Thursday, May 28, 2009

Vitamin D - Your Gift from Sunshine

Unless they work outdoors or have outdoor hobbies, most Americans simply don't get enough Vitamin D. Vitamin D is found in few food sources, and while milk is fortified, most adults don't drink enough of it to make a difference.

That's why doctors recommend supplementing with Vitamin D - and why natural health enthusiasts recommend getting up and out of the house for a while each day. Sunlight is the only natural source of vitamin D that you'll get in any quantity.

This is important for all of us, and especially important for older folks, as Vitamin D is important for maintaining bone health. Along with many other health benefits, it aids in fighting depression, and most surprising of all - cancer!

While over-exposure to sun can lead to cancerous tumors, lack of exposure can also be dangerous. As with so many things in life, we need to strike a balance.

Experts don't seem to be in agreement over how much sunlight is necessary, but all agree that using sunscreen every time you go out is harmful. You need to let those health-giving rays touch your skin. As it turns out, sunscreen doesn't always block the harmful UV rays, but does always block the beneficial rays.

Some say at least 15 minutes per day - and turn your face to the sun. Others say face and hands are not enough - you need to expose a bit more skin.

Exposure to sunlight and nature will also help your mental attitude - so get outside. If all you can manage is 15 minutes, take it, then look for more opportunities throughout the day.

If you're reading this and thinking "No way, I don't have time," you may need the Bach Flower Essence, Oak.

Oak essence is for those individuals who can't allow themselves the time to take care of their own needs - such as rest and rejuvenation. Instead they move forward with feelings of stress, pressure, and tension. This does no good for the individual - or for the family and friends who care for them.

If that's you, get over to FeelBach! and get a bottle of Oak Flower Essence. Better yet, take the questionnaire - just in case other emotional upsets are adding to the problem. The experts at Feel Bach! will formulate a special blend, just for you, so that you can enjoy the wonders of the summer season.

You deserve to enjoy summer without guilt or stress - so start taking care of yourself today.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Are You a Loner?

If you're a loner, and if you'd prefer to make nurturing connections with the people around you, Bach flower essences can help.

Usually, we're loners for one of two reasons:
One is that we're excessively self-reliant and have such high expectations of others than they can never please us.

Water Violet helps to dispel the posture of excessive self-reliance and autonomy, while allowing such individuals to begin bonding with those around them. Vine helps those who are domineering and push others away by demanding too much.

The other reason is shyness - otherwise known as fear. People who feel inferior in some way, or who believe they'll be ridiculed if they make an effort to connect, often retreat into loneliness rather than take the risk of rejection.

Several of the Bach flowers help dispel feelings of insecurity and inferiority. Centaury, Gentian, Larch, and Mimulus each addresses a different underlying issue that can prevent people from connecting with others.

If this is you, study the 38 Bach Flower Essences descriptions at Feel Bach! or take the questionnaire and let our experts create the proper formula for you.

Don't spend another day wishing you could connect with others when the solution is so close at hand.

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Are Your Pets Afraid of Thunder?

The last few days have been noisy around here - between the wind, the hail pelting against the windows, and the thunder.

Fortunately, my 3 dogs don't come completely unglued. Ralph just lays there and looks at the others like he can't figure out what's wrong with them, while Suzie and Pepper rush to sit as near my feet as possible.

Sometimes when a storm starts while I'm cooking dinner it's a trial, because every time I take a step I trip over someone. But at least they aren't hiding in a corner, shaking, or trying to run somewhere to get away from it.

Still, when I see them getting nervous like that, I give them a dose of Thunderstorms, from Feel Bach!, because there's no sense in letting them be upset when the cure is so simple.

If your dogs - or cats - get upset over thunderstorms, they need it too. And if other thunder-like noise frightens them, you should be sure to have a bottle on hand before the 4th of July brings the noise of fireworks.

When I worked in animal rescue, the week after the 4th was a nightmare. Some people were calling looking for lost pets while others were calling to report found pets. Sadly, I know a few whose dogs ran so far that they were never found.

If your pet is frightened, be kind, order Thunderstorms today and ease those fears.

Bach flower essences are a remedy you can use without fear, even if your dog is on medication. There are no side effects, no drug interactions, and it's impossible to overdose.

Enjoy Spring and Summer this year, knowing that your precious pets can enjoy it too - even on noisy days.

Wednesday, May 06, 2009

When stress CAUSES disease!

Stress and worry over falling revenues is everywhere in this economy - except in the medical practices of those who treat stress-related disease.

Dermatologists, for instance. While consumers are pulling back on non-essential services such as liposuction and botox injections, dermatologists are still seeing an increase in business.

Why? Adult acne, eczema, and warts are all becoming more and more common.

These conditions are all caused by glitches in the immune system, because the nervous system and hormone systems work together. Extreme stress causes a rise in cortisol, which in turn causes a breakout. Where once that was a rare occurrence, now many are suffering from those cortisol spikes every day - perhaps more than once.

These skin problems can, of course, be counteracted with prescription drugs and over the counter remedies containing salicylic acid, glycolic acid, cortisone, and benzoyl peroxide. A cortisone injection at a dermatologist's office can also help - when you need to look your best for a public appearance or an important interview.

Some doctors, recognizing that drugs are not the only solution, are recommending stress relieving measures such as yoga and meditation or strenuous physical activity like racquetball or weight lifting.

Personally, when I feel stress creeping up, I take a 2-pronged approach. I get outdoors - either to walk or work in the yard. Pulling weeds is definitely a de-stress exercise for me!

But first, when I know I'll be faced with a stressful situation or when everyday happenings start to wear on me, I take Feel5ive - the stress relief remedy from FeelBach!

For a known stress situation, I start the night before, take it again in the morning, and again just before whatever I know is going to try to "attack" me. This works well for me when I will be traveling on icy roads, visiting the dentist, or even going into a meeting whose outcome is important to me.

If something sneaks up on me - like a jolt of unsettling news that I wasn't expecting - I reach for the Feel5ive before I let myself react.

The result - people ask me how I can stay "so cool."