Erica Tyler moved to Fuquay-Varina in 2015. The very first store she set foot inside was The Vine Natural Health Shoppe.
Tyler returned weekly to browse The Vine’s selection of herbal supplements and natural wellness products, becoming fast friends with the store’s then owner, Lisa Young.
This past April, Tyler enthusiastically became the shop’s new owner, excited to build on an already well-loved community business.
“The Vine is all about encouraging and empowering folks to take better care of themselves all the time. … I meet many people who feel frustrated and disempowered due to challenging and unresolved health concerns. I want everyone to feel validated, empowered, and proud to have taken another step toward better health as they leave the shop,” Tyler says.
Longtime customer turned owner Erica Tyler
Tyler grew up in a family that practiced herbalism, using plants and herbs for health and healing.
This tradition encouraged the women in her family to take ownership of their own health, Tyler says, instead of waiting for illness to strike to seek treatment.
While many modern medicines often mitigate symptoms of illness, herbal remedies, like those available at The Vine, work to boost the body’s natural ability to heal.
“It’s fun to read and research (holistic wellness), but it’s easy to get overwhelmed,” says Tyler, which causes many people to give up before they even begin.
“There is no best way. The best way is for you to simply start and build upon it.”
Tyler recommends researching a single herb, or adding one supplement or practice to begin a health journey. Don’t try to add everything all at once.
“Make it an exploration, rather than a fact-finding mission, and have fun,” she says.
Something as simple as drinking herbal tea — “Tea was medicine in my family” — can become a springboard for other wellness habits.
You don’t have to commit to a fully holistic lifestyle to reap any benefits, either.
“People come in and think they don’t belong here if they eat Swedish Fish. I love Swedish Fish,” Tyler says with a smile.
“Come in and tell me anything,” Tyler encourages. “I don’t know everything, but I have lots of resources and people that can help. I get so excited when people I care about are curious and willing to try.”
Many women-owned and North Carolina-made products line the shelves at The Vine. Everything is third-party tested for quality, research backed, and, in many cases, priced lower than Amazon.
Tyler keeps these essential products in her purse at all times:
- Prince of Peace Ginger Chews
- Mg12 Pain Be Gone spray
- Colorado Hemp Honey sticks
- Lucas’ Papaw Ointment
- Nemat or Kuumba Made perfume oils
Mushroom jerky, bulk herbs and spices, organic honey sticks, essential oils, vitamin and mineral supplements, artisan chocolate, tea, and oral care products make up only a portion of what is available inside the Broad Street storefront.
“If forced to choose a single favorite item in the entire shop, I would have to choose Dr. Singha’s Mustard Bath,” says Tyler. “I’ve been using it since I was a kid, and it is a medicine cabinet staple in my house now. … It is my first choice when anyone in my house feels run down, congested, or sore.”
Other favorites include a line of topical magnesium products by Mg12, a family-owned, NC-based company — especially the roll-on oils and Dead Sea Bath Salts.
“I love the Dead Sea Bath Salts because they are multipurpose and highly effective, but inexpensive. These relieve anxiety, digestive irregularity, muscle and joint pain, inflammation, and sleeplessness. These can be added to the bath for children and babies as well. It will help them sleep,” she says.
“I love products that everyone can use, that are safe and effective for kids and adults.”
The Vine’s top-selling product is AnxioCalm, a stress and anxiety relief remedy that uses a botanical extract to increase feelings of calm and relaxation.
“Just about every item in the shop has been my favorite at one point or another,” Tyler says.
Heading into a new year, Tyler doesn’t usually set specific resolutions, but she does make time to reflect and connect with how she is feeling.
“The best way to take ownership of my own health is to reconnect with myself and body,” she says. “You have to listen to your body. Intuition is so valuable to health.”
506 Broad St, Fuquay-Varina
(919) 346-0634
@TheVineFV
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