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Product Specials
SPECIALS!!
15% OFF
OUR ENTIRE HEART SECTION!!
20% OFF
Fish Oils by Nordic Naturals
30% OFF
Wellnes Formula & Oscillococcinum
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Essential Oil of the Month
Geranium Rose With a sweet, rose-like scent, this oil improves circulation, respiratory problems and immune function. It is beneficial for all skin types. It relieves stress, anxiety and pre-menstrual tension. It is one of the key oils for women. | |
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It's Healthy Heart Month!!
Heart disease is one of the top health concerns in our country, so we are devoting this Valentine's month to healthy heart supplements. Our Nordic Naturals fish oils will be 20% off during the month and all of our other supplements for cholesterol, blood pressure and general heart health will be 15% off. Our article this month is entilted "Natural Solutions for a Healthy Heart". If you have trouble with statins or other medications, read it for ideas on how to tackle these issues without drugs.
We have rescheduled our January program, so please join us on February 26th for "Snacking Your Way to a Healthy Weight". On March 11th Dr. Connie Catellani will be doing "Breathe Naturally: Solutions for Asthma & Allergies". Details are below.
Here's to your Health!
Lynn Bednar
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Sacred Heart Flower Essence Combination
This combination of flower essences can regenerate heart health when one is prone to physical illness, heart-related stress, or a family history of heart disease. It allows vulnerability and trust in relationships, commitment to realtionships, appropriate differentiation and separation, and an appropriate balance of giving and receiving. The combination includes Bleeding heart, California Wild Rose, Pink Monkeyflower, Pink Yarrow and more! |
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Nordic Naturals Omega-3 Gummies 
Before daybreak, Nordic sea trolls swim along the fjord bottoms gathering essential nutrients for making batches of Nordic Omega-3 Gummies. Rich in the omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA, Nordic Omega-3 Gummies support development of the brain, eyes, and nervous and immune systems.* Nordic Omega-3 Gummies have a delicious tangerine taste, and are an ideal companion to the Nordic Berries multivitamin. For children two years and older. | |
Sonoma Aroma Body Wraps
Relax, soothe and comfort your Valentine's achy muscles with these aroma-filled body wraps. Use them while you're laying in bed reading, watching tv, or just relaxing to music. They help stretch the muscles, and increase blood flow to damaged tissue. Includes neckrolls, shoulder wraps and more. Choose the calming scent of lavender or the breath-enhancing scent of eucalyptus.
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 Natural News You Can Use: One More Reason to Lose Weight the Natural Way
The FDA is adding 41 products to an alert about tainted diet pills, bringing the total to 69. Michael Levy, director of the division of new drugs and labeling compliance, said that the FDA has been buying diet products and testing them for undeclared drugs after receiving complaints about side effects. Criminal charges may be filed in some cases.
Drugs that have been found in diet pills include the following:
- Sibutramine, the active ingredient in the FDA-approved drug Meridia. It can cause seizures, heart attack or stroke.
- Rimonabant, the active ingredient in Acomplia, a diet pill that failed to win FDA approval and has been withdrawn from the market in Europe.
- Phenytoin, an anti-seizure medication, and phenolphthalein, a suspected carcinogen
Most of the offending products come from China, but not all. Beware of pills that promise a "silver bullet" approach. If it sounds too good to be true it probably is. If you are trying to lose weight, see us here at Walsh for some natural solutions that help with fat burning, appetite control, detoxing, and balancing the blood sugar, a huge culprit in cravings. But you'll have to do some work too!!
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Snacking Your Way to a Healthy Weight! (Rescheduled)
Thursday, February 26th
7:00 pm
Don't let snacks be the downfall of a healthy eating program for you and your family! Join certified nutritionist and former wellness center owner Nina Dembowiak for a fun and enlightening look at snacking. Find practical ways to use snacks to safely increase metabolism, beat fatigue, gain energy and lose weight safely. Get some great ideas about what to feed your athletes before and after sports. Pick up a few recipes and sample them too!
RSVP to lynn@walshnaturalhealth.com by clicking this link.
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Breathe Naturally: Solutions for Asthma & Allergies 
Wednesday, March 11th
Do you take prescription medication but worry about the long term effects? Or do you just need a little support to help you breathe better? Join Dr. Connie Catellani, M.D., for a look at natural ways to boost your breathing capacity. Use minerals, supplements, herbs and homeopathy to support natural breath and get the most from your day. Learn to manage these conditions without medication. A breath of fresh air!
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 Feature Article: Natural Solutions for a Healthy Heart
"A good heart is better than all the heads in the world."
-- Edward Bulwer-Lytton
Heart disease and the related conditions of high cholesterol and high blood pressure affect millions of Americans each year. The American diet and lack of exercise have contributed heavily to this problem. While serious heart disease is best handled by a qualified cardiologist, we would like to give you some tools to help you talk with your doctor about taking care of your heart in the most natural way possible. If you do not currently have heart disease and want to make sure you prevent it, or if you have a family history and want to be proactive, there is certainly something in this article for you.
Diet and exercise are, of course, factors in any wellness program. Proper diet and even moderate exercise can go a long way toward preventing and treating all kinds of disease. The greatest misconception relative to nutrition and heart disease is that all fats are bad. We have become carried away with the low fat craze. Monounsaturated fats (found in nuts, avocado and olive oil) and omega-3's (found in fish and flax) are in fact very healthy fats to consume. The real villains in the American diet are the hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils found in so many processed foods. White flour and sugar are also too abundant and can cause problems with inefficient use of glucose and inflammation.
Other factors in heart disease are inflammation, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, stress and maybe most importantly, inherited risks. Below we have broken down each of these factors and commented on some of the natural remedies that can be used for each. As stressed earlier, please speak with your doctor about these therapies before considering going off of any prescription medication or changing a program recommended by a doctor.
Inflammation
Chronic inflammation in the blood vessels is a central factor in the development of heart disease. This leads to arterial wall damage and plaque formation. One marker of inflammation is a substance called homocysteine, a by-product of protein metabolism naturally found in the body. Normally this by-product is neutralized by the body by converting it to methionine. Roughly 20% of the population cannot make this conversion due to genetic issues. Others with low thyroid activity can also be at risk for high homocysteine. A simple blood test can reveal if you have high homocysteine levels. Supplementing with B12, folic acid and B6 can bring homocysteine levels down to normal. Two products that contain this combination of nutrients are Nature's Plus's Folic Acid hearts and Source Naturals' Homocysteine Defense.
High Cholesterol
Cholesterol is a natural substance found in every cell of the body that is produced by the liver and small intestine. It is important in digesting fats, strengthening cell membranes and making hormones. Even though the body actually can produce all of the cholesterol we need, we also get cholesterol from foods we eat that are from animal sources such as meats, poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy products. Foods like avocado, peanut butter or other nuts are high in fat but do not actually contain cholesterol. Sugar and alcohol can cause the liver to produce more cholesterol and should therefore be limited.
Cholesterol cannot dissolve in the blood and is therefore transported by lipoproteins in the blood. These lipoproteins are known as LDL (the "bad" cholesterol) and HDL (the "good"). LDL's carry cholesterol throughout the body to the cells and HDL's carry it away from the cells to the liver where it can be processed and eliminated. Measurement of these lipoproteins show how much cholesterol we have in the blood. One component of LDL that is sometimes overlooked by doctors and can be especially harmful is Lp(a). Lp(a) is perhaps the worst cholesterol of all, can be affected by heredity factors and can be easily measured. Talk to your doctor about measuring Lp(a).
Statin drugs are currently the most common "western" method for reducing cholesterol and have had good success in doing so. Statin drugs block the production of CoQ10, a vital nutrient that exists in every cell of the body. CoQ10 is the body's "spark plug" for all energy production and is a powerful antioxidant. Because the heart is one of the most metabolically active tissues in the body, it relies on CoQ10 for proper functioning. Anyone on a statin drug should be supplementing with CoQ10 every day. Statin drugs can also cause irritiation to the liver.
Red yeast rice is a natural plant-based statin that is safer than prescription statins and is effective in reducing cholesterol. Like other statins, it can cause an increase in liver enzymes, which should be monitored on a regular basis. Red yeast rice should also be taken with CoQ10.
Plant based stanols/sterols can be used to reduce LDL and overall cholesterol levels. These compounds compete with the cholesterol in the food we consume for absorption, thereby reducing the uptake of harmful cholesterol. Walsh recommends three products that work in this way. Our staff, family members or friends have personally benefited from their use: Twin Lab's Cholesterol Success, Health From the Sun's Basikol and Enzymatic Therapy's Cholesterol Shield.
Below are additional nutrients that are important in controlling cholesterol and how they help reduce cholesterol. If you are just beginning to watch your cholesterol and do not have serious heart disease, you may want to try one or a combination of these nutrients to manage your cholesterol.
Aged Garlic Extract-Used to reduce both cholesterol and blood pressure levels.
Niacin-Niacin lowers LDL, Lp(a), triglycerides and fibrinogen levels and increases HDL. Some forms can cause a flushing of the face and skin itching. Use a no-flush form. Using niacin long term can cause liver irritation, so its effect on the liver should be monitored.
Fish Oil-Thins the blood, reduces inflammation in the arteries and lowers LDL and triglycerides. Should not be used with other blood thinning medication such as Coumadin except under the supervision of a doctor. Also not recommended prior to surgery due to its blood thinning effects.
Vitamin C-An antioxidant associated with increased HDL. Also reduces arterial stiffness and inhibits platelet aggregation. Vitamin C is used to make bile salts. Cholesterol is converted by the liver into bile salts, which then can be excreted through the digestive system. In this way vitamin C can lower cholesterol.
Vitamin E-An antioxidant which protects against the formation of plaque. Also shown to reduce overall cholesterol.
Pantethine (B5)-Lowers cholesterol by blocking an enzyme involved in the production of cholesterol in the body.
Guggul-An Ayurvedic herb that reduces cholesterol levels and increases HDL.
Reishi-A mushroom extract that reduces cholesterol by inhibiting the production of cholesterol in the liver and inhibiting absorption of cholesterol from food sources. Reishi is one of the most prized medicinal mushrooms in China and is thought to be an immune tonic, an adaptogen, and is considered one of the premier longevity herbs.
Several companies have put out combination formulas that have the advantage of obtaining several nutrients related to heart health all in one bottle. Walsh recommends LDL by Nordic Naturals, a combination of fish oils, red yeast rice, CoQ10 and Vitamin E that can reduce high cholesterol levels. Also recommended is Kyolic's Healthy Heart formula, a combination of aged garlic extract, Vitamin E, hawthorn berry and cayenne, effective for both cholesterol and blood pressure reduction. For specifically boosting HDL cholesterol, Enzymatic Therapy's HDL Booster contains many of the nutrients reviewed above.
High Blood Pressure
As blood circulates through the body it presses on the arterial walls, a concept we all know as blood pressure. When this pressure is too high, the walls may become distorted, putting additional pressure on the heart to perform its pumping action.
Restricting the use of salt is one way to cut the risk of high blood pressure. Sodium causes water retention, which can increase pressure inside the arteries. Other dietary recommendations include avoiding dehydration, eating a diet high in soluble fiber and increasing the use of food high in potassium (asparagus, cabbage, kelp, oranges). Apples are considered superfood for people with high blood pressure as they are high in potassium and also have a high level of pectin, an excellent from of soluble fiber.
Supplementation with the following herbs or nutrients has been found to have a positive effect on lowering blood pressure.
Hawthorn-An herb that is a restorative tonic for the heart and blood vessels. Dilates the coronary artery and improves blood flow to the heart. Strengthens the heartbeat and regulates its rhythm. Normalizes blood pressure.
Magnesium-A mineral that is absolutely essential in the proper functioning of the entire cardiovascular system.
Fish Oil-Fish oil can reduce blood pressure by thinning the blood. Generally a supplement with a higher level of EPA, but also with DHA is very heart protective.
Vitamin C-Has mild blood pressure lowering effects and helps to remove metals from the body such as lead, which contribute to high blood pressure.
Potassium-Has been shown in repeated studies to lower blood pressure and can be taken as part of a salt substitute. Do not use if you have kidney disease or serious heart disease.
Garlic and CoQ10-Both have been shown to have an effect on lowering blood pressure.
Dandelion leaf-This herbs mild diuretic effect can help to lower blood pressure.
Some combination products helpful for reducing blood pressure are Enzymatic Therapy's BP Manager and Kyolic's Healthy Heart. BP Manager is an herbal mixture containing stevia leaf, olive leaf, hawthorn, and dandelion. The latter product was discussed above.
Stress
Stress is considered a risk factor in many types of chronic disease, including cardiovascular disease. Finding ways to relax and rest the body are keys to having a healthy heart. Exercise can go a long way toward reducing stress. The key is to find an activity or activities that you enjoy and do them on a regular basis. Yoga and meditation are often suggested, but a great game of racquetball can be just as beneficial. In Chinese medicine, healthy functioning of the heart is closely related to the emotion of joy, so any activity that brings you joy will benefit the heart--dancing, spending time with family or watching a comedy--pick your passion!!
Aromatherapy is a great way to relax the senses. Aromatherapy can help with emotional distress because scent goes directly from the olfactory nerve to the limbic system of the brain that controls our emotions. Put some into the bath, through a diffuser, mix with a carrier oil and massage it on your body, or add them to a steam shower. Walsh carries an excellent line of oils called Oshadhi that are wildcrafted and organic. They have some blends that are excellent for managing stress, one of which is aptly named Stress Relief. There are others that can help like Restore, Renewal and Peace of Mind.
Flower essences can help us move through emotional issues and into more joy in our lives. Sacred Heart by FES is a combination flower essence that helps with relationships and other matters of the heart, both emotionally and physically. Try Earth, Wind and Flowers' flower essence sprays like Playful (bergamot and zinnia), Open Heart in Protection (Pine and Holly) and Letting Go (frankincense, myrrh and bleeding heart). Use these sprays to lighten your load and start having more joy.
If you have a family history of heart disease, be proactive and start using these tools to keep your heart healthy! Your family and friends will be happy you did!
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