Plain and Simple Changes to Protect Yourself from Heart Disease

Heart disease is a real threat to women's health.

Do you smoke? Stop. Aside from the health concerns with cancer, lung disorders, and pre-mature aging, smoking is a contributing factor to diseases of the heart. Stop again, and again, and again until you finally give it up for good.

Are you overweight? Exercise. With a smart diet and exercise plan, women can decrease their chances of heart disease by over 80 percent. For ideas on exercise, see a recent blog post here. Want tips on eating well? We’ve got another post here.

Know your body! Symptoms of heart disease of often mistaken for acid reflux, indigestion, stress, or even back pain when in fact these are warning signs that something more might be happening in your body. If you’re worried, get it checked out! It’s just that simple.

For more on our heart health products for men and women, visit our website.

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Garlic for Heart Health

Garlic is an excellent food for heart health!

Green Tea for a Healthy Heart

Drink green tea for heart health.

Garlic and green tea provide amazing healing benefits to our bodies, especially for those of us concerned with heart health. If you or someone you know suffers from high blood pressure, high LDL, blood clots, hypertension, or any other heart condition, consider integrating these foods into meals daily. Our foods can help to heal us if we will give them the chance!

Take a look here for our section of heart health products. While February is Heart Health month, don’t limit yourself to be concerned with your health once a year. Take control of your heart health and be healthy! You can also check out recent blogs for heart health here!

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Foods to Promote Heart Health

Black Beans—folate, antioxidants, magnesium, and fiber are packed into these small beans! Magnesium has been noted to lower blood pressure while fiber is beneficial to control both cholesterol and blood sugar levels. Take note however that canned black beans, though quick to include in a soup or salad, contain a high dose of sodium. Be sure to rinse the beans thoroughly before enjoying and maybe even consider purchasing a “low sodium” bean

Fresh herbs promote heart health!

Fresh Herbs—when used as a replacement for salt or saturated fatty oils, herbs provide a boost of flavor with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and can help your system fight heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. Try adding Rosemary, Sage, Oregano, and Thyme to your meals for their delicious and antioxidant benefits to your meal!

Salmon is a healthy choice to promote heart health!

Salmon and Tuna—these fish are top choices for heart health for being rich in Omega-3s which lower the risks of heart rhythm disorders. These disorders are often the leading cause of sudden cardiac death and with two servings of salmon per week, you decrease the chances of this happening to you. Try baking salmon with herbs and veggies for a heart (and waist!) healthy dinner. Other varieties of fish to add to your diet include reel, mackerel, herring, anchovies, sardines, herring, and lake trout. Be sure to rinse the salty brine from any canned fish you purchase!

Walnuts and Almonds—a handful a day of these two delicious stars of the nut world provide you with better chances of reducing cholesterol and diabetes, and decreasing inflammation in the arteries of the heart. Add walnuts and almonds to salads, veggies, or enjoy as a snack to reap the benefits! Just a handful of these nuts will do!

Oatmeal—oats, in all forms, can help your heart by lowering bad cholesterol (LDL), keep blood sugar levels stable over time, and provide additional benefits like fiber for colon health. Try swapping oats for a 1/3 of the flour you use in your pancakes or baked goods to get these benefits without robbing the flavor and consider swapping bread crumbs for oats!

Blueberries—these small berries offer an extensive list of health benefits! Anthocyanins give blueberries their deep color and also support heart heath. Other contents in the tiny package include ellagic acid, beta-carotene, lutein, vitamin C, folate, magnesium, potassium, and fiber. You’ll remember that magnesium can help lower blood pressure while fiber is beneficial to control both cholesterol and blood sugar levels.

To learn more about heart health, take a look at a recent blog here and be sure to check out our Heart Health Section on our website!

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Clear Choices for Treating Acne

Treat your teen's acne with these simple steps!

1. Wash Your Face—seems simple, doesn’t it? With 85% of teenagers suffering from acne and breakouts, this simple step can make a world of difference in treating it. Be sure to inform your teen on the importance of washing their face, morning and night or after sweating, with a gentle cleanser to keep their skin fresh and acne free. Try to find a cleanser free of irritating sodium lauryl sulfate and keep an eye on ingredients that may be toxic to their systems. For more on this, read a recent blog post here. Be sure to instruct your teen on the importance of gently exfoliating and moisturizing as well. If your teen is prone to oily skin don’t skip the moisturizer! When skin isn’t well hydrated it will overproduce oil, leading to more breakouts.
2. Eat a Clean Diet—by limiting artificial sugars, caffeine, processed and fried foods, your teen’s body can find a balance and treat acne internally. Inflammatory foods such as these often cause flare-ups in the system that stress the body, including the skin, and can be the root of the problem for breakouts. Additionally, encourage your teen to eat more veggies, especially leafy greens. A diet high in clean veggies, lean proteins (such as chicken or fish), and antioxidant-rich foods can help keep skin clear. An added tip for treating acne is to add anti-inflammatory spices such as basil, ginger, or cinnamon to your meals to further assist your teen’s body in treating acne. To learn more about the health benefits of cinnamon, see a post here.
3. Take Vitamins—we’ve all heard it but how many of us actually take a quality multi-vitamin each day? This is important for everyone, no matter you age, but for teens especially. With the challenges their system a multi-vitamin is especially important to assist in proper development of their bodies but can also be instrumental in preventing dry, flaky skin, balancing hormones, keeping their digestive system healthy, and support proper detoxification of their system. What does digestion and detoxification have to do with skin? Plenty! Research has shown that healthy levels of flora in the stomach and a properly functioning digestive tract improve the skin appearance and by eliminating the toxins from the body, their skin stands a fair chance at being naturally clear. Vitamins really are instrumental in the treatment of acne but don’t expect a miracle right away! Be patient with this step and give your body time to reap the benefits of a vitamin.

Additional Tips for Treating Teen Skin

Avoid Tanning—we all like a “healthy” glow, teens especially with the pressure to fit in and conform to the norms of society for what is beautiful. Be sure to let them in on a secret: too much tanning leads to pre-mature aging, wrinkles and sun spots. 

Check Labels—in addition to avoiding toxic products in cosmetics and products applied to any part of the body, anything with oil, wax, or a paraffin base may clog pores, leading to more acne. To help your teen treat acne, be sure to steer them clear of these products.

Tea Tree Oil is useful to treat acne.

Don’t Squeeze!—while it may be tempting, squeezing pimples or picking at them may lead to long-term scarring and can actually push bacteria deeper into pores, causing the cycle to continue and usually a larger pimple days later.

Some of these tips may seem obvious for the treatment of acne for your teen but consider sharing and getting their opinion. Allowing your teen to feel they are making choices on their own is an important step in their development as a young adult, even with something as simple as treating acne. Check out our products for clear skin here.

Not a teen? These steps are important, no matter your age! You may also benefit from a recent post here with tips and tricks, home remedies and more for treating acne, teenager or not.

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Herbs can be a great ally for keeping your kids healthy and happy.  Knowing what herbs are considered safe for kids and how to use them can help parents take control of their kid’s health.  Using natural remedies can help to prevent some conditions and lessen the duration of others. 

“Holy Trinity” Herbs for Kids

Find our what herbs for kids are best!

 Catnip, Chamomile and Lemon Balm are considered by many to be the ‘holy trinity’ of herbs for kids.  All three are calming to the nerves and soothing to the stomach.  Colic, gas, sleep troubles, anxiety, mood swings and even teething can be eased with this combination for small infants to older children.  A tea or glycerin based tincture is a good way for kids to take these herbs.  Try diluting the tea or putting a small amount of the prepared tea in a bath for babies.

Herbs for Kids’ Colds

Make your own cough medicine with these herbs for kids. Adults will love it too!

Children catch a great deal of colds growing up while their bodies are building immunity.  Elderberry is a wonderful herb to help support the immune system and lessen the duration and severity of colds.  Rose Hips are high in Vitamin C and antioxidants while thyme and rosemary are supreme herbs for the respiratory system.  Here is a favorite recipe of mine for a homemade cough syrup that is great for adults and kids.  Please remember not to give honey to children under 1 ½ years of age:

Heat 1 cup of water on the stove to simmer.  Add 1 Tbsp each Elderberries, Rosehips, Thyme and Rosemary and steep for 15 minutes.  Remove from heat and strain the herbs out.  Put the liquid back on the stove and add 1 cup of honey.  Simmer for 10 more minutes stirring frequently.  Let cool slightly and put into glass bottles or jars.  Store in the refrigerator for the entire cold and flu season (approximately 5-6 months).

Click here to see another home remedy for cough–Hanna’s Napalm Bomb!

Herbs for Kids’ Allergies, Digestion and More

Find our which herbs for kids are useful for digestion, allergies, and more.

Arnica and Calendula are great herbs for kids and useful to have on hand for bumps and bruises. These herbs are soothing, calming, and healing and can help ease the discomfort of bruises and promote healing.  Try them in a salve made with olive oil and beeswax.  A salve can be used on kids of all ages.

Aloe Vera is helpful when used externally for sunburn, cuts, and other skin irritations but is also useful when used internally for digestive disturbances and constipation.  A small amount only of the juice would be used for toddlers and small children.  Slippery Elm is another herb that is soothing to the stomach and helpful for constipation; use as a tea for toddlers and small children.  However, neither of these herbs is appropriate for babies to take internally.

Aloe and other herbs are so useful for kids! Find our more in our Children's Products section!

Allergies can really keep a toddler down.  Saline nasal sprays are effective remedies for allergies because they help eliminate mucous and keep the nasal passages moist.  Parents can make a homemade nasal saline solution by dissolving one teaspoon of salt into one cup of warm water.  Put the mixture into a bulb syringe and spritz the solution into the nose of the child.  If food allergies are suspected, it is wise to eliminate certain foods (dairy and wheat for example) to see if symptoms improve.  

An age appropriate multi-vitamin is helpful for keeping kids’ immune systems healthy and strong.  I like Nordic Naturals Nordic Berries.  Also, give your kids a great start to life with a wholesome diet full of (age appropriate) fresh, natural fruits and vegetables.  Include natural immune supporting foods like garlic, ginger, and seaweed (if your kids will eat them!).  Plenty of exercise will also keep those kids fit and vibrant!

Never hesitate to ask your healthcare professional for advice when beginning a new health program for your children. For more on herbs during pregnancy, see a recent post here.

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 Herbal Vinegar Bath

Home Remedy for Yeast Infections

Mint and other herbs combine in this home remedy for yeast infections

1 cup apple cider vinegar

1 cup water

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary (or one teaspoon dried)

1 tablespoon fresh tarragon (or one teaspoon dried)

1 tablespoon fresh mint (or one teaspoon dried)

1 ½ teaspoons fennel seeds

 Mix the ingredients together and heat in a small sauce pan or in a microwave safe dish to a gentle boil.

Allow the mixture to cool completely then strain off all solids.

To use: pour the entire mixture into a warm bath and soak for 15 to 20 minutes

This slightly acidic bath helps rinse away soap residue from your skin, reinstate your own natural acid balance, and an effective way to counteract yeast infections. The acidic environment within the bath kills the harmful bacteria and the scent from the herbs will reduce stress and lift your spirits!

To learn more about yeast infections, visit our website here.

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Hanna’s Steps to Release Anger

Find more information on releasing anger in Hanna's book.

2. In the evening, write all your anger, resentments, and short-comings on a piece of paper. Hanna instructs us to use a nice piece of paper, one you would use to write a letter to a dear old friend. Do not read what you have written. Put it in a drawer and the next morning, read it and burn it. In the evening, do this again until all resentment is gone. It depends on the person and could take one week or one month. This exercise will release pain from within and the burdens of the mind.

3. Sit on a chair and press your fingers in the middle of your thigh. Say soothing words and breathe deeply to release anger and unpleasant memories from which resentment forms.

Hanna warned us that anger can become hate and that hate is extremely destructive to the liver. Our liver already works to detoxify chemicals and remove environmental poisons from our bodies and does not need to have the stress of hatred added to it. Because she believed that releasing anger was so important, she warned that not following these simple steps and allowing anger and hate to set up in your body could cause allergies, flu, hives, mood swings, and emotional upsets.

We all find days where stress and anger are inescapable for our lives but we can control how we let it set up in our bodies. Hanna believed we could use simple techniques to safe guard our bodies and defend against emotional upsets. Choosing to calm yourself and release the anger you hold in your body can lead to a happier, healthier system.

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Get Prepared for Success with Weight Loss

Get ready! Stock your fridge with healthy foods for weight loss.

Changes in eating habits are never easy at the start but once you have been following your new (self-regulated) rules for a couple of weeks, it becomes more like second nature. In order to get to that point, you’ll want to prepare yourself mentally by evaluating and identifying the reasons you are on the road to weight loss. Be honest with yourself and choose goals, both short and long term. The sooner you are realistic with your expectations and health, the sooner you’ll fully accept this new path you are on to a healthier you.

Write it Down for Success with Weight Loss

Yes, keeping a food diary is just another thing to add onto your list of things to do that day but it really is an effective tool. Writing down the foods you eat can help you stay focused and disciplined. No one is reading your entries except you so be honest with everything you consume in a day: drinks, meals, snacks, everything. If you’re monitoring what you eat, maybe you’ll be less likely to pick up that donut in the break room and instead choose to bring something delicious and healthy instead!

Choose Wisely for Success with Weight Loss

Choose wisely and drink enough water for success with weight loss!

Start small and then build up! Choose to cut back portions of salt, sugar, and fat slowly so that you don’t feel deprived of things you love. Once you’ve cut those back try choosing healthier foods and smaller portions which lead to weight loss. The three meals you eat a day should include lean proteins, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates. Calorie counts vary from men to women so check this tool to see what is right for you and aligns with your weight loss goals. When you set out to enjoy a meal, do so but make sure it’s fuel for your body and not something that will add to your weight. Want to learn more about healthy eating habits and how it can improve your health and shrink your waist line? Take a look at a recent blog here.

Be Realistic for Success with Weight Loss

You’re not going to start this journey and lose 15 pounds a week until you’re slim and trim. It took time to put the weight on, now it’s going to take some time to see if go away. One to two pounds of weight loss a week is a common goal and one that is realistic and healthy. Losing more than that each week means you may be burning muscle rather than fat! Weight loss can fluctuate week to week so try not to be discouraged and focus on the positive work you are doing for success!

Curb Cravings for Success with Weight Loss

Choose healthy meals for success with weight loss!

Everyone likes a snack or dessert and we should all have them…in moderation! Try to cut down on snacking between meals and, if you must snack, choose low-calorie foods like fruit and veggies. This is an important part of weight loss since, more often than not, when we mindlessly munch at our desk or have a little nibble here and there throughout the day, we don’t think about those calories we are consuming.  Snacks are important to keep our metabolism running strong throughout the day but be careful what you choose. Keep the food journal will help you see where you have weak moments throughout the day (remember those donuts in the break room?) and will help you stay on track with this goal as well.

Move Your Body for Success with Weight Loss

Get moving for success with weight loss!

Exercise burns calories, keeps you fit and toned, increases energy, and helps you sleep better. The health benefits of exercising are numerous and aside from keeping your heart fit it can also boost your mood, benefit your sex life, and reverse the signs of several types of diseases. What’s not to love there? Don’t rely solely on exercise for weight loss however; your diet is an integral part of the strategy to lose weight. Interested in how working out in the morning can help you stick to moving toward a healthier you? Read this recent post.

We get it—you might be saying: “I already screwed up on my resolution” or “It’s not even January 1^st!” but the first few steps towards a healthier lifestyle don’t only have to happen at the start of each New Year. It’s never too late to get started with good health. Use these 6 steps for weight loss and enjoy results and success.

Find more information here about how to keep your resolution going and check our website for our newest section, the weight loss products we believe in!

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The Adulteration of Supplements

Adulteration of supplements is a fact of modern life. You can avoid it. Get informed!

Dr. Oz, the popular television doctor with a daytime showed named after him, brought this scandal to the attention of his viewers and made headlines with claims that products he recently sent for testing in laboratories contained substances they should not for a variety of reasons. What is not outlined clearly in his findings is that the supplements he chose to send to testing were from companies that were known to have unapproved ingredients. While the information he was supplying to his viewers was in part correct, it was only applicable to those specific weight loss supplements sent for testing and not for supplement manufacturers as a whole.  Dr. Oz brought an important point to light yet left out details of how not all companies are guilty of these sorts of practices. Perhaps, for the benefit of his show, he chose supplements already in violation yet made a wide claim that this is standard practice.  The weight loss supplement violations revealed on his show included ciprofloxacin, an antibiotic that had never been found in over-the-counter supplements as well as sibutramine, an ingredient in prescription obesity drugs that was banned because it caused heart attacks, strokes, and seizures.

It seems too easy to put all dietary supplements, whether they are for weight loss or not, under the same umbrella. While many companies do add illegal substances or excipients to their products, this isn’t true for all companies. We take pride in the products we provide to you and believe in them. While this “American Scandal”, as Dr. Oz has named it, is one that warrants some attention, it does not reach all corners of the supplement market and should not have an unfair ripple effect on all companies.

Avoid Adulteration

Adulteration with chemicals.

The promise of losing weight, increasing energy, or curbing hunger trumps the ingredient list for many consumers. Be informed and choose products that are good for your body and provide long-term healing, not harm in the long-run.

Get Informed-Avoid Adulterated Products

Find unadulterated products here!

To learn more about how herbal supplements can be manufactured without the use of harmful chemicals or the addition of unwanted ingredients, check out our learn link here or visit this recent blog about Herbal Purity here.

Our founder, Hanna Kroeger, followed strict rules for which products she would recommend to those who came to see her and we continue to follow these rules today. Don’t settle for anything but the best to put into your body; find good health without chemicals.

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Cinnamon Complete Concentrate is the first herbal supplement I take in the morning and the last I take in the evening and the health benefits are the reason! As the most common and well loved spice in the world, the use of cinnamon to address health dates back thousands of years! There’s something to be said for it being one of the oldest herbal remedies that is still popular worldwide today.

Get the Benefits of Cinnamon in a Capsule!

Get the health benefits of cinnamon with Kroeger's concentrate.

Benefits of Cinnamon Oil

Get the health benefits of cinnamon in an essential oil!

Cinnamon oil has also been effective as a mosquito repellent and has been found to kill mosquito larvae! For those of you worried about chemicals in repellent products for yourself or your children, this is a great alternative. By using the cinnamon essential oil you can protect yourself from those flying pests and get back to enjoying your activities outdoors without the concerns of ingredients in repellents.

Whether it’s the scent of a candle burning or cookies being baked in the kitchen, the next time you smell cinnamon, think of all the ways it can serve your body’s health. For me personally it has helped with pain, digestion, appetite and I’ll bet if my insides could talk, they would thank me for much more! To learn more about the health benefits of cinnamon visit this blog that outlines why it’s important to take cinnamon in a capsule as well as its uses for obesity and diabetes!

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