Read the full episode + resources here:

Becoming Natural website

https://becomingnatural.com/l-theanine-benefits

If your body feels tired but your mind refuses to settle, this episode will help you understand why — and what may gently support your nervous system.

Today we are exploring L-theanine benefits, an amino acid widely studied for its role in promoting calm focus without sedation. Rather than forcing the brain to slow down, L-theanine appears to encourage a more regulated state — one where clearer thinking and emotional steadiness become easier to access.

You’ll learn:

✔ what L-theanine is and how it crosses the blood–brain barrier

✔ how it supports alpha brain waves linked to relaxed alertness

✔ why many people report feeling calm yet mentally sharp

✔ who may benefit most from this type of support

✔ how to choose a high-quality supplement

✔ simple safety considerations

We also talk about the growing reality of overstimulation in modern life — not only for adults, but for our children — and why supporting the nervous system is becoming increasingly important.

This episode invites you to approach your body with curiosity instead of pressure and reminds us that sometimes the smallest physiological support can create space for the deepest exhale.

Listen in and discover whether L-theanine might be one helpful piece of your rhythm toward calm.

Book:

The Anxious Generation by by Jonathan Haidt

https://amzn.to/4aB5w6I

If you’re looking for a high-quality L-theanine, I’ve linked the one our family trusts below.

Thorne L-Theanine:

https://amzn.to/4qkJry4

Integrative Therapeutics L-Theanine:

https://amzn.to/4r4H6bE

Hosted by Penelope Sampler

Natural Wellness • Chronic Illness Journey • Faith & Wellness

📩 Join the Email List

🛒 My Trusted Resources Contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting the show.

📌 Note: I share what I’ve learned on my own journey — the things that have supported me in hard seasons. I offer personal experience, thoughtful research, and lots of encouragement. This podcast isn’t medical advice, and it shouldn’t replace care from a qualified professional. Always talk to someone you trust before making changes to your health routine.

© Becoming Natural Podcast.

Mentioned in this episode:

Lumebox Portable Redlight

https://becomingnatural.com/redlight

More Than Enough Outro

Penelope read an excerpt from the book More Than Enough: The Silent Struggle of a Woman’s Identity and shares her chapter, “My Intestine-mony.” https://becomingnatural.com/books/

Read the full episode + resources here:

Becoming Natural website

https://becomingnatural.com/oregano-oil-benefits

Oregano is more than a supplement trend—it’s a leaf with a long history of everyday use. In this episode of Becoming Natural, we explore oregano oil benefits through a food-first, faith-centered lens, separating what science actually supports from modern hype.

You’ll learn how oregano has traditionally been used as daily nourishment, when oregano oil can be helpful as a short-term tool, and why digestion, bile flow, and bitters matter more than most people realize. We also talk about safe ways to use oregano—as food, tea, steam, topical support, or oil—along with important red flags and quality markers to look for when choosing a product.

This conversation isn’t about replacing doctors or fearing medicine. It’s about remembering that God built quiet support into creation and that prevention often begins with consistency, not intensity.

Island Oregano Oil

Young Living Oregano Oil

Gaia Oregano Oil Capsules

Garden of Life Oregano Oil Drops

Asakuki BPA-FREE Essential Oil Diffuser

Ceramic Essential Oil Diffuser

Glass Essential Oil Diffuser

Size 0 Vegan Capsules

Hosted by Penelope Sampler

Natural Wellness • Chronic Illness Journey • Faith & Wellness

📩 Join the Email List

🛒 My Trusted Resources Contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting the show.

📌 Note: I share what I’ve learned on my own journey — the things that have supported me in hard seasons. I offer personal experience, thoughtful research, and lots of encouragement. This podcast isn’t medical advice, and it shouldn’t replace care from a qualified professional. Always talk to someone you trust before making changes to your health routine.

© Becoming Natural Podcast.

Read the full blog post + resources here:

https://becomingnatural.com/fresh-milled-flour-benefits

Bread was never the problem — modern processing is.

In this episode of Becoming Natural, Penny explores the surprising benefits of fresh milled flour, why store-bought bread affects the body so differently, and what we lost when wheat was stripped of its germ, bran, enzymes, and healthy fats.

You’ll learn why labels like “enriched” and “fortified” are actually red flags, how freshly milled wheat behaves differently in the body, and why intact grains were designed to last through famine, drought, and generations — until they’re broken open to nourish.

This conversation weaves together simplified food science, digestive health, blood sugar stability, immune support, and nervous system regulation with Scripture’s repeated emphasis on daily bread — provision that is living, time-sensitive, and meant to draw us into slower, more dependent rhythms.

We also explore:

1. Why freshly milled flour spoils quickly — and why that’s a sign of life
2. How modern bread became shelf-stable but nutritionally empty
3. Why some people tolerate fresh wheat differently than store bread
4. The biblical role of grain storage through famine and drought
5. What Jesus meant when He called Himself “the Bread of Life”

This episode is not about perfection or baking everything from scratch. It’s about returning to food that cooperates with the body, honors God’s design, and invites us to slow down — one simple change at a time.

Hosted by Penelope Sampler

Natural Wellness • Chronic Illness Journey • Faith & Wellness

📩 Join the Email List

🛒 My Trusted Resources Contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting the show.

📌 Note: I share what I’ve learned on my own journey — the things that have supported me in hard seasons. I offer personal experience, thoughtful research, and lots of encouragement. This podcast isn’t medical advice, and it shouldn’t replace care from a qualified professional. Always talk to someone you trust before making changes to your health routine.

© Becoming Natural Podcast.

Mentioned in this episode:

Lumebox Portable Redlight

https://becomingnatural.com/redlight