DEFINITIONS
Phytotherapy (also known as phytomedicine): is the study of the physical, chemical, biochemical, and biological properties of medicines or medical substances of natural origin and includes the discovery of new medicines from natural sources.
Nutraceuticals: are foods that offer health benefits in addition to the basic nutritional value found in foods.
Conscious consumerism (also known as ethical consumerism, conscientious consumerism, or green consumerism): is an act of shopping that has positive or beneficial social, environmental or economic influences.
Holism: ties into the belief that "the whole is greater than the sum of the parts." In terms of healing, holism accounts for mental, social and spiritual factors over just the symptoms of the illness.
ABOUT US
Rooted Being was started by Yuvana Ellappen and Theashen Moodley. Yuvana and I have had our own journeys with mental and physical health, nutrition and spirituality. These journeys have taught us that sometimes; conventional medicine isn’t the answer, nutrition is the backbone of health and wellbeing, and that self-awareness and mindfulness are part of spiritual growth.
The lessons that we learnt and are still learning were used to form the 3 pillars of Rooted Being and dictate the product offering we have available. The 3 pillars of our organisation are phytotherapy, nutraceuticals and conscious consumerism. The sections below go through these pillars. As our company grows and develops, these pillars will be expanded to try and truly embody the concept of holism.
PHYTOTHERAPY
So, what exactly is phytotherapy? Phytotherapy is the use of plant-derived medicine (called phytomedicine) in the treatment and prevention of disease. Phytotherapy is a science-based medical practice, were as herbalism is predicated on traditional knowledge. Phytotherapy bridges the gap between herbalism and conventional medicine. It proves, scientifically, the medicinal benefits of plant derived medications that our ancestors kept harping on and on about for centuries. Ironic right?
Why do we need phytomedicine when we have conventional medicine and herbal medicine? Firstly, as modern civilisations we tend to forget that we have only been using conventional medicine for roughly 70 years. Conventional medicine is founded on the principal of synthesizing and patenting isolated plant chemicals, like Salicylic acid, because you can’t patent the whole plant, but you can patent everything in it.
Herbal medicine utilises the value offered by the whole plant and not just one isolated chemical. Plants contain numerous constituent chemicals that interact in complex ways to sometimes offer greater healing efficacy and fewer side effects when comperd with conventional medicine. While herbal medicine is fantastic, try asking your doctor to prescribe White Willow for your Arthritis. Homeopaths, herbalists and phytotherapists are some of the few people that know how to prescribe herbal medicine, their side effects and potential drug interactions.
Phytomedicine is based on scientific evidence, like conventional medicine, while offering the whole plant medicinal benefits, offered by herbal medicine. Besides being the middle ground between conventional and herbal medicine, phytomedicine promotes self knowledge and discovery by making information available to everyone.
NUTRACEUTICALS
Greek physician Hippocrates, who was known as the father of medicine. He said, “let food be your medicine.” The word Nutraceutical is a combination of the word “nutrient” and “pharmaceutical”. A nutraceutical is a food that offers basic nutritional value in combination with medicinal or health-promoting properties. Nutraceuticals are grouped into four categories, namely dietary supplements, functional food, medicinal food and farmaceuticals.
Dietary supplements are products that contain nutrients derived from food products in a liquid, capsule, powder or pill form. Functional foods have enriched or enhanced components that may reduce chronic disease or provide health benefits beyond the nutrients that the food already contains. Medical food is administered internally, for dietary management of a disease or condition. Medical food is administered under the supervision of a doctor and has nutritional requirements that are established by medical evaluation and are based on recognised scientific principles. Farmaceuticals come from modified crops and animals, that offer medical value.
Diabetes, heart disease, stroke, hypertension, cancer and osteoporosis are some of the leading health conditions in South Africa that can benefit from nutraceuticals. Furthermore, half of all adult South Africans are either overweight (23%) or obese (27%). A proper diet is fundamental in weight loss, but nutraceuticals can aid in that journey.
CONSCIOUS CONSUMERISM
When I was first learning about meditation, I watched a video of a seminar by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, an accomplished Tibetan Buddhist and meditation teacher. He completed an exercise with the audience on who should be allowed to meditate. Rinpoche said that only those that are self-aware are allowed to meditate and thus he asked the audience the following questions to determine who is allowed to meditate.
Do you feel like you are self-aware. If you said yes then you are self-aware, and thus you are all allowed to meditate. Do you feel like you aren’t self-aware. If you said yes then you are aware that you aren’t self aware and are thus you are self-aware. So, you are allowed to meditate as well. Lastly, do you feel like you are unsure on whether you are self-aware. If you said yes then you are aware that you unsure of your self-awareness, and thus you are self-aware. So, you are also allowed to meditate.
The point of the exercise was to prove that everyone is self-aware, regardless of your own predisposed belief in your self-awareness, and that everyone is allowed to meditate. Now that you are aware that you are self-aware, do you believe that you are a conscious consumer? A conscious consumer is someone that is mindful and aware of their buying habits and the products they choose to purchase.
If you buy something that is inexpensive then you may be aware of your finances and mindful of not overspending. If you buy something that is sustainable then you may be aware of your environmental impact and mindful of reusability. If you participate in holistic health care here, then you may be aware of your internal struggles and you are mindful of the healing you require.
If we, as a collective abide by conscious consumerism we may have lasting impacts on social equity, climate change, sustainability, global healing and so much more. Ultimately, conscious consumerism should always be about one’s own values and is a personal experience.
OUR PRODUCTS
In conclusion, if you’re looking for phytomedicine, nutraceuticals and products tailored to conscious consumers then Rooted Being has you covered. For more information on any of the topics discussed here today, feel free follow us on social media, check the blog posts on our website or come and have a chat with us. Have grounded day!
MEET THE TEAM
Theashen Moodley
"I learnt early into my journey with mental health that most available treatment options are symptom-based, and most conventional medicines have daunting side effects. This led me down the path of learning about phytotherapy, nutraceuticals and holistic healing. I created Rooted Being to cultivate a community of like-minded people, share educational content in the field of holism and offer natural solutions to everyday needs."
Yuvana Ellappen
"My passion for holistic health and alternative healing has been a beautiful journey, igniting a deep interest in self development and empowerment. At Rooted Being, I seamlessly blend my creative flair, marketing expertise, and holistic knowledge to not only educate and raise awareness but also to empower individuals within the community to explore new paths to wellness and self-empowerment."