(Mixed berries harvested in Byers Lake near Denali - August, 2024)
Hello!
Over the past few weeks, we've enjoyed watching the leaves begin to change across the landscapes of Denali, Fairbanks, Tok, Muncho Lake and Canada. Amid the spruce, birch, and alders, the blueberries, highbush cranberries, rose hips, and watermelon berries have been showing off their vibrant colors.
As promised, I’ve included some fun tips for happy harvesting in hopes that you too can enjoy some gifts from the land before they disappear for the year.
As always, make sure that you are absolutely sure that you have properly identified your berries before consuming or sharing. There are indeed red berries that are poisonous (red baneberry, below), so please, use caution.
(Red Baneberry observed in Talkeetna, AK - August, 2024)
Description: Baneberry: red or white berries are attached to an upright main stem in an alternating fashion. The leaves grow in two or three large compound leaves with three lobes and sawtooth edges (TWC, 2023).
Note: the White Baneberry is also known as Dolls Eyes due to its white round shape and prominent black dot in the center.
Although the berries in the U.S. have been noted to not be AS danderous as those in other countries, let’s just not put that idea to the test.
(Rosehips observed at Byers Lake Denali, AK - August, 2024)
Names: Rose (Rose acicularis)
Description: rose hips are the fruit of wild roses left behind after the petals fall away. They show up in summer and develop into plump orange/red “hips” during the fall.
During World War II, the British government used collected rose hips to make rose hip syrup as a source of vitamin C to replace citrus fruits that were impossible to get (MRH,2024).
Use: Excellent source of vitamin C.
Rose stems and branches can be used for colds, fever, and menstrual pain
Hips: syrup, fruit in jams and jellies
Dried flowers are edible, powdered to add to drinks and teas (or topical products – like my He Shou Wu face oil)
(High Bush Cranberry observed in Byers Lake Denali, AK - August, 2024)
Name: High Bush Cranberry, (Viburnum opulus L.)
Description: Red berries hang on their stems (3-7) in a bunch with each stem radiating from a single point. The leaves have three lobes with toothed edges.
Leaves: three lobes, toothed with a rounded base (NRCS,2001).
Uses: This is a really cool plant in my opinion. Its showy berries can of course be used in jellies, jams, and mixed with other berries as a tart treat, but it’s the bark that holds the magic. The common name, “cramp bark” is a natural muscle relaxant. A handful of bark shavings, being made into a tea, can help with menstrual cramps (Viereck, 1998).
(Watermelon berry observed at Byers Lake Denali, AK - August, 2024)
Description: This is a new favorite of mine, not that this should be in the description, but I was just so giddy when I discovered this flirty little plant, and I want to share my excitement. Watermelon berry is from the lily family, which you can see from its leaves which “clasp” the stem like a little hug instead of hanging from its own stem. Each berry hangs from a little kinked or “twisted” stem as shown in the bottom picture. The berries are oblong like mini watermelons and have a similar taste (warning, they are very seedy). The thin stalk, when harvested, has the taste of cucumber.
Uses: Although I haven’t found any medicinal uses for the watermelon berry or its cucumber stalk, they are a great natural addition to salads, jellies, and jams. I will warn you, another name for the berry is “scoot berry” because if you eat too many, you may need to “scoot” to the bathroom real quick.
(I’ll be adding more details about medicinal and historical uses of these berries along with recipes and video tutorials in our upcoming private community. If you’re interested in continued nutrition and herbal education throughout the year, contact me via email, text, or DM and I’ll give you the details.)
Nutrition tip: Our inner garden
There's a lot of buzz around gut health, the microbiome, leaky gut, dysbiosis, and the gut-brain connection.
But what does it all mean?
I love sharing this analogy with my clients when we talk about leaky gut and food sensitivities. Our intestines start as beautiful little hoses in our bodies, lined with a garden (microbiome or gut flora). In this garden we hold 3-15 lbs of bacteria and the jobs of this healthy bacteria include:
Assisting digestion and absorption of nutrients and some minerals
Produce antimicrobial peptides that protect the body and gut from infections like candida
Supply vitamin K (essential)
Lower cholesterol
Metabolize toxins
Metabolize hormones (estrogens and testosterone)
Minimize cancer growth (produce anti-carcinogens)
Reduce inflammation
How does the gut become 'leaky,' imbalanced, and unhappy?
Just like a regular garden, our microbiome needs to be fed, watered, and loved. When exposed to harmful substances (processed foods, alcohol, artificial sugars, industrial oils, pesticides, glyphosates, repeated antibiotics and STRESS), our inner gardens wilt and die, letting the weeds (bad bacteria) take over.
These substances not only harm our microbiome and gut flora but also create tiny pinholes in our intestines (like those garden hoses mentioned earlier). Our intestines act as a barrier, protecting our bloodstream from what we ingest. When these pinholes form, tiny particles slip through into the bloodstream, where our immune system identifies them as invaders and goes into attack mode. This immune response can manifest as food sensitivities, allergic reactions, or inflammation. Over time, this persistent inflammation can lead to chronic inflammation and autoimmune disease.
What steps can you take to heal and support your gut?"
In addition to avoiding the above mentioned substances, you can support your microbiome by:
Eating more fiber (25-30g/day)
Eating fermented foods
Eating more prebiotic foods
Taking a probiotic
Reduce refined sugars and carbs
Eat more colors (eat the rainbow)
Add more herbs and spices (rosemary, sage, thyme, oregano, turmeric, ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, cumin, fennel, anise, peppermint)
Heat foods and water to make foods more digestible
Reduce stress
Sustainable exercise program
Improve your sleep routine
During my last trimester at MUIH, one of my favorite professors gave a lecture on Sporbiotics and BL1714, specific to their effects on sealing the gut lining, improving inflammation, stress and anxiety. Our family now takes a daily Sporbiotic and I’ve personally had a good response to the combination of Sporbiotic and BL1714, but everyone is different.
Below are a couple studies on BL1714 in case you are interested:
Bifidobacterium longum 1714™ Strain Modulates Brain Activity of Healthy Volunteers During Social Stress https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6615936/
Bifidobacterium longum 1714 as a translational psychobiotic: modulation of stress, electrophysiology and neurocognition in healthy volunteers
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27801892/
If you want to dig in a bit deeper and look into your gut health, I’m here to help.
What’s going on at WRIN
Over the past month, I've had the privilege of connecting with a few of my mentors, who have helped me sort through my ideas and dreams for my business. In this crazy world of social media, the infinite sources of wellness information can be quite overwhelming. So, I’d love to provide a private platform for busy women with monthly themes and wellness challenges (free for members in the group - fee for non-members), weekly articles that are concise and science backed, recipes and herbal tutorials, along with community chats and live meetings (optional) so I can answer questions about the material. On this same platform I’d like to build a series of short courses that can seamlessly (fingers crossed) build on one another, ultimately forming the larger course I've been envisioning. With Fall and the holiday season typically being quieter for nutrition consulting, I plan to dedicate more energy to this endeavor as we settle back into the states.
If you’re interested in being a part of this community or have any fun ideas for naming the group, contact me via email, text, or DM. My hope is that this group feels like a safe space to share information and support for our community of like-minded women, so the more ideas and input I get from you, the more it’ll become “ours”.
New: Fullscript discounts available to subscribers and clients
As a token of my appreciation for your continued support, I’m thrilled to officially offer supplement discounts to my clients and wish to extend a special offer to my subscribers as well. While I always recommend consulting with your doctor before ordering supplements, if you need to restock on vitamins, supplements, or other nutrients recommended by myself or another practitioner, you can now enjoy a 10% discount using the link: https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/wrin
In addition: Fullscript is holding a September Supplement Sale beginning September 16th, 2024 running until September 18th, 2024 . You’ll get an additional 10% off for a total of 20%.
I currently have 2 openings for one-on-one consulting in integrative health and nutrition.
Please feel free to contact me anytime for a free discovery call. You can sign up on my website:
www.annamariewheelernutrition.com
www.wildcraftedremediesandnutrition.com.
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Family update:
Laird Hot Springs, BC - August 2024
We’ve almost completed our adventure across Canada.
We’ve seen some of the most beautiful landscapes and wildlife, and met some of the most amazing people over the past month.
Our favorite places have been:
Sourdough Campground in Tok, AK: family run campground with a nightly pancake tossing competition where everyone introduces themselves. The boys met friends that they plan to visit in Wisconsin and yours truly was the first person in history to get two pancakes in the bucket. I’m not sure this is a talent to add to my resume, but I don’t think the boys have ever been more proud of their Mom. hahaha.
Laird Hot Springs in BC: It’s just magical. And, we haven’t been this warm in years.
Muncho Lake in BC: The lake is the clarity and color of the Caribbean due to the copper leaching into the water. This is the first place (in 2018) that I saw a float plane, which is a staple of Kodiak, AK and now holds a dear place in my heart. We stayed for two nights to relax a bit and soak up the sun on the water.
If you’d like to follow our crazy adventures, you can follow us on:
Instagram @4wheelersontheroad
TikTok @4wheelersontheroad
YouTube @4wheelers-ontheroad.
Thanks for reading Wildcrafted Remedies and Integrative Nutrition !
Rosehips. Mountain Rose Herbs. (2024). https://mountainroseherbs.com/rosehips
TWC (Ed.). (2023). Plant database. Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - The University of Texas at Austin. https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=acru2
Viereck, E. G., & Collet, D. (1998). Alaska’s wilderness medicines: Healthful plants of the Far North. Alaska Northwest Books.
Thanks for reading Wildcrafted Remedies and Integrative Nutrition ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.
