Gemma Wells Naturopathy

24/06/2025

Wood blewitts & water cress - I found these in my backyard after a few days of rain. They are just stunning!! And delicious with just butter & a little salt. I love eating mushrooms & it’s so good getting to know the ones that are growing around me. Fungi foraging is a curious & contested thing, & care must be taken for correct id (these also have a similar looking mushroom which is harmful) but the mycelial world can teach us so much about ecosystems & how we can start to hold our hands out to be a part of it. *this post is not an educational post but a musing. If interested in foraging mushrooms seek out qualified & experienced guides who can guide you. Never pick & eat mushrooms without knowing what you are doing.*

13/06/2025

The only green smoothie I’m recommending this winter is salsa verde! Perfect for topping sardines on toast with added hot chilli sauce. All you need is gherkins, capers, Dijon mustard, olive oil, red wine vinegar, a little salt and soft green herbs - I used mint, coriander and young mallow leaves but you could add dandelion greens, the tops of young cleavers or parsley as well. Mush all together in a blender and voila!!( has a much more comprehensive recipe). It’s zesty & fragrant and keeps in the fridge! Sardines on toast have become my favourite, high protein, high omega 3 breakfast (plus super frugal if you are into that) and this sauce is a delicious & nutritious addition!!!

03/06/2025

This was really a beautiful day spent picking & processing olive leaves with a dear friend for an olive leaf extract. Olive trees are a magical plant- eat the fruit, make oil from the fruit and a tincture from the leaves. All are so medicinal & can improve health in so many ways. I remember one of my favourite lecturers at uni could wax lyrical about olives & I remember that being one of my favourite lectures. There is a phenol called oleuropein in the leaf and oil which seems to account for a lot of the medicinal effect of the leaf- however there are so many other constitutients including secoiroids, flavonoids, triterpenes and lignans and it is the whole plant that works synergistically to support your body. So the leaf tincture is a great way to harness some of these properties which primarily are antioxidant & antiinflammatory. It can also help support cardiovascular systems & blood sugar balance. It is one of those bitters that make you screw up your face & curse your herbalist! I might end up mixing it with some honey to improve the taste. It has a broad antimicrobial action & can reduce duration of viral infections so a great one to take during winter!

16/05/2025

Dandelion root harvesting! Straight into a tincture! I was having a hard time concentrating on my assignment so off to harvest instead, it’s a really physical job harvesting roots, I use a large pitchfork and then a small spade and you dig down into the soil so that you don’t snap the root off. The whole process brings you so much closer to the earth. This will be a tincture to support the liver and digestion, especially supports kidney function and improves bile flow.

11/04/2025

Picking poplar buds for medicine- these are going into a tincture. So resiny! My hands were covered! Was such a lovely day shadowing at the Herbalist without Borders clinic in Huonville. I am feeling so pumped to join a community of herbalists & naturopaths who are offering such an amazing service. Also foraging like this is such a mental health balm, out in nature, with plants, with the birds

06/04/2025

Next gardening day is 17th April at 9-12. Will be w**ding beds & planting calendula seeds. We are also looking for donations of medicinal herbs - if you have excess seeds from last season or cutting of things like Tulsi or Mugwort, we would love them for the plot.
What we are doing: w**ding beds, germinating, planting seeds, harvesting medicinal herbs, learning how to use herbs in daily life - preparations such as teas/balms/vinegars. 1st and 3rd Thursday every month.

23/03/2025

Equinox has just been & I can feel the cooler weather creeping. Mushrooms are popping up, berries are reddening and I’m harvesting roots to make tinctures and teas. I’ve been super busy with study and starting a new community herb garden (more on that later).

03/03/2025

Some great & needed research being done to improve understanding of menstrual health. Get involved if you have lived experience or share with friends/family who do. 💜

This research is asking adult Australian women and menstruating people what they understand about menstruation and the menstrual cycle.

Due to limited research of menstrual and reproductive health literacy in Australia, more information is required to improve knowledge gaps and increase awareness of what constitutes good menstrual and reproductive health.

Furthermore, this research seeks to gather information about women and menstruating people’s experiences seeking support from healthcare providers for menstrual health concerns in the efforts to identify areas in healthcare access and delivery which require investigation.

To participate in this research simply complete a 15-minute online survey: https://scuau.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3kOUNdqNpAxt7wy

22/02/2025

I love feral foraging. If the plants are there and taking over, I love to use them. And I love blackberries (massive w**d problem btw) but so much can be made with them!! I made a blackberry thyme syrup, blackberry wine is on the cards as soon as I can get some citric acid and I’m interested in a fermented blackberry leaf tea that told me about. Definitely looking into more ways to use this abundant w**d. Plus I love nothing more than sloshing around the creek at dusk in gumboots, picking blackberries and looking for the resident platypus. This is slow medicine in its very own way & I feel like I am building relationships with my local terrain & calming my nervous system at the same time. **ds **ds

02/02/2025

The best blooms you’ve ever seen. I met a lovely lady down the road who is growing the most beautiful dahlias & we got a handful of garlic as well. Will keep us healthy while we navigate a cooler climate- I have a secret (some say disgusting) little immune remedy. A clove of fresh garlic crushed in a spoon of local honey. Works a treat! Fresh garlic is a wonder - primes the Nrf2 pathway (helps protect cells & helps them thrive- ie; you live longer & happier) amongst other things! There are many other ways to take garlic other than fresh but adding fresh garlic if you tolerate it - guacamole, garlic bread, garlic butter. Oooft I’m a big fan. But also a big fan of flowers. And I love having fresh flowers in my home or growing around me. Flowers & garlic. Thanks Tassie, what a treat.

03/06/2024

Olive leaf : olea europaea —> always recommend extra virgin olive oil to use as a healthy fat for everyday use. It helps maintain healthy blood lipid levels. The leaf is also an important medicine and can be used to protect the cardiovascular system- so any issues with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, & inflammation can be supported with this herb. A good olive leaf extract contains secoiridoids- bioactive component with antiviral properties. One of these secoiroids is oleuropein- a powerful antioxidant which support heart function and also the immune system. A study done in 2022 showed that olive leaf extract improved the clinical status and time spent in hospital was shortened in patients with covid-19 (link below). So Olive leaf may be one to consider this winter for supporting your immune system against viruses. link:🔗 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.explore.2022.10.020

28/05/2024

Hormone balancing packages: I’ve been busy at work trying to figure out how to offer some more cost effective support in these times. I love hormones so this package is a no brainer- I want to help you to have a calm PMS time (luteal phase), detoxify your oestrogen (or upregulate if needed), lower inflammation, reduce angry outbursts, emotional turmoil related to hormones, have low or no-pain periods, regulate your cycles ect…

Hormones are master communicators in our bodies but they can go out of whack & when they do, it’s pretty noticeable. The main package offers 5x appointments at 20% off via Telehealth, including a salivary hormone test to see where everything is at.
The other option for my current clients is 3x return appointments for 20% off.
These packages do have to be pre-paid and booked for the next 6 months and are non-refundable however I am flexible with rescheduling appointments if you let me know 24hrs in advance.