Sunday Letter • March 23rd, 2025
Spring has sprung! Featuring a note on practical kitchen herbalism and a 12" tune to start your week
Welcome to this week’s
The last time I wrote you all, I had been feeling like I wanted to focus more of my energy into myself and simply being. When I started this newsletter and created a structure for it, I was brimming with ideas, but I also knew it would require commitment and dedication.
I did at some point feel that keeping up with my newsletter on a bi-weekly basis, pumping out three newsletters (A Sunday Letter, a garlic and dyl offering, and a style–music–culture–lifestyle post) every two weeks would always be feasible for me. I even wrote in a recent Sunday Letter about how I found the time to write because I made the time and because it felt necessary for my creative expression. However, I am accepting that there will be times when that’s not doable for me.
A mutual connection of mine on this platform,
(who has a great newsletter that you should check out!), recently shared a Note on Substack where she expressed similar feelings:Two weeks ago, I started to speak about this, and mentioned that I have never been one to force especially in my creative pursuits. Right now I’m working to strike a balance that works with me through the ebbs and flows of my life—giving myself grace when I need space to not have something to hit the ‘publish’ button on, but also sticking to my passions in this committed way.
I think two things can be true. Keeping up with my newsletter—which is one of my creative babies—is both about discipline and giving myself a voice to share what I value with you all. And I think in order to have good stuff to share on my platform, I also have to live my life and take care of myself. Sometimes I truly do have to go inward in order to have that which I can extend outward.
I still have plenty to say and share with you all. I’m always ideating and thinking of ways to contribute to my content. For example, I whipped up a post for you all for tomorrow about how I’m preparing for allergy season that I hope you all can find useful!
Kitchen Herbalism in Practice
One of the reasons why I wanted to start my newsletter was to share some of the practical uses of herbs and kitchen herbalism with you all.
I’ve been on an on-again-off-again Invisalign case for the past few years. I am finally almost done, working with a great orthodontist who I found here in Philly, when I struck a nerve this past week putting on the final set of alignment trays in my case. It has been pretty painful! This has happened before when switching between alignment trays, and I remember the first time it happened I paid a visit to my holistic dentist, Dr. Regni. He advised me with a holistic treatment (which I love him for!) that involved making sure my body was getting the nutrients needed to support repair and recovery, including magnesium, calcium, and CoQ10.
CoQ10, which is a potent antioxidant, is especially helpful for nerve support and repair, as it boosts tissue oxygenation and circulation to the gums, and supports mitochrondiral function—which the cells of our nerves rely on for proper functioning and regeneration. When I felt the telltale sign of nerve pain creep back up, I made sure to pick some up from my local Sprouts grocery store.
I also went into my kitchen apothecary to create a soothing, anti-inflammatory brew to rinse my mouth with.
Calendula is a great first aid herb to have on hand for trauma, as it is anti-inflammatory and had been used for centuries to promote wound healing
Chamomile―chamomile alone for someone new to herbalism and who may have chamomile tea in their pantry already is an excellent soothing and anti-inflammatory ally
Sage (which I bought from Trader Joes, $1.69 for a whole ounce of organic sage is a great deal!) is naturally antibacterial and supportive of gums
I brewed about a tablespoon of each, and used the infusion with some baking soda (alkalizing and remineralizing) to rinse my mouth with. I even added it to my Waterpik water flosser to floss between my teeth and gentle massage the gums. The indicated tooth, which has been sensitive to contact with foods and beverages, has felt SO soothed by this mixture.
The brief setback caused by this nerve pain has been annoying to say the least, but because I had been through this before I feel comfortable navigating this again. I can also lean on the support of my trusted practitioners should this issue progress, though having my own toolkit at home—of experience, intuition, nutrition, and herbalist knowledge—gives me agency in taking care of myself.
Disclaimer: This is not medical advice and is only for educational purposes. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Products shared are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
“Searching to Find the One” by Unlimited Touch
Genre: R&B • Style: Funk, Disco
Did you catch my recent posts?
I debuted DEEP Dive with my journey and tips for a holistic wisdom teeth removal recovery.
It goes DEEP into how I navigated healing and unexpected intolerances, and I share my food prep and two yummy recipes that help make eating without chewing more than bearable!
and released the second issue of Throughlines, profiling my favorite Gap Band song and two other songs I love that were inspired by it:
You can always check out and revisit any of my previous posts by heading to my archive on the web.
What you can expect coming up:
I want to be true to how I am feeling right now and work at my own pace. I am working on what my release schedule will look like moving forward―if I’ll switch it up or if it will remain the same. This will also ensure that what I’m sending to your inboxes is also always worth reading, as I will be able to put my passion and energy into creating high-quality, high-value content for you all.
Here is what I have been drafting:
TOMORROW: How I’m preparing and supporting myself through allergy season
I’ll share some of the powerful benefits of several common herbs and spices you likely already have in your kitchen, and ways to optimize your use of them
Several editions of Throughlines where I connect the dots between my favorite R&B, Jazz, and Hip-Hop tracks
Recipes for body and soul: my favorite herbal chimichurri, homemade mayonnaise, and herbal teas, as well as herbal detox bath, herb-infused olive oil for skin and hair, tallow balm, and more
DEEP Dives on nutrition for looking and feeling good, eating well on a budget, making wellness work for you, body and nail care
Happy Spring!
Kendyl
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i loved absolutely everything about this. right here with ya girl 💛 just keep doing you