The ApothecaryThe reading room

Practical guides from thirty years behind the counter — sleep, digestion, immunity, mood, energy, and every life stage.

Why Winter Makes You Crave Carbs After Dark

Why Winter Makes You Crave Carbs After Dark

"I'm fine all day — then the sun goes down." The 8pm winter craving is a blood-sugar rollercoaster with a timetable. Here's the honest way to take the edge off...

The GLP-1 Stomach - Nausea, Bloating and the Traffic Jam Downstairs

The GLP-1 Stomach - Nausea, Bloating and the Traffic Jam Downstairs

GLP-1s work partly by slowing your stomach - which is also why week three feels like you swallowed a brick. What helps the queasiness, what helps the traffic jam, and...

GLP-1 nutrition-support routine with small balanced meals and daily supplements

Eating Like a Bird on a GLP-1? Where Your Vitamins Went

When you eat a third of what you used to, you get a third of the nutrients too. The fatigue, the cramps, the fuzzy head so many GLP-1 users describe...

Immunadue support routine with rooibos tea, citrus, ginger and neutral capsules on a bright apothecary counter

Immunadue: What It Is, the Questions People Ask, and How to Take...

An honest guide to Immunadue, the long-standing South African herbal immune-support blend: what's in the capsules, what it's used for, how to dose it for adults and children, and the...

Daily uric-acid support routine with water, celery, cucumber, lemon and neutral capsules

Lifetones Acid Clear: What It Is, the Benefits and How to Use...

A straight-talking guide to Lifetones, the herbal tincture South Africans ask for by name: what's in it, what it's traditionally used for, how to dose it in water, and the...

Aloe ferox tonic with cut aloe leaves and a measuring spoon on a warm South African apothecary counter

Tim Jan Benefits, Side Effects and How to Use the Aloe Ferox...

An honest counter guide to Tim Jan, the South African aloe ferox tonic people ask about most: what it is, the benefits it's known for, how to take the bitter...