102 How to Support Your Body Even if Supplements Make you Sick with Guest Katie Hess

The Case: Mara has sleep issues, anxiety and overall malaise.She struggles with vitamins, supplements and detoxes as they leave her feeling worse.Multiple experts tried to tell her it was part of the process, but she never got better. The InvestigationI have many clients who tell me they are very sensitive to supplements and we have to pay close attention to their support but Mara’s case was more extreme. I knew we had to avoid detoxes but still get her results without overtaxing her very sensitive body. I knew just the method to start solving this health mystery -- flower power.  Flower Power is Not Just for HippiesKatie Hess is a flower alchemist. She uses flower essences to help people regain their health. She is the author of Flowerevolution and founder of LOTUSWEI, one of the world’s leading floral apothecaries. With her signature elixirs featured in The Oprah Magazine, The New York Times and the LA Times, her flower-powered community is thriving today in over 15 countries. Using flower essences for healing is a practice that can be found in different cultures around the globe since well before the development of modern medicine. Present-day shamans and alternative health practitioners still turn to them today.  What are Flower Essences? Traditionally, the flower essences were procured by sipping the dew off of a specific flower. Medicine men and women believe that the life force of the flower is captured in this dew. The dew collection process has been modernized over the millenia, and now these essences are captured through solar infusion. Now, significantly more flower essence can be captured and bottled at scale. Drinking a few drops of this essence is essentially, using the life force of plants to harmonize our own body’s energy. Katie explains that it’s kind of like an acupuncture treatment without the needles.  How are Flower Essences Different from Essential Oils?Many people have heard of (and used) essential oils so it’s easy to get the two confused. Katie shares that essential oils come from the plant material itself (and one drop requires a lot of plant material). To get essential oil from the plant or flower, you have to squeeze or distill the juice of the plant. Often Essential oils are also highly aromatic and usually need to be diluted to use it.Flower essences used in flower remedies require fewer plants and are much more gentle on the system. This is what makes them very effective for people who are very sensitive including the elderly, pregnant women, and even infants. You are not ingesting any of the chemical plant parts so it’s different from taking an herbal tincture.  Selecting the Right Flower EssenceThere are so many different types of flowers and so many issues that people might want to treat, how do you determine which flower will help someone? There is a long history of different plants being used for different purposes so there is much to draw on. Many flower essences and flower essence combinations have been created over the years. When it comes to finding a new treatment, the clues are in the flowers' appearance. Intuition also plays a role for Katie. Katie also uses her group for testing. When she believes that a certain plant will deliver a specific benefit, her group of flower essence enthusiasts will try it out and report back on how it made them feel. She has created a quiz that helps people discover the elixir that is right for them.  The Science Behind Flower EssencesI love scientific studies so I had to find out what kind of science backs up this historical evidence. Katie says there have been numerous studies that look at the energy transfer from plants to humans. She points to the practice of Shinrin-yoku or ‘forest bathing’ in Japan where the government encourages people to spend time immersed in nature because they found those who did experienced a sustained drop in cortisol levels (a decrease in their stress hormones) and an immune boost. There were also studies done in the UK that showed proof that plants emit energy or vibrations as evidenced by how bees find flowers (it’s not the color or the smell!) How Quickly do Flower Essences Work?Katie says that many people can feel the energy from the flower essence right away but as a rule of thumb, she usually tells people that they should feel a difference within 3-5 days if they are taking the flower essences 4-5 times a day. Those who are sensitive or more aware will likely feel a difference within minutes. It’s a bit like taking vitamins, it’s going to take a bit of time for the body to feel the benefits but in some cases, when it’s for a specific symptom, the benefits might be felt quickly.  What Can You Support with Flower Essences?Flower essences are used for a variety of issues ranging from digestive issues to fatigue, anxiety, and painful periods. Mindset support and emotional healing are also reasons that people turn to flower essences. For example, they might use certain essences for treating limiting beliefs, procrastination, grief, or even dealing with past traumas.  How to Use Flower EssencesFlower essences are traditionally taken orally either in an elixir or a few drops added to another liquid like tea or coffee. Katie also blends them with aromatherapy that can be put into a diffuser, added to anointing oils, or bath salts. These make for nice self-care rituals. Katie’s research shows that the energy from the plants is equally transferred regardless of how the essence is administered. While there are no known interactions with supplements or medications, anyone using psychotropic drugs,  antidepressants, or anti-anxiety medication should expect for the effect of the flower essences to take significantly longer. Instead of three days, it might take as much as 30 days.  Mystery SolvedWhat I love about flower essences is that they are so gentle but can also be so powerful. This was exactly what Mara needed and thankfully could tolerate. I started Mara on the elixir called ‘Inner Peace’. After a few days, she was surprised to discover that she was feeling calmer without any negative reactions. A week later, we added ‘Quiet Mind’ and between both of those elixirs, she was able to fall asleep easier. A few weeks later it was even easier to fall asleep and she was able to sleep through the night most days of the week (instead of waking 4-5 times per night). She decided to try more, including ‘Joy Juice’ which she loved because it gave her a pep in her step and then ‘Self Heal’ which she felt  helped her feel a bit less sensitive. Happy EndingOnce Mara was sleeping better, her energy improved drastically. At that point, we were able to start supporting her liver with binders and very low doses of  NAC (250 mg) to get her body primed - both of which she is tolerating and feeling better. Eliminating Health MysteriesFor Mara we were able to find that missing piece of the health puzzle and help her regain her health. Could this be the missing clue for you or someone in your life?  Links:Resources mentionedThanks to my guest Katie Hess. You can connect with her and find flow...