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Monday 10am - 5pm Tuesday 10am - 5pm Wednesday 10am - 5pm Thursday 10am - 5pm Friday 10am - 5pm Saturday 10am - 4pm

Essential Remedies, 141 Craig Street, Duncan, BC (2026)

03/23/2026

𝙈𝙊𝙊𝘿 𝘽𝙊𝙊𝙎𝙏𝙄𝙉𝙂 𝙎𝙐𝙋𝙋𝙇𝙀𝙈𝙀𝙉𝙏𝙎

*𝑩 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒙 𝒗𝒊𝒕𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒔: produce important brain chemicals that affect mood and other brain functions. Also boost energy production and proper metabolism.
*𝑽𝒊𝒕𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒏 𝑫: the sunshine vitamin(which we are lacking in the winter months!). Regulates mood and decreases depression, as well as being a vital vitamin for all aspects of health.
*𝑶𝒎𝒆𝒈𝒂 3𝒔: play a role in sharpening memory and improving mood, as well as protecting your brain against cognitive decline.
*5-𝑯𝑻𝑷: helps raise serotonin levels in the brain. Since serotonin helps regulate mood and behavior, 5-HTP has a positive effect on sleep, mood, anxiety, appetite, and pain sensation.
*𝑮𝑨𝑩𝑨: known for producing a calming effect. It's thought to play a major role in controlling anxiety, stress and fear.
*𝑺𝒕. 𝑱𝒐𝒉𝒏'𝒔 𝑾𝒐𝒓𝒕: increases the activity of brain chemicals such as serotonin and noradrenaline, helping to stabilize mood, and is a well-studied natural anti-depressant.
*𝑯𝒐𝒍𝒚 𝑩𝒂𝒔𝒊𝒍: an ayurvedic remedy that has antidepressant and antianxiety properties. Studies have shown that it can help people feel more social and less anxious.
*𝑮𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒌𝒐 𝑩𝒊𝒍𝒐𝒃𝒂: in addition to increasing brain circulation and helping memory, Ginkgo also increases the turnover of both serotonin and dopamine, neurotransmitters often low in those with depression. Ginkgo extract can reduce symptoms of anxiety and stress by reducing levels of the stress hormone cortisol.
*𝑺𝒂𝒇𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒏: a natural antidepressant, studied for effectively helping depression, anxiety, and stress. It works by increasing neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine in the brain, while its antioxidant properties reduce oxidative stress that contributes to low mood.

03/20/2026

𝐈𝐟 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐒𝐮𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐌𝐢𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬, 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝐁𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐰 𝐈𝐧 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐕𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧

Migraine headaches are ridiculously common. They can cause intense, throbbing pain; nausea; vomiting and sensitivity to light and sound that can seriously affect your quality of life. This new study suggests that getting more of one simple vitamin could help.
This study compared levels of vitamin B12 in people who suffered from migraines to the levels in people who didn’t. The migraine group was further divided into people who suffered chronic migraine and people whose migraines were episodic.
The migraine group had significantly lower levels of B12, and the chronic migraine sufferers had significantly lower B12 levels than people with episodic migraines.
Adding to the evidence, lower B12 was significantly associated with greater severity of migraine attacks.
This study offers the possibility that low levels of B12 are associated with migraine headaches and their severity. It is the second recent study to find an association between low B12 levels and migraine (J Headache Pain. 2025 Nov 11;26(1):2500.
Neurol Res. 2025 Mar;47(3):195-200.

03/20/2026

𝐄𝐱𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐈𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐁𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐥 𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐲 𝐒𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐚

A promising new study provides evidence that spirulina can improve symptoms and quality of life in people with irritable bowel syndrome.
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) affects 5-10% of all people. It affects women more than men. Because of the pain, and because 38% of people with IBS experience depression and 40% experience anxiety, IBS can seriously affect quality of life.
Recent research is expanding our knowledge of IBS. It appears that gut permeability allows immune cells to pass into the intestine, leading to inflammation that contributes to the pain and the other symptoms of IBS.
This new double-blind study of 54 people with IBS gave either a placebo or 1,000mg of spirulina a day for 12 weeks.
Zonulin is a marker of permeability, and some studies have shown that it is elevated in people with IBS. At the end of the study, the people on spirulina had significantly lower levels of zonulin, suggesting improved intestinal permeability.
They also had significantly better overall IBS-Severity system score. Scores improved by 32.17 points in the spirulina group while worsening by 1.07 points on the placebo. IBS quality of life scores also improved significantly more in the spirulina group, going up 7.05 points on spirulina and down 1.57 points on placebo.
The spirulina group had significantly lower markers of oxidative stress and significantly higher markers of total antioxidant capacity.
This study provides the first evidence that spirulina can help people with IBS.
Nutr J. 2025 Apr 21;24:64.

03/13/2026

𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐕𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧 𝐅𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐌𝐢𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬
It’s hard to believe, but a billion people suffer from migraine headaches. It’s also hard to believe that a safe, simple, inexpensive vitamin can help. Both are true.
Could something as simple as vitamin D change life for millions of people with migraines? That’s what this meta-analysis of 5 studies that compared vitamin D to a placebo set out to see.
The answer is yes! Vitamin D significantly reduced the number of days with headaches, the frequency of headaches and the severity of headaches. It also significantly improved scores on the Migraine Disability Assessment.
The researchers concluded that “Vitamin D treatment is effective to alleviate migraine.”
Clin Neuropharmacol. Jan-Feb 2021;44(1):5-8.

𝐆𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐀𝐜𝐢𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐢𝐬𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐎𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐀𝐝𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬
Rates of obesity among young people are very concerning and on the rise. Between 1990 and 2021, rates of overweight and obesity combined doubled, while rates of obesity tripled. Any safe, natural help would be welcome. Here’s a surprising and simple one.
Rising rates of obesity among young people is concerning because being overweight when you’re young has impacts on health when you’re an adult, including increased risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer and premature death.
Studies have shown that a B vitamin, folic acid, is associated with lower rates of overweight and obesity in adults. But what about in kids?
This massive study of 9,404 children and adolescents between 6 and 19 found that folic acid is also associated with a lower risk of being overweight or obese in young people, especially adolescents.
Compared to people with the lowest dietary intake of folic acid, those with the highest had a 35% lower risk of being overweight or obese. For central obesity, the benefit was a similar 36%. This benefit for folic acid reached significance for adolescents between 12 and 19.
This new study introduces folic acid as a possible strategy for combatting overweight and obesity in children and, especially, in adolescents.
BMC Pediatrics. January 2026;26,141.

03/06/2026

𝑷𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝑹𝒆𝒄𝒖𝒓𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝑼𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒓𝒚 𝑻𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕 𝑰𝒏𝒇𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝑵𝒂𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒍 𝑪𝒐𝒎𝒃𝒐
Recurrent urinary tract infections are common in kids. Frequent antibiotics can lead to side effects and antibiotic resistance. A new study suggests a natural alternative.
Recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs) are not only a pain in themselves for kids, they can lead to long-term kidney complications, especially in kids with vesicoureteral reflux (VUR). VUR is a condition in which urine flows in the wrong direction. Instead of staying in the bladder until you urinate, if flows back into the ureter or kidney. It is most common in kids and can cause bacteria to get into the kidney where it can cause an infection, which can lead to kidney damage.
This study included 39 children between 3 and 16, some of whom had VUR. They were given a combo of cranberry extract, standardized for 36 mg proanthocyanidins, probiotics (Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Bifidobacterium longum) and 250mg of vitamin C a day for 6 months followed by a 6 month observation period.
Cranberry is one of the most studied and most effective natural remedies for recurrent UTIs. Probiotics and vitamin C have both also been shown to reduce UTI recurrences.
In this study, the combo significantly reduced UTI recurrence. The average number of UTIs went down from 3 to 0 in kids without VUR and from 2 to 0 in kids with. 69.2% of the kids had no infection throughout the year. The others had fewer UTIs than they did before taking the supplement.
The supplement was well tolerated, and there were no serious adverse events.
J Diet Suppl. 2026;23(2):205-216.

03/06/2026

𝙃𝙀𝙍𝘽𝙎 𝙁𝙊𝙍 𝙒𝙃𝙊𝙇𝙀 𝘽𝙊𝘿𝙔
𝘾𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝘿𝙚𝙩𝙤𝙭𝙞𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣
Many chronic conditions can occur as a result from an accumulation of toxins built-up in the body. Also, sudden acute symptoms can occur and be made worse from toxin overload. Keeping a cleansing/detoxification regimen going is important to achieve and maintain excellent health. In addition to adopting healthy lifestyle habits into your everyday life, by periodically taking specific herbs, you can clean your organs and blood, including elimination of excess accumulated toxins that promote disease. This will also help to get stagnant lymph flowing, improve digestion, and clean out the nooks of your colon which is vital. These wonderful herbs can also improve existing ailments, and are safe to consume on a regular basis, maybe taking small breaks to avoid your body getting too used to them. While there are various herbs that will be effective for the individual, finding the right combination that is suitable for your own unique system will prove beneficial. Consider using the following for complete body cleansing:
1) Dandelion- Parts used are flowers, leaves, and roots. Is a diuretic, stimulates bile flow, aids digestion, cleanses liver and kidneys, nutrient rich.
2) Red Clover- Flowers. Purify blood and detoxify. Lymph flow, breaks down toxins, expectorant helping with respiratory system, acts as tonic and helps fatigue.
3) Stinging nettle- Leaves. Supports proper kidney function, rich in iron, easily incorporates into soup, smoothies, salads,pesto, tea, or steamed.
4) Burdock Root- Root. Vitamin and mineral rich, improves blood quality, liver health, lymph, circulation, fights inflammation
5) Cleavers- Leaf. Gentle diuretic, lymphatic system tonic, and detoxifying agent. Supports kidney function, reduces fluid retention (edema), soothe urinary tract infections, and can help reduce swelling in lymph nodes.
Be sure to drink lots of water and herbal teas included. Eat a natural and balanced whole foods diet including in it lots of fresh veggies and greens. Exercise sufficiently, get adequate rest and sleep, and STRESS LESS- all will go a long way to ensuring your super-wellness!
TinaLee Foster, RHN
Essential Remedies

03/04/2026

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐟-𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐂𝐢𝐫𝐜𝐮𝐢𝐭
𝐀 𝐃𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐃𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐁𝐈𝐀 𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐖𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭

On March 12, Essential Remedies will be participating in the Downtown Wellness Walkabout, for product demo of New Roots skin oils. Sign up at www.downtownduncan.ca/selfcarecircuit,
and for a list of stores participating!

02/27/2026

𝐅𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐄𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐟 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐉𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬
• Faster, more powerful pain relief with eggshell membrane and hyaluronic acid
• Rebuilds joints and osteoarthritis
• Reduce pain and feel great again
• Antiinflammatory
JointStart Supreme soothes inflammation and reduces pain quickly. JointStart Supreme has increased anti-inflammatory proteolytic enzymes (bromelain and serrapeptase), and added two new nutrients, HLA and eggshell membrane. JointStart Supreme is a remarkable healing formula for those with severe arthritis and/or joint pain.

02/20/2026

𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒊𝒕 𝑪𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑯𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕, 𝑩𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝑺𝒆𝒆𝒅 𝑫𝒐𝒆𝒔 𝒊𝒕 𝑨𝒍𝒍!

You knew that black seed does a lot. But, when it comes to cardiovascular disease, it seems to do it all!
There have been a huge number of studies on Nigella sativa, commonly known as black seed, and risk factors for cardiovascular disease. This very high quality systematic review and meta-analysis put them all together for the most definitive word yet on black seed and cardiovascular disease. The meta-analysis included 82 high quality, controlled studies of a total of 5,026 people.
Remarkably, it showed that black seed significantly improves a very wide range of cardiovascular risk factors. When it comes to weight, black seed significantly improves weight, body fat percentage, body mass index, waist circumference, muscle mass and waist-to-hip ratio.
When it comes to blood pressure, it significantly improves systolic, diastolic and mean arterial blood pressure. Black seed also significantly improves total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, VLDL cholesterol, ratio of triglycerides to HDL cholesterol (atherogenic index) and triglycerides.
As for diabetes markers, black seed significantly improves fasting and after eating blood sugar, long term blood sugar control (HbA1c) and insulin sensitivity.
Markers of inflammation, including C-reactive protein (CRP), high-sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP), intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha, are all significantly improved with black seed.
Additionally, black seed significantly improves the liver enzymes ALP, ALT and AST. As for the kidney, it improved creatinine and urea.
It also improved markers of antioxidants and oxidative damage, including MDA, SOD and total antioxidant capacity.

The most profound effects seemed to occur with doses over 2g that were taken for at least 8 weeks.
This study provides high quality evidence that black seed may be an important and versatile herb for cardiovascular health.
Pharmacological Research. September 2025;21:107882.

02/17/2026

Customer Appreciation day today 15 percent off! 😊

02/13/2026

𝐋-𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐄
𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘅𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱, 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗺 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘁 𝗱𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝘀𝗹𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝘁 𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁!
L-Theanine is an amino acid found in tea leaves, particularly green tea. Other dietary sources are in some types of mushrooms, however it is more potent in tea and even more so in an isolated supplement form, bringing the most benefit. L-theanine works promoting relaxation and sleep, and alert and focus. It may also stimulate metabolism, boost fullness and help curb hunger. These benefits are often seen mildly from drinking a cup of green tea, you may have noticed.
L-theanine works to promote relaxation by creating some adjustment changes in the brain. It boosts GABA and other calming brain chemicals, serotonin and dopamine. These regulate emotions, mood, sleep, appetite, energy, and heighten concentration, alertness, and other cognitive skills. Increasing calming chemicals in the brain promotes relaxation and helps you get to sleep, yet helps you be focused and concentrate during the daytime when you need to. By calming and quelling anxiety, and lowering excitatory brain chemicals, this greatly helps with daytime stress, but also helps go to sleep and stay asleep, as anxiety is often a reason we wake up and can't get back to sleep. This also protects the brain cells against stress and age-related damage. L-theanine enhances alpha waves which are cause for relaxation, alertness, and focus. This helps your mind with meditation and creativity when awake, and during sleep these brain waves are present during REM sleep.
So one of the greatest things about L-theanine is that you can take it in the AM for a relaxed and focused day ahead with an un-anxious mind, and taken before bed for a restful sleep. An over-processing or stressed-out mind is often cause for lack of sleep.
A list of the many benefits:
- improving sleep
- helps hyperactivity in children
- reduces stress and anxiety
- useful for schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder
- enhances attention, focus, clarity, memory, and, learning
- help maintain a healthy weight, through its metabolism aiding, appetite-regulating mechanisms, as well as its anti-anxiety and sleep aiding mechanisms, as this ties in with hormones and such.
It is a very safe supplement, though it can lower blood pressure, so check with your doctor if you're are on medication for this, as with any other circumstance that you are taking prescriptions.
A peaceful and tranquil mind to you!
Be well,
Tina Foster, RHN
Essential Remedies

Essential Remedies

03/23/2026

03/20/2026

03/20/2026

03/13/2026

03/06/2026

03/06/2026

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02/27/2026

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02/13/2026

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Tuesday	10am - 5pm
Wednesday	10am - 5pm
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Friday	10am - 5pm
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