Mental health and body issues were a big struggle for Kat Cline about 10 years ago. She had several autoimmune conditions, GI issues and she was under what seemed to be every medication under the sun, but nothing helped. That’s when Kat turned to holistic health and nutrition. What she often refers to ancestral health just means eating healthy, fresh foods without a lot of processing. It’s a focus on real food without all the junk we usually eat.
This goes in line with holistic health, a practice that Kat attributes to her healthier state today. Holistic health is a form of healing that considers the whole person—body, mind, spirit and emotions—in the quest for optimal health and wellness (The American Holistic Health Association).
Kat started foraging and creating things with herbs and plantlife at home. When people started asking her if she would sell her products, she founded Aura Apotheca, an herbal apothecary. Through her website, she sells her fresh, handmade products and teaches classes in foraging, herbs, cooking with herbs and fermentation.
The majority of what Kat makes is made using locally foraged items. Her Time to Unwind tea and tinctures, which are good for assisting with calming down and turning off racing thoughts, is made using locally foraged passion vine. She uses pine needles and Bidens alba (aka Spanish needles) in a lot of her fresh, custom tea blends, which are great for lung support and assisting with mucus flow. A lot of herbalists love Bidens alba for its antibiotic-like qualities when sick. Kat also uses a lot of freshly foraged greens in smoothies and salads, which she teaches how to make in her classes.
Kat and other practitioners of holistic health still consult a doctor when needed. However, she believes that there are many natural options for supporting health. Through consistently using these handmade products and eating more natural foods, she has been able to correct a lot of health conditions such as her autoimmune conditions and GI tract issues. While she’s not healed, she feels great and she doesn’t have to take all the medications she used to.
Kat uses an herbal root beer syrup to assist with lymph health, which can also boost immunity, liver health and improving digestion. The green smoothies and salads also provide a lot of vitamins and minerals, and wild plants also help with improving gut bacteria.
“You should always consult a doctor, but I do think that this is something that everyone should look into. Some doctors may not recommend making the switch to holistic health because it’s not what they’re trained in, so just try to find a doctor who will work with you or who will advise you on why you shouldn’t make the switch. Of course, always see a doctor if you have a life-threatening condition,” Kat said.
Aura Apotheca has bloomed into a business that helps people support their health in a natural, safe way. It offers a wide range of products such as teas, syrups, smokes, skincare products, tinctures, elixirs, herb accessories and classes. If you’re looking to start out with holistic health, Kat recommends starting with one thing at a time.
In terms of switching to healthier food, she says you should only switch items out once you run out of them so you don’t have to spend a lot of money at once replacing everything. For example, when you run out of ketchup, do some research and find the healthiest brand of ketchup you can and get that one.
If you’re wanting to start using herbs, Kat stresses that it’s something you have to do a little bit of each day; the majority of them are not going to make any changes immediately. So, be patient and consistent and you will be supporting your health.
To take an online or in-person class with Kat or to buy any of her products, visit shopataura.com.
