Author: thesocialcommentarycom

Content writer, Speaker, and Creator of TheSocial-Commentary.Com who's passion and purpose is to share a message of light on the darkness life can sometimes bring. I am a soul writer who challenges your views with another perspective because seeing more of the picture can help you know where your soul stands. I welcome your comments and points of view because I am always learning too. My passion and purpose are social commentary advocacy. When we see the truth, most people do the right thing. Follow me and see if you agree. To see more and follow me, please check out my LinkedIn profile. That’s where you will see my presence the most. http://linkedin.com/in/bmelody320 #MelodysEyes #IWillHelpOne #YouMatter

Alternatives For Health Herbal Apothecary

October 27, 2017

If you ever wondered about natural alternatives to improving your health, look no further than Alternatives For Health Herbal Apothecary at 426 Main Street Sturbridge, Massachusetts.

The owner Salli Greene is there to help you decide which direction might work best for you.  “When we opened Alternatives For Health the goal for my husband and I was not just to sell product, but to help educate people that they can be in charge of their health.  We carry organic products and offer classes that will help us reach this goal.  When they come into the shop, we ask questions to help steer them in the right direction.  Our philosophy is to start small and build, otherwise you do not know what works.  My daughter describes our customers as family and that is pretty accurate.  We are not salespeople.  We are truly concerned for their health.”

The 300 bulk herb products are the most popular area of the shop and you cannot find the selection they have elsewhere anymore.  They are one of only four places in Massachusetts that carry a supply of bulk herbs.  Essiac, the top seller, was discovered in the early 1900’s by a Canadian nurse where patients were recovering from cancer and told her about a tea the Indians had given them.  Now it is used for far more than cancer treatment.

The second most popular area, is the Essential Oils.  They are all over the internet now, so people come in with their own recipes.  That being said, there is a lot of misinformation concerning their use including being taken internally, as some can be dangerous with improper use.  Alternatives For Health offers certification courses in Essential Oils to get the best health benefits.

Tumeric, another herb that is fast becoming popular for its proven benefits for pain, inflammation, and joint issues is available there in bulk, extract, and capsule form.  Neem, nature’s own antibiotic is very helpful for those battling infection issues.  They also carry Hemp, which is being sought after for its health benefits.  “We carry Hemp over Marijuana (even though they are sister plants with the same benefits) because it is Federally legal.  We have seen results with pain, sleep, anxiety and stress.  We carry it in oils, pills, and salves.”

They also offer natural treatments for Lyme Disease, water filtration, salt lamps, and products and treatments for detoxification as well as others.

The store is open Monday-Friday (except closed on Tuesdays) from 10am to 5:30pm, Saturday 10am to 5pm, and Sunday 12 to 5pm.  Stop in and check it out.  They also are happy to ship if you don’t live locally.

For more information please visit their website at www.alternatives-4health.com

 

Just Breathe…

October 6, 2017

When was the last time, if any, that you stood in your outside area (your yard or even your front stoop) and closed your eyes for even five minutes?  What do you remember hearing?  If you closed your eyes at your next free five minutes, what would you hear? Are there birds in surroundings trees?  Can you see them in your mind?  My favorite is our back porch where we feed the birds.  I have even gotten to the point of knowing the voices of a variety of the bird’s sounds such as the cardinals, the tufted titmouse and the white-breasted nuthatch.  At one point, when we had more frequent visits from the hummingbirds, I even knew the sound of their voices when I stopped and listened close enough,  And that’s without looking!

Is the air crisp or warm?  Now that Fall is upon us we have days that start out crisp and warm up without getting hot.  Maybe that’s why so many people  choose Fall as their favorite season.  What do you smell?  There are scents in the air that can bring me back to first grade  when we gathered leaves to iron between two sheets of wax paper that we hung around the class.  It amazes me that throughout the fifty-plus years the same scents can be noticed in the air.  Are there any that you can relate to?  Looking at the answers to these questions would bring to life your other senses to slow your mind down.

Meditation, which is the definition of taking that five minutes, has been around for centuries and can be as simple as a few minutes of pause, to a multi-step training program.  There’s even an app called Calm to help you relax and focus.  No matter which variety you choose, the health benefits are enormous.  The body has an underappreciated ability to heal itself when given the right tools, and meditation is an important one.  Taking the time to be aware of your surroundings can give your body a sense of being grounded.  It will also give you a clearer head.  Have you ever tried to change your frame of mind and then the solution to an issue came to you?

In the fast-paced world we live in, few people take the time to pause.  As a result, health issues are on the rise from the never ending pressure of the rat race we find ourselves sucked into.  The stress caused by this rat race literally causes your brain to emit hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline that when chronically produced are harmful to your entire body.  High blood pressure, heart disease, chronic inflammation, and a weakened immune system are just some examples of chronic stress issues. Unfortunately we very rarely can just quit running the rat race before it kills us.  Many turn to multiple medications for physical ailments that result, and each one has it’s own side effects and consequences.  Before you know it, you’re looking back at the days when your health didn’t get in your way and you enjoyed life more, but there are steps you can take to change that.

Meditation pauses can literally change the chemical production healing chemical to healing chemical such as DHEA, serotonin, and gamma aminobutyric acid, or GABA. DHEA hormones have a direct impact on your lifespan.  Doctors can even use your DHEA levels to determine your physiological age that is a more accurate health age than just your “years”, and the higher the reading, the better.  Meditation can boost your production of DHEA.  Every one of us has the ability to utilize that by spending five minutes (which may seem long) any chance we get.  Your outlook tends to be more positive and your physical being responds in a healing mode.  Tension and anxiety are reduced and as a result, your mind clears and becomes sharper.

The feel of the air, sounds and scents will hold in your memory for years to come.  Nature has a way of healing your body and calming your mind and we are lucky enough to live in an area with plenty of nature’s riches.  Here in New England we have the benefit of the four seasons that have their own unique beauty.  Our scenic calendars can attest to that.  Just taking a slow breath of air through your nose can even tell you what season it is.  Are we in your favorite season now?  What does your favorite season sound or smell like?  Just contemplating those things can use up your five minutes.  If you start your day with this, time won’t seem as limiting.  Open your eyes and your on a more positive footing.  Reboot before you try to be productive.  Now that you’ve invested the time it took to read this, why don’t you give it a try.

 

Life Happens

October 6, 2017

I’ve wanted to be a writer as far back as I can remember, well, at least since second grade when I wrote my first set of poems.  They were older than I was, and a decade more mature.  By fifth grade when the teacher gave two page story homework assignments, I was writing 12-page mystery stories that she would read to the class.  I knew I was born to write.

By high school I was taking journalism classes and thought for sure I would become a successful journalist, but life tends to happen when you’re making other plans.  Although I finished high school, I discovered the party scene that made me feel so much less dorky, an illusion for sure!  It cost me several jobs and took me down some wrong roads.  I was very blessed though, because despite being my own worst enemy, I always met some amazing people along the way.

I did at one point, with the help of a good friend and a publisher willing to take a chance on me, taste the career I had been dreaming of with articles in a local newspaper as a freelance writer.  It was amazing.  But life happens and as I struggled to keep a roof over my children’s heads and be the best Mom I could be, my journalism career went to the back burner to simmer with hopes of someday bringing back to full boil.

I raised a wonderful family and gained wisdom through life’s challenges and once my health complications got the best of me, it was time once again to face my passion and light a fire under that career.  But it could no longer be done by typewriter and correction ribbon.  It is a new age of computers that make this field both easier and more complicated.  As life has shown me though, the best teacher is trial and error.  I have no doubt those of you who are computer savvy will spot errors in my technique so I only ask that you have patience with me and maybe pick up a tidbit or two that could enrich your life and maybe even stir up a passion in you.  We live our lives, but we thrive on our passions.

You

October 6, 2017

Instead of focusing on me,  our communities have so many people filled with talent but are isolated by both financial limitations and health issues that keep them stuck in their homes and distanced away from the passion of life.  So much talent locked away and then gone when they are.  It’s either you, or someone you know.  If only we could harness it as a community.  Create some sort of a needs and resources group that can utilize those talents.  Maybe you are a widow who spends most of your time watching tv in your pajamas with no thrive left in you.  Back in your day you were an amazing seamstress or grant writer.  Could your community use your help?

John F. Kennedy was famously quoted as saying, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country”.  That stands true until your brain can no longer function.  You need to thrive.  You need more than past times to use up your days, and if you are still here, you still have a purpose.

This group should look first at what needs the community has and what part of the populations can address it.  Is their a big volume of ailing seniors that need yard work done but they can’t do it alone?  What age group is accessible to do the work as a community service?  Do the seniors in need have other talents that could be valuable to others?  Of course they do once we start thinking outside the box and stop thinking only of cash.

This blog will be focusing on you and your abilities that you may have forgotten you have.  You are a valuable person who may or may not know it and you have something to give, please know that.  There is always something you can teach others, even if it’s as simple as sharing your wisdom or reading to someone.  Your job is to figure out what it is.