A Weekend to Remember

We take pause from our busy Watkins business to honor those who fought to protect our American way of life.

We are indeed fortunate this Memorial Day. We have so much to be grateful for.  We live in a wonderful country, made so by the men and women in the armed forces. The very fact that we are able to carry on a successful home-based Watkins business may not have been possible if it wasn’t for these brave individuals.

The Watkins Company has been around for some 146 years. A number of those early Watkins men took time away from their own businesses to fight in two World Wars and all those battles since then. While they were off fighting for their country, wives and loved ones left behind carried on in their absence.  Watkins welcomed these women into the sales force, where they too learned that the company offered a wonderful opportunity to contribute to the family income. Imagine the surprise of many of those returning servicemen when they discovered their Watkins business had thrived while they were off defending the country.

This weekend, we have pitched our Watkins All Natural Country Store tent at the Big Bear Elks Club Peddlers Market. This is a popular event, attended by locals as well as many Southern California visitors, who have driven up the mountain to enjoy the holiday weekend. Once the Peddlers Market closes up each afternoon at 5 pm, we will be enjoying ourselves in this little corner of paradise we call Big Bear. So thank you once again to all those brave men and women, many of whom gave up their lives, so that we could live in the home of the free and the brave.

Extolling the benefits of cinnamon

It’s not just good-tasting, but proven to be good for you as well.

Cinnamon is one of those ingredients we always have on hand in our pantries. That’s one of the reasons it is a top-selling product produced by the JR Watkins Company. Its quality is well-known, having been given international recognition at previous World Fairs. The spice is not just delicious in apple pies or on buttered toast. Cinnamon is chock full of health benefits. Ancient Chinese medicine has long valued cinnamon for its medical value. Now that natural products and home remedies are so in vogue, we're paying more attention to the capabilities of this special spice.

The following are some of the health benefits of cinnamon.

1. The spice's aroma has been said to boost mood, cognitive function and memory. Specifically, notes the website World's Healthiest Foods: "Cinnamon improved participants' scores on tasks related to attentional processes, memory and visual-motor speed while working on computer-based programs."

2. Cinnamon is known to lower blood sugar in individuals with diabetes. It also can help stabilize blood sugar, which assists in weight loss. So add a dash to your cereal or coffee each morning.  Your hunger and sugar cravings will be reduced throughout the day.

3. Just half a teaspoon a day may lower "bad cholesterol" (LDL), but this does not mean that you should forego exercise or wantonly indulge in foods high in saturated fats.

4. It can help stop the growth of bacteria in foods, thus making it a natural food preservative.

5. When mixed with hot water and honey or tea with ginger, it may prevent the onset of the flu. It may also alleviate headaches or migraines.

6. High in antioxidants, the spice may come in handy treating acne issues and making way for clearer complexions. Learnvest.com suggests trying this treatment method: "Mix 1 teaspoon of powdered cinnamon with 3 tablespoons of honey, apply to the skin, and let the mixture sit for a few hours or overnight. Wash off with warm water."

7. Medication-resistant yeast infections may also benefit from the ingestion of cinnamon, based on its anti-fungal properties.

So go ahead, make the spice a grander part of your life, and see what it can do for you.  If you like tea, add a dash to your mug.  Given the numerous health benefits of tea, combining the two practically guarantees to take your health to the next level.

Watkins now offers two types of cinnamon, the original in a tin can, and Saigon cinnamon which comes in a glass bottle.  Both are available online at www.AllNaturalCountryStore.com.