When I was a child, the eldest of 7 children, my mom struggled with seasonal colds & flu. One of us kids would go down, and then the next, and so on, until Mom was sick herself.
Off to the doctor, she would go, walking out with a prescription for antibiotics. Unfortunately, after repeating this cycle, this led of course to yeast overgrowth.
Mom, very frustrated, asked the doctor if there was anything else, she could do. He shrugged, no not really. Shall we fill that prescription?
Mom was invited by a friend to attend a lecture from a well-known herbalist at the time. At first, she resisted. Why would I want to know about herbs?
Eventually, Mom relented and went with her friend.
This was an “A-HA” moment, an epiphany. You mean you can actually change your health? Yourself??
Mom went to work on the family. We started using rosehips (the fruit from the rosebush) which came in capsule form from Nature’s Sunshine. This was waaaayyy before herbs or holistic health was mainstream (unless you go back a little earlier in history).
This was a GAME CHANGER.
No more constant sickness. No more antibiotics. Done. For. Good.
How EMPOWERED she must have felt (I was kind of oblivious since I was around 12).
“Why don’t people know about this?” was her thought. Well, it’s time they DID!
Mom dug in and learned more about herbs and how to think outside the box to overcome challenges. Within our family, then coaching others to do the same.
A heart-led lifelong passion was ignited, and she’s still going strong as a herbalist and healthy, active woman in her 70’s that is medication-free.
A few more years went by while I was growing up, as I witnessed how my mother’s willingness to share and teach others about the wisdom of herbs and nutrition made an impact on hundreds of people’s lives. Men and women who were told they couldn’t get better, couldn’t feel healthier, couldn’t overcome that obstacle. Well, they did. Over and over.
How exciting! To know that your body is capable of so much.
I knew that someday I’d like to build a business like that.
When I settled in my community with my own family, I decided to reach out and start teaching other moms like myself how to keep their kids (and themselves) healthier and more resilient.
My oldest son was a healthy baby until he started going to daycare. That’s when he started having trouble with croup, ear infections, and coughs that lingered for weeks. This was really hard for me, especially with the upheaval of going to work and leaving my baby in daycare.
Around age two, we found out my son had some food and environmental allergies, so we had to send an epi-pen to his preschool and kindergarten as a precaution.
He also struggled with sinus issues when the snow melted in spring and the pollen came out in the summer. It just took an extra effort to keep him healthy!
Right around that time I decided to start a health business with Nature’s Sunshine, so I started reading books and attending lectures, webinars, and conferences. Boy, did I learn! The best way for me to learn is to apply it in real life and to teach it to others.
I got to work on my own family.
I learned from a master herbalist about an herbal approach that supports the underlying body systems when children have allergies, and I applied this with my son.
Soon, we noticed a difference in his behavior. He wasn’t bouncing off the walls as often. He was easier to manage. We supported his respiratory and immune system herbally to reduce the seasonal allergies and sinus issues, without medication. (The Nature’s Sunshine Formulas we used were Black Walnut, Licorice Root and Hawthorn).
After continuing this herbal program for a period of time, we went back to my son’s allergist. He was very happy with his bloodwork, so we did a “challenge” to see if he would react to direct contact and then eating some of his previously allergic food, peanuts.
He passed the test!
Apparently, only about 1 in 5 kids with food allergies overcomes them in their LIFETIME. How exciting! No more epi-pen or careful food avoidances. We gave his body some herbal nutrition, working on the ROOT CAUSES of allergies. The herbal formulas supported his liver, adrenals, and immune system. His body did its thing!
My youngest son had the normal challenges of a toddler going to dayhomes and then preschool, dealing with the colds and viruses that go around like wildfire. I learned how to build him up with herbal nutrition so that he would bounce back quickly from colds and not get sick frequently, even while teething. My go-to for children (and the whole family) for daily support is Rosehips, an abundant source of natural vitamin C and bioflavonoids which enhance absorption. A whole food source of nutrients is ideal. The Rosehips are what my Mom used to stop the never-ending plagues in our home.
When he was still a baby, my youngest son had croup. If you’ve ever been through this with your family, you know that nasty seal bark cough that goes with it. You can seek medical help if breathing is a concern and take your child out in fresh air or into a steamy bathroom. But since it’s a viral issue, there is not a lot else you can do.
I applied my knowledge of immune and respiratory support products from Nature’s Sunshine to help my son since he was still breathing fine and didn’t need medical attention. When you’re using herbs in an acute situation (shorter more intense symptoms vs long term and chronic) it’s helpful to take a more frequent approach. My son took the Silver Guard Liquid, about a ½ tsp a time, several times per hour for most of the day. It is a natural, tasteless, safe antimicrobial liquid that also stops viruses from replicating.
Within 24 hours, my son’s seal bark cough was gone! I continued with the Rosehips and also Lobelia Extract which helps to thin and clear mucous as a natural expectorant. He recovered nicely.
These are just two examples of my experiences within my own family.
In the last ten years, I’ve been rewarded over and over with the success stories of my clients who’ve taken action for their health.
When you have choices, you are empowered.
When you feel empowered, you aren’t afraid.
The wisdom of plants combined with the wisdom of your body, and the emotional intention of health and healing, is powerful.
I will often meet women (and men) who’ve not felt they’re being heard. They aren’t happy with their choices. They are REALLY unhappy with how they feel and want to create lasting change so they can live an amazing life in their amazing body.
They’re tired of running in circles, getting nowhere with their vitality.
You can change this.
There are no promises of the world, but I’ve yet to meet a woman who couldn’t start IMPROVING her (or her family’s) health, fitness or overall well-being with the right program.
In many instances, the results are astounding (although I’m not surprised, lol, they sometimes are 😉)
To sum it all up, my joy in my work comes to this:
- Feeling empowered in my own health.
- Feeling equipped to care for my family’s health.
- Taking YOU to an empowered level with YOUR health.
- YOU carrying on the legacy of health and live your best life.
Oh my gosh, I get so excited when you overcome the obstacles with your vitality or feel more equipped to support your family’s health!
Together we work on the ROOT CAUSES of low vitality, imbalance, toxicity, burnout or stress (how can you go wrong with this??). By creating a health approach based on you as an INDIVIDUAL, partnering with an amazing company like Nature’s Sunshine, and myself completely supporting your goals as your coach and mentor.
Now more than ever, you need to feel like there are tools and resources available to support your wellness. I’m here as a resource for you. Pick my brain, ask questions. At no time am I looking for a “quick sale”. I am only interested in meeting you where you’re at and giving you support where you need it.
With everything going on right now, I feel inspired to go BACK to the BASICS. Back to where I started over 10 years ago and keep sharing the herbal education that has changed my life.
Keep an eye out for more health and herbal education coming your way! Do you have a request for a topic? Shoot me an email. I’d love to answer your questions, speak to your group online or host a private webinar.