From the Beginning

Shop owner shares tips for maintaining optimal health and building immunity in the midst of winter.

 Allyson Dix

Jobe Publishing, Inc,

 

Nona Rickett has been an avid researcher of herbs and other alternative health options for over three decades, and she shares some great tips and benefits for optimizing health and how to boost immunity in the winter months.

In the beginning of her natural health journey, she stumbled upon an enzyme supplement recommended to her that ultimately treated a health issue she was having at the time. It helped her tremendously so she sought out something else to help with allergies.

“I thought to myself, there is something to this so I started reading and learning different things,” Rickett said. Years later, she began working at the former Pioneer Health store in Glasgow until it closed.

She went on to open her own store in Glasgow, Genesis Health Store and celebrated the store’s ten-year anniversary last September.

Rickett said many people visit her store seeking suggestions on what they should take to improve their overall health.

The first thing she recommends is a good-quality multivitamin.

Our food lacks in nutrients due to a lack of supplementing nutrition back into the soil and Rickett said a multivitamin is a good option to add needed nutrients into our bodies.

Most people simply do not get enough vitamin D, which is vital for many health areas including bone health, muscles, nerve connections to the brain, immune system, and much more.

In the winter especially, Rickett says most multivitamins lack enough vitamin D so supplementing extra is beneficial.

Magnesium is another recommendation Rickett provided.

“Most people don’t have enough magnesium, which does about 300 things in the body from leg cramps, restless leg, sleep, muscles, bones, and it’s a good thing to take,” Rickett said.

Another word Rickett says many don’t like to hear is fiber.

“Fiber absorbs bad things in the body like blood sugar, cholesterol, triglycerides, all that bad stuff,” Rickett said. “Women need around 25 grams of fiber daily and men need 30 grams daily.”

However, Rickett cautions not to start with these recommended fiber amounts but instead build up to that amount over time. There are drinks for fiber intake that provide 6 to 13 grams. When taking fiber, Rickett explained it should be taken by itself so it doesn’t absorb other supplements, medications, and nutrients.

“To get the benefits of fiber, you want to leave a good 30 to 45 minute window when you take fiber,” Rickett said.

The best thing people can take, Rickett said, is a probiotic. Probiotics are living microorganisms such as bacteria and yeasts that actually have beneficial effects on the body. Maintaining a healthy gut microbiome is important for overall health.

“Eighty percent of what’s wrong with us comes from our gut, our colon,” Rickett said, adding that the good bacteria in our gut can be depleted in various ways such as medications, x-rays, chemo, radiation, diarrhea, and even stress will deplete your good stuff.

In the wintertime when sicknesses like the flu, common colds, or other illnesses often peak, boosting immunity can help protect us from getting sick, reduce symptoms when we are, and promote healing.

“Adding vitamin C to your regimen is helpful, because it creates hydrogen peroxide in your body,” Rickett said. “I know that doesn’t sound like a good thing, but that’s what helps kill things.”

Olive leaf (derived from the olive plant) and royal jelly are also beneficial for immune support.

Royal jelly is a secretion of honey bees and is rich in carbs, fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, proteins, and amino acids.

Elderberry (a plant also known as sambucus) and echinacea (an herb), while each provides a great number of benefits, are excellent options for boosting the immune system.

However, those with autoimmune diseases may want to avoid using elderberry and echinacea. For those who do have autoimmune issues and want to boost immunity, vitamin C, royal jelly, and olive leaf are relatively safe. Rickett said some can even help with the autoimmune diseases.

All of the above recommendations are for general maintenance and ensuring the body has avenues to reach its optimal performance. However, Rickett explained that if people are dealing with specific problems, such as high cholesterol or joint pain, there are other options that target specific issues.

In her role, she helps individuals with suggestions based on their needs or perhaps just looking to optimize their health, and she says this is one of the most rewarding parts of owning and managing Genesis Health Store, which is located at 226 Shane Drive in Glasgow next to Sweetheart Bakery.

“When I can help others improve the quality of their life and see them heal from health problems, and they come back to tell me, ‘Oh, it works!’” Rickett said. ‘It’s very rewarding.”

Rickett’s inspiration is a gift to others spurred by the first book of the Holy Bible, Genesis.

“I believe everything was created from the Lord we have everything we need to heal,” Rickett said, “The Bible mentions several places with this. He created the leaves for medicine and planted the herbs for service to man.”

That’s why Rickett thinks of Genesis, from the very beginning, which she ultimately used for her small business store name.

Genesis Health Shop, LLC offers a variety of things from essential oils to products for your four-legged companion pets.

The shop is open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., and closed on Sunday. For more information, call 270-629-2275.