Meet: Foraged Formulas

Meet Foraged Formulas.

After finishing Medical School at The Ohio State University and following his residency at the Cleveland Clinic, Dr. Pesek traveled the world as an academic ethnobotanist in search of healing plants.  His goal: to learn from indigenous peoples and our longest living elders the plants used culinarily and medicinally throughout different cultures.  Thousands of plants hold a healing history he hoped to bring back to his medical practice in Northeast Ohio.

His expedition took him many places; from the high altitude mountain ranges of the Andes in Peru, the dense and humid jungles of Belize, to the remote Western Ghats mountain ranges of India, and many more.  He was taught and recorded invaluable information on the wonderful plants and people this planet has to offer.  That’s why we’re elated to incorporate these lessons learned into our Foraged Formula supplement line.

The earliest part of Dr. Pesek’s journey focused on a plant he had come to love: Maca.  This vegetable is only found in the Peruvian Andes at elevations of up to 15,700 feet where few other plants survive besides alpine grasses and some potatoes. It takes incredible strength for people to survive here too, in fact indigenous peoples to this region have adapted unique characteristics such as larger lung capacity and more efficient oxygen utilization to survive such a harsh, high altitude climate.  Maybe it’s no wonder Maca is consumed regularly here.

Maca is a starchy tuberous vegetable that is shown to support energy, mood, memory, and cognitive function.  Ancient Andeans relied on meals of Maca to excel at mental and physical tasks, often in these low oxygen environments.  Because Maca contains many indigestibles fibers, it’s best when cooked or predigested for maximum absorption.  Our Maca is gelatinized – which gently removes the indigestible starches and makes it easier to digest.  We also use Maca grown and harvested by local farmer’s co-ops at high altitudes where the warm days and cold nights concentrates the active compounds.  Just one capsule a day delivers the equivalent of 5 grams of raw Maca.  A wonderful ancient solution reimagined for modern day life.

India’s herbalism practices are rooted in Ayurveda – a more than 2,000 year old medicinal tradition making it a must visit for Dr. Pesek.  Here Dr. Pesek fell in love with many local traditions and herbs, including Turmeric and Frankincense.

Stepping off the plan he fell sick with terrible aches and pains.  His local guide prepared him a hot drink of many Ayurvedic herbs; two of which being Turmeric and Black Pepper.  He slept for 14 hours and woke up to a better day; his aches and pains nowhere to be found and his mood delighted.

He spent weeks learning from locals plants that called this region home.  Immediate curiosity led him to discussions and dreams of Frankincense.  A ingredient of historical fame, it’s known Frankincense has been used topically and aromatically for millenia for a list of ailments, but did you know it’s best use might be inside of you?  The active compound, boswellic acid, has been shown to have incredible support for comforting joint pain and inflammation, much like turmeric.

Interestingly, Dr. Pesek researched and found studies showing the combination for curcumin and boswellic acid to be more effective at treating pain than curcumin alone.

Our Turmeric is sourced from its native home of India.  We ferment the roots and extract the additional curcuminoids for more potency.  Our Frankincense comes from the mountainous regions of India.  We sustainably harvest the gummy resin from the trunks of the trees, concentrate the active compounds and add it to our blend.  Finally, we add another herb commonly prepared with turmeric: black pepper.  This piperine extract provides a boost of antioxidants and aids in absorption.

Reaching for room in his passport, who knows where Dr. Todd will draw inspiration for his next product.  Maybe the organic Matcha Tea Farms in the rolling hills of Uji, Japan.  The wild jungles of southeast Costa Rica where cacao has been used medicinally for centuries.  Or the wind swept coasts of Ireland, where the health benefits of Irish Sea Moss were discovered when our ancestors were desperate for nutrition during the great potato famine in the 1800’s.

Stay tuned to find out!

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.