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From Walsh Natural Health                                                 August 2010    Forward to a Friend
 
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Vitamin Mineral Mix
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Add nutrients to your pet's food with this powdered blend of raw foods rich in Vitamin B.  Supports the nervous system, bones, teeth, ligaments,
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Back-to-School is Here!
 
It's time to start thinking about the transition back to school. Whether you have one going off to college, or just starting back at a local school, there are natural ways to make sure they make the most of their year.  Keep them healthy and they will thank you for it (well, maybe someday). 
 
Our article below, Back to School Essentials:  Ensuring a Healthy Return to School, shows you easy ways to keep your child healthy and in school. We also have specials on back-to-school items!
 
In September we will be bringing you a great program that many people need right now: Creating a Life Mission Statement.  Put your passion, your talent, and your goals all into one clear, concise statement that will help you to learn where to focus your time and energy.  See details below. 
 
Here's to your Health!
Lynn Bednar
 
 
Featured Productscognis
 
 
Cognis by Australian Bush 
This flower essence combination gives clarity and focus when working, speaking, reading or studying. It balances the intuitive and cognitive processes and helps integrate ideas and information...Read More  
 
 
 
                                             
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Medical scientists internationally are encouraging people to consume more of the omega-3s DHA & EPA because of their many health benefits.  CalaOmega sofgels are a rich source of DHA & EPA, and come from calamari, a highly renewable source...Read More  

 
 
 
Super Vita-CoQ10 by Bluebonnet                                  

vitacoq10Bluebonnet's Super Vita-CoQ10 FormulaŽ is a high potency, iodine-free antioxidant multivitamin and multimineral dietary supplement formulated with the most potent free-radical scavenging ingredients on the market...Read More
 
Natural News You Can Use:  
Help for Hemorrhoids
 
Tis the season for this uncomfortable health problem.  The season of Earth in Chinese medicine (Jul-Sept) can be a tough season indeed for hemorrhoid sufferers.  The slowed digestion and heat typical of this season can be double trouble for hemorrhoids.  Nutrients, herbs and homeopathy can help:
 
  • Biorutin, a combination of rutin and citrus bioflavanoids, strengthen the capillaries and have an anitinflammatory effect.  This can be one of the most effective ways to work on hemorrhoids from the inside out.
  • Herbs like Butcher's Broom, Horse Chestnut, Collinsonia (or Stone Root), and Witch Hazel can reduce the swelling of hemorrhoidal tissue, improve circulation, and constrict blood vessels that are out of shape.  Witch hazel is intended for topical use, but the others can be taken internally.  These herbs are also useful for vericose veins. 
  • Homeopathic medicines including aesculus, hamamelis virginia, aloe vera, and calcarea flourica can be matched to your particular symptoms to great effect.  Talk to one of our staff who will help you choose the best one for your circumstances.
  • Fiber in the diet will improve hemorrhoids as they are most commonly caused by constipation.  Eat more fruits, vegetables and whole grains and/or add a good fiber supplement.
 
 
 
dianetestaDeveloping a Life Mission Statement
Wednesday, September 15th
7:00 pm
 

Do you need to define your mission in life?  Perhaps your kids are leaving for college, you need to build a new career, or you are lacking the motivation you need to make a better life for yourself.  A Mission Statement is a reason for being and defines direction for your personal and work goals.   

During this workshop you will become clear on who you really want to serve, be around, and inspire in a positive way.   We will identify your core values and write a clear and inspiring mission statement.  You will walk away with a strong sense of purpose and an understanding of where to focus your time and energy.  Diane A. Testa, M.A., is a results-driven business consultant and leadership coach with 25 years experience in marketing, sales operations, corporate training and business development.   In addition, she has been through Path Coach Training and her mission is to enable people to live their purpose and move forward with clarity, strength and courage, www.findingmygoodlife.com.   Fee is $20, payable in advance.     

To R.S.V.P. email lynn@walshnatural.com with your phone and we will call you for your credit card information, or call us at (847) 864-1600.
 
Back-to-School Essentials:  Ensuring a Healthy Return to School
 
 
If there were no schools to take the children away from home part of the time, the insane asylums would be filled with mothers.  ~Edgar W. Howe
 
 
Keeping our kids healthy has many benefits:  better performance at school, more success at sports, happier faces at home, and avoidance of last minute rearrangements of schedules due to sick days.   The best defense is a good offense, and making sure our kids eat healthy food and get the supplements they need will go along way toward meeting these goals.  Below are some common issues with school and our suggestions for each.
 
 
Proper Nutrition and a Multivitamin
 
Every child needs more fruits and vegetables and less packaged and processed foods.  Organic produce is more nutritious than conventional and also does not have the risk of pesticides.  The main genesis of all illness that we have in this country today, particularly children, is a lack of nutrients.  A lack of proper nutrients is no doubt a factor in many typical problems with kids including ADD & ADHD, frequent colds and flus, obesity and emotional issues related school.  Many nutrients are lost in the processing of foods, corporate agricultural practices (such as the use of pesticides, steroids and antibiotics), and the transportation of our food over long distances.  Children need a good balance of protein, fat, and carbohydrates.  Probably the biggest mistakes we make are in the quality of the fat that we eat and using refined carbohydrates rather than complex ones.
 
In our processed foods, we are getting too many saturated fats, trans fats, and hydrogenated oils.  Saturated fat from animal products are typically long chain fats and more difficult to break down.  Saturated fats from vegetables such as avocado or coconut oil are shorter chains and easier for the body to use as energy.  Trans fats and hydrogenated oils are not even recognized by the body and can wreak havoc in the body undigested.
 
Refined carbohydrates are stripped of many nutrients and do not contain the fiber that is crucial to their proper use by the body.  "White" carbohydrates trigger a release of insulin into the body and can raise blood sugar too quickly.  If too much insulin is released, then blood sugar can dip, causing a craving for more refined carbohydrates.  A vicious cycle!  Complex carbohydrates have the fiber that has a modulating effect on this and also the accompanying nutrients, like chromium, that help the body to use the sugar.  Interestingly, cane sugar, the whole food form of sugar, also has chromium.  It is used more efficiently by the body than so-called "refined" sugar.
 
Every child should take a multivitamin to supplement any deficiencies in their diet.  Every nutrient is dependent on others for its proper use in the body.  Taking a multi ensures that they have a base level of nutrients to perform all of the cell's  processes.   Consider it a cheap insurance policy!
 
 
Focus and Concentration
 
Many kids have trouble focusing or concentrating because their brains are not being properly nourished.  Essential fatty acids are very important to brain power, particularly the DHA component of omega-3 fatty acids.  The brain is made up of 70% fat and each cell membrane is composed of fats, which ensure proper nerve transmission and entrance of nutrients to the cells.  The key is to make sure your child is eating the healthy fats!  The trans fats, hydrogenated vegetable fats, and otherwise processed fats found in most packaged foods are more harmful than helpful in this regard.  Cold water fish provides beneficial fats, but eating it frequently enough can be a problem, unless your child is in love with anchovies or sardines.  Smaller bodies also have to worry about mercury and other contaminants in the fish.  The answer to this is a quality fish oil, one that is purely processed and tested for contaminants.  With fish oil, quality is ultra-important, so buying a bargain fish oil is no bargain at all.  Flax oil is also high in omega-3's and Barlean's has new flavored fish and flax oil that are great for kids because they taste great.  If you put these over fruit you can actually pass this off as  a treat to your child.  If your child cannot swallow a pill, there are fish gummies, gel caps, and liquids options.
 
Glucose is the fuel of the brain, but the refined sugar found in many of our kids favorite foods is very hard to process.  Sugars found in fruit have the fiber and other nutrients in them that help to release the sugar slowly into the bloodstream so that it can be utilized over a period of time rather than in one large spike.  Alternative sweeteners like xylitol (recommended by dentists & very good for dental health), agave nectar, or stevia can be used as a substitute in baked goods and are sweeteners you should look for on labels.  Unprocessed cane sugar or sugar cane is also better than refined sugar as it has in it the requisite nutrients for the body to use it properly.
 
A smoothie is a great way to load your child with brain-healthy nutrients that they will actually enjoy.  I am accustomed to sneaking flax oil, Udo's 3-6-9 oil, chia seeds (high in omega-3), shelled hemp seeds, protein powder, fruits, veggies and more into smoothies that taste great.  You can also add beneficial spices to them.  Cinnamon is one in particular that helps to regulate blood sugar.
 
Essential oils and flower essences can be helpful with concentration as well.  The essential oil Clarity (a combination of oils) works great for studying and focus.  You can diffuse it in your child's study space or just let them sniff it directly from the bottle. It keeps you alert for mental exercise, so is very useful for teens with more intense work to do.  There is a flower essence combination called Cognis that enhances learning skills and helps one to assimilate ideas.  My daughter has used it during standardized tests and finals with good results.  There are many other individual flower essences that can help and we have reference materials to help you choose one.
 
 
Fighting Those Bugs
 
Another obstacle to doing well in school is missing days due to illness.  Some sickness is normal and this is how young ones build their immunity, but there are definitely ways to ensure that kids recover as quickly as possible:
 
ˇ         Vitamin D is one of the most important nutrients you can take to boost immune function and is commonly deficient in Northern climates such as ours.  It is also crucial to bone growth as it helps the body utilize calcium. Lastly, it is very helpful to mood. It is recommended that all children supplement with 400 IU's per day and may need more based on their size or level of deficiency. 
ˇ         Herbs are incredibly effective at speeding healing when your child has a cold, the flu, a sore throat, bronchitis or even allergies.  Great herbs to have on hand are elderberry (Sambugard for Kids), echinacea, cherry bark, astragalus, and ginger.  Echinacea and elderberry are herbs that are well known for protecting from colds and flus and also speeding the healing of each.  Astragalus is a powerful immune booster and works especially well for respiratory illnesses.  Cherry bark is excellent for coughs, as is ginger.  Ginger also works well for colds, flu and fevers.  Contrary to what we have always been told by our pediatricians, we do not just have to let a virus run its course, but rather can support the body to clear the virus or other illness much more quickly.  Herbs for Kids and Eclectic Kids are two lines formulated especially for kids.
ˇ         Probiotics, the healthy bacteria that live in our gut, are important to keeping your child healthy. The benefits of probiotics include better digestion and assimilation of nutrients, the crowding out of pathogens by the good bacteria, and protection from the negative effects of prescription antibiotics. Yogurt is thought to be a replacement for probiotic formulas, but contains only a fraction of the good bacteria in a probiotic, typically contains only one strain of bacteria (the gut has hundreds of strains), and is generally accompanied by too much sugar, food for the bad bacteria.
ˇ         Homeopathic Oscillo for Kids is great for the flu, particularly if you catch it right at the beginning.  It's a great thing to have on hand if your child comes down with the flu and will speed him or her through it. 
 
Taking precautions ahead of when your child gets sick will keep them in school where they should be!
 
 
Promoting Peaceful Slumber/Managing Stress
 
Some children don't adjust well to school and need help transitioning.  For younger kids it might be a separation issue, while older kids and teens may dread the pressure or routine of school.  Anxiety about school can cause poor sleep, aggravating the situation.  Here are a few ideas for releasing some of that stress and/or helping your child to get a better night's sleep:
 
  • Good nutrition is key to healthy sleep, particularly the omega-3 oils
  • Essential oils like lavender, chamomile, bergamot, frankincense or sandalwood can help calm your child.  Again, just diffuse in their room or have them sniff it before bedtime.
  • Have a bedtime ritual.  For younger kids this can be reading to them, for older ones turning off computers and cell phones 30 minutes before bedtime.  Forward bending yoga poses are also a great way to wind down and prepare the body for sleep.  My daughter had a "sleep issue" in the 8th grade which, after viewing her phone records, turned out to be the fact that she was on the phone till 2 am with her friends.  From that point on the computer and cell were in my room at night. 
  • A gentle combination homeopathic remedy for sleep is Calms Forte, which comes in a kids, as well as adult, formula.
  • If your child has anxiety about school in terms of separation, peer issues, fear of performance, or anything else, there is a flower essence that can help.  There are literally hundreds of flower essences for any issue you can come up with.   Flower essences work subtly over a period of time, so a week or more is required to see any difference, but it will help your child overcome the issue rather than having to deal with it on an ongoing basis.
 
Stopping Lice in Their Tracks
 
At the beginning of the school year there is always an outbreak of lice that sends parents into a tizzy. This is more common in the younger grades as kids are more tactile and are touching the same toys or even each other.   Keep some herbal help on hand to use if you find out there is a lice outbreak at your school.  Tea tree oil is the primary preventative for lice and can be found in a shampoo, conditioner, spray, and in concentrated form (can be added to your regular shampoo).  If your child does happen to come down with lice, we have non-pesticide treatments for lice including therapeutic treatment shampoo, a homeopathic lice treatment kit, or an herbal treatment called Nit Free.  The drug store treatment typically involves a pesticide. I know people are desperate when they get lice, but I would not put a pesticide on my child's head.
 
Support Their Sports
 
So many kids now keep up grueling schedules relative to travel sports and other activities.  Here are a few tips to make sure the sports aren't running them down and keeping them from success at school:
 
  • Proper sleep and nutrition, as discussed above, are very important.  Making sure your child gets adequate protein for rebuilding after sports is very important, especially for adolescents and teens who growing at a fast rate.  A high quality protein drink after sports is a great way to make sure this happens. 
  • Make sure your kids are properly hydrated before, during and after sports.  Water is great for this purpose and should be used frequently.  Water, however, does not replace the potassium and other minerals that are lost in sweat.  A great replacement for lost potassium is coconut water, a banana, or carrots.  EmergenC, added to water, can also replace lost nutrients.
  • Arnica is a great homeopathic remedy to have on hand for bruising, inflammation, muscle soreness or strains.  Taking this remedy right away after injury can speed its healing.
  • I love a homeopathic combination remedy called Sportenine for intense exercise.  It prevents cramping, muscle fatigue, and muscle soreness, and can be used before and after intense workouts, tryouts, or day-long tournaments.
Keeping your child healthy is very important to their well being and growth.  It's good for you too!  No more rearranging of schedules, crabby kids, or worry about them catching up after days missed.  Having the right things on hand to support your child when they get ill and giving them the nutrition and supplements they need saves money and stress in the long run!
 
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