Upcoming News

2014 is going to be an exciting year for Natural Health Midwest. This site will continue to be the home for the Health & Wellness business owners group, which will transition to an online meeting format.

Our site will also feature book reviews and expert interviews related to natural health.

Finally, as always, we’ll provide a resource for natural health business owners interested in educating their clients and building a successful business. Join us to learn creative ways to share information and benefits with your clients. The best marketing tool you have is education!

May Meeting of Health & Wellness Business Owners

Our May meeting focused on branding a health & wellness business. We began with  the discussion questions posted on our Facebook page, which included:

• What are some words or phrases you’d want people to associate with your brand?
• What tools do you think you can use to define your brand?
• Does your current brand target your ideal clients? If you’re still in the planning stages for your brand, do you think what you have in mind will reach your ideal clients?
• What is the basis/foundation/spirit of what you want to teach or provide?

We also reviewed our definition of brand. All too often, “brand” is confused with “logo.” Your company’s logo is only a small part of your entire brand. Instead, think of brand as a uniform message about your company.

Entrepreneur.com breaks the act of branding down into four focus points:

1. Consistency in advertising
2. Customer service
3. Public relations
4. Your willingness to use the internet

Personal vs. Professional Branding

Next, we took a look at the difference between personal and business branding. As small business owners, this line is often blurred. For most of us, we are our companies. How does this affect branding and marketing? Things can get dicey, especially when dealing with social media (more on that later). The important thing to remember is everything connected with your company should reflect your brand. Should you choose to personalize your message (you should!), it is important to keep things professional.

How do you draw the line between personal and professional branding? Do you even try?

Remember, you have a built-in advantage larger companies lack. Personal branding humanizes your organization. Those larger companies are always looking for ways to use personal branding, but you are already in a position to do this without looking awkward. Make the most of your opportunity!

Branding Tools

We discussed a few tools that are helpful for building your brand. These included:

• websites
• blogs
• social media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, Pinterest, HootSuite and Sprout Social (for social media management)
• marketing materials
• event attendance
• online profiles (enthuse.me and about.me are examples geared to creative professionals, but there are others. Are there any that focus on your industry?)

Branding Strategy

Finally, we discussed where to begin. Branding needs to be part of your marketing plan, but it cannot take up all of your time. After all, your goal is to work with clients and help them live their healthiest lives. How do you get organized and figure out what steps to take to build a strong brand?

Begin with this branding strategy:

1. Create a one line mission statement or tagline to include on all of your marketing materials

2. Start a blog (assuming you have a website, your blog can be part of your main site)

3. Launch a social media campaign on ONE platform

The best way to keep #2 and #3 organized is to create a schedule. Your blog should be updated at least twice a month and your social media account(s) one time per day. If you can update more often, go for it!

Once you decide how often to post, choose themes. This helps you stay on track with posting and keeps things cohesive. For instance, a chiropractor could choose a blog and social media theme such as chiropractic care for athletes. The bi-weekly blog entry would discuss the benefits of chiropractic for athletes and the corresponding social media posts could focus on famous athletes and chiropractic, sports injuries and chiropractic, and so on.

It might take a little while to hit your stride with blogging and social media, but your efforts will be well worth it. As you begin to feel comfortable, add new social media platforms to your strategy.

Simple and Focused Branding

Finally, keep this in mind: you do not need to appeal to everyone with your brand. Trying to make everyone happy just waters down your mission. Focus on your target clients and create a message that appeals to their interests, while still maintaining your business goals.

If you have any questions or you need assistance putting together a branding strategy that includes social media, blogging, or anything else, please let me know.

See you at the next meeting!

Facing Food Confrontations

The plight of the healthy eater is filled with challenges. You want to dine out with friends, but the restaurant they choose only serves junk. Celebrating the holidays with loved ones is fun, but you feel bad asking about the ingredients in old family recipes. Even everyday eating is a problem when you are surrounded by unhealthy eaters. This is especially true if the people with whom you dine are confrontational.

Unfortunately, you cannot change people. You can offer information, and sometimes they listen and have an interest in the topic of improving health. Sometimes they even act on the information and commit to a healthy new path. However, there are also people who not only lack an interest in health, they make your food choices a barrier in your relationship.

Keep Your Cool!

Your instinct might be to fight or ignore the criticism or even eliminate the difficult person from your life. These are all possible options, but they might not be the right option for you. Whatever you choose, have a strategy on-hand for dealing with food-related confrontations as they occur and then decide what you want to do long-term once removed from the situation.

For instance, do not tell someone you never want to see her again if you are criticized for ordering a salad. Ultimately you might decide this is the path you want to take, but it is better not to commit when you are frustrated and feeling threatened.

Of course you should not care if people have a problem with your healthy choices. Maybe in the grand scheme of things you do not, but when you are trapped in a social situation in which your meal becomes a topic of conversation in a bad way, it can make you feel pretty insecure. This is especially true if you have just begun to make healthy diet changes and are still unsure of your new life.

Fighting Back

You have plenty of ways to respond that will hopefully diffuse the situation, three of which are listed below:

Smile without saying a word. If someone makes a sarcastic comment about your ordering a plate of roasted veggies while they’re downing hamburgers and fries, make him think you know a secret he doesn’t. (You do. Your dinner is not a weapon that will end your life.) If the person continues to hound you about your food, keep on smiling. Eventually he will think your protein deficiency has driven you mad.

Ignore the comments and respond about a completely different topic. Before your next dinner out with someone who is obsessed with your healthy food choices, create a list of off-beat topics. If a comment is made about your meal, ask about your friend’s feelings on UFO sightings in Southeast Asia. If someone claims you eat too much salad, ask what zookeepers use to clean elephants (it’s usually Murphy’s Oil Soap). The crazier your topic the better, since the point is to knock your nemesis off her game.

Inundate everyone at the table with nutrition facts. Many restaurants offer larger servings of healthy foods. Order a steak and you get a few ounces of meat. Order grilled vegetables and you can eat for weeks. Occasionally, this triggers everyone at the table to go nuts over how much you are eating. Never mind your calorie intake is no more than a third of what they’re eating, they are fascinated by the size of your plate. Now is the time to unleash machine gun fire health facts. One of two things will happen: the critics will feel terrible about the food they have chosen and leave you alone, or they will get bored and leave you alone. Either way, you get to eat in peace.

It is a sad statement about where we are as a society that people feel the need to attack others for making healthy choices. Unfortunately, a lot of people feel insecure about their health choices and instead of making positive changes they lash out at others. It’s annoying and frustrating and hurtful, but you need to realize you are the one on the right path. Stick to your guns and embrace your healthy choices!

The Midwestern Diet Dilemma

In many cases, regional differences in diet are due to the ethnic history of an area. In the early days of the country, people migrated to areas where the surroundings were familiar and comforting. Living among people whose dialect was understandable and who behaved like you, worshipped like you and ate like you felt safe. Though people came to America for opportunity, they were reluctant to let many of their customs go. This was especially true with cuisine.

Nowadays, where you live still has a lot to do with what foods are available and how they are served. Those living in a region with a history of serving hearty, high-calorie food are more likely to suffer from nutrition-related health issues. When a certain way of eating is accepted as normal by your family and in your region, you are unlikely to question its consequences.

The Midwest might be the region of the country most negatively affected by regional cuisine. Those visiting or relocating to the region are often stunned by the unhealthy foods served regularly in the area. The Midwestern diet is filled with comfort foods, and traditional German and Polish dishes are staples. Consuming this type of cusine offers isolatation and comfort from the six to seven months of bitter cold residents must endure.

Geographically speaking, the challenges make perfect sense. The long, cold winters and unpredictable springs impact the growing season for fresh fruits and vegetables. The distance from either coast means seafood and ocean-based plants must be shipped in. The foods easily accessible for Midwesterners include dairy and beef. Though not inherently unhealthy when eaten in moderation and supplied by responsible farming practices, a diet built around animal-based foods is not going to do your health any favors.

Diet Challenges

Regional nutrition problems often go deeper than heritage. Bad habits are hard to break and trying to overcome a lifetime of poor eating creates a great deal of turmoil. As soon as you begin to make changes in your diet, there might be backlash from friends and relatives. If you are struggling to commit to improvements, the regional and ethnic influences are easy excuses. Those who do not want to give up or cut back on sausage, cheese, custard and burgers can say it is “in their blood”. If your heritage is to eat too much and dine on unhealthy food, your friends and family might see your desire to change as a slight against your culture. They might also fear having to change themselves.

Successful Diet Changes

So what’s the solution? There probably is not one single effective method for transforming the Midwestern diet. The desire to be healthy is often outweighed by the desire to cling to traditions. The loyalty Midwesterners have for their heritage is admirable, but creates a cycle of poor health. Comfort foods are used to elevate moods during the long, cold winters, but often lead to feelings of lethargy and depression. To combat these feelings, which are often based on the weather, people eat more comfort foods. The cycle is physically and emotionally destructive.

The easiest way to make changes, regardless of the type of resistance you face, is to ease into healthier eating. You can do this in three ways:

You can eliminate food from your diet. This will likely be the most challenging of the three solutions. Choose a few unhealthy foods and replace them with healthier options. For instance, if you traditionally eat ham and rolls (ham sandwiches) on Sunday served with potato chips, offer carrot and celery sticks as side instead. The main dish remains, but the less important side is packed with nutrients and has fewer calories and fat.

You can add healthy foods so you have less room for unhealthy choices. This is tough for people to understand because it is non-traditional in regard to dieting. Instead of reducing the amount of food you eat, you increase it, but make healthier choices. You are likely to reduce your caloric intake, leading to weight loss. At dinner, eat several servings of nutrient-dense vegetables. Your appetite is satisfied and you eliminate late night cravings. The extra veggies also reduce your protein and carbohydrate consumption during the meal.

You can  find healthy replacements for unhealthy foods. If you are concerned about the antibiotics and hormones in cow’s milk, replace it with nut or rice milk. If your weakness is bratwurst during tailgate parties or family cook-outs, try a turkey brat instead. None of these changes is a major diet overhaul and you are unlikely to feel deprived. However, small steps eventually lead to big changes. Your family and friends might not even realize changes are happening. You are able to improve your health, even if your local traditions encourage unhealthy eating.

Natural Solutions for IBS

Irritable Bowel Syndrome, sometimes called spastic colon or IBS, is a common digestive problem. Symptoms are chronic and include lower abdominal pain and cramping, discomfort, diarrhea, constipation or a combination of the two, and gas, bloating and nausea. IBS is a diagnosis of elimination, meaning a doctor first determines a patient is free of digestive and bowel diseases before diagnosing her with IBS.

IBS is considered a functional digestive disorder, not a disease. This means communication between the brain and the gut is flawed, leading to stomach dysfunction.  Women sometimes have IBS outbreaks in conjunction with menstruation.  IBS has no official medical cure, but a wide variety of tools are available for controlling the symptoms. Diet has a direct effect on IBS outbreaks and is one of the main methods of controlling it naturally.

Diet Triggers

In most IBS cases, certain trigger foods lead to attacks. The greatest digestive tract stimulant is fat and those suffering from IBS usually experience an attack within minutes of eating greasy, high-fat foods. Even though digestion is just beginning, the body reacts. As soon as foods such as red meat, fried foods or dairy products begin moving through the system, a gastrocolic reflex occurs and triggers an IBS attack.

Soluble Fiber

Some IBS trigger foods are not necessarily unhealthy. Raw vegetables and certain whole-grain fibers are known triggers. Those with this digestive order have a difficult time processing certain high-fiber foods. Eating foods high in soluble fiber usually eases colon function without triggering an attack. Foods containing soluble fiber stabilize the intestine, soothe and regulate the digestive tract, and normalize bowel function. Soluble fiber is as helpful with diarrhea as it is with constipation. To visualize how soluble fiber helps, imagine making a bowl of oatmeal. When the oats and water mix, it creates a gummy substance. This gel travels through the gut soaking up additional water in the intestines (preventing diarrhea) and creating a thick, wet gel which is easy to move through the system (preventing constipation). In addition to oatmeal, foods high in soluble fiber include bananas, sweet potatoes, rice cereal, white breads, pasta, carrots and papaya. Papaya also helps indigestion.

Yoga

In addition to avoiding trigger foods and eating a diet high in soluble fiber, those with IBS benefit from gentle exercise such as yoga. Yoga helps to reduce menstrual cramps, a common IBS trigger. It reduces stress and anxiety, emotional IBS triggers. It directly reduces the effects of gas, bloating, constipation and diarrhea, all four of which create stomach pain. Lastly, it helps improve flexibility and posture, allowing the body to move food and waste through in a gentle, efficient manner.

Probiotics

Some people find that in addition to diet and exercise, herbs and probiotics help with digestion. Probiotics are live cultures taken in pill form or consumed when eating yogurt. IBS sufferers should avoid dairy yogurt because dairy can trigger symptoms, so pills are the best option. The live cultures assist in normalizing a healthy gastrointestinal environment, which minimizes bloating, diarrhea, gas and painful cramping. Research probiotic supplements carefully, since some contain very few helpful ingredients.

Peppermint or Fennel Tea

Herbal tea is helpful for easing the symptoms of IBS, sometimes with instantaneous results. Peppermint tea soothes and aids digestion after eating. In an emergency, a peppermint candy might even ease abdominal pain. In addition to peppermint, fennel tea help helps digestion. Both peppermint and fennel have a pungent smell and taste, so experiment to see which is most effective and most pleasing to your palate.

The effects of uncontrolled IBS are devastating. Experiencing an attack at the wrong time or place leads to embarrassment and inconvenience. Those suffering from this digestive disorder might feel like prisoners of their condition, anxious about leaving their home or traveling to a place where bathrooms are scarce. Left unattended, IBS might also lead to serious digestive problems, creating permanent damage in the intestines and colon. Repeated bouts of constipation allow toxins to seep into your organs, eventually leading to other conditions. Frequent bouts of diarrhea lead to hemorrhoids and weakened bowels. Diet changes and natural remedies help you manage IBS and provide comfort without unpleasant side effects.

Though drastic diet changes are not necessary for those suffering from occasional stomachaches, these natural remedies are also effective treating occasional problems.

Natural Pain Relief for Migraines

According to the Migraine Research Foundation about 18% of American women and 6% of American men suffer from migraines. This equates to more than 30 million Americans battling migraines throughout their lifes. They also estimate that half of these people suffer from migraines on a near daily basis.

So what causes these attacks? Doctors do not have all of the answers, but they know there is a correlation between the spasming and dilation of blood vessels supplying the brain and the painful attacks. The trigeminal nerve might also play a role, as well as an imbalance in serotonin levels. Those suffering from a migraine show lower than normal serotonin levels.

Migraine Triggers

Researchers have also found there are certain triggers for migraines that vary from person to person. For women, hormone levels  fluctuate and might trigger a migraine attack. The effects of hormones on migraines might explain why the prevalence of migraines in women is higher than men.

In addition to hormonal imbalances, certain foods might trigger attacks. Alcohol, particularly red wine and beer, aged cheeses, chocolate, and aspartame have been shown to affect some migraine sufferers. As with all headaches, stress plays a role. Sensory stimuli such as bright lights and sunshine, changes in sleeping patterns, physical exertion, and weather changes might also play a role. Certain medications list migraines as a side effect.

Though some of these triggers are unavoidable, there are ways to make an attack less painful. For severe cases, doctors might insist on prescribing medication. If migraines are interfering with your everyday life, you and your doctor will need to discuss the possibility of medication. But for someone who only occasionally suffers from migraines, natural pain relief might be the solution. The first thing you should do is assess your lifestyle. You and your doctor should determine if you are getting adequate fresh air, exercise, and sleep.

Assess the Problem

Next, take a look at your diet, and attempt to spot trigger foods. Use a journal to record the foods you eat and your body’s reaction. Once you have determined that specific items trigger attacks, limit their use. If some of the culprit foods are your favorites, keep a detailed journal of when attacks strike. There is a chance you might still be able to indulge at certain times, especially if you are a woman who finds your migraines coincide with your menstrual cycle.

If tracking your diet does not reveal anything, speak with a professional dietitian or nutritionist. They might prescribe an elimination diet which often begins with a short fast. This way your system is clear of all triggers, making them easier to spot as they are reintroduced. They might also suggest nutritional supplements such as vitamins C,E, or B3, evening primrose, calcium, magnesium, or Omega 3 fatty acids.

If your migraine attacks are not eliminated by diet changes, there are additional things you can do to prevent the onset of headache pain. Massage therapy helps release muscle tension and restore normal blood flow. A trained therapist can target specific areas to reduce the effects of a migraine. Several sessions might be needed to resolve any long term problems, but regular massage is helpful in healing a variety of ailments and repeat sessions will yield a variety of positive results.

Easing Migraine Pain Naturally

Hydrotherapy can be very helpful in halting the onset of a migraine headache. Some doctors recommend splashing cold water on your face as soon as the first symptom appears. Many migraine headaches begin with blurred vision, spots in front of the eyes or general fogginess that sufferers recognize as the onset of an attack. After the splash of cold water, rest with your eyes closed for at least an hour. Even if this does not completely eliminate the symptoms, the cold water and rest eases the severity.  

If you have identified stress as a trigger for migraines, use essential oils to ease tension and anxiety. A blend of chamomile and lavender during a particularly stressful week might prevent a migraine attack. Those experiencing a great deal of muscle tension might try a blend of peppermint and lavender. A few drops of each oil can be added to a base oil and massaged into the temples, neck, and shoulders.  Many people find aromatherapy valuable for treating a variety of stress-related problems.

Another way to prevent migraines is yoga. The gentle stretching movements aid relaxation and help with flexibility and circulation. A yoga instructor can suggest certain positions to help you target areas where tension builds and triggers a migraine attack.

Migraine headaches cause serious pain and problems and can leave someone bedridden for a day or more. In order to lessen their severity and frequency, try incorporating natural treatments into your lifestyle. You might find you are able to eliminate migraines, particularly those that are stress-related, without medication.

The Benefits of Drinking Tea

Many people are aware of the benefits of drinking tea, but might not realize the full extent of those benefits. Tea has a gradual, naturally medicating effect on the body and is less stressful than synthetic drugs. The medical benefits of tea might be greater than pharmaceuticals, while causing fewer side effects.

Herbs have long been used for their healing and medicating properties and steeping them in hot water is the most effective way of breaking down their cell walls, releasing their therapeutic components. Tea bags are typically steeped for 3-5 minutes, but some require steeping for up to 10 minutes. Be sure to read the directions that come with your particular blend to ensure the greatest benefit from your tea.

Black and Red Tea

Tea is available in a wide variety and aside from any specific conditions you wish to treat, you should experiment to determine which is most pleasing to your palette. Black or red teas often have the most potent flavor and are a good option if you are trying to replace coffee. These varieties of tea are believed to lower cholesterol, relieve diarrhea and help respiratory function. Research has shown that drinking two cups of black tea every day for three weeks opens capillaries and prevents heart disease. The trace amounts of fluoride in black tea prevent tooth decay, making it a healthy replacement for sugary sodas and juices.

Green Tea

Green tea, which in recent years has increased in popularity, may be the tea that most people think of when considering healthy tea. Green tea has been shown to fight cancer, lessen the symptoms of arthritis, lower high cholesterol, reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, and help with impaired immune function. Some people prefer the taste of green tea over black or red tea because it is somewhat milder.

White Tea

If taste is what you are struggling with when it comes to drinking tea, white tea might be the right option for you. In addition to its pleasing taste, the health benefits of white tea are staggering. White tea is very high in antioxidants, which connect to the disease-causing free radicals that enter our systems and flush them out. White tea contains flavonoids, one of the most powerful antioxidants, helping to inhibit the growth of cancer cells. White tea has also been shown to lower blood pressure and cholesterol, boost healthy teeth and gums, and reduce stress.

Herbal Tea

Consider herbal tea if you are trying to treat specific ailments. Peppermint tea is one of the most soothing teas one can drink. If you are planning to grow your own peppermint for tea, be sure to choose true peppermint, or Mentha piperita, because it has the highest number of active agents. The green leaves of this plant help prevent convulsions and flatulence. Those suffering from irritable bowel syndrome will find that sipping a cup of peppermint tea before or after a meal will ease their symptoms. Peppermint tea can also alleviate headaches, counteract motion sickness, and freshen breath. Peppermint tea is not safe for small children or infants due to its menthol content, so choose another option if your child is battling a tummy ache.

Chamomile tea has long been a popular choice for relaxation and general well-being. The medicinal use of chamomile dates back as far as the Romans who relied on its antispasmodic and anti-inflammatory properties. This tea is safe for children and adults and can be used on the regular basis. Prepare tea with chamomile form your garden by placing the flowers from the plant directly into boiling water and steep for no more than five minutes. Chamomile tea alleviates  insomnia, stomach aches, sore throats and cramps. Chamomile tea can also be used in healing compresses to reduce eye pain or it can be added to bathwater for a relaxing soak.

Raspberry leaf tea is one of the best choices for new tea drinkers. To make raspberry leaf tea, steep the leaves in cold water for a few hours and then boiled for 10 minutes before straining. You should drink up to three large mugs per day to take advantage of the healing properties in the tea. It is helpful for alleviating intestinal problems and menstrual complaints. The tannins in raspberry leaf tea have an astringent effect, giving the tea anti-inflammatory capabilities. It is also helpful for stopping bleeding and contains potassium, calcium, phosphorus, and vitamins A and C. Blending the leaves with elder, chamomile, and linden flowers creates a tea that helps strengthen the bladder muscles. Raspberry tea is also a safe solution for helping a child deal with bed wetting. Just be sure to serve the tea early in the evening, so as not to counteract the benefits!

The health benefits of therapeutic teas are numerous. It hydrates the body, and can be blended to create specific mixes for treating a variety of health issues. Its preventative properties are also staggering and working tea into your daily nutrition intake is a wise decision. Find a tea blend that satisfies your taste buds and targets your specific health concerns, and get to steeping and sipping as soon as possible!

Welcome to Natural Health Midwest!

 This site is an online community for natural health providers in the Midwest. You can share information, find clients and educate readers. If you are interested in being part of this healing community, please email me at kellyjamrozy@gmail.com .