Terrashield is an awesome essential oil blend that doTERRA has prepared that will help to prevent bug bite without all of the negative side effects of over the counter bug sprays.
Already have bug bites? Check out this video to find out which doTERRA essential oils to use to help heal them.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Praying for Health
I think that we often see life as black and white. And health is no exception. I come from a family where none of us have "horrible" diseases. In the end though we all have problems that affect our health daily. My eldest sister suffers from fibromyalgia - an auto immune disease that stops her from accomplishing her dreams. Everyday she worsens and every days he grows further from them. It is heartbreaking. Some people don't believe she really suffers, they don't feel the pain. "Maybe she is just lazy." She is not. My mom and another sister were recently diagnosed with Celiac Disease. This is not a killer disease if you're eating correctly. It probably won't kill you otherwise - it'll just make your life miserable. But even if you eat correctly you're still having to think about it every time you put something in your mouth. My son (as well as probably his father, his grandfather, and an uncle) suffers from Aspergers Syndrome. He seems like a normal boy, but with some unfortunate troublesome tendencies. Other people don't always see the anxiety behind the actions like I do as his mother. There are many depression and anxiety issues in my family as well, diabetes, emotional disorders, and addictions that plague our lives and make them miserable - although to others we may seem like we should be able to function just fine.
Should we be able to function just fine? Yes. But why don't we? I believe that it stems from a lack of knowledge about health.
Imagine what we could do for the world if we all had healthy bodies. Imagine the good we could to, what we could accomplish, and how much better we would be to our spouses and our children. I pray that we can all grasp onto our health tightly and inch by inch make our way to a better life for ourselves, for our children, for our siblings, for our parents, and for our friends. I pray that we can all do good in the world by beginning with ourselves and conquering our demons through health. I truly believe that it is as simple as by beginning with the food we eat.
Should we be able to function just fine? Yes. But why don't we? I believe that it stems from a lack of knowledge about health.
Imagine what we could do for the world if we all had healthy bodies. Imagine the good we could to, what we could accomplish, and how much better we would be to our spouses and our children. I pray that we can all grasp onto our health tightly and inch by inch make our way to a better life for ourselves, for our children, for our siblings, for our parents, and for our friends. I pray that we can all do good in the world by beginning with ourselves and conquering our demons through health. I truly believe that it is as simple as by beginning with the food we eat.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Stephanie's First Allergy Attack
I don't know what is up with me this year. I have never had allergies before. Every morning I feel like I have been hit with a ton of bricks!
My throat hurts.
My ears are ringing.
My nose is runny AND dry.
YUCK!
One day I was even stuck in bed, but I oiled up all day and the next day was feeling quite happy with life. :)
Here are the oils that I used:
On Guard (I thought I might be sick - I've never had allergies before!) on my feet.
Lemon in my water. (3 drops twice that day)
Grapefruit in my water. (3 drops once that day)
Grapefruit on my throat. (Just by chance I had gone to a doTERRA class the night before and had myself scanned. I scanned for Grapefruit, so I decided to just try it on my throat and it worked MIRACLES)
Breathe underneath my nose and on my cheeks, several times that day. (Just keep your eyes closed for a few minutes, because the fumes will STING!)
Now life if good and I just drink some Lemon and apply some Breathe if I am suffering. Applying my Orange crack (Wild Orange) seemed to help me out a lot this morning.
My throat hurts.
My ears are ringing.
My nose is runny AND dry.
YUCK!
One day I was even stuck in bed, but I oiled up all day and the next day was feeling quite happy with life. :)
Here are the oils that I used:
On Guard (I thought I might be sick - I've never had allergies before!) on my feet.
Lemon in my water. (3 drops twice that day)
Grapefruit in my water. (3 drops once that day)
Grapefruit on my throat. (Just by chance I had gone to a doTERRA class the night before and had myself scanned. I scanned for Grapefruit, so I decided to just try it on my throat and it worked MIRACLES)
Breathe underneath my nose and on my cheeks, several times that day. (Just keep your eyes closed for a few minutes, because the fumes will STING!)
Now life if good and I just drink some Lemon and apply some Breathe if I am suffering. Applying my Orange crack (Wild Orange) seemed to help me out a lot this morning.
Real Sugar Free Whole Wheat Pancakes
There is a natural dilemma that many of us face...how to give your kids pancakes without all that extra sugar from syrup. Okay, most people probably don't face this issue, but neither do we (and not because we don't eat pancakes, because we do)! I was making pancakes many months ago and the kids were eagerly awaiting their treasured breakfast. Their Mommy was not thrilled about this particular meal because syrup is sticky and leads to messes. I was using a small skillet and trying not to burn them so I set the pancakes on a their plates and went back to the stove.
Well, take two hungry toddlers, a couple of plates of fresh food and a lack of supervision and you get A MESS! Just kidding. What happened was they ate them without syrup and then asked for more. I obliged of course, marveling at the miracle I just saw.
Best thing was, I forgot the oil and the sugar when making the batter. The oil was a mistake that shouldn't be repeated. The sugar was one of those moments of accidental genius. See, we use whole wheat flour in our pancakes due to my high metabolism (you just cannot get a sufficient amount of energy from white flour) and that was what I used in the pancakes that day. I tried one to test it out and sure enough, they had flavor to them and it was good!
The children were happy for a while to eat the pancakes in the buff, but Mommy and Daddy were slackers and didn't stop their own sugar rushes. Eventually, they caught on and asked for it too. So each time I made them I could only slip one or two in without syrup before they started asking.
That was fine and dandy until we threw out the sugar last Monday. See, syrup doesn't sit well with a person if they are giving up refined sugars and pure dessert type foods (I haven't had sugar, minus in actual food, for over four days now). But what would the kids reaction be? They protested a little (maybe 30 seconds) and then ate their pancakes anyway.
But a couple days later was even better though because I nearly accomplished an all organic/natural pancake. I used Raw Milk (not pasteurized or homogenized). Our oldest calls the Raw Milk "Special Cow Milk." Our elder daughter calls it "Cow Milk." I also put in aluminum free baking power and soda. The salt was all natural sea salt and the eggs were from cage free, vegetarian feed chickens. Plus the floor was 100% organic and whole wheat. Only things that slipped by were the lemon juice to make the milk sour milk and the Canola Oil (yeah, I know we need to change that one).
Well, they liked them. They ate them and the understood when I said the syrup was all gone because it made us feel yucky. It was fantastic. The boy even ate 1 1/2 scrambled eggs with his 3-4 pancakes. Even the baby took some nibbles.
Here's the recipe I used (its a double batch):
2 cups Organic Whole Wheat Flour
2 tbsp Lemon juice - (should be organic or fresh squeezed)
2 cups Raw Milk
1/2 tsp Natural Sea Salt
1/2 tsp Natural Baking Soda (aluminum free)
4 tsp Natural Baking Powder (aluminum free)
2 eggs from cage free, vegetarian fed hens
4 tbsp Canola Oil (you should use a healthy one like coconut)
Dump the flour in a bowl. Put the Lemon Juice in a two cup measuring cup and pour in milk until it is a little past the two cup line. Let it sit will you mix the other dry ingredients into the batter. After at least five minutes have past, put the milk into the batter and blend the eggs and oil in the measuring cup until well mixed. Add the egg mix to the rest and stir until smooth (very few batter lumps, if any, remain). Cook on a 350 degree skillet.
My kids love pancakes and are willing to eat these ones plain anytime. We gave them cage-free scrambled eggs and raw milk with this meal (see pictures below). I try eating them plain with a breakfast meat and eggs or sometimes I dump some blueberries or strawberries on them. Natural fruit sugar is way better than refined sugars any day. We'll follow up with a better recipe once we find a good way to soak the batter overnight. Soaked grains are so much better for you. I just like the fact that my kids are eating syrup free and loving it so I had to post this one.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
A Belief that Good Health is Out There
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| image from nasa.gov |
So would that same God, whose purpose is our well being, deprive every century (and there have been quite a few) of the possibility of optimum health except ours? Surely not. Where is the justice and mercy in that every being should suffer pains and woes until their dying day except those blessed with a Walgreen's?
People have been living and dying for thousands of years without the benefits of antibiotics, prescription pain killers, asthma medication, and so forth. They had families and created civilizations while dazzling us with their ancient understanding of math and science. People have had very normal and happy lives previous to ours and were lacking our pharmaceutical prowess.
Then what happened to us? Why do we suddenly need toothpaste and mouthwash to stop our teeth from rotting out? Why is it necessary to put iodine in our salt? Why are so many people on antidepressants? Where did these obesity and diabetic epidemics come from? And why on earth is there so much cancer?
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| image from ehow.com |
Changes like these hurt us. Lack of exercise and fresh, nutritional foods cause a variety of internal problems. We keep pressing forward in science for answers when perhaps we should be investing in the past to see what needs to happen in the future. People lived differently then and, in many peoples' opinions, lived better.
One of the best remedies for depression and anxiety is working out. That's right, just getting off our duffs and moving around for a bit makes the body and mind a little less crazy. Since we no longer do backbreaking work very often (unless you're blue collar and I salute you - been there), our bodies are more likely to keep the bad compounds we put in and not produce as many good ones to replace them. We become fat, lazy and loaded with negative energy.
There are lots of other issues that I believe stem from our lifestyles and meals (including tooth decay, many recently diagnosed illnesses and more). I also believe that there is a way back to health. We need to remove ourselves from what is now the norm and return to what that once was. Healthy living is a series of choices, not a bi-product of modern science. As long as we keep trusting in the food and drug industries to fix our problems, we'll never really heal. There are natural remedies to our ills and we each need to find them. Our well being is at stake.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Exercise because you WANT to.
The other day I felt like exercising. Weird. Random. A completely new experience for me. Haha.
Not really. In truth I often have the urge to run. It's something that has always been inside of me. I despise being outside where everyone can watch me. I despise being in the heat or the cold, etc. I despise all of the details of running, but not actually the running itself. In fact I always buy running shoes. Maybe my feet will hate me later in life for it. But I adore running shoes.
After talking it through with some friends I decided that a treadmill would not be what was really right for me, but that I should get an elliptical machine. Apparently less damage to my knees or something? I don't know. But I found one on the KSL Classifieds for $60 (practically brand new!), so I bought it. It sat around for a while.
One of my dear friends came up with an exercise plan for me though. Strength training, aerobics, abs, etc. A GREAT workout. I even made it into a cute little book, sorted by day, with photos and everything. I call it Stephanie's Super Sexy Workout and it comes complete with a dorky picture of a cartoon woman working out. Hahaha. It makes me laugh. I'd love to give you a copy. :)
Back to the other day. I felt like working out. I got dressed in my workout gear, put the kids in bed (because Mom duties still come first), and then set up my music and got on my elliptical. It was great! What a difference it makes when you have something that you love to do. (Lets not pretend that I have been extremely successful at this so far, but I am improving and excited, which is a good sign.) I was so excited that I made Justin take a pic of me on my elliptical, so here I am pre-toned tummy.
Exercise is so vital to health. I'm sure I don't have to explain why. :) But it is also important to note that if you exercise, but don't eat well your body is not getting the nutrients it needs to repair itself or to build the muscle. Exercise is strenuous, but a good kind of strenuous, for the body - provided the nutrients needed are also given.
What is your favorite part of your exercise routine?
Not really. In truth I often have the urge to run. It's something that has always been inside of me. I despise being outside where everyone can watch me. I despise being in the heat or the cold, etc. I despise all of the details of running, but not actually the running itself. In fact I always buy running shoes. Maybe my feet will hate me later in life for it. But I adore running shoes.
After talking it through with some friends I decided that a treadmill would not be what was really right for me, but that I should get an elliptical machine. Apparently less damage to my knees or something? I don't know. But I found one on the KSL Classifieds for $60 (practically brand new!), so I bought it. It sat around for a while.
Back to the other day. I felt like working out. I got dressed in my workout gear, put the kids in bed (because Mom duties still come first), and then set up my music and got on my elliptical. It was great! What a difference it makes when you have something that you love to do. (Lets not pretend that I have been extremely successful at this so far, but I am improving and excited, which is a good sign.) I was so excited that I made Justin take a pic of me on my elliptical, so here I am pre-toned tummy.
Exercise is so vital to health. I'm sure I don't have to explain why. :) But it is also important to note that if you exercise, but don't eat well your body is not getting the nutrients it needs to repair itself or to build the muscle. Exercise is strenuous, but a good kind of strenuous, for the body - provided the nutrients needed are also given.
What is your favorite part of your exercise routine?
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
The Case for Truly Natural Foods
I have a lot of physical issues. My body suffers from asthma (induced by allergies, exercise and stress), outdoor allergies (yeah, like what triggers asthma), food allergies and other things (let's not get into a my-dog's-bigger-than-your-dog contest. I'm sure you'd win, but that's not the point). We've known about the asthma and cat allergies for decades, but the other ones are a more recent discovery. Each one has altered my life either by changing what I can eat or by restricting what I can do and where.
Needless to say I am tired of it all. In fact, just after finishing that last paragraph, I had to go and blow my nose because I decided to eat ice cream and a cookie a few minutes previous to it (which is "bad juju" for my system). Now, obviously ice cream isn't the best for you anyway, but it is a good demonstration of what normally happens with my body. Everything from itchy throats to irritable bowels (family trait, but my wife isn't always into traditions) and all the things in between are my typical relationship with the normal diets of Americans all over.
But, the question that few people raise is - Are American diets normal? I'm serious here. What if what we are now eating on a regular, country-wide basis is actually harming us? I maintain it is and that it is doing a number on all of us.
Consider all the "advancements" in the food science industry. We have engineered tomatoes to grow year-round via test-tubes. We have manipulated corn to create high fructose corn-syrup. Our chemists have developed new and improved pesticides for keeping bugs off our crops and allowing certain desirable species (like one kind of apple versus another) to remain unchanged for years. But is this better than it was before?
The further science takes us, the more we will realize how important the natural world is to us. A century ago no one cared about pollution from factories and global warming. People had jobs and that was enough. Now we know better. We have learned that every thing we do has an impact on the environment for good or ill.
Our bodies are their own little universes. They follow rules and guidelines that have been programmed into them for millenia. The body has been designed to work magnificently with the foods that Nature provides on her own. If you're of the religious persuasion (which we are), this should make you stop and think for a second - by re-engineering foods through genetic manipulation or chemical treatments, aren't we saying we know better than God? After all, he designed the whole thing and said that all plants (and animals) "to [us] [they] shall be for meat," (Gen 1:29). That is just a little presumptuous.
From personal experience though, I know my body responds better to natural foods. Apples, one of the most highly chemically treated foods, are like atom bombs to my stomach - unless they are organic and then they are just tasty, nutritious fruit. I cannot eat carrots from the regular grocery store. However, when we buy organic baby carrots I almost never have a problem. Watermelon seems to vary for me and I believe, like the others, when it is less chemically treated, that is when I am able to eat it.
The body is not meant to eat man-made chemicals. We are designed to co-exist with nature. Even our breathing is a cycle with the plants of this earth - the plant eats carbon dioxide and excretes oxygen which we inhale and then exhale carbon dioxide. See? Balance.
Take away the chemicals and you find your body responds better, lasts longer and has fewer complications. Ingest the garbage that comes prepackaged at the grocery store - with processed grains and refined sugars - on a regular basis and you'll have diabetes and other problems guaranteed. When a quarter of Americans are obese something is wrong!
As a people we are continually suffering from 100% preventable auto-immune disorders and degenerative diseases. We have to change this and the first people to change are ourselves. If we don't, not only will we suffer, but our children will too. They eat what we eat and if what we eat isn't good, neither is what they eat. That is why we are changing our home and why we share all these things with you.
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| image from stop-childhood-obesity.com |
But, the question that few people raise is - Are American diets normal? I'm serious here. What if what we are now eating on a regular, country-wide basis is actually harming us? I maintain it is and that it is doing a number on all of us.
Consider all the "advancements" in the food science industry. We have engineered tomatoes to grow year-round via test-tubes. We have manipulated corn to create high fructose corn-syrup. Our chemists have developed new and improved pesticides for keeping bugs off our crops and allowing certain desirable species (like one kind of apple versus another) to remain unchanged for years. But is this better than it was before?
 |
| image from detox-heavymetals.com |
Our bodies are their own little universes. They follow rules and guidelines that have been programmed into them for millenia. The body has been designed to work magnificently with the foods that Nature provides on her own. If you're of the religious persuasion (which we are), this should make you stop and think for a second - by re-engineering foods through genetic manipulation or chemical treatments, aren't we saying we know better than God? After all, he designed the whole thing and said that all plants (and animals) "to [us] [they] shall be for meat," (Gen 1:29). That is just a little presumptuous.
 |
| image from organicauthority.com |
The body is not meant to eat man-made chemicals. We are designed to co-exist with nature. Even our breathing is a cycle with the plants of this earth - the plant eats carbon dioxide and excretes oxygen which we inhale and then exhale carbon dioxide. See? Balance.
Take away the chemicals and you find your body responds better, lasts longer and has fewer complications. Ingest the garbage that comes prepackaged at the grocery store - with processed grains and refined sugars - on a regular basis and you'll have diabetes and other problems guaranteed. When a quarter of Americans are obese something is wrong!
As a people we are continually suffering from 100% preventable auto-immune disorders and degenerative diseases. We have to change this and the first people to change are ourselves. If we don't, not only will we suffer, but our children will too. They eat what we eat and if what we eat isn't good, neither is what they eat. That is why we are changing our home and why we share all these things with you.
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| image from wajwaj.com |
Mastitis is KILLER!
I never suffered through mastitis with the two olders, but last month I experienced round 2 with Sophie! Without my oils I don't know what I would have done. :(
I was up typing some articles when I noticed my breast start to hurt, so ok, I thought I need some potatoes, they totally cured the issue last time. Justin started soaking potatoes while I was typing away. Only 3 hours later I was in extreme pain, shivering, and completely nauseated. What the heck?!?!
I tried to sleep without bothering Justin, but I needed some help. I kept rubbing oils on to try and draw out the infection and I keep switching through my potatoes. I downed some Ibuprofen and was able to sleep for a VERY short amount of time. I keep sniffing Peppermint to keep the nausea at bay. Finally the next morning Justin looked up what specific oils to use - Citrus Bliss and Lavender. I started putting the Peppermint in my mouth, which helped stave off the nausea for longer periods of time. And Justin put Ginger on my feet. After he did that I was able to sleep for like 5 hours. FINALLY! The next day I was just a tiny bit sore and as good as new. :) I love my oils.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
I Finally Beat the Cat!
Don't worry, I didn't cause any physical harm to felines. This is what actually happened...
Wait...Let me back up a little to before that...
I was born asthmatic and allergic to cats (though possibly caught later, who can tell?). We had a cat at the time, but it "left" us not too far into my mortal existence. Since then, being around cats was an immediate sentencing to "bed rest" without possibility of parole (or a nights sleep with benedryl and a groggy start the next day). Even then, the asthma that results would stay for days.
On my mission (I went to Seattle, Washington for two years for my church), I encountered a family with more than ten cats all living indoors (and it was a 500+ square foot apartment). You literally could feel the vapor of their hair and dander every time you went inside (almost like a warm mist, but not even nearly as pleasant). Each night that we saw them resulted in a 24 hour period of me being out of it and a few days of asthma symptoms.
Worse thing is, I love animals and they seem to like me too. Ever had a cat walk into a room, stop, look at you and then come over and rub themselves all over your legs? Happens to me every time. Either cats really are the devil or they aren't smart enough to know who's allergic and who's not.
Well, today I went to see some neighbors and walked into a cat home. Yep, two of them and there was the hint of "cat vapor" in the air. I decided to not be sheepish and used the pouch of oils on my side. Remember the post about the allergy treatments, Alleviating Allergies? Well I got to give a shot in real time (I was only feeling minor symptoms that day).
I took out my Breathe and put two drops under my nostrils. Then I put one drop each of Lavender and Melaleuca on my hand and smeared over my palms to create a personal diffuser (cup your hands around your mouth and nose and inhale deeply). I was able to stay at the house until the visit was over (about 45 minutes to an hour). Leaving, I found I had no asthma symptoms and barely a runny nose. When we got back I shot a drop of Peppermint to the back of my throat (I flick the back of the bottle and it pops one drop out at a decent speed) and a drop of Lemon on my tongue. That finished it off.
It is now seven and a half hours later and I haven't taken a benedryl (not that I even have one anymore) and there is no asthma. It's like I never even saw a cat today. This is the stuff these oils are made for and it was a miracle for me to come out of there unscathed. I am so glad we have these oils!
Wait...Let me back up a little to before that...
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| image from catfacts.org |
On my mission (I went to Seattle, Washington for two years for my church), I encountered a family with more than ten cats all living indoors (and it was a 500+ square foot apartment). You literally could feel the vapor of their hair and dander every time you went inside (almost like a warm mist, but not even nearly as pleasant). Each night that we saw them resulted in a 24 hour period of me being out of it and a few days of asthma symptoms.
Worse thing is, I love animals and they seem to like me too. Ever had a cat walk into a room, stop, look at you and then come over and rub themselves all over your legs? Happens to me every time. Either cats really are the devil or they aren't smart enough to know who's allergic and who's not.
Well, today I went to see some neighbors and walked into a cat home. Yep, two of them and there was the hint of "cat vapor" in the air. I decided to not be sheepish and used the pouch of oils on my side. Remember the post about the allergy treatments, Alleviating Allergies? Well I got to give a shot in real time (I was only feeling minor symptoms that day).
I took out my Breathe and put two drops under my nostrils. Then I put one drop each of Lavender and Melaleuca on my hand and smeared over my palms to create a personal diffuser (cup your hands around your mouth and nose and inhale deeply). I was able to stay at the house until the visit was over (about 45 minutes to an hour). Leaving, I found I had no asthma symptoms and barely a runny nose. When we got back I shot a drop of Peppermint to the back of my throat (I flick the back of the bottle and it pops one drop out at a decent speed) and a drop of Lemon on my tongue. That finished it off.
It is now seven and a half hours later and I haven't taken a benedryl (not that I even have one anymore) and there is no asthma. It's like I never even saw a cat today. This is the stuff these oils are made for and it was a miracle for me to come out of there unscathed. I am so glad we have these oils!
Friday, June 17, 2011
doTERRA Founders
Every single month there is an opportunity to meet the founders of doTERRA. They are some really amazing people. Yesterday there was an opportunity to meet with them in Orem. I took the opportunity (and all 3 kids -ay-yi-yi) and headed over to headquarters.
David Stirling, Emily Wright, and Dr. David Hill were all there. David Stirling is president of the company, Dr Hill - Chief Medical Advisor, and Emily Wright - Vise President over Leadership Development.
Anyone could come and we just sat around and David Stirling answered the more detailed questions about the company that people came to ask. Dr Hill chimed in a few times, but I had to leave early, so he wasn't there long before I left.
It amazed me to see how diplomatically and transparently David Stirling answered these questions. The more I learn about the company the more proud I am to be a part of it all. These are good people trying to run a good business, run with high morals and ethics.
It is both refreshing and exciting. I am so glad to be a part of it and to meet with all of these people on a regular basis.
David Stirling, Emily Wright, and Dr. David Hill were all there. David Stirling is president of the company, Dr Hill - Chief Medical Advisor, and Emily Wright - Vise President over Leadership Development.
Anyone could come and we just sat around and David Stirling answered the more detailed questions about the company that people came to ask. Dr Hill chimed in a few times, but I had to leave early, so he wasn't there long before I left.
It amazed me to see how diplomatically and transparently David Stirling answered these questions. The more I learn about the company the more proud I am to be a part of it all. These are good people trying to run a good business, run with high morals and ethics.
It is both refreshing and exciting. I am so glad to be a part of it and to meet with all of these people on a regular basis.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Bruise Be Gone!
Now we should have done one of these following my daughter's head-on collision with a counter's corner, but now will have to suffice.
One of the most troubling problems with hitting yourself with something is not only the pain - it is the ugly purple mark that tells everyone that you were a klutz (obviously there are other things that can cause bruising, but this is cause number one in our home). The spot remains tender and eye-catching for days and only begins to disappear by turning an ugly greenish-yellow first. Not to mention the swelling that is often under the bump.
There is always the option of downing ibuprofen or some other medication to stop swelling and alleviate pain, but why? What if there were a natural remedy that didn't contain synthetics or side-effects (you may have noticed I have an attachment to this kind of fix)? Well there is!
Our youngest ran full on into a corner a month ago and by the indent on her forehead, we knew the "outdent" would be huge. Steph ran and grabbed the Frankincense and Lavender and we rubbed it into her head. An hour later the skin was uniform and the bruise almost nonexistent. Yeah, that was pretty cool.
Yesterday (this is what reminded me to write the post) I was klutzy at work and rammed my side into a corner of a counter. It was very painful and I had to answer the phone immediately (which is why I was running that direction in the first place). Imagine me keeled over with the phone at my ear saying "General Book Information, this is Justin, how can I help you?" between gasps of pain which the phone was moved away for. Anyway...
After I regained what I had left of my composure, I went in the back room and rubbed some Lavender on the spot (which had a good red mark already) and returned to work. I completely forgot about it until this morning when I was getting ready to leave. I touched the spot which was a little tender and went "Oh, yeah. I whacked myself good yesterday, didn't I?" Pulled up the shirt and saw a faint red mark with no bruising.
Seriously though, I whacked it hard a heck. I was surprised it wasn't a nasty purple blob of flesh. I didn't even have Frankincense (which is probably why there was a mark at all) and it was still normal twelve hours later. Lavender is one of those awesome, multipurpose oils that even though I still don't enjoy the smell (not a flower guy) I appreciate its power.
One of the most troubling problems with hitting yourself with something is not only the pain - it is the ugly purple mark that tells everyone that you were a klutz (obviously there are other things that can cause bruising, but this is cause number one in our home). The spot remains tender and eye-catching for days and only begins to disappear by turning an ugly greenish-yellow first. Not to mention the swelling that is often under the bump.
There is always the option of downing ibuprofen or some other medication to stop swelling and alleviate pain, but why? What if there were a natural remedy that didn't contain synthetics or side-effects (you may have noticed I have an attachment to this kind of fix)? Well there is!
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| www.nlm.nih.gov |
Our youngest ran full on into a corner a month ago and by the indent on her forehead, we knew the "outdent" would be huge. Steph ran and grabbed the Frankincense and Lavender and we rubbed it into her head. An hour later the skin was uniform and the bruise almost nonexistent. Yeah, that was pretty cool.
Yesterday (this is what reminded me to write the post) I was klutzy at work and rammed my side into a corner of a counter. It was very painful and I had to answer the phone immediately (which is why I was running that direction in the first place). Imagine me keeled over with the phone at my ear saying "General Book Information, this is Justin, how can I help you?" between gasps of pain which the phone was moved away for. Anyway...
After I regained what I had left of my composure, I went in the back room and rubbed some Lavender on the spot (which had a good red mark already) and returned to work. I completely forgot about it until this morning when I was getting ready to leave. I touched the spot which was a little tender and went "Oh, yeah. I whacked myself good yesterday, didn't I?" Pulled up the shirt and saw a faint red mark with no bruising.
Seriously though, I whacked it hard a heck. I was surprised it wasn't a nasty purple blob of flesh. I didn't even have Frankincense (which is probably why there was a mark at all) and it was still normal twelve hours later. Lavender is one of those awesome, multipurpose oils that even though I still don't enjoy the smell (not a flower guy) I appreciate its power.
Alleviating Allergies
What a relief!
I have been trying to find an allergy method that functions with the oils since, like many I know, medication is not only unappealing - it sucks. Whenever I take benadryl my ability to do anything falls to zero. It may reduce the symptoms, but it knocks me out and leaves me groggy the next day. I've never drunk alcohol, but I imagine that it is like being drunk. I can't think quickly or clearly and my movements are sluggish.
So that leaves more expensive over-the-counter medicine or prescriptions. Funny thing is - they are both synthetic, side-effect prone, products of the pharmaceutical industry that I have pretty much no desire to ever take again. Don't misunderstand, I would if absolutely necessary, but the line of necessity needs to be redrawn in most cases. We don't need a prescription for everything we are dealing with in life.
Anyway, I tried putting Lavender and Melaleuca on my feet last time I was in Tucson with my parents' (in-laws included) dogs, but it only helped a little. I've tried it again at other times, but it wasn't as affective as I would have hoped. Today I got a new option.
A friend came to our daughter's party today who first introduced us to the oils and helped my children overcome a nasty cold back in the early winter. She had found a treatment from a friend using Lavender, Melaleuca, Peppermint, and Lemon in a different application.
She said you put two drops each of the Lavender, Lemon and Peppermint in a capsule and ingest it (only try this with doTERRA since they are the safest and purest oils). Next place a drop of Melaleuca and one of Lavender in your hands and rub the palms together. Cup that around your mouth and nose and inhale deeply (this is called a "personal diffuser").
I tried a drop of Peppermint on the tongue and the personal diffuser with the Melaleuca and Lavender and it worked! I guess the trick was to get it into the airways and sinuses first more than the bloodstream. It was nice to finally have a way to fight something myself and others deal with all the time. If we ever get capsules I will try the full effect with the Lemon and Lavender inside as well as Peppermint.
I have been trying to find an allergy method that functions with the oils since, like many I know, medication is not only unappealing - it sucks. Whenever I take benadryl my ability to do anything falls to zero. It may reduce the symptoms, but it knocks me out and leaves me groggy the next day. I've never drunk alcohol, but I imagine that it is like being drunk. I can't think quickly or clearly and my movements are sluggish.
 |
| psychology.wikia.com |
Anyway, I tried putting Lavender and Melaleuca on my feet last time I was in Tucson with my parents' (in-laws included) dogs, but it only helped a little. I've tried it again at other times, but it wasn't as affective as I would have hoped. Today I got a new option.
A friend came to our daughter's party today who first introduced us to the oils and helped my children overcome a nasty cold back in the early winter. She had found a treatment from a friend using Lavender, Melaleuca, Peppermint, and Lemon in a different application.
She said you put two drops each of the Lavender, Lemon and Peppermint in a capsule and ingest it (only try this with doTERRA since they are the safest and purest oils). Next place a drop of Melaleuca and one of Lavender in your hands and rub the palms together. Cup that around your mouth and nose and inhale deeply (this is called a "personal diffuser").
I tried a drop of Peppermint on the tongue and the personal diffuser with the Melaleuca and Lavender and it worked! I guess the trick was to get it into the airways and sinuses first more than the bloodstream. It was nice to finally have a way to fight something myself and others deal with all the time. If we ever get capsules I will try the full effect with the Lemon and Lavender inside as well as Peppermint.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Healing Burns From Sun and Stove
More than just jacking up my finger joints at the Festival of Books, I got myself a heavy sunburn on both front arms from being out in the sun doing balloons. It was nice and bright red with that warm to the touch sensation that screams, "I am going to bother you for days and then peel like crazy." Wasn't looking forward to that.
I had heard about the effects of Lavender on sunburns before, but this was my first experience using it as a burn treatment and as usual with the oils, I wasn't disappointed. I applied Lavender to the burns immediately and then once or twice a day for the next couple of days. By Tuesday the redness had all but disappeared and you probably guessed it - the peeling never happened. That was nice.
Truthfully though, I'd already seen it work on burns from touching a hot stove. I am just a little klutzy sometimes and one day I ran my finger on the skillet while it was hot. This created that remaining burn feeling that you know is going to turn into a blister soon. I dropped a little Lavender on it and the spot cooled and never blistered.
I love the versatility of these oils. Each one is extracted at its most potent state and in its natural habitat which means they have so many healing properties to share. Lavender is one of those that does a lot from calming emotions to relaxing tension and healing burns and other skin damage.
Follow Up (6/13/2011):
So I neglected to continually treat the sunburns and a week later there is some minor peeling. I only put lavender on once a day the first couple of days and then rarely afterward. If I had been more religious about it, I wouldn't have peeled at all. Plus, the overall burn area (area affected by the minor peeling) is half what it originally was so the lavender was great, just not consistent.
I had heard about the effects of Lavender on sunburns before, but this was my first experience using it as a burn treatment and as usual with the oils, I wasn't disappointed. I applied Lavender to the burns immediately and then once or twice a day for the next couple of days. By Tuesday the redness had all but disappeared and you probably guessed it - the peeling never happened. That was nice.
 |
| doTERRA's Lavender comes from Provence, France |
I love the versatility of these oils. Each one is extracted at its most potent state and in its natural habitat which means they have so many healing properties to share. Lavender is one of those that does a lot from calming emotions to relaxing tension and healing burns and other skin damage.
Follow Up (6/13/2011):
So I neglected to continually treat the sunburns and a week later there is some minor peeling. I only put lavender on once a day the first couple of days and then rarely afterward. If I had been more religious about it, I wouldn't have peeled at all. Plus, the overall burn area (area affected by the minor peeling) is half what it originally was so the lavender was great, just not consistent.
Monday, June 6, 2011
Lemongrass kicks some...
Okay, so if the title is somewhat offensive I apologize, but seriously you have to read this:
I was waiting for a class to start today and my left thumb joints were in agony. On Saturday I had participated in the Utah Festival of Books as a Balloonologist (fancy made up word for balloon animal maker) for eight hours. My hands were dead by the end of the day and on Sunday weren't any better.
Today, I had a rare moment to breathe and was hoping to catch a classmate who needed some oils. We had gotten a sample of Serenity and Lemongrass to help with her TMJ (a horrible jaw issue) and I have been carrying them for a couple weeks (neither of us has been to class at the same time since then). I remembered the possible applications of Lemongrass and thought, "Since nothing else has really helped a lot and I want to see if it will work for her anyway...I'll try it." Sweet bliss.
I put it at one point and the pain lessened there. I placed in on another and the pain went down their as well! My hand feels a little sore, but a hundred times better. This stuff rocks my socks!
Over the next couple of hours I continued to smell a blend of lemon and grass (kind of like its name) from the spots on my thumb. At the same time the pain gradually lessened. It is still a little stiff (three and a half hours later), but vastly improved. Definitely a good oil for sore joints.
P.S. - It is now eight hours later and the pain and stiffness are pretty much gone. Thought you'd like to know.
(My pain was at the MCP joint and at the bottom of the metacarpal bone)
I was waiting for a class to start today and my left thumb joints were in agony. On Saturday I had participated in the Utah Festival of Books as a Balloonologist (fancy made up word for balloon animal maker) for eight hours. My hands were dead by the end of the day and on Sunday weren't any better.
 |
| image from ski-injury.com |
I put it at one point and the pain lessened there. I placed in on another and the pain went down their as well! My hand feels a little sore, but a hundred times better. This stuff rocks my socks!
Over the next couple of hours I continued to smell a blend of lemon and grass (kind of like its name) from the spots on my thumb. At the same time the pain gradually lessened. It is still a little stiff (three and a half hours later), but vastly improved. Definitely a good oil for sore joints.
P.S. - It is now eight hours later and the pain and stiffness are pretty much gone. Thought you'd like to know.
(My pain was at the MCP joint and at the bottom of the metacarpal bone)
Friday, June 3, 2011
Iodized Salt - Is It Really Needed?
So we switched back to sea salt this week and it was fantastic. There is such a rich and pleasant flavor to it. You need less than table salt and it flavors the food perfectly. However, it made me wonder about the Iodine in table salt - is it really necessary to have it in there and why?
Well, I'm naturally inclined toward back to basics methods. I find that while we've made great improvements in the past century in the field of medicine and science, we've forgotten that for millenia people have survived off of what mother nature provided. This includes, of course, the oils and wholesome natural foods. Hence my natural position would be against the iodine additive.
It is an essential nutrient, though, so we have to have it in our food somewhere. Otherwise our thyroid gets out of whack and all sorts of issues come up. But where else do you get iodine from without inserting in the diet? The key is knowing the foods it's in.
I borrowed this chart from the National Institutes of Health's online database. I highlighted the areas they expect us to get it from that are undesirable in reds (at least as daily sources). In yellow are the ones that stand out to me as great sources - that aren't seafood - and the good seafood is in blue [though I left the canned tuna in yellow 'cause lets face it - who thinks tuna is a sea food when it is canned?].
You'll see that there are many options for getting the iodine that don't involve enriched grains (which are pathetic compared to the unaltered, original whole grains) or chemically altered salt. If you ate four eggs and a glass of milk you'd already be there. For a less cholesterol oriented approach you could consume a can of tuna, some cheese, a bit of corn, some fruit and a serving of yogurt. The point is that even without seafood we can get iodine and avoid the pitiful table salt that doesn't even taste good.
You can read all over the internet from nutritionists and salt advocates in the States about the need for iodized salt, but here it is in the NIH's own writing - you don't need it. You just have to have a balanced diet which we've all known for years is important anyway.
Phew! I get to have my sea salt after all!
 |
| image from airbrushsolution.com |
Well, I'm naturally inclined toward back to basics methods. I find that while we've made great improvements in the past century in the field of medicine and science, we've forgotten that for millenia people have survived off of what mother nature provided. This includes, of course, the oils and wholesome natural foods. Hence my natural position would be against the iodine additive.
It is an essential nutrient, though, so we have to have it in our food somewhere. Otherwise our thyroid gets out of whack and all sorts of issues come up. But where else do you get iodine from without inserting in the diet? The key is knowing the foods it's in.
I borrowed this chart from the National Institutes of Health's online database. I highlighted the areas they expect us to get it from that are undesirable in reds (at least as daily sources). In yellow are the ones that stand out to me as great sources - that aren't seafood - and the good seafood is in blue [though I left the canned tuna in yellow 'cause lets face it - who thinks tuna is a sea food when it is canned?].
| Food | Approximate Micrograms (mcg) per serving | Percent DV* |
|---|---|---|
| Seaweed, whole or sheet, 1 g | 16 to 2,984 | 11% to 1,989% |
| Cod, baked, 3 ounces | 99 | 66% |
| Yogurt, plain, low-fat, 1 cup | 75 | 50% |
| Iodized salt, 1.5 g (approx. 1/4 teaspoon) | 71 | 47% |
| Milk, reduced fat, 1 cup | 56 | 37% |
| Fish sticks, 3 ounces | 54 | 36% |
| Bread, white, enriched, 2 slices | 45 | 30% |
| Fruit cocktail in heavy syrup, canned, 1/2 cup | 42 | 28% |
| Shrimp, 3 ounces | 35 | 23% |
| Ice cream, chocolate, 1/2 cup | 30 | 20% |
| Macaroni, enriched, boiled, 1 cup | 27 | 18% |
| Egg, 1 large | 24 | 16% |
| Tuna, canned in oil, drained, 3 ounces | 17 | 11% |
| Corn, cream style, canned, 1/2 cup | 14 | 9% |
| Prunes, dried, 5 prunes | 13 | 9% |
| Cheese, cheddar, 1 ounce | 12 | 8% |
| Raisin bran cereal, 1 cup | 11 | 7% |
| Lima beans, mature, boiled, 1/2 cup | 8 | 5% |
| Apple juice, 1 cup | 7 | 5% |
| Green peas, frozen, boiled, 1/2 cup | 3 | 2% |
| Banana, 1 medium | 3 | 2% |
You'll see that there are many options for getting the iodine that don't involve enriched grains (which are pathetic compared to the unaltered, original whole grains) or chemically altered salt. If you ate four eggs and a glass of milk you'd already be there. For a less cholesterol oriented approach you could consume a can of tuna, some cheese, a bit of corn, some fruit and a serving of yogurt. The point is that even without seafood we can get iodine and avoid the pitiful table salt that doesn't even taste good.
You can read all over the internet from nutritionists and salt advocates in the States about the need for iodized salt, but here it is in the NIH's own writing - you don't need it. You just have to have a balanced diet which we've all known for years is important anyway.
Phew! I get to have my sea salt after all!
Thursday, June 2, 2011
HFMD - ROUND 2!!!
AAAAHHH!!! IT GOT ANOTHER ONE!
Our middle child came down with a fever on Sunday (29th). She curled up in a ball at the breakfast counter in the morning and then in the evening she registered a temperature of 100.9 while lying flatly on the couch. We are not ready for another week of quarantine so I grabbed the Cinnamon, Oregano, Frankincense, and Purify and put it on her feet.
The next day she had bumps crawling up from her feet to her thighs. She was acting fairly normal, but the bumps progressed slowly. We tried another treatment based off the idea that hand foot and mouth disease might be a shingles or herpes type virus and used peppermint and eucalyptus, but it didn't seem to do much. Purify seems to be the only thing that consistently fights the sores.
And that was the case the whole time. We tried all the other oils we could think of, but only Purify fought the sores. We even tried just Lemon and Melaleuca since they are both in it and were listed under the symptoms in the Modern Essentials book - they didn't do it. By using the Purify at least twice daily we kept her sores to a minimum and most of them from getting as bad as the baby's.
FOLLOW UP (JUNE 14th)
For reference, on June 14th, I took these two pictures of their feet. This is two weeks later and the sores are just fading blisters now, but you can still see how bad it was for the baby (no purify initially) versus the toddler (purify from the onset). The baby's heels both had blisters inside of blisters which is why they are still peeling.
The baby literally had blisters all over her foot and wouldn't walk before we started using Purify on them. Once that was applied, she was back "on her feet" and running around the house. It still took the past two weeks to overcome the sores and a few long soaks before the blisters opened up. Anyway, moral of the story is USE PURIFY RIGHT AWAY and keep it up!
Also, you may notice the flaking on the toddler's toes. She has dry skin issues so that's why those look worse than the baby's toes - we'll let you know when we beat that one :-)
Our middle child came down with a fever on Sunday (29th). She curled up in a ball at the breakfast counter in the morning and then in the evening she registered a temperature of 100.9 while lying flatly on the couch. We are not ready for another week of quarantine so I grabbed the Cinnamon, Oregano, Frankincense, and Purify and put it on her feet.
The next day she had bumps crawling up from her feet to her thighs. She was acting fairly normal, but the bumps progressed slowly. We tried another treatment based off the idea that hand foot and mouth disease might be a shingles or herpes type virus and used peppermint and eucalyptus, but it didn't seem to do much. Purify seems to be the only thing that consistently fights the sores.
And that was the case the whole time. We tried all the other oils we could think of, but only Purify fought the sores. We even tried just Lemon and Melaleuca since they are both in it and were listed under the symptoms in the Modern Essentials book - they didn't do it. By using the Purify at least twice daily we kept her sores to a minimum and most of them from getting as bad as the baby's.
FOLLOW UP (JUNE 14th)
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| Toddler's Foot |
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| Baby's Foot |
Also, you may notice the flaking on the toddler's toes. She has dry skin issues so that's why those look worse than the baby's toes - we'll let you know when we beat that one :-)
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