We have a new line of product by Barleans (the whole line of which is on sale this month for 25% off) of new ground flax seed blends. There are four varieties available:
Superfruit Blend- a mix of flax, coconut, strawberry, blueberry, and raspberry
Antioxidant Blend- a mix of flax, coconut, acerola, acai, and camu camu
Energy Blend- a mix of flax, chia, coconut, and panax ginseng
Digestive Blend- a mix of flax, chia, coconut, pumpkin, and quinoa
Flax seed is a fantastic whole food source of omega-3 fatty acids, but not everyone likes the flavor by itself. These blends aregreat tasting way to add some extra omega 3s, fiber, and antioxidants to your diet. They can be mixed in with hot cereal, smoothies, yogurt, or even eaten by themselves. I’ve tasted all of them and the superfruit blend and the digestive blend are my favorites (the superfruit blend is seriously delicious, even just eaten straight out of the bag).
New Products We Love
We have all sorts of new products this month, but I wanted to highlight two that we’re really excited about. The first is a new line of essential oils called Breathe Me by Nectar Essences, which include three new blends specifically formulated for children, which is a first. The kid’s blends include a focus and calm blend, an immunity and decongestant blend, and a sleep blend. We also have a new gift set of essential oil blends for adults by Breathe Me, as well as a new Super-Immunity blend that we really love. We have testers of each available at the store, so stop by and give them a sniff!
Also new this month is a new and absolutely gorgeous line of beauty products which are made with essential oils and plant essences called Aroma Actives. I’ve been using a few of their new products and have been very impressed with the formulations, plus they really look beautiful on your bathroom counter.
All our new Breathe Me essential oils and our new essential oil powered beauty line, Aroma Actives, are on sale for the month of February for 20% off.
Men's Sexual Health
Since we wrote about women’s sexual health this month, I wanted to mention that we do have products for men’s sexual health as well. It’s estimated that over 30 million American men suffer from low sex drive and/or erectile dysfunction. In many cases it can be a side effect of health issues like high blood pressure or can even be caused by a number of common medications.
The first thing I would recommend is maca root. It’s available in capsules or powder (the powder is a great addition to a morning smoothie or protein shake) and has been used for thousands of years for virility and male potency; recent research has confirmed that it can help with increasing sperm count and help to reverse sexual dysfunction.
Another supplement we’d recommend is Steel Libido for Men by Irwin Naturals. We wrote about the women’s formula for sexual health, but the men’s formula definitely deserves a mention as well. It has a variety of well-researched ingredients that work in several different ways to restore sexual function, including several supplements which help with increasing blood flow, which directly impacts erectile functioning. Just like the women’s formula, it can be either be taken on a daily basis or only used occasionally as needed before sexual activity.
All of our Steel Libido formulas for men and women are on sale during the month of February for 25% off.
See our article here for information on Women's Sexual Health.
Natural Help for Low Sex Drive in Women
Q: I feel like this is kind of an awkward question, which is why I’m sending it in. I wondered if you had anything that really works for helping with female sex drive. To make matters worse, I’ve started to enter menopause, and have been dealing with vaginal dryness. Is there anything that can really help? I see ads for Viagra everywhere, but never anything for women…
A: Low sexual drive in women is an incredibly common problem, estimated to affect over 1/3 of the general population. It can be caused by a number of factors, the most common being stress and anxiety as well as hormonal issues.
There are natural products which can help, however, and the one I would recommend the most is called Steel Libido Pink for Women by Irwin Naturals. It combines several different natural supplements long known for their benefits for sexual health. Steel Libido Pink works in a number of different ways to relax the body and mind and bring the body back into balance; it also helps to create a pleasurable warming sensation in the body. We have had many of our female customers use it with great results. It can be taken on a regular basis for overall sexual health, or used on an occasional, as-needed basis before sexual activity.
Vaginal dryness is also a common complaint, particularly for women entering menopause, and can definitely hamper sexual activity. We have several wonderful varieties of natural lubricants available at the store from Emerita, a company that specializes in natural women’s health with products specifically formulated to compliment women’s unique body chemistries. The vast majority of lubricants found at drug stores are made with petroleum products, something you really should not be putting near your lady parts.
During the month of February, we will be offering 25% off on Steel Libido Pink as well as our full line of natural lubricants by Emerita. If you have any further questions or need additional help, please stop by the store so we can help you further. We are a female owned business, and women’s health of all stages is very important to us.
Featured Solgar Products
We love Solgar at Pass Health Foods, and I’ve written about their products numerous times in past newsletters. I’ll link a few articles below on different products we’ve featured of theirs in the past.
Solar’s New Full Spectrum Curcumin
Solgar's PM Phytogen for Hot Flashes and Menopausal Symptoms
Leaky Gut and IBS: Solgar’s Probi Probiotics
Anemia and Iron Supplements (without constipation): Solgar’s Gentle Iron
Solgar is an American company based in New Jersey which is known for its high quality supplements, many of which are unique in the supplement industry. For more information about solgar click here.
Help for New Year's Resolutions
Many people make resolutions at the start of the year, one of the most common of which is to lose extra weight. First, let me say that there is no miracle pill (unfortunately!), but there are some natural products that can really help.
This is a great rundown the different weight loss ingredients out there, and how they work. Everybody’s different, so reading it might help you to find the weight loss aid that’s right for you.
Another goal many people have for the new year is to live a healthier, more natural lifestyle. If that’s the case for you, be sure to read our article on whole body cleanses in this month’s newsletter. Additionally, this article on natural household cleansers (and their chemical laden counterparts) may be a helpful read.
Finally, if your resolution is to try to have a more calm and stress free 2017 (wouldn’t that be great?), here are a few articles that might help:
Two Fantastic Natural Mood Boosters
We wish you the very best for this New Year. Be well.
Start the Year Fresh with a Whole Body Cleanse!
With the new year upon us, many people strive to begin the new year in a healthier way, and a whole body cleanse is an easy and helpful way to do that. One that we particularly recommend is the Complete Body Cleanse by Nature’s Plus.
Their complete body cleanse is a mix of three products in one kit. An herbal cleansing formula, which has ingredients designed to helps to detoxify the liver, lymphatic system, kidney, blood, and lungs. Next, there is a fiber formula, which helps to bind the released toxins and also works as a whisk to clean out the intestines. Finally, there is a gentle colon cleanse with laxative herbs for nighttime.
Many people are worried about doing a cleanse, particularly the colon cleansing part with laxative herbs because they’re worried that they won’t be able to leave the house because they’ll be in the bathroom all day. Don’t be. A good cleanse like this one by Nature’s Plus that we’re recommending should be gentle, gradually helping to increase the amount of bowel movements you have per day, but not in an excessive or unpleasant way.
A cleanse is a fantastic thing to do a couple times a year, or at least annually. Our modern lives put a big stress on our bodies by the chemicals and toxins we come in contact with every day, whether through our environment, our food and drinks, the medications we take, and even the very air we breathe. Taking time out to cleanse and restore the body’s systems can help to bring the body back into balance.
After doing a cleanse, many people feel lighter and more energized, but I would say that it’s definitely beneficial, even if you don’t feel very different afterwards, it’s a way of knowing that you’re doing what you can to help your body to run right and give it a bit of a break from the constant toxic load that it usually has to deal with (even from the healthiest of us). It’s almost something that can be likened to changing the oil in a car- your car might not ride much different afterward, but its continued maintenance will help it to run longer and better. Well, your body is definitely more important than a car, so make sure to treat it right too!
When doing a cleanse, you can still eat as you normally would, but choosing a diet full of fresh produce, whole grains, and unprocessed foods will help it to be even more effective. A cleanse will still work if you’re eating McDonald’s every day, but I personally wouldn’t recommend it. ;)
Nature’s Plus Complete Body Cleanse comes in both one and two-week formulas. I would absolutely recommend doing the two week one. It’s only a few more dollars than the one-week formula, and having a second week of cleansing really does help to release more toxins in the body- in my opinion, the second week makes a big difference.
Happy cleansing!
A New Oral Probiotic for Stronger Teeth
We have an interesting new oral product that I wanted to mention since it’s really unique. It’s a new oral probiotic by Jarrow. Usually oral probiotics help with combating bad breath and mainting a healthy bacterial balance in the mouth (things I’m all for), but in addition to that, this new one by Jarrow actually has specific identified strains that have been shown in research to literally help preserve the health of tooth enamel and dentin (dentin is the sensitive layer underneath the enamel on our teeth). Years of chewing, grinding, and biting wears down our tooth enamel- the hard, protective layer on the outside of our teeth- so a new way to strengthen that enamel and prevent future loss is an amazing thing.
As someone who has struggled with dental issues, I’m super excited about this new probiotic since it’s the first I have ever seen that can actually help strengthen teeth. Jarrow’s probiotic is a lozenge, and you want to have it in your mouth for at least a good five minutes, either by just sucking on it like a peppermint (it’s actually peppermint flavored- ha!), or in between your gums and cheek.
It’s recommended for adults or children over 3, since children younger than three are not likely to be able to follow the directions of keeping it in their mouth and not eating it right away. We definitely recommend trying it for maintaining a fresh, healthy, and strong mouth!
Two Fantastic Natural Mood Boosters
With the dark days of December upon us, I wanted to write about two supplements from Irwin Naturals that can really help with improving mood and easing the stress of the holidays.
The first is 5-HTP Extra. 5-HTP is a supplement that helps to boost serotonin in the brain (serotonin is the “feel good” neurotransmitter. Antidepressants like Prozac work in a similar way, which is why it’s important not to mix 5-HTP supplements with prescription antidepressants. Irwin’s 5-HTP Extra is nice because it combines 5-HTP with theanine, an amino acid that’s great for reducing anxiety as well as lemon balm and rhodiola, which work very well for reducing stress. 5-HTP extra is great for people suffering from depression along with stress and anxiety. My husband has used it and found it really helped with reducing stress and anxious thoughts. He was having a lot of stress and difficult things happening in his life (a death of a close family member and other issues), and thought it really helped; in fact, he didn’t realize how much it was helping until his bottle ran out. He said it helped him to feel much less “panicky about things”.
The other supplement I’d recommend is Irwin’s Sunny Mood. It’s a supplement I actually wrote about last December (‘tis the season, I guess), so see this article for more information on the specific ingredients in the supplement and how they work. My husband started taking Sunny Mood after trying the 5-HTP extra. Of the two, he prefers Sunny Mood. He really says he thinks him feel better and more positive. One might even say that it helps to encourage a “sunnier mood”. If you’re having a difficult time with the darker days of winter and need a mood boost, I’d really recommend giving Irwin Natural’s Sunny Mood a try.
Both supplements are wonderful and effective. The main difference between the two is that the 5-HTP Extra helps to boost serotonin (similar to the ways that a number of different prescription antidepressants work). Sunny Mood is also effective for mild depression and really does help to encourage a more positive mood.
Hemp Seeds: They're Awesome (and are a great source of protein and omegas)
Have you tried hemp seeds? If not, you really should. They’re delicious and are incredibly nutrient dense.
Hemp is related to the marijuana plant but does not contain marijuana's mood-altering THC. Hemp seeds are completely legal in the US. Hemp seeds, either in their shelled form or ground as hemp protein are a wonderful whole food that is a boost to any diet. Hemp seeds are high in protein and amino acids, in fact, one 30 gram serving of shelled hemp seeds has over 10 grams of protein and 10 grams of amino acids- three of which are omega 3 fatty acids which are so lacking in most American diets. Hemp seeds also contain the rare omega 6 fatty acids known as GLA. GLA has been shown to help with balancing hormones and lubricating skin. GLA is available in supplement form as borage or primrose oil softgels, but hemp seeds are the only whole food which GLA is naturally found.
Hemp has double the protein of flax or chia seeds (not that I’m badmouthing either of them- I love flax and chia) and hemp also has a broader spectrum of omega fatty acids as well as all ten essential amino acids. They also don’t contain gluten, soy, or dairy, so they’re a nice nutrient boost for people with food allergies.
For hemp seeds, we recommend the Nutiva brand, since I truly believe they’re the best. They’re organic (which also means they’re GMO-free), cold processed (heat can destroy some of the beneficial compounds in hemp seeds), and are completely chemical free. I’ve had other brands of hemp seeds which I didn’t think tasted as good- Nutiva’s hemp seeds taste absolutely delicious- they’re nutty, sweet, and savory all at the same time.
Check out our recipe section for two delicious hemp seed recipes, but they can also be eaten by themselves or sprinkled on top of salads and cereals. Hemp seeds are softer than seeds like sunflower seeds, so they’re easy to add to any foods. They’re also a great addition to a morning smoothie!
