By Tre Baity, Toxic Freedom
Four years ago, I was in heart failure, kidney failure and liver failure. Twenty-two prescriptions weren’t saving my life, the herbs were. Nature didn’t just put a band-aid on my pain, it helped my body recover. I share this, because I believe many in our community are struggling with both illness and the side effects of the very drugs meant to help them.
Now hear me clearly, we’re not saying don’t take your prescriptions. What we are saying is that education and nature hold the key to deeper healing. And together, as a community, we can support each other in learning, growing, and getting stronger.
If you look closely at medicine’s history, you’ll see the roots. Aspirin came from willow bark. Digoxin for the heart came from foxglove. Plants were always the first teachers.
And in Fort Walton Beach, those teachers still grow among us.
Take Yaupon Holly, a native evergreen along our bayous and streets. Its small, shiny leaves were brewed into tea for clarity, stamina, and cleansing. It’s still the only naturally caffeinated plant in North America, right here in our backyards.
Even our oaks have a story. For centuries, oak bark was used in folk medicine as an astringent to calm inflammation and build resilience. These weren’t “alternatives.” They were everyday wisdom.
Today, too many of us reach for quick fixes and forget the knowledge that once held communities together. Fort Walton doesn’t need more dependency, we need reconnection.
That’s why at Toxic Freedom, we partner with small farms to keep herbs pure and powerful, and we share that knowledge with our neighbors. Because when we start teaching each other again, health doesn’t just improve, it lasts.
Fort Walton isn’t just where we live; it’s where we grow stronger together. And when we remember the wisdom that was always ours, we’ll truly make Fort Walton healthy again.
“Clean Living, Delivered”
