Susannah Shmurak is a health and environmental writer focusing on health and wellness, eco-friendly living, medicinal plants, foraging, and gardening. Her work has appeared in Mother Earth Living, Ensia, Northern Gardener, Sierra, and on numerous websites.
Her first book, Everything Elderberry (Skyhorse Press 2020), was a #1 new release in holistic medicine, naturopathy, herb gardening, and other categories.
Passionate about plants and sustainability, she has spent the last decade researching shortcuts to help people live healthier, more eco-friendly lives.
As a freelance writer, she has published hundreds of articles on health, environmental topics, plants, and natural remedies. A contributor to Eartheasy for many years, she now writes regularly for The Upside, where she’s covered topics from zero waste living to the effects of light on health.
She has also published articles on gardening in Mother Earth Living, Northern Gardener, and Sierra, as well as articles on issues in sustainability for Ensia.
She founded HealthyGreenSavvy in 2015 as a way to share practical, easy ways to live healthier, more eco-friendly lives.
She has a PhD in English and has served on her city’s Environmental Quality Commission for 10 years.
Select Clips
Health and Wellness
“Are LED Lights Bad For You?” The Upside (June 21, 2025)
“Eat This First: The Surprising Impacts of Food Sequencing,” The Upside (March 26, 2025)
“How Protein Intake Can Impact Your Healthspan,” The Upside (January 23, 2025)
“How to Protect Yourself From Wildfire Smoke,” The Upside (August, 2023)
“15 Natural Sunburn Remedies to Help Skin Heal,” HealthyGreenSavvy (July 2, 2024)
Eco-Friendly Living & Sustainability
“Paris is Building the Eco-Community of the Future Right Now,” Ensia (May 23, 2018)
“Street Food: Is it Safe to Grow Food on the Boulevard?” Northern Gardener (Jan/Feb 2017)
“How to Manage Eco-Anxiety,” The Upside (February 13, 2020)
“How to Upcycle Your Christmas Tree After the Holidays,” The Upside (December 27, 2024)
“11 Creative Ways to Use Strawberry Tops,” HealthyGreenSavvy (June 20, 2025)
“The Hidden Costs of Shopping in Dollar Stores,” Eartheasy.com (September 24, 2015)
“Front Yard Foodies,” Northern Gardener (March/April 2022)
“Covering Ground: Protect Your Soil,” Mother Earth Living (Jan/Feb 2019)
“Garden Greener,” Northern Gardener (May/June 2018)
Hi, I'm Susannah, a garden geek, energy nerd, and fan of healthy food and natural remedies. Need some simple, practical solutions for living healthier and greener? You've come to the right place! More about me and my green projects