Natures Bridge is a new natural health store located in the quaint town of Scottsville, Virginia. We offer a full range of herbs, specializing in liquid tinctures and teas as well as natural bath products, organic groceries, gluten free products, and essential oils. The herbs we offer are the purest organic and wild crafted (hand picked from the wild) herbs available.

Capsules, powders, tablets, oils, colloidal suspensions and other liquids are procured and produced with the highest integrity and attention to purity and quality. Our bath products are custom made with all natural products and the highest quality of unadulterated oils.

We will offer education lessons such as herb hunting field trips and cooking classes to help educate our clients so that they may make better choices concerning their individual health. Natures Bridge will also utilize the professional interventions of a Medical reflexologist and ionization foot baths.

We will also offer the skills of a Meditation Instructor and an experienced Yoga practitioner the further enhance our clients health needs.

Natures Bridge is operated by professional holistic nurses and educated Herbologists. We have over twenty years of combined experience in the natural health field. We believe in working with our bodies to effectively enhance our health and immunity.

In this age of high finance, big business and monopolies, simplicity is the norm in our store. Someone will always be available to answer questions and help educate our clients.

Essential Oil of the month….LAVENDER.

The French scientist Rene Gattefosse was the first to discover lavender’s ability to promote tissue regeneration and speed wound healing when he severely burned his arm in a laboratory accident. This fine oil has antiseptic, antifungal, analgesic and combats excess sebum on the skin.

Lavender is also useful for respiratory infections, high blood pressure, PMS, insomnia, and nervous tension.

We all know that about the calming , relaxing and balancing effects of Lavender but a study in Japan showed that diffusing certain aromas in an office environment dramatically improved mental accuracy and Lavender produced 20% fewer errors. University of Miami researchers found the inhalation of lavender oil heightened relaxation, reduced depression and improved cognitive performance. Finally, you must insist on quality Lavender oil. Quality oils such as from Young Living do not use high heat for distilling which can damage the oil base.

Herbology 101 .....Cayenne Pepper (capsicum)

Cayenne assists in blocking a pain receptor in our bodies. It reduces joint and muscular pain and boost circulation. Externally, it is a superior pain reliever for arthritis, diabetic neuralgia, and fibromyalgia. Taken internally Cayenne makes for a wonderful cardiovascular and digestive tonic. Dr. .J. Lyle, an American Herbalist called cayenne “the most powerful and persistent heart stimulant known...its influences reaches every organ.” Cayenne is an excellent remedy to ward off chills and is useful at the onset of a cold. It can induce sweating which aides in detoxing and it supports the body’s defense system using it high level of vitamin C and it’s antibacterial as well. With all its benefits, it is not an herb where more is better. Excessive consumption is not recommended.

What you should know about genetically altered foods...

Did you know that genetically engineered foods make up nearly 70% of the foods on our grocery selves? That number is expected to increase to 90% by 2012! Genetically Engineered (GE) foods have had their DNA altered with other plants, animal, insect or even bacterial or viral DNA to make a more “improved” food.

Lets first look at the pro’s in GE foods:

• GE foods can boost resistance to pests, decreasing the need for pesticides.
  
• Makes for a longer shelf life.
  
• GE companies hope to create “super crops” that will feed the entire world, even though reports from the United Nations Food & Agriculture Organization states that industrialized countries would be able to produce enough food to accomplish this by the year 2030 without the use of genetically altered organisms.
  
• GE foods are a convenient way to deliver drugs and vaccinations.

Now lets examine the con’s:

• Allergens are transferred at the molecular level as we add genes from substances that are not normally in our food chain.
• There are reports that allergies to soy have increased 50% since 1997.
  
• People with severe allergies to foods such as peanuts may be at a high risk for reactions to foods altered with the gene of nuts. A study of genetically altered soybeans with the genes of a brazil nut showed the same allergy reaction as eating the brazil nut itself.
  
• GE crops are being cross - pollinated into our organic crops meaning that we may make organic products obsolete.
  
• GE crops have been engineered to build resistance to pesticides which can transfer to weeds creating “superweeds” that do not respond to herbicides. This could force farmers to use even more pesticides and herbicides creating even more pollution in our environment.
  
• A 1999 study from the Journal of Medicinal Foods showed that cancer-fighting phytoestrogens in genetically engineered soybeans are 14% lower than in natural soy- beans. This means that bioengineering may destroy healing properties and reduce nutrient content of foods.
  
• Fish genes are routinely added to GE tomatoes (are you listening vegetarians?)
  
• GE foods are developed to create their own insecticides or herbicides which could be dangerous to animals and people. Could this be a link to the ever decreasing population of our bees?
  
• A European study showed ladybugs that eat aphids that dine on GE insect repellant potatoes live far shorter lives and produce one-third fewer eggs.

What exactly does the USDA know about genetically engineering consequences? Only 1% of the USDA’s molecular biology budget is spent on exploring the risks of genetic engineering on our foods. Let’s look at the “Flavr Savr” tomato introduced in 1994. The genes in this tomato transferred a resistance to certain antibiotics in the people who ate them.

Antibiotic genes are used throughout the genetic engineering process today which may cause the rates of antibiotic-resistant
bacteria to soar and making people even more susceptible to the “supergerms” than they are now.

Why alter foods at all? Documented studies show some tomatoes growing in polluted areas actually become stronger, boosting their antioxidant nutrients to protect themselves from harsh conditions, in the process, becoming a more powerful medicinal food without genetic engineering!
What can you do? GE foods are not required to be labeled to date. If you think they should be write to Jane Henney M.D, FDA Commissioner, at 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857. Meanwhile, stick with certified organic foods although processed organic foods are allowed to contain 5% of non organic products. Remember that soy, canola oil and corn foods are routinely genetically altered. Consume organic dairy, most commercial dairy has GE hormones that increase cancer rates. Support your local farmers by buying seasonal fruits and vegetables or join a food co-op!

Through the genetic engineering process we may be making organic products obsolete.