Gifts from the ocean
The most powerful and efficient of the species is Chondrus crispus, which cannot be artificially produced or grown in a pool.
Henriette Lamprecht – It would be a book that would change their lives for the better and put them on a path towards a healthier lifestyle which would include the many benefits of sea moss. Her husband is an avid reader, says Wilhelmina Sakaria, with him one day returning home with The Tao of Sex, Health and Longevity. It changed their lives, putting them on the road to healthy living and eating. To add to their knowledge, they would watch YouTube videos, stumbling upon the wisdom of Dr. Sebi. Alfredo Darrington Bowman, better known as Dr. Sebi, was a Honduran self-proclaimed herbalist healer - known for developing the Sebi alkaline plant-based diet and sharing knowledge about the amazing benefits of sea moss.
During her two pregnancies, both Wilhelmina and her husband used sea moss while they were on the alkaline journey.
“We were on sea moss for most of my first pregnancy and as a result, I had no stretch marks, morning sickness, water retention, or swelling. Everything felt normal apart from the big belly!”
She also did CrossFit throughout her pregnancy until the 8th month and always had energy. During her second pregnancy, Wilhelmina and her husband ate alkaline vegan 80% of the time. The only time they went to see a medical professional was when they went to confirm if the baby had turned in position and was ready for birth. Even better, says Wilhelmina, she had an unassisted home birth with just her and her husband present. Since birth, both babies have been on sea moss and they only had to go to the hospital once in their three years of parenthood.
Wilhelmina’s mom has been ill for a while and the family tried everything to help - from traditional healers to hospitals to the Chinese Clinic. Finally, they decided to try Dr. Sebi’s method, but her mom, not really convinced, would only drink the herbs when she was with them.
They got their first sea moss from Amazon and, being novices, “our first batch was, of course, fake” and didn’t hold any noticeable benefits.
In 2020, Wilhelmina’s mom became severely ill and had to live with her and her husband. This time they were more knowledgeable about sea moss and the alkaline way of being.
“We had her on a strict alkaline vegan diet, gave her sea moss and other alkaline herbs such as sarsaparilla, burdock root, blessed thistle, and dandelion.”
After a month, she was much better and is currently doing well and living on her own in the village.
In addition to their own experiences, what moved them to start Sea Moss Namibia was the scarcity and costs involved in sourcing the product as well as other alkaline herbs. Courier and custom costs made it expensive to get sea moss in Namibia since no shops were selling it at the time. Sea moss comes in many varieties, the common ones being Garcilaria and Eucheuma cottonii, says Wilhelmina. The most powerful and most effective of the species is Chondrus crispus, the kind they sell. It is also the one sea moss species that cannot be artificially produced or grown in a pool. Currently, they source it from the coastline of Ghana, but it is also available in places like Ireland and parts of North America. “From the little research we did, our coastline doesn’t have this or any type of sea moss.”
The sea moss arrives in dry form and is cleaned first to remove debris such as rock, crabs, other sea plants, sea shells, and sometimes papers or plastic bags.
“Our sea moss is wild-crafted, so it comes with all sorts of things which can get entangled in it while in the ocean. We ensure it is not sourced from polluted water.”
Once the debris is removed, it is soaked in water for a couple of hours. After soaking, it is further cleaned to remove anything else that was missed in the first part of the cleaning process.
It is then boiled or soaked in hot water to activate the carrageenan in it so it forms a gel. The longer it boils, the more gel it forms, which is then cooled and blended. The blended gel is the type sold in the shops and the final form in which sea moss is normally consumed.
They sell a variety of products, says Wilhelmina, including the gel, capsules, a detox kit, as well as powdered or whole herbs including yellow dock, sarsaparilla, mullein leaf, red clover, and damiana.
Apart from benefits for humans, it is also great for dogs! For the sea moss to start working, it depends on the ailment, explains Wilhelmina, who suggests giving it 30 days. For skin ailments such as acne, however, one can see an immediate difference after applying the gel once.
It can be taken daily in a dosage of two tablespoons and the advisable dosage for maximum benefits is a jar per week.
While there are no side effects, there have been cases of some people reacting to it the way they would to seafood.
“If sea moss gives you side effects, then that’s your body telling you to do a detox. Our bodies are overloaded with toxins, so it is the best starting point before attempting natural remedies.”
It does wonders for the skin, says Wilhelmina, including clearing acne and rashes, softening skin, reducing and preventing wrinkles, and keeping it young and radiant. When taken orally, sea moss keeps skin moisturized and helps prevent skin diseases.
As an antibiotic, sea moss provides the necessary minerals the body needs.
There will always be sceptics, but people are mostly very receptive to the product.
“It works - the hard part is getting someone to try the product. Once they try it, the product sells itself.” - [email protected]; Facebook: Sea Moss Namibia
*DETOX
*NATURAL REMEDIES