Tag: Health

Organic Elderberry Syrup

There is always more to learn when it comes to staying above the wellness line, supporting our health, supporting our immune systems, and doing so with nature’s medicine.

I naturally like to go against the grain, play devil’s advocate, and resist anything that is popular or trendy. Elderberry syrup is all the rage lately, and while I had bought a bottle years and years ago, before it was popular of course, I hadn’t given it much thought since I am covered with natural support with my essential oils, supplements, nutrition, and more!

But, I finally decided to do some research on Elderberry syrup, and in doing so I realized that my family and I were already taking a daily supplement and taking more when we were feeling off, that had even more powerful support for the body, and was less expensive than Elderberry syrup! I love when that happens!

Ningxia Red, has similar properties as Elderberry syrup with the added benefits of a complete amino acid profile, omega 3 fatty acids, protein, the ability to protect eyes from age-related diseases like macular degeneration, promoting liver and kidney health and cleansing, increasing energy levels, boosting the mood, and benefiting the reproductive system.

Ningxia Red also contains d-limonene adding extra immune support and more (go to google scholar and check out the benefits of d-limonene), as well as extra antioxidant protection, detoxification support, cleansing, and more.

Ningxia Red also contains freshly picked, fully ripe, organic Ningxia wolfberries, which are pureed to contain tons of fiber, and to ensure the nutrients remain intact and available. The essential oils help bring these nutrients and antioxidants to the cells as essential oils are lipid soluble, giving them the power to cross the cell membrane, and increase assimilation of any supplement they are added to! The difference between containing the whole fruit versus elderberry syrup, which only contains water that the berries were boiled and simmered in, is huge when it comes to antioxidant, vitamin, mineral, and phytonutrient properties.

Both elderberry syrup and Ningxia Red support heart and cardiovascular health, help stabilize blood sugar, promote regularity, improve immune function, and support healthy skin. Both have been used medicinally for thousands of years in ancient cultures.

Another difference between elderberries and Ningxia wolfberries is that elderberries are not edible in their fresh or dried form. They are toxic when uncooked and can only be safely consumed when cooked, or made into a tincture. Ningxia wolfberries can be eaten fresh, dried, made into tea, added to salads, granola, muffins, and more.

I concluded that my elderberry syrup would also contain Ningxia wolfberries and essential oils so that I could combine the best of both worlds for when we are under the weather. I still prefer the fresh, whole, pureed wolfberries in our daily Ningxia Red for prevention and daily antioxidant full body support, but may add a bit of elderberry syrup when someone in my family is sick, or I may just up their daily Ningxia Red intake and add in extra Thieves and Citrus oils, which is what I’ve been doing all along, I told you I like to go against the grain.

However you decide to use elderberry syrup, my recipe is below! Enjoy and have a healthy year!

If you want more information on Ningxia Red and Ningxia wolfberries, scroll past the recipe! To try Ningxia Red and/or Organic dried Ningxia Wolfberries click here to shop – https://www.youngliving.com/us/en/myaccount/wishlist?listId=6338f5a826f0be000acea9c1&enrollerId=3136396&sponsorId=3136396&userName=Amy

Organic Elderberry Syrup Prep Time 20 minutes. Cook Time 1 hour Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes Servings 2 – 3 cups

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Pour the water into a medium saucepan and add the elderberries, wolfberries, ginger, cinnamon,and cloves.
  • Bring to a boil and then cover and reduce to a simmer for about 45 minutes to 1 hour until the liquid has reduced by almost half.
  • Remove from heat and let cool until it is cool enough to be handled.
  • Mash the berries carefully using a spoon or other flat utensil.
  • Pour through cheesecloth (https://amzn.to/33QoalT) and a strainer (https://amzn.to/2PcZ6RQ) into a glass jar or bowl.
  • Discard the berries and let the liquid cool to lukewarm.
  • When it is no longer hot, add the honey and essential oils and stir well.
  • When the honey is well mixed , pour the syrup into a mason jar or glass bottle (I used these https://amzn.to/2Mxl7JC)
  • Store in the fridge and take daily, alternating days, or only when under the weather

Instant Pot option: Put all ingredients except honey and essential oils in pot, seal lid, and set manually for 9 minutes on high pressure. Vent pressure and strain. When cooled to room temperature, stir in the honey and essential oils.

Standard dose is ½ – 1 teaspoon for kids and ½ – 1 tablespoon for adults. If under the weather, take the normal dose every 2-3 hours instead of once a day until symptoms disappear.

NINGXIA RED and NINGXIA WOLFBERRIES

The Ningxia Wolfberry, the highest known antioxidant food, is extremely high in lutein and zeaxanthin, which are vital for preserving eye health by protecting vision from the free radical damage, protein destruction, and blindness that occur with age. 

Ningxia Red supports immune function, liver function, and eye health and increases energy. It supports brain and cognitive health as well as digestive health. Ningxia fortifies the cardiovascular system and supports healthy blood pressure levels while promoting restful sleep patterns. It aids the body’s natural anti-inflammatory response and enhances immune function. It also provides nutrients needed for healthy insulin sensitivity and promotes a feeling of satiety. Ningxia Red also supports proper muscle and joint health. 

It is the highest known protection against the dangerous superoxide free radicals, it is rich in ellagic acid, polyphenols, flavonoids, vitamins, and minerals. In addition, it has 18 amino acids, 21 trace minerals, beta-carotene, and vitamins B1, B2, B6, and E. It is an excellent whole-food source of nutrients that gives energy and strength to the body without harmful stimulants.

1 oz. of Ningxia Red has the same antioxidant power of:

  • 100 oranges
  • 814 blueberries
  • 22 carrots
  • 10lbs. of spinach
  • 59 broccoli florets
  • 73 strawberries
  • 93 apples

Some of Ningxia Red’s endless benefits:

  • Helps maintain healthy cholesterol levels 
  • Stabilizes blood sugar
  • Supports the immune system
  • Reduces absentmindedness
  • Major anti-aging properties
  • Great for digestion
  • Strengthens muscles and bones
  • Lots of Vitamin E, B, and amino acids
  • Detoxes kidneys and liver
  • Supports vision and eyesight and gives energy and vitality
  • Provides omega 3 fatty acids
  • Boosts energy naturally

The Ningxia Wolfberry is grown organically in the Ningxia Province of China, and pureed immediately after harvesting, at the peak of its ripeness.  The Ningxia Province of China is considered a Blue Zone, because 400% more people who are 100 years old and older, live without canes to get around or glasses to help them see, and they are overall much healthier and live much longer and in amazing health than most other places in the world. The locals in Ningxia China have been eating these berries for thousands of years. 

More about the Ningxia Wolfberry:

✭A “virtual vitamin capsule in the form of a fruit”, the Wolfberry contains over 21 essential minerals, 18 amino acids and extraordinarily high levels of thiamin (B1), niacin (B3) and vitamin C. It is the highest known food source of B1, and contains 2x the daily recommendation of vitamin C in 100 g of berries. 

✭Within the plant kingdom, the Ningxia wolfberry’s mineral profile and mineral balance are unparalleled. Minerals (calcium, zinc, copper, chromium, magnesium, potassium and manganese) are important for many bodily functions, but they must be properly balanced. The Ningxia wolfberry contains ideal mineral proportions: almost 1:1 magnesium to calcium, 2:1 zinc to copper, and 8:1 potassium to magnesium ratios. 

✭With a total of 15.6% protein by weight, the Ningxia wolfberry has more protein than bee pollen

✭ It is rich in amino acids L-arginine and L-glutamine. The wolfberry contains 1.4% of the branched chain amino acid L-leucine as well as significant amounts of tyrosine which is a key building block for dopamine production. Dopamine is an essential neurotransmitter in the brain that decreases with age.

✭21% fiber by weight, which means it has one of the highest percentages of fiber of any whole food. 

✭ The Glycemic Index is 29, compared to brown rice (66), millet (72), buckwheat (54). 

✭ It has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for more than 2000 years, and its use was first recorded around 200 BCE in Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing, an ancient book detailing the medicinal and agricultural knowledge of the mythical Chinese emperor Shen Nong. The Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing is the oldest book on Chinese herbs, and records 365 traditional herbs that are classified into three grades: (1) top, (2) middle, and (3) low. Wolfberry is one of the 120 herbs belonging to the top grade, which was believed to have remarkable health benefits. Long-term use of wolfberry was considered beneficial for strengthening the body, keeping fit, prolonging life, and easing life through all the seasons.

Ingredients in Ningxia Red: Ningxia Wolfberry puree, pure Orange, Yuzu, Lemon, and Tangerine essential oils, along with blueberry, aronia, cherry, pomegranate, and plum juices 

*Halal and Kosher certified

Drink 1 – 2 oz. a day for optimal health, and more when your body needs extra support

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My Why

Sharing a bit of my journey thus far.

her rebirth was stunning, she lifted herself up from the depths of despair, grasped her dreams, embedded them in her heart, and walked forward into a future that only her will and vision could control   — young pueblo – revival

As a child, I was the one with the sensitive immune system.  I had a vaccine reaction back when we only received a few vaccines.  I had childhood asthma, allergies, frequent strep throat and stomach flu, while my sisters were healthy.  I reacted to foods, especially dairy, but instead of making the connection, I often would become sick after eating. 

 

As I grew older, my health problems continued.  I developed severe allergies after college, which came along with chronic sinus infections and endless rounds of antibiotics.  In my late twenties, I developed severe IBS, which was so embarrassing, the truth of it has never been told.  I suffered from acne, infertility, eczema, headaches, sleep issues, the list goes on and on.  After my first baby was born, my IBS got so severe that my doctor thought I had colon cancer.  After receiving a barium enema, and while waiting for my appointment for a sigmoidoscopy, a friend called who had been suffering from the same infertility issues I had suffered from.  She asked if my infertility doctor had ever mentioned soy in my diet causing my infertility problems.  She said that her doctor mentioned that the excess of soy added to so many foods was causing some infertility issues in women.  She told me to look up soy intolerance/sensitivity online.  I immediately went to my computer and my mouth hung open in shock.  The list was a perfect description of me.  I went off of soy, and my symptoms immediately went away.  

Then, my second baby was born.  She received an Apgar score of 10, which my doctor said almost never happens.  She was the epitome of health.  She developed normally, beginning speaking at 9 months old.  She was very outgoing and would talk to strangers at the grocery store.  At 12 months old, I took her in for her well-baby check.  The doctor left the room and we were waiting for the nurse to come in with her MMR/Varicella vaccines.  The nurse took forever to come in.  My daughter became fussy and I just wanted to leave.  My intuition was telling me to run out of that office.  My brain was telling me that would be rude, and that I needed to stay.  She received her vaccines, and immediately became extremely sick.  Fever, lethargy, fussy, uncomfortable, cough, runny nose, you name it.  She was the sickest any of my children have ever been.  She lost all of her speech, and her attention span.  She was fussy and clingy.  She would put her tiny hands on her hips, lean forward, and try to push the words out that she wanted to say.  Something was blocking her ability to communicate those words she had inside.  I knew what was happening.  I started researching, reading, and planning what needed to be done.  When I took her back to the pediatrician and told him what had happened, he said “By the age of 2 she will most likely be full blown autistic.”  That was all.  No support, advice, referrals, paperwork to report her vaccine injury to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System.  

At the same time, my husband was going through a severe health issue of his own.  He was disabled, depressed, and was up against the realization that he would never work at his dream job again.  I couldn’t go to him for help and support.  I was riddled with guilt for not running out of that doctor’s office when my intuition was screaming at me to get out of there.  After 4 months of research, guilt, and tears, I threw out almost everything in our pantry and refrigerator and started over.  

 

 

I started my 16-month-old daughter on the “autism diet”.  We began a gluten, dairy, and soy free diet, and within 3 days she began speaking the words she hadn’t spoken in 4 months.  We made an appointment with a DAN (Defeat Autism Now) doctor, at which point we learned some tips and tricks to be sure her diet was as free from gluten, casein, and soy as possible.  We also started B12 injections.  Within days of the first B12 injection, my daughter began speaking in complete sentences and her attention span returned.  We continued with many supplements, I continued reading and researching, and I attended a Defeat Autism Now conference.  It was at this conference where I met my mentor Julie Matthews.  I learned so much about whole food, nutrient dense nutrition.  About how to cook, what to buy, where to shop, the list goes on and on.  Over the next year, I completely healed my daughter from autism.  

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I became passionate about nutrition, detoxifying our home, and helping others to do the same.  At first it was just a hobby.  I was an elementary school teacher who helped her friends and family heal their children and themselves from all kinds of health issues.  I became a TACA mentor helping endless numbers of moms learn to navigate the world of healing their children.  Then an opportunity arose from Julie Matthews herself to take part in a certification program for doctors and nutritionists that she was offering to moms who had healed their children from autism.  She knew we were in the trenches working with other moms and parents, and wanted to provide us with the education to help in more significant ways.  I jumped at the opportunity.  I received a certification in BioIndividual Nutrition and BioIndividual Nutrition for children.  At that point, I knew there was no turning back.  My dream of becoming a Certified Nutrition Consultant would become a reality.  I began attending Bauman College for Holistic Nutrition, the alma mater of my mentor Julie Matthews.  I am so proud to now be a Certified Nutrition Consultant.  I am passionate about helping all people to feel their best, and live their best lives.  I love helping children, moms, parents, and families to heal together.

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