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Monday, September 22, 2014

A note about oils...Part 2!

Several months ago, I wrote a post entitled "A Note About Oils" and it has been my most popular post thus far! Hundreds of people read that post much to my surprise! Needless to say, I was glad it was helpful to people beginning their oily journeys. Well, since that post, I have learned even so much more about oils, their uses, and the amazing difference they have made in our lives. I thought I would write a follow-up post to share a few new notes about oils...


  • If you think that using oils will make it so you and your family never get sick...I am sorry to disappoint you! There is no way around the simple truth that everyone gets sick sometimes. However, from personal experience and from watching others, the incidence of illness is far lower when oils are used on a regular basis. IN ADDITION, the spread of illness is also far lower when oils are used on a regular basis. Since our family has been using oils, my oldest son suffered from a tummy bug, my youngest had a slight cough and my hubby and I caught a cold. But here's the cool part:
    • My oldest son suffered from the tummy bug for ONE DAY and no one else in the house got sick!
    • My youngest son suffered from a cough that sounded pretty bad but only plagued him a few times a day or during exercise, was greatly helped by diffusing Eucalyptus and rubbing Eucalyptus on his chest and back AND it didn't keep him up at night or cause any significant impairment to his daily functioning AND no one else in the house got it!
    • My hubby caught a bad cold over the winter and was on the verge of getting an ear infection and sinus infection. By oiling him up generously and consistently, he avoided antibiotics and doctor visits and was able to manage symptoms and work right through it - no work missed, no significant impairment to daily functioning.
    • I caught a bad cold over the winter and was pretty miserable for a day but by lathering myself with oils, diffusing and taking oils orally, I woke up the next morning feeling like a totally new person! This experience was likely the most astounding that I have had with oils thus far - and that's saying something because I am daily wowed by oils!! The cold cleared up and I was back to normal without any doctor visits or meds!
  • In my experience, many people choke a little when they hear the price for the Everyday Oils Kit. I get it...I did too. But now, I think "Wow! Only $150?" I know $150 is a lot of money but I also know the quality and the value of these oils. Here's my personal story about the whole money thing:
    • I have an amazing friend who I admire in every way and she introduced me to oils last year...in a very non-pushy way! I was interested because my youngest was almost 5 at the time and still getting up 2-4 times a night and we were all exhausted. However, I was tired of spending money on things that didn't work such as talking to doctors, frequent chiropractor visits, and buying supplements like Melatonin. I must admit, I was skeptical. I finally came to a place where I was so desperate that I got on my computer and I ordered the oils. Then I started stressing and saying to myself "This is dumb. I shouldn't have spent $150 on something that I don't even know will help". And so I returned to my computer and I cancelled that order. Later that evening my hubby asked if I had purchased them and I told him my ordering and cancelling story and here's what he said: "You need to just order them. If these oils could help with even one of our issues - sleep, warts, your autoimmune disorder - it would be worth it. Just order the oils!" I went back downstairs and ordered them. And you know what? All of those issues have been improved! Sleep has been improved like you couldn't imagine! Five warts have been eliminated on my boys! And my autoimmune disorder has been greatly improved! That's three for three! And those don't even begin to cover the number of successes we have had with these oils!
    • So, I know $150 seems like a lot but when you think about it, what's it worth to you to not have to visit the doctor multiple times during the course of the year? How much do you typically spend for doctor visits and meds during the winter months when strep, sinus infections, bronchitis, ear infections, colds, and flu start spreading? How much work do you miss and how many sick days do your kids have when these illnesses are running rampant through the schools? I'm thinking for many, it's more than $150 and further...how long does it take for those meds to work?! To me, $150 doesn't sound like a lot when it compares to the benefits.
  • I am not usually a proponent for simply dealing with symptoms. In my days of counseling, I would frequently remind my clients that though symptom management was important, if the root of the problem was not dealt with, counseling would be an infinite part of their lives. With that said, when dealing with health, sometimes the best that can be done is symptom management. Our family eats in a very healthy manner, exercises regularly, and takes Juice Plus (a well-researched whole food supplement). Though these things keep us healthy in many ways, there are simply some health issues in our lives that have not been eliminated by living a healthy lifestyle. For example, my husband suffers from migraines and though diet and exercise have played a huge part in reducing the number he gets, stress is also a major factor in the process. If he is under a huge amount of stress and going on a couple hours of sleep, the perfect storm is created and he ends up with a migraine. In his line of work, he doesn't always have the luxury of a good night's sleep and a low stress day. In an instance like that, he deals with the symptoms because the the root of the problem can't be helped. OTC and prescription meds have been totally useless over the years, offering zero relief. However, oils help him kick the migraine quickly and he is able to work through them. It used to be that if he got a migraine, he would have to go to bed for hours to recover. Another example is my autoimmune disorder. I suffer from inflammation, swelling and pain in my fingers and toes during the winter months. Though my diet and lifestyle choices have greatly improved this problem, they have not eliminated the problem. However, oils have made a huge difference in the level of pain and swelling...see my blog post about that here. The last example I will give is this - I have been dealing with consistent nausea for almost 3 years and have been through more tests and procedures than can be logically imagined! Unfortunately, the doctors have yet to have figured out a cause. It stinks and I am tired of it but honestly I am not sure what I would do without my oils!! Peppermint, Digize and AromaEase save me on a regular basis as I fight through feeling cruddy. Though the root of the problem has not yet been eliminated, I am at least able to function at a somewhat normal level. God is pretty amazing to have created such powerful plants that supply such incredible levels of medicinal value!! 
  • So, in closing this post, I hope something in this was helpful to someone out there - perhaps someone struggling with spending the money or someone frustrated about not finding a root cause to a problem...just a couple thoughts as I continue on this oily journey!!
Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional and cannot diagnose, cure or treat any illness or malady.

Thursday, September 11, 2014

Essential Oils and Pain Relief

I recently underwent a medical procedure that was extremely painful and left me in a lot of discomfort on the recovery side. After over three weeks of healing, I thought I must be on the upswing but over the weekend, my pain intensified and by Sunday afternoon I was miserable. My back was so sore that the pain radiated down my leg and there was no position that gave me relief. I decided to try a "Morphine Bomb" to see if I could ease the discomfort. The only problem was, I did not have any Idaho Balsam Fir. I had just received White Fir from the August promo and decided to give it a try in place of the Idaho Balsam Fir (a wise friend suggested the 2 Fir oils might act similarly!). Almost immediately, I could feel the edge taken off of the pain. I was not pain free but as the night progressed, it became more and more subtle. By Monday morning, I felt back to normal! It was amazing! On Wednesday, I made the unwise choice of working out in a fairly normal capacity and ended up in a lot of pain once again - stupid choice on my part! And I was back to lots of pain. I popped in another Morphine Bomb and once again was relieved almost immediately of the intense pain.

I don't know why I am always so surprised by the awesomeness of these oils - after the benefits we have experienced, I should probably just expect it! But I still stand in awe of the incredible properties of these God-given oils!


Add 5 drops of each oil to an empty vegetarian capsule and top off with organic olive oil. 
Repeat as needed.
        


Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional and cannot diagnose, cure or treat any illness or malady.

Sunday, September 7, 2014

Allergies!

Our family has been blessed with only occasional allergies...which probably makes some of you a little crazy if you suffer on a consistent basis! However, with that being said, Frank and Keith do experience isolated bouts with allergies every now and then and I am so thankful that we have found a natural way to deal with them.

Keith recently had a little flare up because during a field trip to the apple orchard, he found the hay pile and had loads of fun jumping into it with his friends and piling it on each other over and over again! Keith and hay are not friends and he ended up with red, watery, itchy eyes and a runny nose. As soon as we hopped in the car for the 30 min drive home, I dabbed some Lavender on the bridge of his nose and right under his nose. He not only was perfectly fine once we got home, his reaction cleared BEFORE we were even home! Oils amaze me!! God certainly knew what He was doing when He created all of these plants for more than just the beauty they provide!

On occasion when one of my boys experiences an allergy bout, we have also used an allergy bomb capsule, made up of Lavender, Lemon and Peppermint. It's an easy recipe and works wonders. These three oils can also be added in equal quantities to a sample bottle and inhaled or applied topically to the back of the neck if that is preferable.

For those who suffer from seasonal or year-round allergies, this oily remedy can provide an effective alternative to using consistent OTC or prescription meds! Say goodbye to the misery of allergies!!



Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional and cannot diagnose, cure or treat any illness or malady.