Soap & Running Water in Rural Missouri

Howdy, y’all!

I wanted to let ya know that my daughter, Michele Tune (aka Raw Juice Girl), has been published in the Rural Missouri! You’ll find her story “Soap & Running Water” on page 24 of the September Issue. We’ve posted a picture of the article below. You can visit www.ruralmissouri.org for ordering information but the article isn’t posted on their website.

Congratulations, Michele!

We’ve bought our soaps, lotions, salves, and candles from Judy Riggs, of Riggs Creations (www.riggscreations.org), for the past few years. Her products are by far the best that have ever come in contact with this hillbilly Herb Lady’s skin!

Ain’t Judy Riggs purdy in her Indian dress and braids? That’s her mortal and pestle that she crushes her herbs with–the herbs that go into her handcrafted products! We’re mighty proud of her. Congratulations, Judy!

Judy Riggs, of Riggs Creations

Riggs’ Creations Booth at Baker Creek Festival

The above photo was taken this month at Baker Creek. Judy Riggs’ booth was right next to the ole Herb Lady’s! Yep, it was. That’s her booth right there, with the blue canopy–and what fine neighbor she is!

Judy Riggs will have a booth at the next Baker Creek Festival–and so will I! Be there: Sunday, September 6th, 2009.

Visit StreetsofBakersville.com to learn more about the festivals.

Directions to Bakersville, located in Mansfield, Missouri (from their site):

Info about the festivals
The festivals are held at Bakersville, near Mansfield, MO.

Directions:
From Mansfield, MO take Hwy. 5 north 1.5 miles to London Rd and follow signs.

We offer free tent and RV camping; no need to register. There are also hotels in the local area. Some food is available at the festival.
Admission $2.00; children 14 and under are free. No large dogs.

Vendors are welcome! Please call to register and make sure you have a space.
Call 417-924-8917

Wanna see more pictures of events like this one? How ’bout videos featuring the ole Herb Lady? They’re a comin’! So, be sure to subscribe to my feed or by email. Y’all come back now!

Baker Creek Festival: August, 2009

You may have been a wonderin’ where the ole Herb Lady has been! Things have been purdy crazy around here. Between workin’ on the Amish farm and livin’ like a pioneer woman, I’ve been a wee bit… well, just plum tired!

I’ve been settin’ up at outdoor markets like crazy–several a week, I say! I haven’t had time to take pictures of every outdoor market I’ve been a workin’ at but I wanted to share a little of the Baker Creek Festival with ya.

Here’s a sneak peek of the Hillbilly Heaven Herbs booth…

Welcome

Herb Lady’s Remedies

Herbal Tonics

Free Herbal Tea Samples

Herb Lady Passin’ Out Herbal Tea Samples

(That’d be me!)

Michele Passin’ Out Herbal Tea Samples

(That’d be my daughter, aka Raw Juice Girl)

Michele Sellin’ Those Herbs!

Views Around Our Booth

(There was a LOT more than this. We just didn’t have time to walk around, gawkin’ and takin’ pictures!)

Like what you see here? I’ll be settin’ up again here the 1st Sunday in September. Visit StreetsofBakersville.com to learn more about the festivals.

Directions to Bakersville, located in Mansfield, Missouri (from their site):

Info about the festivals
The festivals are held at Bakersville, near Mansfield, MO.

Directions:
From Mansfield, MO take Hwy. 5 north 1.5 miles to London Rd and follow signs.

We offer free tent and RV camping; no need to register. There are also hotels in the local area. Some food is available at the festival.
Admission $2.00; children 14 and under are free. No large dogs.

Vendors are welcome! Please call to register and make sure you have a space.
Call 417-924-8917

Wanna see more pictures of events like this one? How ’bout videos featuring the ole Herb Lady? They’re a comin’! So, be sure to subscribe to my feed or by email. Y’all come back now!

Amish Livin’: Hillbilly Homesteading

Herb Lady MIA

You might’ve been a wonderin’ where I’ve been at lately. Well, I’ve been busy on the Amish farm I moved to! Yep, that’s right. The ole Herb Lady has gone off-the-grid and planted herself in Amish country. Amish livin’ is quite hard, I must say, but it’s an experience I’ll always cherish!

My daughter, Michele, has already made her confessions from an Amish farm on her blog.

It’s been pretty crazy livin’ without electric. So far, we have solar panels and two wind generators for power and a generator for back-up. There’s lots of sacrifice but lots of rewards, too–like signs of SPRING!

Here’s a few new additions to the family

3 Chicks

2 ducks and a turkey (they’re a little camera shy!)

NOTE: The chicks, ducks, and turkey are in cages with newspaper under ‘em parked right in front of the woodstove ’cause on an Amish farm, there ain’t no heating lamp!

Mama (Hair) sheep and baby lamb

Red apple tree

Hillbilly Homestead Site Coming Soon!

We’re planning a new site that’ll share the journey on this Amish farm since the first day we got the key. Things aren’t moving as fast as we’d like. We’re on limited Internet through a USB modem and we can’t upload the videos or tons of pictures because there’s only so much usage available each month.

Yep, we could go to the coffee shop for free wi-fi but life is a wee bit busy with all the Amish type chores.

I’ll be posting here when the Amish homesteading site is live, so be sure to subscribe to my feed or by email so you’ll know when it’s ready fer ya to visit…. Y’all come back now, ya hear?

Diabetes and Stevia Balance with Inulin and Chromium

Fighting Diabetes with Alternative Medicine

A few years ago my daughter, Michele, was takin’ diabetes medication. Yep, her blood sugar was plum awful, it was! She was near 300 pounds and her body was all a mess. She’s stubborn and didn’t wanna listen to nary a word I told her. All my hillbilly alternative medicine advice fell on deaf ears, it did. What’s a Momma to do?

Bad Habits and Sweet Tea

She drank iced tea with white sugar by the droves (which is thought to cause and feed disease). I was on a mission to find a healthy alternative sweetener–and not one of them there ole chemical ones. This was my solution: Stevia Balance with Inulin and Chromium. It’s delicious and not bitter like some Stevia brands like folks think. It also has Inulin and Chromium.

Blood Sugar Stabilizes with Help of Stevia Balance

Once Michele started using Stevia Balance in her tea, she began noticing a total difference in the way she felt. Her blood sugar started stabilizing and it even helped her get out of the rut she was in with her weight loss. She still uses this natural sweetener today (I do too) and maintains a 120-pound weight loss.

What is Chromium?

Chromium is a mineral our bodies need. Most folks are lacking in it and don’t even know it. Chromium helps control blood sugar levels, and metabolizes cholesterol and nucleic acid. Chromium deficiency can cause you to be insulin resistant, which can actually lead to heart disease or even diabetes. A lot of people notice an increase in their strength when they begin supplementing with chromium or use this sweetener.

In Goes the Inulin

Inulin is a prebiotic fiber that promotes beneficial bacteria in your gut and helps you have healthy bowel functions and helps to stabilize your blood sugar as well. It’s  found in sources such as chicory root, dandelion, and numerous other natural sources. A lot of the time, you’ll hear of inulin comin’ from chicory root.

Balance Your Life

Ya might wish this here sweetener would be a magical cure. Now it won’t melt all your fat off, but it is a great supplement to help you with your weight loss. It sure did help my daughter!

What can ya do with it?

• add it to yer tea or other drinks (don’t forget the lemon!)
• stir it in yer oats (I use steel cut oats <— These things help scrape the gunk that’s caked up on the sides of your colon; more to come about that in a future post.)
• sprinkle it on some raw fruit
• the possibilities are endless!

What Are Ya Waitin’ Fer?

Head on over and nab you some of this stuff — you’ll sure be glad ya did!

Want to learn more about frugal natural remedies to be healthy and ward off sickness? If you want to reach yer ultimate state of health, be sure to sign up for free updates. Subscribe to my feed or by email. Y’all come back now!

References:
WH Foods

Lemon Low-down: The Sweet Truth about Lemons

By

Deborah J. Tune (aka Herb Lady)

Lemons: Sour and Sweet?

Pucker up when ya taste a lemon, do ya? Well, that tart little thing is exploding with benefits! Have weak kidneys? Bladder infections all the time? What about them there nasty ole colds and sniffles? Lemons are loaded in Vitamin C to help your immune system fight off germs.

Health Benefits of Lemon:

• combats arthritis
• fights inflammation
• builds immune system
• flushes kidneys and bladder
• neutralizes free radicals
• reduces some symptoms of osteoarthritis
• bursting with Vitamin C

Fun Fact: Lemons also contain phytonutrients that have anti-cancer properties!

Here’s a few ways to add lemon to your daily diet:

• add a slice to your tea or water
• squeeze it on your salad
• add it to your guacamole
• drizzle it over the top of chopped avocado and tomato for a quick, healthy snack
• make homemade vinaigrettes instead of using store-bought, high-fat, processed dressings
• add a few slices when baking fish
• or squirt some on your fish once it’s done
• add a little to your raw juice

I always notice a difference in the way I feel when I don’t get my daily lemon. I feel stronger, better, and healthier when I’m able to get my raw lemon juice. (I never, ever recommend using bottled lemon juice–it isn’t in it’s natural raw form.)

Organically-grown foods are always best-received by our bodies. I’ve added a solid quote from Whole Foods below to back up my opinion.

Other compounds, such as ethyl alcohol or ethanol, are added to the waxes for consistency, milk casein (a protein linked to milk allergy) for “film formers” and soaps for flowing agents. Since you may not be able to determine the source of these waxes, this is another good reason to choose organically grown lemons and limes.– Whole Foods

What’s So Sweet About a Tart-Tasting Lemon?

I guess you’re wonderin’ by now why I used the word “sweet” in the title of this post. Did you notice all the health benefits of lemons I’ve mentioned here? That’s what makes ‘em sweet!

I plan on sharin’ a ton more health benefits with ya such as I did today with the lemon. Foods in their raw, natural form contain maximum nutrition for our bodies and minds. That’s what alternative medicine (and Hillbilly Heaven Herbs) is all about: preventing disease and illness by using food, spices, herbs, and frugal natural remedies to be healthy and ward off sickness.If you want to reach yer ultimate state of health, be sure to sign up for free updates. Subscribe to my feed or by email. Y’all come back now!

Photo Credit: http://www.sxc.hu/

The Herb Companion Magazine and a Dream

By

Deborah J. Tune (a.k.a. Herb Lady)

The Herb Companion magazine has been my favorite herbal magazine for the longest. I’ve enjoyed flipping through it since way  back when I was tendin’ my ailin’ momma, husband, and daughter. On those rare occasions I got to sit down and take a breather, I’d get lost in all the stories and recipes. I love learning from the The Herb Companion’s articles, and living a simple life.

The very name of my Web site, Hillbilly Heaven Herbs, came to me back then. Yep, it did. I knew what I’d call my herb business – I just didn’t have the spare time to pursue my dreams. First, I had to tend what and who needed me. I knew there’d come a day when I’d be able to spend time on building up Hillbilly Heaven Herbs and that day came, yes it did.

Like I mentioned on the About page, things have settled down a little bit now, and I’m even able to focus on getting the website and this blog up and running. And, it just so happens one of the things I’ve been wanting to share with ya is my love of this magazine, so mosey on over and subscribe to The Herb Companion. You’ll be glad ya did!

I plan on sharin’ a ton more of my favorite magazines, books, and products with ya — and I’ll be telling ya lots more about alternative medicine, so be sure to sign up for free updates. Subscribe to my feed or by email. Y’all come back now!

Do you already get The Herb Companion? Have ya ever heard of it? It sure is a good one! Let us know in the comments what your thoughts are on this herbal publication.

Probiotics: Preventing Illness

By

Deborah J. Tune (a.k.a. Herb Lady)

Antibiotics

What happens when ya get sick? You go to the doctor and get a round of antibiotics, right? Yep. Did ya ever take into consideration what “anti” in the word antibiotics means? Well, just in case ya don’t have a dictionary handy fer checking I’ll show ya what Merriam-Webster says about it:

Probiotics

Probiotics are the opposite of antibiotics.

Again, let’s take a look at what Merriam-Webster says:

pro·bi·ot·ic: a preparation (as a dietary supplement) containing live bacteria (as lactobacilli) that is taken orally to restore beneficial bacteria to the body

Key Words: Restore Beneficial Bacteria

Probiotics replace the good bacteria (flora) the antibiotics killed. A healthy gut and colon are crucial for good health and a strong immune system. If you start taking probiotics in the spring or summer, you’ll reap the benefits come winter. When ever one else is a hacking and gagging and sick as a dog, you will have built your immune system up and be healthy as a horse!

I personally take 8 Billion Acidophilus with Bifidus.

Probiotics

You also might find 15 billion Acidophilus with Bifidus at your local health food store.

I’m gonna tell ya lots more about alternative medicine, so be sure to sign up for free updates. Subscribe to my feed or by email. Y’all come back now!

Resource:

http://www.merriam-webster.com/

Herb Lady is Blogging!

Yep, that’s right!

You may know me from farmers markets or other outdoor markets in and around the Missouri Ozarks. I’m Deborah Tune (a.k.a. Herb Lady). I’ve been out and about in the real world, selling herbs and helping others improve their health with natural medicine. Now I’ve decided to get with the cyber program and start blogging in 2009!

This is the first of many posts you’ll be reading, so be sure to subscribe so you won’t miss out on anything!

P.S. Did you notice the cartoon over at the right side of this page? Over there —–> Still can’t find her? Ok, I’ll stick her in this here writing box so you can see her real good.

Click on me to subscribe.

There she is. See her? Ain’t she purty?! She’s a cartoon version of me and is called a feed dolly. If you click on her, you’ll be taken to a page where you can subscribe and receive every article I write here.

Credit:
Feed dolly was created by Emila Yusof.