearing gunk from the respiratory tract that needs to go, is a fantastic warming digestive bitter helping to aid digestion, especially of fats, promotes bowel motility (good for constipation) and is a carminative- or herb that helps dispel gas and bloating. The root also promotes blood flow and helps warm those who experience cold symptoms related to insufficient blood flow. The medicine from the root tastes very distinct- perfumey, floral, fragrant and bitter.
One of the awesome things about herbal medicine is that plants offer a supportive symptomatic assist. For example- instead of suppressing the symptoms our body is expressing, they can encourage and support that symptom to speed along the dis-ease>balance (hormetic) process so our body can return to balance more quickly and in greater health after the tune up that the dis-ease catalyzed. For example- if you get an over-the-counter or prescription cough suppressant/medicine it suppresses the body’s expression. While sometimes this is incredibly helpful- like if you’re not able to get the rest you need to heal because the cough is significantly disturbing sleep, there are so many options that the natural world provides that can supportively work with the body, which can, in the long run, tonify and support greater health and resilience when the next challenge comes around. It’s such a treat to be growing so many of the medicinal plants I work with in my practice in my home garden so I can thank them when they burst into bloom at different turns of the year, a beautiful cast of characters! Thank you Ella for all you give to us humans in beauty and medicine, thank you for helping my clients and loved ones and me!  It’s that time of year again y’all- Mimosa (Albizia julibrissin) medicine has pom-pomed out the tree tops, tickling our hearts open a wee bit wider. She shocked me yesterday when I rounded the bend of a road in my little Toyota truck Bee Bop. She was growing creekside in a row of soft pink, saturated magenta and a spectrum of beautiful pinks in between!! I shouted aloud alone in my car at the sight of my in-her-glory friend I hadn’t seen in too long! I love this tree. Native to China they were brought here as an ornamental in the 1700’s, have acclimated quite well & are actually considered an invasive species here in North Carolina. Like many plants, living out of context from where they grew up, the checks and balances that would keep their growth in balance don’t exist here and so they thrive, sometimes at the expense of plants (and ecosystems) native to this land. And yet, also like other non-native vigorous plants (think knotweed & kudzu- both markedly more aggressive I'd say) they have potent medicine to give. The situation we humans find ourselves in, one of our own making, is complicated. How do we protect and preserve our environment without doing further harm while also existing in right and honoring relationship with plants that are now a part of this new world we find ourselves in? Mimosa is known as the “collective happiness tree”, a somewhat ironic (in terms of its classification as invasive) and at the same time touchingly beautiful name. It’s fairy poof flowers and bark are used as a balm for the spirit- grounding and nourishing human beings through challenges with anxiety, depression and insomnia especially when related to profound loss and grief. They are also a good ancestor of sorts- in that their work and gifts today nourish generations to come- you see they are a nitrogen-fixer, adding nitrogen back into the soil to nourish future plant babies- not just their babies- but all plant babies- as nitrogen is an essential nutrient for plant growth. Our front-yard mimosa passed unexpectedly around the same time as our beloved Etty two years ago, leaving behind her much needed medicine for my eternally grieving and grateful heart. Made medicines are such a special way to preserve a plant’s essential essence, available later as needed after the peak season or their whole life has faded. Mimosa also teaches us about a concept in herbal medicine called the Doctrine of signatures: when a plants’ form/being alludes to its medicinal gifts. Mimosa closes her leaves for the night at dusk- like sleeping beauty’s lashes. Take rest she says. Mimosa helps soothe a wired and weathered spirit, rattled with the stuff of life that can steal our rest. She helps us sleep at night and helps our hearts shine with the light. If the grief of life has left you in a stuck state of depression or anxiety leaving you feeling wired, edgy but unable to let go into rest and presence- mimosa medicine may help soothe and soften the edges a wee bit. Whether it be enjoying the texture of her pom poms brushing along your face, taking in her subtle dreamy fragrance deep into the places in your body where it lands or taking a few drops of an extract of her flowers and bark and letting it sink into your heart space, take her in, she who sleeps amongst the blinking lightening bugs on these glorious summer nights. Thank you Mimosa, for your blessed presence and your deep gifts, for challenging us to consider present & future and for being so undeniably YOU.
 I’m here to tell you a story. My parent’s anniversary is Earth Day. Two 2nd generation Italian Americans born in South Philly, city kids, my mom moved to the south Jersey suburbs at 9 and my dad of the Philly streets until he got married at 30. Neither one of them were the tree hugging, crunchy hippie type despite growing up in 60s and 70s America. I think my four siblings would probably agree that I’m the crunchiest of the bunch. Barefoot most of the time and regularly nibbling on, caressing or talking to plants. I think my mom has me labeled in her phone as Stephanie “free spirit Earth child” or some rendition of it. LOL. I feel it’s a bit poetic all in all. I see my life in part as a journey of returning. Returning to a connection with my ancestors, my lineage, my mother, my Earth mother, my more-than-human kin. Tending and healing those relations is the path that I’ve been pulled towards- with a sustained & ongoing gravity that has woven its way over the years. As ridiculous as an Earth DAY is- in our world where the over culture commodifies and commercializes all things for capital gain, forgetting that there is no capital, commodity, LIFE, without this precious, magical, beating, living Earth that sustains us all, an Earth DAY is such a poetic expression of the dystopia in a way. And still I feel that there is a bit of poetry in my tiny little story, my existence starting on this day, where two city kids, thousands of miles from their ancestral home, came together in a ritual union that would result in a baby that would learn to remember the earth in a deep and healing way- waking up to the illusion of separation and trying to facilitate and support this awakening in and with others too. Feeling most at peace in the preserved places, the conservancies, the protected, valued, wild lands where Dutchman’s breeches grow and Turkeys strut and show, a tiny character in a tale of many equally important, equally small, equally valuable, precious and temporary beings, wanting more and more to live in a shared world of remembering and waking up to our illusion of separation so we may all come home. Blessed Earth Day bbs. May we remember. May we return home.  It is my belief and experience that waking up and relating to the more-than-human world around us is an essential aspect of living well. I grew up in the suburbs of Philly. The biggest expanse of outdoors that I experienced as a child were the Jersey shore and the woods/creek behind my house- which I was encouraged by my parents not to enter because of the overgrowth of Poison Ivy along the fence line that separated our yard from the mostly wild area where the deer and other creatures lived. This was a stand that regularly brushed up against my dad, making its mark when he mowed or did yard-work, trying to keep the wild on the other side of the fence and away from his babies. I have strong and distinct memories of my dad’s arms slathered in the bright pink hue of cracking calamine lotion, soothing the itch of this very tenacious and communicative plant.
I later learned from incredible naturalist, Luke Learningdeer Cannon of Astounding Earth based in western NC, that some refer to this plant as Sister Ivy, and that she often grows at the edges of disturbed places- creating a green wall of protection if you will, so the world behind the green curtain may re-wild itself and perhaps remain less appealing for human development- a gatekeeper and protector of the wild places. A job well done I say, as I didn’t really begin to engage with the living world in the way I do today until much later in life. A memory stands out from undergrad specifically- when in college I was called by the plants to study in a world of wild grandeur- New Zealand. My mom's parents had died 8 years earlier and their passing lit a fire in my mom- she became a champion of travel. I think she sensed that seeing and experiencing the world outside of our backyard had deep and lasting value. She encouraged me to look into the study abroad program at my alma mater- Montclair State University. I was nervous about going far from home, family, friends, my boyfriend. Nervous because I think I could sense how much my life would change if I went on this trip. Nonetheless, my excitement, and the lure of adventure eclipsed my fear, and one day while hanging out in my friend’s bedroom I received a strong and clear message that felt like it came from the outside in- from the plants specifically. They called to me “go and study the plants in New Zealand”. I never had an experience like this before. It was distinct, clear and penetrating. I trusted the message and enrolled in the study abroad program at The University of Waikato. This was one of the more formative and memorable moments in my initiation as a healer who hears, speaks to and works with the plants to bring support and healing to the human world. I share this to bring in story about how I became who I am today, and to emphasize the value and importance of connecting to the more-than-human world on the healing path as we find our way back to living well in the world. Does this story bring up something for you? A memory of your own initiation perhaps? Or of a way that the more-than-human world has shown up to help heal and support you on your path in the world? I would love to hear your story. Please share if you feel moved to. If you'd like to support a local organization that works to connect humans, and more specifically, the children of the Charlotte metro area, with the great outdoors to help offset what some refer to as Nature Deficit Disorder- the idea that human beings, and especially children, are spending less time outdoors than they have in the past, and the belief that this change results in a wide range of behavioral, emotional and even spiritual problems click here to learn more. |
AuthorDr. Mottola has a passion for service, social justice, anti-racism, health education and environmental stewardship and is on a mission to provide effective, empowering, accessible natural health education and care to the most diverse population possible. She believes that accessible healthcare is a basic human right that stands as a pillar of a healthy society and that the health of a society is reflected in the health of its people. She is passionate about placing health care back in the hands of the people. Archives
November 2024
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