Balms and Manna Blog - Balms and Manna

Garlic- So Much More Than Just a Food!

4/28/2021

Garlic is something almost all of us have in our kitchen. It's almost a universal food found in many cuisines and adds powerful flavor and smell to our food.

Delighting our taste buds, isn't all garlic is good for. Garlic contains sulfur compounds called alliin and allicin which are responsible for garlic's potent antifungal and antibacterial actions. It also contains vitamin A, C, E and selenium.

This food is particularly beneficial for the respiratory, circulatory and immune systems in our body.

Cardiovascular Benefits
- aids in thinning blood
- supports blood pressure within the healthy range
- support cholesterol within the health range
- stimulates circulation
- protective to the cardiovascular system

Respiratory Benefits
- supports decongestion
- helps expel mucus
- helps with fluid on the lungs
- aid the body in fighting infections

Immune Benefits
- soothes sore throats
- supportive to tooth discomfort
- soothes ear discomfort
- supports sinus discomfort

Garlic can be used several ways. The simplest is to add raw garlic to your cooking. You can also use it topically by placing a garlic clove next to your ear or throat for discomfort. Lastly, you can take garlic oil in a capsule to boost immunity, cardiovascular and respiratory challenges.

This week, save $6.50 on any bottle of garlic oil at the Country Cupboard in Fairbury! Sale price -$16.49

Why Detox?

3/29/2021

Spring is the perfect time to detox! Your body is already naturally detoxing to help it move from winter to spring.

But why do we need to detox? Overtime we pick up toxins from our environment in the air, the chemicals added to the ground, food and products we use and from the things we put on our bodies.

Toxins disrupt our hormone balance, contribute to inflammation, digestion & respiratory problems, weight gain and poor sleep to name a few.

Detoxing promotes:

Better digestion
Better skin
Better metabolism
Better mood
More energy
Less weight
Less inflammation

What is the best detox for you?

Detox can be diet changes such as eliminating dairy, gluten, sugar and process foods.
You can eliminate toxic cleaners and body care products by replacing them with non toxic cleaners such as doTERRA's OnGuard*, Verage or Essential Skin Care lines.
Or you can use herbs and essential oils to focus in on the areas you want to detox.
- Whole Body- Cellular Detox*
- Focus on Chemicals- EnviroDetox*
- Hormone- Indole 3 Carbinol*
- Skin and Body Odor- Liquid Chlorophyll*
- Heavy Metals- Heavy Metal Detox*

If this seems overwhelming, contact me and I would be happy to customize a detox plan for you!
*Can be purchased at the Country Cupboard in Fairbury, IL.

Want to Change Your Health Habits but Overwhelmed with Where to Start?

2/10/2021

Here are five simple things you can start today to feel and look better!

1- Eat Real Food- Eat food in its natural state. Try shopping around the perimeter of grocery stores and eating more raw fruits and veggies. Choose foods that represent all the colors of the rainbow to widen your intake of nutrients and vitamins.

2- Minimize Processed Foods- This means anything that comes in a package or bag. The longer the shelf life of what you eat, the shorter yours will be.

3- Eat Healthy Fats- Upgrade your choice of oil from canola, vegetable, corn, soybean and margarine to avocado, coconut, olive oil and butter. Fill your diet with nuts, seeds, olives and salmon.

4- Eat with Friends- Eating with friends improves digestion by slowing down your eating, stimulating more stomach acid to fully digest your food, increased enjoyment and savoring of your meal and decreasing your stress. Turn off the tv, phones and avoid reading or scrolling while you eat.

5- Drink More Water- Drink half your body weight in ounces of water (not tea, juice or other liquids, just water). If drinking water is difficult for you, add doTERRA citrus essential oils to flavor your water and ease your toxin load.

Zinc- It's More Than an Immunity Supplement

1/21/2021

Lately, I've heard a lot of people talking about taking zinc to stay well. It is great for the immune system but it has so many more benefits!

Here are the Top 6 Benefits of Zinc:
1. Supports Immune Function- Improves macrophage, neutrophil and natural killer cell activity

2. Encourages Digestive Absorption- Helps break down amino acids and carbohydrates

3. Helps Balance Hormones and Improves Fertility- Needed for the creation and release of healthy eggs, supports healthy testosterone levels, and needed for the production of estrogen and progesterone

4. Balances Blood Sugar- It binds to insulin and then allows insulin to be released from the pancreas when glucose enters the bloodstream

5. Supports Heart Health- Supports healthy circulation, inflammation and nourishes the lining of blood vessels

6. Powerful Antioxidant for the Eyes and Liver- Encourages healthy cell division and fights oxidative stress, slows down vision loss and macular degeneration, support healthy inflammation in the liver and promotes healthy elimination

My favorite brand of Zinc is Nature's Sunshine. You can purchase it at the Country Cupboard in Fairbury for $19.15 or online here.

Hormones...We all Have Them but Don't Always Like Them!

7/1/2020

In my daily interactions with women, it seems like the topic of hormones frequently come up.

I hear conversations like, "I think my hormones aren't balanced. What is the best way to know?" and "I'm suffering from really bad mood swings for no reason," and "My husband says 'Please ask Becky to help you with your PMS'".

We all have hormones and they are beautiful, amazing things when they are balanced. Hormones are responsible for our metabolism, regulating body temperature, healthy inflammation levels, building muscles and bones, sleep cycles, stress levels, weight, energy and many other body functions.

But in the society we live in, it's easy for hormone imbalance to be a real thing that many women deal with! Pain, irritability, fatigue, weight gain, difficulty sleeping, poor digestion, food sensitivities are all symptoms of imbalanced hormones.

Stress, nutrition, exercise and toxins are fundamental building blocks of healthy hormones. With a little awareness of what your body is telling you, some education about how the body works combined with diligence and time will go a long way to bringing your hormones back into the balance that God intended them to be.

I would love to encourage you on that journey! I offer a 6 month personalized program to help you restore that balance using supplements, lifestyle modifications, nutrition education and encouragement along the way. Email me to schedule a time for us to start your program!

Iron...How do I Know if I'm Low?

5/1/2020

I've had several women in the last few months come to me with complaints of low iron. Many of them didn't know their iron was low until they did a blood test. In America, 20% of women are iron deficient.

What are the symptoms of low iron?
1- Fatigue
2- Pale skin
3- Dizziness, lightheaded, weakness
4- Fast heart rate, chest pain
5- Headaches
6- Stomach pain
7- Joint pain
8-Craving to eat items that aren't food- ice, dirt, or clay

Raising iron levels through supplementation:
1- Always get a blood test before starting supplementing
2- Ferrous gluconate form is gentle on the bowels
3- Take vitamin C with iron supplement to increase absorption

Raising iron levels through diet:
1- Beef
2- Liver
3- Turkey
4- Chicken
6- Fish
7- Spinach
8- Pumpkin and sunflower seeds
9-Firm tofu
10- Beans and lentils

A Must Have for Your Medicine Cabinet!

11/15/2019

Have you heard of anyone talking about elderberry recently? These amazing benefits make this a must have for your medicine cabinet!

Elderberries grow on elder bushes and are wonderfully tasty. But they are also wonderfully beneficial to your immunity! Traditionally they've been used to cleanse the stomach and bowels, fight against respiratory congestion, boost lymphatic drainage and boost immunity. In America, the most common species is Sambucus. The flowers from the elder bush, which are often made into tea, can also support your body against viruses.

How to Use Elderberry:
Adults: Elderberry D3fense is a combination of Echinacea, Royal Jelly, Olive Leaf, White Willow Bark and Vitamin D3 in a capsule, all which promote healthy immunity as well as restoring your body to health when you are under the weather. This can be taken daily to stay healthy all winter long! Learn more here.

Kids: Elderberry syrup is a sweet liquid form of elderberry that is easy and convenient for kids to use. Integrative Therapeutics Elderberry Syrup is a great tasting, natural berry with a high potency extract. This can also be taken daily to maintain strong immunity!

Both Elderberry D3fense and Integrative Therapeutics Elderberry Syrup are available at the Country Cupboard for purchase!

Choosing a Brand for Your Supplements

6/7/2019

Have you ever walked down the supplement isle of a store to find a supplement and left feeling more confused? How do you know which brand is REALLY good for you?

Natural products and supplements aren't regulated by the FDA and can contain any levels of fillers and impurities in them while claiming to be high quality. The best way to know if your supplement is pure is to research the company and it's quality standards.

1. Bio Available- Is your supplement bio available, meaning does it break down in your body in a form that you can use? Try putting your supplement in water to see if it dissolves. If it doesn't dissolve, then it's not bio available.

2. Safety and Potency- Does the company manufactures their own products? 85% of brands don't make or test their products. These sellers aren't responsible for their quality.

3. Testing- What tests do they run on your supplements to check for quality and purity? Are they transparent about testing and results? Do they have their own laboratory and scientific team? Are their products also tested by a third party company?

doTERRA and Nature's Sunshine ensure quality, run 600 quality tests for potency, herbal content and cleanliness. They grow crops around the world in their natural habitat and visit their facilities around the world to see first hand their manufacturing practices and make sure the manufacturer has good sustainability. They research and test for potency based on climate, time harvested and natural habitat.

These companies are so committed to quality they would rather not offer a product than sell something that is poor quality. This is why they are my top choice of supplements and natural products!

The best test is they work and you see the results. You can't change peoples lives with average products.

Want to See the Positive Side of Life?

5/15/2019

St John's Wort is a beautiful yellow flowering shrub. It also has some beautiful properties as a supplement. It is uplifting to the mood helping you see the positive side of life and supportive to the nervous system. It can be applied topically to soothe cuts and injuries as well as help nerve tissue grow back.

St John's Wort is on SALE this week at the Country Cupboard! Save $8 now through May 24th.

Normally $43.25, now $35.25

Blood Sugar Support

5/15/2019

Do you struggle with balancing your blood sugar? Are you looking for a natural product that can help you with that?

SugarReg is a formula that helps to overcome cellular resistance to insulin and is supportive for people with blood sugar challenges. It's great for an overall program and can decrease insulin requirements.

Stop in at the Country Cupboard in Fairbury to save $9 off a bottle. Normally $38.49. Sale $29.49. Sale ends June 12th.