Detoxifying our bodies with natural herbs – Canoe Woman Herbs

By: Jaclyn Hall

The Onkwehonwe Midwives Collective, in collaboration with the MCA's Wholistic Health Program hosted a free community workshop taught by Herbalist Alicia Cook. The workshop took place Wednesday November 27th, in conjunction with National Addiction Awareness Week. From 9am to 1pm, the Tsi Snaihne Recreation was host to a day full of health education.

Detoxifying the body was the focus of the workshop, highlighting the foods and herbs that benefit the body as a whole. Cook went over various topics, all relating to one another and tying each topic together to help attendees understand the importance of a wholistic approach to achieve optimal health after detoxification.

For example, Cook discussed alternatives to foods that are detrimental to our health, such as coffee. Instead of drinking coffee every day, and negatively affecting your liver, you can drink a product called Dandy Bland, which is much easier on your liver. After going over all the different medicines and herbs that can be utilized to help with detoxifying our liver, Cook stressed how important sustainable harvesting is. So, if someone decides to begin collecting medicines, it is important to not over harvest and deplete the medicines we have left around Akwesasne.

Once the presentation was finished, Cook made a blend of the herbs discussed throughout the presentation, and invited attendees to come up and make a take home jar of the herbal blend. A special door prize was drawn and although only one person got to take home the door prize, everyone received a free gift. Cook allowed attendees to ask questions throughout the workshop and after the presentation; even during lunch attendees continued to ask questions.

It is great to see the momentum building within Akwesasne, to live a more wholistic and healthy lifestyle. Anyone interested in learning more or hosting a workshop with Alicia Cook, can contact her through her business Canoe Women Herbs.