As the father of two young girls (3 years and 6 months) and as an apothecary owner, I was especially disturbed by a Yahoo Health article I saw recently concerning the levels of phthalates found in urine samples of babies. Phthalates are chemicals found in many common household products such as cosmetics and toys, and they are used to stabilize fragrance and to make plastics flexible. A small recent study found elevated levels of phthalates in the urine samples of babies who had recently been shampooed, powdered or lotioned with baby products.

Elevated levels of any chemical in a baby’s urine will make parents take notice. But the article brings up a more disturbing, if still inconclusive, point: “Animal studies have suggested that phthalates can cause reproductive birth defects and some activists believe they may cause reproductive problems in boys and early puberty in girls.”

If that leaves you uncomfortable or even outraged, you’re not alone. But the problem is that manufacturers are not required by our federal government to list phthalates as ingredients, so avoiding them can be very difficult. They are often gathered generically under the term “fragrance” on product labels. Take a look at your baby products (and your own products) and see how many have “fragrance” in them. While the presence of that term doesn’t guarantee that it contains phthalates, there is a good chance it does, and you also cannot be sure that it doesn’t. That leaves concerned parents in a bind.

At Smallflower, we are lucky to have a wide choice of phthalate-free baby products, and when this story broke, we called each of our brands to get the story on phthalates straight from the horses’ mouths. We then created a new product category on our site called Phthalate-Free Baby Products. With each brand here, we were verbally assured by the company that the products contain no phthalates. Some brands will soon have independent certification done to tout their phthalate-free status, (We will post that information as we receive it.) and some brands are already certified under the stricter European natural product standards, in which phthalates are not allowed.

Either way, I hope this is helpful to parents (as well as grandparents, aunts, uncles, and friends) who, like me, are alarmed by the increasing number of discoveries of the harmful effects of commonplace ingredients. We’ve all been raised with the idea that we are what we eat. Apparently we are also what we put on our bodies. Welcome to the age of obsessive label reading.

I started out with high expectations of myself for this cleanse. As I said, I prepared a vegan stew that contained 5 different kinds of vegetables, fresh herbs and nut protein. I vowed to cook healthily for myself for every meal, beginning with a solid breakfast, preparing my lunch at home, and then feasting on evening meals that would be, whole-foods based, high in fiber and nutrient-dense. It’s basically me being even more conscious of my already pretty healthy food choices.

Why then, when I am more focused than ever on healthy living, do I find this task so draining and difficult that I would rather sleep all day? Why am I also having a bad hair and skin week (there are dark circles where once there were none! Not ever!), even though I have changed nothing in my regimen, other than starting this cleanse?

This lethargic, tired feeling could be the beginning of my body’s “Cleansing Crisis.” Often when one begins cleansing, the toxins in the body are released at a rate where the elimination system simply cannot keep up. This can lead to lethargy, headache, body aches, flu-like symptoms, and just an overall crummy feeling. All in all, I am experiencing a pretty mild crisis. Those of you who have lived a lifestyle that is rife with toxins may experience even more upsetting symptoms. My understanding is that this is normal. Unless you experience severe abdominal pain or other more intense symptoms, do not give up the cleanse now! it’s just starting to work, and it’s important to ride it out.

So, I must muddle through somehow. I’ve got to get to the produce market, to find some fresh, nutrient dense foods and make a plan to re-adjust my diet. Thankfully, the cleansing crisis usually only lasts a couple days and is akin to a shorter version of the common flu, and from all reports is a small penance to pay for the light, jubilant and energetic feeling I’m expecting at the completion of the cleanse. That is, of course, if I start to feed my body the right things, add more fiber to my diet, and not give up on something that is so good for me. I will persevere!

I am notoriously the worst with New Year’s Resolutions. However, this year is different; I am making the resolution to live and eat healthier, because I have recently seen members of my family suffer from a hereditary disease that could affect the rest of my life.

I am a relatively healthy 25-year-old woman can eat almost anything without fear of intestinal discomfort, but when anxiety or stress comes around I become a worthless ball of cramps, pain and toilet dependency. I recently learned that this “nervous stomach” condition is common on my paternal Grandmother’s side (I used to be glad that I didn’t get her hips. Is it too late to trade?) and that the condition may have something to do with hereditary diverticulitis, or small weakenings in the walls of the colon which can become infected. My aunt found out she suffered from this disorder in the worst possible way: her colon burst.

In conversation with my aunt I learned that my uncle also had infections related to the diverticulitis and other members of my family are on the lookout, keeping their doctors posted and asking for the most invasive diagnostic methods possible to ferret out the trouble before it starts. I also was advised that with my nervous stomach that I hadn’t seen anything yet. She said, laughing in the way only my aunt can laugh, “just wait until your wedding day.” Gee, thanks for the help on that stressful topic…

The bottom line is, I feel it’s necessary to do something to make sure my digestion, and my body, stay as healthy as possible. So, I am taking some preliminary precautions by starting a more fiber-rich diet with lean meats and proteins, lowering my alcohol consumption, adding more organic fruits and vegetables into my diet, trying to cut out even more heavily processed foods (I already make an effort to steer clear of them whenever possible), and I am also beginning an intensive 30-day cleanse, CleanSMART Advanced Cleanse from Renew Life.

Many people have misconceptions about cleanses or are just scared of them because they don’t know what is involved. So, for the next 30 days, I am going to try to keep you updated on what this cleanse is made of, how I am feeling, and the results from the venture. I am not using this cleanse to lose weight, nor do I think cleansing to lose weight is a healthy solution. While one of the side-effects of living healthily is generally an improved appearance, this is strictly about health.

So, starting in January 2008 (Two-thousand-and-GREAT!), I will begin this 30 day cleanse with the first dose of herbal tablets and an improved diet. To make an easy start with the diet change, I used my day off to prepare a big batch of healthy vegan peanut stew to act as the first few days of diet changing fuel for dinner, and am actively seeking out new recipes that contain more fruits, vegetables, fish and lean meats. I hope you find this journey as interesting as I do. Please, add questions, comments, healthy recipes and encouragement on the blog, I would love to hear from you! Wish me luck.

I remember the first time I heard that antiperspirants could contribute to breast cancer. I was only 9 years old, sitting in my best friend’s kitchen listening to her mother’s hypochondriac friend rant about the aluminum in antiperspirants. I was obviously too young to really know what “cancer” was
(aside from that it was bad), or even to bother to wear something weird like antiperspirant, but it always stuck with me. As I grew older, my adolescent fear of being “the smelly kid” and sweating through my school clothes trumped any other concerns I might have had.

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness month and when I started writing this post, I was researching products we offer at Smallflower whose sales contribute to breast cancer foundations. During my research, I saw many of our product lines put a heavy emphasis on being paraben- or aluminum-free. This reminded me of that moment in my friend’s kitchen at age nine, and the reasons I now wear an aluminum-free deodorant and use as many all-natural skincare products as possible. I wanted to make sure that I wasn’t just falling victim to unwarranted fear, and did a little research. For more information, I have included links to the topics I discuss in this post.

Essentially, research has shown no conclusive scientific link between the use of aluminum-based antiperspirants and breast cancer. However, I did come across one compelling argument for avoiding this ingredient. One study shows a link between the age a woman starts shaving her armpits and uses aluminum based antiperspirants and the age she is diagnosed with breast cancer. This study shows that the younger a woman began these behaviors, the younger her diagnosis with breast cancer. The researchers speculate that freshly shaved skin which may be irritated or broken allowed for more aluminum to be absorbed into the skin, and contributed to the formation of tumors. This may also explain why a disproportionate amount of breast tumors are found in the upper quadrant of the breast closest to the armpit. The way I look at it, I am not excessively sweaty and do not need to use an antiperspirant to avoid social ridicule, so I use an all-natural deodorant from Lafe’s, a company that also contributes 1% of their profits to breast cancer research and advocacy foundations. Whether this research is enough to cause you to give up your always-dry armpits is up to you.

The research regarding parabens may be even more compelling. While many have heard the rumors about antiperspirants, a lesser-known ingredient, parabens, are even more widely used and are surrounded by even more questions about their potential cancer risk. Parabens are a cheap and synthetic anti-microbial preservative found in all kinds of water-based products, including makeup, lotions, liquid soaps, deodorants, antiperspirants, shampoos and even foods. The major concern about parabens is that, in the body, parabens mimic estrogen. Excess estrogen in the body is a known contributor to the formation of tumors. Also in this linked article from the breast cancer fund, you can read that parabens have been found in breast cancer cells, and these parabens were most likely absorbed through the skin. If we take into account that our skin easily absorbs many ingredients, and that most people use about 10 different cosmetic products on their skin each day, and that many of them contain parabens, it’s enough to make you stop and think. At least it is for me…

I’m in no position to say that reducing the use of aluminum and parabens in your beauty products will eliminate your risk for breast cancer. There are many known factors in the development of breast cancer, including the early onset of puberty, smaller family size, and history of breast feeding, as well as increased alcohol consumption, obesity, and even breast symmetry. But at least for me, it makes sense to learn everything I can about what I’m putting on my body and make common sense decisions based on that knowledge. If you’d like to learn more about cosmetic ingredients, there are a couple of great resources that you should check out. One of my favorite skincare lines, Suki, has an informative list of harmful ingredients used in many beauty products. They also contribute some of their profits to breast cancer research funds. Also, another great resource is Skin Deep: The Cosmetics Database, a site that rates a product’s risk factor based on its ingredients. Ultimately you have to decide for yourself what you want to put on your body. Why not do it with as much information as possible?

I was watching with dismay as the Cubs fell to the Diamondbacks in game 1 of the NL Division Series last Wednesday night when I saw a commercial that I haven’t been able to get out of my head.

It was a drug commercial for a new steroid nasal spray for allergies called Veramyst by GlaxoSmithKline. The first surprising thing about the commercial was that while the benefits of the drug were being touted verbally, written across the screen were the words: “The way Veramyst works is not entirely understood.” Sort of strange, I thought, that the FDA would approve a drug whose activity is not understood by its own manufacturers. What did the drug approval application look like? “We’ve developed a steroid nasal spray for allergies and the good news is that it helps with eye-related allergy symptoms as well, but the bad news is that we don’t really know why it works…” Sounds like a real winner… let’s approve it!

I waited to hear the usual laundry list of side effects and heard some expected ones: nasal bleeding, fungal infection, and a few similar worries. Not pleasant stuff, but you start to become immune to side effect warnings after seeing enough drug commercials. Then, what I heard next sounded like: “Glaucoma and cataracts can occur.” The absurdity of the statement shocked me and I doubted what I’d heard. So this morning I went on the Veramyst site and looked over the full drug pamphlet online and it says under the section Warnings and Precautions: “Development of glaucoma or posterior subcapsular cataracts.” I have to admit that I laughed inside at the thought of a Veramyst user saying, “I feel great! I’ve taken care of my my sinus and eye allergies with one convenient nasal spray! Now I’ve just got to deal with this small blindness problem…” But the seriousness of the situation is not laughable at all. It’s especially disturbing because the product is being actively marketed for anyone over the age of 12, and on the Veramyst site they even say: “A brand-new treatment for seasonal and year-round allergy symptoms in patients 2 years of age and older.”

A risk of glaucoma and cataracts for a 2 year old????? I thought of my 3 year old daughter, and all of the things that we worry about her ingesting or absorbing in her body, and wondered: Who would possibly even consider giving such a thing to a child?

I should point out that I am one of the worst allergy sufferers I’ve ever met, and in our business I meet plenty of them. I know how truly awful it can be, and while I sell natural products to help relieve allergy symptoms and prefer those, I completely understand if you feel the need to turn to prescription drugs to help you get through the suffering. But I just can’t help but feel worried about a system that approves a drug for 2 year olds that can cause the development of glaucoma and cataracts. Who are the doctors that will prescribe this drug? I hope that they remember one of the principal precepts from medical school: “First, do no harm.”

While I enjoy running as a necessary part of playing a competitive sport like softball or soccer, I usually don’t run for the sake of running unless I am being chased. However, many people do run for fun and some of those people will be participating in the Chicago Marathon this Sunday, October 7. Lately, people have written to Smallflower and come into our Chicago retail stores looking for items to prepare their bodies for the trauma of completing this daunting physical task and to quickly recover afterward.

Most marathoners follow strict training and dietary schedules leading up to the actual race. Such a regimen is an important part of completing a marathon safely and successfully. What follows is not such a regimen, but a few of our popular products that might help a marathoner prepare for the race and recover safely and comfortably.

When you run 26.2 miles (or even just a few miles) the biggest problems are pain and inflammation. While it may seem like a good idea to take Tylenol or Ibuprofen after the race to avoid pain and muscle inflammation, these drugs can put additional stress on the kidneys, which are already under massive strain after a marathon. Our favorite natural anti-inflammatory and analgesic (pain reliever) is Traumeel, which is available in tablet, liquid, and topical form. This product puts no known stress on the kidneys and helps with pain and inflammation through a combination of several homeopathic ingredients that help heal sore muscles, bruises, as well as trauma to bones, ligaments and tendons. Traumeel can be taken in the days preceding the race as well as afterwards until recovery is complete.

Even though arnica is one of the active ingredients in Traumeel, many of our customers apply Boiron Arnica Gel topically to alleviate the bruising, soreness and muscle stiffness that occur after the marathon.

Before and after the race it is important to focus on immune support. No one wants to have months of training go to waste due to sickness, or to become sick in the post-marathon recovery. To prevent that, it would not be a bad idea to take a good vitamin C supplement, like Nature’s Way Right C, both prior to and after the race. To help with hydration and to maintain energy, add Emergen-C to drinking water. This supplement contains vitamin C and mineral ascorbates to help rehydrate the body and promote energy during training and after the marathon without the sugar (especially high fructose corn syrup) of typical sports drinks.

Another supplement that could help with . the inflammation of muscles and joints is Mangosteen. This southeast Asian fruit, known as “The Queen of Fruits,” has also been labeled a “Superfruit” because of its high concentration of antioxidants and other beneficial ingredients. many benefits to the health of people who eat it or take mangosteen supplements. Mangosteen contains alpha-mangostin which is reported to have an anti-inflammatory effect. The fruit also contains polyphenols, which have antioxidant properties. Both of those ingredients could be helpful for a body that has been through the trauma of running a marathon.

While nothing takes the place of hydration and rest after running 26 miles, perhaps these products can be of help during the big race or even during your local jog. For those of you in the marathon, I’ll be the guy waving and cheering at Diversey and Clark with a two and a half year old girl on my shoulders and a green tea in my other hand. Good luck!

One of the joys of selling more than 130 different toothpastes is that I keep about 10 different toothpastes in my bathroom and can pick and choose each morning and night based on whatever might strike my dental hygiene fancy.

Car dealers drive fancy cars; clothing retailers have closets full of designer duds; I get a bathroom full of toothpaste, soaps and lotions. Yes, it’s a privileged life I lead…

But seriously, one of the reasons I love our business is that we sell products that bring a little fun and pampering to what can otherwise be pretty dull daily routines. We all know brushing teeth is necessary, but fun? I think so, and I thought I’d give a brief tour of my current toothpaste favorites to demonstrate. I should confess that I prefer toothpastes without artificial sweeteners ( e.g. sodium saccharine - a known carcinogen) and without fluoride. I’m not going to get on a soapbox here, but I urge everyone to read the ingredients on your toothpaste and see if you find anything that may surprise you. You also might try watching Fluoride Deception for the disturbing history of fluoride use in water and oral care products. That said, I might throw in a toothpaste that doesn’t meet my normal ingredient standards every now and then just for variety’s sake.

Hakeem Herbal Toothpaste
This unusual Ayurvedic toothpaste has been my reliable regular for the past 6 months or so. I try other toothpastes every few days, but I find myself returning to this one again and again. It has a natural sweetness that comes from ginger and other herbs, and it even contains rock salt and two different types of pepper. Those ingredients would make you think that it’s spicy, but it’s not in the least. It’s worth noting that Hakeem’s toothpaste does not have any mint in it, so depending on what you’re used to, that could be a good or a bad thing.

Dentie Natural Toothpaste from Mitoku
This Japanese black toothpaste has so many exotic ingredients that it makes the one above sound commonplace by comparison. First of all, this toothpaste is completely black. It is actually a toothpowder made of charred eggplant and sea salt, that is turned into a toothpaste in combination with kaolin clay, seaweed cellulose, vegetable glycerin, and peppermint essential oil. Aside from the fun factor of having a completely black mouth when you brush your teeth, I like this toothpaste because the clay gives it a grit that creates that completely clean feeling that you have when you leave the dentist. Plus, the salt helps create an alkaline environment in the mouth, which is crucial for preventing cavities.

Breath Palette Toothpastes
Leave it to the Japanese to develop a toothpaste that comes in 32 different flavors, including many exotics such as Bitter Chocolate, White Peach, Monkey Banana, and Indian Curry. I have not yet tasted the curry, but I’m currently using California Orange, Bitter Chocolate, and Caramel. What prevents these amazing little toothpastes from being disgusting is that they are not the sweetened and overly-flavored toothpastes of your youth. These have very realistic and recognizable fragrances in the formula, and they work based on the fact that smell plays a huge role in taste. So you start out brushing with caramel, for example, but that taste/scent quickly fades and gives way to a fresh, minty toothpaste finish. As I’m writing this blog, I’m realizing I need at least 5 or 6 more flavors to choose from… Indian Curry, here I come.

Botot Toothpaste

Botot claims to be “The World’s First Toothpaste, Invented in 1755 by Dr. Julien Botot for Louis XV of France.” Although Botot contains some ingredients that I’d rather not have in my toothpaste, there’s something really cool about using the world’s first toothpaste. Plus, it has great old-school European packaging and it has “Pasta Dentifricia” and many other classy looking Italian phrases that actually just translate into “toothpaste” and the like. But it looks impressive nonetheless.

Jasmine Mint Toothpaste by Marvis
Want to get your bathroom featured in the design magazines? Put a Marvis toothpaste in your bathroom and you’re one huge step closer. Marvis is another brand that has fluoride and other typical toothpaste ingredients, but I think they could sell puddle water by the truckload if they only put it in Marvis tubes. The crown-like cap alone is worth the price of the product, and I’m a huge fan of jasmine as a flavor - especially in green tea and in Marvis toothpaste.

Phyto Shield Lemon Myrtle Toothpaste

This extremely natural toothpaste from New Zealand is loaded with herbs and other beneficial ingredients. It has no fluoride, no sodium lauryl sulphate, and it contains enamel friendly minerals to prevent plaque build up and tartar deposits. There are three different types of Phyto Shield toothpastes, but I find the Lemon Myrtle to be a really nice change of pace, even from the unusual toothpastes mentioned here.

Weleda Salt Toothpaste
Most people find the idea of salt in toothpaste to be very strange. It certainly takes some getting used to, especially if you’re accustomed to the artificially sweetened toothpastes you find at your local drugstore. But the salt creates an alkaline environment in the mouth that stifles the bacteria that cause tooth decay and other oral health problems. I grew up with very weak enamel and had cavities every time I visited the dentist, despite my best brushing efforts. When my parents switched me from the blue gel that I was using to Weleda’s Salt Toothpaste, I went more than three years without a cavity. Although I find that it’s not abrasive enough to use as my only long term toothpaste, I’m still grateful to Salt Toothpaste for saving me from hours of drilling and horribly numb novocaine cheeks.

Parodontax Herbal Toothpaste
Parodontax is a German toothpaste that is formulated especially for gum health. It does have saccharin in there, but when my dentist found a spot on my gums that was looking a bit strange, I started using this toothpaste it has been much better since. We have many customers who are directed specifically by their periodontal specialists to use Parodontax for gum health. This is definitely our best-selling toothpaste, and a regular choice in my daily brushing routine.

Well, you probably know more about what toothpastes I’m using than my wife does. Come to think of it, she has some that I never use. Maybe I can get her to write something about those ones next time… The bottom line is that I probably have more fun brushing my teeth than just about anyone I know. Why not make your mindless, time-consuming daily routines into something fun? Who knows how it might change your outlook on life?

I just returned from a vacation to my family’s cabin in the pristine Upper Peninsula of Michigan and while there, I tested a few of our products, starting with Burt’s Bees Herbal Insect Repellent.

I am a long-time user of high-concentration DEET bug sprays, believing that dangerous DEET was the ONLY effective insect repellent. I also believed that bug spray wouldn’t work unless it stung my skin (particularly sunburned and already bug-bitten skin) and smelled terrible. I figured this vacation in the woods was a perfect opportunity to kick my unhealthy DEET habit and test an herbal insect repellent’s effectiveness on one of my great nemeses, the common Northern Michigan mosquito.

Suffering only three bug bites the entire week, one on my foot where my sandal obscured the repellent application process, one on the back of my hand which may have occurred while sleeping, and one close to my rear belt line where a combination of too-low pants, a too-high shirt and shoddy application techniques offered up a mosquito feed-trough, I found the Burt’s Bees to be an effective DEET alternative for avoiding mosquito bites.

Burt’s Bees Herbal Insect Repellent contains only natural ingredients and works through a combination of essential oils, including citronella, eucalyptus and lemongrass. The formula not only kept the bugs away but the rich oils also moisturized my skin, and while not listed as a benefit, I think it helped heal bug bites as well. The repellent never irritated my or my 3-year-old traveling companion’s skin, and while I thought the scent was pleasant and lemony one of my testers complained it was overwhelming.

Another complaint was that the oily formula sprayed out in a thick stream, not a fine mist like conventional drugstore bug sprays. But, when the sprayer nozzle broke two days into the trip at the hands of a curious 3-year-old, we dispensed the product like aftershave, first shaken into the hands and then rubbed onto the skin, which proved to be the best application method. Also, I found this product was only effective directly where it was applied, unlike DEET, which seems to create a radius of bug-impenetrability around those who use it.

The one thing Burt’s did not seem to repel was ticks. While I never saw any ticks embedded into my skin I did witness a few on me, searching for a place to feed and potentially infect me with Lyme disease. A quick flick of the finger was the all-natural repellent I used to send ticks away to search for a less agile mammal on which to feed. Maybe the Burt’s Bees did keep the tick from embedding but I have no way of telling, and I sure didn’t wait to find out.

Aside from my harrumphing brother who claimed the Burt’s was “weak” and chose to use his trusty and rusty bottle of DEET spray (did I mention DEET has been known to cause brain damage?) the Burt’s Bees Herbal Insect Repellent was a hit, and I left the bottle at our shared cabin for the rest of my family to use during their weeks in the wilderness. Besides, the mosquitoes here in Chicago know better than to mess with me, and I hope Burt’s Bees Herbal Insect Repellent can help the rest of my family kick their dangerous DEET habit. If you don’t care for Burt’s Bees, Smallflower carries a full line of DEET-free insect repellents. Try some for yourself today.

Aside from working for Smallflower, I also dabble as Marketing and PR Coordinator for Collaboraction, one of Chicago’s coolest theater companies. Earlier this month, Collaboraction opened its 7th annual SKETCHBOOK festival at the Steppenwolf Garage Theater. SKETCHBOOK is a 16 world premiere short play festival with art and video installations within an inclusive, multi-disciplinary, rock-and-roll theater experience.

My tasks at the opening: dress my best, canoodle with the press and theater critics, and stand in a pair of my cruelest, most fabulous gold high-heels for 7 hours straight. The optional (yet necessary) after party with my SKETCHBOOK cohorts and out-of-town friends would only increase the pain.

As all you ladies know, walking around in your favorite strappy, high-heeled sandals is sometimes both sexy and necessary, but also painful on your feet, often leaving them wrought with blisters and lacerations. Ladies, fear no more. Roughly an hour before I strapped on my most beautiful yet torturous shoes, I slathered my feet with Tippy Toes Lotion by Peaches & Boo Boo. My tootsies not only lasted the 7 hours standing, walking and dancing at the opening, but also the 4 hours spent partying into the wee hours without a single blister!

They also survived a blister-free 4 block walk from my house to the theater and a bizarre 10 story climb up and down a fire escape (Don’t ask). I woke up in sheer amazement, able to stand on my two feet without feeling like I had been caught in bear traps the night before.

The product works by creating a smooth, dry, slippery surface that prevents the rubbing and irritations that cause blisters. And it’s not just for high-heeled divas, we’ve had long-distance runners scoop this product up for everything from marathons to regular jogs. Almost any situation where repetitive friction causes pain and irritation could benefit from this magical lotion. I plan on bringing this little bottle of liquid miracle to my best friend’s wedding, as it makes a perfect bridesmaid’s gift: fabulous footwear freedom!

Most people don’t think of Smallflower as a place to go when stocking your bar, but Time Out Chicago Magazine caught up with Adam Seger, Sommelier and bartender at Chicago’s Nacional 27, at our Chicago apothecary doing just that.
Photo Credit to Brendan Lekan

With an eye on quality, Seger sets up his unique bar, perfect for a Maker’s Mark Manhattan, with homemade maraschino cherries and his own hand-brewed bitters. While bitters have traditionally been used as a “cure-all,” they are also a mixer in many drinks, especially in Manhattans, Old Fashioneds and Rob Roys. Seger uses our Naturwaren brand Dr. Theiss Swedish Bitters, as the base for his homemade bar bitters. He also adds mugwort, a plant associated with relieving fatigue and joint pain. Seger also shopped for raw chocolate which is high in antioxidants. While many of the ingredients Seger uses in his bitters are healthful, we’re not sure that drinking Manhattans offer you much in the way of health benefits. However, Swedish bitters have a long history of use among those in the bar and restaurant business in recovering the morning after having one too many.

Often containing such healing botanicals as aloe, camphor and thistle root, bitters are in fact renowned as a treatment for a laundry list of complaints. Former folk-herbalist and author, Maria Treben, wrote “Health Through God’s Pharmacy,” a worldwide bestseller about the many uses for her Swedish bitters recipe.

I have experienced the intoxicating effects of bar bitters as a bartender, and the healing effect of bitters when caught on the wrong side of the bar. The night bartenders where I worked through college, Beggar’s Banquet in East Lansing, MI, would set up “Bitters Bombs” behind the bar for employees working the next morning who were known to be out carousing a bit too late. A “Bitters Bomb” consists of a shot of bar bitters (the traditional Angostura Bitters) and a glass of soda water, to be mixed together and drank quickly. The name is derived from the “Jager Bomb” shot, containing Jagermeister and Red Bull, popular with college students and gluttons for punishment everywhere. I have seen these “bitters bombs” do wonders for hungover employees (including myself… sorry mom!), particularly on dreaded Sunday brunch shifts. I am sure the alcohol content in the Angostura bitters helped some, but the healing effect of the ingredients in the bitters was evident in how it helped me regain appetite, relieve my headache, heal a sour stomach, and vastly improve my outlook on the torturous shift before me. Also, one of our associates, Mark (you remember him from the bone chip blog), swears by Swedish Bitters as a great general digestive tonic and takes them as part of his daily health routine. He believes they keep him from getting sick, and give him energy to work throughout the day and keep up with his new wife.

Seger says that the process of brewing his own bitters takes at least two weeks, with an enormous list of ingredients and careful attention to detail. Unless you are a die-hard bitters purist, most of us are probably not going to be brewing our own bitters anytime soon, but given their wide variety of uses, you never know when Swedish bitters might come in handy.