We often talk about eating healthy, but one aspect of diet that doesn't get as much press in the modern world is fasting. In fact, if you bring up fasting in polite company, you will likely get a number of horrified stares. Those who know a bit about health may even throw out a few arguments about blood sugar or the necessity of regular meals for good health.

However, there is a fair amount of evidence that fasting is not only not detrimental to your health, but may even dramatically improve your overall health and longevity. Many animal studies have found that when animals were put on a restricted calorie diet or a forced fast at regular intervals, they lived substantially longer than those who were allowed to eat whenever they wanted. The reasons for this have been debated for some time, although recent discoveries have begun to reveal some interesting causes for this phenomenon.

Wow, it's already February! Usually January seems to go on forever, but this year it went by quickly and we are already enjoying the longer days, though winter still has a ways to go... We had our largest snowfall this winter a few days ago, but the nearly 6" of fluffy whiteness melted quickly as we were treated to a lovely and long-awaited foretaste of spring this weekend! It put me in the mood to start planning this year's garden, which I will be working on this week in preparation for ordering seeds and supplies. We plan to plant raspberries this year as well, and maybe gooseberries too, but we shall see.

Anyway, on to this month's freebie! :-)  In preparation for the upcoming Immune Defense Summit happening later this month, today we are sharing a wonderful guide that explains 21 safe, effective, and affordable ways to help prevent illness and infections naturally. Check it out below and download your free copy now!

With family visiting from Minnesota this weekend, it has been particularly busy around here, and I almost didn't get a chance to do a blog for you, but I found this quick and easy immune-boosting recipe that I wanted to share with you - especially as it ties in so well with last week's post on essential oils.

While many of us think of essential oils for aromatherapy purposes, did you realize that you can actually consume some essential oils? In fact, in some countries, essential oils are often used in medicinal preparations and tinctures for maintaining good health or fighting off illnesses. However, not all essential oils are safe for consumption, so be sure to review the below information carefully, and consult with a naturopath experienced in the use of essential oils before consuming.

The delicious and simple recipe below is safe to consume once or twice per week, and may help to keep viruses and bacteria at bay - plus it is warming, relaxing, and invigorating, which makes it the perfect thing to sip on a chilly fall or winter afternoon!

Cold and flu season is here along with the cooler weather and shorter days, and it's time to make sure your immune system is in tip-top shape for the winter!

There are many things you can do to help give your immune system a boost and stay healthy during the winter months. Getting plenty of vitamins (especially C and D), sleep, and exercise, and drinking lots of healthy fluids like tea, chicken bone broth, and plain old water are your first and most important weapons against illness.

However, some studies have found that certain plant extracts such as essential oils can also be of great help in boosting your immune system and keeping you healthy. While there are hundreds of different essential oils out there, below are 7 of the best ones for immune health - plus some tips for using them.

Happy Easter!

I wish it felt a bit more like spring, but I will take the sunshine at least!

For this month's "freebie," I'm sharing an awesome opportunity to take a free class from a leading herbalist and natural medicine expert. I thought this would be a great follow up to last week's post on holistic and herbal healing modalities - as well as a shout out to all my lovely soul sisters out there! :-) This class definitely takes a feminine perspective on healing, but of course men are also welcome to participate and regardless of what gender you consider yourself, you are sure to learn a lot.

During this free virtual class, Discovering the Feminine Way of Plant Medicine: Healing Through the Wisdom of Natural Remedies, Rhythms & Relationships, herbalist, gardener, and author Deb Soule will share some of the medicinal plants and tonic herbs most valued for healing qualities specific to women’s health – including remedies to help women heal and thrive during all of the different cycles of our lives.

The online class will be held next Saturday, April 7th, at 10:00am PT/1:00pm ET so be sure to head on over and register now, while you're thinking of it. Or read more below to find out more about what will be covered in the free class...

It's week 2 in our series on achieving holistic health, and this week, we're talking about holistic healing with the use of natural remedies.

Does anyone else find it strange that that we supposedly need drugs that were created in a lab to keep us "healthy"?  How is this possible? Most of these substances are completely foreign to our bodies, so how are they essential for good health?

They aren't. In fact, some estimates say that adverse prescription drug reactions may be the 4th leading cause of death in the U.S. - and that's just for drugs that were prescribed and used according to directions! (When you add in overdose and opioid abuse, the number is much, much higher.)

For centuries, humans relied on plants to keep us healthy - and we didn't always make such a great distinction between "food" and "medicine." Certainly there were doctors and healers who used tinctures and other preparations of herbal plant medicines, but there was also tribal knowledge about certain plants to eat when we were afflicted by certain illnesses or other health issues. We evolved with a symbiotic relationship to plants, and this factor is sadly lacking in today's modern world.

Remember that health is not a simple yes or no question. All health exists on a spectrum. Feeding your body natural, healthy foods is the first step to true health, as we discussed last week. Many forms of illness and disease stem from poor nutrition - feeding the body things that do not support it, and denying it the foods that do support it.

However, holistic healing is about more than just herbal remedies or eating certain plants; it is also about taking a look at the whole being in a holistic way, rather than just trying to "cure" a certain symptom. Below we will take a look at what holistic healing means, and how it can help you to live a healthier life on all levels.

This month's free gift comes to you from my friends over at Health Means - an online community of natural health experts with expertise in preventing and curing almost any type of disease you can imagine. 

For the months of February and March, they are giving away 20 training sessions on heart health - but this is holistic health, so these important talks will contain information not just on your heart's physical health, but also your emotional health as well. 

You can find a ton of awesome health information out there these days, but often it is delivered during a one-time event, and if you're too busy to attend even online, you may miss out on some of these important health topics. 

However, this one is a little different, as these talks are available for you to download and access indefinitely - not just over the course of a few days! As long as you request access during this free offer, you can then come back and review all of this helpful information at your own pace. 

--->>Get access to these amazing (free!) health talks now, or read more below to find out what the package includes...

'Tis the season - not just for jolly holiday fun and gifts -  but also for colds and flu. That's why this is a great time of year to brew up some natural home remedies to help keep you healthy all winter long!

This ancient recipe was said to be used to keep people healthy during the time of the plague - hence one of its common names - "Four Thieves Tonic." The legend is that a band of thieves used this recipe (or one like it) to avoid the plague when stealing from plague victims - understandably a rather infectious task.

There are many versions of this recipe, which is sometimes called by different names. But I love the name "Fire Cider" - it sounds so warm and invigorating! :-)

The tonic includes a number of health-boosting ingredients traditionally known to fight disease, kill bacteria, and strengthen the immune system. If you cannot find all of these in your area, you may be able to get them online - or omit any that are too difficult to find.

Below are two different versions of this immune-boosting home remedy - pick whichever sounds best to you:

Ask just about anybody what their biggest health fear is, and you will most likely hear "cancer" at the top of the list - which is not surprising, considering that statistics show 1 out of 2 people will experience some type of cancer in their lifetime.

There is so much fear surrounding cancer because we still don't fully understand it. Cancer is a complex disease. It can be caused by literally thousands of different factors, and it can impact any part of the body individually, and can also spread throughout the body.

Millions of dollars are thrown towards "cancer research" every year, but still, we remain without a "cure." The truth is, a "cure" for cancer may be a long time coming, simply because of the complexity I just mentioned.

However, there are numerous natural substances that are already known to fight and even reverse cancer in various stages. Most of these work, of course, by strengthening the immune system. Your body is already naturally an amazing cancer fighter! It is when our bodies become toxic (through consistent exposure to hundreds of different chemicals in our environment), or weakened due to chronic stress, lack of sleep, improper nutrition, etc. that they become unable to perform their natural cancer-fighting functions.

The truth is, there is a chronic health problem in our country today that most people - including doctors - aren't talking about, and this a big part of the reason why cancer is so misunderstood - and so prevalent in today's modern world...

Growing up on the farm, we had a huge elderberry bush in the front yard. My sisters and I would climb it in the late summer and pick giant purple bouquets of elderberries for my parents, who would somehow turn the tiny, bitter and unpalatable berries into quarts of delicious, dark purple sticky sweet syrup which was our favorite pancake topping year-round. 

This was long before elderberry syrup became one of the hottest natural health aids around. Touted for helping to prevent and fight off colds and influenza, reduce inflammation, and soothe coughs and respiratory illnesses, humble elderberry syrup has recently reached "superfood" status. 

Driving down the road the other day, I spied some big elderberry heads beginning to turn purple. It reminded me of the purple-handed late-summer task of my childhood, and it inspired me to share this recipe with you, so you can see just how easy it is to make your very own delicious and immune-boosting elderberry syrup - and you'll save a ton of money on those pricey commercial versions!