Behind Closed Doors: Lauren Haynes

   

Lauren Haynes, herbalist and founder of Wooden Spoon Herbs, is taking us on a tour of her forest cabin in Cloudland, Georgia and sharing the practices and foods she relies on for her best life. Her deep love and appreciation for the plants and mother nature is felt in all her creations, from her transformative tinctures to her newly launched teas, to the meals she turns to for comfort, health and nourishment. Plant powered and proud, we're turning to Lauren for all the tips.

What is your food philosophy? 

Keep it healthy, but also with treats.

What is the first meal that you remember?

My most beloved and memorable meals were all Sunday lunch at my grandmother's house. I'm not sure if Sunday lunch is just a Southern thing, but every Sunday after church me and all my cousins, aunts, uncles and immediate family would get together for a big lunch and hang out. We'd always have the typical Southern fare: fried okra, roast beef with carrots, squash casserole, mashed potatoes. Those are my earliest, and best, food memories. 

How do you start your day? 

Mornings are my most savored time! I wake up early so I can have quiet time to myself, around 7 or 7:30. First I brush my teeth with my homeopathic-friendly non-mint toothpaste, moisturize with a water-based serum (right now I'm using Mother Mountain Herbals' Cactus Flower Serum), and then my new obsession, the Kosas deodorant.

Next I drink half a quart of water, and put the kettle on. My morning beverage is usually somewhere in the realm of matcha latte with homemade nut milk and CAP Matcha, or Canyon Coffee Afternoon Decaf (I'm a caffeine wimp) or our Herbal Coffee. Then, I sit on my back porch, looking into the woods and sip my morning tonic while I burn some incense; right now I'm loving all the Bodha scents. I'll read a little and meditate once I finish my drink. I keep my meditation short, five minutes a day on my Headspace app; that way I have no excuse not to do it.

After porch time, I either take a walk in the woods or do thirty minutes or so of yoga. 

Breakfast is either brown rice farina or toast with eggs. I make what I call a "flat egg" or "diner egg," which is just where you get a cast iron griddle hot and pour on a scrambled, salted egg and let it cook quickly. Then you fold it up into a square. You could also roll it up and call it an omelet. Either way, it's my favorite egg style. We get gorgeous eggs from a local farm. 

Supplement and herbal regimen: Thorne vitamin D, iodine drops, Source of Life multivitamin, Gaia Herbs thyroid support capsules, fish oil, Dr. Ohira probiotics, and Wooden Spoon Herbs Fire Cider.

What's always in your fridge? 

Eggs, homemade nut milk, homemade kimchi, local veg, seltzers, matcha, maple syrup, lemons, South River miso and tamari. 

What’s always in your pantry?

Dried beans, Delta Blues rice, coconut milk, brown rice farina, Maine Grains oats, Eden apple sauces, pumpkin seeds, salsa, green chilies, grits, tahini.

What do you turn to, to make you feel your best: food and all the other practices?

Food-wise: bone brothy soups, roasted chicken, kale pesto, ginger shots, lemon and manuka honey, fresh pressed juices with local veggies and fruits, beans.

Everything else: oatstraw infusions, Herbal Coffee and Golden Cocoa from our line, magnesium, daily meditation, yogic stretching, long hot showers, taking lots of time to rest!

What are some of your favorite cookbooks?

My cookbook collection is literally my most prized possession.

Superiority Burger Cookbook by Brooks Headley 

At Home in the Whole Food Kitchen by Amy Chaplin

The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters

Laurel's Kitchen by Laurel Robertson, Carol Flinders and Brian Ruppenthal

Cookbook for the New Age: Earth, Water, Fire, Air by Barbara Friedlander

Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat

Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon

And some of your favorite books on herbalism and plant medicine?

The Earthwise Herbal Repertory by Matthew Wood

Medicinal Herbs, a Beginner's Guide by Rosemary Gladstar

The Gift of Healing Herbs by Robin Rose Bennett

The Herbalist's Way by Nancy and Michael Phillips

Medical Herbalism by David Hoffman

And a zillion others...

Go-to meal that you make for yourself more often than not?

Beans with veggies on top of lettuce, topped with salsa and a little crumbly cheese. Maybe an egg on top. 

How do you end your day?

A good dinner and a hot shower, followed by watching reality TV about "life in the country." Right now it's BBC's Gardeners' World. I love it, it's so relaxing and inspiring at the same time.

Photo by Nastassia Brückin

LAUREN'S HERBAL COFFEE 

Right now, a simple cup of our Herbal Coffee is what's getting me by in the mornings and afternoons.

Add 1 tablespoon of Herbal Coffee to 12 oz of hot water. Blitz with an aero frother. Add in a little frothed nut or seed milk and maybe a spoonful of maple sugar or honey if that's your thing. Enjoy!

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1 comment

  • “hEALTHY, WITH TREATS”. j’ADORE.

    TANIA bARNES

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