Natural Choices — Health Food, Organic Produce, Gluten Free, Vitamins, Supplements — Columbus, Bartholomew County, Indiana

Posts Tagged ‘dietary supplement’

There’s quite a buzz about the new Farmers’ Market in Columbus, Indiana!

Mark your calendar and put a reminder on the steering wheel so you don’t forget to stop on the way home from work!

Fresh produce straight from the farm

Wednesdays

From 4 – 7 p.m.

 Natural Choices Community Market

North parking lot

Fill your basket with farm fresh fruits and vegetables at the Natural Choices Farmers' Market.

Of course, the store will be open during Farmers’ Market hours so you can get all the shopping done at one time.

“At Natural Choices,” owner Carolyn Behrman says, “our No. 1 goal is to provide the Columbus area with high-quality, healthy eating options as we work together to improve the health of our community.”

Carolyn has scouted the area to find local farmers who grow a good variety of produce. Now is the time to bring vegetables and berries home to either can or freeze them. With a little preparation you can be sure your family will enjoy the flavor of summer all through the winter months as well – and there is nothing better than delicious green beans or a tomato sauce made from farm-fresh tomatoes on a cold winter’s night!

Drive, bike or walk over and after making your selections at the market, pop inside the store to find packaged and frozen foods, gluten-free foods, organic and locally grown produce, beef and buffalo meat, as well as a wide selection of dietary supplements, health and body products, pet supplies and cleaning products.

Reduce the toxins in your home and food. Find out how at Natural Choices!

See you at the Farmers’ Market on Wednesday!

–Ellie of the Natural Choices Blog Team

Despite it being summer time and people being out and about and active in so many ways, there are nights when it is difficult to sleep. It could be stress, it could be lack of physical activity to wear you out, or it could be a myriad of other things. On those nights, it doesn’t matter to me what is causing me to stare wide-eyed into the darkness, all I know is that I want to go to sleep.

There are several herbs and plants that can provide some relief – and help you get some shut-eye, on a regular basis.

Chamomile has long been used for a relaxing tea.

Chamomile, besides being a great herb for digestive upset, is also widely known and used as a bedtime beverage in tea.

My grandma used to say a little chamomile tea is the best thing for most things that ail you. She would drink a cup of tea before bed and swear she slept like a rock.

It is the root of the valerian that is used in natural supplements.

Valerian is another plant known as an effective and reliable sedative and sleep aid.

According to the American Botanical Council, valerian is not like over-the-counter and prescription products in that it is not habit-forming nor does it leave you with that drowsy or hung-over feeling in the morning.

Another great way to ease into a good night’s sleep is to develop the habit of a relaxing bath before bed. Frontier National Products Co-op suggests a milk bath. Their easy instructions:

Infuse a handful of chamomile flowers and jasmine flowers in a small pot of warm milk for a few hours. Pour into your bath water.

Sounds like something you can start while preparing dinner and have ready just in time to take a nice, relaxing bath before going to bed.

Keeping dried lavender in a dish or bath has a relaxing effect in a home.

Getting sufficient recuperative sleep is critical to good health and long life.

Finding  ways to get a good night’s sleep naturally is not as difficult as you might think. Stop by Natural Choices and peruse the dietary supplements to find combinations specfically formulated to be sleep aids. Then check out the tea selections and herbs to find what you need or want to create your own tea and bath regimen.

You might also look at the essential oils to find those oils such as jasmine or lavender to use in aromatherapy and make your bedroom a scented haven for relaxing, restful sleep.

–Ellie of the Natural Choices Blog Team

Terry Lemerond informs us that approximately 21 million Americans are effected by osteoarthritis. Lemerond says osteoarthritis is the most common joint disease and can be exceedingly painful and negatively impact daily routine and life. Lemerond shares that men typically develop symptoms of osteoarthritis before age 45 – often in the hips, knees and spine. Women, on the other hand, see onset after age 55 and it seems to effect hands and knees most commonly.

Osteoarthritis is when the cartilage between the bones in a joint deteriorate. Eventually, bones have nothing between them and they become sharp, the rubbing creates friction and the joint is damaged.

Turmeric dietary supplements are available at Natural Choices.

The pharmaceutical industry has long focused on arthritis as it creates pain and inflammation and can be debilitating. But the drugs prescribed come with a long list of side effects, many serious. Many people have found some relief using glucosamine sulfate (GS) over the last 15 years or so. But Lemerond says there are three herbal products that are far more effective than GS. They are curcumin, boswellia, and Indian Gooseberry.

The great thing about curcumin and boswellia is that while they do inhibit the Cox-2 enzyme, which provides relief of pain and inflammation, they do not completely block the enzyme. Some of the Cox-2 enzyme is needed for good health.

Curcumin comes from the turmeric root.

Curcumin comes from tumeric. Tumeric is a root in the ginger family and is a popular Indian spice. Curcumin is bright yellow and can be used as a food coloring. There have been many studies which show that curcumin is useful in the prevention of arthritis damage as well as for the inflammation and pain. So if you suspect you are developing arthritis or have recently been diagnosed, curcumin may be a natural supplement you should learn more about.

There are a variety of supplements including turmeric and arthritis combinations available at Natural Choices. If you can’t get to Columbus to shop, call (812) 375-1677. Orders can be shipped right to your door.

It’s worth some research to find out what natural herbs can do to help if you suffer with the pain and inflammation of osteoarthritis.

–Ellie of the Natural Choices Blog Team

As a teacher, we learned that the scent of mint stimulates the brain, so we tried to “freshen” our classrooms with mint-scented essential oils. Teachers will try anything to help kids learn!

Mint smells good, tastes good and improves health.

But the benefits of mint go far beyond the scent aspect. For years the herb has been used medicinally for many conditions and ailments. At Organic Facts, they have quite a list of uses including: 

• Digestion
• Nausea and headache
• Respiratory disorders, cough
• Asthma
• Fever
• Skin care, pimples
• Female sterility 
• Cancer
• Oral care
• As an additive in food stuffs, cooking, personal products and home products

Everyone knows about the after-dinner mint to aid digestion and the mint flavored breath fresheners, but did you ever consider mint oil as an antiseptic? Or, as Organic Facts suggests, “mint juice is an excellent skin cleanser.” They also suggest it can be used to treat insect bites and stings as well. Who knew?

The use in teas is especially pleasing, and calming in both winter and summer. There are literally thousands of mint tea recipes on the Internet, but it’s pretty much put the washed  leaves in boiling water, let steep for 15 – 20 minutes. Cool, pour over ice and you’re done! It sounds like you decide how strong to make it according to your own preference and whether to add other teas to it.

Mint is a perennial that can be grown in the garden.

Gardens Ablaze told me something I didn’t know. Perhaps because I am always battling to lose weight, the thought that there are people who work equally as hard to gain weight never really occurred to me. But Gardens Ablaze says, 

Mint also can be used as an appetite stimulant. It reduces hunger for a short time, but when the effects wear off the hunger returns stronger than before. For those lucky enough to need to gain a few pounds, a tea might be tried 30 minutes before a meal for appetite stimulation.

From a gardeners viewpoint, mint is one of those plants that take hold in a garden and just go wild. Its spread is difficult to control and becomes a battle to the point gardeners often eradicate the plant and swear it will never come close again. 

So I think rather than battle it in my garden, I will take a trip to Natural Choices in Columbus, Indiana where I can find products from essential oils to teas to dietary supplements that will let me add mint to my diet and home without the headache in the garden!

Although, Organic Facts did say mint was good to use to get rid of headaches …

–Ellie of the Natural Choices Blog Team

After writing about how flaxseed oil is good for dogs in a previous post, I knew I would have to find out why flaxseed was good for people, too.

Indianapolis nutritionist and chef, Wendell Fowler, provided a little history in a recent article in the Southside Times. He said,

Since the dawn of civilization, humans have employed shiny brown flax seeds to weave fibers for clothing and bolster health. Before 5,000 BC, Egyptians carried flaxseed in their medical bags. The father of medecine, Hippocrates, documented flaxseed for the relief of abdominal pains. During the eighth century King Charlemagne passed laws requiring the consumption of faxseed by his subjects to ensure good health.

That’s all interesting, but I was more interested in what he had to say about how it promoted healthy living:

Flaxseeds are rich in alpha linolenic acid (ALA), an Omega-3 fat; a precursor to the form of Omega-3 found in fish oils called

Flaxseed is good for the mind and body!

EPA. The  body gets essential fatty acids, stored in your brain, from the diet. Your best bet is to ingest ground flax seeds, a fish oil capsule and then eat a handful of walnuts daily. (Emphasis added.)

He says flaxseed contains naturally occurring plant estrogens called lignans, which prevent bone loss, reduces risk of colon and estrogen-related breast cancers and diminishes symptoms of menopause.

He also says sufficient intake of Omega-3 fats maintains a balanced production of hormone-like substances called prostaglandins, which help regulate physiological functions including:

• blood pressure
• blood clotting
• nerve transmission
• allergic responses
• functions of the kidneys and gastrointestinal tract
• production of other hormones
• prevention of heart disease
• improving cognitive function
• tempering of inflammatory conditions such as asthma, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, migraine headaches and osteoporosis.

He mentions that high doses of Omega-3s are used to treat and prevent mood disorders and lupus.

Well, flaxseed is not only good for dogs; apparently it is something all of us humans should be interested in, too!

One final bit of information from Fowler:

Gluten-free flax is durable. Upon ingestion, your body can not break it down and when excreted and planted, would grow. Please note the need to grind the fibrous seed in a coffee grinder in small batches then sprinkle it on virtually everything you eat. Two tablespoons a day is sufficient. Once ground, the seeds quickly lose their oomph, so process and store un-ground seeds in the refrigerator.

Natural Choices in Columbus, Indiana is the place to find products like flaxseed, flaxseed oil and fish oil supplements that promote healthful living. Call (812) 375-1677 or stop in the store to check out the wide selection of gluten-free, organic and natural products.

–Ellie of the Natural Choices Blog Team

This is an event you won’t want to miss! So be sure to mark your calendar with a big red circle and RSVP to reserve your seat.

Terry Lemerond speaks on Thyroid Health

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Natural Choices

1825 Central Avenue

Columbus, Indiana

Space is limited and filling up, so RSVP by phone at (812) 375-1677 or stop by Natural Choices to reserve a seat.

Terry Lemerond

After several changes in schedule, Terry Lemerond is finally going to make it to Indiana on April 21. As Matt said in his January 21 post, Terry’s bio is incredible. Here’s a little bit more about him from his website:

Terry has 40 years experience in the health food industry as an owner of several food stores and nutritional manufacturing companies. He has researched and developed over 300 nutritional and botanical formulations that continue to be top selling products on the market today. He is credited to be the first to introduce to the U.S. health food market glucosamine sulfate, IP6, black cohosh for menopause, the concept of botanical standardization and the introduction of complex formulations for specific health indications. He is the author of two books, Seven Keys to Vibrant Health and Seven Keys to Unlimited Personal Achievement.

Terry’s mission is to continue to introduce revolutionary natural products that will improve the health of America. In the past 40 years he has accumulated a wealth of experience and knowledge in the field of health and nutrition, which he shares with others through radio, podcasts, educational webinars and personal speaking engagements. Having experienced the life-changing effects of proper nutrition, exercise and effective natural medicines himself, he is eager to help others meet their personal and health goals, as well.

He will be speaking about thyroid health – both the overactive (hyperthyroidism) and the underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism). It is an endocrine gland that has a tremendous impact on the body. When it is working well, everything goes along just fine. But when the thyroid is not working properly, it can wreak havoc on your daily life, just ask anyone who suffers with a thyroid problem! Terry will help take away the mystery of keeping this gland functioning properly.

He will share the role of supplements and other healthful choices when it comes to thyroid health. Natural Choices carries a wide selection of supplements to support thyroid health including the EuroPharma brand.

Carolyn is excited to be able to offer this seminar at Natural Choices for Columbus and the surrounding area. Remember to RSVP by phone at (812) 375-1677 or stop by Natural Choices to reserve your seat.

–Ellie of the Natural Choices Blog Team

Now is the time when everything outdoors seems to just ’spring’ forth. The buds are opening, the grass is greening, the sun shines brighter and the rain showers refresh the earth.

It is also the time for us to get outdoors and, after a long winter, get more active.

Are you being robbed of energy?

But for many, fatigue is a chronic problem. Do you find you just don’t have the energy to do everything you would like to do?

It is possible to recapture the vitality you want. Dr. Jacob a Teitelbaum is a world-renowned medical expert on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia. He has spent over 25 years researching, creating and teaching effective therapies for these conditions. He suggests there are three basic steps everyone can take to feel great and have the life they want. Let’s look at the first one.

Step No. 1 is nutrition. Everyone needs to eat well. Nutritionists tell us to limit fats and sugars. Some say it simply: eat mostly plants. It would make sense that the best plants to ingest are those that are fresh and organically grown.

Another part of good nutrition is a good multi-vitamin to ensure you are getting all the minerals, vitamins and amino acids to provide good energy. Dr. Teitelbaum suggests:

…a foundation product to support energy levels (is) a powdered drink mix. In addition to the powdered energy drink mix, it is important to take a high-potency vitamin B-complex supplement. This should include niacinamide, thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, pantothenic acid and choline.

Set a goal and sip your way to it.

He also says most Americans are chronically dehydrated and that it is critical to get enough water. So, drink up! Start tracking how much you drink and determine how much more you think you should drink. Add a little every day until you reach that level.

I love the saying, ‘You are what you eat.’ In younger days, it was more of a joke to say I must be really sweet. But now, well, let’s just say I understand the implications of being so sweet! This time of year I am now mostly asparagus!

When I go into Natural Choices in Columbus, Indiana, I know I will find the fresh, organic produce my body likes and needs to be healthy. The shelves are lined with options for energy drink mixes, vitamins and supplements that will make me feel energetic and vital. It’s all there – a true one-stop-shop for healthy living. Stop in and maybe I’ll see you there!

–Ellie of the Natural Choices Blog Team

Don’t forget if you aren’t in the Columbus, Indiana area, healthy produce, food and natural supplements are available for shipping. Call (812) 375-1677 for all your needs.