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

Posts Tagged ‘organic produce’

The summer heat and sunshine feels good, doesn’t it? But to look and feel your very best in summer, you need to stay hydrated. Drinking water is good. After a while, though, I want something that will appeal to my tastebuds a bit more. I stay away from the chemically-infused soda pops – regular or diet, neither is good for the body.

You don’t have to stick to simple brewed teas. Go ahead, jazz it up! Tempt those tastebuds! Combining teas with other beverages like organic juices or sparkling water or lemonade can be refreshing and hydrating. Add some spice to  create a summertime drink with some snap.

Orange, lemon and lime slices add color and flavor to iced herbal teas.

Frontier Natural Products provides this recipe on one of their brochures I picked up at Natural Choices in Columbus, Indiana. They suggest garnishing the drink with orange slices, lemon slices and edible flowers and a cinnamon stick swizzler for fun. Sounds like a tea party, doesn’t it?

Rosy Mint Iced Tea

• 2 tablespoons peppermint leaves
• 1 tablespoon spearmint leaves
• 1 tablespoon rosehips
• 1 quart boiling water
• 1 teaspoon honey, or to taste

Pour boiling water over herbs. Steep 5 minutes or until desired consistency. Strain and sweeten,  if desired. Cool to room temperature, then serve over ice. Refrigerate leftover tea.

Teas adds important antioxidants to our diet. We can add specific herbs to help invigorate our minds and bodies or other herbs to calm the stress of our day or help us sleep and still create tasty, iced drinks.

Maybe I am feeling so good because of all the fluids I am drinking. But I think it is because I am drinking teas, fruit juices and herbs that are good for me! Begin your adventure at Natural Choices. They have shelves full of herbal teas. 

Be a little wild this summer. Add some new flavors to your drinks and see if you don’t feel a good difference, too.

 Enjoy!

–Ellie of the Natural Choices Blog Team

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

The other day I was in Natural Choices in Columbus, Indiana. I have said it before and I will say it again, I love going in there because I always find something new or learn something. I have to allow at least an hour because I wander the aisles, perusing products on the shelves.

Using unsalted butter means you can add salt to your own tastes.

I was checking out the literature that Carolyn Behrman always has available and I found a brochure from Frontier Natural Products. It was in the Spice Savvy series and it was titled, Flavored Butters & Oils. 

This particular topic caught my eye, because for starters, I love butter and secondly, I have decided I would find new ways to season my food so I could eliminate as much salt in my diet as possible - because of blood pressure issues.

Anyway, inside was all sorts of information I could use, but there was also a recipe for Lemony pasta butter, which, when I took it home and tried it, was fabulous! I didn’t need any more salt – AND, I didn’t add the tomato-based sauce that always leaves me with indigestion.

Lemony Pasta Butter

• 1/2 cup softened butter or margarine
• 1 teaspoon chervil leaf
• 1 teaspoon marjoram leaf
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon peel
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Store in a small glass jar in the refrigerator, or freeze for use as needed.

They suggested adding a little Parmesan cheese and coursely ground pepper (which I did) and using it on pasta for a main dish. As a side note, they said to try it on potatoes! Now doesn’t that sound yummy?!!

Fresh salad ingredients at Natural Choices!

In the same brochure they have a recipe for breakfast butter that sounds delicious on a warm biscuit or muffin. I know I will be trying that one soon.

Not only do you find all these little gems of information at Natural Choices, you will find the spices and other ingredients you need as well. Plus, fresh, organic produce for a companion dish. Pasta with a big garden salad is one of my favorite meals. Knowing that much of the produce is locally grown, tells me that it is not weeks old before I eat it. Being organic means that it is GMO (genetically modified organisms) free. Which I really appreciate!  I just love going there!

–Ellie of the Natural Choices Blog Team

Hot flashes can be so extreme that it almost becomes funny because it is so relentless, and well, what else can you do? At one point, my husband and son were convinced I would wear out the switch on the fan because every three minutes it was going from off to full blast back to off.

The hot flashes have abated (after eight years!) and now I look back and say I should have found some natural way to tolerate them. I kept telling myself, “Oh, it won’t last long. I can tough it out.” Well, I suppose I am a very patient person to have tolerated it that long without relief. You don’t have to tolerate the uncomfortable feeling and flushed and sweaty appearance.

I just love the “Ask the Doctor” series of literature Carolyn Behrman keeps on the shelves at Natural Choices in Columbus, Indiana. It’s probably a good thing she doesn’t have an easy chair next to them because she’d think I moved in … anyway, back to what I discovered there. 

Marcus Laux, ND, answers questions in one piece called Menopause — Black Cohosh. He gave some information that surprised me (years ago women didn’t live long enough to experience menopause!!) and some that pleased me (there are safe and effective nutritional supplements that treat most menopause-related symptoms without HRT- (hormone replacement therapy) associated risks).

He provides a chart with menopausal symptoms, the nutritional supplement/herb that can be used to treat it and the clinical evidence found for its use. This is the information:

For hot flashes: Use black cohosh and ginseng to stop or reduce hot flashes

For lack of energy: Use ginseng to increase energy and reduce stress; and green tea to increase alertness

For mood variations: Use black cohosh, ginseng and kava to improve mood, increase energy and calm nerves

For lack of sleep quality: Use valerian to improve quality of sleep and to decrease time to fall asleep and night awakenings; and hops to improve sleep

For inability to relax: Use kava to calm nerves and ease anxiety

Black cohosh, lovely to look at, great for hot flashes!

About black cohosh, he does say,

Since very long-term studies have not been completed, there have been recommendations to limit the use of black cohosh to six months. However, black cohosh has been in continuous use in Germany since 1956 and no evidence of toxicity, side effects, or drug interactions ever has been reported.

About the other herbal supplements, he says,

The other herbal products have been studied long term. Again, no adverse effects have been identified with long-term use of these herbal supplements. However, kava, valerian, and hops may potentiate the use of alcohol and other sedating medications. Avoid alcohol and other sedating medications when using kava, valerian and hops.

There is a lot of great information in this series of literature. You should stop by Natural Choices to see the “Ask the Doctor” brochures that address a wide variety of health and medical issues. After reading them, you can check out the huge selection of nutritional supplements, pure and natural products and organic foods including the fresh organic produce!

There truly is something for everyone at Natural Choices!

–Ellie of the Natural Choices Blog Team