Story and photos by Shahein Fitzpatrick
A local naturalist has shared why she gave up her pursuit of becoming a lawyer to study herbal remedies.
Saran Davis told Observer how she uses her passion to bring healing to local women.
“As women, even though we share the same issues, you might be surprised at how secretive we still are; certain things are very much still taboo,” she explained.
“Many women would come into my store with their families and friends and wait until they reach home to reach out to me, to talk about the issues they face.”
She said many of the solutions to the health issues afflicting women are simpler than they think; it could be as simple as a lack of sunlight or the need to change one’s diet.
On Sunday, Davis filmed a commercial at Cedar Valley Golf Course with clients, family and friends to promote her ‘My Herbox’ line of products which includes feminine hygiene items.
“Sunday was a celebration of being natural, being our authentic self, being comfortable in our own skins,” she continued.
“Everybody was adorned differently, everybody just shined in their own way. That’s the beauty about it too. When you bring women together, people tend to think that it’s always competitive, but my experience has always been very different and I don’t know if it’s a testament to who I am.
“When I interact with women, especially doing business and things of that nature, I find it to be a fellowship and camaraderie as opposed to having to outdo each other.”
Davis said Caribbean women are often influenced by other cultures, which sees them stray from the region’s natural roots.
“Part of it is being fed by other people’s culture and trying to embrace it and to fit into that, such as their beauty standards.
“Going natural has always been the way for us; that’s who we are, we are natural people.”
She explained that she has a law degree which is the path she was previously on but realised she would only be doing it for financial gain.
“I started trying to decipher what it is that is for me; I was trying to find purpose and calling and things of that nature.
“The next year, I lost my aunt to cancer and at the time I had gone to visit her trying to figure out what school to attend and what I was going to do and things like that.
“Seeing a functioning woman decline to a shell and come back to Antigua and die was very pivotal for me.
“It definitely opened my eyes and … I started questioning things.”
Davis said she was now on a crusade to encourage others to lead healthier lives.
“If we are trying to fight cancer, why are we eating cancerous foods? That is a question that stayed with me and it pushed me directly into this sphere of natural healing,” she added.
