I strongly believe that living an ‘eco lifestyle’ must include living with deep consideration and respect for yourself; not just the planet. That’s why I rant on about mindfulness and wellness so much.

Your personal health and wellness routine, must hold hands with your sustainable life-style decisions.

I'm that person who believes self-care isn’t a mindfulness retreat; it can simply be making a meal really slowly and thoughtfully. I’m that person who avoids taking Panadol not just because of the plastic that ends up in the rubbish bin, but because if I’m in pain my body is most likely craving sleep, water, rest, or a change in environment. My body needs those things- not necessarily pain relief (though I totally take Panadol when the time calls).

I’m also that person who uses Wild Dispensary herbal remedies and formulations because they respect me AND the planet.

Wild Dispensary are a Dunedin based company, passionate about using wild and native New Zealand herbs to support New Zealander’s health. Perhaps like you, I was a tad skeptical about diving into natural tonics too. I had never visited a naturopath or explored natural medicine until I tried these tonics at the end of 2019. But when I asked Wild Dispensary about their take on modern medicine versus ‘alternative medicine’, I was pleasantly surprised that they held the same beliefs.

The term alternative medicine is a funny one- as natural medicine has been used for thousands of years. It was in fact the original medicine. Modern Medicine is remarkable and incredibly important. We would hope that people can, as they always have, manage and support their own wellness with complementary and integrative medicine in conjunction with modern/allopathic medicine for optimal health outcomes.

I use Wild Dispensary tonics to not only treat illnesses and ailments, but mainly to prevent them. To me, that’s what ‘sustainable wellness’ is: prevention.

After trialling Wild Dispensary products for several months, I’ve noticed the extra layer it’s added to my everyday health and wellness that ensures I get sick irregularly, and boosts my capacity to be switched on and energetic.

As well as teaching me a lot about how plants can support our health, Wild Dispensary tick all my boxes when it comes to the way they practise sustainable and conscious business.

Return System

Wild Dispensary encourage customers to return all their glass bottles so they can be washed, stored, and used for their next batches. All Dunedin suppliers are involved and have drop off points in store!

For customers who cannot drop them off in person, contact Wild Dispensary when you have at least 3-5 bottles to return, and they’ll help you get them to Dunedin.

Giving Back

• $1 donated to The Wildlife Hospital with every online purchase

• When jars are returned, $1 is donated The Wildlife Hospital

• Door charges from seminars etc. are also donated to The Wildlife Hospital

• Wild Dispensary are always looking for wider ways to support their chosen charity

Harvesting of wild and local ingredients

For me, this is the most exciting part of Wild Dispensary products. Although not all ingredients are New Zealand grown and wild harvested, Wild Dispensary try their best to prioritise local and New Zealand grown herbs and plants (such as their organic Dunedin grown chamomile and organic New Zealand grown turmeric).

I grinned big time when I first asked about their ingredients… most brands usually come back with long lists of ingredients and a variety of sources. But instead, I was able to picture the Wild Dispensary team (and their families!) foraging in central Otago seasonally for different plants. I love it!

So our next harvest is Thyme, Horehound and Californian poppy all from central Otago (around the start of November). We will harvest as a team and get back to Dunedin to a commercial kitchen/production space where we create our brews together as well. This time round we make the Chest tonic- which is like a syrup. This is usually a 2 day process with brewing.

To give you an example of how one of the tonics is made…

Immunity Tonic Production

“The star of this product is the elderberry. We harvest ours from the wild from two properties on the Taieri plains near Dunedin. The berries are usually ripe late summer and into March. We do have to monitor closely so as not to miss the harvest window.  It’s a team process to harvest and a job we all look forward to- the outdoors, sunshine and yarns it balances out the office work nicely!

The processing of these berries can take a long time as you need to be careful to separate all stalk and leaf matter from the berry. We head to commercial premises to process the berries and produce the tonic. We effectively make a syrup with the elderberry, organic oranges, ginger, and organic spices- Cloves, Cinnamon and Star anise. We have a base of spring water and non-palm glycerine to formulate a tonic that is highly effective and very palatable.”

Waste Minimisation

Wild Dispensary carry out waste reviews, compost 100% organic matter from production, seek to actively re-use rather than recycle (eg: they return their large 20l drums for refills), have changed to Rocktak labels as of printing runs in Feb 2020 (quarry waste label instead of synthetic) and are constantly looking at ways to reduce their footprint in general.

I’m very excited that our printing company has just initiated a recycling scheme for label backing! (Our biggest waste item). Recycling is not the answer, but a good start. We are just a tiny company, but I did ask a lot of questions about this over the last few years!

Family Focused

The team of three (Ruth, Skye, and Gerald), value family first- the most crucial element to a truly sustainable business. The wild harvesting process means their families can be involved, and nothing is done in a way that compromises what matters most: each other and their children. Although keeping this balance is Wild Dispensary’s biggest challenge, their mission is and always will be “turning a passion project into a business that can sustain our families at the same time as being there for our families”. Plus, the team have been able to trial their tonics with their kids, to ensure they get past fussy kid taste buds!

Intrigued about the Wild Dispensary products I use? Here are a few of my favourites…

Liver Bitters

Used to support sluggish digestion, reduce reflux, aid with blood sugar balance and nutrient absorption, and stifle sugar cravings, Liver Bitters has quickly become my most used Wild Dispensary product. As a coeliac, I struggle with digestive issues and nutrients absorption, so bitters is brilliant for me. Turns out it doesn’t just taste yum… the bitters activates a ripple affect through the body. It basically signals the release of saliva, gastric juice, and dilated gastric vessels so bile is then released to then help digest food! Read Wild Dispensary’s full blog post on bitters here.

Benefits
Liver, digestion, and hormone support.

How I use it
A drop on the tongue or a few drops in water is tasty, but my favourite is about 6 drops in a cup of hot water. I’m a big english breakfast tea drinker, so mixing up my tea breaks with liver bitters reduces the amount of caffeine I consume daily, and mixes up my hot drink flavours too.

Immunity Tonic

Yesterday, I began to feel miserable. My head ached, behind my eyes hurt, and I wanted to curl up in a ball and forget about my to-do list. Immediately: I went to the fridge and had a shot of this, diluted with a little water. Today I was great! This is not the only time I’ve experienced successful results after using the Immunity Tonic when I’ve felt an illness coming on. I’m not saying it definitely wards off all sickness and flus, but the immunity tonic has become my personal wellness go-to. I take it when I feel slightly under the weather, when I haven’t had enough sleep, or I’ve exerted more energy than usual.

Benefits

Ease symptoms of cold and flu, boost the immune system.

How I use it

Shot it back and wash down with a glass of water.

Anti-Flam Tonic

I’ve decided this is my favourite tasting tonic. I’ve forced it down the throats of friends with upset tummies, and used it particularly after I’ve been hit with gluten. It’s filled with all sorts of goodness, like turmeric and ginger.

Benefits

Eases joint discomfort and stomach upset.

How I use it

Shot it back and wash down with a glass of water.

I’m not telling you to drop medicines, or saying this is the only way to be healthy: I’m simply encouraging you to dip your toes in the concept of using plant based tonics to support your health. Alongside daily exercise, healthy eating, good sleeping rhythms, keeping my phone in another room before I go to bed, yoga, a standing desk, and being outdoors regularly, Wild Dispensary is the ultimate aid for keeping me healthy.

Shop their range of health supporting tonics here.

As a rule, I only work with brands I love, use, and can whole heartedly back. I send the brand a large list of questions to answer first, and trial the product properly before saying yes to anything. This is a sponsored blog (I can't pay my electricity bill with free products), but 100% my own words, photos, and opinion.