After 35 years as a registered nurse, Betsy Rabold opens a natural health food store downtown
For 35 years, Rabold worked as a registered nurse working in cardiology. Now certified as a natural health professional, Rabold combines her extensive medical knowledge and offers consultations at her new business. My Father’s Garden, an all-natural health and wellness shop at 106 N. Union St.
“I may use a nursing judgment but I won’t diagnosis anybody,” she said. “I enjoy helping people that’s why I got into nursing in the first place. This is just another way I can help people. This is my passion.”
Her father’s impact
“I took the name from both of my fathers,” she said.
When Rabold decided she wanted to open her store, she wanted to honor her heavenly father (since the organic items come from God’s garden) and her parental father, Charles Benson.
“My father was a very spiritual, God-fearing man,” she said. “And was quite the outdoorsman. He used to concoct all these different remedies for us. Part of it was that we were pretty poor and that it was the way he knew to do things.”
Rabold said Benson, who died in 2003, used the plants and roots around him to treat common ailments and to enhance a good, long healthy life.
“I inherited his love for these things. My goal is to help you have a healthier life. I want to show others how to use the abundance from God and my father’s knowledge to be healthy,” she said. “He was digging ginseng root when he had a cardiac attack. He always did the kind of things he loved,” she said.
One of her favorite recipes was sassafras tea. (how does this relate?) Whenever Rabold or her siblings had the flu, Benson would give them sweet onions.
“He would cook onions and add sugar to make a syrup. I didn’t find out until later that onions are a wonderful antioxidant and are good for chest colds,” she said.
Making the change
Twelve years ago, Rabold was diagnosis with breast cancer.
“When you’re faced with your own mortality you do what you think you should do,” she said, adding chemotherapy and surgery were her decision to combat the disease. “I was off work so I got a certification as a natural health consultant. It started off as something that interested me.”
Rabold said her medical training assisted with her rehabilitation.
“The chemo helped me survive but the affects were pretty bad. I was able to make myself better. I had trouble with my kidneys and liver and was able to get them normalized,” she said. “That’s when my process really ignited and I’ve been on the journey ever since.”
The store has been a longtime coming for Rabold.
“I first had this idea at least 10 years ago, and it’s exciting,” she said. “I have the same feelings as when I first started nursing. I want to get to know people.”
Rabold recently retired due to changes made in healthcare.
“There were lots of things happening in hospitals the past year due to the changes in healthcare and I was at a point in my life where I asked myself, do I want to do this for 20 more years, 15 or 10? I didn’t,” she said. Coincidentally, I went to a business building class one weekend. I went to this class and knew this is what I was supposed to do.”
Nine months after the class, Rabold opened My Father’s Garden, which assists with ailments, working toward wellness and prevention.
“Many of the medicines folks take on a day-to-day basis started out as plants,” she said.
The store
“We have lots of different things – from run of the mill vitamins and supplements to a pretty large homeopathic section that treats different ailments, liquid supplements and herbs, aromatherapy and the standard natural healthy vitamins,” she said.
My Father’s Garden also offers food products like teas and coffee and organic personal care items.
“Non GMO is pretty important to folks nowadays – to get products not to just eat, but to use on their bodies that are as pure as possible,” she said. “People are taking more personal responsibility for their health. It costs you a lot less in the long run.”
One unique product that My Father’s Garden offers is Chaga, which is found on Birch Trees.
“It’s a fungas, like a mushroom, that grows on trees. It’s been found to be a very powerful antioxidant. You make a tea out of them. You put it in a crock-pot with pure water, add a cinnamon stick, simmer and then drink it. Or you can drink it cold,” Rabold said, adding that Chaga can be reused. “I put my old ones in the fridge. It’s a small dose and replenishes itself. Really the most bang for your buck.”
My Father’s Garden is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. The store is closed Sunday. For more information, call 399-7999 or visit www.myfathersgarden4health.com.
A different approach
My Father’s Garden owner Betsy Rabold shares a few vitamins and homeopathic treatments for common ailments:
Seasonal allergies – Local raw honey. “You’re getting the same pollens, it inoculates you.” Rabold said there is also a homeopathic spray by KingBio that is region specific.
Cough and cold – A syrup of sweet onions and sugar.
Headaches – Oils that relieve tension such as mint, lavender or peppermint. “Things that relax you.”
Antibiotic – Oregano oil. “I put it in a gel capsule.”
Muscle aches – Arnica or black cherry juice without sugar. “It’s been shown to help take out lactic acid after you exercise. It’s great for post workout.”
High blood pressure – Items with hibiscus, such as tea, or real sea salt (not the white stuff).
Sunburns – Regular caffeinated tea bags. “The tannins in the tea help heal the burns.”
Digestive issues – Aloe. “It’s good for digestion and I use aloe juice as a cleanser.”
Meet Betsy Rabold
Age: 54
Hometown: Clinton
Residence: Westfield
Family: Children – Justin, a fireman in Clinton, Rachel, a student at the Art Institute and member of the National Guard, and Hannah, a senior at Ball State University; and two granddaughters.
Hobbies: Enjoys being with her family and going to church. Rabold attends St. Maria Goretti in Westfield and Holy Rosary in Indianapolis (because she enjoys the Latin Mass) “I took two years of Latin in high school because you had to know Latin to be a nurse,” she said.
Favorite scripture: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” – Philippians 4:13
