A Note From Donna

I am so enjoying Springtime!  It energizes me and makes me feel so alive as each  new day brings something new budding forth and bursting out in our wooded acre we call Bluebird Cove.

We have undertaken a huge project of cleaning up a bit more of our acre which entails picking up branches and sticks and mulching leaves with the big leaf eater that Randal just purchased after our other one, 19 years old, ate it's last leaf a few weeks ago. 

It's like a rescue mission to me.  I look for all the little plants that were smothered in the six inches of leaves.  They are now smiling and bursting forth to begin a new life with more sun and air, and they will also now be included in the schedule for watering and organic fertilizer.  We have a lot of wild blueberry bushes so I'm very excited that they will be producing more food for the birds and critters that visit Bluebird Cove.  I discovered we have 5 dogwoods in the back woods that I never noticed before since they are too young to be blooming.  What joy that brought to us.  We have missed the dogwoods we left behind when we moved from Alabama.

You can visit Bluebird Cove online by spending some time in our photo gallery:  2005 Garden Photos

I'm already taking photos of our yard this year.  I'll give you the link in the next issue.  It's absolutely amazing how much things can grow in a year's time.  We moved all our cedars to the front corner of our property which we call Cardinal Corner.  We didn't have enough cover for Cardinals when we moved here.  They like bushy brushy areas, so we decided to dedicate that space to them.  They've grown 3 feet since last year and are really stretching out with Spring as they shout for the Cardinals to relocate.

A couple of days ago I was sitting on the beautiful butterfly bench that our friend made for us and up above me was a male Cardinal.  I was so thrilled to see him singing to his Missy.  I know he was telling her that he has bids in already on this corner of the world and she should choose him for such a fine territory to browse in. 

That butterfly bench has been a real treasure to me.  Even in Winter I have butterflies just by looking at the bench.  Here's a photo of the Butterfly Bench in the Snow.  The wonders of nature have a lot to do with my staying healthy.  There's so much to discover out there and so many little friends to meet.  Not long ago we had a Pileated Woodpecker at the Pond (the big ones that look like Woody Woodpecker) hopping along the ground.  They look so funny on the ground since we always see them on trees, but this guy had his eye on a bit of water or a big bug that was in the rocks maybe.

Until next time, make it a happy and healthy day!
Donna


Featured Product:

Tofu Moo - The Best Milk Substitute

Research has shown that the epidemic of hardening of the arteries, which leads   to more deaths annually than cancer, is directly attributable to homogenized   milk. This research was done by Dr. Kurt A. Oster and his 20 years of research   is documented in the book called, "Homogenized."

Nutritionists have reported that up to 70% of the world's population may be lactose-intolerant to some degree. Lactose is the sugar found in milk.  These people must avoid lactose-containing foods, such as milk, yogurt and whey products. Casein, a milk by-product, is also very allergenic.

Tofu Moo is an alternative for children and adults that continuously have mucus and allergy problems. Milk is one of the major allergy-causing foods. Tofu Moo looks like and tastes like milk. It can be used in any recipe as milk.  One 8-oz. serving equals 50% of the Daily Value for Calcium.

Tofu Moo is made from tofu, which is made from soybeans. Tofu is used rather than soy itself so that the crude fiber of soybeans is removed         which gives it a digestion rate of 95%. This is especially attractive to those with special digestive needs, such as children and older adults.

Nature's Sunshine Tofu Moo is:
Fat Free
Cholesterol Free
Dairy Free
Lactose Free
Easily-digested Non-GMO Soy Protein from Tofu
Low Sodium

Read more and/or order



Health News and Tips:

Omega 3 Fatty Acids from Eggs - Yes or No?

Q. Do all eggs contain omega-3 fatty acids, or only the eggs labeled as such?

A. In this case, the chicken came before the egg. Egg producers now feed their hens special diets to produce eggs with enhanced amounts of the omega-3 fatty acids alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Flaxseed is loaded with ALA, so eggs produced by flaxseed-fed hens have a higher ALA content. An Eggland's Best egg, for example, has 100 mg of the omega-3s ALA and DHA.That's three times the amount in an ordinary egg. Other egg manufacturers, such as Gold Circle Farms, feed their hens a diet rich in DHA (found primarily in fatty fish and fish oil) from cold-water algae. Each of their eggs has approximately 150 mg of DHA, versus 18 mg in an ordinary egg.

Should you opt for omega-3-enhanced eggs? It certainly wouldn't hurt: The American diet is typically low in these polyunsaturated oils, which are important to cardiovascular and nervous system health. Keep in mind, however, that these eggs provide only a modest boost of omega-3s and probably shouldn't be your only source. Most adults would benefit from 1 to 2 grams of omega-3s per day, preferably in the form of fish (a 3-ounce serving of salmon provides approximately 1.7 grams).

From Delicious Living Magazine
This Ask the Expert was written by Heather Jones, a registered dietitian, freelance writer, and nutrition professional based in Washington, D.C.

To supplement our diet, we use Nature's Sunshine Super Omega-3 Hi EPA Fish Oils.  Nature's Sunshine for quality, purity and potency.


Natural Health Consultants for You:

Due to the high traffic of our website, we can't answer individual questions, so we recommend these natural health specialists that can help you.  They all offer free 30-minute consultations.

For People - Natural Health Consultant - Dianne Frase

For People - Spanish-speaking Natural Health Consultant - Evelyn Davila

For Pets - Natural Health Pet Specialist - Robin Sockness



Essential Oils For Health:

Essential Oils and Extracts: More than Just Aroma and Taste

Grapefruit seed extract has been used for years as an alternative treatment for a wide variety of skin ailments, such as athlete's foot, mouth ulcers and eczema. Now studies have shown it is also effective against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). However, its action does not kill "friendly" bacteria, as do antibiotics. Its toxicity is low, and it is effective in very low concentrations.

The doctors and nurses at Manchester University, England found a combination of three common oils—eucalyptus, lavender and tea tree—were more effective than conventional antibiotic treatments. The researchers found that the three oils usually used in aromatherapy destroyed methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and E. coli bacteria in two minutes flat. They believe that the oils' complex mix of chemical compounds defeat the defenses of the bacteria.

Possibly in the future, patients could be treated with essential oil compounds, in conjunction with or in place of conventional antiseptics. Research using tea tree oil as a single treatment has yielded mixed results, suggesting that an essential oil combination might be most effective.

Get more information on the three essential oils (Eucalyptus, Lavender and Tea Tree) and/or purchase.


Health News For Kids:

Antibacterial Mindset Creates Environment for Asthma and Allergies

The rising incidence of asthma and allergies in the developed (cleaner) world, doctors say, could be tied to the relatively sterile environments our children live in compared to a generation ago.  Children not exposed to harmful bacteria, or conversely, given antibiotics to kill bacteria, do not receive the germ workout required to make antibodies.  More specifically, they do not develop T-helper cells, which fight foreign cellular invaders and minimize allergies.

Unfortunately the American consumer is at war with all bacteria. According to the Soap and Detergent Association, more than three-quarters of liquid soap and more than a quarter of bar soaps on supermarket shelves contain triclosan, an antibiotic that kills most bacteria, both good and bad.

Read the entire article at Live Science.


Antibacterial Soaps a Danger

An increasing social obsession with cleanliness may be doing more harm than good. Scientists at the recent International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases in Atlanta, Georgia, revealed that the widespread use of antibacterial soaps on children might influence the development of chronic diseases and lead to other health problems in developed countries.

Scientists suspect that eradicating organisms can weaken some parts of a child's immune system and cause an imbalance that triggers illnesses, such as asthma, allergies and some severe types of diabetes.

Read this article from the Discovery Channel, "The Dirty Truth about Washing Your Hands"


Herbasaurs Chewable 100% Natural Supplements for Kids

Herbasaurs was formulated for children.  Keeping a child's body nourished so it can grow and become strong is a challenge in today's society of fast foods and junk foods filling tables and pantries.  Filling in the gaps with a quality supplementation program is important.

Children love Herbasaurs.  They have a  dinosaur stamped on each chewable tablet.  There are no artificial colors, flavors, sucrose, starch or preservatives in Herbasaurs or any of Nature's Sunshine products.

Purchase and/or read more about Herbasaurs



Featured Topic:

Could Soy Help You Lose Weight?
Published: Jan. 26, 2006

Could adding soy to your diet help you lose weight? University of Illinois scientist John Erdman says preliminary findings are intriguing.  Although reports in recent days have downplayed the research that links soy to heart health, Erdman said the evidence indicates that soy can help alleviate some of the symptoms of the chronic diseases related to obesity.

"A number of studies do link consumption of soy to improved cardiovascular health, including lower cholesterol and blood lipids," said the U of I food science and human nutrition professor. "A 3 to 4 percent reduction in LDL cholesterol is not insignificant, and several studies have reported similar findings."

He noted that other studies show that soy appears to reduce blood pressure and enhance vascular function.  "And we've also seen evidence that soy slows the progression of diabetes and kidney disease," he said. "We need to continue to study the effects of soy, but if you're overweight, it makes sense to incorporate soy into your diet for these reasons alone."

But there's more to this story than the debate over soy's heart-healthy benefits, he said. Soy protein may be of special benefit to weight watchers for its effects on satiety and body composition. The benefit of high-protein diets in weight loss has been documented, Erdman said, and soy is an excellent source of vegetable protein.

"High-protein diets are effective because protein gives you a feeling of satiety so you eat less and lose more. Protein-rich diets also preserve lean body tissue so that you lose fat and not muscle," he said.

At least one study has raised the question of whether soy protein may be better at promoting weight loss than other protein sources, he said.

Source: John Erdman - University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign


Easy Addition of Soy to the Diet

The easiest way to add soy to your diet is to switch to soy milk which can be used for shakes, smoothies, cooking, cereal and anything you would use milk for.  Smoothies are a great way to lose weight since you can pack them full of nutrition with minimal calories and you can sip them to make the meal last longer.  Variety can be had simply by changing the fruit you add or the flavoring.  Check out the recipe below.

Tofu Moo soy milk powder is a great way to make only as much soy milk as you need.  No worries about containers going back before you finish them.  If you're making smoothies, you can mix the powder and water in the blender container so no need to keep a bottle of soy milk in the refrigerator.

Don't like the beige or tan color of most soy milks?  No worries with Tofu Moo.  It's white like milk!

Read more about and purchase Nature's Sunshine's Tofu Moo


Natural Health for the Pets in Your Family:

Pet Supplements  by Health Topic

Pet Success Stories Using Nature's Remedies

Natural Pet Email Newsletter - No Charge

Healthy Pet Corner Website for Birds, Cats, Dogs, Horses, Rabbits & Reptiles


Nutrition Is A Choice:

Lose Weight with Instant Banana Pudding

In a blender measure 4 cups of water. 

Add 4 level scoops of Nature's Sunshine Tofu Moo Soy Milk powder and blend slowly. 

Now add 2 scoops Nature's Sunshine Everybody's Complete Protein Powder, 1 t. banana flavoring, and 2 packets of Nature's Sunshine Stevia herbal sweetener powder.

If you stop here you have a delicious banana-flavored soy protein shake. But to really lose weight with this, you need to add fiber that will make you feel full and satisfy you much longer than a shake.  While the blender is running, put in 1/2 tablespoon guar gum powder and 1/2 tablespoon xanthan gum powder. These are thickeners. Within seconds, your blender will start whining and the whole mixture will attain the consistency of pudding. Pour it into a bowl and enjoy guiltless eating that will fill you up fast.  The mixture has near-zero carbs, no sugars, and is high in protein.

You can get guar gum and xanthan gum at a health food store. 


Study Natural Health Online - No Charge

Learn how the body works. Knowledge is essential in making wise health decisions. Take the entire course or choose a system you want to know more about (i.e. digestive, glandular, intestinal, etc.). Begin here.


Copyright and Reprint Information
© 2006 Donna L. Watkins

The stories, suggestions, and information in this newsletter are not meant to diagnose or prescribe for you. If you have a medical problem, you may want the advice and recommendations of a medical doctor. All stories, recipes, information, etc. that are passed along in this newsletter are for informational purposes only and are not necessarily endorsed by "The Herbs Place." This is a personal publication by Donna L. Watkins. The ideas and information expressed in it have not been approved or authorized by anyone either explicitly or impliedly. In no event shall Donna L. Watkins or "The Herbs Place" be liable for any damages whatsoever resulting from any action arising in connection with the use of this information or its publication, including any action for infringement of copyright or defamation.

Forwarding and Use of This Newsletter

You may forward or use this copyrighted newsletter on a website if you include the following credit:

Editor, Donna L.  Watkins, of TheHerbsPlace.com, provides this free newsletter to subscribers. The Herbs Place provides quality Nature's Sunshine Products at wholesale prices. Visit now to shop or view the list of complimentary newsletters available.