Emotions & Physical Health...you are enough

Emotions.  Motion....you feel and it goes it motion.  Do you let it flow through you or find it getting stuck on your like tree sap?  We are more than our feelings.  Let me repeat that....we are more than our feelings.  

As humans on this planet, we are complex.  Our emotions are just one aspect of who we are, what our make up is and how we will thrive.  So many fall into the trap that their emotions call the shots when it is directly the opposite.  How you respond to all these events, items that trigger you, people that push your buttons is the real key.  

Am I perfect at this process.  NO WAY!  But I am committed to the process of improvement.  I oil up, I learn a bit each week and practice what I teach.  Do I get it right all the time.  NO.  I am human.  So are you, so don't expect to read a blog, read a book and viola' perfection.  It is a process of learning and growing.  

Give grace to you and others.  Apply a little Helichrysum to your forehead, maybe a little Douglas Fir to your heart, or a little Cypress where ever you feel stuck....just take a few deep breaths and you will know.

When you stop, listen and really calm the mind it is amazing how much you will start to notice within your own self.  It isn't everyone else.  Be the best you and the world will adapt.

Enjoy this video from 2017....so the specials aren't available but the message remains.  Allow the emotions to flow.  You are amazing.  You are totally worth it.

Catching ZZZ's

As I was watching the news a few mornings ago, I was pleasantly surprised to hear an update to some sleep studies.  Conventional wisdom has ingrained in us "get your 8 hours or else."  I don't know about you but getting 8 hours of sleep a night sounds fabulous but not attainable all the time.  I have kids, a job, friends, stuff to do and while I know sleep is important, sometimes it is just really hard to get 8 hours.

Well, this story was a nice change letting us off the hook of 8 hours and that the sweet spot for sleep might actually be 6 1/2 to 7 1/2 hours of sleep per night.  Even though it is less, I know that for many that still seems like a huge task to accomplish.  

Some of the highlights of the study I thought were interesting said less than 6 hours and your cortisol levels rose causing you to crave foods, store fat and loads of other bad stuff.  Too much sleep on the other hand....more than 8 hours could contribute to diabetes and depression.  The study does emphasize that everyone is different and your perfect amount of sleep might be different than mine.  

There are some options to help you get better sleep.  I still think quality sleep trumps quantity any day.  One of the best combos I love is Cedarwood and Lavender.  

I apply 1-2 drops of each oil per feet at bedtime and sleep it greatly improved.  

This picture was shared with me online.  I found this to be amazing and really great proof that the oils make a huge difference in your sleep.  Her comments are below the picture.  

"This is my fit bit read out if sleep. Top picture is no oils (the little blue lines are times of restlessness, stirring, etc. Bottom picture is with oils (serenity in bath tin and Cedarwood on feet and in diffuser). I'd say oils worked!"

Other great sleeping oils are Vetiver. Frankincense, Clary Sage, and Serenity.  Diffusing these, especially Vetiver and Serenity combined will really help with sleeping.   It fills the whole room and really helps everyone in the room.  

And for anyone who says "I hope you sleep like a baby" I laugh, they must not have been around babies sleeping.  I will wish a happy deep sleep......and your perfect 7 ish hours!

Calm, Peaceful & Less Crazy

As I sat down to write today, I noticed that my ideas were not flowing.  I did what every mom does, I asked my daughter, "hey what should I write about?"  Her response...."me and my favorite oils."  

She is 5 and unafraid to tell everyone that she loves her "Mommy's oils" and her "favorite oils are Lavender & Serenity."  I love that she never feels awkward about telling perfect strangers about her love of oils.  On occasion it has prompted questions and led to me giving a one on one.  She is a great little oil sharer.

Why are these her favorites?  "They make me feel calm, peaceful and less crazy." 

And yes, yes they do!  She along with her sister and brother can get wild and crazy which makes their momma crazy.  

Lavender is one of the most well known oils on the market.  Many call it the "swiss army knife" of oils.  It can calm bug bites, burns, headaches, and much much more.  It is lovely.

 

Serenity is one of the four oils of the Mood Management matrix.

These oils include Serenity, Elevation, Citrus Bliss and my own personal favorite Balance.  

They really do improve people's moods. It can occur in minutes.  The transformation around my house is truly amazing.  We will go from so wild you would think no one has an inside voice to chill, fun and relaxed.  

I know I rely on the oils' ability to keep the chaos in check.

So what can Serenity do for you in your house?  

Diffuse Serenity to fill the room with scents of Lavender, Roman Chamomile, Ylang Ylang, Vanilla and a few more to help everyone feel less anxious and calm.  She requests it in her own diffuser nightly because she said it helps her sleep and have good dreams. 

It is also great to rub on your feet, apply to your wrists or down your spine to help you release those knots in your stomach from the anxiety.  I know I use it frequently on my little oil sharer when her "tummy hurts" but really it is just her nerves.  

For me, I use it on myself when the kids get so crazy and I need a mommy time out.  I will take 1-2 drops and rub my hands together then cup over my nose and mouth.  Take multiple deep breaths until you feel the calming effects.  

Yes, she needed a drop so I could keep typing. For the record, after her "modeling session" she decided she needed to go find a book to read so I could finish.  It is so awesome when it helps her break her cycle of asking the same question over and over.  

We are truly grateful to have the doTERRA essential oils in our home.  I would love to help you get them in your home.  Just let me know if I can help you!

I'm Diffused!

Typically, most people think of essential oils and immediately think of Aromatherapy.  They imagine gorgeous scents that help them to relax, sleep or conjure up visions of happiness and tranquility.  And, yes, it can do that!  It is just one of the many things I love about the oils.

The nose is an amazing organ where just a scent can activate the olfactory system.  It can trigger great memories and feelings.  

I spent many years buying the candles scented with Vanilla or Christmas cookies or spring flowers.  And they were nice, don't get me wrong.  My mother once burned this lovely candle in the house and the bird she had sitting near it fell over dead.  Why?  Birds are very sensitive when it comes to respiratory issues.  This candle was labelled all natural and was actually a bundle of chemicals manufactured to smell great.

But think about this.....if burning a candle is so toxic it can kill a bird, do you think that is great for you as the human as well?  

An article in How Stuff Works reports, "Indoor air pollution, the degradation of indoor air quality by harmful chemicals and other materials, can be up to 10 times worse than outdoor air pollution [source: Dunn]. This is because contained areas enable potential pollutants to build up more than open spaces do. "

Not just candles can increase this pollution, the Teflon cookware you use daily, the stuffing in your sofa, pesitcides you use in the garden all get trapped under your very energy efficiently sealed home.  

This type of pollution can lead to a toxic build up in your body leading to headaches, allergies, asthma and even worse.  It all depends on the toxins you are exposed to daily.

There are many simple ways to help improve the air quality of your home.   During nice weather, open the windows.  It can really blow out the junk including cold and flu viruses!  If you live in a high humidity area like I do, make sure to keep your levels inside 30-50% and use good air filters in your HVAC systems.

"But I want that great smell of fresh flowers I got for my candle, how do I get that?"

Diffusing essential oils!  That's how.

If you don't have a diffuser, I highly reccommend one.  Anywhere you are allowed to use air freshener or candles, you should be allowed to use a diffuser.  Chemical free fabulousness!

Citrus oils are a great economical option and used in many hosptials including Vanderbilt ER.  They are expanding the use throughout their healthcare network and patients are loving it.  Citrus oils are a great disinfectant and anti-depressant.  

Other great oils to improve air quality would be OnGuard, Breathe & Frankincense.

Some combos that smell great:

OnGuard & Lime

Cassia & Citrus Bliss

Frankincense & OnGuard

Breathe & Lime.

Your house will smell fantastic and you can get the health benefits for cleaner air as well as the health benefits from the oils themselves.

Since it is Spring, I am loving combining my floral oils together.  A little bit of heaven is the combination of Lavender, Geranium and Jasmine.  I earned Jasmine last year and hope to again this year.  It is truly a precious oil!  I really want to earn Rose too.  Fingers crossed!

Check out this video on how they harvest those precious Jasmine flowers.  About 30,000 flowers are needed to make 1 5mL bottle!  

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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A little thing called.....STRESS

Stress, we all have it.  Sometimes it is helpful, sometimes it is not.

Good stress can enhance your performance on tests, help you enjoy the amusement part roller coaster or keep you on the edge of your seat while watching your favorite sport.  Stress helps you change.

But today, I am not talking about the good stress.  I am talking about the bad stress.  The kind where you end up with a horrible headache, fatigue, frustration and generally a horrible mood.

Why?  Well, I had a week of bad stress.  The culprit.......the common one.....work.  Not my work with doTERRA but my other full time job.  Now, don't get me wrong, I love my job but sometimes you just have a day or a week where you ask, "really? are you kidding me?"  This was one of those weeks for me.  Odd schedule, tough tasks, lack of time to eat well led me to feel lousy.

From the Mayo Clinic....

Common effects of stress ...
... On your body	... On your mood	... On your behavior
Headache Muscle tension or pain Chest pain Fatigue Change in sex drive Stomach upset Sleep problems	Anxiety Restlessness Lack of motivation or focus Irritability or anger Sadness or depression	Overeating or undereating Angry outbursts Drug or alcohol abuse Tobacco use Social withdrawal

I had the headache, muscle tension, fatigue, lack of focus by the end of the week and craving sweets in a big way.  

Exercise is a great stress reducer but what happens when you schedule doesn't let you exercise?  This was my dilemma.  But trust me when I say, working out hard is a great way to get the stress and frustration out of your system.

I had my oils to use and I am so happy I did.

For the headache....Past Tense.

Past Tense has a great minty scent from both Peppermint and Wintergreen and cooling effect on your temples.  It took away my headache in minutes.  

Just apply it where it hurts keeping it out of your eyes.  That burns.  Trust me on this one.  

I applied it to my temples and to the back of my head.  The oils don't make your hair oily so don't worry about that.  

Headaches can be triggered by many things.  Past Tense can help.  Other great remedies would be a combo of Lavender and Peppermint.  Add Frank for migraine type headaches.   For sinus issues, use Lavender, Lemon and Peppermint.

But stress can make it hard to sleep.  I know I would lay day last week and my mind was running a million miles a minute.  That only increases the fatigue you feel.  Trust me....I am tired.  

 To get some quality rest, I turned to the every reliable Lavender.  Beautiful Lavender.

Lavender applied to my wrists and my jaw line helped keep me from clenching my teeth and relax my mind.  Just 4 drops provided success.

Now sometimes stomach issue can come with high stress levels.  I was lucky and didn't suffer this but if you do DigestZen will be your new BFF!  

If your stress causes anxiety, meditation can help or grab your bottle of Serenity or Citrus Bliss.  Both have great calming and mood properties.  The oils that make up the Mood Matrix are wonderful.  Balance and Elevation are oils I use daily.   Last week, I felt like I was bathing in Balance!  

Now Chronic Stress can truly lead to major health issues.  Heart disease, depression, high blood pressure, compromised immune systems, etc.  Keep your stress in check naturally with doTERRA essential oils!

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Brush, floss and use EO's!

In the last three weeks I have had the "pleasure" of two visits to the dentist to fill cavities.  One of the things no one mentions to women prior to pregnancy is that all the hormonal changes can really mess with your dental health.  I ended up having a few areas that needed "attention".

This is the first time I have had to deal with anything more than a cleaning since starting the oils.  A couple days before the appointment I  checked out one of the best oil usage sites there is.....everythingessential.me.

As I left for the appointment, I applied Lavender to my temples and wrists.  After all my years on the planet, I still hate the shots given by dentists. Yes yes yes, I am a wimp!  I know it and don't care.   They try to make it not hurt and burn but there is only so much they can do.  Lavender helped chill me out a bit.

They numbed me from my eyeball to my jaw.  I will say, the numbing was stronger and lasted longer than anytime before.  I think my tongue doubled in size.  My dentist told me she had not changed anything so maybe I am just responding differently for whatever reason.  My theory is that eating a cleaner diet and using natural medicine has made my entire body more responsive to everything.  Have I ever mentioned how strong my sense of smell is these days?!  


Two cavities on one side and an hour later I was out the door.  My jaw HURT!

Clove oil to the rescue.  I added a bit more Lavender to my jaw line as well. 

Now I will be perfectly honest, clove oil is a bit "hot"!  As I applied it to the numb areas, I didn't notice much.  Then,  I got some down my throat.  Oops!  I was coughing just a bit.  The reaction lasted about a minute.  The relief lasted hours!

1 drop applied to the areas that hurt every few hours until you feel better.  

I needed about 5 applications.  Like I said, my jaw really hurt.  As the numbness wore off, the clove helped to keep the area mildly numbed without losing all feeling completely.  




The great thing about this protocol, with the addition of a nice tasting oil like Olive oil, this can be used on my teething baby.  The clove is too hot for his little body so you really need to dilute it.  Lavender is great along the jawline to help babies who are really suffering.  No risk of too much Tylenol or Motrin....or their numerous recalls.  

Mouth pain is some of the worst pain in my opinion.  I am so happy to report, I did not take any OTC pain relievers.  Less items processing through my liver makes me a happy girl.  No adverse side effects yet highly effective for treating the pain and discomfort.  A win-win if you ask me!

There are other great products for overall dental health.  Toothpaste, Throat Drops and oil can help your mouth stay fresh and clean while kicking the germs.  Give them a try!  I do love the toothpaste.

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The skin you're in!

Ladies and gentlemen, this blog is for all but truly about one good guy and his success with the oils.  Yes guys, you too have many uses for the oils.  

Years ago, my husband developed a dry, scaly patch of skin on his leg.  It could be many things that prompted it to develop but it coincided with us moving from a very sunny climate to a not so sunny climate.  Unfortunately, moving back to a sunny climate has not given him relief from the psoriasis.  

From psoriasis.org:  "Psoriasis is a chronic, autoimmune disease that appears on the skin. It occurs when the immune system sends out faulty signals that speed up the growth cycle of skin cells. Psoriasis is not contagious."

I know how it feels since I tend to get a few dry patches on my elbows from time to time.  It itches, cracks and bleeds.  Really no fun and we both have mild cases.  I truly feel for anyone with a major case.  

We have tried the steroid creams.  You can only use those for a few days before they thin your skin too much.  So you stop, the patches come back.  And if you ask me, they come back bigger and badder than before.  

My husband was really scratching at his leg and asked me if "there is an oil for that?"  I looked it up and sure enough there is a really simple protocol to follow.

Lavender, Melaleuca and Fractionated Coconut Oil. 

1-2 drops of each applied twice daily.

Lavender helps to calm the skin and itching.

Melaleuca helps with almost any skin issue.  It is very antiseptic and antifungal.

Fractionated Coconut Oil is highly moisturizing.  

A few other nice benefits of this combo.....it is a natural sunburn relief and can help clear up diaper rash!  My middle child has received this mixture quite a few times.  

The dry patchy skin on my husband's leg has almost disappeared after just a few days use.  There is no worry about his skin thinning.  If anything, he has more moisturized skin.

A Candida Cleanse could also help to clear the skin up.   He is considering doing this soon.  I will have to wait until I am no longer breastfeeding.  The cleanse can release the "junk" into your milk.  I don't want to get healthy only to harm my baby.  

Men, you do not need to worry about the oils making you smell too feminine.  The combo actually produces a nice scent.  Stay manly my friend!