Women in Wellness: Lindsay Kluge of Pukka Herbs On The Five Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Help Support People’s Journey Towards Better Wellbeing
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
Be patient with everyone. We’re all on our own journey, and need compassion from all directions while still maintaining our own personal boundaries. There is a balance of being patient without being overly accommodating.
As a part of my series about women in wellness, I had the pleasure of interviewing Lindsay Kluge of Pukka Herbs.
Lindsay Kluge MS, CNS, LDN is a clinical herbalist, licensed dietitian nutritionist, teacher, writer, and avid organic gardener, currently serving as the US Herbal Educator for Pukka Herbs. She received her Masters of science degree in Herbal Medicine in 2012 from the Maryland University of Integrative Health (MUIH) where she currently teaches as adjunct faculty and has since worked in collaborative clinical practice working with individuals to bridge the gap between alternative and modern medicine. Her love for teaching and exploring the growing field of herbal medicine and holistic nutrition is deeply grounded in her roots of Appalachian plant medicine and Ayurvedic philosophy which she infuses into her work and storytelling with Pukka Herbs.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Our readers would love to “get to know you” better. Can you share your “backstory” with us?
I am a Clinical Herbalist and Licensed Nutritionist, teacher, mentor, and writer living in the Blue Ridge Mountains. In addition to my role as the US Herbal Educator for Pukka Herbs, I also serve as adjunct faculty at the Maryland University of Integrative Health, where I earned my M.Sc. in Herbal Medicine in 2012. In my down time, I create a plenty of tea formulas, enjoy reading lots of books, rock climbing, and spending time writing and exploring nature.
Can you share a story about the biggest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
For the first three or four years of owning my own herbal medicine & nutrition business, I did not have a confident grasp on the financial side of maintaining a business. I was essentially winging it, saying “yes” to too many things I didn’t really feel aligned to do, and not feeling clear about setting rates for my services. After a couple of years of feeling financially frustrated, I hired a really good accountant who walked me through step by step the essentials of self-employment and the in’s and out’s of preparing for taxes every year. I also read “Profit First” by Mike Michalowicz which totally transformed how I managed money in my business and how I set clear and confident rates for my services. And today, I work with budding new herbalists to help them establish financial foundations for their business because I know how hard it is have clarity on that just starting out.
Let’s jump to our main focus. When it comes to health and wellness, how is the work you are doing helping to make a bigger impact in the world?
I think my mantra has always been, “We must have a healthy planet to have a healthy body”. My work in herbal medicine and holistic nutrition is directly linked to the health of our planet, and our human connection to it. This concept is very much in tune with how I live day-to-day, and how I approach health education for clients and students. My work with Pukka really aligns with this, as their sustainability approach and business as a force for global good resonates throughout the company, while we provide the highest quality herbal teas to support the health of our global family. I want to teach people how to grow their own herbs and food sustainably, and how to make informed choices about the herbal teas and supplements they buy for themselves that not only support their own health, but the health of our planet, too.
Can you share your top five “lifestyle tweaks” that you believe will help support people’s journey towards better wellbeing? Please give an example or story for each.
Stay Hydrated! This is my number one recommendation for nourishing your body. Drink plenty of water throughout the day including filtered water, herbal teas, and juicy fresh fruits. Water supports cellular health and promotes youthful skin glow by maintaining elasticity, encouraging healthy blood flow and detoxification throughout our body. As a general rule of thumb, try to drink half of your body weight in ounces each day. For example, if you weigh 160 pounds, that’s 80 ounces of water. If you just don’t enjoy drinking water all the time, explore herbal teas to mix up the flavors. Mint, lemongrass, and chamomile are some of my favorites for this!
Incorporate nourishing herbs everyday: Herbs can provide your body with nutrients and plant compounds that can support everything from glowing skin, optimal digestion, and calming an anxious mind. I love rosehips, turmeric and ashwagandha for these effects, respectively. Rosehips are rich in vitamin c and antioxidants, while turmeric supports gentle detoxification and digestive balance, and ashwagandha is a traditional adaptogen used to help modulate the effects of daily and long-term stress. You can find these herbal powerhouses in Pukka’s organic teas: Blackcurrant Beauty Tea, Turmeric Active Tea, and our newest blend, Peace Tea.
Make your plate more colorful: What you eat and drink plays a huge role in your health, specifically your gut health. Fresh, colorful foods contain loads of essential nutrients including antioxidants, healthy fats, fiber, vitamins, and a key element for overall vitality — prana — or life force energy found in living, fresh foods. Prana is the Ayurvedic principle of the energy that drives us on a cellular and spiritual level, fueled by nourishing foods, inspiration from life, pure water, and harmony of space. Leafy greens, fresh fruits, root vegetables, and especially berries (all brimming with life force energy!) should find their way onto your plate every single day.
Get a daily walk in: It’s so important to get movement in every day, especially if you work from home or are at your desk for long hours. Find time to go outside for a walk each day, even if it’s for 15 minutes. This way, you can get your daily sunlight and vitamin D, as well as that much needed time with nature to clear your mind. A brisk walk every day has been shown to improve cardiovascular health, balance blood sugar, and improve mental health.
Limit Screen Time Before Bed: Many of us have the habit of scrolling through our phones right before bedtime which can affect our circadian rhythm and sleep quality. Put your phone down at least 30 minutes before bed and pick up a book to help you fall asleep or listen to a podcast or sleep story. Disconnecting and enjoying some calming time can help relax your mind and body, promote melatonin production, and allow your mind to unwind before sleep.
If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of wellness to the most amount of people, what would that be?
Start a small garden and learn how to grow some of your own food, or volunteer to support your local farms. This doesn’t have to be a massive undertaking! Growing a potted tomato on your porch, a bit of mint for your daily teas, or some leafy greens in your backyard is a good start. Creating a relationship with the food we eat automatically connects us more intimately with the earth that supports us. We become more in tune with the weather, with our soil, and with the other creatures living near us. This really puts into perspective the delicate nature of our global food supply. Added bonus — we learn a bit more about how to cook for ourselves when we have fresh food available. The gratitude, patience and tenderness we develop around our food supply is something many of us lack in a fast-paced, instant gratification, microwave meal society that disconnects us not only from our environment, but our sense of connectedness to each other and our own health. We are all creatures that really thrive with connection.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why?
Get comfortable saying “I don’t know” because it’s a perfectly acceptable answer.
Just because an opportunity presents itself, doesn’t mean you have to take it.
Take your time. Feel genuinely connected to what you devote your time to because your work will feel so much more rewarding when you’re truly invested.
You don’t have to spend exhaustive time verbally proving yourself. Your work will speak for itself.
Be patient with everyone. We’re all on our own journey, and need compassion from all directions while still maintaining our own personal boundaries. There is a balance of being patient without being overly accommodating.
Sustainability, veganism, mental health, and environmental changes are big topics at the moment. Which one of these causes is dearest to you, and why?
That’s a really good question. I gravitate to keeping mental health a primary priority. Mainly because if we don’t have a strong and healthy mental health core in our lives, how can we have the capacity to actively care and consider other major issues outside of ourselves? It is wildly stressful and disheartening to read the constant news of the state of the world, and for many of us, the state of our own neighborhoods, schools or water supply. I’ve worked with hundreds of people in clinical practice whose primary concern, ultimately, is mental health support. They’re overwhelmed, unsupported, overworked, exhausted, anxious, stressed and barely have the capacity to take care of themselves after taking care of their family and/or children. How can they possibly take on the active responsibility of saving the planet, or the pressures of diet culture? Finding sustainable, available and effective ways to tend to ourselves sometimes has to come first before we can invest our time and attention elsewhere.
What is the best way for our readers to further follow your work online?
You can find me on Instagram at @gingertonicbotanicals and with @pukkaherbsus
Thank you for these fantastic insights! We wish you continued success and good health.
Women in Wellness: Lindsay Kluge of Pukka Herbs On The Five Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Help Support… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.