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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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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Tune up your body!

I recently read a very funny article about surviving Whole Foods.   In the article, the author references Candida.  You may have seen it and wondered, "what the heck is Candida?"  In the article the author says, "Ever notice that you don't meet poor people with special diet needs? .....A cab driver with Candida? Candida is what I call a rich, white person problem. You know you've really made it in this world when you get Candida. My personal theory is that Candida is something you get from too much hot yoga. All I'm saying is if I were a yeast, I would want to live in your yoga pants."

Funny but honestly, Candida is a problem with the average American's diet.  We, as Americans, are known worldwide for our love processed food, white bread and sugar.  Yes, all these things get the big coupons at the grocery. The more we consume the sicker this country is getting.  For an industrialized country, we are one of the sickest on the planet.  Obesity, leaky gut, acid reflux, chronic fatigue, eczema, hormonal balance, ADHD, and the list goes on and on.  

The official definition for Candida diploid fungus that grows both as yeast and filamentous cells and a causal agent of opportunistic oral and genital infections in humans.

In English.....a whole body yeast infection.  It can manifest in many ways from a skin issue to IBS.  Dr. Oz referenced it on his website back in 2009.  

Check out Amanda's story...does that sound familiar?

So how do you know if you have Candida?  Most doctors don't test you for an overgrowth of yeast.  Doctors barely have enough time to see you, treat your symptoms and not really get into the deeper issues of your health until you are REALLY REALLY sick.  Who wants to be REALLY REALLY sick to get some attention?  Not me.

A quiz to check and see if you might have an issue comes from TheYeastConnection.com

1. Have you taken repeated or prolonged courses of antibacterial drugs? 4 points for a yes

2. Have you been bothered by recurrent vaginal, prostate or urinary tract infections? 3 points for a yes

3. Do you feel "sick all over," yet the cause hasn't been found? 2 for a yes

4. Are you bothered by hormone disturbances, including PMS, menstrual irregularities, sexual dysfunction, sugar craving, low body temperature or fatigue? 2 for a yes

5. Are you unusually sensitive to tobacco smoke, perfumes, colognes and other chemical odors? 2 for a yes

6. Are you bothered by memory or concentration problems? Do you sometimes feel "spaced out"? 2 for a yes

7. Have you taken prolonged courses of prednisone or other steroids; or have you taken "the pill" for more than 3 years?
2 for a yes

8. Do some foods disagree with you or trigger your symptoms? 1 for a yes

9. Do you suffer with constipation, diarrhea, bloating or abdominal pain? 1 for a yes

10. Does your skin itch, tingle or burn; or is it unusually dry; or are you bothered by rashes? 1 for a yes

Scoring for women: If your score is 9 or more, your health problems are probably yeast-connected. If your score is 12 or more, your health problems are almost certainly yeast-connected.

Scoring for men: If your score is 7 or more, your health problems are probably yeast-connected. If your score is 10 or more, your health problems are almost certainly yeast-connected.

So you scored above 10 if you are a man or 12 if you are a woman...what now?

There are ways to kill off the yeast, regain your health and feel better.  

You will have to change your diet first and foremost.  

The processed food helped get you to this point and that means you are going to have to show it to the door.  There are many lifestyle diets that promote a way of eating that can help you do this without feeling like you are starving.  Eat Clean, Paleo, or the good old fashioned rule of thumb your MOTHER told you....eat your vegetables!  Yes, you might have a bit of time where you have intense cravings for sugar.....Candida LOVES sugar for growth.

Your journey to better health should start with your diet and not with your doctor!  

Eliminate white flour, white sugar and caffeine.  Candida thrives on this trio.  Once it overgrows, it produces toxins in your body that overtake the stuff your body needs to run optimally.  

Drink plenty of water flavored with a citrus oil, preferably Lemon oil.  Lemon oil helps to flush toxins through your body.

Exercise at least 20 minutes a day.  Walking is one of the best!

Take some supplements offered by doTERRA.  Follow this cleanse protocol by doTERRA US Founder, Laura Jacobs. 

Not enrolled in doTERRA?   The Cleanse and Restore Kit is a great way to start this process.

Now there are a few people out there that can't do this right now.  I am one at the moment. Lactacting mommas should NOT do a cleanse of any kind.  The toxins are release by all means to get out of your body and you don't want that junk going to the baby.  Wait until you are no longer nursing.   As a lactating momma, you should focus your diet to eliminate the processed food, increase fruits and veggies and get a good probiotic.  PB Assist is safe.  For a gentle daily cleanse, feel free to drink lots of Lemon water!  

You can be assured that when I wean this baby boy, I will be doing a full cleanse.  I will repeat the process for a couple months if necessary.  It really is a 15 day on the cleanse then 15 days off.  Currently, I have done small changes to decrease my sugar intake.  Cassia with a touch of honey in my coffee was one of the most recent.  It really tastes great!

I am sick of my sugar addiction, my thyroid issues, my skin issues and my weight issues.  I know that by helping my body with a tune up, will help it run better longer!  

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Operation....not really fun and games!

Last Thursday I went under the knife.  I am going to be perfectly honest and say it just sucked!  I am not the best patient.  I try very hard to remain calm and cool but really I am just big ball of nerves inside.  The internal voice that has helped protect me from harm and dismay in my "real job" kicks in high gear.  Let's just say, it isn't good.

So hernia surgery.  Umbilical hernia.  Thank you pregnancy.  I love my children with all my heart but a woman's body takes a huge hit through it all.  Luckily, mine was small but causing me some significant pain.  See my blog "It's the Bomb Baby" for more on the pain.

Prior to surgery it was recommended to me to stop using  my Long Life Vitality (LLV) pack and limit the use of Deep Blue.   LLV really helps your body regenerate cells so during a surgical procedure it can cause your blood to flow a bit more than you want.  Deep Blue is a blend of oils that help to with pain.  It works great but it has Wintergreen in the blend.  Wintergreen is amazing but can cause the blood to thin a bit.  

     

So for a week prior to surgery, none of the good stuff.  I will tell you, I felt the difference.  My energy levels went way down, my level on concentration suffered, and I got a bit of a cold.  Then top that with, no pain control for the stupid hernia.  Yes, it is stupid!!!

Surgery day arrived.  I was nervous.  I knew I couldn't use a ton of oils but I knew that had a couple options that no one would say anything about.  Lavender was the perfume of the day.  I needed to calm down.  I added a couple drops of Citrus Bliss because it just makes me happy. Finally, a drop of Balance down my neck. 

Surgery went well and we headed home that afternoon.  

The IV usually results in a HUGE bruise for me.  After gall bladder surgery, they missed on a couple attempts and I had 3 large bruises for over a month.  I had a great nurse this time but even great nurses leave me with a big bruise.  When I got home,  I used the Deep Blue around the area.  No bruise!  See for yourself.  

Now pain management......the doctor gave me great drugs.  Not gonna lie.  Of course, with the great pain control, you lose most of your other bodily control.  Percocet knocks me out.  COLD.  Day 1, I was OK since I was still under the influence of the anesthesia.  Day 2, I was ready to be a bit more awake.  My 4 year old was ready for me to be more awake.  But I couldn't beat the drugs and keep my eyes open.  There is no driving or operating heavy machinery when on the either.  Knowing I had to go to work meant not using them by Monday morning.  

Hello Frank & Marj! We meet again.   6 drops each of Marjoram and Frank in a veggie cap.  I took it every 3 to 4 hours as I needed to help me feel less pain.  

Today, that is all I have needed.  It has kept the soreness down and I have stayed "with it".  Love that.

On my incision, I applied a couple of things.  Helichrysum, Frank and Deep Blue.  Helichrysum acts like natural liquid bandaid.  Frank well is Frank....good for everything.  Both will help with reducing the scar tissue.   Deep Blue again was added for bruising and soreness.  My incision is looking pretty good for an incision.

Finally, I have taken On Guard both internally, around my incision and on my feet twice a day.  I was still run down and surgery always puts you at a big disadvantage to fight off germs.  I am giving my body everything I can to fight.  Rest, fluids and On Guard!

Am I sore 4 days post op?  Yep.  Will tomorrow better?  Yep.  Do I believe that using my oils have helped me recover faster?  Yep.  Mostly, because I was asked about a dozen times today "why are you at work?"   Now here is to another week and a half of "don't pick up anything over 10 lbs."  Do I really need to weigh my purse?  

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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