If you’re anything like the majority of Americans, you may have self-soothed with one too many cocktails and homemade bread loaves throughout the course of the pandemic.
While these vices may have provided temporary relief from the emotional hardship of living through a global crisis, you may have noticed a decline in your health.
Maybe the stairs are becoming more mountainous or your jeans a little tighter (but really, who has worn them since March anyway?). Unzippable pre-Covid jeans or not, you may be looking to 2021 as a year of health reclamation.
Luckily, for Benicians and visitors alike, there is a health revolution burgeoning from a little downtown shop: Freshly Rooted Tribe.
Owners Chris and Audrey Ciancaglini are a husband and wife team. Hailing from Vallejo, these high school sweethearts turned married power couple share a healthcare background and a calling to help others. Shortly after their move to Benicia in 2013, Chris and Audrey decided to make healthier lifestyle choices to pass onto their children. This decision led them to venture into a vegan lifestyle, where they would soon discover
Irish sea moss: a nutrient-dense food with a wealth of health benefits.
The more they researched, the more their passion was fueled. Word of this plant-based powerhouse needed to be spread.
In 2016, quality Irish sea moss was difficult to find. Chris and Audrey did research to source the highest quality sea moss possible. Blended with Kangen water, a strong alkalized water with antioxidants, their sea moss comes prepared to eat straight from the jar. Their sea moss is 100% wild harvested from the Atlantic Ocean, meaning that their sea moss has never been farmed or grown in pools. Due to its natural form of harvest, Freshly Rooted Tribe’s sea moss is annually tested for radioactivity, microbes, pesticides/herbicides, heavy metals, and petroleum residues. The sea vegetable is never uprooted, but rather cut just to where it meets the water, to ensure regrowth of the algae. The high quality sourcing allows for a clean taste and maximum nutritional value.
The nutrition profile of sea moss is huge.
It contains 92 of the 102 minerals the body needs, while also providing a healthy dose of iodine to aid in thyroid function. The anti-inflammatory properties of sea moss help in exercise recovery and joint health. In addition to its anti-inflammatory properties and mineral content, it boosts immunity with its antimicrobial and antiviral properties. “This stuff helped people survive the potato famine,” explains Chris. And even though sea moss alone is not a cure-all, Chris adds that it is a catalyst towards your health goals. His explanation is simple: when you feel energized and nourished, you are more likely to pursue a healthier lifestyle.
While sea moss packs a punch, it is versatile and can be added to a multitude of different diets.
Anyone who has ventured into the health world online has been pulled in multiple directions – should you do keto? Should you be vegan? What about intermittent fasting or calorie restriction? Whatever you decide, sea moss fits into just about every category. With virtually zero calories and no carbohydrates, it won’t break your fast or chip away at your caloric bank.
Freshly Rooted Tribe’s mission to foster a healthier community through their products has taken off.
The power of sea moss combined with the drive of the Ciancaglinis is spreading beyond their quaint storefront. Exciting ventures are on the horizon for this young and ambitious couple. As Chris Ciancaglini says, “It’s not hype, it’s an awakening.”
