Though the nightly news tempts you to quake with alarm, as you listen to reports of a potential pandemic, do not react in fear, making rash purchases and decisions. Allowing fear to make your decisions is to allow yourself to be manipulated. Regardless of the name of the newest flu strain, virus or bacteria, one sensible plan still remains. Make your body an inhospitable host to germs and viruses. Flies don’t cause garbage, they’re attracted to it. This holds true for your body as well. Bacteria and viruses live in biological terrain that is unhealthy. Be proactive rather than reactive, with several affordable, common sense solutions to be shared in the next few posts.
- Your skin is your first line of defense. Do not use antibacterial soaps or hand sanitizers as they disrupt the acid mantle of the skin and natural oils which protect against pathogens. Anti-bacterial soaps end up making you more susceptible. Plain soap and water is your best option. If you feel the need for additional protection, add a few drops of Essential Shield essential oil, and/or a small amount of liquid silver to your hand soap. I make my own liquid soap by using Sunshine Concentrate from Nature’s Sunshine. It’s pH is ideal for our hair, skin and nails. I use a few pumps of this concentrate in water along with a few drops of Essential Shield Essential Oil and a small amount of liquid silver and combine in a foaming pump dispenser. All items (except the foaming pump dispenser) are from Nature’s Sunshine, allowing you the convenience of one stop shopping without even leaving your home.
- Nature’s Sunshine Silver Shield gel used on your hands, face, and in your nostrils can give you added protection against pathogens for 4 hours, working with your natural defenses, not against them. I always use the gel before entering a hospital or when I know I am going to a function where there will be lots of hand shaking.
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Nature’s Sunshine Silver Shield liquid supplement is part of my every day regime for supporting my immune system and keeping it at its optimum. Our immune systems must deal with incredible amounts of toxins and pathogens which can leave it overworked, exhausted and compromised. Two teaspoons, twice daily for the average adult works wonders. Keep a large bottle on hand for normal usage. Some have suggested keeping one gallon of silver on hand per person to ride out a true pandemic.
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Keep a tub of diaper wipes in your car. Add ½ cup water that has 1 ounce of Nature’s Sunshine Silver Sol liquid added to it and 5 – 10 drops of Essential Shield essential oil by Nature’s Sunshine and you have an exceptional synergistic blend. I use them after pumping gas, shopping and for quick clean ups around the house. See the Products page for ordering all items (with the exception of the diaper wipes) at wholesale from Nature’s Sunshine.
Silver: a shining shield of protection without side affects!
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During one of my presentations, an attendee mentioned that twice a week, he would endure day long headaches. Once they started, there was no stopping them. After some discussion, he decided to try using the Silver Shield liquid, one teaspoon, twice daily. He reported later that since then he hasn’t had any headaches, except on that one day when he forgot to take his silver.
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Sleep is crucial to well being and good looks. But how many people realize some of the symptoms associated with poor sleep or lack of it, lifestyle habits that impede a good night’s rest, and the choices you have to correct the problem?
Just a few tidbits to remember:
- A group of healthy college students were allowed to get a maximum of 4 hours of sleep per night for a full week. By the end of the week, all tested positive for hypoglycemia or diabetes.
- Alcohol will initially sedate you and then approximately four hours later will irritate the brain and disrupt sleep
- Increased risk of high blood pressure can be related to lack of sleep or restless sleep
- Irregular heart beat can be directly related to lack of sleep
- Depression can be related to sleep deprivation; one can begat the other.
- Lack of sleep ages your skin due to the increase of cortisol production which breaks down collagen, which is necessary for the integrity of our joints, elasticity and resiliency of your skin. Beauty sleep is for real.
- Lack of sleep can cause weight gain due to excess cortisol production.
- Lack of sleep can impede your body building efforts because cortisol production inhibits the body building process; additionally, your muscles require sleep to recover and build.
Ideally, an individual will enjoy 7 to 8 hours of restorative, rejuvenating sleep each night. Here’s a few ways you can facilitate it.
- The Chi Machine can help to bring balance back to the Autonomic Nervous System. When ANS is out of balance, people often experience insomnia or excessive dreaming. Be sure to drink water before you Chi, as well as afterwards and then go directly to bed. Do not pass GO.
- Because the Chi Machine gives you a total body massage, the organs of the body are also being massaged, which may help them to work more effectively. Our bodies have approximately 65 hormones, which it makes or regulates, one of which is melatonin, which aids in restful sleep. We have many testimonies of people using the Chi and resolving sleep issues such as insomnia, sleep apnea, the inability to stop processing the day and correcting poor sleep patterns.
- When pain is keeping you awake at night, the combination of the Chi and the Hot House Domes may be necessary. We have several testimonies of individuals who were in a vicious cycle of not being able to sleep due to pain and the body unable to heal, partly due to lack of sleep. Add to this the depression of not feeling well, being exhausted, your bad mood, your spouse’s bad mood because of your bad mood and you have the makings of despair. With some, the E Power, ERE and/or the AlleviAider provided pain relief, thereby helping to stimulate overall healing processes and aiding deep sleep.
- Minerals and vitamins aid our quality of sleep. Low levels of calcium can cause insomnia. A deficiency of magnesium can cause shallow sleep and nervousness, impeding proper rest. Copper and iron affect sleep patterns, as well as tryptophan, a naturally occurring amino acid found in green leafy vegetables, not just turkey. The B vitamins aid in relaxing the body as well as energizing it. And wouldn’t you know, we can provide all of this with Go Greens. Because you are ingesting whole foods with Go Greens, you are assured that the body will have all the necessary trace minerals to aid the absorption and assimilation of these nutrients. It is available from me direct at wholesale with 77 ingredients to help you in a myriad of ways.
- A good night’s sleep is often impeded by light. It all begins with something the size of a pearl: the hypothalamus. It has many functions, one being the sleep-wake cycle. Here’s what’s happening:
Light or darkness is sensed by the retina of the eye.
Message gets relayed to the hypothalamus by the nervous system
And the hypothalamus chats with the pineal gland
Depending on whether it is sensing light or dark, the pineal gland responds regardless of what the clocks says.
If the retina senses darkness, the pineal gland will be stimulated to make and release melatonin. But if light is sensed, no such stimulation takes place.
so, lights out early on the computer and television.
- If you’d just rather try something that comes in a capsule , there are lots of options with Natures Sunshine Products:
- 5HTP to help with Sleep, Mood and Weight Loss.
- Energ V can help with better sleep at night and energy during the day
- Nutri-Calm is chuck full of B Vitamins which can help with sleep and energy
- Herbal Sleep is for those who fall asleep but wake up too early
- Valerian , Kava Kava, Nerve Control, Nervous Fatigue Formula, Catnip, are calming and promote relaxation
- Lavender Essential Oil, Roman Chamomile, Neroli, Beramot, Rose Bulgaria, Sandalwood Ylang Ylang, Sweet Marjoram and Mandarin, can all be beneficial.
- If Sleep Apnea is the issue consider Hawthorn Berries to increase oxygen to the head, Sinus Support if it is sinus related, Snor Ease if snoring is the issue. Co Q 10 at bedtime can help and Germaniun Essential Oil to oxygenate the cells.
A good night’s rest should be part of everyone’s health regime for healthy tomorrows and good looking people greeting us in the mirror.
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Who would think that two small bottles could provide such BIG results? Many have learned the value of carrying Tei Fu Essential Oil and Peppermint Essential Oil with them by being without them when they were needed most. Listed below are just some of the benefits and uses of these versatile products:
Asthma Attack: To help relieve an asthma attack, put a drop of Tei Fu oil on the back of your hand and lick it off, close your mouth and breathe deeply.
Breath Freshener: A drop of peppermint oil on the tongue makes a great instant breath freshener. Tei Fu also works well.
Burns: Apply Tei Fu oil directly to burns. Lavender Essential Oil works exceptionally well as does silver gel.
Canker Sores: Both Tei Fu and Peppermint oils can be applied to mouth ulcers to relieve pain and promote healing.
Colds & Coughs: Rubbing Tei Fu oil on the chest can help with colds, coughs and congestion. Also apply to bottoms of the feet and the back.
Headaches: Apply Tei Fu or Peppermint oil to the neck and temples to relieve headaches and to release tension.
Indigestion and Gas: Put a drop of Peppermint oil on the tongue or mix a drop or two with water and sip.
Insects Bites and Stings: Apply 2 – 3 drops of Tei Fu topically to relieve the sting and itch.
Insect Repellent: Tei Fu can be applied topically as an insect repellant — hopefully it’s not a people repellant as well.
Nausea, Vomiting and Motion Sickness: Put 1 -4 drops of peppermint oil into water and sip slowly.
Pain: Tei Fu oil can be rubbed into any sore muscle or arthritic joint to ease pain and reduce inflammation.
Sinus Congestion and Allergies: Inhale Tei Fu oil directly into the sinuses or apply to the nose. I wouldn’t try this with children without trying it yourself first. Some of us enjoy this while others find it a bit too overwhelming.
Sore Throat: Apply Tei Fu to the outside of the throat using a gentle downward massage motion. Your lymph nodes will love you for it.
Staying Alert: Put a drop of Peppermint or Tei Fu oil at the back of the tongue to help stay alert while driving or studying.
Voice/Singing: We love to lick a dab of oil off the back of our hand prior to singing early Sunday morning. Now everyone knows why the choir is licking their hands. Secret is out. Mystery solved.
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A well-known lawn care company stopped in wanting to give me a free quote for spraying my yard. A yelped escaped my lips, as I gasped and went into convulsions at the thought of him destroying my dandelions. “Oh no, I eat my yard,” I explained. Surely you can envision his state of shock, looking over his shoulder cautiously, looking back at me, attempting to discern my mental state and his own safety. Yes, life is full of such moments at our house.
How the Dandelion managed to gain so much animosity and lose all respect is a mystery to me. For centuries, this world wide, common weed has been a trusted remedy for the liver and kidneys, not to mention that its Vitamin A content puts carrots to shame and it’s high in calcium as well. It’ll grow anywhere, especially the cracks in the sidewalk and driveway, requiring no special care, and seeming to thrive on abuse.
To avoid sideways glances from those who just don’t understand, you can purchase it in capsule form from my Nature’s Sunshine Site and consume in the privacy of your home, OR, you can create a hub bub in the neighborhood and collect the greens, roots and flowers and chomp away. If you’re really daring, make a Dandelion Dish for the next church potluck. But whatever you do, consider and respect the wonderful herb. In addition to the physical health attributes, they provide entertainment, fun and emotional health when you give the matured seed head a huge puff of air and watch the seeds drift off into the air as you dance and chase after them, while your neighbors cringe.
Historical Uses:
Acne, Age Spots, Anemia, Arthritis, Asthma, Blood Purifier, High Blood Pressure, Eczema, Endurance, Gall Bladder, Gout, Hepatitis, Hypoglycemia, Jaundice, Kidney Infections, Liver Disorders, PMS, Skin Problems, Tooth Enamel Improvement, Weight Loss, just to name a few.
Nutritional Content:
Numerous minerals including, but not limited to, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Zinc, Sodium, Potassium, Vitamins A, B1, B2, B5, B6, C, E, and P.
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I received an exceptional amount of feedback on the Emotional Outlook Questionnaire with remarks including everything from, “Wow, this is great!” to “I flunked emotions.”
Emotions are an interesting thing. We wrongly consider some good and some bad, when in fact, emotions are just emotions. It’s what we do with them that matters. In conjunction with emotions, we often find that it gets complicated by the lies that we believe. Emotions can settle into our body systems and wreak havoc with our health. Remember how you’d get a stomach ache just thinking about having to give a speech in front of the whole class?
Below is a sampling of emotions and lies for you to consider and then review the flower essences that can help you move into emotional health.
GUILT: There is true guilt and false guilt. True Guilt would be something like, I wrongly accuse someone of something and I need to apologize and make an amends. False Guilt might be that I sent someone to the store for ice cream and they got into an accident and it’s my fault they were injured because I sent them to the store and now I can never forgive myself.
GRIEF: Some people never allow themselves to start the grieving process and others can’t figure out how to stop it. Guilt could be tossed in there too somewhere. Left unresolved, grief tends to settle into the respiratory system and the heart. Grief comes in many venues: death of a loved one, death of a dream, loss of a job or health, grief over betrayal, or a missed opportunity, and the list goes on. The big lie may come in with feeling that because you are a christian, you shouldn’t feel this way, you shouldn’t cry so that you can be strong for everyone else, or you shouldn’t be sad because they’re in a better place, complicating the grief with false guilt.
ANGER: This has many faces. You may have the anger of righteous indignation because helpless people are used and abused. Or you may be angry because the whole world is against you and nothing ever goes right for you. One is based on truth and another on lies and a gross generalization. Anger can be a red flag to you that someone has crossed a boundary and you need to protect yourself. Anger in and of itself, is often not the real underlying emotion. The actual emotion may be rooted in fear, hurt, helplessness, resentment, bitterness, being taken for granted, a need to protect yourself or someone else, or feelings of unworthiness. Anger can also be the result of unattainable expectations where you must determine which of the expectations are reasonable, unreasonable, self inflicted, dictated by culture, a belief system or your family system.
Natures Sunshine has developed a line of seven different flower essences for emotional health. Each one is designed to help you acknowledge, process, accept and express the emotion in a constructive way. They are designed to bring the emotion out. Use one formula at a time.
Keep Cool: Designed to assist the body with feelings of anger and irritability and to help control anger, fear, grief and to calm the temper. Designed for controlling domineering personalities.
Find Strength: For people who tend to suppress their anger. It may give you the emotional strength to stand up for yourself.
Release It: For those who need to release grief and let go of past victim-hood or sadness.
Open Heart: May help to assist with the ability to love, for those who suppress grief or who lack empathy or compassion for others.
Be Courageous: Excellent for those who have fear, need help making decisions, moving forward in the direction they want to go, need aid in self confidence, have indecisiveness, uncertainty and nervous tension.
Be Response-Able: This can help you to be aware and to take charge in a responsible manner by helping you with self-defeating behavior.
Distress Remedy: Designed to balance or center an emotional state. Great to use in stressful situations.
The Compass has been updated so that I can assess your bio markers using just these seven formulas. See “Compass Scan” under “Services” for a more thorough explanation.
These liquid formulas come with an eye dropper so that they can easily be dispensed directly under your tongue. Another great way to use them is to mix with water and sip throughout the day or mix with water, put into a spray bottle to mist throughout the house or office.
Flower essence formulas – don’t let your emotions keep you in bondage. Experience Emotional Freedom.
This is not meant to replace counseling or medical intervention when warranted. It is simply an additional tool for integrating your total health and wellness program. For further study consider the following two books: The Lies We Believe and The Lies We Tell Ourselves, both by Dr. Chris Thurman.
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Most people eat a lot of food, but enjoy very few nutrients. If you’re eating a processed diet where most of it is pre-packaged, cooked or microwaved, you’re probably consuming foods void of nutrients but chuck full of toxins and calories.
I’ve heard it stated that many of the people who have health issues could resolve them and bring all body systems into harmony by supplementing with a core program of:
- Probiotics,
- Fiber,
- Multivitamin with Minerals,
- Food Enzymes
- Essential Fatty Acids and
- Antioxidants
Entire books have been written about each of these categories. For simplicity sake, I’ll give a brief description with general rules of thumb, and at least one Nature’s Sunshine option.
Probiotics: These are the powerful good guys (bacteria) that keep the bad guys (bad bacteria) under control. I’ve read that the ratio of good bacteria to bad should be 85:15 to keep your body systems in balance. If you’ve been on an antibiotic, consider following up with a probiotic with a therapeutic dose of 3 – 5 times the normal amount until one bottle has been consumed and then resume with normal dosage. Probiotics show promise for prevention of cancer and kidney stone formation, reversing constipation, diarrhea, inflammation, and in some cases even depression. Try Bifidophilus, Probiotic Eleven, or the children’s chewable Probiotic Power.
Fiber: Fiber is your friend. Available in capsule or loose form, fiber absorbs toxins in digestive tract, helps you to feel full, is a time release agent for sugar, helps absorb bile from the gallbladder to help reduce cholesterol levels, reduces inflammation in the gut, is helpful for regular elimination and can help to reduce the risk of colon cancer and prevent diverticulitis and hemorrhoids. Loose fiber choices includeLOCLO, Everybody’s Fiber and Nature’s Three. Encapsulated fibers includePsyllium , Psyllium Seeds, and Psyllium Hulls Combination
Multivitamin with Minerals: A definite must. Trying to build a healthy body without vitamins and minerals is like trying to grow a garden without soil, air, water and sun. A deficiency of any nutrient will eventually result in an illness or disease. Super Supplemental and Multiple Vitamin and Mineral are both excellent choices for adults. The children’s Multiple Vitamin and Mineral gummy bear is tasty enough for kids and adults like them too.
Food Enzymes: These guys make the digestive system function and are the “spark plugs” of life. Generally found in raw foods, they are destroyed by heat, help the body break down, absorb and assimilate nutrients, and assist in practically all bodily functions. There are three main categories of digestive enzymes. Consider theChildren’s Whole Food Papayazyme, Proactazyme or Protease Plus if you eat a lot of processed food and try Food Enzymes if you are elderly, weak or have lost the ability to digest food. To improve digestion herbally, consider Spleen Activator, Anti-Gas Formula with Lobelia or the Chinese Anti-Gas Formula.
Essential Fatty Acids: Most of us do not get the required amount of good fats in the typical American fare. Essential fatty acids play a role in heart health, a healthy immune system, brain function, body temperature, production of hormones, kidney, nervous and reproductive system functions as well as prevention of degenerative diseases. NSP choices include Super GLA, Super Omega 3, and the children’s chewable gummy bear, Omega 3 with DHA.
Antioxidants: Depending on whose research you read, we have about 75 trillion cells in our body and each one takes approximately 10,000 free radical hits a day. Free radicals/oxidative stress are what cause aging as well as about 50 -80% of all chronic and degenerative diseases. Antioxidants are the warriors that fight these free radicals, disarming and neutralizing them. Excellent antioxidant choices include Thai Go, Super ORAC, and the children’s gummy bear Whole Food Antioxidant.
If you’d like to start out with a smaller program, take a look at Super Trio. You receive 60 packets, each containing Super Supplemental without Iron, Super Omega 3 and Super Antioxidant. Take one packet twice daily.
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There are thousands of brands of supplements to choose from; so why did I choose Nature’s Sunshine? I can assure you it isn’t because they are the cheapest. I can assure you that it has everything to do with Purity, Safety, Potency, Integrity, and Quality. Every raw material that comes into the Nature’s Sunshine Warehouse is tested for impurities and every year incredible amounts of raw materials are rejected by “The Terminator,” Lynda Hammons, Vice President of Quality Assurance and Regulatory Affairs for NSP.
Because raw botanical materials are paid for by weight, suppliers will grind up dirt, stems, and rocks to add weight. NSP rejects those shipments. They test for heavy metal contamination, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and PCB.
A shipment of St. John’s Wort was rejected because a sample test showed that it was the wrong species. An incoming shipment of Slippery Elm failed the gel test which means it didn’t meet activity criteria. A particular shipment of oat straw was rejected because of mercury and dirt contamination. There was a several month long period when Pau D’ Arco was unavailable because every shipment contained mold. Better to have no product than a bad product.
Harvesting can be tricky as well. Peppermint harvested on a shady, cool day has different actives than if it’s collected on a sunny, warm day. Good cayenne peppers need very hot days and cool nights. Without cool nights, the peppers don’t contain the correct amount of Capsicum to meet NSP standards. Who knew? NSP knew.
Once the raw materials are tested and pass inspection, they move from the holding warehouse to the plant where they are made into supplements. The final product, once made, must then pass about 500 tests, assuring that they meet all specifications, before being allowed out of the plant and into your home and your body.
Nature’s Sunshine, they do it right, they do it well.
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When I consult with clients, I offer them one of four drinks: Plain Water, Water with Liquid Chlorophyll, Water with Raw Apple Cider Vinegar and Maple Syrup or Tulsi Tea. The choices I give have significance. Today, it’s the green stuff.
Liquid Chlorophyll from Nature’s Sunshine has a refreshing mint fresh taste much like spearmint gum, but without the sweetness. And it is very green. Being made from alfalfa, and spearmint oil, it provides a wonderful diversion from plain water, can be taken hot or cold and offers the following benefits – just to name a few:
- Improves Circulation
- Improves Cardiac function
- Mild antibiotic action
- Destroys bacterial growth in wounds
- Destroys anaerobic fungi and yeasts in digestive tract
- Helps remove drug deposits from the body
- Negates harmful effects of radiation, toxins and many carcinogens
- Normalizes production of digestive fluids
- Stimulates peristaltic action – relieving constipation
- Improves liver function
- Encourages regeneration of damaged liver cells
- Relieves Inflammation
- Can help to purify the blood
- Neutralizes body odor and halitosis (bad breath)
- Inhibits gum infections and tooth decay
- Helps to eliminate water retention
- Enhances breast milk production
- Soothes nervousness
- Stimulates enzyme production of Vitamins A, E and K
- Rejuvenative tonic – can relieve fatigue and enhance your energy
- Used in treatment of anemia and anemic conditions
- Can relieve a sore throat
- Can reduce inflammation associated with arthritis
- Soothe spasmodic stomach and abdominal pain
- Helps balance the pH of the body
- Natural Therapy for Cancer
- Great for pets – add to their water bowl
- Detoxification from vaccines
- Beneficial for Raynaud’s Disease, Rosacea, Sickle Cell Anemia, Toxemia, Free Radical Damage, Gout, Bulging and Slipped Disks, Emphysema….and the list goes on.
I can’t really think of anyone who wouldn’t benefit from indulging in Liquid Chlorophyll and it makes a wonderful alternative to pop, juice and energy drinks. By purchasing it through Nature’s Sunshine, you are assured that you aren’t imbibing an inferior chlorophyll made by something such as the excretion of silk worms. Gross but apparently true according to a speaker that I heard. Nature’s Sunshine Liquid Chlorophyll, made available to you at wholesale and dropped shipped right to your doorstep. Life doesn’t get any easier. For more information on wholesale ordering options, please see my “Products” page.