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What Do YOU Invest In? – Spring 2012

Monday, April 30th, 2012

What Do YOU Invest In?

By Steve Tallent

When I hear the word “investment,” I usually think of money–future returns, growth rate, interest rate, return on investment. But I want to discuss a critical investment that is only partially of a monetary kind. Even if the last thing on your mind in our struggling economy is investments, let me assure you that you are already investing–heavily. But do you have a healthy portfolio? Will you get a good return? Are your investments merely a reaction to market pressure, or are they deliberate actions through which you wisely map out the future and take steps to get there?

You may be scratching your head, wondering what I’m talking about, and if you think investments aren’t “your thing”, please don’t tune me out yet. Because I’m talking about investing the resources we have in life itself–especially the health of you and your family. These investments aren’t as measurable as purely financial assets, and returns are difficult, if not impossible, to calculate, but they are just as real. To give you an example of a non-monetary investment we all make, consider the idea of an emotional investment. You’ve probably experienced “setting your heart” on a hope of something particular happening. If it doesn’t come about, you lose the emotional investment. Going out to dinner and a movie, even if it includes popcorn and ice cream, while perhaps as enjable as a day at the park, doesn’t salve the pain if you’ve spent the past month living for a trip to the zoo, imaging the fun things you would see and do. You’re doing something nice, but you’ve lost that emotional investment. And the sense of loss is very real. We each invest all the time, in lots of non-monetary ways. So it’s important to take stock of these investments to make sure we’re investing in the right things.

High Returns

Investments that matter–some even into eternity–include your relationships, self-improvement, and physical health. If I invest all of my time watching sports while ignoring my family, in 10 years I may be an expert armchair quarterback and know all the best plays, but I might be watching those sports alone. If you want a relationship with your kids in 20 years, invest time and money in fun activities now. Even if the kiddos are small and irritating and you wish they’d be big, take a deep breath, and get in there and make some memories. If they are older and driving you bonkers by pushing boundaries and making you long for years gone by when they were cute and compliant, change your attitude and invest positive time and energy in them.

While it’s wise to invest money so you have money in the future, it is even more crucial to invest money so you have health in the future. If you do the former without the latter, most of your financial returns will go to doctors, hospitals, and pharmaceutical companies. One of the most common excuses I hear is that “we know we need better nutrition, but we are on a budget and can’t afford to eat healthy foods or vitamin supplements”. Whatever the current budget issues, it is far cheaper to invest in health on the front end, than to pay for medical care on the back end.

Each year as Steph and I have been on our health-ward journey, our food and supplement budget has increased. We decided to invest in good food, vitamins that we know we need, and alternative health treatments, and in just a few short years, we have yet to fully meet our goals of more energy, better mental focus, and “not getting sick”, we are addressing health concerns now that have been caused by our cavalier attitude towards exercise and nutrition in the past. We spend food money because we want to be healthy 70 year-olds that the grand-kids can’t wait to go hiking with, instead of the 60-somethings they don’t want to visit in the nursing home.

Even so, the net budget increase has not been as great as anticipated, due to other savings. We have fewer blah, sick days and enjoy more focus at work and home. There are fewer doctor visits and medications. Meanwhile, others who have chosen not to invest in health end up using their money for doctor’s visits, pharmaceuticals, and even surgery. We have been witness to deteriorating quality of life among friends and acquaintances. You just can’t enjoy yourself when you feel bad at all times.

Living Under Information Overload

Our present “information age” is a fascinating time to live. We can access just about any information, anywhere, with just a few clicks or a phone call. We can also waste our lives watching silly videos, reading inane topics, or playing mindless online games. So there is good and bad–just like most of life.

I relish doing serious research from the comfort of my home and take it for granted that the itches of my curious mind can be scratched in seconds. More importantly, when a dispute arises about a particular fact, I can, in just a few moments prove that I am right ♥ I love keeping up with people who don’t live near us, reconnecting with people from long ago, perusing pictures, and exchanging letters almost instantly. I just have to be careful that I don’t get sucked in. There are so many distractions available on my computer that I could literally wake up each day, turn on the computer, be there until bedtime constantly doing stuff, and not get a lick of work done. Discipline is required. But that’s a rabbit trail.

One great benefit of this instant information age is that we at Beeyoutiful have access to a lot of health information. We receive health, nutrition, and supplement related updates from a number of sources. We are kept abreast of a lot of new developments, new studies, and new legislation. We are also privy to countless personal stories related to health and nutrition. I’m amazed at the conditions and situations that seem to be the direct result of poor nutrition, many of which could be vastly improved with better nutrition. I’m shocked at mnay doctor’s views on nutrition–which can often be summarized as “it doesn’t matter what you eat.” I spoke with a pediatrician the other day who argued that better nutrition cannot keep you from getting sick. But then he allowed that it might keep a person from getting heart disease. Can you say, “Total disconnect?”

Keep the Change

Some of the folks we hear about truly want to do better. A few can leapfrog to improved health by altering a couple of lifestyle factors. For others, progress is slower, but as they change their health paradigm, overall family health does improve.

Of course, some folks are not really interested in changing at all. They seize every piece of advice that supports what they keep on doing and discount information that advocates change. Unfortunately, many doctors, form their positions of perceived authority, offer the buttressing these people need to remain confident they are doing ok.

People make claims like:

  • “My doctor says that multivitamins are a scam”
  • “My doctor said there is no benefit to eating organic.”
  • “My doctor claims that essential oils are hokum.”
  • “My doctor told me the health food industry is just a bunch of hippies on a trip.”
  • “My doctor said alternative medicine is all a bunch of New Age mysticism.”
  • “My doctor says diet won’t affect my fertility.”
  • “My doctor put me on a low-fat diet.”

Doctors are important. And some of them are huge nutrition advocates with great wisdom to dispense. But many more are misled by the junk science out there. Too many poorly designed studies reach flawed conclusions, and on top of that, most doctors don’t have any significant training in nutrition. Steph and I talked recently with an excellent doctor who drank up everything we told him about nutrition, because it was so new to him and it made complete sense, scientifically. He even asked if he could call us if he ever had questions. We were taken aback, but he explained that in the 14 years of formal training–including two fellowships–he’d been given less than 90 minutes of nutritional education, and that was more than 20 years ago.

This doctor’s situation may seem unfathomable to those of us interested in nutrition, given how aware we are of the link between what we eat and medical conditions. But the truth is, for the most part, doctors treat only symptoms. Their short hand reveals the paradigm: C/o = complains of; CC= Chief Complaint. Complain to a physician about an itchy spot on your arm, and you’ll likely get a prescription cream, along with a comment like, “Hopefully that’ll make it go away.” No thought is give to an underlying cause, like: Why did it pop up in the first place? Not to wonder would be like having nails regularly popping out of the floor and walls in your house. You wouldn’t think “Who cares…just hammer them back in. Individual nails popping up is not much of a concern and is easily remedied.” That misses the real problem of course. They aren’t supposed to be popping up in the first place! And the same is true of our bodies. There are some things that they the average doctor is very, very good at, but the whole health and nutrition just doesn’t seem to be among them.

Among the information coming to us are quite a number of stories of infertility issues. Some of these have been overcome by good nutrition. Some required more aggressive therapies. I’ll relate part of one story that I think serves as a good example for some fo the things I have been talking about. There was a young woman struggling with infertility. Many people offered her information about the connection between diet and fertility and especially recommended removing certain things from her diet. But she repeatedly countered with either, how certain suggestions just wouldn’t work for her (without trying) or that her doctor said that this or that in her diet would not affect fertility. She wept and mourned and asked God why she could not get pregnant, and lamented to her friends. Thankfully, circumstances eventually required that she get a new doctor who told her to clean up her diet, and go her some more aggressive therapies. Within a short time, she was pregnant and birthed a healthy baby.

Let’s examine the woman’s story as an investment scenario. She first invested her time, ernergy and money in junky foods. The return on the investment was the satisfaction of eating those items along with the heartbreak of infertility. We reap what we sow–can’t blame God for that. But changes in her investment paradigm resulted in different returns. Yes, there was sacrifcie. Yes, there was expense. But there was also immeasurable joy when a new baby entered the world.

We have also been witness to a number of stories of children being born with birth defects. These are heartbreaking, but the most tragic are the cases of spina bifida. Beautiful children, but not formed properly, sometimes suffering greatly. Just makes you want to cry. It is a well-established fact that spina bifida is completely preventable with folic acid. That’s why it is in all prenatals. The problem is that it is needed in the first 10-12 weeks of the pregnancy. After that the damage is done. Most people don’t know they are pregnant until weeks 4-6 into the pregnancy. Coupled with that is another problem — morning sickness. It may be difficult to get enough good nutrition, or vitamin supplements during those first crucial weeks. And it is important that the father also have folic acid in his diet before conception. For those reasons and because folic acid is stored in the body, most multivitamins contain the minimum daily amount though to prevent spina bifida, and we recommend that anybody that is of child bearing age take 400mg of folic acid per day. This is a small investment that can pay huge dividends.

Obviously, we all make mistakes and none of us can claim to always do what is best for ourselves or our families. But we need to be committed to doing the best we can. There seems to be some kind of a collective, if not individual, arrogance concerning health-care in the western world. Medicine can fix it. Maybe it is the success of antibiotics that has spawned this. It is a misplaced, and unfounded belief. Medicine can treat a lot of things. Rarely can medicine actually restore health. We talk with a lot of people who seem to think that they aren’t like other people, that their bodies and minds don’t have the same needs. They may even allow that good nutrition is important, but then boast about how much junk food they can eat and how they are still thin or fit or don’t get sick. It’s like they have a notion of invulnerability. But that sort of sloppy investment will catch up with them in time. True, we are all unique, with individual needs, but there is nothing new under the sun. Don’t fool yourself: Nutrition matters.

You Can Do Better

There seems to be a mindset developed by watching parents or grandparents and the progression of their lives. We develop a notion of what to expect from watching them. Perhaps they didn’t pay particular attention to nutrition, supplementation, or exercise and hey, they didn’t have X health problem until they were Y years old. But I say to you: Abandon that line of thinking. Modern health trends are not good. Issues that used to wait are not hitting more and more people at younger and younger ages: Cancer, obesity, thyroid, IBS, leaky gut, autoimmune, skeletal problems, gall stones, kidney stones, infertility, hernias, hypoglycemia, diabetes, behavioral disorders, food sensitivities, and even death.

Our dentist once told me about dental care: “Only floss the teeth you want to keep.” The same principle applies to health in general. Invest well. Should you invest in a daily multivitamin? Probably. Aren’t they are waste of money because some of it is just passing through? Some are a total waste of money. Some are really, really good, but priced like gold. You can, though, get a reasonably priced, high quality one. We carry a few that we think fall into this category. And when you do get one, use it! That takes discipline, perhaps even planning. But if you invest in nutrients essential to health, and immune-building supplements, they will likely keep you from getting sick and keep you from walking into the germ factory at the doctor’s office if you do get sick. You can also learn how to treat at home–hot to make garlic poultices, for instance, or how to use charcoal and which essential oils to use. Learn to culture foods and use digestive enzymes. Even if all you can muster is a few baby steps, pledge to yourself to invest in your future.

Whole Life Policies

Invest in relationships. Invest in health. Invest in bettering yourself (read some good books!). It will not take long for you to start reaping the returns in a well-balance, productive life. In the long run, you will be ahead financially.

As I wrap this up, I want to speak just to men. (Since most of the people reading this are not men, it probably means that you, ladies, will have to read this to them.) Men need to realize the seriousness of this stuff and to be the CEO of the family investment group. We always talk about “taking care of it” later, but today is the day. Start these good investments. And then stick with them. It’s easy to run off to work and let somebody at home hold the line there with healthy food and discipline, while you cheat on the family diet at work and run home too tired to invest in the family. We’ve all done it. I know I have. Once we were intent on withholding High Fructose Corn Syrup from my daughter, and Steph was avoiding it, too. But I had to have my soda. And Noelle would inevitably ask for some. It felt wrong to tell her she couldn’t have it while I sat there sipping it down. But it also felt wrong to give it to her. So I began to indulge my habit only while I was out of the house.

The sweets in the back of the pantry that were just for mommy and daddy were also an insidious habit. Finally, I thought, “If it is bad for my daugther, isn’t it bad for me also?” I finally gave up on the excuse that “I’m an adult, and I know what I am doing. It doesn’t make me behave badly, and it might be unhealthy but not in a measurable way. Besides, I exercise to that minimizes the issues, and blah, blah.” In the end, I realized the best way to protect my daughter was to protect the entire family. So: no HFCS. None in the house. None at out-to-eats. And guess what. I’m better for it, and so is she. Guys, envision your future, and then invest in a way consistent with the future you want.

Changing over to a healthy investment strategy is much easier when the people around are all on the same page, singing the same song. Even if it means progress is slower, more of it sticks with you.

Making the effort doesn’t have to be a divisive issue, either. That will cause stress, which is bad for health. Study, learn, cajole, read to those around you, drop amazing or shocking tidbits of information–not opinion, but facts. Get on Beeyoutiful’s forums, or call us if you need ideas on how to get your family engaged. Sometimes a good documentary helps capture interest. It can speak volumes in a short time. But do it together. Sacrificial investments now will pay huge dividends later!

So how much do you have invested? Me? Not much. Nut much money, that is.


Posted in Health, Spring 2012 Catalog, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Put A Damper on Bedwetting

Wednesday, November 9th, 2011

Nancy Webster
I’m so glad we’ve never lived in a place where laundry lines are visible or prohibited, because for 21 years, ours were crowded with more sheets and blankets than clothes. All eight of our children were bedwetters. One child wet the bed until age fourteen, and the youngest age a Webster child got dry was six. I remember being shocked to learn that most children get dry at night about the same time they get dry in the daytime.

Bedwetting is not a problem “big boys” and “big girls” want their moms to discuss with other mothers. And back then, there wasn’t the internet to tell me that more than five million school-age children wet the bed at night—or why it happens.

Conventional Non-Wisdom

Oh, there were the reasons for my children’s wetting I heard from my mother. She said to withhold liquids two hours before bedtime and to make them wash and hang out their wet sheets and PJs by themselves, “because they’re just too lazy to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night.” Desperate, I admit, we even tried that.

We also tried “lifting” them, which means before we went to bed, we prodded and mostly carried them to the potty, and then tried to get them to wake up enough to pee, thinking that would get their bladders empty enough to make it through the rest of the night. It rarely worked, and basically, we were just reinforcing the problem, because they weren’t really awake when they peed.

When one of our boys wanted to go on a Cub Scout campout, we even resorted to a nasal hormone spray from the pediatrician—but it didn’t work, poor kid. We also tried avoiding spicy foods and citrus fruits, two of the categories some said were culprits in creating the problem.

The approach that helped the most was an alarm system combined with behavior modification. The company which rented us this $1,000 set-up explained their theory that bedwetting, or nocturnal enuresis, is caused by a person sleeping too deeply. When the very, very loud alarm went off, my husband and I would wake up while our sleeping child (then nine years old) snoozed on. We’d rush into the room, flip on the lights, jiggle and call to and even soak with a wet, cold rag the face of our child until he woke enough to get out of bed to turn off the alarm himself. Then, before he could go to the toilet to finish urinating (the alarm usually stopped his flow), he had to turn on the bathroom light and splash cold water on his face until he was awake.

After using the bathroom while fully awake, he had to return to the bright room, change the sheets (we double-sheeted with a plastic shower curtain liner between sets), and reset his alarm before turning off the light and getting back in bed. He also had to keep a chart of how each night went, and this was mailed to a “counselor,” who encouraged him with praise letters.

In the daytimes, he was to practice the nighttime routine so it became automatic at night (but when semi-asleep, he screamed and fought us for weeks before the automatic happened). He was also to practice bladder-stretching exercises in the daytime by drinking as much water as he could and holding his pee for something like ten minutes after he thought he couldn’t make it any longer. I offer these tips, because they can be used with any bedwetting alarm system, and might be needed before you conquer the big WHY of bedwetting.

Non-Conventional Wisdom

Our child who took the longest to get dry at night also suffered from polyuria (excessive urination) during the daytime. Sometimes he had to pee every 15 minutes. The pediatric urologist had no clue why this happened.

Then, Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride, creator of the Gut and Psychology Syndrome Diet, taught me the why I’d sought for so long. She contends that enuresis and polyuria are the result of abnormal gut flora. These flora produce a variety of toxins, many of which are excreted via the urine. Toxic urine irritates and inflames the lining of the bladder and urethra, making the bladder unable to hold much.

This problem sometimes results in chronic urinary tract infections and cystitis (bladder infections) if the gut dysbiosis is not addressed. Antibiotics to treat the infections only exacerbate the problem in the long run, even if they ease symptoms for a while, because the antibiotics destroy good bacteria in the digestive system.

For the sleeping child (or even teen or adult), the irritated bladder may empty without waking the person, because the bladder was never full and so never produced the sensation of needing to urinate. If a gut healing program like the GAPS Diet (see “Addressing the GAPS in Your Health” in this catalog) is instigated, bedwetting will likely worsen (or start) in the first stages as die-off of bad bacteria increases toxin levels in the body, making the urine even more problematic for the already irritated bladder. This is why it is important to control die-off using a slow build-up of probiotics and various foods as they are reintroduced on the GAPS Introduction Diet. The GAPS diet can ultimately bring complete relief from enuresis, polyuria, and chronic urinary tract infections.

Meanwhile, Dr. McBride recommends the use of alarms, drinking a comfortable amount of water, and temporarily avoiding foods high in salicylates and oxalates, which won’t be hard when following the GAPS Intro Diet. She also says to take cranberry supplements to reduce inflammation in the bladder.

This is where Beeyoutiful’s easy-to-swallow Cranberry Power Cleanse vegcaps come to the rescue. They’re a combination of cranberry extract with uva ursi. The cranberries contain powerful compounds called proanthocyanidins, which discourage harmful bacteria from clinging to the lining of the urinary tract. The herb uva ursi has long been used for its healing power over urinary tract infections, cystitis, and even kidney stones.

This is a much more efficient, healthy and taste-less way to ingest cranberry benefits. Most cranberry juice is sweetened and watered down—i.e., made less effective—yet pure cranberry juice is nearly undrinkable for most people. For kids who can’t yet swallow pills (I was fourteen before I learned!), the caps offer the added benefit that they can be crushed and mixed with food.

When I volunteered our twins for a sleep study research project, I learned from the administrator that sleep patterns tend to shift as adolescence begins. The result is that a sleeping child usually is better able to notice the sensation of needing to urinate and becomes able to rouse herself to make it to the bathroom. This is why most (but not all) children eventually “grow out” of bedwetting. They do not, however, grow out of other gut-caused health issues, which will eventually worsen if not addressed. So I encourage you to see bedwetting as an early sign that your family can benefit from following the GAPS Diet.

Meanwhile, see the sidebar for homemade laundry soap recipes to save you money on all that extra laundry.

[Sidebar]

HOMEMADE LAUNDRY SOAP

Liquid Version

1/3 bar soap*, grated

½ c. washing soda**

½ c. Borax powder

15 drops essential oil (optional)***

In saucepan, melt grated soap with 6 c. water. Add washing soda and Borax, stirring until dissolved. Remove from heat. Pour 4 cups hot water into 2 gallon bucket. Add soap mixture and stir. Add 1 gallon plus 6 c. water and stir. Let mixture sit 24 hours to gel. Will be lumpy/gooey. Stir briefly before using. Use ½ c. per full load of laundry. Can also transfer to empty liquid laundry soap containers for storage.

Powdered Version

2 c. finely grated bar soap*

1 c. washing soda**

1 c. Borax

Mix well. Store in airtight container. Use 2 T per full load. If desired, add a few drops essential oil*** to wash water.

_________________________________

*Suggested soaps: Fels-Naptha, Octagon, Ivory, Sunlight, Kirk’s Hardwater Castile, Zote, or homemade lye soap. Don’t use heavily perfumed soaps.

**Washing soda is not the same as baking soda. You will find it and Borax in the laundry aisle.

***Suggested scents: lavender, rosemary, orange. Tea tree or eucalyptus will kill dust mites.

Nancy Webster is one of Beeyoutiful’s regular researchers and writers, a homeschool mother of eight, and leader of the Southern Middle Tennessee chapter of the Weston A. Price Foundation. She is the moderator of Beeyoutiful’s health forum, www.MerryHeartMedicine.com, where you can ask questions and learn from others about this topic and many more. Nancy lives with her family on their “partially working” farm in Tennessee.


Posted in Catalogs, Fall-Winter 2011-2012, Health | No Comments »

Steph’s Letter Fall/Winter 2011-2012

Wednesday, November 9th, 2011

Hello Friends!

I’m so thankful to be able to sit down and write this long overdue letter for this long overdue catalog. It started as a Spring catalog, then a Spring/Summer, and now it is officially our Fall/Winter edition. Seems like I often talk about how busy things have been over the past season or what new and exciting things are happening in our lives and in Beeyoutiful. This “season” of our lives is no different and even BUSIER than any other time I can remember.

This past January, some close friends gathered with us to celebrate the New Year. As the last minutes of 2010 ticked away, we took turns sharing the desires of our hearts for the coming year and the various things we were going to ask God to do in our lives. When it was Steve’s turn, he shared that he was asking God for a child this year. Those of you who read my blog know about the struggles Steve and I have had with multiple miscarriages and a couple of adoption opportunities that didn’t pan out. Little did we know the answer to Steve’s prayer would happen so soon!

In February, we were surprised to learn that we had another little one on the way—in me! Because my thyroiditis doesn’t make for good gestation, we researched and adjusted our supplementation, lifestyle, and diet to do all we could do to give this baby a chance at life. We also prayed a lot and were elated when we made it through the first trimester, the point at which we’ve experienced all of our past problems.

Steve and I treated ourselves to a sonogram for our sixth wedding anniversary in May and found out we’re expecting a baby boy. We’re still rejoicing and counting the days (the approximate days, anyway) until his arrival sometime around the end of October. This little guy’s timing has been pretty remarkable, and his official due date is his Daddy’s birthday. Wouldn’t that be cool! Whether he shows up on his due date or not, though, just the idea he’s targeting Steve’s birthday seems like another remarkable affirmation of that wonderful New Year’s Eve prayer.

Big-sister-to-be Noelle is beside herself with joy that we will be adding another child to our family. She’s going to be one of the most amazing (if perhaps a little bossy) older sisters ever. I’m really grateful for her kindness, care, and sensitivity to children younger than she. Her brother is going to be a very fortunate li’l guy to have Noelle to show him some of the basics of life.

In the midst of our baby news, we got an offer on our house, which has been listed for sale off and on for more than two years. We’re still waiting to see if the deal will actually go through, so our personal lives wait for the financing wheels to turn and the fate of our house and a potential move to be determined.

Meanwhile, we actually did move Beeyoutiful! Thanks to our new quarters, almost all of our staff work in the same building together. Office staff, customer service reps, the shipping department, and the Beeyoutiful storefront are all in one place on the Centerville, Tennessee town square. So if you’re ever passing through middle Tennessee, give us a call or e-mail, and come visit the store!

In addition to the big business move to Town Square, we took a particularly interesting business trip. I mentioned in our last newsletter that Beeyoutiful premiered its first exhibit booth at a Weston A. Price Foundation conference in Pennsylvania. Following that, we made a second appearance at the Health Freedom Expo in Schaumburg, Illinois. It was really great to meet some of our customers face to face in the exhibit halls and also get acquainted with other people interested in nutrition and a natural lifestyle. We hope to do more conferences in the coming year if we can squeeze them in between “big life” events like baby’s arrival and moving.

As I confessed at the beginning of this letter—and as many of you no doubt noticed all on your own—this edition of the Beeyoutiful catalog is late. Very late. Part of it is due to overly busy life, but part is due to our attempt to adjust the production schedule and adjust the management of it all. As I write this, I’m weeks behind the deadline for my letter submission, which has caused our harried catalog project manager no small amount of stress. So a big, public thank-you to her and everybody else who works so hard to get these out the door for everyone to enjoy! Especially because our whole publishing crew has to work over, under, and around such a distracted individual as I have been lately, the thank-you is even bigger and heartier than usual.

An aspect of the new and improved plan for publications is something I think most of you are going to like a lot. Our goal is to provide more educational content and less “catalog” data on products. Right now, we walk a tightrope on space, attempting to preserve sufficient room to list all of our products in an orderly fashion while keeping enough space available to provide the educational articles and resources you love. The end result is our “cata-zine.” With the new priority on educational and helpful content and the adjustment of the production system, we hope to give you a more enjoyable reading experience. We also plan to put together an additional piece that will be purely a catalog with products, descriptions, and pictures updated about once a year. Those of you without internet access or who still prefer to browse products in a hold-it-in-your-hand-full-color-glory printed form will have that available in addition to the twice yearly Beeyoutiful Living magazine.

A recent conversation reminded me of one of my jobs years ago as a customer service agent for a large cell phone company. In an instant, I had flashbacks of what it was like to try to provide service to one of the most frustrated, miserable, verbally abusive, and all-around difficult group of consumers imaginable. The memory made me cringe, and I was flooded with gratefulness for the wonderful people we’ve been blessed with in our Beeyoutiful customers.

You all have made it such a joy to for us to share our journey and experiences as we learn more about tools to live a healthier life and strive to share them with you in the form of educational resources as well as the products themselves. From the bottom of our hearts: Thank You! We truly value the relationships and friendships we’ve made through the years, and it is a special delight to know so many who have experienced healing from chronic health conditions and others who have successfully baby-stepped their way into healthier eating habits and fuller, more satisfied lives. May you continue learning to better care for your family’s health as you enjoy the offerings in this edition of Beeyoutiful Living.

Grace and Peace,

Steph Tallent

steph@beeyoutiful.com


Posted in Catalogs, Fall-Winter 2011-2012, Letters from Steve and Steph | No Comments »

When Your Family Gets Sick

Wednesday, November 9th, 2011

Jill Krantz

Kids get sick. So do husbands. And (gasp!) even Mommy can wind up with the crud after wearing down as caregiver.

In an ideal family of robust health, of course, people rarely get sick, and when they do it’s  short-lived. Unfortunately, I don’t live in that family, and I’d guess you don’t, either. That’s why real moms in the real trenches of raising real children need to know what to do when viruses and infections invade the home. Combatting the invasion requires both prevention and treatment.

A Pound of Prevention

Probably the most important component in keeping sickness at bay is a healthful, clean diet. Nutritious food prepared and served with love and care go a long way in family wellness. Include a variety of fruits and vegetables (organic if you can!), naturally-raised animal proteins, eggs and dairy products, varied whole grains in proper balance, healthy fats, pure and natural sweeteners, and lots and lots of filtered water.

Other health-promoting practices in our family are exercise, rest, sunshine, and a happy, safe environment. Family harmony, lots of laughter, and parents who love each other and their children all contribute to low stress and peace.

What about supplements? There are many that can play a helpful and vital role in family health. Our immune systems are always under attack from external and internal factors. Environment, pollutants, stress, and diet all affect our health and immune function, and most of us need a boost to offset factors out of our control.

A good multi-vitamin is a great starting point. Look to Beeyoutiful’s “Supers”:

• SuperMom—for the “one who can’t afford to get sick”—provides vital nutrients and gives great energy.

• SuperDad to help the crucial man keep up his work and care for the family.

• SuperKids to keep the ones healthy who otherwise are usually the first to “go down.”

We’ve all heard about probiotics, but what are they, and why do we need them? Probiotics are beneficial bacteria our bodies need. The lower gastro-intestinal tract is full of these good bacteria to help our bodies fight off unwanted viruses, pathogens, bacteria, and infections. But the external factors—stress, poor diet, antibiotic treatments, et al—take a toll on good bacteria, and it needs to be replaced. Tummy Tune Up and Ultimate Defense are Beeyoutiful products that carry billions of strong bacteria to restore the needed balance.

Remember when we were kids, running around in the fresh air and sunshine all day? I sure do! But both adults and children these days seem to have a much more “indoor lifestyle” of school, work, and other activities—which means we all get less of the sun’s beneficial rays that are converted to Vitamin D in our bodies. When we do go out, we’re encouraged to slather on potent sunscreens, which can do more harm than good. Yet, research shows that Vitamin D3 is a crucial factor in immune function. Beeyoutiful carries both a soft-gel and liquid form of this important vitamin, making up for the natural D we should be getting from the sun.

A Few Ounces of Cure

Those are the things to do to stay healthy. But, of course, we do get sick at our house. With six children, it’s just bound to happen.

Until this summer, none of us had been to a doctor to treat an illness in eight years (not that we’re opposed to medical doctors, it’s just that we had not been sick enough to warrant a trip to the clinic). But all eight of us got horribly ill from a food-borne pathogen and endured a full seven days of misery.

Colds and upper-respiratory viruses get specific remedies around here. Even before symptoms start, when we know we’ve been exposed to something, out comes the Berry Well. Elderberry is a great immune-booster, and the bonus is that the kids love the taste! We also dose with garlic (Beeyoutiful’s Odorless, thank you!) and extra Vitamin C (love Rosehip C!) if we know we’ve been exposed to something nasty. If we know an illness is bacterial, we take Ultra Immune, which is full of infection-fighting ingredients like garlic, elderberry, and olive leaf extract.

When symptoms start, Vitamin C and garlic continue to help. I also make sure my children drink plenty of cool water and hot liquids, especially if they have sore throats. I limit fruit juices, preferring to stick with plain old water and herbal teas. We try to follow a “clean” diet during illness by limiting sugar and dairy, which can create extra mucus in the system. For the not-faint-of-heart, cayenne pepper taken in capsules can really clear out head and chest congestion.

When they’re sick, my children often ask, “Mom, can I have a healing bath?” which is what they call a homemade remedy of bath salts and essential oils. One winter, I worked out a recipe and made a big batch to keep on hand. Then I ended up putting some in glass jars and giving them as hostess and Christmas gifts. I call it “Long Winter’s Bath,.” It’s a simple combination of:

• 2 cups of Epsom salts

• ¼ cup of sea salt

• 2 tablespoons baking soda

• 1 teaspoon olive or sweet almond oil

• 5-10 drops each of peppermint, eucalyptus, and lavender oils.

Mix it up in a big bowl, breaking up any clumps (plastic gloves are helpful—then you can use your hands and rub the oils through the mixture), put it in glass jars, and add ½ to 1 cup per bath. It’s wonderfully soothing, smells great, and encourages my children that special love and care has been taken to shoo away the crud.

We’re also excited about the essential oils Beeyoutiful has added to their product line. And thankfully, Beeyoutiful makes its own excellent Eucalyptus Bath Salts, so the prep work is done for us!

Winter Breeze goes on the chests and necks of coughers and sore throat sufferers around here. In addition to the healing ingredients, the loving rubs from mom or dad can really help “make it all better.” It always reminds me of when I was a little girl and my mom did the same for me, albeit with a product nowhere near as natural and beneficial as Winter Breeze.

I’m a big fan of hot drinks, as mentioned before, and two of our family favorites are simple to make at home. Hot Lemonade is what we call hot water, plenty of fresh squeezed lemon juice, and a generous spoonful of raw honey. Sip as much as you like, and enjoy the deeply good feeling! Hot Ginger-Cinnamon is our other drink—a pan of water simmering on the stove with a few whole cinnamon sticks and some chunks of fresh, peeled ginger. We keep it going all day, adding more water, ginger, or cinnamon as needed.

NO ONE likes tummy troubles. When my children complain of a belly ache, or worse yet, actually throw up, I’d like to head for the hills. But Mom has to care for the poor tots, so I hold my breath, clean things up, and get busy treating. Ideally, letting a gastro-intestinal illness run its course is the best plan, but treatment is often needed, and prevention can reduce the pass-around misery—especially in a big family!

If I have any inkling that we’ve been exposed to a stomach virus, or if one child is ill, we all immediately start taking Berry Well and Tummy Tune Up. I break open the TTU capsules and sprinkle it on a chunk of banana, or just stir it into the spoonful of Berry Well. Then it’s down the hatch for the youngest set. Take it a few times per day as prevention, or as often as every two hours when symptoms are present.

We all go on a militant hand-washing campaign, and sick ones go on the “BRAT” diet when the appetite returns: bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast. Sipping liquids, usually water or herbal tea, is all that’s allowed in the beverage department. A natural ginger brew can settle tummies and taste like a bit of a treat.

Peppermint oil is my tummy friend. I’ve used it in water (just a drop or two) many times for stomach complaints such as nausea, indigestion, or even just an unsettled feeling. Children may readily sip on peppermint water as well. Recently, my seven year-old daughter became nauseated after twirling on the neighbor’s swing for way too long. I immediately took two drops of peppermint oil with a drop of olive oil and rubbed it into the palm of one hand. I set her in a chair, told her to keep her hand about six inches from her face, close her eyes, and breathe through her nose normally. In a few minutes, she perked up and was asking for a snack. Try it on a family member that suffers from car-sickness, too!

Fevers can be treated naturally, using peppermint oil, either in a tepid bath or applied topically to the forehead and back of the neck. Lemon balm tea has been helpful in our house for fever and headaches. Besides that, rest, rest, rest, and water, water, water are the most vital fever aids in a mother’s care kit. Most of the time, though, we do not treat fevers under 103 but let them do their work of fighting viruses and bacteria in the body. However, this is one mother that will tell you when a fever interferes with a child’s sleep, or too many nights of mom’s and dad’s sleep, it may be time to use an over-the-counter fever reducer medicine. I only give it in half-doses, and only when we all really need the relief. Sometimes a feverish child simply needs to rest, and if bringing the temperature down will allow good sleep, I certainly do not feel wrong in treating that way. To know when, trust the mommy-wisdom that God gives us!

Stocking your “medicine chest” with supplements and essential oils from Beeyoutiful will likely be all your home needs to survive and thrive through the common illnesses of family life. In combination with healthy eating and lifestyle, you can shift your thinking from when your family gets sick to if.


Posted in Cleansing, Fall-Winter 2011-2012, Health, Immune System | No Comments »

Addressing the GAPS in Your Health

Sunday, November 6th, 2011

Part 2

Nancy Webster

Part 1 of this article (Winter 2011) explained the reality that health problems are not necessarily genetic but can be related to diet and particularly to digestive health. Our “second brain,” the gut determines much of our mental, emotional, and physical health. The Gut and Psychology Syndrome (GAPS) Diet restores a dysfunctional gut and allows people to enjoy a wider range of foods.

Sometimes I envy people who don’t like to cook. They open a can, zap a box, or bring home fast food. Meal prep is fast, and their kitchens stay clean. But often, especially as those people age, a hefty collection of medicines occupies the bathroom cabinet.

The kitchen at my house is rarely caught up. Over-sized stock pots of bones simmer on the stove. Gallon jars of fermenting kombucha, and water and dairy kefirs line the counter. Homemade butter and lacto-fermented sauerkraut keep the food processor whirring—and constantly in need of cleaning. What’s more, for truly healthy eating, there’s no such thing as grabbing fast food, which means always thinking ahead to the next meal, especially if we have to be away from home during meal time.

In her Nourishing Traditions cookbook, Sally Fallon says if you can’t take the time and trouble to cook nutrient-dense, properly prepared foods for your family, you should drop other activities so you can. That sounds harsh, but it is truly the best gift you can give your loved ones, particularly if they have health issues the GAPS Diet can help.

Filling in the GAPS

Friends regularly ask me about various health problems, because they know how much I like to research alternative treatments. My family now jokes that my standard answer has become: “Do the GAPS Diet!” When they hear my suggestion, some folks object that they don’t have any digestive issues, so gut-healing is irrelevant. That’s a misconception, however. Because it is so beneficial to health in general, GAPS does help!

Another major objection I hear is from those who don’t want to give up grains and potatoes. They get side-tracked by just going gluten-free, which is something of a fad these days. Although gluten is often the culprit that starts leaky gut problems, it is not the only source of the problem.

Gluten-free crackers, cookies, mixes, and such simply replace gluten flours with other starchy grains like brown rice. Those starches continue to feed the out-of-control bad bacteria responsible for a leaky gut. Plus, other grains are rarely prepared properly to deliver the benefits they can offer. Most should be soaked and/or fermented. Without that step, they still contain phytates and other digestive inhibitors which keep the body from assimilating vitamins and minerals in food and supplements.

Even celiac patients will benefit from the GAPS Diet, and they may find that eventually they will be able to tolerate some gluten-containing grains.

Supplementing the GAPS

Although the GAPS diet brings a lot of healing on its own, it is greatly enhanced by the use of a few supplements. I’ve explained below (in order of importance) the four most crucial ones.

1) A quality probiotic to boost the population of good bacteria in the intestines. Probiotics are good strains of bacteria. Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride, creator of the GAPS Diet, offers an excellent probiotic which does not contain any starches, although many find the cost of her product beyond their budget.

Using a cheap-o version from the drugstore, however, is not the answer. You’ll likely be wasting even the lesser amount of money you do spend. Bargain varieties often contain dead bacteria because of improper, less expensive processing methods and shelf storage.

Fortunately, Beeyoutiful’s Tummy Tune-Up represents a happy medium. It contains eight viable strains of the most vital bacteria, and remembering to take it is easy because it doesn’t require refrigeration. That means you can leave it in plain sight. While Tummy Tune Up contains a miniscule amount of starches, it is an excellent, budget-friendly alternative. (By contrast, Beeyoutiful’s Ultimate Defense is not a good companion to a strict GAPS diet because it contains fermented grains.)

2) Cod liver oil. Although everyone should be taking this supplement regularly, it is especially important for those on the GAPS Diet. Fermented cod liver oil from Green Pastures is the very best available, but it, too, is costly.

As a fine alternative at a much lower price, I highly recommend Beeyoutiful’s cod liver oil gelcaps. They’re not fermented, but the oil is processed without the high heat or chemicals often used to produce drugstore brands.

3) Essential fatty acids, while needful for everyone, are vital for GAPS patients, especially if autism spectrum issues are involved. Beeyoutiful’s Omega Balance 3-6-9 is a cost effective blend of borage, flax, and fish oils that wonderfully fill this need.

4) Digestive enzymes. Because the GAPS Diet focuses on treating the digestive tract so as to heal the body of other ills, digestive enzymes should be taken at the start of every meal, especially when meats and fats are included. Beeyoutiful’s Digestive Enzymes are a good choice.

Two Steps to Cross the GAPS

An effective GAPS Diet is implemented in two stages: The Introduction, which has six distinct but relatively brief phases, and the Full Diet, which usually is best followed carefully for at least two years before slowly moving back into the entire spectrum of healthy foods, including some grains and starchy vegetables.

Many people find a good way to help their families switch gears from SAD (Standard American Diet) to GAPS is to jump into step two, the Full GAPS Diet, for awhile first. This is what our family did. Even at this level, I immediately started losing weight and feeling spunkier and more “with it,” largely due to the elimination of grains.

However, after we “practiced” with the Full Diet for almost six months, we then moved our family’s “critical care patients” into the GAPS Intro Diet. That’s when we started to see calmer behaviors and improvements in attention span.

These steps and the foods permitted for each are outlined in detail in the book Gut and Psychology Syndrome (available at www.gapsdiet.com). A cookbook and a quick guide to the diet are also available at the GAPS website. In addition, you’ll find a helpful yahoo support group, plus testimonials.

There are some common mistakes GAPS dieters make that can negatively affect the outcome of this healing protocol. These include overdoing no-grain flours (like nut or coconut), not eating bone broth every day (see recipe in Winter 2011 catalog), and giving up too soon. Our family plans to do GAPS again, because we made some of these mistakes and saw the negative results particularly in family members who most needed the help. In addition, we re-introduced dairy products too quickly, another common deterrent to steady healing.

I encourage you to try GAPS now if there are any health issues in your family. Some of my older children need this diet, but I did not know about it yet when they were still living at home, eating our food. Unless an older teen or young adult is very convinced of the benefits, he or she will find it difficult to pass up pizza and chips with friends. If you can do GAPS while your children are young, their little bodies will heal much faster than older bodies with accumulated damage from a leaky gut—and you can have total control over their diet.

Worth the Effort

Those who have tried this eating lifestyle in earnest testify to its benefits. A once skeptical, fifteen-year-old friend with severe eczema is now so excited about her rash-free skin and weight loss from GAPS that she’s using babysitting money to buy her own probiotics!

Another friend’s six-year-old, fidgety, impulsive daughter with a blinking tic calmed down and focused better within five days of starting GAPS, while her father reported that his foggy-headedness decreased and his physical endurance increased within the same period.

A homeschooling friend in Chicago watched her violent twelve-year-old son with Asperger’s become a thoughtful student and advance from second grade level work to sixth grade within a year of starting GAPS. Testimonies like this abound.

The GAPS diet is highly recommended by The Weston A. Price Foundation. WAPF recognizes that many modern people have compromised digestive systems due to bad diet, antibiotics, chemicals, and more. Once the diet has had time to improve the body’s inner workings, using WAPF guidelines for nutrient-dense cooking is likely the best way to add a wider variety of foods to your menu.

One thing GAPS will not do, however, is shorten your cooking and cleaning time in the kitchen. In truth, the effect may well be the opposite. But it will help your children focus and control themselves so they are better able to help you—and eventually do much of the kitchen jobs themselves. What you put into your kitchen now may get you out of it later!

Nancy Webster is one of Beeyoutiful’s regular researchers and writers, a homeschool mother of eight, and leader of the Southern Middle Tennessee chapter of the Weston A. Price Foundation. She is the moderator of Beeyoutiful’s health forum, www.MerryHeartMedicine.com, where you can ask questions and learn from others about this topic and many more. Nancy lives with her family on their “partially working” farm in Tennessee.


Posted in Catalogs, Cleansing, Fall-Winter 2011-2012, Health, Intestinal Health | No Comments »

Part Ways With Postpartum Blues

Sunday, November 6th, 2011


Mary Ewing

“Pack an extra change of clothes for baby and yourself.”

“Sleep when your baby sleeps.”

“Have a diaper ready and waiting before you start changing in case

he ends up going again…um, make that three or four ready!”

“Keep a nursing station in several rooms with snacks, water, and reading supplies.

That way you stay nourished, hydrated, and well read.”

These were just a few of the sage tidbits passed along to me before my first baby was born. And while they came in handy, what I did not realize until after the birth was that no one had even come close to preparing me for the realities of what it’s like to have an infant to care for.

I was ready for myriad diapering problems, knew chapter and verse about nearly every possible philosophy on how to get babies to sleep, was up on most spit-up and peed-on stories, but no one had sat me down and shared serious probabilities like:

∙ I would need an entire six weeks to recover after having the baby;

∙ I may have a lot of inflammation, maybe even a tear to heal from;

∙ Nursing may not be the entirely glowing and bonding experience it is touted to be (although it was bonding and often glowing, it was also at times uncomfortable and hard work);

∙ I would need to eat a good deal of nutrition-dense foods so my baby would get enough to satisfy her;

∙ My body would not be the same again for a long time, if ever.

I was not prepared for standing in my hospital room 24 hours after having our first daughter, battling nausea (from blood loss), continuing pain (I tore badly), exhaustion, and being disillusioned that my body looked really bad. On top of all that, I now had an infant who was totally dependent on me for her survival.

I don’t say this to discourage you from having children, because I gladly endure all of this to have my four kids (and hopefully more in the future)! I’m writing this because I wish someone had forewarned me, so I could be a bit more prepared and not so shocked by the “new normal.” Had I known there were things I could do to boost my blood supply immediately and eliminate some of the nausea and exhaustion or that there were simple things to help with some of the pain after labor, I would have definitely had a leg up in starting motherhood.

With what I learned, my subsequent postpartum recoveries have gotten progressively better. So pull up a cup of tea, and let me share with you a few things out of my postpartum experiences that may help you avoid the unnecessary problems I encountered my first time around.

Diet Not Thyself!

For nine months, I relished having a good excuse for my expanding waist line. Once I held my baby, though, I was ready to fit immediately back into my “real” clothes. I remember looking at my middle right after that first birth and literally crying at how terrible my abdomen looked. I was ready to jump on the diet band wagon—and I did. Wrong move.

Even though I was due to be a bridesmaid in three weddings just months after having her, my Emma would have been better off if I hadn’t tried so hard to “get in shape” for the events. She was fussy and not satisfied with nursing so I, like a lot of people, thought my milk was just not very good. I began to supplement immediately. What I have since learned is that when I was dieting—i.e., starving myself—I was also depriving Emma of the rich fats, proteins, and other nutrients needed to help her feel satisfied and full. Therefore, during the postpartum weeks and throughout nursing times, you should not try to lose weight by limiting foods.

By the time we welcomed my third baby into the world, I was so flabby that my midwife could actually put her hand between my abdominal muscles, but by then, I also knew how to manage my diet the right way for baby and me. What you can do after a birth is to eat the same diet I suggest for pregnancy.

The Weston A. Price Foundation (www.westonaprice.org) nursing mother and pregnant mom’s diet provides both you and your baby with a fantastic, balanced array of nutrients to help you both: you to heal and restore and your baby to grow and develop. It also offers the added benefit that, because it disallows all junk foods, you should better achieve your optimum weight. Add to that the calorie-burning properties of nursing, and there is a real possibility you actually will achieve a slim waist (just don’t make that your primary goal).

Many people recommend a postpartum exercise plan to help with slimming down, but please be cautious about over-exercising during nursing. While functional exercise is tremendously beneficial to maintain functionality and movement, I would caution against extreme exercise routines or rigorous training regimens—especially long distance running—because most such approaches burn too much fat. This can deplete your fat reserves which are needed to help your baby. Find a functional routine that encourages moderate cardio exercises and flexibility.

Oh So Tired!

Tiredness comes with the territory when you have a new baby. Your infant needs constant attention, and tending to her is only made more exhausting if you already have other children that need you, too. Despite what everyone says about sleeping when your baby sleeps, you still need to wash clothes, shower, and cook. The blood loss that comes with a birth also contributes to your exhaustion. And while I can’t solve your laundry problem, I can suggest some great supplements for extra energy and help with post-birth anemia.

Beeyoutiful’s Liquid Chlorophyll is terrific for boosting blood cell formation. This will help your body produce what you need to replace what you lost. In addition, it’s a great anti-inflammatory which will help decrease inflammation caused by birth. For my last two children, I’ve started taking Liquid Chlorophyll within minutes of the birth and have not experienced the nausea and vomiting I did with my first two children.

Regardless of which sleeping philosophy you choose for your child, remember this as you are helping your little one adjust to life: your baby has lived in a warm, peaceful place for nine months, always soothed by your heartbeat and your movement. Taking a baby out of that and expecting him or her to self-soothe immediately is an unreal expectation. The first few weeks should be a time of holding and teaching a baby to soothe. Don’t set yourself up to fail by expecting yours to be a perfectly scheduled baby from day one. Soothing skills must be learned, and you are the teacher. So give yourself and your new one some time to recover and to enjoy each other, even if that means a few more days until you attain your perfect schedule.

The Pain that Didn’t Go Away

Once the birth trauma is past, it can be disappointing to find out how much you still hurt. You ache all over and have afterpains—and it tends to get worse with each baby. With my first two children, I used a large amount of narcotics and other pain relievers. But I was super excited to use Beeyoutiful’s Ow!-Ease to reduce soreness with my most recent baby. I rubbed the salve on my abdomen and back to relieve pain. Combined with Bromelain, using it eliminated any need for prescription or over-the-counter pain medications. I was thrilled because this not only prevented my baby from ingesting the drugs but helped me stay more alert and able to care for the baby. (Note: Ow!-Ease is not for use on broken skin. Do not apply it to any cuts or abrasions, and use it with care around the baby. Thoroughly wash your hands of any residue before handling your infant.)

Miracle Skin Salve was my second, equally loved, friend. I wish I had known of Miracle with my first baby. I had such bad lacerations I couldn’t walk without pain for over a month. Thankfully, I haven’t experienced such bad ruptures since, but I have had a lesser one which my midwife still thought may need stitches to heal properly. Wanting to avoid suturing, I applied Miracle Salve liberally to the one-inch tear, and when my midwife did her five-day checkup, she was amazed to find that the tear had almost healed. Although she cautioned me to take it easy, she said I was free to resume normal activities. Not only had Miracle helped heal the tear super-fast, it had completely relieved the pain. Other than the first day, I felt no discomfort at all. Definitely worth having—and spreading—around!

Getting Your Hormones to Behave Again

Emotions are raging, skin is dry, your body is rearranging itself, you’re hot then cold, your world feels like it will never be the same again. Thankfully, time does help, the support of family and friends is invaluable, and there are some great supplements that can relieve a lot of the symptoms—or at least make them tolerable.

Beeyoutiful’s Red Raspberry Leaves has probably been a friend throughout your pregnancy, and it can still be your friend now. It helps tone your uterus and allow it to shrink back into its regular size and place. Raspberry also helps some women increase milk supply. I love the convenience of the capsules, especially since adjusting to life with a new baby can be hectic. Although I love to drink red raspberry tea, it is much simpler to use the capsules and be assured I’m getting an appropriate amount each day.

Evening Primrose Oil is my next favorite. Unfortunately it has taken me four postpartum periods to realize what an asset this simple fatty acid can be for a recovering mom. I had horribly dry skin after having my latest baby. A nutritionist suggested I add Evening Primrose Oil to my regimen. After just 24 hours of consistent use, I saw a marked decrease in skin dryness, and my emotions seemed a lot quieter. My skin regained its turgor and softness within three days of starting EPO. I also realized the hot flashes had stopped, my breasts were no longer tender, and I felt much less soreness. In addition, EPO helps relieve hemorrhoids, and the oil’s fatty acids are tremendously important in relieving postpartum depression.

I’ve outlined below a few other helpers that are important during this time.

  1. Magnesium Citrate. Your body is working hard to keep up with the demands of your newborn baby and her growing body. As a result, the reserves in your own body can get depleted. Magnesium levels in particular are often reduced quickly. One of the biggest symptoms of this is “being snippy.” There are, of course, a load of potential reasons to excuse your snippiness, but wouldn’t it be nice to alleviate the need for them with just a few capsules? Magnesium helps relax muscles, including your baby’s. A baby lacking magnesium is often fussy, so by taking your daily magnesium, you can relax both you and your baby.
  2. Tummy Tuneup and Digestive Enzymes. You may have worked on your digestion prior to and throughout pregnancy, and it isn’t time to stop yet! Anything you take into your body will also help your baby as he adjusts to eating, drinking, and eliminating. These two supplements will help build baby’s digestive tract, as well as help her process anything in your breast milk she may be having a hard time digesting. It also helps you because the last thing you need right now is an upset stomach! I have not only taken the Tummy Tuneup myself, but from Day 1, I give it to my children. For a nursing baby, I sprinkle a small portion on the nipple just prior to nursing. My goal is to get an entire capsule in my wee one each day.
  3. Colic Calm Gripe Water. This one is for the baby! I learned about Gripe Water when my son was small and very colicky. After I spent weeks walking and rocking a screaming child, my mother-in-law found this great bottle of gold. After giving it to him just a few times, we were both in heaven, and I’ve never since been without it while there is an infant in our house. It quickly relieves pain and helps baby rest. I’ve recommended it to many friends who are always quick to sing its praises. Several key ingredients help calm the digestive system, bind with eliminate and the offenders, and relieve pain. It is safe for daily use or can be used for breakthrough problems as well.

Wouldn’t Trade It for the World

Even with the pain, exhaustion, long days and long nights, irritability, depression, unknowns, and emotional moments, I still would not trade a second of mothering for anything. In the midst of all that happens after birth, you won’t get these days back again. The sweet cuddles, the tiny baby melted onto your chest as he sleeps, the smells of a newborn, the tiny clothes, and adorable grunts and coos will only last for a few short weeks before they’re gone forever. Cherish and enjoy each minute. Love on that baby, and take care of yourself. Hopefully with a little help from the friends I’ve introduced you to, you can look back at these times and have only good memories of your recovery!


Posted in Catalogs, Fall-Winter 2011-2012, Health, Prenatal and Postnatal Care | No Comments »

Essential Oil Recipes- Winter 2011 Catalog

Thursday, February 3rd, 2011

Essential Oil Recipes

Essential Oil Help for Cold Sores
Put 1 drop of Geranium Essential Oil on a cotton ball and apply it directly to the sore, if possible as soon as it is suspected. Repeat every day. Also, massage the whole of the body including the face and neck with the following:

Geranium 10 Drops
Lavender 10 Drops
Lemon 8 Drops
Tea Tree 2 Drops
1 Tablespoon Jojoba Oil
1 Tablespoon Almond Oil

Common Cold
Use the following oils in a hot bath. Lie back and inhale deeply:
Tea Tree 2 Drophttps://123.writeboard.com/s82uvicrgynk0hjl/v/news
Eucalyptus 1 Drop
Lemon 3 Drops

Use one drop each of the following in a cup of hot water and gently inhale the steam with eyes closed: Tea Tree, Lavender and Clove

Mix the following oils and massage around the chest, neck, and sinus area (forehead, nose and cheekbones):
Lemon 1 Drop
Eucalyptus 2 Drops
Rosemary 3 Drops
Almond Oil 1 Tablespoon

Baby’s Massage Oil
This massage oil is a blend that is safe to be used on a continual or daily basis.

Chamomile Roman 1 Drop
Lavender 1 Drop
Geranium 1 Drop
2 Tablespoons Sweet Almond Oil

Asthma Massage Formulas

Babies up to Two Years
Lavender 5 Drops
or
Geranium 5 Drops

Two to Seven Years
Lavender 5 Drops
Geranium 3 Drops
Frankincense 3 Drops

All diluted in 2 Tablespoons Jojoba and or Almond Oil


Posted in Essential Oil Recipes, Winter 2011 Catalog | No Comments »

Winter 2011 Letter from Steph

Thursday, February 3rd, 2011

2011 Winter Letter

By Stephanie Walker Tallent

Hello Everybody,

It’s finally official: Winter is in full force here in Tennessee. It may arrive a little later than in Minnesota and Michigan, but temperatures in the teens and single digits are still cold wherever they hit. This is the only time of year I concede to wearing socks around the house. Even so, my feet still become blocks of ice according to my husband, Steve. He’s the resident expert on my foot temperature since he’s the one who finally manages to warm up said blocks of ice when we go to bed (one of the many fine uses for a husband—I really love that man!) It still baffles me how someone as effortlessly skinny as he is and someone as effortlessly chubby as I am can have such opposite body thermostats. I want a refund on my fat—the guaranteed extra insulation factor doesn’t seem to work at all.

If you’re life me, you’ve made it through the holidays with just a few dietary regrets under your belt (okay, maybe more than just a few—a lot?) Although I’ve successfully stuck to the gluten-free diet necessitated by my thyroid problem, I’ve fudged (literally) on the no-sugar-no-sweets-no-caffeine guidelines. I comforted my brief spurts of guilty conscience with “That’s what January and New Years Resolutions are for!” Although I’ve never been one to jump whole hog (so to speak) on the New Year’s weight loss or eat-healthier band wagon, I’m going to give it a try in 2011. It can’t hurt, and sticking to strict food rules in January will certainly be a lot easier without the temptations of holiday get-togethers lurking around every corner.

Speaking of the holidays, ours was wonderful. We decked out a Charlie Brown-esque Christmas tree with miles of popcorn string and paper chains. Although my eyes prefer the aesthetics of white lights, the Doodles was enthralled with the liberal winding of colored lights we employed at Christmas. Family and friends came over to help decorate the tree and play what has become our traditional game of Dutch Blitz. If you’ve never played you should order a deck (some friends of ours sell it online at www.creativecountryliving.com ). Very family-friendly, group-friendly, and people of all ages can play.

Part of the post-holiday challenge for me is how long winter seems to drag on after the December festivities. I get an itch for spring about three weeks into January and emotionally done with all the miserable coldness and drab, dreary days. And nope, not even another cup of hot tea and a snuggle by the fireplace with fix it. This year, though, I have a battle plan. I’m going to combat my spring longings by attempting (yet again) to germinate some seeds indoors for an early spring garden. Also, our front porch is outfitted with hooks for hanging baskets (which I’ve yet to use in four years), and I shall attempt some hanging baskets of herbs. Hopefully my herbs-in-fern-baskets will do better than my poor herb garden of the past couple years. While I admit to some neglect (okay, a lot of neglect), my biggest problem has been the rogue mint plants that seem determined to take over the yard, starting with the herb garden. At least in baskets, the less aggressive herbs will have a fighting chance—and in baskets, the less aggressive herbs will have a fighting chance—and maybe they won’t over-bake like they did last year in my raised beds.

Other than hoping a few bright green seedlings tide me over till spring, I’m continuing to take lots of Vitamin D3. My health has stabilized appreciably since I started steady supplementation of this utterly marvelous vitamin. I can’t sing its praises enough. It’s especially crucial in the heart of winter when exposure to the sun is limited—whether by cloudy skies or heavy clothes that leave little skin to absorb sunlight and convert the rays into Vitamin D.

In Beeyoutiful news: We’re working to get Geranium, Clary Sage, and Ylang Ylang Essential Oils added to our line. We hope to have them available within a few weeks of this catalog arriving at your doorstep. To let you know exactly when, we’ll send e-mail notices to everyone who’s signed up for our monthly newsletter. So if you haven’t already signed up, now would be a good time! It’s the very best way to get all the latest Beeyoutiful news, to find out about sales, and to receive special coupons or offers. (Get your free newsletter subscription at www.Beeyoutiful.com.

I’m SUPER excited about Geranium Essential Oil. This oil is a gift to womankind—and because of the mood-soothing wonders it works, a gift to husbands, too, Steve is quick to add. If you’ve ever struggled with that “time of the month” we love to give Eve credit for—especially with moodiness or an extra sharp tongue—you need this oil! We’ll be posting some recipes on how to use it when we get it on our shelves, so keep a look-out. It’s been such a helpful little tool, Steve assures me that if I can’t convince women of the effectiveness of Geranium, he’d like to talk to you. He’s sure any married man will want this in the family’s arsenal of EWMS (Emergency Wife Management Supplies). We may have to let him write his own “for women only” article about this in the next catalog or newsletter.

Speaking of Steve and his excitement over certain products, we appreciate your overwhelming response to his special diffuser sale before Christmas. Many of you now have diffusers sitting in your homes that you might not have been able to afford otherwise. Look on page 25 through 28 of this catalog for oil blends to try. And, if you haven’t yet, consider getting the Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy on page 12 of this catalog. It’s an incredibly practical resource for anybody who wants to learn more about how to use essential oils. From down to earth cleaning recipes to what blend of oils to use for chicken pox to mixing your own perfume blend, this great book has it all. With more than 600 recipes, I have yet to exhaust the book as a resource after almost two years of using it at least every other week.

A highlight of our 2010 was attending the Weston A. Price Foundation Conference as a vendor. Held in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, the conference was Beeyoutiful’s first time to have an exhibitor table. It was exciting for Steve an dme to meet some of our long-time customers face to face and meet many new customers as well, and it was gratifying to hear stories firsthand of how some of our products have helped people. News like that is a resfreshing reminder of why we do what we do.

We’re planning to attend several more conferences in 2011 and will keep the www.facebook.com/beeyoutiful page updated with dates and locations so if any of you are close enough, you can stop by our exhibit. We would love to meet you!

Three of my favorite ladies in the whole world are the featured writers in this catalog, and I hope you enjoy and learn as much from them as I have. Please pay special attention to Nancy Webster’s contribution on gut health. If you’ve never recognized the connection between what goes on in the digestive tract and every other aspect of your health—including mental health!—her article may offer some of the most life-changing information you’ll discover this year.

I hope you’re staying warm and cozy and that you enjoy reading this issue of Beeyoutiful’s info-catalog.

Grace and Peace,

Steph Tallent

steph@beeyoutiful.com


Posted in Letters from Steve and Steph, Winter 2011 Catalog | No Comments »

Bone Broth Recipe

Thursday, February 3rd, 2011

Bone Broth Recipe

Bone broth is a dietary mainstay for gut health. It provides not only minerals and vitamins, but also soothing collagen to strengthen the gut wall. Try this simple* recipe so you can try some sumptuous broth.

- Cover with water a combination (neck/spine/leg/knuckle) of chicken, beef, lamb, venison, or fish bones. If you have a chicken foot, animal hoof, or deer antler, throw it in, too!

- Add a good splash of apple cider vinegar (organic, raw not required)

Let sit about an hour, so the vinegar can draw calcium from the bones. Then simmer (not boil) on stove or in crock pot for 12 to 72 hours. Lid must be tight-fitting. Strain broth, keeping meat bits for soup. Add to broth any marrow removed from tubular bones, and chill.

When using the broth, include some or all of the fat which rises to the top when cooled. Or use this hardened fat for making soap, candles, or bird food.

A cup of warmed broth doctored with a splash of sea salt, pepper, and perhaps some garlic powder can replace coffee or tea as a morning starter. Add a raw egg yolk (it cooks in the hot broth) for extra nutrition. Use the broth as a soup or stew base in place of water. Or cook rice in it.

Sources for bones: local butcher or hunter friends. Or off the plates of your family (recycling at its finest-the bones are sterilized while cooking).

*See Nourishing Traditions (page 12) for more information and recipes for bone broth.


Posted in Food Recipes, Winter 2011 Catalog | No Comments »

Addressing the GAPS in Your Health

Thursday, February 3rd, 2011

Addressing the GAPS in Your Health

By Nancy Webster

[Dear Beeyoutiful Readers: Of all the subjects I've written about over the years, I'm most passionate about gut health and am especially excited to offer this first of two articles on the subject. Since "the gut" affects virtually everyone, you'll likely recognize yourself or loved ones in the examples in my article. After struggling from effects of unhappy digestive systems, our family has learned there IS HOPE for healing! So pour yourself a warm mug of bone broth (see sidebar on page 44-45) and read on! Blessings, Nancy]

“Diet has nothing to do with this,” the pediatric gastroenterologist told me when I asked how our nine year old son could have a chronically impacted colon after eating freshly ground, whole wheat bread, raw carrots, and apples every day.

“Your son is on the autism spectrum. Give him these drugs and this therapy and hope for the best,” the pediatric neurologist told us about our boy. (Later, we would be told this story for three more of our eight children.)

“Here are some steroid cream samples to try on the bumps on his arms, legs, and buttocks,” the dermatologist said of the same son.

“This prescription-strength antacid will take care of your severe stomach pains,” the adult gastroenterologist told him at eighteen.

A Family Affair

Although your story may have a different twist, you probably do have a story. Your pediatrician may have referred your child to a specialist for ear drainage tubes or a tonsillectomy after regular antibiotic treatment didn’t stop the earaches.

Or maybe your child is seeing an allergist. Or a reading specialist for dyslexia. Or a urologist for chronic urinary tract infections. Or a dermatologist for acne or eczema. Or a psychiatrist for ADHD or more difficult behaviors.

Children with problems like these usually aren’t the only ones in the family with health issues. In our family, I’ve been amount the others. After traditional treatments for childhood problems such as earaches and bad skin while growing up, I’ve had an “ornery” tummy. To handle the problem a few years ago, a doctor gave me Miralax (a popular remedy concocted from propylene glycol, a form of mineral oil found in brake fluid and antifreeze!). I also fought off bouts of depression with the typically prescribed anti-depressants.

Maybe in your family, there are teens or adults with painful or irregular menstruation or migraines. Perhaps a grown-up someone suffers from chronic cystitis, mood swings, anxiety, poor memory, or brain fog. It could be the problem is schizophrenia, bi-polar disorder, anorexia, or bulimia. Or even Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis.

Most families today have some combination of these stories. The bottom-line cause for these ills is dysbiosis, otherwise known as poor gut health.

From Greeks to GAPS

Enamored with its considerable successes, modern medical practice often fails to give appropriate credit to some foundational wisdom of the ages. About 2400 years ago, the Greek scientist Hippocrates observed, “All diseases begin in the gut.” And certain contemporary-mostly “alternative”-health research affirms the ancient sage’s assertion.

Even if your health problems do not cause specific stomach discomfort, they usually began because of the state of your digestive system. Regardless of (and sometimes because of) how many pills, lotions, and potions-or even healthy supplements-you take, if you do not heal your gut, you cannot be as healthy as you were designed to be. It’s funny (and sad) how today’s allopathic medical community seems ignorant of this simple fact.

The centrality of gut health is the premise behind the highly successful gut-healing protocol of Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride, a physician in England and the author of Gut and Psychology Syndrome and soon-to-be-published Gut and Physiology Syndrome. The Gut and Psychology Syndrome (GAPS) Diet, as her program is called, has delivered thousands of patients worldwide from all sorts of physical and mental health problems standard medical treatments could not fix.

The GAPS Diet is strongly endorsed by the Weston A. Price Foundation, and as you may know, Beeyoutiful promotes the WAPF nutrient-dense, properly prepared foods explained fully in Sally Fallon’s book Nourishing Traditions However, thanks to the increasingly processed, preserved, and polluted diets of even our great-grandparents, our digestive systems and those of our children may not be able to tolerate all the WAPF-recommended foods until serious attention is given to improving gut function. The GAPS Diet provides a step-by-step path to better digestion-and therefore-better health-by improving tolerance of a wider range of healthy foods.

To understand the importance of the GAPS Diet, it is crucial to grasp exactly how health problems develop in families. It is not genetics in the way we’ve been influenced to think of “passing down” problems to our children. There appear to be familial weaknesses for things like cancer, heart disease, arthritis, and even autism. But more than “genetic weakness”, it’s likely that similar bad diets and lifestyles are the cause for this heightened possibility.  So don’t resign yourself to thinking you’re doomed to get your dad’s diabetes or your mom’s arthritis!

Health risks to the next generation start when a baby is born to a mother whose intestinal health is compromised by an over growth of bad bacteria. This could be due to her diet, antibiotic use, past use of the birth control pill, or any of an assortment of other unhealthy choices. The unborn baby’s digestive tract is sterile until, just before being born, he gulps form the womb or birth canal. That fluid contains the same good or bad bacteria, viruses, and fungi as the mother’s digestive tract and determines the starting point for the newborn’s gut health.

Dr. McBride writes:

Amongst all the parents of GAPS children I have met, the mother always invariably has signs of chronic gut dysbiosis…The most common health problems (of the mothers) are: digestive disorders, asthma, eczema, hay fever and other allergies, migraines, PMS, arthritis, skin problems, chronic cystitis, and vaginal thrush. These conditions seem to be unrelated, but they are all children of one parent-Gut Dysbiosis.

She notes, too, that fathers contribute to vaginal flora, so dad’s gut health also affects the child’s well being.

Feeding in infancy also contributes to a baby’s present and future health. It is commonly known that “breast is best,” and that formula-fed babies routinely suffer more health problems. However, if the breast delivers milk from a mother with bad gut flora, the baby is getting the same bad bacteria. While the natural antibody protection of breast milk helps the baby hold off manifestations of health problems until weaning, the “polluted milk” is still harmful in the long run (although still preferable to formula). A nursing mom can benefit her baby’s tummy flora by improving her own gut health.

“Insult to injury” happens to many babies within days of being born, when their immature and often unhealthy digestive tracts are inundated with immunizations. Then come solid foods. Most moms start their children on starchy cereal and fruit, favorite foods of the Candida fungi baby most likely got from mom’s body. Next come easy-nibble foods like crackers and cookies, and it’s not long before ear infections and antibiotics start. With that, the Gut and Psychology/Physiology Syndrome spreads to another innocent family member.

The Inside Story

Gut-related problems show themselves in an assortment of ways.

Leaking

When bad bacteria overwhelm good bacteria, there is no protection for the lining of the gut. It degenerates and cannot digest and absorb food properly, leading to mal-absorption, nutritional deficiencies, and food intolerances. Protein molecules from undigested food leak through the gut wall into the bloodstream, causing allergic reactions and aberrant behaviors.

Fiber

In a healthy gut, rich with beneficial flora, dietary fiber helps the body to absorb toxins, activate metabolism, recycle bile and cholesterol, and more. But in an unhealthy gut, fiber can actually be harmful to the digestive system by housing bad bacteria and aggravating inflammation in the gut wall. That’s why the early stages of the GAPS Diet are strictly low in fiber.

Lactose Intolerance

A startling number of people these days claim to be lactose intolerant as they age. Doctors say this is caused by the disappearance of lactase, the enzyme required to digest lactose (milk sugar). Howerever, some people still manage to digest milk perfectly well. Why? Because these folks have the right bacteria in the digestive system to perform the job. So if a person improves digestive health, he or she may again be able to handle dairy products.

Vitamin Deficiencies

Children or adults with gut dysbiosis generally show vitamin deficiencies, especially in the Vitamin B group, the ones essential for mental and emotional stability. This is because another job of a healthy gut is to manufacture vitamins and amino acids. Supplementation is a good crutch, but it is not the best long-term solution, because it does not address the root of the problem.

Anemia

Iron deficiency is another condition which comes with an “off” gut. Pathogenic, iron-loving bacteria take over and prevent the body from absorbing the iron in food. These bacteria actually feed on iron supplements, making the anemia worse, so many people with GAPS are pale and lack energy.

Candida

The most famous bad guy in unhealthy guts is the fungus Candida albicans. Dr. McBride believes many of the symptoms blamed on Candida are a result of gut dysbiosis, because Candida albicans thrive with many other opportunistic, pathogenic microbes. This includes bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and other strains of yeast. All it takes to give Candida and its buddies a leg up is a course or two of broad-spectrum antibiotics.

Food Allergies

I listed the problem of gut leakage above but want to explain a bit more, since food allergies and intolerances have become such a problem for many people. When normal gut flora is present, the intestinal wall is strong and impermeable. But if things get out of whack, spiral-shaped, bad bacteria, Candida, and parasites pike roots through this protective wall so partially digested food particles “leak” into the bloodstream. The immune system sees these particles as foreigners and triggers sneezing, extra mucus production, and other allergic-like reactions to get the blood clean again.

This is why food allergies or intolerances can crop up even though they many not have been a problem at an earlier time. Nothing is wrong with the food. It simply doesn’t get digested properly before leaking through the damaged gut wall. On this point, Dr. McBride concludes, “in order to eliminate food allergies, it is not the foods we need to concentrate on, but the gut wall.” She notes that many food intolerances disappear when the gut wall is healed, and that true deadly food allergies are rare.

Hippocrates knew that all health problems begin in the gut. With a proper understanding and treatment of the digestive system problems, it could be that most of our health problems just may end there as well.

[If you can't wait three months for the "rest of the story" in the next Beeyoutiful catalog, I encourage you to study Dr. McBride's website www.GAPS.me Next time, I'll report on why a gluten-free diet may not be sufficient for healing, explain ways to clear up stubborn infections without antibiotic use, and tell a few more stories about the GAPS diet and its healing effects on members of our large family-including a "booster diet" which helped relieve most of our daughter's problems with autism.]

Nancy Webster is one of Beeyoutiful’s more prolific researchers and writers, a homeschool mother of eight, and a leader of the Southern Middle Tennessee chapter of the Weston A. Price Foundation. She lives with her family on their “partially working” farm in Tennessee.


Posted in Health, Intestinal Health, Special Needs, Winter 2011 Catalog | No Comments »

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