DigestZen is a Superhero Oil!

DigestZen is one of the first oils I tried from the doTERRA line of products.  I was pregnant and had intense heartburn.  It was miserable.  I had tried everything!  Just 1 drop over my stomach and 1 drop down my breastbone and all that misery disappeared.  It was unbelievable.  So much that it took me 3 days to believe it was that simple.

Actually, I hear that same sort of result from many people that I share DisgestZen with them.  They too are amazed that it works so fast and effective.  

But what if you lucky and never suffer from heartburn, is this oil going to do anything for you?  Absolutely.  Read on to the many uses.

As the name implies, DigestZen is a great blend of oils to help with digestive issues.  One oil can handle many issues of the GI tract instead of loading up your medicine cabinet with multiple OTC medicines.  If you system is stuck and not moving, 1-2 drops rubbed around your belly button in a clockwise motion will help get moving again.  

A testimony from my own family is my nephew who is now 6.  He was born a preemie and has long suffered with acid reflux and constipation.  He has had doctors examine just about every part of his GI tract to find a way to control his acid reflux and constipation.  The poor kid has , changed his diet completely and continued to suffered.  By age 4, the constipation was so bad it led doctors to put him on high, mulitple daily doses of an OTC and that still didn't work.  He would have some good days and some bad days.   The bad days could last weeks.

Fast forward to our introduction to the oils.  My sister put 1 drop of DigestZen on his belly and my nephew needed a bathroom after multiple days of not going.  She applied the one drop to his tummy daily ever since and he feels so much better.  At age 6, he ASKS for his oil daily because he knows he feels better.

If your issue isn't a system that is backed up but one that moves too quickly, DigestZen can help that as well.  It helps the body balance the water in the bowels to slow things back down and rescue you from the potty prison.

Congested sinuses from a nasty cold?  DigestZen is your friend.  1 drop over the sinus area will help to reduce the inflamation and open your head up.  Be VERY careful around your eyes.  It will burn like fire if you get it in your eye.  You might need tissues close by too since that reduction in inflammation may result in your nose running.  To dry it up….Lemon oil down the back of your neck will dry that up.

Ladies, do you get nasty cramps?  DigestZen….yes, DigestZen.  This one was discovered by accident. To help control an upset tummy during her monthly cycle, a friend of mine rubbed her tummy down and viola' her cramps were gone.  In disbelief, when the cramps came back, she did it again and BAM…gone.  You might need 2-3 drops for this one.  And as with other OTC menstural relief, you may need to reapply just as you would take a pill again.


doTERRA has introduced a new product that convienently puts the oil in an easy to carry and quick to take soft gel.  I personally used this little gem after overindulging at Thanksgiving.  

I have been on a low sugar, slower burning carbohydrate diet lately.  Kind a hybrid of Slow Carb and Clean Eating.  I threw it all out the window at Thanksgiving where I ate Sugar Cream Pie, Pumpkin Pie, cheesy potatoes, and on and on.  Too much of it all.  My body revolted and I just felt lousy.  Anyone else?  I know I can't be the only one.  



DigestZen softgels were my super hero!  I took one soft gel with a glass of water and felt better.  I didn't suffer all night with heartburn or the ick feeling that can keep you from getting a restful night's sleep. 

For the rest of your holiday plans, keep in mind DigestZen can help keep stomach issues from a bit of overindulgence from alcohol as well.  Rehydrate yourself with lemon water to wash down either a soft gel or a veggie cap filled with 6 drops and shorten that hangover time.

Take care of your tummy and more with DigestZen and have a wondeful holiday season!

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Emotion Commotion

Essential oils have been used for aromatherapy for centuries.  It wasn't until the 20th century that the term was adopted.  Most people are familiar with Lavender oil and it's calming properties.  But, the oils are extremely versatile for many other emotional issues.  Today's entry is just a few combos I have found helpful.

Lavender….it is a lovely scent and really can help you sleep better.  Why do you think there are so many nighttime lotions scented with it?  If you are like me, those lotions didn't do much for you.  Why?  Because they are using synthetic lavender and it lacks many of the natural properties to calm and soothe.  For the most effective use, you need pure essential oil.

Emotionally, lavender can help you be more verbally expressive by helping your body calm those pesky insecurities you might have.  Unlock your true self, release tension and be more honest in your own thoughts.  All this from one little oil.  How wonderful.

What can you mix Lavender?

Have a huge tension headache?  1 drop Lavender and 1 drop Peppermint rubbed on your forehead and the back of your neck will.  It works fast and effectively.  Bonus, you smell nice! 

I mentioned Peppermint.  Peppermint is a pick me up.  Just think of how the smell of candy canes can bring a smile to your face.  The scent can bring about joy, help overcome depression or pessimistic thoughts, and give you that boost you might need to get stuff done.   Both of these oils are included in the Intro to Oils kit.  Convenient!

A great mixture I love to diffuse:  Peppermint and Wild Orange.  I put 3 drops of each oil in a diffuser and as Peter Pan says, "Think happy thoughts."  Now, will you be off and flying to Neverland….probably not but you might get your house cleaned quicker!  This is also a great one for the back of your neck if you cannot diffuse. 

For a few weeks now, I will admit my level of frustration has been up.  Sometimes being a  work outside the home mother of 3 who is struggling to lose baby weight gets me.  And gets me GOOD!  When I am feeling completely done with it all, I have found Roman Chamomile and Geranium will do the trick.

Roman Chamomile helps to soften things.  Again, there is a reason calming teas sold everywhere are usually Chamomile based.  The scent is floral and lovely.  Add that to Geranium which has a rose like scent and you will feel the frustration wash away.  Geranium is great for restore goodness and trust in yourself and others.  

I apply this mixture to my chest and neck area.  

A book I have found to be quite helpful in my managment of emotions is in fact called Emotions & Essential Oils.  You can find the book on a number of sites.

For those of you not looking to stock up on a ton of oils just to blend for the occasional emotional outburst, doTERRA offers many blends.  The oils of the Mood Matrix is a great place to start.  If you have read this blog at all, you know my admiration of Elevation.

My sister and her family have recently made a huge move.  The stress of moving and the unknown of a new area have all been issues.  My sister admitted to me that without Balance and Serenity, she might not have stayed sane.  She did not want a drug like Xanax because of the many side effects.  Instead she used her natural "Liquid Xanax". Potent and pleasant smelling.

With holiday stress just a week away from overtaking our lives, arm yourself with natural alternatives.  Having just a few select oils can really help you remain calm, find the joy and keep your anxiety and stress down.  You have the power to enjoy your life!

To hear more about how essential oils can transform your healthcare, register to listen to the free webinar.  

And AWAYYYY We Go!

Some of you following this blog know that my real identity...aka day job, is as a pilot.  Yes, like big airplanes.  I was a huge fan of the phrase, "If it ain't Boeing, I ain't going."  But check out my current bird!  She is one awesome machine.   I spend more time teaching others how to fly her than I actually get flying but that is alright.  

How does this apply to essential oils?  Great question!  I am not exactly the person you think would be into natural medicine.  That is the thing about doTERRA!  It works.  You use it, it does what it says and you just want to keep using it.

But that is not what this blog is about today.  It is about oils and travelling.  

If you love to travel, hate to travel, travel for work or just take a yearly vacation the oils can really help you.  First off, you can take them through security.  The TSA does not restrict them as long as you follow the 3-1-1 Rule.

Most bottles of doTERRA are 15mL and you can fit many in a quart size Ziploc bag.  There are also great ways to carry them if you want to take just a little bit for a short trip.  You can use either a travel size carrier or recycle/re-purpose a Altoid mint tin.  They work great.  But what do you pack?

 

Well, there are a couple of options.  If you have a daily protocol, obviously you want those oils.  Let's say you don't but you want to be prepared.  The doTERRA blog has some great ideas how to make kits.

Now, since that blog entry was made, there have been some new, cool products announced.  One being DigestZen softgels.  DigestZen oil would work great too.  The softgels are just very portable!

This little gem will help keep you from suffering from stomach issues that can result from a change in water, soil, food, etc.  Let's face it, no one wants to travel across this awesome planet to end up seeing only a bathroom.

Then there is OnGuard+ softgels.  If you feel rundown or worry you have been exposed to a virus, this is the product for you.  I am testing it's potency out right now with the start of a sinus issue.  This little soft gel is my new protect and defender!

So far, I like the fact that if I feel a bit lousy it is very easy to take.  It will be just as easy to pack in your bag.

Now back to oils that I would take.  Peppermint!  It is going to help tackle headaches, upset tummies, and fevers.  The other great benefit of Peppermint is that it will help you perk up and tackle Jet Lag!  Add a little Frankincense or Wild Orange and really see a big boost.  As a mother of three, I use that little blend frequently to keep going around 3 pm.

Mix peppermint with a bit of water and spray down any hotel bed to help kill bed bugs as well!  

Let's say it is bedtime locally but your internal clock does not agree.  That is where I would break out Lavender, Serenity or maybe even Geranium.  All are great at promoting sleep.  

The best way I found to handle sleep issues on the road was to sleep when I was tired.  Of course as a pilot, I was never staying anywhere too long.  Sleep prevailed over sightseeing.  If you are on vacation more than likely you really want to see the sights.  Do your best to adjust to the time zone you are visiting.  If you land and it is 8 am, try to stay up and do all the normal daytime activities you want and possibly get to bed a bit early if you get tired.  It really does help you reset. 

OnGuard would be in my travel kit as well.  You can mix it with water in a spray bottle to make hand sanitizer.  8 drops to 3 oz of water is a potent mixture to help ward off those unwanted travel bugs.  It will just help you everyday keep the germs away.  Apply it to your feet daily for overall immune support.

I spend many days wandering how my world travel would have been very different if the oils were in my life "back in the day".  I am quite positive, my overall health would have been much better.  I am certain the many times I ended up with some nasty stomach bugs, I could have suffered far less.  At least I have them now and they will travel everywhere I go.

Now, who is ready to go here?

This is the Maldives....yes please!

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The Hairdo Hall of Fame!

As much as I try to do things organic and natural, I need and want my hair done.  I mean professionally cut and colored.  I fully admit, I am not ready to embrace the silver that makes an appearance now and again.  

Now, it takes a few dollars to get your hair colored by a stylist.  For me, it is worth it considering I have had some "self coloring mishaps".  It was not pretty!  I choose to not repeat those mistakes again.

Now, I started using the Wen products to help my color last.  It worked great and I was convinced I would never use another product.  Fast forward to the East Coast Conference in May.  They had this conference package available so I bought it.  In that box, was the doTERRA Spa Essentials hair care system.  Hesitant, I gave it a shot.  It smelled great, my hair looked great, my color still looked good and that was it.  I was hooked!

What did it?  Well, the smell.  The shampoo has Wild Orange essential oil in it.  It is bright, sunny and really helps wake you up.  The blend of oils in the conditioner is just lovely too.  My hair was silky and smooth.  

I was a little afraid of the Root to Tip Serum.  Oil on my fine hair has usually resulted in my hair feeling very greasy.  Just one pump of the serum and my hair smooth and frizz free but not weighted down.   Along with the Healthy Hair glaze which is like a great smelling hair gel, my hair held curl and style better than before.  

Root to Tip Serum is great for those who have dry scalp or dandruff.  

From the website....

"dōTERRA Salon Essentials Root to Tip Serum is a professional formula infused with carefully chosen CPTG essential oils oflavender, peppermint, marjoram, cedar wood, lavandin, rosemary, niaouli, and eucalyptus China. Providing a healthy environment for scalp and maximizing the strength and shine of hair, this serum is powerful and lightweight for extended protection and hydration without weighing hair down or leaving an oily residue."

Other oils that help control dandruff is Melaleuca.  Just add 2-3 drops into your shampoo daily.  

Babies with Cradle Cap can benefit as well.  Just use Lavender, Melaleuca and Fractionated Coconut oil rubbed on their head, let set then gently brush away the loose skin.  We used this protocol on my son for two days and he has never needed another treatment.  My middle daughter had to be treated over and over again for her cradle cap.  Boy, what I would given to have had my oils back then!

Now some of you out there are thinking, great but what about hair loss.  Is there an oil for that?

YES!

For mild hair loss, use 1-2 drops of Rosemary in your shampoo daily.

For more serious loss consider one of these blends added to your shampoo:

Blend 1:

•  3 drops Rosemary

•  5 drops Lavender

•  4 drops Cypress

•  4 drops Clary Sage

Blend 2:

•  8 drops Rosemary

•  10 drops Lavender

•  10 drops Sandalwood

Check out the doTERRA blog as well!  It shows how the pros use the products.

And just because I still think this video is hilarious....check out Rob Young and his day at the spa!

For all the products of doTERRA click here!

For daily use ideas click here!

One Step...or Oil At a Time.

I often here that using essential oils is overwhelming.  I personally giggle a little inside when people say this because I find it to be quite the opposite.  Yes, it took me a couple months to learn what oil works best but the basics are pretty easy to understand.  By using my Modern Essential book, I have taught myself the basics and more.  It really just boils down to taking a little time to read. 

Do you ever look at the side effects of the over the counter drugs you "pop" daily?  Do you read the paperwork given to you by your pharmacist on the side effects of the medicines your doctor prescribes?  You should!

"The most serious side effect is liver damage due to large doses, chronic use or concomitant use with alcohol or other drugs that also damage the liver. Chronic alcohol use may also increase the risk of stomach bleeding."

Can you guess what drug this is?  

Tylenol.  Simple and "safe" right?  As long as you don't take it with alcohol, take too much, on and on.  Do you know how many OTC cold medicines contain Tylenol or acetaminophen?  Even on the official Tylenol website it has a warning about liver damage.  

So you are not sure how to get started?  Well, my suggestion is to take baby steps.  Take a look at the issues you are facing and pick one thing you want to replace your medicines with essential oils.  Start small.  

In my house, we started with two things.  Heartburn for me while pregnant and helping my daughters get to sleep easier.  That amounted to 3 oils.  Lavender, Lemon and DigestZen.   

For the girls, we started with a nightly regiment.  Bath then a bit of a foot massage with the Lemon then Lavender.  They were getting lotion so the addition of the oils was very simple.  It was amazing to see the results.  By the second night, they would ask to go to bed instead of the fight we had experienced prior to the oils. 

DigestZen is safe to take while pregnant and it was the ONLY thing that kept me from feeling like a fire breathing dragon.   

Since the success of the first week, I have done more research and more experimentation.  This blog is a bit of a written record on that little adventure.  

It is true that I am officially addicted to using the oils first then proceeding to prescribed and OTC medications.  I just feel my oils work better, faster and are cheaper.  I am not the only convert in my family.

Both my mother and my mother-in-law started treating one issue with the oils and found success.  They both suffered from high blood pressure.  Hypertension is a huge problem in this country.  In the case with my mother-in- law, she started on one med and the side effects of that med led to another and another and another.  She was up to 4 different meds to take care of one problem.  She felt it was crazy and expensive even with insurance.

I told her about a blend my mother was trying since her medications were not working and giving her unbearable leg cramps.  

The Hypertension Blend consists:

6 dropsYlang Ylang

6 drops Helichrysum

4 drops Frankincense

4 drops Marjoram

4 drops Cassia

25 drops coconut oil

Recommended applications include several drops applied with massage to the bottom of the feet, on the wrists, along the breast bone, massage over the heart, on the carotidal arteries, and to the back of the neck. Also diffusion might be effective, and adding the oil or blend to a bath (agitating the water often).

Results? You bet they had results. My mother who was close to stroke level is now in the normal range. My mother-in-law is off 2 medications and weaning off the third.   The oils work.


My mother was instrumental in my introduction and I am happy to say, I introduced my mother-in-law. She is now selling the oils as well and helping others in the Pacific Northwest find ways to take care of their health naturally.


Now, as a disclaimer, I am not a doctor and I am not telling you to stop your prescribed medications to switch to the oils.  Some of you reading this, truly need what your doctor has prescribed.  If you want to slowly switch over to the oils, go slow and listen to your body.  Everyone's chemistry is different.  Even your doctor will agree which is why there are multiple drugs to treat the same condition.  

You have to make the choice on what you want to try.  Great choices to start with would be stress management, sleep issues, digestion concerns, headaches, and allergies.  Bigger health issues require a little research.  A great website to do that research is Aromaticscience.com.

If you find yourself taking acetaminophen to combat the headache from too much coffee that you needed to wake yourself up from the sleeping pill you took last night because the appetite suppressant interrupts your sleep, you might want to give natural medicine a try.  

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The Taste of Fall...naturally!

I love Fall!  The leaves changing, the smells and mostly the pumpkin flavored things.  Pumpkin pie...Yum!  Pumpkin beer...Yes please!  So when a big national food chain advertised Pumpkin Spice Lattes I thought...Oh yeah! I really want one!  

Today, I didn't have time for a healthier breakfast option so I ended up there and decided today was the day.  Pumpkin Spice Latte, please and thank you!  I anticipated the first drink would just scream "I LOVE FALL!" but instead all I really tasted was fake pumpkin with an aftertaste of chemicals.  Bummer.  I was seriously disappointed.

About an hour later, I felt awful.  Headache, stomach ache and generally yuck.  Some of it could have been that my breakfast choice in general but the chemical aftertaste would not leave my taste buds.  It got me thinking...

For the past few months, my family has tried to really eat clean.  Natural flavors, whole fruits and veggies, real food.  My husband started the Candida Cleanse and we have just stuck with the diet.  It has been a great, filling choice for us.

Part of the doTERRA Wellness model is to reduce toxic load.  We have not been perfect by any stretch of the imagination but we have been well behaved.  I knew we were feeling better but I didn't think it had really transformed us.  Today, I knew differently. My taste buds definitely knew the difference!

Artificial flavorings are in so many things it is hard to avoid if you are eating anything processed.  For us, the switch to produce section and the spice rack has really helped to keep us away from the artificial flavorings, dyes and sweeteners.

Many people have issues with artificial flavorings, sweeteners and dyes.  This article from SavannahNow.com talks about the science of sweeteners in particular.  

"Aspartame is a combination of aspartic acid, which excites brain cells, methanol, a wood alcohol, and phenylalanine which concentrates in the brain, is dangerous for certain persons and the cumulative effect becomes toxic to the point of being lethal.

Aspartame acts as a neurotransmitter, which causes damage to the neurological system. Evidence shows that damage to more than three quarters of an area’s brain cells can occur before any signs of clinical illness can be detected. "

That last line is pretty scary if you ask me!  

So you want the taste of fall but you want it natural.  What to do?

There are many oils offered by doTERRA that will be great flavor enhancers.  Cinnamon, Cassia, Wild Orange, just to name a few.

Holiday Wassail is delicious!

Need pumpkin?!  doTERRA Pumpkin Smoothie

As for my morning coffee...I am going to stick with 1 drop of Cassia with a honey in my coffee!  The Cassia helps with stomach issues, has a great cinnamon taste without being overpowering.  Honey is just a great natural sweetener.

I didn't know how much my body liked natural until I went back to artificial.  Reduce your toxic load!  Your body will thank you.  

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Stay Hydrated My Friends!

You have heard it before "stop drinking soda and start drinking water."  You will lose weight and feel amazing.  If you are like me, your first thought was, "NO WAY JOSE!  I cannot live without my Diet Coke!"  But let me tell you something, you can live without it.  

Soda or Pop or Coke or whatever you call it is full of junk.  Junk that is really not good for you.  Diet soda is worse.    Just by switching to water you save yourself hundreds of calories if you are drinking regular soda.  That adds up to a loss of pounds.  

Now, I will admit in the past I was a hard core Diet Coke drinker.  When I was travelling across the planet, I could down 6+ Diet Cokes a day without blinking an eye.  On my days off, I would never drink that many and I would feel lousy.  

After reading numerous articles about how switching from soda to water could give you loads of benefits, I finally gave it a shot.  It was a rough week of going cold turkey.  ROUGH!  Now it wasn't that I just dropped caffeine because I switched to drinking iced tea.  It was my body's response to the lack of the junk that is in the soda. 

That was a few years ago.  Today, I drink water all day.  When I feel fancy, I would add a lemon.  Now there are articles saying how nasty those lemons can be.  YUCK! 

So what do I do now?  doTERRA CPTG Lemon Oil!  Don't like lemon....try Wild Orange, Grapefruit or Lime.  Get crazy and mix them...Lemon Lime!  

Citrus oils come with a few precautions.

If you apply them to your skin, be very careful in the sun.  Citrus oils can cause your skin to burn more easily.

If you are adding them to your water, you want to use them only in glass or metal containers.  They will dissolve styro foam and pull petrochemicals out of plastics.

I recently went to a doTERRA class where the hostess had this genius idea...she called them Hillbilly Jars.   They are glass and metal and after a few modifications become a perfect container for Lemon water.  

Here is how you make them....

Get your favorite size mason jar, 9/16 sized rubber grommets, and metal straws.  We used quart size Ball jars.  You will need a drill with a 3/8 inch bit.

Drill a whole in the center of the lid and insert the rubber grommet.  This will take some pressure to get it inserted.  Smooth out any edges on the lid prior to inserting the grommet.  No need for cuts.

Your final product will look like this....

Don't want to make your own, you can always just order one from me!  

Lemon water has so many benefits and the straw really helps you to drink the water fast!

Stay hydrated and flavor that water with a doTERRA citrus oil!

There are great deals when joining doTERRA.

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