IN.FORM Registration - Get 10% OFF

The Herb Garden proudly invites you to reshape your lifestyle, to burn fat, and be fit for life!  Another IN.FORM session is beginning soon and you want to be a part of it!  We are in the middle of our Fall session with a great group who are changing their health, size and life!  Starting November 17th, we are accepting registration for our next session starting after the new year.  And, if you register with full payment by December 1st, you'll get 10% OFF! Getting healthy and changing your life is absolutely worth one night a week!

IN.FORM is a new, breakthrough weight-management and healthy lifestyle program from Nature’s Sunshine.  Imagine a 13-week journey that features: 

• Health Education. Gain knowledge and life skills to achieve lasting health. 
• Social Support. Get an instant social network! Friends with similar goals help you achieve success. 
• Weekly Accountability Sessions. Our unique BioTracker measures weight, body fat percentage, hydration levels, lean muscle mass, metabolic age, bone mass and more! 
• Personalized, Flexible Programs. Eat what you want, and we’ll customize a Nature’s Sunshine products supplement program to meet your individual needs.    No pre-packaged meals!

The most exciting tool IN.FORM has to offer is the unique BioTracker.  Metabolic age, Hydration levels, bone mass - this is information for overall health, not just a weight-loss program!

We are so excited about this program and its long term effectiveness for healthy change! Give us a call at (405) 634-HERB for more information!  Follow us on facebook to keep informed of specials, dates and news.

Tips for Healthy Traveling

Do you have plans to travel sometime this fall/winter season?  The strong threat of sickness has been weighing on all of our minds, I'm sure.  Some things in this life are completely out of our control, but here are a few things that we've found to be helpful in the task of boosting immunity.

1) Vitamins, Vitamins, Vitamins! It may sound redundant, but Vitamin C and Vitamin D are super important for optimal health, especially when fighting off invaders!  These should be a part of our daily routine in the cold season, but especially the week before your traveling plans and all throughout a trip.  NSP's Chewable Vitamin C is easy to digest, delicious and great for adults and kids alike. Vitamin D is best consumed by going outside every day, but especially as it gets colder that's not always possible.  In those cases, here are a couple of options.  For kids, consider Calcium Plus D3.  For adults (or kids who can swallow pills), there's also a Calcium Plus D, but for extra protection Vitamin D3 is highly recommended.

2) Don't forget to SLEEP! When preparing for a trip and certainly on a trip, adequate sleep often gets the boot.  If you're trying to avoid illness, losing sleep is the worst thing you can do!  Sleeping helps the body fight infections and can determine how fast you recover if you do get sick. If you struggle with sleep or expect some stress surrounding your trip that might affect your sleep, here are a few supplements to consider:

• Valerian Root - This single herb helps with relaxation and supports sleep.
• STRESS-J - This herbal formula promotes feelings of calm and helps with occasional stress. A racing brain or overstimulated body can certainly prevent sleep.  STRESS-J can help with that!
• 5-HTP Power - Drinking a lot of caffeine? Caffeine wipes out serotonin and can definitely disrupt sleep patterns.  Hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) is an important neurotransmitter that is converted into serotonin in the body. Improve your appetite, mood and sleep!
• Melatonin Extra - Melatonin encourages restful sleep and helps fight jet lag by promoting the body's natural sleep rhythm.

3) Elderberry - The health benefits of elderberries are powerful! Anytime you expect to be or fear you were exposed to something contagious (cold, virus, flu, etc.) we recommend Elderberry D3fense or Elderberry Immune (chewables for the kids).  It's a power punch to whatever is lurking in the air!  

4) Silver Shield Liquid/Gel - NSP's Silver Shield is a wonderful safe and effective product that reduces exposure to disease-causing agents while leaving the good bacteria in tact.  Taken internally before and after a plane ride would be a smart line of defense.  The Silver Shield Gel takes immune boosting to another level! This gel can be safely place in any opening of the body so in or around the nose would be great protection from airborne invaders.  It also works as a great hand sanitizer! Both are great for kids too.

Also, Essential Shield  is a terrific topical essential oil blend that contains pure essential oils of clove, cinnamon, thyme, eucalyptus, grapefruit, lavender, rosemary, lemon, pine and peppermint that could be used to keep the air around you (in a car, hotel room, or even an airplane!) boosted with proactive forces!

5) Clean, Colorful Eating.  Whatever goes into your body either adds or takes away from the health of your immune system.  The cleaner and more colorful your diet is, the better position you are in to fight off colds and viruses. Plan ahead.  Just because you're on/going on vacation doesn't mean you have to eat junk!

Most trips aren't worth getting sick over so do yourself some favors as travel season starts to pick up!

Children's Flu Season Guide

5 Salad Dressings Made Healthier

Salad dressings are stuffed full of chemicals and unfriendly ingredients these days!  Here are 5 great dressing recipes that we use at our dinner table regularly!

Basic Ranch Dressing Recipe

INGREDIENTS

1 cup well-shaken buttermilk

1/4 cup mayonnaise

3 tablespoons sour cream

3 tablespoons finely chopped Italian parsley

2 tablespoons finely chopped chives

4 teaspoons white wine vinegar or lemon juice

1 medium garlic clove, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed

INSTRUCTIONS

Place all of the ingredients in a 2-cup Mason jar or other container with a tight-fitting lid. Seal tightly and shake to evenly distribute all the ingredients. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper as desired. Refrigerate until chilled and the flavors have melded, about 1 hour. The dressing will last up to 3 days in the refrigerator.

Honey mustard dressing

1 cup - plain yogurt

1/2 cup - raw honey

1/2 cup - Dijon mustard

1/4 cup - mayonnaise

1 Tbsp white wine vinegar

1 Tbsp tarragon, dried and crushed

Mix and serve. 

Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing

Ingredients:

2 small garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon anchovy paste (found near the tuna fish in the supermarket)

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, from one lemon

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (I like the brand Maille)

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 cup mayonnaise, best quality such as Hellmann's Real

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

In a medium bowl, whisk together the garlic, anchovy paste, lemon juice, Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Add the mayonnaise, Parmigiano-Reggiano, salt and pepper and whisk until well combined. Taste and adjust to your liking.

I add a little water to make it the consistency I want.

Avocado dressing

1 large avocado

2 tsp lemon juice

1/2 cup greek yogurt

1/4 cup olive oil

2 cloves garlic

3/4 tsp salt

Dash of chili flakes

Blend in food processor.  Add water for right consistency. 

Poppyseed dressing

1/3 cup xylitol

1/2 cup white vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground dry mustard

1 teaspoon grated onion

1 cup vegetable oil

1 tablespoon poppy seeds

Directions:

In a blender or food processor, combine sugar, vinegar, salt, mustard and onion and process for 20 seconds. With blender or food processor on high, gradually add oil in a slow, steady stream. Stir in poppy seeds.

IN.FORM: Fall Session Kick-Off

The Herb Garden proudly invites you to reshape your lifestyle, to burn fat, and be fit for life!  IN.FORM is beginning soon and you want to be a part of it!  We just finished up our summer session with some really great results.  Now, we're gearing up for the Fall 2014 session, beginning September 15th. Getting healthy and changing your life is absolutely worth one night a week!

IN.FORM is a new, breakthrough weight-management and healthy lifestyle program from Nature’s Sunshine.  Imagine a 13-week journey that features: 
• Health Education. Gain knowledge and life skills to achieve lasting health. 
• Social Support. Get an instant social network! Friends with similar goals    help you achieve success. 
• Weekly Accountability Sessions. Our unique BioTracker measures weight, body fat percentage, hydration levels, lean muscle mass, metabolic age, bone mass and more! 
• Personalized, Flexible Programs. Eat what you want, and we’ll customize a    Nature’s Sunshine products supplement program to meet your individual needs.    No pre-packaged meals!

The most exciting tool IN.FORM has to offer is the unique BioTracker.  Metabolic age, Hydration levels, bone mass - this is information for overall health, not just a weight-loss program!

We are so excited about this program and its long term effectiveness for healthy change! Give us a call at (405) 634-HERB for more information!

Kidney Infections: Stop the Madness!

If you've ever struggled with kidney infections, you understand what a pain they can be.  Back pain, stomach pain, fever, nausea, physical and mental exhaustion can all be symptoms of a kidney infection.  No fun at all.  It's common that when you have one, whatever issue that caused it might not be addressed and the infections continue to occur.  Stress, lack of water, contaminations and other illnesses may leave your body vulnerable to a build-up of the bacteria that causes these infections, which begins a crazy cycle that is miserable!

Stop the Madness!

There are some wonderful herbs and remedies for feeding and healing the kidneys.  There's no reason why you can't stop the maddening cycle today!

Prevention
If you find yourself predisposed to kidney problems and infections, here are some things you should consider:

• Always, always, always drink plenty of water.
• Chronic infections often come an overgrowth of candida (from medications, antibiotics, etc.) and Probiotics are vital to restoring that balance.  
• Make cleansing a regular part of your health regimen.
• Take Cranberry & Buchu daily to promote healthy digestion and to feed and maintain a healthy urinary tract.
• If you struggle with repeat infections, Urinary Maintenance might be just what you need to maintain fluid and mineral balance.
• Get plenty of rest! Yes, there's always more to do, but you won't have a choice if you're doubled over in pain.

Remedies

Once the madness has begun, relief is all you care about.  Here are some remedies that have worked really well for us.

• JP-X is the absolute best herbal combination for handling kidney infections.  It is designed to support the detoxifying functions of the body and strengthens kidneys and bladder.
• IF-C is a Chinese combination that nourishes the structural and immune systems by stimulating blood flow and helping to eliminate toxins.  Whatever kind of infection you may be treating, this combination will work to eliminate it.  When combined with the JP-X, this will usually do the trick.
• Cranberry & Buchu is great for prevention, but also if a kidney infection is especially rough, the cranberry builds up the urinary tract to ensure it's proper function.
• Olive Leaf Extract helps protect from and eliminate the unwanted invaders (bacteria) that often cause the infection to begin with. It also promotes great circulatory health and supports the urinary system.

There are so many great herbal alternatives that gently correct damages in the body by nourishing the systems.  If you haven't found relief yet for your urinary and kidney health OR you have another hard to address health issue, we'd love to help you find herbal alternatives!  Give us a call at (405) 634-HERB.

IN.FORM & Transform Your Life

The Herb Garden proudly invites you to reshape your lifestyle, to burn fat, and be fit for life!  IN.FORM is beginning soon and you want to be a part of it!

IN.FORM is a new, breakthrough weight-management and healthy lifestyle program from Nature’s Sunshine.  Imagine a 13-week journey that features: 
• Health Education. Gain knowledge and life skills to achieve lasting health. 
• Social Support. Get an instant social network! Friends with similar goals    help you achieve success. 
• Weekly Accountability Sessions. Our unique BioTracker measures weight, body fat percentage, hydration levels, lean muscle mass, metabolic age, bone mass and more! 
• Personalized, Flexible Programs. Eat what you want, and we’ll customize a    Nature’s Sunshine products supplement program to meet your individual needs.    No pre-packaged meals!

The most exciting tool IN.FORM has to offer is the unique BioTracker.  Metabolic age, Hydration levels, bone mass - this is information for overall health, not just a weight-loss program! Would you like a free evaluation on this awesome asset?  Join us Monday, May 5th at our informational meeting, IN.FORM & Transform where you'll receive a free evaluation with the BioTracker, a free meal replacement smoothie, chances to receive free product and LOADS of information.  

We are so excited about this program and its long term effectiveness for healthy change! Give us a call at (405) 634-HERB for more information!