Oil is in the air...another look at diffusing...

I have been using essential oils for several years now and would you believe, I have only recently started diffusing all through the day? I know, crazy! When I first received my kit, I was so thrilled and I got out my diffuser and a bottle of oil and began diffusing immediately. At the time, I only had one diffuser and every time I wanted to use it in a different room, I would have to unplug it and transfer it to a new room. Kind of silly that the simple act of transferring it to a new room would prevent me from using it throughout the day but that was the reality. Very quickly, the diffuser didn't move much and stayed pretty firmly planted in my youngest son's bedroom for bedtime diffusing. I also didn't want to use up my oils too quickly, thus causing me to be cautious in my use of the precious drops.

Over time, I purchased a couple more diffusers and we had the luxury of having a diffuser in each bedroom so everyone could diffuse at bedtime and into the night. Every once in a while, the diffuser would make it's way to the school room and we would diffuse during lessons.

One of my closest friends who happens to be the person that introduced me to oils, has always been better at diffusing throughout the day and encouraged me to do the same. Over the past month, I finally took her advice! Since I have a diffuser in almost every room of the house, I have no excuse and no reason NOT to!

Let me tell you - diffusing throughout the day on a regular basis is absolutely worth every drop you use! I diffuse during the morning hours as we get ready for our day. I diffuse all through our lessons in the school room. The moment we are done with school and heading to the main floor, more oil goes into the main floor diffuser. At bedtime, everyone has a diffuser full of sleepytime blends. Literally, our family is experiencing the benefits of oils ALL DAY LONG! And I must say, I love it! It wakes me up in the morning; it provides focus and calm in the schoolroom; it motivates and refreshes me throughout the day. Why did I wait so long to do this?! I know my sweet friend has been asking the same question for the past few years:-)

Here are a few I have been diffusing a lot of lately...during the daytime hours...

So let me offer a little of advice, even if unsolicited! Diffuse throughout the day...even if it means transferring your diffuser. It's worth it. Your olfactory senses will thank you. Your mind will thank you. Your body will thank you. Go forth and diffuse!

Why should I diffuse Essential Oils?

Thought I would explain why I think diffusing is a great idea...

Well first of all, it’s not magical! It is simply using these oils that come from incredible plants that God in his infinite wisdom created for us to enjoy and utilize. Let me go through some interesting and informative facts about why diffusing is so important and effective:

  Diffusing is so easy to do. I honestly used to think it was too much of a pain to fill my diffuser multiple times a day, decide on an oil to use and push the button! That’s pretty lame! It takes less than 30 seconds to do those simple steps. If applying oils topically frequently and continually throughout the day seems tedious and unrealistic for you, diffusing can offer a great alternative.
  The idea that using 8-10 drops of oil in the diffuser at a time is not cost-effective is a myth! Diffusing is a great way to permeate the air with the beneficial properties of the oil throughout a large area over several hours is very cost-effective

  It is important to use a cool air diffuser. Why? Because using a heat source can actually compromise the chemical constituents of the oils and damage their beneficial properties. All of our Young Living diffusers are cold air diffusers so nothing is compromised in the process of diffusing.

  With Young Living diffusers, the oil is blown up against a nebulizer which in turn breaks the oil up into a fine mist that can then be dispersed into the air in seconds. The mist is spread over hundreds of square feet at a time, allowing the benefits of the oils to permeate a room. Not only do they get dispersed throughout a large area, but they remain in the air for several hours.

  Diffusers that have an intermittent setting are best. The best therapeutic benefit comes when diffusers are used intermittently throughout the hours of the day rather than constantly. The breaks in diffusing actually help the olfactory system to best utilize the benefits of the oils.

  Because the olfactory system is so closely connected to the limbic system (including the hippocampus, amygdala, hypothalamus, and cingulate gyrus), essential oils have a great impact on the physiological and psychological parts of our bodies. If you think about it, the sense of smell has the power to evoke many emotions, memories and responses. A smell can bring back a positive memory or a negative memory of something; it can take you back to childhood or give you feelings of joy or refreshment. It is no wonder that diffusing oils with powerful components can have such a profound impact on our entire bodily system.

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Breakfast...

Thought I would post a little something about breakfast today. I grew up eating breakfast every single day - it was never a meal we skipped and in fact, it was one of my favorite meals of the day. A few years ago, for whatever reason, I decided that I wasn't all that fond of breakfast and though I knew it was important, I really didn't enjoy it all that much. I continued to eat it because my body knows when I don't eat breakfast and I get to feeling sick pretty early in the day if I skip. My world really got turned upside down when I became completely gluten-free AND vegan due to some health issues - let me tell you, breakfast becomes even harder when you add those parameters.

So, why does any of this matter? Well, according to leading experts and many research studies, breakfast is truly the most important meal of the day. After a good nights rest, the body is in desperate need of fuel so it makes sense. However, if you're like me and you aren't all that crazy about breakfast foods, let me give you a few tips that have helped me:

1. Need something quick and easy? My husband loves drinking a smoothie for his breakfast - we use a powder made by Juice Plus that is full of fiber, whole grains, and veggies as the base and add almond milk and frozen fruit. It's filling, fast and crazy nutritious.

2. If nothing sounds good and you feel like you are wasting calories on something you don't even want, I remind myself that even if I don't feel hungry, my body needs it and it will improve the way I feel during the day. So, a big bowl of fruit can be a good way to get something into your system without adding unhealthy fats or calories to your day. You won't feel guilty...rather you can feel good about not only eating some breakfast but also pouring some fabulous antioxidant goodness into your body first thing in the morning.

3. Here's my favorite - think outside the breakfast box! I have discovered that I really don't like anything sweet for breakfast. I am a savory kind of girl - so muffins, cereals, and oatmeal don't really appeal to me - especially gluten-free versions. I do, however, like savory breakfasts such as a tofu scramble or breakfast potatoes. Here's the outside-of-the-box part - who says you have to eat traditional breakfast fare? I happen to love lunch and dinner...so why not eat those foods at breakfasts? If muffins and cereal don't sound good for breakfast, don't eat them! It's far better to fuel your body with healthfulnes than eat a particular menu of foods just because it's what other people do! I frequently eat a plate of veggies or a baked potato or some soup for breakfast. Clearly, this is not the norm for most people but it makes sense, right? Get that fuel in the body, start your day off right and eat the foods that sound and taste good in the process!

Perhaps a funny post this morning but since this is a health blog, I thought I would share the atypical way I start the day:-) It contributes to my physical and emotional health when I start the day off right. 

So, go forth and eat breakfast! Muffins, cereal, fruit, smoothies...or a big plate of veggies will also do:-)

One of this week's breakfast choices:-)

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A note about Juice Plus...

In light of the current craze about supplements, I wanted to throw in my two cents about supplements. If you want to hear a few more details about why I'm not so geeked up about supplements, I will be addressing that in the upcoming Q&A on the 19th. But for now, I wanted to highlight the supplement that my family takes and why. 

• First of all, let me just say, I love Juice Plus. A lot. But you might be asking why. So allow me to give you a couple points that answer that question
• Juice Plus is NOT a vitamin supplement...it's a whole food supplement with a nutrition facts label, not a supplement/vitamin label
• Juice Plus contains 30 different fruit, vegetable and grain powders - the plants are grown to optimal ripeness, harvested, juiced, dried, and ground into powder so none of the nutrient density is lost. The nutrients are not removed and isloated into capsules. The whole fruit, vegetable or grain is used so the nutrient combinations of each food that God designed to work synergistically together are present
• Juice Plus is not a substitute for eating fruits and vegetables
• When you start taking JP, you will most likely find that you begin to crave more fruits and veggies - since your body is getting such powerful nutrients through your JP capsules, your body begins to crave the good stuff even more
• Juice Plus doesn't generally erase symptoms or eliminate diseases instantaneously but over time, major problems can be helped dramatically. Juice Plus was actually the first thing that made a difference in an autoimmune disorder I have. I discovered I had the disorder when we moved to Kansas City 16 years ago.  I took prescription meds for a couple years and then decided I did not want to be taking drugs so I stopped. Shortly thereafter, I began taking JP and the next winter my symptoms were substantially better. The problem was not eliminated but the symptoms were greatly reduced. Some people experience drastic health improvement when taking JP. But true health is never a quick fix that can be achieved overnight...that's important to remember
• Taking JP doesn't mean you won't ever get sick - however, in our experience taking JP does reduce the frequency of illness and the duration of illness
• Just taking JP alone will likely improve your health - but taking JP AND maintaining a healthy lifestyle will lead to increased health
• Juice Plus is backed by so much research that it's benefits really can't be disputed - check it out here
• Even if you eat a lot of fruits and veggies, you probably aren't getting fruits and veggies that are fresh and picked when they are perfectly ripe and ready for harvest. Further, most people probably don't consume ascerola cherries, papaya, kale, and beets daily. I think it's also safe to say that most kids don't eat as many fruits and veggies as we would like either - especially not things like beets and spinach. But if you and your kids take JP you will be getting all the goodness of 30 fruits, veggies and grains (that you wouldn't otherwise eat daily) every day. 
• Even if you eat a lot of fruits and veggies, you probably don't get 9-13 servings daily (the recommendation is no longer 5-7!). I am completely plant based and even I don't get that many
• JP makes sense and it's worth the investment in our health!
• For more info, visit here