Lavender, Eucalyptus and Peppermint; oh my!

So, I have had great intentions to talk more about essential oils and now I actually am going to.

It is important to note that all oils are toxic, that is why they are medicines, and should be used with caution and knowledge. Less is better when using essential oils. You will get the same benefit from one drop of oil as you will from pouring it on you.

If you want to know more about the basic benefits of essential oils and how to use them refer to this post.

You will notice that I will not be talking about any blends. There are a few reasons for this. 100% pure essential oils last longer than a blend. Additionally, I can control what carrier oil is used and how much is used thereby insuring that the pure essential oil can be used without fear of going rancid because of a carrier oil. Most 100% pure essential oils are 2 to 3 times more costly than blended oils, however when you mix 3 drops of 100% pure essential oil with 20 drops of olive oil, you will find out that your pure essential oil will cost you much less than if you had bought the “blend” already mixed. I also like to be able to use my oils for may things. If they are already in a blend it limits what I can do with that oil. I do occasionally make my own blends, but I never use more than 2-3 oils in a blend. One thing that is important to consider when blending oils is their "note". It is also important to know the "note" of the oil so that you will have a better idea of how often you should reapply the oil. There are 3 kinds of "notes" when it comes to essential oils.

Top notes- have small chain molecules. They go into the air easily and evaporate easily. They work quickly, but the effects of them also wear off more quickly. Generally energizing will last for 1-2 hours.

Middle notes- will last for 3-4 days.

Base notes- don't go in to the air as quick and will last for up to a week.

If you are using a middle or base note oil, it is not necessary to use that oil again for a while. You will still get the benefits from it without having to reapply it.

Most of what I have learned about oils has come from this book.


I think it is the best oil book out there and I love that it is not from a particular company trying to sell oils. I feel like I get really great information from it that is not bias toward any one brand.

With all that said, I thought I would just start off by talking about three of my favorite oils. These three I probably use the most and they are very versatile.

Lavender (middle to top note)- We all know that lavender smells great, but did you know that it has the best healing properties of all the essential oils out there. If you only have one essential oil in your home it should be lavender. I will list just a portion of it's benefits below.

• It is a very calming oil that relieves stress and anxiety and calms the nervous system.
  
• It is a great treatment for insomnia, migraines and headaches.
  
• It is very effective for muscle aches and helps ease the pain caused from arthritis.
  
• It helps with other conditions that involve inflammation such as acne, psoriasis and boils.
  
• It is beneficial for asthma.
  
• It is great for insect bites as it calms the bite and helps relieve the itch.
  
• It helps to regenerate cells in the body quickly, therefor it is great for cuts and scrapes. It also works wonders for healing burns, including sunburns. A great burn "lotion" is:

Burn "lotion"

2 oz of carrier oil (Calendula oil and Rose hip oil are both great for the skin)
25-30 drops of essential oils including:
Lavender 15 drops
Geranium 5 drops
Frankincense 5 drops
Peppermint 2 drops (gives a cooling effect)

Eucalyptus (Top note)-

• Great for the treatment of headaches. It is recommended to take it internally (if it a trusted brand) for migraines and issues with the pancreas.
  
• Best know as a decongestant for colds, asthma, flu, sinusitis and bronchitis. . When put on the chest and bottom of the feet it will help greatly with breathing.
  
• The physiological properties of it are great for people who feel emotionally constricted by their surroundings. It helps them to feel like they can achieve greater freedom and gives them "room to breath"

Peppermint (Top note)-

• Used for relief of muscle pain, bruises and contusions, joint pain and insect bites.
  
• One of the most effective oils for the digestive system. It releaves nausea, stomach pains, diarrhea and flatulence.
• Helps with metal fatigue
• Helps relieve headaches and migraines

Personal Triumph and Loss

I have wanted to share this part of my life for a while now, but I wasn't quite sure what to say. I think maybe, I haven't been quite ready. I think that I am now. I share this for a few reasons. I want to bring hope to people. I want everyone to see that with faith, and by treating our bodies the right way, that any problems we are having with our bodies can be fixed. We are capable of being healthy and strong and whole. I am also writing this for a selfish reason. I think it will help me to continue to heal.

Last August my husband and I found out that I was pregnant. For us, this us truly a miracle. We had been trying to get pregnant for 12 years. We had been told that the only way that we ever would get pregnant would be through IVF and the chances of that happening were also slim. We actually were planning to do IVF and as I was waiting to start my next cycle so that we could start the process we were stopped in our tracks. My cycle never started. I have not been regular my entire life. Even when I was a teenager I was not regular. However for the last 9 months (before August) I had been for the first time in my life. The reason for this was because I was finally taking good care of my body. I was keeping bad stuff out and letting good stuff in. I knew that this was a blessing from my Father in Heaven. I was told that if I do everything in my power, by taking good care of my body, that he would make up the rest. I followed through with it and he blessed me. So you can see why I was so confused when i was late. The doctor told me to take a pregnancy test and I laughed. I took one anyway and it was negative. I waited two more weeks and was trying to be patient. I made a doctors appointment to get an ultra sound to see if I might have a cyst that may have been making my late. The doctor told me to take one more pregnancy test. I took one the morning of my ultra sound and it was positive. I couldn't believe it. After all these years, a positive pregnancy test! I went ahead and went into the ultra sound appointment to be checked out to see if everything was ok. I was 5 1/2 weeks along.
Fast forward two and a half weeks. I went into my Midwife for an 8 week appointment. My first pregnancy appointment. Everything was going great, until she tried to listen for the heart beat. She couldn't hear anything. I wasn't worried at that point, it was still early or so the doctor said. We scheduled an ultra sound for the next day however just to make sure that everything was ok. It was not. My baby died at 6 1/2 weeks. I was devastated. My baby would have been due the middle of April. I cannot believe that so much time has passed. Most days I don't think of it. Most days I am great. I have felt the loving hand of the Lord guide me through this trying time.
It took me a few weeks to actually miscarry. After the miscarriage my body returned to normal. I started having regular periods again. I actually was kind of shocked. I thought for sure that my hormones would be confused for a while, but it seemed like they were good. The last few months however, that has not been the case. My hormones are really out of wack again and I have been trying to get them back to normal. It has been a struggle. I am having to be really strict with my diet (which emotionally I am having a hard time with). I will get there. I know that my body will find balance again. It did at one time and because of that I was blessed with one of the biggest miracles of my life, getting pregnant. It would have been nice to stay pregnant and have another baby; my heart longs for that, but the Lord has a different plan for me right now. I need to strive to keep my body healthy so that I will be able to do what ever it is that he wants for me to do.

Homemade Deodorant

I have been using homemade deodorant for a few months now and I love it! I feel good about using it because I know that it is not blocking my sweat glands and and stagnating my lymph system, holding toxins in my body. I am also not putting aluminum on my skin. Our skin is the largest organ of our body and takes in everything that we put on it through our pores. I wouldn't eat aluminum, so why would I want to put it on my body? It is also cheaper than buying it, which is a huge bonus! Try it out!

Deodorant

1/4 cup of baking soda
1/4 cup of arrowroot powder OR aluminum free corn starch
1 cup coconut oil
a few drops of lemon or grapefruit essential oil

Melt the coconut oil in a pan on low heat. Add the remaining ingredients except the essential oils to the coconut oil. Stir and let it thicken a bit. Take off heat, add essential oils. Pour into a jar and let harden. When ready to apply simply swipe your fingers across it and apply to your arm pit.

The baking soda soaks up moisture. The coconut oil is great, because it is antibacterial and anti-fungal. The reason that we stink when we sweat is not because of the sweat, but because of the bacteria that grows in the warm dark places of our body. The coconut oil kills that bacteria. Citrus essential oils are great for stimulating the lymph system and they smell good!

Definition of Footzonology

For those of you that don't know what zoning is here is a good definition.
Basically there is a map, or signal system on the bottom of your feet that is connected to every cell and organ in your body. Zoning helps to correct, balance and renew the bodies cell system through this map. We can also asses the bodies current state of health through this signal system. It is so exciting. I have seen the difference that it has made for several people in my family and I am so excited to be able to help others to feel better and have a more balanced body!